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Announcer at CNN conference confuses Obama with Osama.
Hope the video is available soon and someone will put it up. Obama responds by saying "that's Osama bin Laden." THe announcer apologized. Obama was gracious and said "that ok" and that it was what he has "been going through for the last 15 months." The audience applauded him. He then takes a long pause and bite on the his lower lip. It was an emotional moment for him. After 20 seconds or so, while he is still regaining his composure, the audience spontaneously begins to applaud him again.
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Honestly. How hard is this?
April 14, 2008 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
How hard is what?
April 14, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Getting his name right.
April 14, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Correction: It was at the AP conference carried by CNN.com, that this happened.
April 14, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the way: did you see this as it happened or did you read about it somewhere?
April 14, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I saw it as it happened. I am hoping for a youtube video. As I am typing, Nora O'Donnell just replayed that part of the AP conference. The announcer said referred to "Obama bin Laden."
April 14, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just saw a clip of it on MSNBC. They played it right after a "bitter-gate" segment. Double wammy!
/puke
April 14, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
More proof of media bias against Clinton! They never "accidentally" slip her name into commentary!
April 14, 2008 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently, today's the day for it.
http://wonkette.com/379621/racist-john-ashcroft-calls-obama-osama-gets-wildly-booed
April 14, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I saw this on C-Span, and it struck me as a totally innocent mistake that lead to a somewhat awkward, but generally humorous moment.
Rather than needing to regain his composure, it was my impression that Barack Obama was trying to come up with a snappy response, which ultimately was, "This is part of the exercise that I've been going through over the last 15 months, which is why it's pretty impressive that I'm still standing."
April 14, 2008 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow! I didn't need to sign in again to post that. Keep those fixes coming, TPM!
April 14, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, and for the sake of accuracy, the quote should end, "still standing here."
April 14, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Totally innocent? lol...Yeah right. I just love the selective parsing of the people of this country.
April 14, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just giving my honest impression, Mr. Wildly Generalizing Paranoia Guy. :)
April 14, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually the biting of the lower lip and pause came after the "This is part of the exercise that I've been going through over the last 15 months, which is why it's pretty impressive that I'm still standing here. Um ..."
April 14, 2008 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I saw it again, and yes, that's true. Thanks.
It appeared closer to "collecting his thoughts" (a long, complicated question preceded the "Osama" slip) than "regaining his composure." I'm not in the man's mind, so I can only speculate.
But interesting that he could have let the mistake slide by, yet went out of his was to correct it, with what I took as deadpan humor and big old smile.
April 15, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
It was announced today(seriously) that Rupert Murdoch has just been appointed to the AP board. Looks like it did not take that old Aussie Snake long to Fox up AP.
April 14, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink