Clinton Claps, Obama Refrains, When Bush Says Al Qaeda "On The Run" In Iraq

From the Washington Times:

When Mr. Bush entered the House chamber at 9:05, Mrs. Clinton stopped clapping after a few moments. Mr. Obama, however, clapped for almost the entire four minutes that Mr. Bush took to walk down the aisle.

One of the few policy lines on which the two senators differed came when Mr. Bush said that Al Qaeda is "on the run" in Iraq. Mrs. Clinton stood and clapped, while Mr. Obama did not.

On his way out of the chamber after his speech, Mr. Bush shook Mr. Obama's hand and then Mr. Kennedy's, and made a few quick remarks to both, drawing a smile from Mr. Obama.

The Hill highlighted the same moment:

Clinton and Obama's divergent views on the troop surge in Iraq, however, were plainly visible.

When Bush proclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, some may deny the surge is working, but among terrorists there is no doubt," Clinton sprang to her feet in applause but Obama remained firmly seated. The president's line divided most of the Democratic audience, with nearly half standing to applaud and the other half sitting in stony silence.

In one instance Clinton appeared to gauge Obama's response before showing her own.

The politics of clapping seemed to split both ways. A CNN analyst commented last night, "I saw at one moment, it appeared that Barack Obama was peering over at one moment to see if Senator Clinton had stood to applaud for something. You know there's always this politics of who stands up."

The Hill adds this color: "After his speech, Bush sought out Kennedy, his former partner in education reform, to exchange greetings. He also shook Obama's hand and said hello in typical Bush fashion: 'Hey buddy, how's it going,' he said, according to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who also sat next to Obama for the speech."

Comments

[ajax2]

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan on Friday said the government had no information to confirm reports that a top al-Qaida operative had been killed in Pakistan, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

[ResidentChimp]

Obama didn't appreciate President Bush dissing his Buddy Osama.

[bluesky49876]

What is going to be the next headline from the morons at the HuffPost. I also see that it is once again censoring comments to stories posted by the bloggers.

[dolphy]

Don't you wish you were there with a bag of rotten eggs?

[farseer]

Obama knew it was BS that A-Q was "on the run." So natch he didn't clap. To clap would have been to accept the BS.

[opines]

If the election of 2008 is between McCain and Clinton among the messages our nation is sending to an anxious world are these:

1) Whoever wins will see a mandate to
continue the preemptive strike,
invasion/occupation to secure control
of Iraq's oil resources more
'efficiently'.


2) And by more airstrikes on villages
(where a high value target was suspected
to be in the area), further relaxed Rules
of Engagement, no squeamishness is the
plan to gain victory. * (see below)

3) Since the military will get whatever
funding it deems necessary, its budget
plus interest on the debt will leave
very little available for non-war
programs. **

* Worldwide observers hoped that the 2004
reelection of Bush was an aberration by American voters. An election between two Stay the Course candidates dooms the American Experiment in Democray. No way to spin out of it.

** The collapsing of the economy moves class issues to the front-burner. Neither McCain or Clinton are auditioning to champion the interests of the middle and lower classes (who are an overwhelming majority of the electorate).

So, in addition to Peace being off-the-table, class issues are finessed.

[BUSHsurvivor]

Seems HuffPo didn't want to make a headline out of this one.....

When Bush warned the Iranian government that “America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf” Obama jumped up to applaud.

~~~~~

Yet, Obama complained about Clinton's vote of the Irania Revolutionary Guard. Which is it oh wise one?

[ThomasDoubting]

"Hey, buddy, how you doin"? This from a sixty year old executive, with the ivy league education, while addressing the U.S. Senator who is likely to be the Democratic candidate for president. All this in the U.S. Capitol. It has been a long seven years. I will be so relieved when the chimp finally walks out the door. The countdown has begun, one year from today, we will have a different president, assuming that someone can convince Dick Cheney that it's over and that he should clean out his desk and wander off into the sunset. Wouldn't it be good idea to impeach the bastards now, just in case there is a problem when it comes time to turn over the keys.

[GenXer]

Who the hell let Al Qaeda in Iraq in the first place? Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here B.S. It's more like train them over there, so we're more afraid over here, and we'll buy what ever B.S. they're selling. Mutton people?

[BUSHsurvivor]

From the same article above...

I did see Mr. Obama take the unusual step of walking over to the president's cabinet just before Mr. Bush's entrance, to shake hands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and to whisper something in the ear of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Mr. Obama then moved over to shake hands with the four U.S. Supreme Court Justices who attended: Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito.

[Bendersky]

KarenZipdr­ive--Silly people, it's common protocol for Senators and Congress Reps. to applaud the President of the United States during the SOTU address, not to mention a good way to attract disgusted GOP voters who are looking for reasons NOT to vote Democratic this time.

Faulty argument and illustrative of how the democratic party has become the party of spineless wussies and turncoats. If the GOP voters are so disgusted, do you think a dem not standing for the target of their disgust is going to push them away?

And for those of you arguing what a small, irrelevant point this is, think again. One of the reasons why we are in the situation we're in is because the dems were to cowed at the thought of being labeled (gasp!) unpatriotic, and too lazy to do their homework to stop our Dictator- light. I find it pathetic even after all this time that Hillary still lacks the balls to (in this case) stay seated for what's right. What possibly was there to gain for standing up to applaud the worst, the most corrupt president of our time? It's exactly this kind of moral flexibility that will have me voting for Obama (since Edwards is all but dead). Hillary--get a clue: the country hates this war, hates this president (see the polls), and is starting to not like you very much either. If you are willing to stand and applaud our version of Idi Amin, what the hell won't you stand for? Where the hell is your line?

[RedRooster]

...as if "style" is a substitute for "substance".

Who wouldn't be glad that al queda is on the run...or might be on the run...or should be on the run?

Apparently the ones who arent' glad are those who "hope" that things will simply get better by wishing it were so.

The politics of hope is bad, bad dope.

[CGrace]

"Hey, buddy, how you doin"? Bush is so stupid, he probably couldn't remember Senator Obama's name.

As far as Hillary clapping for Bush's remark about the surge is working, we've got them on the run in Iraq, she not only clapped, she jumped up as did half of the dems, but not Obama and he didn't clap.

[NotWaldo]

"Obama refrains from clapping when Bush says Al Qaeda on the run in Iraq".

Can you blame him? Does anyone still believe Bush when he talks about the situation in Iraq ?

[ceasenake]

Obama Supporters,

Florida is the shape of things to come nationwide on Super Tuesday.

smell the glove...