# Obama lies in Israel speech. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 24, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610 "2008-07-24T14:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/1 "2008-07-24T14:08:09Z")
[Transcript of Obama’s speech in Sderot:](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/us/politics/23text-obama.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=obama%20committee&st=cse&oref=slogin) > [@](#): > > Now, in terms of knowing my commitments, you don’t have to just look at my words, you can look at my deeds. Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don’t obtain a nuclear weapon. [These are Senator Obama’s committee assignments.](http://obama.senate.gov/committees/) He is not on the Banking Committee. Now since a U.S. Senator generally ought to remember his own committee assignments, it seems that this was a blatant lie, an attempt to embellish his own record by claiming deeds that were not his. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/2 "2008-07-24T14:13:49Z")
But there _is_ such a [bill](http://obama.senate.gov/press/070516-obama_frank_lan/), introduced by Obama, and it \*did \* go through the [Senate Banking Committee](http://obama.senate.gov/press/080717-senate_banking/). What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/3 "2008-07-24T14:15:03Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] [Transcript of Obama’s speech in Sderot:](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/us/politics/23text-obama.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=obama%20committee&st=cse&oref=slogin) [These are Senator Obama’s committee assignments.](http://obama.senate.gov/committees/) He is not on the Banking Committee. Now since a U.S. Senator generally ought to remember his own committee assignments, it seems that this was a blatant lie, an attempt to embellish his own record by claiming deeds that were not his. [/QUOTE] [It was his Bill](http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/press0515072.shtml) > [@](#): > > Washington, DC - Reps. Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senator Barack Obama, today introduced the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007, in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, respectively, which empowers Americans to apply economic pressure on the Iranian regime by establishing a federal list of entities that invest in Iran and allowing for divestment. So big fucking woo. You people really are desperate aren’t you. Why don’t you concentrate more on the fact that he is a Muslim. Must be plenty more mileage in that? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/4 "2008-07-24T14:15:56Z")
> [@](#): > > An Obama spokesman tells CNN “it was his bill, not his committee,” referring to the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act that the Illinois senator sponsored and introduced in May 2007. The measure was then referred to the Banking Committee, and passed a vote of 19-2 on July 17. > > In a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, Obama told the former Israeli Prime Minister, “I could fall asleep now standing up,” after Netanyahu asked him how his whirlwind trip to the Middle East and Europe is going. [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/23/obama-incorrectly-claims-membership-of-senate-committee/](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/23/obama-incorrectly-claims-membership-of-senate-committee/) ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/5 "2008-07-24T14:20:24Z")
Assuming the quote in the OP is accurate, I wouldn’t take it as implying that Obama is on the committee. I took the word “we” to refer to the Senate as a whole, to which Obama obviously belongs. Plus, as others have pointed out, Obama sponsored and introduced the bill, so he was obviously involved in its passage through the committee, in the sense that the committee wouldn’t have had anything to vote on if he hadn’t introduced the measure in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/6 "2008-07-24T14:24:07Z")
I wish Obama would just stay over in the Middle East with “his kind”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/7 "2008-07-24T14:24:35Z")
“which is my committee” is pretty clearly the false part. I am not sure I would call it a lie though - probably just an error. If it is a lie, it is a pretty stupid one - it doesn’t give him any benefit over introducing the bill, and it is so easy to disprove. In those situations, I think I am willing to give most politicians the benefit of the doubt and assume they mispoke. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/8 "2008-07-24T14:24:39Z")
I’m going to retract my charge of lying, based on this information. I did not realize that it was his bill. I think he misspoke and said it was his committee when he meant to say it was his bill. That probably needs to be clarified by his campaign. It is indisputable that he said “my committee” in the speech - that can create some confusion in well-meaning people like myself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/9 "2008-07-24T14:27:30Z")
that was a pretty quick pitting. Nice and smooth. Good work everyone! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/10 "2008-07-24T14:28:44Z")
[QUOTE= Mr. Moto] I’m going to retract my charge of lying, based on this information. I did not realize that it was his bill. [/QUOTE] Then ask for the thread to be closed. [QUOTE= Mr. Moto] I think he misspoke and said it was his committee when he meant to say it was his bill. That probably needs to be clarified by his campaign. [/QUOTE] See post #4. [QUOTE= Mr. Moto] It is indisputable that he said “my committee” in the speech - that can create some confusion in well-meaning people like myself. [/QUOTE] You should have been there the day I won U.S. Nationals in Syracuse on Lake Onondaga. I screamed, “Do you see this? THIS IS MY HOUSE!!!” And the U.S. government tried to stick me with the Superfund cleanup bill. See, they thought it was my house. Because I said it was my house and… [sub]_crickets_[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/11 "2008-07-24T14:30:18Z")
::charges in, knife in teeth:: ::looks around:: Oh, I guess it’s all over, then. Barkeep, I’ll have a bourbon. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/12 "2008-07-24T15:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] I’m going to retract my charge of lying, based on this information. I did not realize that it was his bill. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure introducing a bill qualifies as it being ‘his’ bill. Any senator can introduce any bill. It’s basically filling out paperwork to get it to the floor. The same goes for sponsoring a bill. All it consists of is sticking your name on it. You can sponsor a bill that you haven’t even read, much less worked on, if you want to. All in all, I think politicians use both as ways to get associated with a bill, but at the same time keeping their distance. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/13 "2008-07-24T15:50:26Z")
[QUOTE=stolichnaya] Barkeep, I’ll have a bourbon. [/QUOTE] Shouldn’t you be having vodka?.. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/14 "2008-07-24T15:53:41Z")
[QUOTE=Figaro] Shouldn’t you be having vodka?.. [/QUOTE] Busman’s holiday… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/15 "2008-07-24T15:55:06Z")
[QUOTE=Figaro] Shouldn’t you be having vodka?.. [/QUOTE] That’s just what they want you to think. That’s how the mind of a hardcore commie Democrat works. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/16 "2008-07-24T15:56:44Z")
There is the straw! Let us grap it! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/17 "2008-07-24T16:00:08Z")
Old man yells at cloud. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/18 "2008-07-24T16:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Old man yells at cloud. [/QUOTE] Couldn’t loyal damsel? ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/19 "2008-07-24T16:35:30Z")
Since no one else has, I’m going to step up as an Obama fan and thank **Mr. Moto** for having the grace to apologize and retract. Too few on either side of the debate do that these days. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610/20 "2008-07-24T16:57:33Z")
Since this is dead, did anyone else catch Olbermann last night? His question to Fox Noise was hysterical. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-lies-in-israel-speech/457610.md?page=2)