May 11, 2007
Obama Throws Staff Under Bus, Part ??
From CNN:
Obama publicly scolds staff for scheduling decisionWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, told New Hampshire firefighters Friday that he was frustrated his staff did not build into his travel schedule a personal appearance before their union meeting taking place in the coastal city of Portsmouth. Instead, the presidential hopeful had to address the IAFF and Federation of State and Provincial Firefighters Association this morning by telephone.
"I have to tell you, I wish I was there," Obama said over a speakerphone. "My staff had already scheduled some things and they couldn't wiggle out if it. They heard from me a little bit because I wasn't happy I couldn't be there personally."
Obama went on to say that "having a chance to talk to you guys is important. And I'm not going to let a thousand miles between us keep me from saying what I have to say."
Posted at 11:21 AM
Comments
Every good candidate needs to be able to blame his scheduler. No candidate can be everywhere he/she is wanted.
Ross Smith | 05.11.07 12:16 PM
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Every good campaign should own their campaign. Can't make it? Say you're too busy. But don't blame staffers, many of whom earn just above the poverty line and work insane hours to fulfill what your ego needs to have happen.
Some audacity, Barack.
cameron | 05.11.07 12:49 PM
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This would never happen in Hillary's campaign. Her campaign runs like a well oiled machine which is one of the many reasons she is the strongest candidate to defeat the GOP in '08.
csh | 05.11.07 01:17 PM
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how many times has he blamed his staff publicly now for things he was completely unaware were going on till it became a news item? Geffen, 1984 video, firefighters convention? I know he's not getting enough sleep to pay close attention to world events, but doesn't get enough to at least pay attention to what's going on in his own campaign?
His new kind of politics seems more like Bush's blame everyone but me tactics each day...
buzz | 05.11.07 01:55 PM
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This is not the first time Obama has shifted blame to his staff. This guy is weak and will fold before this campaign season is over. He would roll over for the terrorists in a heartbeat. No backbone.
bio mom | 05.11.07 01:57 PM
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> He would roll over for the terrorists in a
> heartbeat. No backbone.
Ah, the vaunted conservative tradition of denying reality. It always works, for a while...
goethean | 05.11.07 02:07 PM
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> which is one of the many reasons she is the
> strongest candidate to defeat the GOP in '08.
ah, yes. the same people who promised kerry would beat bush in 2004. despite what penn says, hillary can't win in florida or ohio, or iowa for that matter. minnesota might be out of reach for her as well.
bush > clinton > bush > clinton? hello! mcfly?!? anybody in there???
ac | 05.11.07 02:21 PM
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BIO MOM is one of those gop intellectuals who still think that Bush, Cheney, Gonzales, Wolfowitz, Condi and the cabal is doing a great job.
As GoETHEAN said the GOP fear-mongering will NOT work anymore because 72% of Americans know it better now.
Matt | 05.11.07 02:42 PM
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It was a joke, guys! Same as when he 'scolded' Maureen Dowd about making fun of his big ears.
Journalists blame their copyeditors, but I don't know who bloggers blame. Probably their software (for the humor-impaired, that's another joke).
Tom J | 05.11.07 03:20 PM
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enough right wing radio hosts say obama has no backbone, and that's all it takes for america to think it.
want to know what to think about a candidate? listen to their speeches, read their books, look at their voting records (www.votesmart.org).
adam | 05.11.07 03:46 PM
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there are a number of circumstances in which the candidate is allowed to cover himself by blamaing the staff. in a case like this, the staff realizes that Obama is trying to save face with the firefighters.
anybody that thinks that this is a big deal has probably never worked on a serious campaign.
theshelldog | 05.11.07 04:43 PM
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"He would roll over for the terrorists in a heartbeat. " Seriously I'm tired of reading comments over and over by people with questions mental faculties. You connect a candidate scolding his staff, (really a non-issue. Tell me what candidate / President hasn't...didn't think so.) with rolling over for...terrorists? Stop further diving us with your ridilous comments. I'll call you out everytime I run across this crap, REGARDLESS of your party.
Nicholas Smith | 05.11.07 06:54 PM
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My goodness, some people get so worked up about a throwaway comment that really doesn't amount to much at all. If a staffer took offense at that, then they're much too thin-skinned to work on a presidential campaign.
Mike | 05.12.07 12:24 PM
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Staffs do sometimes make incorrect choices in scheduling a boss's time (in business as well as politics) and sometimes you can't correct one problem without creating another. Barack was not blatantly castigating his staff, but making a heartfelt statement to a union he respects. I've heard business leaders make this kind of statement in the past, and no one over thought a thing of it. This is an example of how politicians live under a microscope that makes mountains out of molehills.
CeeCee | 05.12.07 06:17 PM
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So there was a scheduling conflict...big deal! At least he took the time to speak to them. I don't read his quote as "scolding" his staff. Amazing how CNN is turning into E TV.
Here's an idea: report on policy, votes, and issues.
Steve | 05.12.07 06:43 PM
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Give me a break people. Talk about making mountains out of molehills. HRC would make a better nominee because she has a better scheduler? How petty.
Clinton is highly polarizing, has "unfavorable" ratings over 50%, polls worse against the Republicans, and was wrong on the most important judgment of her career, the AUMF vote on Iraq. Even if HRC can win, her will hurt down ballot Dems by depressing Dem turnout and mobilizing the conservative base.
Obama is a much stronger candidate for Dems.
upper left | 05.13.07 09:46 AM
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From cameron | 05.11.07 12:49 PM:
"Every good campaign should own their campaign. Can't make it? Say you're too busy. But don't blame staffers, many of whom earn just above the poverty line and work insane hours to fulfill what your ego needs to have happen."
You're drawing a very unfair conclusion based on a very thin snippet of a quote, cameron. What if he really had told his staff that he wanted to be sure he made that meeting, and someone didn't get the memo or missed that briefing, and scheduled him for something else he couldn't get out of? It happens all the time when you have groups of people working together. Many of Obama's staffers are volunteers, and like you mention, work "insane" hours, so scheduling conflicts are bound to happen occasionally. What's important is that they learn from their mistakes and develop procedures to avoid further issues of that nature.
Give the guy a break, people -- how many of us (NOT our staffers) have inadvertently committed ourselves to two conflicting appointments at some time? Does that disqualify you for membership in the human race, because you "don't know what's going on" in your own life? And, bio mom, I don't see how this translates to "no backbone." The guy is telling the truth -- that's a helluva lot better than our current "Decider," who's all backbone but no common sense or diplomacy.
~~Cheryl
LuckyCharm | 05.13.07 10:24 AM
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I agree that any candidate should be able to blame his/her staff when necessary. And no candidate can make all the apperances. But if you publicacly blame your staff too frequently, then it looks like you don't really run your campaign. Obama needs to look like a leader who can make tough decisions, not someone who's being "managed" by his staff.
Miguel | 05.13.07 11:32 AM
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Not cool at all to blame your staff for stuff like that Barack...
Jason | 05.13.07 02:34 PM
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Concerning, Barak Hussein Obama, yes, just look at his voting record. Oh, that's right, he doesn't have one yet!
Marilyn | 05.16.07 12:10 PM
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