Clinton Surrogate FREAKS OUT --- you need to watch this

[mythyc]

Run time: 04:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKJVHjZVD60   Posted on YouTube: February 20, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 21, 2008 By DU Member: mythyc Views on DU: 5039

 

YOUTUBE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKJVHjZVD60

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This was in Youngstown, only about 15 minutes before Clinton
went on after losing Wisconsin.  She probably did not
authorize the sneers and ugly ugly things this guy says, but
shouldn't her campaign be moderating what is said on her
behalf?  Whether it was intentional or not, it's seems a sign
of a crumbling infrastructure from within to me at least.

Here's a blog on it, with more links within:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/20/684411.aspx

most offensive quote:

“Give me a break! I've got news for all the latte-drinking,
Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies
crowding in to hear him speak! This guy won't last a round
against the Republican attack machine. He's a poet, not a
fighter.”

[ingac70]

1. Fucking DLC/RepubliCON piece of trash.

He sounds just like the Republican attack machine with his comments, and from the looks of the folks behind him, and the sounds in the audience, weren't too many thrilled with what he had to say.

Make no mistake, this guy mirrors Hillary's views. Latte drinking? Prius driving? He needs to give me a break!

[cyclezealot]

36. I think we should use a degree of tolerance with our rhetiric

Both candidates past's are not perfect. I am satisified with neither. But, that's our choice. / About Obama. I am not so sure his economics are perfect either. I probably prefer Hillary over healthcare and Obama over Nafta. Obama for peace issues too. So its a toss up.
I suggest we continue to push both in the right directionsBecause I am not sure they are there yet.

***

Subprime Obama As the subprime mortgage debacle drives a recession that threatens financial markets around the world, the Democratic presidential candidates are pushing plans to address the crisis. John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are pledging substantial federal resources to stabilize the mortgage market and intervene on behalf of borrowers. Barack Obama's proposal is tepid by comparison, short on aggressive government involvement and infused with conservative rhetoric about fiscal responsibility. As he has done on domestic issues like healthcare, job creation and energy policy, Obama is staking out a position to the right of not only populist Edwards but Clinton as well.
"There's been less emphasis from the Obama campaign on the really dysfunctional role of the financial industry in the subprime mess," says Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute. "Edwards and Clinton talk much more about regulation of the financial industry going forward, and to the extent that blame is placed, they tend to place it on the lenders for steering people into loans they couldn't afford."

Obama's disappointing foreclosure plan stems from the centrist politics of his three chief economic advisers and his campaign's ties to Wall Street institutions opposed to increased financial regulation. David Cutler and Jeffrey Liebman are both Harvard economists who served in the Clinton Administration, and they work on market-oriented solutions to social welfare issues. Cutler advocates improving healthcare through financial incentives; Liebman, the partial privatization of Social Security.

Austan Goolsbee, an economist at the University of Chicago who calls himself a "centrist market economist," has been most directly involved with crafting Obama's subprime agenda. In a column last March in the New York Times, Goolsbee disputed whether "subprime lending was the leading cause of foreclosure problems," touted its benefits for credit-poor minority borrowers and warned that "regulators should be mindful of the potential downside in tightening too much." In October, no less a conservative luminary than George Will devoted a whole column in the Washington Post to saluting Goolsbee's "nuanced understanding" of traditional Democratic issues like globalization and income inequality and concluded that he "seems to be the sort of fellow--amiable, empirical, and reasonable--you would want at the elbow of a Democratic
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080211/fraser

[timtom]

2. Couldn't finish watching this

Absolute nastiness.

How about the Iraq occupation? Never mind about some lame boxing analogy. Geez!

[Bicoastal]

3. Those last 30 seconds--you just close your eyes and listen...

"latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing"....

Isn't that EXACTLY how Republicans describe us liberals?

[ingac70]

5. Yep! n/t

[mythyc]

8. hey what's "nt" ?

i'm new here and not that internet lingo savvy =)

[DaveT]

11. "No Text"

[Carolina]

21. welcome to DU

:hi:

[mythyc]

59. thanks! nt.

[raebrek]

31. and if I can add for use purposes

N/T is commonly used in the subject of a message on this board to indicate that you have no information in the message but have said all you are going to say right in the subject line. EOM (End of Message) can also be used the same way.

Raebrek.

It is a pet peeve of mine. When I see some one type up a subject line and then put just n/t or eom in the body of the message all by itself.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

79. okay

what is K&D then?

[Why Syzygy]

102. It's 'K&R" .. Kicked and recommended.

Posting kicks the thread to the top of the forum listing.

You can kick by posting without recommending.
You can recommend the post without kicking.
K/R = both

[Buzz Clik]

13. Hey, look! It's Karl Rove!

This was no accident. The Clinton campaign has been borrowing entire pages from the Bush/Rove tactics from the beginning.

[Lorien]

82. So what's wrong with good taste, being environmentally conscience

(and not a selfish prick) and wearing healthy shoes? Would they rather we drank Jack Daniels, drive a Hummer and wear Manolo Blahniks?

[mmonk]

96. Yes, the DLC and Republicans use the same language and insults.

They are the reason there is a Nader that we have to deal with every damn election unfortunately. The Greens exploit it.

[ingac70]

4. What isn't in the video...

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/02/20/politics/fromtheroad/entry3850647.shtml

--The crowd grew increasingly hostile toward Buffenbarger, so much so that AFSCME president Gerald McEntee took the stage in hopes of moving Buffenbarger along, who at this point was well into his attacks on Obama. It is unclear whether the crowd’s boos were in response to his negative comments toward Obama or the length of his speech.

When McEntee took the stage he told the crowd his remarks would be brief, the crowd erupted in applause.---

[proud2BlibKansan]

61. I wondered if those were boos I was hearing

Thanks for the explanation.

[flor de jasmim]

6. I felt sorry for the people right behind him--what agony!

Most of the few people we could see behind him quickly turned away, one hid behind her sign. Whether Clinton knew exactly what he was going to say or not, someone should have removed him from the stage and apologized for his un-Democratic speech. Just as she is unable to apologize for other things, she should have apologized to those in the audience, to Obama, and to the public at large, if his comments did not reflect what her campaign stands for. The fact that she did not, yet obviously was aware, since she rushed through her speech afterwards, speaks volumes.

[Apollo11]

7. It's a shame the personal insults overshadowed the political point this guy was trying to make.

Apparently this guy and his union had previously asked Senator Obama for support, and did not get any.

If the story is true, then it might partly explain why he doesn't have much love for Barack.

But of course it does not give him an excuse for attacking Obama's supporters.

[Buzz Clik]

14. The insults were the message. If he had a hidden agenda, he should have revealed it.

Now, he's just another shrill idiot.

[Popol Vuh]

9. Oh the irony of him to bring up Airline workers

So if this guy wants to make an issue about Obama not doing anything to help Airline workers, then WTF does he call it when Bill Clinton threatened to have the striking American Airline pilots fired if they didn't go back to work........then.......one year later did the same exact thing to the striking American Airline flight attendants? Not to mention the signing of NAFTA...

[bagrman]

47. 1 min. of that is enough. I don't care for The Clintons, but, he shouldn't get all the credit

for NAFTA, it was a treaty that was a Bu$h 1 program and the congress had signed off on it, Clinton just made a show out of signing it.
He did sign it but it wasn't his baby. He does get all the credit for all the deregulation that he started though.

[Popol Vuh]

60. Sorry but I disagree

with your minimizing Clinton's role with respect to NAFTA. As the executive branch of government his signature carried as much weight as congress's and by not signing it it wouldn't be policy now unless congress over rid his veto with their super majority.

Sorry, he signed it and that makes him equally as guilty as anybody else.

Secondly, my points about his anti labor actions with respect to the American Airline workers on both occasions still stands as showing him to be no different than Ronald Reagan with respect to his ultimatum he gave to the Air Traffic Controllers. The only difference between the two was that the American Airline workers went back to work instead of ending up like the Air Traffic Controllers.

[bagrman]

63. Point taken.

[ikojo]

74. Clinton not only signed NAFTA but lobbied

hard to get it passed through congress. I remember listening to the congressional debates about NAFTA on NPR. Clinton made a lot of promises to get Democrats to support it.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n22_v45/ai_14667450

NAFTA endgame - Bill Clinton's maneuverings to achieve passage of NAFTA in the House of Representatives

[zanne]

10. Yikes!

What a douchebag. He managed to alienate everybody.

[BootinUp]

12. Loved it, thanks :-)

[Buzz Clik]

15. Loved it? Really? Have you considered voting Republican in the future?

[BootinUp]

16. maybe you should listen/watch again

and keep watching till the words mean something to you.

[Buzz Clik]

44. Oh, good. Mr. Insult right out of the shoot.

I was right the first time.

[BootinUp]

51. LOL, nt

[ZinZen]

52. Wow, Jim I thought you were classier than that

guess not.

[BootinUp]

64. Not sure what you mean

My reply above was appropriate based on post 15 as far as I can tell.

[bowens43]

17. Does anyone still wonder why Hillary is being rejected by America?

This is exactly the reason, even if she gets the nomination, that she will never be president. Why doesn't she get it? America is sick and tired of this kind of bullshit and nastiness.

[durrrty libby]

18. Fabulous video. Nice to see someone not slugging down the Kool-Aid

And uh...that's not freaking out.That's telling the truth, but it is so beautiful and so rare

you don't recognize it

[RBInMaine]

25. "Truth'? Give me a break.

Truth? Attacking Obama supporters the way he did with his pathetic, blunt-minded, stereotypical barbs destroys his credibility and makes him lose the argument before he begins. This was very
low-road sniping from someone trying to salvage a sinking ship. NAFTA has been one of the very worst policies for labor EVER, and Bill Clinton bought it hook line and sinker then fed it to us, and he makes no mention of that. Hillary Clinton a great friend of the "common folks" who takes MORE lobbyist and corporate PAC money even than MANY or MOST Republicans???? Yet he makes no mention of that. Give me another break. Hillary will lose even worse if she showcases people like this and continues this campaign of attempted character assassination. Obama has fought hard for the "common folks" as a civil rights attorney, community organizer, and with MANY pieces of legislation in Illinois and the US Senate.

[durrrty libby]

32. lol

:rofl: Cultists are so silly

[kikiek]

27. Funny no one cares that the airline employees in IL went to him and he didn't help. They lost their

pensions etc. While he sat idly by. Makes me wonder what the unions who do endorse him bother to find out about him and his record.

[durrrty libby]

33. No one bothers examining his flimsy record. He's just another

American Idol contestant to the masses

[kikiek]

38. He has a lot of explaining to do for me.

[Pastiche423]

70. I HATE it when the ignore feature is turned off

[durrrty libby]

73. I love it when idiots talk about their special ignore feature not working

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. Oh, What a liar! He called Barak a thespian! How can he say that, when he's not even

a woman!

Sorry. I've been in Florida too long. We're a little slow down here. We're just going to learn about evolution next year. I can't wait.

[ryanmuegge]

20. Galesburg's like an hour away from here. The loss of the Maytag factory seriously hurt that town.

I can understand why people there would be mad as hell at him. At the same time, though, the Clintons have no room to talk when it comes to having a poor record on supporting labor (does NAFTA?!), particularly since the Maytag jobs went to Mexico.

What's absurd here is not that he's attacking Obama, but that he's rabidly defending the Clintons as if they've been some aggressive advocates of labor.

[OhioBlue]

54. I think it would be misplaced anger

toward Obama - the plant shut down before he was even a Senator.

[ryanmuegge]

58. Right. He was a state Senator at the time, however. Perhaps misplaced anger singling out Obama...

I just meant that I can understand why people in Illinois would be mad as hell at their government as a whole, not specifically with Obama.

I didn't specify that well enough.

[JTFrog]

22. Uggg. Fool me once....? The other day I heard Hillary say it's gonna take hard work...

Her campaign has W's stink all over it.

[hisownpetard]

57. What an a**hole that Barfinburger is. Couldn't believe he used the "Fool me once,,," line,

as though no one had ever heard it before.

[Andy Canuck]

23. Nothing sadder than labour leaders acting like

right wing lapdogs.

I still want Gore or Edwards, but I hate watching "our" side chewing up its own. Hopefully we have come to the end of "Reagan Democrats".

[kikiek]

24. That isn't a freak out. He is a labor leader saying Barak didn't back UA when they were losing their

pensions etc. They asked for his help, and he failed them. He doesn't freak out. Makes me wonder if anyone listens to it. At the very end he pokes at the trust fund people he believes Barack represents. He doesn't believe Obama will do anything for the union worker. This is a campaign. People have a right to state who they believe best represents them.

[RBInMaine]

28. Interesting he didn't once mention Bill Clinton's NAFTA law???

And the nasty, stereotypical attacks on Obama supporters made him look like nothing more than a ranting bigot. If you think that's ok, then you need some serious help.

[kikiek]

30. Why would he? You need serious help. Everything said about Obama is racist. Good grief grow up! This

is a campaign, and that is the political process. He has a right to tell his members how the candidates performed according to labor. Obviously Obama failed, and they're going to call him on it. As they SHOULD!

[spiritual_gunfighter]

81. Hey

you arent acting like the Dalai Lama

[KaptBunnyPants]

26. That's gonna win over people to Hillary.

All of you Obama freaks are sheltered children. Now vote Hill.

[RBInMaine]

29. Yeah, bigotry and crazy ranting are going to win them over??

Well, if blunt-minded bigotry and nasty negativity are going to win them over then it doesn't say much for the Hillary supporters. It didn't sound to me like he was winning over the crowd there.
Sounded to me like many were embarrassed, and they should have been.

[Khaotic]

34. Fuck Him

It's one thing to come up w/ empty comparisons about Ali and boxing, but to go on about Latte and Priuses ...

FUCK HIM!!!!

Should have only posted his last 30 seconds, gets right to the point of his empty drivel and name callilng.

Is this the way you rearrange the deck chairs Hillary?

I guess if that's the strategy then her campaign might as well do it by throwing them around, cussing, swearing, beating the shit out of each other, eating each other's shit, etc., etc.

It's not a pretty scene.

I guess we'll be waiting for the Internet video: The Hillary campaign and a cup.

[Clovis Sangrail]

35. freak outs aren't scripted... this was

I would imagine that somebody from the Clinton campaign reads everybody's speeches before they go on, and that very few people are given permission to ad lib.
I'm suprised this made it through, but it was very definitely scripted; you can tell just by watching him.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

37. disgusting

This is my first post, I have been lurking for quite awhile but after seeing this I had to post. This is completely disgusting and if you told me this was a John McCain supporter I would absolutely believe it. Does Hillary really expect Obama supporters to get on board if she were get the nomination? Going after pledged delegates, wooing superdelegates to flip even when the state went to Obama, and now having one of her supporters personally attacking Obama supporters? I was very ready to support whoever got the nomination, either Hillary or Barack. But now I am not so sure. Can I in good conscience support this?

[kikiek]

39. You lack specifics. Did you even watch it? Are you anti union?

[spiritual_gunfighter]

40. Am I anti union???

Where did you get that I am anti union from my post? Do you know what I am? I am anti personal attacks on a huge section of your own political party. That is what I am. Do you really think that Hillary is going to get the nomination with this sort of behavior from people that represent her? Look at what going negative has gotten her in the past couple of news cycles. She is digging her own political grave with this. And I really dont think she would be a horrible candidate, she needs to cut her advisors loose and fast, this is slipping away. Dont assume I am anti anything.

[kikiek]

41. You didn't even watch it. It is about Barack not responding to requests for help from airline

union employees who then lost pensions. Didn't even bother to respond to them. I don't consider that union friendly. Typical responses trying to divert from the real problem. This isn't about Hillary, but that doesn't Obama supporters from spinning it around to make it about her. So lame and old.

[OhioBlue]

55. You lack specifics

what union employees? who lost the pensions? how do you know that Senator Obama didn't bother to respond to them?

[kikiek]

67. Watch the video you're replying to and you'll have your answers!

[OhioBlue]

72. I did watch it.

I still don't know what he is talking about.

[ingac70]

66. The Teamsters have endorsed Obama...

so I hardly think he is anti-union.

One Senator isn't going to get back the pensions of the airline workers. It would take the entire Senate to do that, and they lost their pensions back in '05, when it was controlled by repubs, so there wasn't any saving of pensions going to happen.

[kikiek]

68. He didn't even respond. Didn't even pretend to care. There are no excuses for it. I don't

care who the teamsters have endorsed.

[ingac70]

69. That man talked like a Repub...

He probably dicked over his own membership for backhanders and wants to make it look like someone else's fault.

http://www.wcfcourier.com/blogs/eby/?p=169

--Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor defended Obama’s record, saying he has fought for neighborhoods devastated by steel plant closings, walked picket lines and personally met with United’s CEO to ask him to protect worker pensions.

“If Mr. Buffenbarger wants to talk about someone standing by idly, he should talk to Sen. Clinton who called NAFTA a boon to our economy while thousands of jobs disappeared,” Vietor said.---

NAFTA killed that plant that man is talking about. (Maytag, Galesburg plant)

http://www.thezephyr.com/mygclosing.htm

--The top-end wide-by-sides (known as the ''Illinois line'' but likely to be renamed) will be made in Amana, Ia. The other side-by-sides will be discontinued and new designs made in Reynosa, Mexico -- across the Rio Grande from McAllen, Tex.---

[Zachstar]

104. Not going to get away with that loaded question kikiek!

Nope. Everyone note this sorry ass attempt in my view to paint people who don't accept this mindless tirade as Anti-Union.

You bad Clinton supporters in my view are getting beyond the level of desperate. It is into the disgusting range now.

[NJmaverick]

42. Why do i have to watch a video, I see it happen here

all the time?:evilgrin:

[Chisox08]

43. I was waiting for him to start chanting.....

No we can't
No we can't
No we can't
I find it funny that he looks like Karl Rove, and he gave of speech that was stolen from John McCain. Are they getting desperate because the negative attacks wasn't working so they decide to go even more negative. I see why people are rejecting Hillary and Obama is winning state after state.

[NM Independent]

45. What an idiot.

This is the tipping point where you will see this campaign die.

BTW (personal message to Mr. Genius in the video) - You NEED the votes of independents AND republicans (won't happen anyway) to get the nomination (won't happen anyway because the DLC has brains enough to know that a shady deal won't win the GE), and win the GE (hah!). Many of those independents and republicans who might vote Dem drink latte's, drive a Prius, wear Birkenstocks, and have trust funds.

For disclosure...I am not yet an Obama supporter, and will not be until the words ARE filled with more substance. I frankly am in love with the fact the he does NOT have a record. The last thing I want is someone who knows how Washington works because that only means they know full well how to exploit that knowledge. I think that is the basic argument for most of the "Kool-Aid" drinkers as you Hillary nuts like to call them.

[Buzz Clik]

46. I wonder how big of a bump in the polls this guy gave Hillary.

Let's see...

On Feb 11, Hillary led in Ohio 56-39. On Feb 18, it was 52-43. Oh, dear.

No doubt, this guy's bug-eyed hatred will be very appealing to Democrats. I think they need him to speak more often.

[Mark D.]

48. That Fat SOB

Yes, as said above, the second coming of Rove. More proof Clinton is a slightly more tame 'more of
the same' vs. McCain, which is more of the same on steroids. Some choice. Clearly, Obama is really
the only choice. FURTHERMORE - the "Ali" comparison. Couldn't compare Obama to Marciano. To what,
ANY other of the multitude of sports figures who are white. NO, pick another tall, well spoken &
charismatic 'black' man. This looks like just another globalist pig on a feeding frenzy. Enough.

I hope the hell Obama sweeps the coming big states by a good margin and sustains a double digit
lead (and hopefully gets Edwards endorsement). Maybe then the din will shout down these loud &
pathetic & desperate goons for Clinton. I know Clinton wouldn't say this herself, but it is so
hard to maintain respect for her if she allows this goon to carry on like that. Folks, now it
is almost over. Get over it. Debate the issues, stay polite. The last thing we need is goons
like this giving cannon fodder to the GOP they'd 'plagiarize' to use in the general election.

Honestly, this guy's attack was worse than anything McCain has said. It really is starting to
look like the Clinton's and the GOP are on one side, and Barack and most of America the other.

[bazoona]

49. Are those wrinkles on his forehead.......

or circumcision scars?

[Peace Patriot]

50. The guy lost a good point by going into a rant against Obama SUPPORTERS!

Really, he sounds like Sean Hannity.

There is ZERO evidence that his characterization of Obama supporters is accurate--but I'd like to come to the defense of "all the latte-drinking, Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies" who bother their privileged little heads about politics--OFTEN ON THE LEFTIST SIDE--antiwar, pro-union, pro-social justice, anti-globalisation, pro-saving the planet. OUR side! Their energy--not to mention their financial contribution--is very IMPORTANT to leftist (majorityist!) causes. In fact, it's so important that people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh constantly ridicule and belittle people of conscience who may be well-off but don't spend all their time, energy and money on increasing their wealth or pampering themselves, but are out on the street protesting the war and injustice to WORKERS.

Money gives you time. Some people with money spend their time making MORE money. Others with money volunteer at soup kitchens, register poor people to vote, get arrested protesting torture and unjust war, and contribute to leftist groups and candidates.

So piss on this meme--that "all the latte-drinking, Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies" are unworthy citizens, or are somehow scum because they DON'T SUPPORT THEIR OWN CLASS in its money-grubbing, godawful greed.

Jeez! And please know, I'm poor and working-class. But I have a lot of friends who could be described as "trust fund babies" whom I've met ON THE STREET, out there protesting injustice.

I'm all for a resurgent labor movement, and this information about airline workers adds to my unease about Obama--but not about his SUPPORTERS, who are mostly working class and poor, from what I've seen. I'm just worried that his supporters--especially the young--who have been activated and inspired as citizens, will suffer disappointment when he becomes president. Maybe they won't be; maybe they will--Obama is difficult to read and difficult to predict. But his inspiration to the young and to the excluded--which includes the majority of Americans, not just minorities--is a very good thing. It is the essential condition for reform--an activated, inspired citizenry. And when somebody makes unfair and untrue and bigoted statements like this union leader did, you gotta wonder what HE has been up to. This is a Bushite characteristic--to blame others for your own faults, sins and crimes. And if it occurred with the knowledge and consent of the Clinton campaign, it may point to why they are losing and Obama is winning. Obama is more INCLUSIVE. Indeed, is it not the Clintonites who are the "latte liberals"--the Democrats of the 1990s who fell for the "bubble"--the making a few tech and other millionaires--while the foundation of the American middle class, and the hopes of upward mobility for the poor, were dynamited by NAFTA, GATT, the WTO and other fascist/corporate policy?

I know "trust fund babies" who are great leftist activists. I also know what's happened to our "bought and paid for" Democratic Party leadership--local, state and national. And it's not pretty. They went for the money, for the privatization of everything, including even our vote counting system! They are as much tools of the Corporate Rulers as the Bushites are, although not such obvious nazis. And unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, that's what a lot of people think of her--she is a power player in the party leadership that betrayed us. And this union leader's false charges, and bigoted thinking, unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, seem to sum it all up. The Clintonites are not thinking clearly. They are harming the party--its grass roots base--when they do things like this. They are being ego-centric "latte liberals" who think only of themselves and their own power. And whatever Barack Obama is, or whatever he will do in office--and I think it's hard to tell--he IS inspiring a movement of broad-based, democratic power.

[readytoblowagasket]

53. this hardly qualifies as a freakout

To those who think it is, I guess you've never been to a union rally.

I was never a fan of Al Sharpton, and then I saw him live at an outdoor rally for the transit workers union in NYC in the bitter cold. Sharpton was freakin' electric, and I'm not even a union member. Now I understand what he's all about, what union rallies are all about. You have to fire people up (and I mean really fire them up) to motivate them to act, even on their own behalf, strangely enough. That's what this guy is doing. Getting the people fired up before Clinton comes on.

If his delivery/content makes you uncomfortable, then maybe he has a valid point about the lattes, etc., by which he means you live a pampered life. I'm not speaking for him, I'm just offering an interpretation. In any case, he seems to be doing a good job getting the crowd riled up.

btw, Chicago politics are notoriously corrupt:

http://www.slate.com/id/2149240/

I'm waiting for this fact to somehow bite Obama in the ass. I guess that'll happen once he's the nominee.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

78. this is disgusting

for anyone to try and defend this hateful bile directed at a fellow democrat is truly mindblowing. and for the record Barack Obama has about as much to do with crooked Chicago politics as I do. I live in chicago and follow the circus quite closely, his name never comes up.

[readytoblowagasket]

84. define "hateful bile." and "this is disgusting."

Excuse me, gunfighter (or anyone else), but which words exactly were so hateful?

Was it that Barack is "Janus, the two-faced Roman god of ancient times"? Ouch.

Was it that "Barack Obama is no Muhammad Ali"? Oh my. Them's fightin' words.

Was it "nose in the air pontificating when the coast is clear"? Or "as soon as anyone throws a punch, he's in a bum's rush to get the hell away from the conflict"? Irritating, maybe. Hateful bile? No.

Was it "this guy won't last a round against the Republican Attack Machine"? It's true.

Or "He's a poet not a fighter"? Seems like a compliment.

Or is it the reference to United Airlines and Galesburg, and by implication, Obama's relationship with Lester Crown, for which BO apparently deserves criticism?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-galesburg_obama_webfeb01,0,4286527.story

Seems like the outrage about dissing unions in IL is founded.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

88. None of the above

It was the line about "birkenstock trust fund babies" which I guess in his venom was directed at myself or anyone else that is as delusional, to see something special in Barack Obama. Serving up repuke talking points about an opponents supporters in a Democratic rally just strikes me as hateful and actually somewhat desperate. If the Clintons musk has gotten you so dizzy that you cant see it for what it really is. Then there is nothing I can say or anything anyone can say to you to change your mind. Your ship is sinking and its not pretty to watch.

[readytoblowagasket]

89. it's a brand-name ref to Obama's actual demographics

Young, wealthy, college-educated, white male liberals. So what if he accuses Obama supporters of wearing Birkenstocks! His audience is "working class" union people. He is making a class distinction that his audience will recognize: Obama supporters have lots of disposable income (which they spend on clothes, food, and cars). Is that an insult? If so, please explain to me how it's insulting!

Furthermore, is it a Republican lie (because that's what "talking points" are)? Sorry to be so callous, but I hadn't heard the Birkenstock smear campaign before now.

Frankly, what he said is no more venomous, hateful, or desperate than telling me the "Clinton musk has gotten you so dizzy that you can't see it for what it really is." I didn't criticize you or make it personal. Yet you feel free to (attempt to) criticize me. Thanks for being so "spiritual."

[spiritual_gunfighter]

97. it was the gunfighter side n/t

[hisownpetard]

56. Mr. Barfenburger, STF up. You are a disgusting little man, filled with tripe and bile.

[proud2BlibKansan]

62. Has Hillary walked a picket line?

[Thrill]

65. Wow. The fact that there are Democrats on this thread defending this moron

has me speechless. You like someone tearing down a guy that is doing so much for the party? Bringing in so many new Democrats. You actually approve of this guy blasting these new Democrats? Wow just wow

[CTC411dotcom]

71. Ouch...

Bill handles things much more smoothly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp8urnF6NA8

[Drunken Irishman]

75. Check out the blonde behind him, to the right.

She looks disgusted and shocked at what this fool is doing. Unbelievable. Clinton should have apologized the second she took the stage.

[casus belli]

76. There are few clips I hate more than this one.

Truly beneath contempt.

[candymarl]

77. Wow

I don't wear any Birkenstock's, drink lattes, drive a Prius, or have a trust fund. Guess I'm not a Democrat or a liberal. Ban me from the party!

[geiger]

80. pathetic, but, you know, this stuff does trickle down from the top

I saw it in the most recent round of elections in my little municipality. Irresponsible at best, clueless at worst.

[detroitpanda]

83. lame

what a loser

[DuaneBidoux]

85. I am definitely questioning her judgement based on who she has around her!

[SoFlaJet]

86. Fucking disgusting I thought I was watching a Klan meeting

he even LOOKS like the Klan leader/politician in Oh Brother Where Art Thou

[readytoblowagasket]

87. you need to watch ALL of it

I find it telling that this video clip starts midway through Tom Buffenbarger's speech, rather than at the beginning. If you begin to watch midway through, you can very easily misread the speaker's tone and argument, as well as the audience's reactions. Such a misread, in fact, might give you a knee-jerk reaction of "disgust" to the words themselves. You might be so insulted that you start spewing Republican talking points about Hillary Clinton (or fellow commenters) without knowing any of the backstory.

If you pay attention to what came before, however (see link below), you learn that Buffenbarger's point is to compare Hillary's "fighting spirit" (hence, the boxing references) to Obama's empty prose, and worse, his inaction (Obama talks a good game, but when he's called upon to act, he doesn't). Buffenbarger gives concrete examples of his accusations about Obama, examples that his audience seems well aware of: namely, union issues involving Maytag and United Airlines in Illinois. (And that's more than I can say for some of the accusations being hurled in this comment thread.)

From the Chicago Tribune/McClatchy article I provided a link to upthread:

Maytag workers whose jobs were shipped to Mexico serve as consistent characters in Barack Obama's stump speech. He employs their stories in railing against corporations that use trade pacts to replace well-paid union workers with low-cost foreign ones.

It is a ready applause line for the Illinois presidential hopeful, one that he has been reciting almost verbatim since he was a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2004, when appliance giant Maytag was in the process of shutting a refrigerator plant here, putting 1,600 people out of work.

But the union that represented most of those Galesburg workers isn't impressed with Obama's advocacy and has endorsed his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Its leaders say they wish he had done more about their members' plight.

What rankles some is what Obama did not do even as he expressed solidarity four years ago with workers mounting a desperate fight to save their jobs.

Obama had a special connection to Maytag: Lester Crown, one of the company's directors and biggest investors whose family, records show, has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Obama's campaigns since 2003. But Crown says Obama never raised the fate of the Galesburg plant with him, and the billionaire industrialist insists any jawboning would have been futile.

So not only did Obama not save the Maytag jobs (even though he talked like he would), he has accepted buckets of money from someone who sat on the Maytag board. Then, to make matters worse, Obama uses the heartstring-yanking Maytag story for his own purposes in his speeches—to make it sound like he's an outraged populist. Now that takes chutzpah.

In his victory speech after Saturday's South Carolina primary, Obama spoke yet again of "the Maytag worker who is now competing with his own teenager for a $7-an-hour job at Wal-Mart because the factory he gave his life to shut its doors."

Beyond such talk, there is little evidence that Obama went to any lengths to fight the Galesburg shutdown. Some analysts say his ties to the Crowns — Lester's son, James, is the Illinois finance chairman of Obama's presidential run — leave him open to criticism.

The article is very informative, so I urge you to read it. I'm sure there's a well-written article about the United Airlines workers, too, I just haven't researched it.

Read more:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-galesburg_obama_webfeb01,0,4286527.story

Watch more of the video:
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/02/20/machinists-union-tells-it-like-it-is/

Yes, Buffenbarger is a windbag, and yes, the audience is getting restless—because they didn't know Hillary was running late. They weren't necessarily upset with what Buffenbarger was saying (evidence they are receptive to Buffenbarger is demonstrated earlier in the video, take a look), but rather that he is droning on and preventing Hillary from coming onstage.

What disgusts me is the ease with which people repeat the Republican talking points when it comes to Hillary Clinton. You don't have to like her, but at least come up with your own valid and provable arguments. Do a little research.

[casus belli]

90. I've seen the entire speech, it doesn't make this any less disgusting.

The tone, the apparent anger and vitriol, the underlying hatred and his choice to insult Obama's supporters - I'm not really sure why you think seeing the very beginning of this will change the level of disgust most rational people have when they view this.

This is hate speech, pure and simple. I don't care who he's talking about or what prompted him to speak out in such an aggressive manner, nothing changes the fact that you could easily mistake this guy for a right wing radio talk show host if you didn't know he was speaking at a Hillary rally.

[readytoblowagasket]

91. the tone, the apparent anger and vitriol

are because he's pissed off. And he has reason to be if you'd read the backstory.

Sorry you can't handle his anger at Obama. He thinks it's justified. But I can't really help it if you can't handle it.

There's a profound difference between anger and hate speech. You obviously have never experienced hate speech:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech

Sorry I thought there was freedom to express opinions here. My mistake.

[casus belli]

92. From your own link...

"Hate speech is a term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action"

"I've got news for all the latte-drinking,
Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies
crowding in to hear him speak!"


Nothing degrading about that.

[readytoblowagasket]

94. "degrade" means to reduce, make inferior, strip of rank, self-esteem and the like

If you don't drive a Prius, then he's actually raising your status.

So you're right, there's nothing degrading about that.

Hey, check out Bill's hybrid American-made Mercury Mariner:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-09-06-clinton-car_x.htm

[DS1]

93. I support Obama

and don't see anything wrong with what this guy said. It's his speech, let him have it.

[poppysgal]

95. a slice of pie, anyone?

:banghead: mud pie that is. How about it if we lay off each other and concentrate instead on putting a dem in the White house?

[better tomorrow]

98. The people behind him....

I would love to hear what THEY were saying. A lot of handmoving going on....

Wouldn't it be funny if sometime a support group all started talking in sign language promoting the "other" candidate. I can just imagine a video....

[JI7]

99. as an Obama supporter, i think Hillary should have this guy in her ads

and have him campaign on her behalf in as many places as he can.

[texasleo]

100. you consider that tough? no wonder the far left always loses.

btw, I'm for Obama, but this was delivered with kid gloves.

Get ready for the summer and fall.

[tabatha]

101. Obama worked closely with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Secure Pensions: Barack Obama will insist that companies keep the promises they have made to their employees. As a U.S. Senator, Obama worked closely with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and the Association of Flight Attendants to help protect flight attendants' pension plans during the United Airlines bankruptcy crisis. He will amend bankruptcy laws to keep companies from filing for Chapter 11 in order to avoid obligations to their workers. In the Senate, Obama voted for new rules to force companies to properly fund their pension plans so taxpayers don't end up footing the bill. He has also voted to shore up funding of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal agency that guarantees retirees receive at least some of their pension monies if their companies go out of business.

[BuyingThyme]

103. Were they having a gymnastics meet in the gym the same time?