Words Matter Senator Obama

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter. ‘I have a dream’ — just words? ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ — just words? ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself’ — just words? Just speeches?”

                                     –Barack Obama (et al)

These are the inspiring words stolen, plagiarized, “riffed on” by Barack Obama from a speech given by Deval Patrick nearly a year earlier (God knows who actually wrote it).  It was a response to criticism by Sen. Clinton, among others, that there was no substance behind Sen. Obama’s flourishing rhetoric.  Never mind that his response totally misses the point.  Those words, spoken my MLK Jr, Thomas Jefferson, and FDR, were most definitely not just words, they were backed up by action.  All three men risked their lives, and the lives of their countrymen to back up those words. 

No, Senator Obama, those were not “just words”.  They were acts of defiance against tyrants and oppressors.  I can’t imagine the audacity of anyone, let alone a do-nothing junior senator who has never had a full time job, to compare his words, much less himself to any of these giants.

But I do believe that Senator Obama does understand the importance of words.  The nuanced way in which language can be manipulated to mean whatever you want it to.   Especially when you want people to think you believe one thing now, but plant words that will enable you to take the opposite view later without being labeled a liar.  George Orwell had a name for it:

malreported - When the Times reports a fact which the government later deemed untrue. You see, the government is never “wrong”, the paper merely reported the facts incorrectly. This term was often used in describing newspaper articles that contained references to unpersons, unfulfilled economic projections, or altered government policies (emphasis mine)

Which brings me to Senator Obama’s latest speech on the Iraq war.  Obama has already proven himself to be a liar, but on this, his signature issue, he can’t afford to seem to be changing his stance on withdrawal. This is what he said just two months ago:

“When I promise that we are going to bring this war in Iraq to a close in 2009, I want the American people to understand that I opposed this war in 2002, 2003, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06 and ‘07, so you can have confidence that I will be serious about ending this war.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The North Carolina Democrat Party 2008 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Raleigh, NC, 5/2/08 )

I don’t believe, however, that he has any intention of sticking by his pledge to withdraw on ANY timetable.  In fact, I doubt that if Obama is elected his plan for Iraq will stray too much from what John McCain has been advocating.

And this is where the importance of words comes in.  Let’s take a look at a line from today’s speech by Senator Obama, as reported by Politico under the headline Obama says Iraq war must end” :

I will focus this strategy on five goals essential to making America safer: ending the war in Iraq responsibly; finishing the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban; securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states; achieving true energy security; and rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

One word in that sentence is important.  One.  He says he will end the war responsibly. That single word gives him his out.  That word has the power to continue our presence in Iraq for another 100 years, as the press likes to attribute to Senator McCain. 

Yes, words matter.  Especially when they’re used to cover your ass.  Obama knows that his promise to withdraw quickly from Iraq is a pipe dream.  He knows that if he sets a fixed time-table he’ll be pressured to stick to it.  We thought in 2006 that the newly elected Democratic congress would force a timetable on the Bush Administration. Didn’t happen.  What makes anyone think they’ll force one on an Obama administration?  Until the troops start coming home, his words are meaningless.  In fact, they don’t sound so different from these words:

“It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars. … Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure, and that would be irresponsible,”

                                   —George W. Bush