if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803
These United Extra States Of America
Counting must be for bitter people:
In his prepared remarks Obama was ready to start blasting Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, to show the Illinois Democrat is moving on to the general election campaign.
But first the freshman senator had to go through all the....
...obligatory delighted to see you, delighted to be here part of stump speeches that also require that you actually know where you are.
Obama pulled that off O.K. But then he drifted away from the text a tad, as rookies are wont to do sometimes, forgetting how exhausting this primary process is and should be. And trusting in their instincts, their very tired instincts.
“It is wonderful to be back in Oregon,” Obama said. “Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”
The Times’ conscientious Robin Abcarian thought she heard something different there. She checked her tape recorder. It had captured what he had actually said—57 states now. A new Louisiana Purchase that’s gone unannounced so far? Was he channeling his inner John Kerry-Heinz 57 personality?
(UPDATE: At a later stop Obama was talking with reporters and expressed concern he’d also mis-stated the number of potential cyclone victims in Burma. He said, “"I hope I said 100,000 people the first time instead of 100 million. I understand I said there were 57 states today. It’s a sign that my numeracy is getting a little, uh.” At that point, an aide cut him off and ushered journalists out. Before he could mis-speak again?)
Okay, so maybe he was just a bit tired. Still, if you want to talk about your opponent’s age, be careful you don’t make him sound younger than you.
Comments
Isn’t 57 the number of state and territories, including DC? That might be what he had mixed up.
I’m sure he meant 47. His statement makes sense if you read it that way.
You’re right Thrill. *I* must be tired.
I can’t begin to imagine what the grind of a campaign is like for Obama, McCain or Clinton. If there’s one thing positive you can say about all of them, it’s toughness. Seriously, I couldn’t do it.
Especially for Obama and Hillary lately. McCain has been able to get some rest since clinching the nomination, but the other two are still fighting tooth and nail. I imagine they’ve been living on only a few hours sleep a night for most of the past six months or more. I’m certainly willing to cut any one of them some slack for a minor slip up like this.
I don’t think “a bit tired” is strong enough, I think “physical and emotional exhaustion” would be more accurate.
I don’t think “a bit tired” is strong enough, I think “physical and emotional exhaustion” would be more accurate
I suspect taht both of them are getting close to teh “snapping” part....
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Math has been a pesky foe for Barack Einstein Obama. I recall when he claimed that thousands of people died during some tornados in Kansas last year when it was more like 12.
His desire to raise the capital gains tax despite the fact that it was explained to him on national television that the result would mean less revenue is not exactly a good sign either