Via Power Line, a video of Samantha Power, true believer in Obama, during primary season last year,
She claims that Obama can “restore leadership in the world, in truth-telling” while she specifically addresses the Armenian genocide. Ben Smithhttp://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/A_person_who_can_actually_be_trusted.html?showall quotes Power,
“What is amazing about Barack,” she says, is, among other things, “his willingness as president to commemorate [the genocide] and certainly to call a spade a spade and to speak truth about it.”
“He’s a person who can actually be trusted, which distinguishes him from some in the Washington culture,” she said.
It’s an extremely painful issue to Obama’s Armenian supporters. One Armenian-American correspondent who often complains furiously of anti-Obama media bias, David Muradyan, emailed me this afternoon:
Perhaps what stings more is his clever, yet deceitful way to say that his views have “not changed.” And his use of “Mets Yegern.” It’s almost like he wants to appease both sides but can’t because of political pressures. I understand that. But I think his statement is really deplorable. You can’t in one breath say “my views haven’t changed” (e.g., I still consider it Genocide PERSONALLY), but then use the word “atrocity” and not genocide. It really is a dishonest way to talk about the genocide. Either have the balls to call it genocide, or have the balls to not. But weaseling isn’t respected, period.
And this is all coming from one of his most fervent supporters who not only donated, but registered voters and volunteered.
Update
Smitty remembers Andy Kauffman,