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Race-Speech Obama Is MIA

Prez's actions failing to match his clear rhetoric of past

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 24, 2009 2:13 AM CST

(Newser) – The moral clarity that Barack Obama revealed in his groundbreaking Philadelphia speech on race has been nowhere to be seen recently, writes Richard Cohen. The Obama who made that speech wouldn't have let the Chinese stage-manage his appearances, or allowed the civilian trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed go forward without setting out some clear legal principles for the decision, Cohen writes in the Washington Post.

Governing is, of course, harder than campaigning, Cohen notes, but the president needs to rediscover the morality behind his rhetoric. Obama has tried so hard to avoid President Bush's black-and-white moralism that his policies are starting to seem like a moral gray area. "Human rights in general has been treated as if it's a Republican idea," Cohen writes. "Obama should reread his Philadelphia speech. He'll find a good man there."

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The Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama applauds the crowd before delivering a campaign speech inn Denver, Colo., Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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The Obama who was leading a movement of professed political purity is the very same person who as president would not meet with the Dalai Lama, lest he annoy the very sensitive Chinese. - Richard Cohen

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 5 comments

Fondue

Nov 24, 2009 12:32 PM CST

1. What the hell is a delegation going to do against the Chinese government and military? 2. Clear legal principles have been set, they're called the Constitution.

SilenceDogood

Nov 24, 2009 9:38 AM CST

I’ll bet Obama was wishing he was back on the campaign trail, this governing is tough work. The Pied Piper of the Democratic Party is facing the reality of the political game, as much as Obama wishes to toot his horn to rid this nation of the evils of the GWB and the Republicans, he has found that he has turned into that which he wishes to rid Camelot of, a rat. Obama has transformed himself into a middle roader, big mouthed, compromising, deficit increasing, earmark spending, war mongering, back peddling, one way, arrogant politician.

QueenAlli

Nov 24, 2009 8:43 AM CST

Man, you guys are seriously going through campaign withdrawl. He's got some serious work to do man, he can't heal everything and everyone.

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Race-Speech Obama Is MIA