Barack Obama, a man of tact and diplomacy.

Sen. Barack Obama

Quote:

In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, I think it's important that we don't just assume that George Bush is lying when he says he's finally been awakened to the fact that there is poverty and racism in our midst," said Obama, D-Ill. "It's tempting to do so, especially when he decides to put Karl Rove in charge of reconstruction.

As all of us saw on television, there's also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action.

You can go ahead and find the many other times that Bush has referred to this problem

I don't think Bush said "finally" -- I think it's that Bush has been mum about these issues until his address in New Orleans.

So, this quote:

Quote:

As all of us saw on television, there's also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html

Is what I think Obama was referring to. You can go ahead and find the many other times that Bush has referred to this problem and the need to rectify it. (I don't personally know if he has or not.)

...But I do appreciate his leadership. I appreciate the fact that he's raised a profile of global poverty and has underscored the importance for erasing it. I'm proud of his leadership, and I'm proud of the folks that work here at the World Bank, and I want to thank you for coming to give me a chance to speak to you.

Last month in Poland I talked about Europe and America working in partnership to build a house of freedom, a house whose door should be open to all of Europe's emerging democracies and a house whose windows should be open Europe and America see clearly their challenges and responsibilities in the rest of the world.

My last trip to Europe focused mainly on opening the doors of freedom throughout Europe by enlarging NATO and the European Union. Tomorrow, I will travel to Europe to meet with leaders of the world's most industrialized nations, as well as Russia, to discuss the developing world and its needs and the developed world and our duties.

The needs are many and undeniable, and they are a challenge to our conscience and to complacency. A world where some live in comfort and plenty while half of the human race lives on less than $2 a day is neither just nor stable....

Tico, if you'd suddenly come out and post about how you consider it a disgrace that Fox News broadcasts rhetorics and cloaks it as news, would it be a mischaracterisation on my part to comment, elsewhere, "if Tico is serious when he says he's finally been awakened to the fact that Fox broadcasts propaganda instead of news"?

The "finally" there is hardly a direct quote, is it? Should be obvious enough, I'd say...

If you said that about me I'd accuse you of mischaracterizing what I said as well. What about this is so difficult for you to grasp?

Because it may be mischaracterizing what you specifically said, but not your actions or what has seemed to have been your attitude in the past. Therefore the 'finally' is valid.

(not that I know how you specifically feel about fox, but just as an example, mind you)

Cycloptichorn

Ticomaya wrote:

If you said that about me I'd accuse you of mischaracterizing what I said as well. What about this is so difficult for you to grasp?

Distinction seems pretty obvious to me. Is this where I should go, "what about it is so difficult for you to grasp?" to stay on your level of discussion?

Bush says something alarmed about the poverty and racism in our midst.

Bush can not be trapped on having said much about that matter before.

The observer is therefore free to opine that "Bush has finally woken up to the poverty and racism in our midst."

The observer's fans can be counted upon to roar, "but you dont wanna believe anything he says anyway!!"

The observer says, "we shouldn't assume that Bush is lying" when he says he finally woke up to the poverty and racism in our midst.

<big shrug>

Bush says something alarmed about the poverty and racism in our midst.

Bush can not be trapped on having said much about that matter before.

The observer is therefore free to opine that "Bush has finally woken up to the poverty and racism in our midst."

The problem is that he stated that Bush had said something that he had not said, and then criticized him for it.

Brandon9000 wrote:

The problem is that he stated that Bush had said something that he had not said, and then criticized him for it.

Are you sure? I think his point was that we SHOULDN'T assume that he's lying. Did you read the whole context?