AP Chairman Refers to "Obama bin Laden" -- In Posing Question to Barack Obama

[Newsjock]

Source: Editor & Publisher

After addressing the journalists gathered at the annual Associated Press luncheon in Washington, D.C., today, Sen. Barack Obama, standing at the podium, took a few questions. The last one from the audience, delivered via AP chairman W. Dean Singleton, was related to Afghanistan, our troops to Iraq and the threat posed by, as Singleton put it, "Obama bin Laden."

Obama quickly corrected Singleton. “That’s Osama bin Laden,” he said. The crowd laughed a bit. "If I did that, I am so sorry," Singleton replied.

Then Obama said, “This is part of what I have been going through for the past months, which is why it is impressive that I am still standing here.”


Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003789312

[Skinner]

1. It's so confusing!

Both dark-skinned. Both Muslim. Both secretly plotting to destroy America. How are we s'posed to keep them straight?!?!

[Fredda Weinberg]

2. He should have stuck w/Barry n/t

[CreekDog]

6. nah, the guy screwed up his last name

on balance, I think this helps Slagathore.

[Fredda Weinberg]

9. I'm always correcting people ... if it bothered me, I'd change my name

But I'm happy to be unusual.

[Divernan]

17. Not at all the same - no one "confuses" your name with that of a mass murderer.

What, do they call you Frieda, instead of Fredda?

Now, if your last name was Bitler, and business competitors kept referring to you as Hitler, it might be somewhat more distressing.

[MindMatter]

36. Not unless you do it all day long when you are hangin' with your right wing buddies

Nobody makes a slip of the tongue of that nature if their tongue hasn't been well-trained to say that.

You can just hear those assholes talking this bullshit to one another when they think they won't be heard.

[Nitrogenica]

5. Osama's the one with the beard.

[Skinner]

8. The picture in your sig line is genius.

:thumbsup:

[Hissyspit]

22. It's subtle. I had to look at twice. n/t

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

24. Too subtle for me, I had to look at the properties tags.

[Nitrogenica]

32. This is one that I did that I like even better.

and thank you, Skinner.

[tridim]

34. The one in your sig is better, this one looks too much like McCain.

Are these manual (photoshop) morphs or do you use a morphing app?

[Nitrogenica]

37. manual

[napi21]

27. That pic is FRIGHTENING! I knew McNut supportedd Shrub's

policies, but I NEVER realized they looked so much alike! I know PhotoShop and all, but it shows there's a disturbing similarity in their appearance too!

[DrZeeLit]

14. Both hooked to dialysis machines; both covered in cave dust; both with

facial hair; and both with connections to the same Saudis that hold hands with Bush.
Damn!

However are we going to know the difference?

[jmowreader]

26. It's very easy, Skinner...

Osama bin Laden is taller and likes to wear turbans. The other guy speaks English and wears Western suits.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

45. You've got that right, Skipper.

:patriot:

[Fluffdaddy]

3. This is sad

[gateley]

4. Handled well by Obama. nt

[Catherine Vincent]

7. That's not funny at all.

I don't see how anyone can make that mistake. I can see it happening the other way because that mistake has happened, but Obama Bin Laden? Please!

[LSparkle]

10. The fact he can laugh about it graciously says a lot

Good for him!

[snooper2]

11. I watched that live streaming online...

and when it was all done, "over" the mic's were still going, and I heard that guy, first thing he said "did I really say that?" "I didn't mean that, I'm so sorry"

I think it was innocent stupidity...

[calimary]

13. Maybe, but this guy was representing the Associated Press. An AP chieftain, no less.

He damn well should have known better, for Pete's sake! NO excuses whatsoever.

So says this retired A.P. reporter.

[davekriss]

40. He knew better

There are no accidents in politics.

[calimary]

43. Yeah, I'm a thinkin' he did.

What I suspect was in play here, since learning more about him has revealed his conservative bent, that may well be how he and all his little redneck friends at the golf course or the men's club or some such talk about Obama in private. You know how people joke. You know how they joke when they feel completely free, behind closed doors, and they're sure nobody's listening who isn't authorized and of like mind. Like maybe the country club or the poker game over at so-n-so's house or out on the 14th tee or back in the clubhouse. And it just slipped out when it shouldn't have, because the groove has already been well-established. His needle just fell back into it automatically, without even thinking. I'm guessing here, but that's what I suspect.

[davekriss]

47. Injecting a poisonous meme

I stick to my no accidents in politics position. I view this as an opportunity exploited by a media-savvy executive to inject a poisonous meme into the political dialogue. Everything you say is true. I hear it said with some frequency by right-wing coworkers. The injection at the AP dinner is equivalent to bringing flip-flops to fundraisers to characterize Kerry in 2004. All political theater to capture and sway the casual minds observing the spectacle. There are no accidents in politics.

[calimary]

50. No kidding. They speak in tongues. Forked tongues.

I'm very encouraged to hear of people reading between the lines, with their Perception-Interpretation antennae fully extended. You've got these people pegged, I think. And if, by chance, this guy isn't deliberately playing this stealth game, YOU KNOW DAMNED WELL THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE, and enthusiastically so. That's where you get the kkkarl roves and the lee atwaters and the roger aileses and donald segrettis and charles colsons. These people lurk EVERYWHERE.

The great misfortune is that these are not live-and-let-live people, as most of us are on the progressive/liberal/Dem end. Those who believe seriously in an agenda sometimes (or frequently) feel compelled to push it forward, both actively AND passively, particularly the people of the wrong-wing. Passively being better because then the victim doesn't even know he's been hit, or played, or manipulated. The only problem with it, that I, Mz Machiavelli, can see is the lack of people counter-actively doing this on OUR side. We're not fighting fire with fire. We're not fighting fire with much of anything, frankly.

[defendandprotect]

20. ...but it sure was stupidity ---

innocent . . . ????

[Politicalboi]

31. Me too

I bet he had Obama's name running through his head and when it came to be his turn he pulled a Homer Simpson Doh!

[Quantess]

42. I guess it's possible.

[nomorenomore08]

51. Possible, yes, but not likely, especially given the guy's politics.

nt

[nichomachus]

35. Sorry -- but Singleton is a world-class right-wing douchebag

My company had some dealings with him about 35 years ago. His forte at the time was buying up distressed newspapers and then getting rich while impoverishing the staff who put them out.

At one paper, he called the staff together and told them their salaries were being cut in half. They weren't making that much to begin with and a lot had been working off the clock to help out. Then, he handed out papers with each employee's name on it. There was their old salary and their new salary and two check boxes. "I accept" and "I resign."

At some papers he took over, reporters were living in their cars because they weren't being paid enough for rent.

Don't give him any credit for anything. Think up the worst thing you could say about him -- and it applies.

[Mountainman]

12. I think Obama will handle the swift boating better than Kerry did.

I doubt that this was a mistake. Terror is the only card the right has to play and they will play it any chance they get.

[calimary]

21. Obama seems to have handled this level of swiftboating better than Kerry did, already.

Mainly because he's actually speaking up about it, and quickly. Rather than sitting high up on his ivory tower and assuming no one will fall for it and that it shouldn't even be dignified with a response.

WRONG then, WRONG now. You HAVE TO respond. And do so as quickly as possible. Any silence on the issue or non response or slow response will be read as - "well, he's not saying anything about it... hmm... must be some truth to it, I guess. Otherwise, don't you think he'd say something?" And it also subliminally telegraphs weakness in the face of an adversary. I was a Kerry supporter, once I got over Howard Dean's being shoved aside. And I gave Kerry my ALL, including way more donation money than I really could afford. And I found myself wondering - "um... gee, why the hell doesn't he SAY SOMETHING????!?!?!??! If he won't fight back against these people, how can I expect him to fight back against bin Laden?" And I knew painfully well that the bad guys would be thinking, and preparing to exploit, the same question. You KNOW they're gonna run with something like that. And you know that out there in Voterland, other people would indeed be asking themselves that same question. It happens to be a very reasonable question, too.

I think Obama learned from that. And THANK GOD!!! Because you HAVE to fight back. Much of America seems to like people who fight back, whether they're correct to fight back or not, whether they have a leg to stand on or not. It's the fight itself. And the willingness to fight that counts. REMEMBER THIS, EVERYBODY: george w. bush was able to sweet-talk people into rolling over and going back to sleep and not questioning or even doubting, by saying the following statement over and over and over and over: "you may not agree with me, but you know where I stand."

I heard him repeat that ad nauseam. And people bought it. They can be lulled into voting against their best interests time and time again. Exhibit B: ronald "Millionaires on Parade" reagan.

The important thing is to hit back, hit back hard, and hit back IMMEDIATELY. Which Barack is doing, and has done throughout the campaign season. The rapid response is key. Even if you're perceived as being wrong in your position. People seem to resonate strongly, and viscerally, with your "fighting for what you believe in."

[Divernan]

15. This was the first AP sold out luncheon EVER !

Singleton earlier had introduced Obama by noting that there were more than 1100 attendees at the luncheon, believed to be the first sold out AP luncheon ever. “One thing I can say about you is, you sure are a draw," Singleton said. "You’ve done better than the Rolling Stones do. We are glad to have a little extra income....Imagine that, journalists and media folks slugging it out to pay to hear a politician.”

Last year’s speakers were Mike Huckabee and Eliot Spitzer. “I can be sure that Sen. Obama did not spend last night at the Mayflower Hotel,” Singleton quipped.

Obama's talk had amounted to little more than a basic stump speech and his answers to questions tended to be rather long-winded -- at least until the Osama/Obama reference -- and some luncheon attendees exited early.

[Eurobabe]

16. Singleton is a Republican

I was half listening to the Q&A session when I heard Barack correct someone -- I could not believe my flippin' ears. How STUPID can this guy be??? Accidentally on purpose, ya think? Buckle up people, looks like we've got our nominee. (Or at least the GOPers believe Barack is the one)

Seems Mr. Singleton donated $500 to (R-CO) Wayne Allard's campaign in the 90s.

"Singleton was first elected to the AP board in 1999. In 1983 he founded Denver-based MediaNews, a privately owned newspaper company. It now ranks as the fourth-largest newspaper company in the United States. Together with its affiliated companies, MediaNews publishes 57 daily newspapers, including the Denver Post and Detroit News, and about 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. It also owns a CBS affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska, and four radio stations in Texas."

From Newsmeat:

SINGLETON, DEAN
DENVER, CO 80202
DENVER POST ALLARD, A WAYNE (R)
Senate - CO
WAYNE ALLARD FOR UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE $500
general 10/14/96

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=DENVER&st=CO&last=singleton&first=dean

[depakid]

28. No different than damn near EVERY media conglomerate in the states

who bear the lions' share of the blame for the decline and eventual collapse of the American economy.

[Ian David]

18. Thom Hartman once did the same thing, too. It *can* happen by accident.

Then Obama said, “This is part of what I have been going through for the past months, which is why it is impressive that I am still standing here.”

Yep!

Go, 'Bama!

[defendandprotect]

19. Chairmen Singleton just can't keep those names straight . . .!!!!

[BRLIB]

23. AP guy is a liar, ever listen to "AP Radio News"?

AP Radio News, which is shoved down your throat if you listen to XM AAR, or even Nova M online, totally sucks. McCain is always presented in glowing terms. I do believe Obama said weeks ago we were in a recession. That didn't hit the headlines, did it? McSame didn't bereaks this stroy all of us knew long ago.

The only alternative news source I have heard on progressive radio stations is ABC News, which is just as bad as AP.

[Eurobabe]

46. Thank your FEC.

Fuck them for allowing media consolidation. Papers and Airwaves.

Is it fascist time yet? :eyes:

[humbled_opinion]

25. Media just in Obama pocket I guess??????/s

[liberal N proud]

29. Just enough to confuse the sheep

Keeping them thinking Osama/Obama, Osama/Obama.

By November they all will think he flew the planes on 9/11

[BRLIB]

30. AP Radio News claims the issue for Dems with NAFTA is, get this,

"environmental rights for workers"!

I just heard the AP #$%hole say it! Did anyone else? He sounded somewhat confused, and had reading difficulties besides this.

This was in reference to questions to Hillary on what should have been included to meet her approval.


Total losers, AP......

[Zachstar]

33. Obama handled it well!

[CONN]

38. How insulting. As a chairman of a news org --- not v. impressive (OEM)

[Bush_MUST_Go]

39. IMO, it IS an easy mistake to make. Not sure if it was in this case or not, tho

[calimary]

41. Not if you're in the news business. There is no excuse.

Well, maybe if this was 13 or 14 or 15 months ago. MAYBE. MAYBE if Barack Obama was just getting started as a national figure. Maybe after the 2004 Dem convention when he first burst onto the scene with his great keynote speech, MAYBE it'd be an excusable mistake. But there's no excuse by now. WAY too late in the game. Unless it means that's how he talks with his wrong-wing cronies in private and it just slipped out because it always slips out when Obama's name comes up. Which, if he is indeed as knuckle-dragger as he's described by others here, I would strongly suspect happens all the time when he thinks nobody else but like-minded people are paying any attention.

[Doctor_J]

44. Obama needs to take care of this shit now

Next time it happens, say, "You right wingers are easily amused by that, aren't you? Too bad for you most Americans are as dumb as Fox News watchers".

[momster]

48. Read Dana Milbank This A.M.

in the WaPo. Even more disgusting was how lavishly they greeted McCain, praising him to the skies, referencing how much fun the reporters had on his bus, giving him donuts and coffee just the way he likes it (no lie!) when he was introduced. And Dana treated this all like it was perfectly okay, talking about McCain's standing ovation and how nobody stood for Obama. So much for liberal bias in the media!

[Peace Patriot]

49. I've been following AP's coverage of the new left in South America for some years

now, and my opinion of AP is this...

AP = Associated Pukes.

So it doesn't surprise me at all that the Chairman of the Associate Pukes choked on Obama's name. That's about the level of their coverage of Fidel... :puke: ...um... Hugo... :wow: ...the leftist president of Venezuela... :silly: ...his critics say (fill in the blank) (increasingly authoritarian, terrorist-loving, dictator, tyrant*) ... :thumbsdown: Chavez :thumbsdown: :nuke:.

Frakkin unbelievable WMDs in Iraq deja vu all over again. So bad, such goddamned liars, you can't believe your own eyes reading their Bush-CIA 'talking point' faxes (um, 'news' articles).

Aside from the Diebold & brethren voting machines, the Associated Pukes IS THE PROBLEM. (Did you know that all the electronic returns (s)electing Bush/Cheney in 2004 were fed thru an Associated Pukes laptop computer before they ever reached us? I've always wondered about that. We know what Diebold & brethren did. We know what Edison Mitofsky & brethren did. But what did the Associated Pukes do, other than completely ignoring and black-holing the complete non-transparency of that election?)

-----------------------

*Authoritarian = advocates equal rights for women and gays--and poor people!

*Terrorist-loving = wants peace.**

*Tyrant = elected by the people to battle Exxon Mobil & brethren.

*:thumbsdown: + :nuke: = invites hundreds of international observers to monitor Venezuelan elections, which are conducted with OPEN SOURCE CODE electronics, and a FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT handcount as a check on machine fraud (--as compared to here, where we have Puke corporations tallying the 'votes' with TRADE SECRET CODE, and a ZERO handcount in many states and only ONE PERCENT in the best of states).

----

**That terrorist-lover, the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva (former steelworker), recently called Chavez "the great peacemaker" for his role in DE-FUSING the U.S.-Bush-instigated war between Colombia and Ecuador, and also said, "You can criticize Chavez on many things, but not on democracy." The Associated Pukes NEVER reports on how Hugo Chavez is viewed in SOUTH AMERICA, where they know him well, nor on the vast success of the peaceful, democratic, social justice movement all over South America, with leftist governments elected in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Nicaragua (and soon, Paraguay). The Associated Pukes are a lying, scumbag DISINFORMATION agency.

[New Dawn]

52. Six years old.

All of the people who giggle about Obama's name are acting like they are six years old.