God may be technically an independent, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stated that he is the power behind the selection of Barack Obama as our leader. It was God who “blessed us” with the elevation of Obama — a remark that seems designed to justify a controversial video below on Obama being divinely chosen for good or evil.
At a California fundraiser, Pelosi called Obama “a leader that God has blessed us with at this time.” For the full story, click here.
This comes after Obama was criticized for statements that were portrayed (unfairly in my view) as claiming virtual divine status. These statements led to this controversial spoof video.
Given the fact that we just finished eight years with a president who believes that God speaks to him on such questions as invading Iraq, many voters are actually not looking for more divinely inspired leadership.
Jill,
I’m still waiting for the “Pat Robinson Family Hit Squad Christmas” album.
http://www.slate.com/id/2125106/
I have to agree with Mojo that Pelosi needs to go into hiding for awhile, unless she is going to allow impeachment to be discussed. I do believe that no President can “fix” the problems of a prior criminal administration, but Obama may have the opportunity to take over the White House with a substantial majority in the House and an improved majority in the Senate(without Lieberman in the majority) and would have a chance to do some important work to restore some of the damage done by Bush/Cheney. After he disappointed me on the FISA amendment, I cannot say that he will undo all of the damage done by Bush/Cheney, but I am confident that he will restore some of the damage to the Constitution. I also am hedging my bets with all of my fingers crossed.
Let us pray “this week in god” stays as a segment on the Daily Show and off the political “hour of power”! Thanks for the clip, Bob and welcome back. I was concerned that you knew I was joking when I said you returned to the blog like a zombie to the mall! I’m glad to hear from you again! Nancy, you’re not getting my cancer money!!! I gave to Pat Robertson already and there’s nothing left!
Most delightful discussion. I just read the entire thread, and with the exception of the usual suspects, I find the civil discussion most heartening, even the sarcasm.
Very best regards
I can’t disagree with Jill or Mike. And I think we can all agree that the Speaker needs to shut her pie-hole on the religious-talk! Let’s talk about restoring the Constitution. If she would just do something other than occupy her seat and breathe the air it would be wonderful …
With the economic and geopolitical problems facing this country I don’t envy the next president, whomever it may be.
(Obama)
Obama Quest – The Holy Land | The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
http://vodpod.com/watch/898590-obama-quest-the-holy-land-the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-comedy-central
Mike,
I can’t disagree with your ideas on McCain either! What worries me is that too many people keep saying things like, when Obama is elected…(fill in blank) will be fixed. I don’t think that is true and it’s where I most agree with Bacevich when he writes: “We look to the next President to fix things and, of course, that lifts all responsibility from me to fix things. So one of the real problems with the imperial presidency is that it has hollowed out our politics and, in many respects, has made our democracy a false one. We’re going through the motions of a democratic political system, but the fabric of democracy really has worn very thin.”
I does seem people believe Obama will “fix” everything. I see no evidence for that. Beyond this, it is an abdication of our collective responsibility to take back our democracy by acting like one. That means to me that everyone has a part to play in fixing the horror that has gone on the last 8 years. It means turning away from any strongman figure who will magically “fix” things. That sound more like a dictatorship than a democracy to me and it makes me nervous each and every time I hear supporters of Obama speak that way.
Many of the most thoughful, decent, intelligent people on this blog (whom I like very much) speak this way about Obama. I believe we must fix things together or we just won’t ever get back to a democracy.
Jill,
I can’t disagree with your points on Obama. I also believed the Warren debate was stupid from both a Constitutional and Political angle. The problem is I know enough about McCain to understand he will even be more dangerous to our country than Bush (Though it seems hardly possible) and might even be more ignorant. We only have two choices so Obama’s my guy and I hope he does the right thing. However, the fight for constitutional government is an ongoing one in the US. We can never view this struggle as achieved. The Warren Supreme Court had its’ time in the spotlight and then came Berger. FDR’s New Deal had a long run and then came Reagan. In all human history the battle between humanism and totalitarianism is a never ending struggle. The totalitarians have so far won more often, sad to say.
Mike
Michael,
I can’t agree that Obama is a shoe-in for restoring our Constituion. An interesting discussion about the choice of a religious debate forum as the first meeting place Obama and McCain agreed on took place this A.M. on Diane Rehm. Several people pointed out that no other private groups had been able to call these candidates to a “forum”, not scientific groups who wanted a discussion on the critical scientific issues of our time, not women’s rights forums, not anyone but a conservative preacher in a mega church. The fact that we are a govt. of laws, not religious laws, the fact that Obama has said things like, he wants to bring the kingdom of god on earth, that both candidates make every effort to court conservative evangelicals is inimical to our Constitution. That along with his FISA vote to grant expanded executive powers to cheney/bush and potentially himself, should give people who believe he will restore our Constitution and its laws some real pause.
Here’s the link:http://wamu.org/programs/dr/
I think this goes to the heart of the idolatrous view of our president that Andrew Bacevich spoke of on Bill Moyers (excerpt in post above). I don’t think it is just the right who wants a strongman. The left is desperate and I think we need to be very careful not to seek a strongman of our own.
Jill
Gyges,
There are elements of Obama’s campaign, such as faith, that bother me. However, I think that Obama has been forced to stay in the center because this is still a racist country and any person of color who seems too far Left will be maligned by the MSM and Village Pundits, as a wild eyed radical. As Patty and Rafflaw have expressed, the key issue of this election is a return to constitutional government. Every other issue is minor compared to this. McCain, and no other Conservative Republican (of current stripe) believes in truly Constitutional Government, much preferring an Imperial Presidency (as long as he/she is Republican) and a strong leader to follow.
Rafflaw,
One of my biggest unconcerns with Obama is his public declarations of his Faith (I don’t know about anyone else, but I hear that capital F). As I said earlier, I think that in some cases this is just part of the American political rhetoric (which doesn’t excuse, but does explain).
Now I don’t have a problem with electing some one of any paticular religious belief. That’s assuming that they realize that they shouldn’t govern their beliefs onto others. I do believe that usually that the louder you have to say that you are something, the less likely it is to be true. His constant references to his Faith make me a little suspicious that he is purposely using it for his political gain, which is something I do have a problem with.
I’m sure that another part of this type of speech is just in reaction to the stupid “Muslim” rumors that circulated early on. Isn’t that the sort of cynical use of religion we’re talking about? That having a religion other than one of the 31 Flavors of Christianity is seen as a political negative shows just how far we have to go in this matter.
Also his adoption of the Bush’s Faith Based initiatives program is troubling. I would think that the for people truly concerned with others, the motivation behind the charity would be a moot point compared to the effectiveness of the charity. That’s under the condition that there aren’t any attempts by the charity to convert those in need as part of the process.
McCain of course has similar problems on this issue, if not more. His insistence on getting into bed with certain well known “agents of intolerance” springs to mind.
Patty C,
I am also not a fan of candidates for public office being questioned in a Church setting. The Constitution is the most important issue in this election and having politicians in a church setting is just pandering to the religious right at the expense of the Constitution.
The liberal media is running from having to ask Nancy Pelosi, a very VERY sick woman that the Democratic party has put third in line to the Presidency, what exactly she meant with her God statement.
On a silver platter.
How about just asking them what they meant by such and such a statement. Make them explain what they said. Having to answer those questions could be uncomfortable and make the statements decrease.
***
???
We have determined those in office are ‘politicians’ – practiced in the art of dodging questions and the issues.
Perhaps you mean insisting on opportunities for closer examination
beforehand ie the opportunity to be more circumspect in the future, so as not to be faced, once again, with having favored these predictable types onto the ballots only to face dealing with the disappointing aftermaths of their (pen)ultimate election(a).
It’s a little late for ‘that’ now…
AND this IS our current dilemma, btw, as a result of our ‘current’
system and vice versa. AND we still have to deal with it – now more than ever!
This disastrous Bush Executive is an 8 year long Administration sickness which WILL metastasize to the Legislative Branch and beyond just like a cancer, unless it is excised, ‘successfully’, before this next election – with clear margins on all sides…
Otherwise, even with additional ‘treatments’, our long-term Constitutional prognosis, as we know it, looks quite grim.
I am much less concerned about ‘the candidates’ than I am about our Constitutional foundations and our republican form of government.
I don’t understand why either candidate, especially Obama, thought doing any Pastor ‘JohnQ’&A’, would be an appropriate forum…!
I didn’t watch it nor any of the follow up. The most I saw were snippets which looked exactly like what I thought it and why I skipped it – entirely.
To me staged-events like these are similar to the Q&A portion of
Miss USA – virtually meaningless in the overall scheme.
If you want to be moved by some powerful words, try these on…
” McCain ‘can’t win’, AND Obama can still lose…”
I agree the congress didn’t “thrust” power to Bush.
They hand delivered it.
I believe that this was an intentional choice of words by Pelosi and it upsets me when the Dems start racing to the religous right when an election is near. I am an Obama supporter, but I do not want him pandering to the religious right and Pelosi is not making things easier. Her constituents need to vote her out of office for her incredible insane decision to take impeachment off the table. While I don’t agree with the Bacevich quote in Jill’s earlier posting that Congress thrust the extra power to Bush. They did sit by while he stole power from the legislative branch and the judicial branch, but Bush/Cheney took every step possible to increase presidential power. Including the use of presidential signing statements and secret Executive Orders. It is not surprising that the progressives are looking for Obama to clean up the mess. If he doesn’t take positive steps to correct FISA with a Senate that may have a filibuster proof majority and also to request the Justice department to look into the abuses of any politician during the Bush regime, he will have a peaceful revolt on his hands.
Aw, holy crap.
There are a handful of people on this site I was watching to see if we ever agreed on a single thing and russ was on the top of that list. We FINALLY agreed on something, on how “sick” Pelosi is, although I would have used the word twisted.
Thank you russ for making my mission complete so that I can now concentrate on the things that are much more important to me.
To take a phrase from MASH, GOODBYE.
I think I will just pay attention to what Nancy Pelosi does or does not do in session. Things change when speaking to a group of people who are ready to throw cash at you. If she is sick, then I think it must be a result of not holding Mr Rove and others who are in-contempt of congress, in the dungeon of the people’s house. Apparently she has passed along her malady to Mr. Mukasey, a man looking for strong leadership.