In my most recent “The Past Week” post for September 7-13, I commented on the Clinton-Obama meeting in NYC on September 11 and how Bill promised he would be going out to work for Obama as soon as his Global Initiative meeting was over (the event is from September 23-26). (Video link and a discussion of the body language at that meeting here.)
Well, looks like Mr. Clinton has decided to get a little ahead of the game…sort of. Maybe. Well, read this try to figure it all out…
There it was, a little squib on Time’s website yesterday (Tuesday, September 16) that said:
Obama, McCain to Speak to Clinton Global Initiative
The two presidential candidates will participate with the likes of Queen Rania, Gordon Brown, Hamid Karzai, Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg, Lance Armstrong, Bono and more in addressing the fourth annual meeting.
Obama by satellite.
The little squib didn’t mention how McCain would be speaking, but there was a link to another page which featured the entire press release.
About midway through the long list of participants and meetings, I saw the mention of McCain and Obama’s appearances.
Both United States presidential candidates will have a role in the Annual Meeting. Senator John McCain will deliver the opening remarks live at the “Integrated Solutions: water, food and energy” plenary session. Senator Barack Obama will address meeting participants via satellite.
Here’s a rundown on the session:
PLENARY SESSION: Integrated Solutions: Water, Food & Energy
Thursday 9/25/08, 9:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
Metropolitan BallroomDuring the 20th century, more people than ever benefited from clean water, plentiful food, and the mobility and comfort of an oil-based economy. World grain harvests quadrupled and world oil production grew 180-fold during the last century. However, our food, water, and oil reserves are increasingly strained as resources are depleted, natural systems become strained, and world population increases. The rising price of oil and increases in biofuel production are driving up global grain prices. New oil-extraction opportunities are heavily water- and carbon-intensive, and increasing demand for water is lowering water tables around the world. Because water, food, and energy issues are so closely related, solutions addressing one should address all three. This panel will discuss ways to use water more efficiently, expand food security, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels to create a more sustainable future.
Program Participants:
Tom Brokaw, Special Correspondent, NBC News
T. Boone Pickens, Founder and Chairman, BP Capital Management
Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank Group
(Quite a group…Tom Brokaw, who is the only one at NBC who occasionally tries to act like an adult, along with Pickens and one of our “favorites,” Robert Zoellick.)
Oh, we know that Barack is terribly busy on the campaign trail these days (maybe Obama will be off trying to win over people in one of those hick towns he loathes so much) and I’m sure he would have wanted to be there. Or maybe not, if he didn’t want to upset his minions by appearing in person with Pickens or Zoellick. On the other hand, the meeting takes place the day before the first Presidential Debate on September 26 which will be moderated by Jim Lehrer. The focus will be on foreign policy and national security, so Obama probably will be CRAMMING on the subject of the Logan Act and practicing how to talk without a teleprompter!
But you’d think he want to meet all those foreign leaders, now, wouldn’t you?
If Obama were the only one of the two included, and appeared via satellite, I wouldn’t have been at all curious. But the fact that McCain is taking a day off the campaign trail and appearing LIVE–the day before the first debate–well, now isn’t that interesting?
McCain is either very confident on the debate subject or Bill Clinton wants to get him good and tired before that debate the next night in Mississippi…OR
Do you think there will be a nice photo op featuring McCain and Clinton shaking hands and smiling?? I’m thinking back to just before the Democratic Convention when Bill explained the differences between Candidate A and Candidate B and then asked “who would people vote for” in a comment perceived by many as a dig at Obama.
Needless to say, I can’t wait to see what happens at the Global Initiative and to what extent the media will ignore the McCain appearance…and let’s see if Obama’s absence from the meeting pays off in any way…
***
(Hat-tip to Matthew Weaver who posted a short diary on this at No Quarter on Tuesday.)
For a full schedule of the Global Initiative meetings, see here. A link to the attendees is on the sidebar if you are interested to see who’ll be there…)
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: 1st Presidential Debate, 2008 Global Initiative, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Clinton-Obama meeting September 11 1008, Democratic Convention, Jim Leher, John McCain, Robert Zoellick, T. Boone Pickens, The Logan Act, The World Bank, Tom Brokaw, Unversity of Mississippi |
InsightAnalytical -- Watching Our World 
Maybe he found out they didn’t have teleprompters?
Everywhere I turn, I see unmistakable signs that the tide is turning in what is about to become (IMHO) a very violent manner. Camelot II is looking more like Cirque de Soleil these days.
Obama has to be quaking in his boots right now; McCain & Co. have him 120% on the defensive, and everything he does or says turns into a joke. The media wall is starting to crumble (nasty little stories appearing in the NY Times and even on CNN), and horror of horrors the current Wall Street crisis is making McCain appear like the better option (this was supposed to be Obama’s strenght, and some are even suggesting that Team Obama may be behind the timing of the current crisis to take eyes off Iraq and Palin).
I am very nervous about what is going on in the world economy today, but I am thrilled to see McCain coming out with strong, knowledgeable statementsand even happier that Obama has not come off as the White Knight he expected to be.
BTW – if Obama thinks that Bill Clinton is really going to help him win, he’s even dumber than I thought (and that would be very difficult)! Nice catch on this overlooked angle!
I wouldn’t be surprised if this were another of Bill’s attempts to show BO just what a senior statesman really is. We all know how he feels about his party’s standard bearer. I just wish that he and Hillary would drop the Dems.. We need a country in which party isn’t so damned important.
On the same note. It is time for Hillary to say that she has no problem appearing at a function with Sarah Palin. Obama may be afraid of getting cooties, but there is no reason that two stong admirable women from different parties can’t be at the same place, at the same time. It looks bad and smells worse.
Uppity,
Have you heard about this?
Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee, will endorse John McCain for president on Wednesday, her spokesman tells CNN.
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Obviously, Barky is in real trouble if he can’t skip preparations for a debate, and McCain can. Yet another thing the Repubs will be able to show that Barky acts like a rock star, while McCain shows real interest because he shows up.
I think it was “Good Morning America” that had McCain on this morning, and the segment I saw was him really driving home that Barky refuses to do Town Hall meetings with him to meet with the real American people and as a result will cut down on the negativity that happens during campaigning; McCain’s asked and asked but Barky continually turns him down.
Can you imagine how that looked to the everyday Joe and Joanne?
So what do we make of Hillary canceling an appearance at a rally in New York protesting Iranian President Ahmedinejad when she found out Palin had been invited also?
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/17/clinton-blindsided-palin/
Seems to me that she didn’t want to give the GOP the opportunity to unleash video of her and Palin together…
But her excuse that Palin’s presence made the meeting “political” was pretty lame….I mean, Hillary was going to go and wouldn’t that be “political,” too??
Re: Town Hall meetings…I was just thinking the other day that the Presidential debates were set up with no problem, apparently. Remember how in the past THAT was in the headlines for days??? ( I remember Bush stonewalling and the negative press that got….)
So, now the town halls are the issue…GOOD WORK, BARKY!!
I’ve seen him at a town hall meeting. He was terrible.
That’s the real reason he won’t do them.
He was haughty, arrogant, selective in what he would and would not answer. He actually said, “I’m not going to answer that [question].”
After that, I’d be surprised if he actually did a town hall.
Obama cramming? But, but, wasn’t that one of the things that the evil Governor Palin was accused of and reason for screaming hysteria about her inexperience?
But that’s different, cause he’s a boy. I forgot to count penis points.
I figure Obama will have some kind of trouble getting to the debate and have to do it via satellite. That way he can have his teleprompter with him.
This economic crisis wil be the turning point….when all this finetoothcombing of candidates personal lives+endless inane speculation on tactics…the whole TV dumbing down of the seriousness of politics…
‘the issues’ from now on will be the only game in town…and not before time.
I do admire you Americans in general…so straight talking….and you have the best music…ever!
Peter, are you from the UK??
I lived in London a long time ago for about 6 months and visited many times for extended periods…