Obama Presumes Too Much

The trail of arrogance and presumptuousness by the Obama campaign is easy to follow:

Obama’s Campaign Planning Presidential Transition

• Obama Campaign Confirms That They Are Already Planning The Presidential Transition. “With less than six months to go before he would be sworn in as the nation’s 44th president, Sen. Barack Obama has directed his aides to begin planning for the transition. ‘Barack is well aware of the complexity and the organizational challenge involved in the transition process and he has tasked s [sic] small group to begin thinking through the process,’ a senior campaign adviser said. ‘Barack has made his expectations clear about what he wants from such a process, how he wants it to move forward, and the establishment and execution of his timeline is proceeding apace.’ … A campaign spokesperson confirmed that transition planning had begun but would provide no further details. An adviser said that the campaign wants to keep the process as low profile as possible in order to minimize distractions.” -Marc Ambinder, “Obama Team Begins Work On Presidential Transition,” Atlantic, 7/24/08
• Obama Plans To Announce His Presidential Transition Team This Fall. “A public announcement is planned for the fall. ‘Given the myriad challenges that will face the next president, Barack would encourage Sen. McCain to begin to undertake a similar process,’ the adviser said.” -Marc Ambinder, “Obama Team Begins Work On Presidential Transition,” Atlantic, 7/24/08

Campaign Had To Be Reminded That Barack Obama Is Not The President Of The United States

• Obama Adviser Reminded That Barack Obama “Is Not President Of The United States.” “‘It is not going to be a political speech,’ said a senior foreign policy adviser, who spoke to reporters on background. ‘When the president of the United States goes and gives a speech, it is not a political speech or a political rally.’ ‘But he is not president of the United States,’ a reporter reminded the adviser.” -Carrie Budoff Brown, “Obama Tries To Dial Down Politics,” The Politico, 7/22/08

Obama Advisers Claim White House Privileges, Had To Be Reminded That “They Weren’t In The White House”

• Obama Foreign Policy Adviser “Told Reporters That He Never, In His Four Years In The White House, Had [To] Go On The Record For A Briefing” Only To Be Reminded “That They Weren’t In The White House.” “Carrie Budoff Brown reports from the flight from Amman to Tel Aviv: Obama aides were reminded by reporters – for the second time today – that he isn’t in the White House yet, and therefore they can’t invoke White House rules and traditions. An unpaid foreign policy adviser worked for Clinton) told reporters that he never, in his four years in the White House, had go on the record for a briefing. Several reporters retorted that they weren’t in the White House.” – Ben Smith, “White House Rules On Air Obama?” The Politico, 7/22/08

Obama Campaign Replaces American Flag With Obama Logo

• New Obama Campaign Plane Replaces American Flag With Obama Campaign Logo. “When John McCormick reported Obama replaced his Boeing 737 campaign plane with a Boeing 757, he noted the new aircraft had ‘a giant flag painted on its tail.’ In yet another display of his patriotism, Obama replaced the American flag with the Obama Logo. Lynn Sweet reports that Obama’s 757 has been repainted ‘with the Obama sunrise logo on the tail.’ Oh the audacity of Obama’s ego.” -Dan Spender, “Obama Replaces American Flag With Obama Logo,” The Washington Examiner, 7/23/08

Obama Campaign Unveiled “Presidential” Seal For Use At Campaign Events

• Obama Unveiled An Official-Looking Seal “Deliberately Reminiscent Of The Official Seal Of The President.” “At a discussion with a dozen Democratic governors in Chicago on Friday morning, each of the governors was identified with a small name plate but Senator Barack Obama sat behind a low rostrum to which was attached an official-looking seal no one had seen before. It is emblazoned with a fierce-looking eagle clutching an olive branch in one claw and arrows in the other and is deliberately reminiscent of the official seal of the president of the United States.” (John M. Broder, “The Great Seal Of Obamaland?” –The New York Times‘ “The Caucus” Blog, thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com, 6/20/08
• Obama Campaign “Has Decided Not To Wait For Any Of The Formalities Like A Presidential Election, An Inauguration Or Even A Nomination” To Unveil Presidential Seal. “But Barack Obama’s crowd has decided not to wait for any of the formalities like a presidential election, an inauguration or even a nomination, which he still hasn’t actually officially won yet.” -Andrew Malcolm, “Barack Obama Gets His Own Nifty Great Seal,” Los Angeles Times‘ “Top Of The Ticket” Blog, latimesblogs.latimes.com, 6/21/08

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