Posted on 05/21/2009 4:59:10 PM PDT by fiodora
So who won the fight? (it's hard to use anothing other than a martial or pugilistic metaphor).
But the very fact that Obama chose to schedule his speech (Cheney's was announced first) at exactly the same time as the former veep was a sign of some weakness. The venues for the speeches said something. Obama showily chose the National Archives, repository for many of the founding documents of the US, and spoke in front of a copy of the Constitution - cloaking himself in the flag, as Republicans were often criticised for doing.
To hear Cheney speak, we were crammed into a decidedly unglamourous and cramped conference room at AEI, favourite think tank of conservative hawks.
The former veep's speech was factual and unemotional and certainly devoid of the kind of hokey, self-obsessed, campaign-style stuff like this, from Obama's address today: "I stand here today as someone whose own life was made possible by these documents. My father came to these shores in search of the promise that they offer. My mother made me rise before dawn to learn their truths when I lived as a child in a foreign land."
In terms of Obama's purported aim for his speech - to present a plan for closing Guantanamo Bay aimed at placating Congress - he failed. The reception on Capitol Hill was lukewarm with even Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Cheney's speech wasn't stylish, there were no rhetorical flourishes and the tone was bitingly sarcastic and disdainful at times. But it was effective in many respects and Cheney showed that Obama is not invulnerable. Here are 10 of the punches he landed on the President's jaw:
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
What's tiresome is his "whistling" S's. Sounds like he has dentures. Irritating as hell.
And the had the courtesy to wait until the Ursurper finished his rant before Cheney began his speech. Of course Obama was 30 minutes late as usual.(I guess getting the right color of purple lipstick is difficult OR the damn Visine didn’t work the first time)
Well-said. BIGTIME
I don't believe him.
I think he's lying.
Again.
As usual.
Where is the feckless GOP in all this,... out looking for more donations or busy the 4th Tee?
Where are the leaders of America? Why are we being rapidly turned into a modern-day Nazi Germany, piece by piece, and nobody in politics is fighting back - except Dick Cheney, his family, a few pundits, and frustrated citizens at Tea Parties pleading for leadership?
Where is George Bush? He took the oath to protect and defend this country as we enter into our deepest peril in any our lifetimes. Where is he, as America and her Constitution are being viciously ravaged by her domestic enemies,... walking his dog?
Where is the current leadership of the House and Senate?
Where are the silent and apparently supine members on legislative committees who are carryhing on as if this is business as usual?
Where is the head of the GOP and the mavens of that Party?
Where are the TV ads blowing the lid off all this crap?
Where are the voices of sanity and calls for righteous opposition and action shouting from our rooftops?
Where is our Churchill?
Ah,,
He might be talking of Islamic “truth” learned in foriegn Indonesia.
“Cheney was dubbed as a person possessing gravitas. Today it was on full display. Thank you sir.”
WE NEED MORE LIKE HIM!!!
THANKS MR CHENEY!
Sport... if I needed to get something out of you, I wouldn’t even need to water board you.
You get diarrhea of the mouth just when someone calls you an ignoramus.
Other folks (bad guys) that know more than you and lets just say they “need more persuasion” if it were up to me (I’d get the info... and they would be discovered 2,000 years from now holding up a fence post)
TT
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