More Lies From Barack Obama

I decided to break with precedent and actually attend Barack Obama's "major foreign policy address" this morning at the Ronald Reagan Building Whose Name Contains More Words. As an official member of the press, you get a view of the action that's radically worse than what you could see on C-SPAN large because our seats are located behind the TV cameras. You do, however, have the opportunity to watch the speech alongside a bunch of other reporters, so that your coverage of it can reflect a pack mentality rather than independent judgment.

More to the point, even though the speech hasn't begun, the question must already be asked -- can America trust Barack Obama? After all, the advisory announcing the event clearly says "Limited workspace will be available on site. There is no wireless internet available." And yet, there is wirless internet available on the AWOW Reagan Ctr Atrium Hall network. If he'll mislead America about WiFi networks, what else will he mislead us about?

Photo of MSM by me, available under a Creative Cmmons license

Comments

Matt, are you Roland Hedley today?

Posted by Deborah | July 15, 2008 10:24 AM

Matt, you are correct to question his veracity:

Obama Statement on FISA
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Printable FormatFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Michael Ortiz, 202 228 5566

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Earlier today, Senator Obama voted in favor of the Dodd-Feingold amendment to repeal retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies (S. Amdt. 3907). He also supported other amendments to improve the bill, including the Feingold-Webb-Tester amendment to protect Americans from unwarranted surveillance (S. Amdt. 3979), and the Feingold amendment to protect Americans from the bulk collection of communications (S. Amdt. 3912).

"I am proud to stand with Senator Dodd, Senator Feingold and a grassroots movement of Americans who are refusing to let President Bush put protections for special interests ahead of our security and our liberty. There is no reason why telephone companies should be given blanket immunity to cover violations of the rights of the American people - we must reaffirm that no one in this country is above the law.

"We can give our intelligence and law enforcement community the powers they need to track down and take out terrorists without undermining our commitment to the rule of law, or our basic rights and liberties. That is why I am proud to cosponsor several amendments that protect our privacy while making sure we have the power to track down and take out terrorists.

"This Administration continues to use a politics of fear to advance a political agenda. It is time for this politics of fear to end. We are trying to protect the American people, not special interests like the telecommunications industry. We are trying to ensure that we don't sacrifice our liberty in pursuit of security, and it is past time for the Administration to join us in that effort."

Posted by steve duncan | July 15, 2008 10:29 AM

"C-SPAN large"? Is that like Bud Dry? Or maybe it's the next generation of t.v. technology after HD.

Posted by Pesto | July 15, 2008 10:54 AM

You should probably change the headline before it's quoted up in a campaign ad.

(Didn't this happen to someone during the primaries?)

Posted by Omaya | July 15, 2008 10:58 AM

This post is a classic example of a type perfected by our humble blogger: the "Hi Mom!" post. Check it out, people, he's actually there! Bringing you the kind of info you can't get unless you're a big-time blogger living in Capital City.

Hi, Mom! I'm posting a comment on Matthew Yglesias' blog!

Posted by skeptic | July 15, 2008 11:11 AM

More Lies From Barack Obama

Hasn't Matt gotten the memo? We are now only allowed to engage in satire of a kind such that there is no possibility whatsoever that even the most clueless rube will fail to grasp the context and the satirist's intention, and miss the satirical intent. Matt's post title may be distributed to right-wing blogs, or shown on Fox, or come up in random Google searches, where it will be misinterpreted. It is thus insidious and politically dangerous.

Posted by Dan Kervick | July 15, 2008 11:14 AM

You should probably rush quickly over to the Woodrow Wilson Centre...since obviously that is where Sen. Obama is speaking this morning...

Posted by Concerned Reader | July 15, 2008 11:15 AM

How typical of of Matt to suck up to the establishment by conflating "the media" with "America."

Posted by aleks | July 15, 2008 11:19 AM

Not a Washingtonian, are we Concerned Reader? The Woodrow Wilson Center is in the Reagan Building.

Posted by Rock On | July 15, 2008 11:57 AM

In MattY's "humor", a grain of truth. The Atlantic only allows two links, so I can't include all of BHO's recent lies, but here's one he told twice, and here's another one. The last is actually in Ezra Klein's area of interest, I'm completely surprised he didn't mention it.

Posted by TLB | July 15, 2008 1:21 PM

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not but certainly hope you are. Do you honestly think that Sen. Obama had anything to do with the WiFi announcement (like he has the time to verify or even check or even be told that there is or isn't WiFi)? Surely you must be joking! Between Clinton and McCain ... Obama is the ONLY ONE that *can* be trusted!

Posted by jbdean | July 15, 2008 1:55 PM

^
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Typical BHO supporter. Explains so much. So very much.

Posted by TLB | July 15, 2008 3:01 PM

Ya hoo! We have the old Matt back:

that's radically worse than what you could see on C-SPAN large because our seats are located behind the TV cameras.
===============================================

And yet, there is wirless internet available

Posted by Campesino | July 15, 2008 3:13 PM

TLB: The blog allows THREE links, not two. Look at all my Corrs posts - they have three links.

What it will not accept is FOUR links - that triggers the spam filter.

Why am I helping you? You're an idiot.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | July 15, 2008 5:29 PM

Uhhh...Matt...you work for a major magazine that has existed for...God, I don't even know how long.

YOU ARE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

You're still cool, but you are one of them.

Posted by jerry | July 15, 2008 9:36 PM

When I'm in DC I love eating at the Ronald Reagan food court. The Gipper would be proud.

Posted by Kevin Fischer | July 26, 2008 10:26 PM