Townhall.com, Where Your Opinion Counts
Talk Radio:   Bill Bennett   Mike Gallagher   Dennis Prager   Michael Medved   Hugh Hewitt   
BREAKING NEWS  LeftArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican   RightArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican  
Columns, funnies & more in your inbox!
  • Check the boxes and send us your email address to receveive your free newsletter
  • Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
  • Townhall.com’s weekly inside scoop on what’s happening behind the scenes in the world of politics. When news breaks, we report.
  • Signup to receive the latest daily Townhall cartoons
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Cal  Thomas :: Townhall.com Columnist
Unity Is Not Union
by Cal Thomas
Vote on It:
Average Vote:
[+] Text [-]
 
Poll
Will the Dems' health care Christmas Present to America be an improvement or detriment to our health care system?


In keeping with his "messiah" image, Barack Obama might have been more at home in Bethlehem, Pa., than in Unity, N.H., when he and his "former" nemesis, Hillary Clinton, opened their new act on the road to mixed reviews.

We are supposed to forget everything they said about each other during the primaries. They didn't really mean it; or did they? This is why so many people are cynical about politicians. You never know if they are telling you what you want to hear, or what they hope you'll swallow in spite of evidence to the contrary.

As recently as late February, Hillary Clinton told "The 700 Club," "...there is a certain phenomenon associated with (Obama's) candidacy dangerously oversimplifies the complexity of the problems we face, the challenge of navigating our country through some difficult, uncharted waters." Has Obama become a ship's captain in so short a time?

Sen. Clinton opposed lifting the ceiling on Social Security payroll taxes, which Obama favors. Last November during the Democratic Presidential Debate in Las Vegas, she said, "I do not want to fix the problems of Social Security on the backs of middle-class families and seniors. If you lift the cap, that is a $1 trillion tax increase. I don't think we need to do that." For a Democrat to oppose a tax hike is surprising enough, but does Sen. Clinton now support Obama's position?

In March on CNN's "Newsroom," Sen. Clinton questioned Obama's readiness to be commander in chief. She said she and Sen. John McCain had crossed "the commander in chief threshold. You will have to ask Sen. Obama with respect to his candidacy." Is he now suddenly ready?

On MSNBC's "Hardball," Sen. Clinton mocked Obama for arguing that, "living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face big, complex, international challenges the next president will face."

Sen. Obama was also highly critical of Sen. Clinton, saying in January that she is "willing to say anything to get a political or tactical advantage," a tactic he said "(erodes) people's trust in government" and that she is "part of a perpetual campaign that keeps us from solving problems."

Obama also ridiculed Sen. Clinton's claims to experience, saying they amount to "osmosis, as a consequence of having been first lady."

Obama has been at odds with himself, as well as Sen. Clinton. He told Iraqi leaders he would consult with them and the U.S. military, but he has also said before such consultations he will order a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

On nuclear power, he was for it before he was against it. Last July, he said, "I actually think we should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix." He repeated his support of nuclear power in September, but by December he said, "I am not a nuclear energy proponent."

Throughout the campaign, Obama said the D.C. gun ban law was constitutional, but on the day the Supreme Court found otherwise, Obama said, "it went beyond constitutional limits."

Now Clinton and Obama want to erase our memory banks, like that gizmo in the film "Men in Black." They even color coordinated their outfits to demonstrate how in-sync they have suddenly become. One needn't have been a fly on the wall at their private meetings to conclude some debt relief has been promised to the Hillary campaign in exchange for her support (though she and Bill have made enough money to relieve their own debt, but like true liberals they want others to pay the bill).

Speaking of Bill, The London Daily Telegraph reports the former president has told friends that Obama will have to "kiss my a--" to get his support. That he announced his "support" through an aide and not in person doesn't speak well for a unified party.

For all the talk of unity, it isn't union. One awaits the moment on "Meet the Press" or some other venue when Clinton and Obama are asked if they meant what they said about each other during the primary campaign, or should we believe what they are saying now?

If they were lying then, we can't trust him as president. If they were telling the truth then, we can't afford him as president.

Share:
Vote on It:
Average Vote:
 
About The Author
Cal Thomas is co-author (with Bob Beckel) of the book, "Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That is Destroying America".
 
TOWNHALL DAILY: Be the first to read Cal Thomas' column. Sign up today and receive Townhall.com daily lineup delivered each morning to your inbox.
Grow up, Mr. Thomas
Time for another lesson from Political Realism 101: Today's topic: Political rivals who later have to work together. Mr. Thomas gets his knickers in a knot because Hillary and Obama, who have been firing broadsides at each other for months, are now billing and cooing. Grow up, please, or just stop thinking you have much to say about politics. In politics, as distinguished from, say, a student council race or homecoming queen contest, rivals for the same job beat each other up. Then, after one of them prevails, the loser, unless he or she is a complete jerk, works hard for and supports the victor. Republicans used to be experts at this, but with the dominance of conservatives, moral purity has replaced political common sense. Mr. Thomas wants Hillary to be either a sore loser or a liar, and Obama to be either a sore winner or a liar. Neither set of alternatives is correct if what Hillary and Obama really want to do is keep John McCain out of the White House.

Consider this: how many times have any of you watched NFL games where one team's defense smears the other teams QB around the field? Does the losing QB hold his breath until he turns blue or pout? Generally, you'll see lots of handshakes, hugs, and fanny-patting between the teams once the game is over. These men know that it's part of their job to smash mouth; real politicians know it too, but Mr. Thomas missed that lesson.

I don't take conservatives seriously as political realists; they think politics is about moral posturing.

Unity and Union
I like you Mr. Thomas, but here is a real thot for the day: If you tie the tails of two wildcats together and throw them over a clothesline, you will have union but not unity.
Since 1865 all "us" Southerners have been in the Union, but not by our own choice, it was at gun point. We didn't lose, the country did if I had it to do all over again, I would still want to be free of a tyranical Strong, taxing dictatorial government

Hard Thought
Well, the Bush administration is placing lots of Sunni insurgents on the public dole, so to speak, paying them to conduct themselves nicely, i.e., not to kill our troops.

Bush always was a big government kind of guy.

Paying someone not to shoot at you is one way of gaining their allegiance, I guess.

I am a conservative, just not a(leftist)neocon.

Conservatives understand the inherent flaws of man, of human nature, which is why it is the Left that usually is so captivated by naive idealism, be it communism or foisting democracies upon tribal communities whose values derive from Islam and Sharia law.

A great quote by a real conservative:

"The effect of liberty upon individuals is that they may do what they please; we ought to see what it pleases them to do, before we risk congratulations". Edmund Burke

The bloodletting, looting, carnage, beheadings, power drilling into the skulls of(live)Iraqis by other Iraqis, and other atrocities seems to bear out Burke's admonition.

Maybe representative govt is the ideal for the Muslim world...but then, maybe it is up to them to sort these things out. Maybe some sort of governance composed of tribal elders and imams is more realistic. I don't see the big deal as long as such a system reflects the values of those it governs. At any rate, it must not be delivered on a platter by us; rather, it must come from them.

If they ar happy with it, even if it is not our vision, then we ought to let them be.

Mrs. Ramsey
Hillary's appearance with Obama on Friday had nothing to do with "courage". Yes, I'm sure it had to be a great blow to her pride to have to get up there and public endorse a man she undoubtedly regards as not worthy to shine her shoes, but make no mistake about it, this was about nothing more than purely calculating politics. And make no mistake about it, also, whatever Hillary may say publicly, privately she wants Obama to get his butt whipped on November 4. The only reason she will, publicly anyway, get behind Obama's campaign is because she will need his voters in 2012 if Obama goes down to defeat. If Hillary is seen as at best tepidly backing Obama, and he loses, a lot of Democrats will blame HER for his defeat - and black voters will be so angry at her that she can kiss off their support in 2012, and can a Democratic presidential candidate have any hope of winning the White House without the black vote? I can promise you that Hillary's public face with respect to Obama is just a lie; she STILL despises him and would like nothing better than for him to crash and burn on November 4.

And in any case, I have no sympathy for Hillary, anyway. She has only herself to blame for going from a virtual lock for the nomination a year ago to fumbling it away. The reason her pride is so damaged right now is because she has come face-to-face with the hard reality that, even among liberals, a much larger percentage of the populace than she ever imagined existed simply doesn't like her - and the only way for her to cope with that is living in a state of denial.

A moment that will never come...
"One awaits the moment on "Meet the Press" or some other venue when Clinton and Obama are asked if they meant what they said about each other during the primary campaign, or should we believe what they are saying now?"

The MSM has been in the tank for Obama since day one. Now that Russert is gone, the only questions Obama and Democrats will be reacting to will be softball questions.

proud lib
I'm sure I speak for almost all of us when I extend to you my profound thanks for deigning to point out to us our numerous egregious moral shortcomings

grovelingly yours,

uncle max

The Important Concept
The really important concept in Cal's article concerns honesty and integrity. Hillary was often elequent in pointing out the many failings of Obama's capabilities and major flaws in his policies. Of course, identifying his policies has proven very difficult ("change" is NOT a policy, it's a slogan).

The honesty and integrity concept raises its head when we see Hillary, or any politician in such a position, simply accept defeat and then "cuddle-up" to their previous antagonist like all is sweetness and light. How can she, and Bubba, simply abandon their concerns about an Obama Presidency and so quickly agree to work for his election. This shows the lack of intellectual depth and true beliefs that is the hallmark of today's politicians on both sides.

These people care of nothing but their own image and the acquisition of power, and the wealth that will flow from that power wielded on behalf of the "special interests" who control these political elites. Our Republic may well be seriously wounded by the self centered and dis-honest political class that now RULES us. Obama is just another member of this elitist, parasitic political class that holds the electorate in such great disdain that they can lie and pander with aplomb; knowing that they will never be held accountable for any of their promises by an increasingly dumbed-down electorate.

Hell, by election time all of those far left kooks will be calling Obama a member of the great right wing conspiracy and will be swearing they will not vote for such a phony - just because he will, by political necessity move slightly toward the "middle". But, they'll vote for him anyway because he still makes them "feel good".

Nuc power
Obama as President would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous. His "explore" nuclear power position is incredible. Most 5th graders know that our country has operated hundreds of nuc warships for over a half century. This without reactor accident despite collisions, groundings, loss of control,etc. Maybe this genius needs a couple more centuries to figure things out.---Bill

UNITY?
What is the democrat fascination with the word Unity?

Is Unity the be-all and end-all of our political system?

A horde of marauding invaders is Unified.
A Lynch mob is Unified.
The Nazis were Unified.
The Soviets were Unified.


Oh wait, now I get why Unity is so important.



NObama '08
Seig Heil is now "Yes We Can!".


Error Correction
Should have been "point" instead of "paint".

Also "a conservative" instead of "aconservative".

Jerabaub
You are right, at present 70% of Americans think Iraq wasn't worth, versus 80% thinking it was a good idea to go in.

Also, 80% of Americans thought the War on Poverty was a stupid idea, but now that 49% of Americans receive something from the "Great Society", these programs are increasingly popular.

Puit not your faith in polls. The wind shifts.

And as for Proud Liberal, the marked difference between a liberal and aconservative is this:

Liberals point at the United States of America and decry anything they think is wrong.

Conservatives paint at the United States of America and talk about what is good and right.

The truth lies somewhere in between..

Think for yourself.

Who Cares ??
Who really cares what Obama or Hillary say or think ? It really does not matter who the President is,this country is being run by its courts.The only ones who really have power are the judges.The judiciary is run by Godless people who have no clue what truth and honor mean .This country is being run by hollywood and feelings .All that really matters to liberals are image and feelings,not character.

Of the DNC, Unity and PUMA
Can anyone begin to imagine the courage it took for Mrs. Clinton to show up and with a broken spirit support Mr. Obama? I am no Democrat and I felt her pride being trampled with each step she took along the way to the podium. If you give it enough thought you discover that yes, the Clintons have a history, scandalous sometimes, but mostly entertaining, they are bright in discourse, sound in policies and if the phone rang at 3 a.m., in the morning I'd rather have either one of them picking it up than a Mr. Obama. So when did Mr. Dean and Ms. Brazile concoct the plan to get rid of them by denying Hillary the election and annoiting Mr. Obama with the possibility of a Presidency. This stranger who has no experience, but is strong in dubious character associations. The birth of PUMA should be a warning to the Democratic Party, his flip flopping on issues, the left to right tendencies shown during the past few days and his callous ability to throw his relatives and close associates under the train should frighten you, just as much as it does this conservative. Et pluribus unum...

Cal Thomas
You preface your list of Clinton's comments with this rhetorical question: "You never know if they are telling you what you want to hear, or what they hope you'll swallow in spite of evidence to the contrary."

You never know? You never KNOW? Ya right. Your list is certainly valid and proper as exposing the typical pandering of the typical politician but, the question is hardly necessary preface.

It's a good thing our guy doesn't do this, huh?

Joycey
Your point that the situation never got out of control is hilarious.

It is not a matter of insulting our troops.

It is a matter of expressing an opinion on the decisions of this administration.

Governments, and various administrations, are not immune from criticism.

If you want to be a lapdog for this administration, fine.

But I am not being unpatriotic for believing Iraq was not worth the cost, was not worth the price.

And if you think I am, then 70% of Americans are also unpatriotic.


P.L.
You are right. Look to Obama's own words, own actions, own record. These all condemn him sufficiently. There is no need to go beyond that to discredit him.

Primaries
You can make hundreds of arguments why not to vote for Obama, or Clinton had she made it through, but the one Cal chooses here is so remarkably feeble. "They were opponents in the primary, now they're allies." Welcome to the primaries, where candidates say anything to better their image. Last I checked, Republicans did the same thing in theirs. What's Cal's argument going to be when McCain chooses Romney as his VP?

"If they were lying then, we can't trust him as president. If they were telling the truth then, we can't afford him as president."

So, the Republicans had their show of unity like 2-3 months in advance. Doesn't change the fact we still do not have any good candidates.

Tea Party: You need to discriminate
between what the media says, what conservatives imagine in their fevered dreams, and how Obama describes himself. The ability to discriminate among facts and fictions is very important in adult discourse.

Joycey: Politicians speak with forked...
...tongues because we the electorate demand it. We expect a candidate to hold true to his carefully conceived principles, but to do so would prevent his/her election in our multi-cultural, pluralistic society.

In order to get elected, they must twist, turn, torture, flip, flop and try to be all things to the other half of the country with which they fundamentally disagree.

The only solution would be to have a principled, articulate leader capable of convincing the electorate as did Reagan to a large degree.

Short of that we will continue to elect wishy-washy "liars."

The scary part is that half of the nation is convinced that Obama is the principled articulate leader while he is obviously the forked-tongue opportunist.

K.L.
There's none so blind as those who WILL not see.

Why we refer to Obama as 'messiah' is simple,
it's not referring to THE Messiah, but to the hundreds of false, lying messiahs He predicted that would come after Him. These false, lying
messiahs will and do have the ability to
mesmerize their followers, even the very "elect"
(Christians to those of you in Rio Linda)as
Obamas campaign is working hard to con biblically illiterate Christian evangelicals.
Their followers will refuse to use common sense, or critical thinking to evaluate this
false lying marxist messiah, but will blindly
follow the siren song of "Change and Hope"
and instead getting the same reheated marxist
hog swill that's been cooking since Karl Marx
invented it over 100 years ago. Unlike the
foolish non thinkers, we conservatives have a
deep respect for our founding and the documents
that created this exceptional America that we love. No one can viscerally HATE the country
as Obama and the left do, and convince us they are patriots. Their form of patriotism is cut and run, ours is like the motto "these colors don't run". We are Americans and we like it that way, we don't give a rip what the world thinks of us, they'd just better respect us. Unlike the Obamabots we KNOW what our country is, was and God Willing will always be about and it's not about turning it over to a group of self serving marxist thugs.

Reading a few more paragraphs
Cal makes egregious mistakes.

Take for instance Hillary's assertion that she and McCain had reached the level where they could be Commander In Chief but Obama hadn't.

So, now that it serves Cal's purposes (do we laud Cal for being so elastic?) now that it serves his purpose he chooses to take Hillary's words as gospel. Did he do that then? I don't know.

But I do urge the unsophisticated conservative reader to understand just what it is that Cal is doing here.

As any chef knows,
once you marinated a steak with any sauce, you can never lose the taste of the sauce.

Obama was marinated in the Wright sauce of America hatred for twenty plus years.

He and his wife stink anti-American. They can never get rid of the stench.

If the old adage: "you can tell a bird by its feathers and a man by his friends" is true, the Clintons are - and always have been - pretty much in the same sauce.

Love these opening "set-ups"
I'm sure you conservatives know by now, since I have reminded you so often, that Obama as "Messiah" is an invention of conservatives that was created purposely to smear Obama - and Thomas files dutifully into line.

As I remind you always, too, one person creates this "spin" and then other conservatives, with malicious intent, pick it up and repeat it endlessly, based on the well known fact that big lies repeated endlessly come to be seen as facts.

Which makes me question again the character of conservatives. You claim that you have such sterling character, then you participate gleefully in a purposeful intention to smear someone with your own fictional creation.

Tell me again how this is proof of your sterling character.

OBAMA
IS THERE ANYTHING GOOD OR HONEST COMING OUT OF OBAMA'S MOUTH OR HIS BOOKS. THE MAN IS ONE BIG DANGEROUS LIE.THE BIBLE SAY'S YOU CALL ME LORD LORD AND I KNOW YE NOT.

Jerabaub
Your right we should have waited until the situation was totally out of control. Thank you for insulting our troops who believe and understand the importance of their mission.

Truth
Do Liberals believe in the concept of Truth? Isn't it all about what is expedient at the moment? Politicians speak with fork-tongues which makes our system of government close to impossible but still better than the other choices.

suggestion
Open letter to the nefarious Republican Hate Machine and its partner-in-crime The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy:

When the campaigning starts after Labor Day run the film clip of Senator Clinton's statement about bo's inexperience to the 700 club.

Then run it again.

No comment necessary


Hey APOLLO
I hope your prediction holds true.

That being said the 1st rule of combat is"never underestimate the enemy".

This "marxist", Obama can win with the slightest mistake on our side.

Thomas' article is just a rehash of recent history which should be reserved for the 527's. Jounalists like hime need to be digging up new information on this guy.

I still want to hear the story about the "Frank Connection" from his book. The guy he forgot to mention in his recent TV bio ad.

The guy who is a card carrying member of the "american communist party"..They guy who is connected to many othe commie-crats in Chicago.

eddie...spring hill...fl

MRCMRC
I will believe Barak is compassionate when he starts to protect the lives of tiny, helpless babies, instead of seeking their distruction and defending their killers.

When should you suspect a politician is
When should you suspect a politician is lying? When they say something! Sorry! I could not help expressing my distruct of politicians! And we keep electing these type of people! What does that say about us?

are you missing
you are missing compassion>

Eunics for Unity
Letting the Lefties talk us into playing the unity game with them is not going to work anymore: not if we want to preserve our way of life.

As I have said many times, the Lefties are like Lucy with the football, tricking the Charlie Browns of the Republican Party to play, only to pull the football away and leave the doofuses lying flat on their backs.

The Lefties have no intention of meeting us halfway: never have, never will.

When we play halvsies with them time and time again, they keep moving the football down the field toward their goalpost.

Repubs are too stupid to notice that at the end of the field, just beyond the goalpost is the abyss of Marxism.

Don't let those posers fool you again.

Time to be men, not Eunics for Unity.

We Can Neither Trust Nor Afford
One thing I never hear people talking about: ObamaCare provides for illegal aliens from what I understand. Even tho he said it didn't in one of the Dem debates, it is unconstitutional to deny public services to illegals. The Ninth Circuit proved that when they shot down CA Prop. 187 back in the '90's.

Obama indicates he will not close the border. Open borders + universal health care for all including illegals? Can you say, magnet, anyone?

Can you say, bankrupt nation, anyone?

Right now illegals receive free emergency care. With Obama's universal health care and open borders, what will prevent masses of people crossing the border for kidney transplants, cancer treatments and other costly chronic illnesses?

Once they have one foot in the US, they can live on welfare while waiting for or receiving free health care.

Or am I missing something here?

Sign Up to Post Your CommentsSign Up to Post Your Comments
If you are already registered, click here to login. Otherwise, please take a few seconds to register with Townhall.com. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to post your comments immediately, use the action center, get podcasts, and more!
Note: Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required.
Salutation:
First Name:
*
Last Name:
*
Email:
*
Nickname:
*
Note: Nick name will be shown when you post comments.
Address 1:
*
Address 2:
City:
*
State:
*
Zip:
*
Phone:
      
Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
(Bi-Weekly) We highlight the best opportunities from our partners for surveys, action items and more.