Monday, September 27, 2010

Can These People Do Even The Simplest Things Right?

Apparently not:

The U.S. government said Sunday it made an "honest mistake" when it displayed an inverted Philippine flag — which wrongfully signified that the Southeast Asian nation was in a state of war — in a meeting hosted by President Barack Obama.

The Philippine flag was displayed upside down behind President Benigno Aquino III when leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met Obama in New York on Friday.


Yeah, we've definitely got that smart diplomacy thing firing on 8 cylinders now. Add this to the reset button, the iPod with Obama's speeches, the bust of Churchill, and the DVD's as unforced errors.

What would the press have said about President Bush had this occurred during his administration? Why does the current president get a pass?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Um, Darren, this sort of thing *has* happened before.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/51549719/afp?axd=DetailPaging.Search|1&axs=0|51549719|0

The flap was minor as the Canadians mostly knew it was an inadvertent screw up.

-Mark Roulo

Ellen K said...

DVD's that don't work, ipods for the Queen, sure they aren't big details, but it points to a lackadaisical attitude toward protocol which seems to permeate thsi administration. That's what comes of having people who don't bother with details. That's why things are so screwed up.

Mike Thiac said...

There should be some adult supervision in the White House...but seeing the Chief of Staff needs supervision also, I think there is no hope with this group.

Darren, to answer your question as to why he gets a pass is because he's a liberal and he's black. Yes, I said it. Few in the Washington/mainstream media wants to be accused of being a racist for pointing out his failures.

BTY Mark, your example of this happening before is of an honor guard in Atlanta in 1992...George HW Bush's White House wasn't responsible for that.

mmazenko said...

Hogwash. This president is not getting any more of "a pass" than any others. The NBC Nightly News and Fox News and the WSJ and the New York Times don't cover every single human error, but that doesn't mean they are letting criticism slide or that this particular administration is any more "human" than the rest of them.

DADvocate said...

They should have brought their Easy Button.

Mike Thiac said...

Mazenko, let me think…

Where are the reporters demanding to see BO’s medical files and school records? They were very insistent on seeing W’s files. Now personally I don’t think a presidential candidate should present his complete medical files…they are very personal. A letter from his doctor should suffice. However, if it’s good for the goose…

Some other questions I’m waiting on:

“Mr President, if TARP was so bad why did you vote for it?”

“Mr President, you promised Gitmo would be closed by January 2010…it’s almost January 2011 and there is no sign it will be done, why?”

“Mr President, why does your administration have as policy at the Justice department that they will not investigate or prosecute voting rights act violations against whites?”

“Mr President, you criticized President Bush for not paying attention to his duties yet in less than two years in office you have played more rounds of golf than Bush did in eight years. Don’t you see a problem, with this?”

“Mr President is your wife going to make more week long European trips in 2011?”

“Mr President, you said Obamacare would lower medical insurance costs. They are already starting to go up. What happened?”

“Mr President, you said the Stimulus Plan would be for ‘shovel ready jobs’. How is a study on the effects of cocaine on monkeys going to stimulate the American economy?”

Tell me which MSNBC clerk has said of any Republican “’I get a thrill up my leg…’ when I hear him speak?”

OK...need any more questions?

W.R. Chandler said...

Don't forget the hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars spent on washing the genitals of African men.

I think they took the term "Stimulus" bill a little too literally that time.

Mike Thiac said...

Thank you W.R....excellent question. I wonder if he will be asked this on Meet the Depressed or This Week Desperately Needs David Brinkley.