Obama On Palin: "You Can't Just Reinvent Yourself"
FLINT, MI - Pushing back against John McCain's and Sarah Palin's efforts to paint themselves as mavericks rolling up their sleeves for a Washington housecleaning, Barack Obama today charged the GOP veep nominee with flip-flopping on her opposition to Alaska's infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" project.
"Let's get the facts clear here," Obama said, noting the McCain campaign's new ad that showcases Palin's opposition to the pilloried pork project. "When she was mayor, she hired a Washington lobbyist to get earmarks - pork barrel spending."
"When it came to the Bridge to Nowhere," Obama continued, "she was for it until everybody started raising a fuss about it and she started running for governor and then suddenly she was against it!"
And in some of his strongest language yet, Obama suggested that, in its new ad, McCain and Palin were simply trying to "make stuff up."
"You can't just recreate yourself," said the Democratic nominee. "You can't just reinvent yourself. The American people aren't stupid."
Facing a GOP ticket newly invigorated by McCain's surprise pick of outsider Palin, Obama accused the McCain/Palin ticket today of trying to "repackage" itself and falsely co-opt his own message of change. The Democratic nominee wondered aloud how George Bush's would-be successor can champion change "with a straight face" and referred to the GOP ticket as the "No Change Express."
Obama blamed the economic troubles by Americans like those in troubled Flint, Michigan - where unemployment is nearly twice the national average - on failed economic policies that were sponsored by the Bush administration and would be, Obama says, continued by McCain.
"You can't be for change when it's your party that for the last eight years has ignored the fact that wages and incomes for the middle class have gone flat since George Bush took office," he told a cheering crowd of over 300 at Mott Community College in Flint.
In an email response, the McCain campaign hit back, citing Obama's most-liberal-Senator ranking by the National Journal as evidence of his partisan inability to negotiate real change. "If he thinks that voters are going to believe his rhetoric on the campaign trail in the absence of any bipartisan record," wrote McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds, "he's clearly underestimating the intelligence of the American people."
(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)
Obama On Palin: "You Can't Just Reinvent Yourself" - kinda like you're trying to do. what about tony resco, william aires, rev. wright.
Palin\McCain
A few new voices, but moe of the same. Lets us not forget what has happened to us under the leadership of the Republican Party, of which both of them are 100%registed republicans. War: 5 years, 4,000 plus deaths, highest suicide rate in history and no clear way out. Gas prices: sky hight, Housing: uncontrolled financial orgy which lead to subprime lending madness, Cooked books on profits even by a giant such as Arthur Andederson Corp, unregulated energy companies: enron and gauging the people and the republicans sat back and watch. Airlines bailout but no help for the consumers. USA Patriot Act: our civil liberties were destroyed, tax cuts for the rich and tax burden for the working and middle class. ; Education: No child left behind. But no money to address the failures.
Health Care for Elders: Bush and republicans blocked the ability for seniors to get cheaper drugs from Canada
Spying on US Citizens: Bush and the Republicans wanted to give the telephone companies a break for breaking the law. What a shame.
Leaking information about the CIA agent: bush and the republicans leaked classified information about Valerie "p" to the press and refused to testify
Executive Privelege: Bush and Cheney refused to given information to congress even when subpoenas are issued.
The firing of US Attorney generals: Bush and Carl Rove engaged in political shake downs and fire those who would do their bidding. This is what Sara Palin did in Alaska
Paul Wolfowitz: Hired his girl friend and promoted her at the world bank.
Tom Delay and his money laundering friends: Bush and the Republicans are guilty of pay to play environment in washington.
When we look at Palin/McCain, we must look at the entire bunch of republicans in office and the ones that will remain. This is also about future supreme court appointments. Quite a few of the current cast of characters ruled in favor of the first case in us history of the court selecting the president and then claiming it had no precedent. Bush brother Jeb should be in jail for this crime, but because of influence peddling he is not.
The list is long and the time is short. If we want our country back we better through out Palin/McCain and the other cast of characters. Obama and Biden are the real change agent and the the new pretenders who want us to forget the past and avoid talking about the issues. What a joke.
Is he saying that the American people are not capable of change? Doesn't this throw his whole campaign in the dumpster? Each of his proposals require the American public to accept change in one way or another.
To Reinvent or recreate something requires change! I wonder why he didn't say "you can't just CHANGE yourself"
Oh that's right, He's got a few bucks tied up in all those CHANGE posters. News Flash Mr. Obama. When the tax bill comes, I won't be capable of RECREATING myself to pay more.