Suggestion to Obama: Come off vacation and get up to speed on Georgia/Russia

[LSparkle]

I don't fault Barack Obama for wanting to spend some time with
his family and for his girls in particular to spend time with
their great-grandmother. However, I think the contrast of Bomb
Bomb and RatBastard tag-teaming Russia with their sabre-rattling
statements while we see Obama on the golf course is not positive.

I don't think Obama should go back on the campaign trail, giving
speeches or holding town hall meetings. He ought to just come
back to the mainland -- even temporarily, leaving Michelle and
the girls in Hawaii -- and huddle with his foreign policy team.
Get some shots of him with sleeves rolled up, sitting around a
conference room table, showing the American people that --
UNLIKE THE CURRENT OCCUPANT OF 1600 PENN. AV. -- he has the
good sense and takes the job seriously enough to put his personal plans
aside when world events dictate. It'd certainly be a NICE
contrast to how RatBastard stayed on the Plastic Ponderosa pre-
9/11 and during Katrina ...

[sabbat hunter]

1. I get the feeling

that it probably is a working vacation (A real working vacation not like Shrub's trips to texas) and is more of a break from campaigning than anything else.

[TwilightGardener]

2. I agree--he's following everything, and he's probably strategizing

for the next two months, as well.

[Dawgs]

5. It is.

He's working on his speech for the convention, for one.

[FrenchieCat]

3. I think Obama should do what he planned on doing........

It's not like he is in a position to actually stop the war that has started.

I understand what you are saying, but I don't know if it would make a difference.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Right--it's not like the Senate and Congress are coming off their

break for an emergency session or anything, either.

[DarthDem]

7. Not Sure

It's not that it SHOULD make a difference - - it's what the MSM will make out of it. Of course, South Ossetia is generally too difficult for the MSM to understand, so they might not be able to make too much hay out of it.

[Cosmocat]

22. Jesus ...

Dude needs to decompress A LITTLE, and gear up for a breathtaking sprint to the finish line ...

AND, as noted, he and HIS TEAM ARE meeting down there, with their preestablished agenda, getting things layed out for the stretch run ...

Meanwhile, Georgia is a little blip ... Not even in the top 100 of things he needs to deal with ...

Fact is, I would be worried IF he changes his plans over this ...

[npincus]

6. it's kind of a no-win for him...

if he does as you suggest, rushing back to the mainland for a sit-down w/his foreign policy advisors, he'll be nailed by the McCainiacs as being presumptuous, etc. He should, I think make a statement from where he is now, perhaps even allow questions from the media.

[LSparkle]

8. The RW is beating him up about not being "ready" so he needs serious visuals

I loved the cap on the golf course yesterday but it really
sent the wrong visual signal. Bomb Bomb is touting how
he's visited Georgia, knows the tensions of the region,
etc., etc. ... Obama needs to counter this in some way
by at least appearing to be "in the loop" -- getting
regular briefings, etc.

But the biggest contrast would be the idea of him actually
pre-empting a break -- which Shrubya has NEVER done --
because of world events. This would be the perfect
chance for him to show how HE would handle a crisis
vs. RatBastard.

[AuntPatsy]

33. He is already being nailed for being ummm late on making a statement..

the idiot talking heads on cnn and faux are saying his campaign announced he will be making a statement soon and they openly accused him of doing it simply because mcbush already has...I hate them...and I will hate anyone who falls for this bs...

[Apollo11]

9. Obama is not abroad. He is in the United States.

He has access to internet, telephones, TV, key advisors.

Would it really make much difference if he would fly to Chicago?

It would just mean the girls get to see even less of their dad.

[polichick]

42. Yes, Hawaii isn't quite as "exotic" as Cokie wants us to think! :)

[Barack_America]

10. Unfortunately, Bush still is the voice of American foreign policy...

I thought it rather unseemly that McCain released a statement on Georgia/Russia before Bush did.

True he's an incompetent idiot, but for the time being he is CIC and presidential candidates should not be seen giving him orders.

[LSparkle]

16. Bomb Bomb is winning the media war on this one, though ...

Claiming to have visited the region recently, says he
knows about the political tensions there, yadda-yadda-
yadda.

I wish it weren't this way -- yes, the guy damn well
deserves a couple of weeks off -- but I'd hate for him
to effectively lose the election because of the way
the RW is going to spin this. (Young guy, inexperienced,
golfing while WW3 starts, courts Europe on one hand but
when tensions flare, he goes on vacation ... These are
NOT MY BELIEFS but just my predictions of what's
coming.)

[bullwinkle428]

32. But that would interrupt his Olympic experience!!

:crazy:

[kristyt]

11. Keep on vacationing. If it turns into WW 3 you can comment from the beach

I mean seriously. Give the guy a break.

[bunkerbuster1]

12. No, terrible idea.

I'm sure you're trying to be helpful, but you're not. Obama earned the holiday, and to cut it deliberately short at this point would just reinforce all the stupid surrender-monkey memes these idiots have pushed over the years.

Stick to your guns, Obama. Spend time with Grandma. Show Michele and the kids, as you so eloquently put it, "some love."

[flamingdem]

13. Obama is a lucky guy to be on vacation, this hot potato is best eaten after it cools down n/t

[BeyondGeography]

14. Turn the television off...many Americans are doing exactly what Obama is doing right now

and those programs that are driving you nuts are watched by one out of 100 voters, if that.

[spinbaby]

15. Isn't the drunk monkey supposed to be dealing with this crisis?

It seems a better use of presidential time than groping female athletes in China.

[Overseas]

17. Obama is probably already "up to speed" on Georgia/Russia

Obama probably gets his news from a variety of sources and was already "up to speed" on Georgia's relations with its breakaway regions, Georgia's desire to join NATO and Russia's desire to prevent that from happening.

Obama understands the complexity of the issue and whatever considerate response he gave to the situation would be trashed by the corporate Republican media we have.

[americanstranger]

18. Sure, and let the GOP roll out the 'presumptuous' tag again.

Fuck that.

Let McCain grandstand all he wants, and release a statement from the Obama campaign saying 'In situations like these, there is only one voice that matters - and that is the president's voice.'

Then let the GOP start yelling for Bush to get his ass back from the Olympics and deal with this, and let McCain look like 'he thinks he's president already.'

I will never understand why people think Obama needs to react to every single thing right now.

- as

[nsd]

19. Bad idea.

Obama hasn't been elected yet. If he flew back to "deal with the crisis," he'd not only look presumptuous but also a little ridiculous, as if he was playing at being president. After huddling with his advisers, what exactly would he do? Issue a statement? What good is that?

[Heather MC]

20. Bush is the President, he sould fly over to Russia and work to end this face to face

Remember Bush is in China slapping the American Flag against his knee looking bored out of his mind. he clearly has time to do something about this
He should be seen in a huddle with his adminstration that is currently in power to stop this

[Sensitivity]

21. Why can't his TEAM FLY TO HAWAII -- they would go for that!

[pot luck]

23. Hate to say this, but you're right

CNN just teased a story about Obama's vacation being bad timing while showing him golfing. They're about to try to turn this into his Dukakis moment. F*ck the MSM.

[SuperTrouper]

24. But Bill Schneider said that the US is not involved in this conflict

so it is not a story at all.

[high density]

25. He's not president yet.

He has already released statements on the issue and talked to Rice about it. I think he should continue his vacation unless war breaks out in the USA.

[EC]

26. Why bother the McCain camp will just frame it as once again

Obama is acting like he thinks he is already President...let McCain go on and on about it, he'll eventually stick his foot in his mouth as usual...and look the fool he is...

[depakid]

27. Better to let the EU sort the situation out

Though I agree that the campaign needs to be careful about managing the imagery.

Of course, if Wes Clark joins the ticket- events like this will cease to be much of a problem.... ;-)

[indie_voter]

28. Never mind Obama, BUSH needs to come back from the Olympics

And deal with this.

[butterfly77]

29. They want it both ways...

they want to tell the public is tired of seeing Obama and then they complain when he goes on vacation. Didn't he plan this vacation well before now, he needs some time off even though it continues to be a working vacation and the media won't leave him alone wherever he goes.

[Phx_Dem]

30. I don't think that 's necessary at this point.

The U.S. isn't directly involved, and dumb-as-he-is, we have president. If things escalate to the point where Obama needs to cut his vacation short, I'm sure he will. At this time, I don't really see the point.

[nsd]

31. Obama to Break from Vacation to Respond to Georgia

The Land of Lincolner is expected to put his Hawaii vacation on pause to make an on-camera statement about the conflict before 5:30 pm ET.

link

[karynnj]

34. He is likely up to speed as he is the chair of the Europe subcommittee

of the SFRC. He alos is likely more able to spend time and here what is happening in Hawaii as he is on the campaign trail. I bet his foreign policy team can be reached by teleconferencing - or they might enjoy Hawaii.

[sunonmars]

43. you are joking right

he's never even convened a meeting of that committee.

[karynnj]

47. He has not convened a hearing

other than on nominations, but that doesn't mean that he has not taken oversight trips to those ares - he did. It was also from that sub-committee that he did the work with Lugar on the non-proliferation bill - the succesor to Nunn/Lugar.

The charge that he did not have a hearing on Afghanistan was a chep shot by HRC - even though NATO is headquartered there both Biden, as chair of the committee and Kerry as head of the relevant sub-committee did have hearings. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/27/10645/7336/820/464968

[Vinca]

35. I propose a new drinking game.

Turn on CNN and listen for John Roberts to say "Obama is on vacation in Hawaii." If I had started throwing back shots starting at 4 p.m. when it came on, I'd be on the floor passed out by now.

[TheDonkey]

39. Obama should not have gone on vacation w.o a VP candidate. This was an unusual move

[Phoonzang]

36. I agree. He needs to get off the golf course and get

to business. It DOES NOT look good when he's relaxing in Hawaii while McCain shores up his perceived foreign policy advantage even more.

This is we didn't need to happen. Foreign policy concerns to starting to trump economic concerns.

[george_maniakes]

37. Obama should keep doing what he's doing...

Because of Iraq america has no moral treasure and no political will to direct russia to do anything. Thank Bush for flushing your country's soft power down the toilet.

[Willo]

38. At some point people will have to wake up or we need to trust

that they already are (and have). Obama cannot win by making moves based on what the MSM says.

The MSM is working very hard, lying about polls, campaigning and covering for McCain, stirring fights between Dems and framing every single move and non-move of the Obama campaign in a negative light. It's not working well, but it's all they know to do.

[moondust]

40. Obama is not the President. Neither is McBombs.

McBombs is doing exactly what he falsely accused Obama of doing a few weeks ago: presumptuously playing President.

[knixphan]

41. Great Anti-McCain commercial came out -

And my prediction...

Joe Biden will be picked, and ass-kicking will commence.

[jillan]

44. Oooh - I like your prediction!

You can't help but hope for Biden with what is going on in Russia/Georgia....
especially since he has been concerned about Russia for months.

[LSparkle]

45. That's exactly what I'm hoping, too ... it'd be nice if it happened sooner

rather than later. Let Obama spend some down time with the
family while Joltin' Joe breaks out a can of WHOOP ASS!

[jillan]

46. Obama should be winning on the foreign relations front and

there's no one like Biden to help him go on the attack.
Or Webb.

[knixphan]

49. knock on wood!!

[democracy1st]

48. WTF he's not the president yet !