Obama Almost Drew the Ire O' the Irish

By: John Bentley
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' John Bentley:

SCRANTON, PA. – Barack Obama almost made a huge St. Patrick's Day mistake – forgetting to wear green.

When asked by a reporter where his green was earlier in the day, he confessed that it had slipped his mind. Fortunately for him, a supporter took off his own mint green tie and loaned it to Obama before he spoke this evening before the Irish Women's Society. If he had not, he would have likely been the only one in the room not wearing the green, a fact that most likely would not have been lost on the invitation-only crowd of around 500 who were dressed in their finest green clothing

They heard Obama give a quick 10-minute speech about the determination and hard work of the Irish, adding that he had a little Irish blood in him as well. "It never hurts to be a little Irish in you when you're running for the Presidency of the United States of America," he said.

Outside of the event, supporters held green signs that read "O'Bama." "When I am President, Ireland will have a friend in the White House," he said. "Hopefully, I can earn the honor of an apostrophe in Obama."

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by popstom1 March 18, 2008 5:20 AM EDT: Dontspin who were the first slaves
in america look it up at wikipedia; Reply to this comment


by sjbj2322 March 18, 2008 4:46 AM EDT: I''m not sure this says as much against Obama as it does his handlers. I''m sure all the candidates are getting so worn out that the days are running together; however, the people that are supposed to be covering his back should have been on the ball enough to know that when speaking to the Irish Women''s Society on St. Patrick''s, you wear SOMETHING green simply as a courtesy.; Reply to this comment


by dontspin March 18, 2008 3:35 AM EDT: Come on, I like Irish folk as much as the next, but no one honestly believes that it''s an American holiday. It''s an Irish holiday.

And don''t tell me that when I woke up this morning and rushed to work that because I forgot a green sweater, I''m not American.

This "I''m American and you are not" issue is BS. If you wear green on St. Patties day and put your hand over your heart while I''m just singing the national anthem, does that mean you''re more patriotic than me?

Does my military service get discounted in that case? I believe that whether we believe in and fight for American ideals like equality, justice, and freedom, makes you a much better patriot than a guy who complains online about whether he wore green on St. Patties day and red on St. Valentine''s.; Reply to this comment