Obama: The Presumptuous Nominee?

Washington Post's Dana Milbank: Democrat Has Already Amassed The Trappings Of Being President

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Dana Milbank in his Washington Sketch column.

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Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous nominee.

Fresh from his presidential-style world tour, during which foreign leaders and American generals lined up to show him affection, Obama settled down to some presidential-style business in Washington yesterday. He ordered up a teleconference with the (current president's) Treasury secretary, granted an audience to the Pakistani prime minister and had his staff arrange for the chairman of the Federal Reserve to give him a briefing. Then, he went up to Capitol Hill to be adored by House Democrats in a presidential-style pep rally.

Along the way, he traveled in a bubble more insulating than the actual president's. Traffic was shut down for him as he zoomed about town in a long, presidential-style motorcade, while the public and most of the press were kept in the dark about his activities, which included a fundraiser at the Mayflower where donors paid $10,000 or more to have photos taken with him. His schedule for the day, announced Monday night, would have made Dick Cheney envious:

11:00 a.m.: En route TBA.

12:05 p.m.: En route TBA.

1:45 p.m.: En route TBA.

2:55 p.m.: En route TBA.

5:20 p.m.: En route TBA.

The 5:20 TBA turned out to be his adoration session with lawmakers in the Cannon Caucus Room, where even committee chairmen arrived early, as if for the State of the Union. Capitol Police cleared the halls -- just as they do for the actual president. The Secret Service hustled him in through a side door -- just as they do for the actual president.

Inside, according to a witness, he told the House members, "This is the moment . . . that the world is waiting for," adding: "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."

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From The Road: Democrats Say Obama Was Taken Out Of Context

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As he marches toward Inauguration Day (Election Day is but a milestone on that path), Obama's biggest challenger may not be Republican John McCain but rather his own hubris.

Some say the supremely confident Obama -- nearly 100 days from the election, he pronounces that "the odds of us winning are very good" -- has become a president-in-waiting. But in truth, he doesn't need to wait: He has already amassed the trappings of the office, without those pesky decisions.

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reported last week that Obama has directed his staff to begin planning for his transition to the White House, causing Republicans to howl about premature drape measuring. Obama was even feeling confident enough to give British Prime Minister Gordon Brown some management advice over the weekend. "If what you're trying to do is micromanage and solve everything, then you end up being a dilettante," he advised the prime minister, portraying his relative inexperience much as President Bush did in 2000.

On his presidential-style visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem last week, Obama left a written prayer, intercepted by an Israeli newspaper, asking God to "help me guard against pride and despair." He seems to have the despair part under control, but the pride could be a problem.

One source of the confidence is the polling, which shows him with a big lead over McCain. But polls are fickle allies: A USA Today-Gallup poll released Monday found McCain leading Obama by four percentage points among likely voters. Another reason for Obama's confidence -- the press -- is also an unfaithful partner. The Project for Excellence in Journalism reported yesterday that Obama dominated the news media's attention for a seventh straight week. But there are signs that the Obama campaign's arrogance has begun to anger reporters.

In the latest issue of the New Republic, Gabriel Sherman found reporters complaining that Obama's campaign was "acting like the Prom Queen" and being more secretive than Bush. The magazine quoted the New York Times' Adam Nagourney's reaction to the Obama campaign's memo attacking one of his stories: "I've never had an experience like this, with this campaign or others." Then came Obama's overseas trip and the campaign's selection of which news organizations could come aboard. Among those excluded: the New Yorker magazine, which had just published a satirical cover about Obama that offended the campaign.

Even Bush hasn't tried that. But then again, Obama has been outdoing the president in ruffles and flourishes lately. As Bush held quiet signing ceremonies in the White House yesterday morning, Obama was involved in a more visible display of executive authority a block away, when he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani at the Willard. A full block of F Street was shut down for the prime minister and the would-be president, and some 40 security and motorcade vehicles filled the street.

Later, Obama's aides issued an official-sounding statement, borrowing the language of White House communiques: "I had a productive and wide-ranging discussion. . . . I look forward to working with the democratically elected government of Pakistan."

It had been a long day of acting presidential, but Obama wasn't done. After a few hours huddling with advisers over his vice presidential choice, Obama made his way to the pep rally on the Hill. Moments after he entered the meeting with lawmakers, there was an extended cheer, followed by another, and another.

"I think this can be an incredible election," Obama said later. "I look forward to collaborating with everybody here to win the election."

Win the election? Didn't he do that already?

[suzyku]

ANOTHER "MISQUOTE" BY THE WA.POST! IF YOU''RE GOING TO PRINT SOMETHING TRY THE "WHOLE" TRUTH! YOU OWE SENATOR OBAMA AND YOUR READERS A RETRACTION AS WELL AS AN APOLOGY! DANA MILBANK IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT, AFTER WATCHING HIM ON THE KEITH OLBERMANN SHOW I EXPECTED MORE AND BETTER AND TRUTH! GUESS MY HOPES WERE TOO HIGH, JUST ANOTHER TABLOID JOURNALIST. HOPE KEITH RESPONDS.

[peterp111]

This is really getting ridiculous- out of hand- over the top- quite ego driven, self centered, and way too much nonsense-all about a man, ( well,barely) who with some lcuk, bounced his way to win a primary, and voices emoty rheteric, promises pie in the sky socialism, and does not believe in a few amendments, did not vote many times in the senate ( all of his ''glowing'' 2 years) and claims to have experiance to lead a country. WHAT AUDACITY. . Anyone who prefers to live in ''his fantasyworld'' better take a second look, last I heard it was quite expensive. You think you have it tough now? He will rasie your taxes and provide nothing of any subsequent change that will benefit anyone. Sad as it is, and as blunt as this sounds, Obama is very wrong for the USA.

[dnsallday]

We need to be aware that there are people trying to use us to spread misinformation and do their dirty work for them. There are powerful interests who fear the idea of letting us choose our own leaders. Some have exploited the flaws in our democracy to get their hands on the levers of power and they don%u2019t want to let go. One of their standard tactics distort an actual quote so that it fits with the perception they are trying to push, trusting that we will blindly distribute it to all our friends. This is terribly destructive; not only to democracy, but to our personal lives because the tactic exploits the trust we share with those who are closest to us.
A question I urge you to ask yourself is why the exploiters of power who started this lie don%u2019t have the integrity to be honest with the American people? The vast majority of Americans know that the economy is not working and the country is going in the wrong direction. But a few are profiting like never before at our expense and they are afraid of policies that would respect and value the efforts of hard-working Americans. Rather than challenge such policies head on, they prefer to use us to spread their propaganda.

Smears like this are meant to draw our attention to how they want us to perceive Obama, as though there were some moral failing. The real moral failing is in the people who concocted this smear and thought so little of us when they sought to hijack the democratic process that makes America great.

[bigherman49]

I have been referring to Barack as the "presumptuous nominee" for weeks. I really don''t see why we even need to spend countless dollars for the Democratic Convention. Why, at this point, even hold a General Election? Barack has this in the bag. He knows it. Pelosi knows it. Dean knows it. Brazile knows it. I know it. So let''s all start lining up at the stadium for his coronation. Should be quite a show.

[whitemale08]

Why waste time?

Our economy is in trouble right now!

[mindlessmissy]

Wow .. Another Hack Job perpetuated from a WaPo Reporter. What a surprise. NOT. Dana needs to get his facts right. Sen. Obama gave NO advice to Gordon Brown. In fact that said "advice" was a piece of conversation captured by an open mic while chatting with Cameron. Secondly the "symbol" comment if put in its entire context is the MOST humble of statements and yet Dana chose to ignore that and print a byte of the entire statement to benefit an article that is full of lies ...

[realpatriot1]

I don''t agree that he''s behaving at all presumptively. Anyone running who is not preparing to govern shouldn''t be running.

The press and the republicans have been saying for months that he can''t handle the job so the natural response is to demonstrate that he can. When he does that they criticise it. Nobody said McCain was acting presumptively when he went to Baghdad and took along the film crews while he visited the troops.

If he is acting like he''s President already i say good...someone has to act like a President!

[broncfan1661]

Although I don''t agree with some of the statements in this article, I have to agree with the concept.
Obama is one ARROGANT _ _ _

[labrat9999]

Where was McSame while Senator Obama was doing this? At every large oil company visiting and asking for money to fuel his campaign with promises that he will get more off-shore drilling, he will keep our troops in Iraq 100 years or until all the big US oil companies have had a chance to takeover the oil fields and then protect them. By the way, where''s the article on McSame and his Vietnam record, including live interviews he gave afterward about killing innocent women and children?? Fair and balanced news reporting? I don''t think so.

[broncfan1661]

If he is acting like he''''s President already i say good...someone has to act like a President!

Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:40 PM : Jul 30, 2008
___________________________________
He is acting like Bush did in 2000. Only more so.

[rktsci3127]

Obama should do well with the do nothing, done nothing air heads in Congress.

[o2brich]

Peterp111 hit it right on the head; this is why I will still be voting for McCain despite all the rhetoric about him giving us more of the disservice we got from Bush. Obama is, as they say, an empty suit. He''s just good at creating the appearance of change and success. McCain''''s record (not his talk) makes it clear that he is willing to work both sides of the aisle and "swim upstream", if you will, to address the real problems of our country. We haven''''t had a congress or president willing to do that for decades, democratic or republican. Let''''s hope that changes with this election.

[ariel133]

Obama is "doubly arrogant" especially if you''ve achieved nothing so far in your life. It''s more and more clear to some that Obama "views himself not as a presidential candidate, but as a world celebrity, with all the vanity and arrogance that accompanies such people. And we all know what happens to them.

[realpatriot1]

broncfan1661,

How so? Should he act like he thinks he''s not going to win when he already has double digit or close to double digit leads in enough states to elect him?

Should he not prepare for the liklihood that he''ll be inheriting this mess in short order and needs to prepare both himslef and the country for waht''s coming next?

When he starts calling himself the decider you can rightfully compare him to Bush.

[parrot2ok]

Obama is "doubly arrogant" especially if you''ve achieved nothing so far in your life. It''s more and more clear to some that Obama "views himself not as a presidential candidate, but as a world celebrity, with all the vanity and arrogance that accompanies such people. And we all know what happens to them.
Posted by Ariel133 at 12:58 PM : Jul 30, 2008

What achievement (to any American) is more than leading this country (the greatest in the world) as POTUS. This US Senator you ignorantly insult, is an election away from being POTUS - This is more than a lot of us would hope to achieve in this world - I think it''s noteworthy to celebrate this American, Respected and Admired by the world (both Friends and Foe) - This is truly HOPE. Cheers!

[realpatriot1]

Arel133,

I don''t know(or care) what you''ve done with your life but I bet you haven''t been chosen to edit the Harvard Law Review, had your choice of jobs on Wall Street, been elected to the State Senate, and, the United States Senate, all without any help from a prominent daddy. That alone is unheard of in republican circles.

McCain was able to get into the Naval Academy with lousy grades because his Daddy was an Admiral. Bush was able to avoid service in Nam because Daddy was a political hack and Grandpa was a Senator.

Obama succeeded on his own.

[likeitis5050]

Obama succeeded on his own.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by realpatriot1

And clouds are made of cotton candy and the moon really is made of cheese. Are you being serious or just trying to get a laugh?

This piece of bias is infuriating...is meant to harm Obama''s chances...is ugly in tone and totally repugnant!

[ariel133]

Hey- Being a grad from Harvard does not a President make- Can we impeach a candidate? I would like nothing more than to eliminate the arrogant Obama from the election. He is not qualified, and if you continue to believe in him you will go down with his sinking ship when the time comes. Have fun

[downsteamjim]

Why not make him president now and avoid the distractions of an election? He won his first election without needing a single vote so why not a repeat.

[qpublic]

Obama, why isn''t John Edwards on yur short list for VP and why does''nt the MSM want to know??? He was such a big hit in the primaries. You said he be on anyone''s short list. What happened?? (pls ref. foxnews story Security Guard Confirms Edwards Caught at Hotel with Girlfriend)

[jmurrieta1]

Sounds like Milbank wants to slap that "uppity n-word" back into his place on Milbank''s plantation pickin'' cotton.

Just imagine the presumption of someone talking like they have a Harvard education. Doubtless Milbank prefers the slurred illiteracy of deserter/dropout George Bush.

[minnick8-2009]

But there are signs that the Obama campaign''s arrogance has begun to anger reporters.

Good, it''s about time. He does act like there is no one above him. That''s okay, eventually, we all get slapped in the face with reality.

[bigwhtpony]

Obama: The Presumptuous Nominee?

Nahhhhh......Not the baby Jeebus...say it ain''t so!

[bigwhtpony]

He is not qualified, and if you continue to believe in him you will go down with his sinking ship when the time comes. Have fun Posted by Ariel133 at 01:22 PM : Jul 30, 2008

Sure he is.....he was a US Senator for about 130 days before he started invoking affirmative action for the presidency! LOL

[jmurrieta1]

Obama--succeeded based on his own accomplishments. Born a poor kid, went to Harvard on a scholarship. First black editor of Harvard law review. Worked his way up from the bottom.

McCain--succeeded based on the accomplishments of his admiral daddy and his beer fortune heiress second wife. About last in class at Annapolis. Wrecked 5 planes. Failure to follow orders about bomb size contributed to Forrestal disaster. Shot down by NV peasants with obsolete AA missiles. Collaborated with NV. Dumped wife who waited for him and married beer heiress.

Which better represents the American dream?

[danito123]

Presumptuous? How about NARCISSTIC?

[bigwhtpony]

Obama, why isn''''t John Edwards on yur short list for VP and why does''''nt the MSM want to know??? Posted by qpublic at 01:33 PM : Jul 30, 2008

He may be on Ubama''s short list, but I think his dying wife now has him by the ''short hairs'' LOL

I always knew he was a disingenuous liar.

[redbds]

Keep talking Oblama. Every time you open your mouth you say something that has to later be explained by your staff. What ever happened to saying what you mean and meaning what you say. This joker is so full of himself that he thinks he can''t loose. No wonder McCain isn''t saying that much. He is just waiting of the Oblamacrat to self destruct.

[ragnar30066]

"I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions." - B. Hussein Obama

Every generation or two a person comes along who becomes a legend in their own mind.

[standlee5]

. Now he''s becoming its presumptuous nominee.


good one.

[bladdy10]

Wouldn''t it be great if there was a Presidential test for Obama to pass or fail? Oh, wait a minute, there is. Go to YouTube, type ''anonbene'' into the search box and watch, Sen Obama. It''s a green jobs creation proposal that''s worth $60 Billion a year in jobs and houses for the Vet''s, struggling single parents, storm victims and poorer folks here in America

[standlee5]

He thinks he''s so revolutionary. Based on wht? He has absolutely no innovative ideas. Everything he says has been said and done before. He''s starting to seem delusional.

[standlee5]

So who pays for this new green 60 billion proposal. oh yeah the rich who''ll probably bail when they realize Obama is going to take 80% of their money.

[mcsuicide247]

you know mccain is somewhere complaining about obama

[whitemale08]

I need Obama to "hit the ground running".

We need him to hurry up and tax these rich clowns to stabalize the economy from imploding Iraqi War debt.

America already knows that Obama meets the qualifications so why wait?

It''s ''bout time we had SOMEBODY in Washington who behaved like a president. We haven''t had anybody doin'' that for 8 years.

[vastr-wcon]

.
Given the loony-left liberal media''s ALL-HUSSEIN, ALL-THE-TIME propaganda, one gets the impression that it is a one-person contest. Obviously, that is the only way a Kerry-like shallow, arrogant, platitude-spouting, inexperienced, elitist, narcissistic, flip-flopping gas-bag, who is so mentally deficient from extensive drug use he even has to plagiarize his hollow platitudes, could win an honest election.

Unfortunately, the loony-left liberal media will continue to treat hussein as if he has already been elected/appointed president -- showing that they have now fully and completely abandoned all journalistic ethics and will do anything to ensure victory for TheOne.

Sorry, hussein sycophants of the liberal media - but everybody can see right through this sham. Just as the simple-minded got bored with the over-exposure of Hilton and Spears, so too will they soon tire of the hussein hype. (The parallels between these three are overwhelming - e.g. both Hilton and Spears have created as much useful legislation as hussein; all three have the same level of foreign policy expertise; they are equally shallow and self-absorbed; they are equally experienced drug users; and so on, and so on, ad nauseum.)

/

[downsteamjim]

To standlee: Obama has the most innovative ideas of anyone from the 1930''s or 1940''s.

[hitler_obama]

All of Germany bows to its new friend whos name is Obama Hussein!
Germany made one mistake? Me!
Do you have the audacity to have hope without truth? Vote Barack Obama on Election Day!
................Your loving and kind friend A. Hitler:)

All you need is the media filming you everywhere in order to win! I should know.

[dante805]

Presumptous? Try: Conceited, self-absorbed, arrogant, self-important, hubristic, ambitious, vain, snobbish, stuck-up, high and mighty, smug, superior, self-righteous, haughty, full-of-yourself, spectacular, elitist, snooty, overconfident, showy, self-aggrandizing, puffed-up, narcissistic, educated, pious, bigheaded, inflated, vainglorious, condescending, incomparable, untouchable, illustrious, outstanding, superior, flaunting, high-class, pretentious, exceptional, advanced, better-quality, pompous, stateliness, august, ostentatious, erudite, portentous, grand, magnificent, flashy, brassy, significant, affected, brilliant, glowing, special, esteemed, extraordinary, unique, distinctive, exclusive, bold, daring, assertive, intrepid, audacious, valiant, brash, forthright, divine, scholarly, nervy, self-assured, better, enhanced, a cut above, first-class, prominent, patronizing, aristocratic, regal, bossy, famous, high and mighty, breath taking, supercilious, majestic, imperial, stately, fancy, noble, overconfident, egotistical, self-centered, proud, pushy, brazen, presumptuous, aggressive, strident, loud, studious, cocky, boastful, swaggering, audacity, resplendent, knowledgeable, blustery, bullying, memorable, privileged, selected, anointed, god-like, chosen, preferred, vaunted, saintly, extravagant, inflated, overstated, honored, advantaged, intimidating, aggressive, great, luminous, radiant, dazzling, shining, sparkling, gleaming, skillful,

[hitler_obama]

All of Germany bows to its new friend whos name is Obama Hussein!
Germany made one mistake? Me!
Do you have the audacity to have hope without truth? Vote Barack Obama on Election Day!
................Your loving and kind friend A. Hitler:)

All you need is the media filming you everywhere in order to win! I should know.

* *
#
=
Sieg Hiel!

[broncfan1661]

realpatriot1,
You''re giving him way too much credit. Or else you are reading your own polls.
The polls I have seen has it much closer.

[hitler_obama]

All of Germany bows to its new friend whos name is Obama Hussein!
Germany made one mistake? Me!
Do you have the audacity to have hope without truth? Vote Barack Obama on Election Day!
................Your loving and kind friend A. Hitler:)

All you need is the media filming you everywhere in order to win! I should know.
_ _
* *
#
=
Sieg Hiel!

[hitler_obama]

All of Germany bows to its new friend whos name is Obama Hussein!
Germany made one mistake? Me!
Do you have the audacity to have hope without truth? Vote Barack Obama on Election Day!
................Your loving and kind friend A. Hitler:)

All you need is the media filming you everywhere in order to win! I should know.
_ _
$* *$
#
=
Sieg Hiel! + The broken cross way!

Posted by dante805
-------------------

You must be talking about yer average run of the mill, gated community, exclusive country club member, born to a more noble god republican here. huh.

[hitler_obama]

I preached in my day that NOW is the time for CHANGE. NOW is the time to BELIEVE in our cause. Yes WE can through my election! Now Barack Obama is preaching the same message 70 years later! I am proud to have the audacity to have hope without truth in voting for him!
.............Your loving and kind friend A. Hitler!

Its the Wright way to have Damnation by abomination. Sorry Obamanation!

Do you have the audacity to have hope without truth? Vote Barack Obama on Election Day!


=_ _=
(O O)
Z_#_Z

Sieg Hiel! + The broken cross way!

[hitler_obama]

All of Germany bows to its new friend whos name is Obama Hussein!
Germany made one mistake? Me!
Do you have the audacity to have hope without truth? Vote Barack Obama on Election Day!
................Your loving and kind friend A. Hitler:)

..=_ _=..
..(O O)..
11l_#_l11
..HHHHHH
..HHHHHH
...HHHH
...H.H
...H.H
...H.H
...O.O

Sieg Hiel! + The broken cross way!

[downsteamjim]

Hitler_Obama: I would like to put you and Rev. White on an island in the middle of the Pacific. Not to make a game show, but to give the rest of us a break.

[bigwhtpony]

Ubama: The Condescennding, Liberal Elitist, Socialist Nominnee