Obama Thanks Himself, Irish PM Repeats Speech in Teleprompter Meltdown

FoxNews.com ^ | Wednesday, March 18, 2009 | AP

[TexasCajun]

WASHINGTON -- Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was just a few paragraphs into an address at a St. Patrick's Day celebration at the White House when he realized something sounded way too familiar. Turns out, he was repeating the speech President Barack Obama had just given.

Cowen was set to speak twice at the White House on Tuesday night because there were two different parties going on at the executive mansion. No matter -- he would give the same speech to the two different audiences.

But Cowen was 20 seconds into his second address when it dawned on him that he was giving word for word the speech that Obama had just read from the same teleprompter.

[mware]

I can't wait to check out the UK papers on this one.

They have been having a field day going after Obama.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Mebbe teleprompters will replace SUVs as the ‘machine with a mind of its own.’ Ha!

[stentorian conservative]

The Teleprompter guy hasn't had a vacation in about a year. He hit the repeat button for the PM. /s

It was Obama's speech given again by the PM.

That's what I understood anyway.

[MortMan]

WHOSE speech? The fact that the two politicians were reading the same speech has been established. But which politician was SUPPOSED to read the speech?

In other words - did Cohen realize the teleprompter was displaying the WRONG speech, or did he realize that Obambi couldn’t tell that HE was reading the wrong speech?

[XenaLee]

That’s ok. Someday (soon) the REAL Messiah will come along and wipe that snooty, smug look off of his face. A good eternal schmack upside the head is just what Zero needs for that attitude adjustment!

[Oztrich Boy]

Couldn’t be any plainer, I think...”Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was just a few paragraphs into an address at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the White House when he realized something sounded way too familiar. Turns out, he was repeating the speech President Barack Obama had just given.”

What’s confusing about that?

Cowen stopped and looked back at the president to say, "That's your speech."

Now Bearach O'Bama is the sharpest knife in the drawer. He's just about grasped the easiest way to fake being president is to read speeches off the teleprompter

Obama laughed and returned to the podium to offer what might have been Cowen's remarks.

By this time they've corrected the situation and Cowen's thank you speech is on the prompter.

But Bearach reads what's in front of him.

[MortMan]

From the full article:

But Cowen was 20 seconds into his second address when it dawned on him that he was giving word for word the speech that Obama had just read from the same teleprompter.

Cowen stopped and looked back at the president to say, "That's your speech."

Obama laughed and returned to the podium to offer what might have been Cowen's remarks. In doing so, President Obama thanked President Obama for inviting everyone over.

The writer admits he or she is unclear whether the speech was Obama's or Cohen's. I suspect that Obama read the irish PM's speech and didn't know it.

But it would be nice to have confirmation from someone who was actually there! ;-P

[stentorian conservative]

Oztrich boy has it right methinks. The goof was fixed by the time Obumbler got up there. Who knows? But one thing is for sure, no one can just give a speech anymore. All one needs is the ability to read and act.

[MortMan]

I think Oztrich Boy is correct, as well. It’s too bad the reporter couldn’t have gotten the facts while on-site, though.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Fox & Friends just did a hilarious skit. First Steve Ducey read the article about the goof at the WH. Then the other two read the exact same short article from their teleprompter’s, duplicating the goof at the WH. It had me in stitches. And they showed their teleprompters while reading the supposed “goof.” Very clever.

[wbill]

What an arrogant look on B. Hussein’s face

That was the first thing that I noticed, too.

For awhile, I thought that Obama was just an incompetent puppet. I'm beginning to change my mind.

[GRRRRR]

My thought exactly. Look how he sticks his nose up in the air... makes me sick.

[LibertyRocks]

CLARIFICATION: The Times Online article has a much better explanation of what exactly happened, even though it still leaves much to be desired in terms of articulating the events... (Thanks to SteelYourFaith who posted the link on the Teleprompter Photoshop Thread linked earlier on this one!)

Irish PM Brian Cowen left red faced after delivering Obama speech at White House

< snip >

Mr Obama is becoming known as the 'teleprompter president' for his excessive use of the prompting screens, which retract when speeches are finished.

Although used for more than half a century, the device was previously employed mainly for set-piece speeches. The current President, however, often uses them for making small introductory statements at the beginning of press conferences.

On this occasion, as a laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium, the script was belatedly switched over to the Taoiseach's text – leaving Mr Obama inadvertently thanking himself for inviting everyone.

< / snip >

For those who are still confused (took me a while to figure this out myself) here is what I think happened...

First, Obama gives his introductory remarks, and gives the podium over to Mr. Cowen. Mr. Cowen (who I imagine was very nervous) doesn't realize that the technicians have forgotten to put up his speech, but have instead rerun Obama's. After a few moments Cowen realizes the mistake and looks back to Obama. Obama gets up and goes to stand next to Mr. Cowen (presumably to help ad-lib while they fix the technical situation). Before Obama gets to the podium the tech realizes their mistake and gets Cowen's speech onto the teleprompter. Obama -- never one to say ANYTHING without a script -- must think that his handlers will throw something up on the screen for him to say while they fix the SNAFU (never mind how ridiculous that is...). Obama then proceeds to read off the Teleprompter, which now has Cowen's speech on it - and like most speeches of this sort the first part has Cowen thanking Obama for the invitation to the White House. Obama the idiot doesn't even realize he's reading another speech!

Seriously, just how stupid IS Obama? I mean I can understand Mr. Cowen being nervous and starting to read off the teleprompter without realizing it's the wrong speech right off the bat. But, WHY did Obama even read ANYTHING off the teleprompter when he got up to stand next to Cowen while the problem was fixed?

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops! And thanks grey_whiskers!

"Whoops! And thanks President Obama!"

[Fred Nerks]

Seriously, just how stupid IS Obama? I mean I can understand Mr. Cowen being nervous and starting to read off the teleprompter without realizing it's the wrong speech right off the bat. But, WHY did Obama even read ANYTHING off the teleprompter when he got up to stand next to Cowen while the problem was fixed?

Because the malignant narcissism obama exhibits means he is never wrong...the same reason he interrupted the oaf at the inauguration - because NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING BETTER than he does...

[browniexyz]

That would be so funny, I agree!! Except there is something so sinister about this Manchurian candidate....G.

[listenhillary]

TOTUS
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209601/posts

[Repeat Offender]

I think he inturrupted during the oaf because the words came on the teleprompter too fast....... rumor (started by Repeat Offender) has it that the words “Slow Down Idiot” appeared on the screen and things went from bad to worse.

[Tex Pete]