About that “gaffe”

I was making my rounds (I’m sooo behind) around my blogroll and I stopped at Lucy’s. She mentioned Obama’s “gaffe” (I hate that word)¹. Because the whole dust up was a few days ago, I didn’t get around to addressing it myself. I did, however, see it mentioned on better sites than this one. Anyway, Lucy said this:

Whatever the reason behind Obamas slip, whether it was a lie, confusion or ignorance, he cannot afford another be so careless with his speeches again and stay credible.

Then I realized “Hey! Not everyone reads my favorite political blogs.” Dur. Of course, the events following Obama’s fuck up² weren’t generally reported in the MSM. But, hells bells, they’re too interesting not to share with those who didn’t know.

First you need to go read “The Best Bitchslap EVAR” at Sadly, No! You really have to read the whole thing. Here’s a taste:

Apparently, Dan-o couldn’t figure out the great uncle’s middle initial, so that must mean he doesn’t exist. The word went out: KERNERS ARE GO!

Riehl compadre Steve Gilbert of Sweetness & Light did some digging and discovered a website dedicated to preserving the history of the 89th Infantry Division of World War II, the division in which Obama’s great uncle served and helped liberate the Ohrdruf satellite of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Seeking to get to the bottom of a mystery that had been solved hours earlier, Gilbert dutifully fired off an email to the site’s owners, Ray and Mark Kitchell, thus setting up the greatest bitch slap in history:

Of course, the bitch slap happens right after that quote. I guess I could just help myself to the whole entry, but I can’t do that. Anyway…

From John Cole at Balloon Juice we learn of the rightwing idiot brigade going on about Obama’s fuck up was still a fuck up even though it was proved that Obama’s grand-uncle³ was part of the division that helped liberate Ohrdruf. Why? Because, you know, Ohrdruf (and Buchenwald) was only a forced labor camp.

So basically, Obama’s relative helped to liberate a forced labor camp attached to Buchenwald, with approximately 33,000-56,000 deaths, forced medical experiments, chemical weapons experiments, BUT IT WAS NOT AS BAD AS AUSCHWITZ.

This is going to be the longest, sickest election year ever.

*** Update ***

It is depressing. (Referencing this :“Merely a slave labor camp.”)

I don’t really have anything to add, except that I agree with many of the commenters on the above linked site. I know that many people refer to their great/grand aunts and uncles as simply “aunt” or “uncle” and that family history can sometimes get distorted in the retelling. I mentioned at Lucy’s that my own grandfather was a POW in a camp, but I don’t know which or how long. My grandfather only told my grandmother and he didn’t tell her much. What she did know wasn’t relayed to us grandchildren, at any rate. I’m assuming he wasn’t at Auschwitz, of course. I think he needs to be more careful, but at least he didn’t make something up.

Still way better than Bush. Yes?

Popularity: 46% [?]

1. Why can’t they just say “fuck up” like everyone else? [↩]
2. I hate “gaffe” ok? [↩]
3. AKA great-uncle [↩]

Site Tags: election-2008, Obama, the idiot brigade

Technorati Tags: election-2008, Obama, the idiot brigade

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