While waffling on the decision whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, Barack Obama’s clearly undeserved win of the Nobel Peace Prize sheds bright light on the days when he was able to take a non-stance on issues by simply voting “present.”
Those days are long gone, Mr. President. With our troops in Afghanistan now having some of the hardest times since they first got there, it is time to act. Don’t let the shadow of that “prize” loom over your decision to give our troops the help they need.
Barry Kaplan
Overland Park
OBAMA’S NOBEL PRIZE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PEACE – IT’S ABOUT “COPENHAGEN”
Obama’s upcoming acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize and the invisible strings attached to it, may prove to be an enormously expensive exercise for all taxpayers on this continent. The “Copenhagen” supporters on the Nobel Committee, on the other hand, are counting on it.
http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-nobel-is-not-about-peace.html
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Posted by: PacificGatePost | October 17, 2009 at 07:14 PM
“Instead of hacking Obama on every thing you can think of why don't you just do as you all advised when Cheney was president and just blindly support the man.” - Ted
Tell us Ted, when did hacking the current administration on everything you can think of become a bad thing? My guess: January 2008.
Posted by: GCYL | October 17, 2009 at 07:05 PM
I didn't bother to check, but I bet ol red nose Bond has voted "present" a few times, or maybe he was at the bar and didn't vote at all. Voting present at least means you were there. Instead of hacking Obama on every thing you can think of why don't you just do as you all advised when Cheney was president and just blindly support the man.
Posted by: Ted | October 17, 2009 at 06:30 PM
“Or whispering is a three dimensional apologist for a President without the conviction of his positions.”
Agree. But that makes him no better nor worse than any other party hack.
Posted by: GCYL | October 17, 2009 at 05:52 PM
130 "present" votes out of 4000 total Illinois votes.
Well, at least you people have moved on from the "birther" and "deather" arguments.
Posted by: whispering_to_kc | October 17, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Or whispering is a three dimensional apologist for a President without the conviction of his positions.
Posted by: Smarter Than You | October 17, 2009 at 03:58 PM
In Illinois politics and depending on the issue, voting "present" is usually the same thing as voting "no" without actually voting "no".
As I recall, Obama only voted "present" 100-125 times in thousands of total votes. My guess is there were all kinds of reasons behind those 100 or so "present" votes but I'd imagine taking a "non-stance" wasn't one of those reasons.
The world isn't only black/white, yes/no. The planet is filled with shades of gray and even some colors too. Kaplan is a two-dimensional thinker.
Posted by: whispering_to_kc | October 17, 2009 at 02:23 PM
The three month discussion over the Iraq surge was a battle in Congress as I recall with Obama, Reid, and Ike Skelton saying it would not work.
The President and General Petraeus knew it would.
As to this surge who will Obama listen the Commander on the ground, or that great miliarty tactician Joe Biden?
The future of our guys in the battle will depend upon a good call, and the sooner the call is made the better.
Posted by: Kee | October 17, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Obama being given a prize he didn't earn is a joke. Even the foreigners who, according to the Obama mythology, now so dearly love America question it's legitimacy. The fact you struggle so hard to make it seem legitimate is all most casual observers need to see.
Posted by: Smarter Than You | October 17, 2009 at 09:14 AM
“Such nonsense coming from... another Johnson County Kool Aid drinker!” - JayhawkinMO
Please entertain us with your nonsense about why Blue Kool Aid is sooooooooo much better for us than the Red Kool Aid.
Posted by: GCYL | October 17, 2009 at 08:38 AM
“I think it why America elected him president.“
As an Independent, I’m always entertained when party loyalist spin the “between a rock and a hard place” election results.
“Gates said on tv the other day that the surge in Iraq was discussed and debated for three months before a decision was made.”
The surge that Obama so strongly supported?
Posted by: GCYL | October 17, 2009 at 08:36 AM
So Barry, as clearly pointed out by Ted, Bush's "surge" was debated for three months before implemented. Was Bush "waffling" then? You probably don't think so. And ya gotta tell us how the Prez's "undeserved win" of the Nobel sheds light on earlier days? There is no connection, Barry. Such nonsense coming from... another Johnson County Kool Aid drinker!
Posted by: JayhawkinMO | October 17, 2009 at 08:14 AM
His winning the NPP was a great honor that hopefully will bear some fruition for the future of our country in dealing with world issues. I don't think someone going through the information gathering and decision making prosess is waffling, I think it why America elected him president..Gates said on tv the other day that the surge in Iraq was discussed and debated for three months before a decision was made.
Posted by: Ted | October 17, 2009 at 06:57 AM