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Obama appeared yesterday at a public hearing by the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health to push for compensation for poisoned workers, but his mere presence was more interesting to some.
Apologetic for the “fuss†he was creating at a meeting Tuesday in Naperville, Sen. Barack Obama pleaded the cases of hundreds of Illinois workers who became sick toiling at nuclear weapons plants less than a half century ago.
The prospective Democratic presidential candidate also brought along a crush of media attention.
“This is one of the rare times it’s useful to have this big throng,†he said to the more than two dozen media members attending a federal worker health advisory board meeting. “That’s a joke. Don’t hold it against me.â€
He is not concerned that his star power presence at these types of hearings gets in the way of his message.
“A lot of you wouldn’t be here today, otherwise,†he said. “The whole point of appearing here is to make sure the story is widely disseminated.â€
But this hearing did deal with an important issue.
For the 29 years he worked at a Joliet chemical plant, John Keca thought he was manufacturing detergents.
“He was sick most of his time” at the plant, his widow, Phyllis, 80, said Tuesday.
But in fact, Keca had been exposed to uranium dust while working at the Blockson Chemical Co. Blockson had a government contract to extract uranium from ore between 1952 and 1962.
John Keca died in 1996 of colon cancer, his wife said.
Meanwhile, one of the AP’s top political reporters demonstrated once again why the Beltway media crowd is such an object of derision. Check out this lede:
Sen. Barack Obama had a good first date in New Hampshire this week — he was a little late, but wore a nice suit, had interesting things to say and used a little flattery.
* And Jeff Greenfield, who used to be a decent reporter, has apparently lost his freaking mind. This Greenfield piece for CNN has been making the rounds on the blogs this week.
The senator was in New Hampshire over the weekend, sporting what’s getting to be the classic Obama look. Call it business casual, a jacket, a collared shirt, but no tie.
It is a look the senator seems to favor. And why not? It is dressy enough to suggest seriousness of purpose, but without the stuffiness of a tie, much less a suit. There is a comfort level here that reflects one of Obama’s strongest political assets, a sense that he is comfortable in his own skin, that he knows who he is. […]
But, in the case of Obama, he may be walking around with a sartorial time bomb. Ask yourself, is there any other major public figure who dresses the way he does? Why, yes. It is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who, unlike most of his predecessors, seems to have skipped through enough copies of “GQ” to find the jacket-and-no-tie look agreeable.
And maybe that’s not the comparison a possible presidential contender really wants to evoke.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Washington, DC - all of it, from the very tippity top right down to the lowliest janitor who thinks he owns the place - is the problem.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 9:40 am
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Hey Rich - has the thought that perhaps you aren’t being politically objective about Obama ever crossed your mind?
The beltway media not giving Obama a pass just because of his ‘million dollar smile’ in NH is a good thing. *Someone* has got to look at the substance behind the candidate, you know?
Comment by Speedy Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 9:50 am
CNN definitely employs some serious idiots, and it no doubt pays them huge money. Greenfield is a guy who probably hasn’t done real reporting in years, but feels compelled to say something insightful. In fact, he says something that’s just goofy - comparing Obama’s style to that of an Iranian dictator. He may as well have compared Obama’s jacket-and-no-tie style to Bradley Tusk; the reference would have made as much sense. It’s patronizing toward CNN’s viewers, actually. The CNN crew seems to think their viewers are plain ignorant and grateful for Greenfield.
Comment by DeepFriedOnAStick Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 9:52 am
What’s wrong with the Greenfield piece?
I always vote for the best dressed candidate.
Isn’t that how you’re supposed to choose?! Don’t tell me I’ve been doing it wrong all these years.
Comment by Left Leaner Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 9:54 am
“Speedy” you absolutely and completely missed my point. How is the “issue” of his tie “not giving him a pass.”? They’re mindless.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 9:55 am
Let’s see, two insular company towns run by entrenched insiders who use the public trust and, more importantly, public money, to fatten themselves and their cronies. In what way is Washington any different from Springfield?
Comment by Sgt. Sangamon Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:04 am
I’ll take dinner and a drink in D.C. any day over Springfield.
Comment by Illinois ex-pat Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:12 am
Wow, the insight from the Gang of 500 is amazing.
If we’re ever going to drain the swamp, the Gang of 500 has got to go.
They have lost all connection to reality.
Comment by jerry Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:14 am
This ties into the Carol Marin item well. Since women are always having their hairstyles discussed by the media - it’s equal footing for them to discuss mens clothing. Both are obviously ridiculous discussions and not worth the space given - even here.
Comment by babs Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:24 am
Rich -
I was talking about you blasting the quote “Sen. Barack Obama had a good first date in New Hampshire this week — he was a little late, but wore a nice suit, had interesting things to say and used a little flattery.”
Not the tie. The quote probably sums up exactly what Obama did - came in, smiled, patted a few people on their rear ends, and was on his way. No more, no less
Of course, the Chicago media would probably comment on Barrack ‘embarking on a journey’ and how this journey to New Hampshire was ‘one of the many in his lifelong struggle to achieve’ something or other, and how ‘the journey of such a man from his humble upbringing where he had to overcome racism and growing up disadvantaged….’ (this is where my head begins to hurt)
Someone Washington reporter said the dude came in and shook some hands. Nothing more. Why is that so wrong?
Comment by Speedy Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:35 am
What I was commenting on was a pure style over substance approach, Speedy. Appearance over what he said.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:42 am
When does Obama have to say he will do something about the problems?
Comment by blogman Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:54 am
Hey Rich, Springfield?
Except for Obama, Didn’t IL’ians vote heavily Republican in ‘00 and ‘04? You said, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Washington, DC - all of it, from the very tippity top right down to the lowliest janitor who thinks he owns the place - is the problem.”
Come on Rick, Is the DC really where the problem is? DC residents can’t vote, MD went Blue as usual, and VA swung from Red in ‘00 to Blue in ‘06. At least DC folks were looking at more than an empty suit for president, and agreed with IL’ians on the party of choice for sentators.
Comment by Inside the Beltway Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 11:14 am
While I’m not arguing that Washington’s dementia is acceptable. I’m not sure why you think Chicago media is any different.
I would also add that while Obama may have substance to him (a debatable point), I don’t think substance is really the primary reason the beltway crowd and the public at large is in love with him.
Comment by mike van winkle Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 11:19 am
Speaking of CNN feeding the flat-lining intellects of Americans, does anyone ever watch the Cafferty File? This guy, Jack Cafferty, gets paid to pose a question each day and read e-mail from people responding to the previous day’s question. Sure, the question sometimes relates to news, but there’s nothing about his questions or the viewer responses that isn’t totally predictable. His whole segment takes about five minutes, and as far as I can tell this is all the man does.
Comment by DeepFriedOnAStick Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 11:28 am
Illinois didn’t have any statewide contests in 2000, and US Senate was the only statewide race in ‘04, so I’m not sure where you’re getting your info, “Beltway.” I was also referring to DC as a generic reference to the Beltway crowd.
And, yes, DC is much worse than Springfield. They really think they’re the center of the universe out there. We have some big egos here, but not that big. Even the governor doesn’t have an ego that big.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 11:33 am
The sans tie look is actually very becoming. And I’ve noted that there’s been a men’s version of Vogue magazine with Obama on the cover.
This cracked me up, because I’ve always read the mag since I was a kid and my mom was designing jewelry (she’d read up on the trends for inspiration and ideas), but it was always a women’s fashion mag. I seriously think they created a guy’s version just because of Barack Obama! lol
Questions about substance abound, but he does have great style. lol
Comment by Angie Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 11:38 am
Jeff Greenfield must think this guy is trying to look like the Iranian President too. Idiot.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 12:23 pm
Rich, after our friend Senator Obama becomes President and the Washington Times picks you up as a columnist, will you still feel DC is the problem?
Comment by Punley Deiter Finn Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 12:29 pm
LOL. Yes.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 12:41 pm
I think this is a matter of seeing what you want to see. If you think Washington is out of touch, you’re gonna zero in on the people in the media or Congress who are out of touch. But they don’t put anything in the water here that changes personalities.
Take the Washington Post: Are you talking about David Broder (extremely well-grounded) or Dana Milbank (just plain nuts)? Bob Woodward (big ego) or Dan Balz (not much)?
And then there’s Congress. Dick Durbin is a creature of the Senate, and Denny Hastert was enough of an operator to become the longest-serving GOP House speaker ever. But back home they’re just decent guys doing the hard work for the people of Illinois. What do they look like to the rest of the country? Probably similar to what Chuck Schumer or John Boehner look like to Illinoisans.
I’ve run into a lot of politicians in my day, and I’d be hard-pressed to think of many of them more out of touch and arrogant than the last two Illinois governors. And you don’t think Mike Madigan or Pate Philip have egos that would rival those in D.C.? I find that hard to believe.
Comment by Illinois ex-pat Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 12:45 pm
The Greenfield piece is what happens when a story becomes “hot” before it’s really even a story. Everyone wants to talk about Obama, but there just isn’t that much to talk about.
BTW, due respect, Rich, the Greenfield piece is ridiculous, but he is hardly the first reporter or commentator to take a “style over substance approach” to Obama. He’s just the first to do it in a way that isn’t fawning.
Comment by grand old partisan Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 12:54 pm
Rich, unless I’m off my rocker, George Bush lost Illinois handily in ‘04, pretty much sinking Beltway’s assertion that Illinois voted heavily GOP.
As for the tie flap, Greenfield would be laughed out of the fashion pages for his assertion that Obama is a rarity for not clinging to the necktie.
The trend of leaving the ties and the suits in the closet is nearly a decade old now — starting in the U.S. in California, then New York, and now permeating the business culture.
The fashion trend started, as most trends do, in Europe, where the business suit and tie is fast becoming the exception, not the rule.
Bill Gates rarely appears in public with a tie on, and even the dinosaur Warren Buffett is slowly losing his.
And, to your point, yes, Greenfield has lost his marbles.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 12:58 pm
True, YDD. Since I don’t pay much attention (news-wise) to presidential races, I didn’t think of that. Same thing goes for ‘00.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 1:22 pm
Whoa. David Broder is “well-grounded”? The same David Broder who thinks a bipartisan “Unity ‘08″ presidential ticket is a wise idea? I want some of whatever it is you’re smoking, ex-pat. Broder is the quintessential Beltway pundit, well past his sell-by date. I suppose by the ever-declining standards of the Washington Post he may still be an above-average columnist, but that’s not saying much.
Comment by Chicago Jason Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 3:27 pm
Rich,
Yes, that Iranian comparison was pretty odd. But, I think it’s only fair that, since the Messiah gets TONS of good press he doesn’t deserve, he also get a little undeserved bad press sometimes. I don’t see that as bad press, however, as only a complete idiot could latch onto that as something “real.”
Comment by Snidely Whiplash Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 3:40 pm
FYI
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/12/greenfield.obama/index.html?section=cnn_latest
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 3:50 pm
There are many centers of the universe in the US: San Francisco, Texas, Hawaii, Washington DC, NYC, and Los Angeles. Each place believes it is the most important place on Earth.
What makes DC so special is the media there. So, not only do you deal with an attitude, you deal with people who report on the attitude. It is all very stinky. No one should be allowed to live there more than two weeks before going into detox.
Mr. Obama is being consumed by a 24/7 news cycle looking for news. Since there is of little substance or experience with him, they are now dwelling on his appearance. As other flavor-of-the-month presidential candidates discovered, once you are strip-searched and categorized, the MSM is usually over it’s giddiness, and starts asking killer questions to take you down.
Comparing Obama to Ahmadinejad because of his tie-less wardrobe appearance is freaky and very unbalanced, in my opinion.
As to the 70 year old man who died of colon cancer and now his widow blames an employer from 50+ years ago - stop hunting for money. I have had enough colon polyps mined out of me that I should have been dead of colon cancer before I was 30. The idea that someone is to blame for a 70 year old man having colon cancer - sheesh!
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 3:53 pm
Vanilla Man,
Its 12 days until Christmas, lighten up.
The woman lost her husband. I don’t know if the man got sick from doing his job, and neither do you. So saying the widow is “hunting for money” two weeks before Christmas seems pretty cold and heartless.
Comment by Scott Fawell's Cellmate Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 5:34 pm
Well this solves one mystery… Obama obviously gave all of his ties to the Hare campaign…
Comment by Lovie's Leather Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 7:33 pm
Rich, clothes make the politician, from Harry Truman’s bow tie to Jimmy Carter’s jeans. Since Obama wears nearly the same thing almost every time, including on the cover of his Audacity book, it is a calculated image presentation, and Greenfield is legitimately playing around with it - albeit inanely so far as the Ahmadinejad thing is concerned (gosh, who knew that every guy that wears a coat and open necked collar in public risks being associated with an Iraqi sociopath?)
Obama gets a complete pass on this, as it is 2006 and he is just playing around. If he actually runs, however, it might prove interesting to ask if Prince Barack’s image, while oh-so-hip, is a bit “too cool for school” in Presidential politics, when you are merely seeking the most powerful job in the world, and billions of lives can change upon what you might do in office. It seems to me that it is a very serious matter, not a “casual” one.
Comment by Bubs Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 9:08 pm
While Obama’s personality is far superior as well as his intelligence, I don’t see a lick of difference between him and the governor of Illinois when it comes to work product. They are both creatures of the media who have yet to prove themselves worthy of our votes and trust. But money buys power in this country, deserved or not.
Comment by Martha Mitchell Wednesday, Dec 13, 06 @ 10:59 pm
If you read the daily MSNBC news and scroll down to the Entertainment section, the odds are that there will be an item about Paris Hilton at least three times a week. Not that she has anything to say. But her press agent gets stuff in. She was here, she was there, she wasn’t wearing much, eyc., etc. Under dressed and over exposed, I thin– but nice pictures.
Our junior senator is getting overexposed and way too early. He needs to go to the mountain, psoition himself and sponsor far reaching legislation, make a viable record, turn down interviews.
Comment by Truthful James Thursday, Dec 14, 06 @ 9:15 am
And, oh, yes, sponsor good laws.
Comment by Truthful James Thursday, Dec 14, 06 @ 9:16 am
People like Paris Hilton have to rely on overexposure while they’re the social flavor of the month, because the shelf life is rather short. Where does a vacuous twit go next after the public tires of her? To get a Ph.D. in Engineering? ‘Tis understandable in her case.
But Obama needs to be seen as a blend of charismatic and serious (think Colin Powell) to have a shot at the White House. And that’s aside from the fact that he needs to DO something. He may be up against Giuliani, and there, you’re talking TIME Man of the Year, 9/11 finesse under crisis (Rudy is proven as a result of seeing his grace under pressure), Giuliani Partners, running and cleaning up New York, etcetera. Tough one to beat without having DONE a lot besides look affable and hip and very Rico Suave, right?
Maybe if Barack can manage to bring peace to the Middle East between now and ‘08, he’ll at least stand a chance. lol
Comment by Angie Thursday, Dec 14, 06 @ 1:00 pm