Don't Taunt the Tiger!

From CNN.com:

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- One of the three victims of a San Francisco Zoo tiger attack was intoxicated and admitted to yelling and waving at the animal while standing atop the railing of the big cat enclosure, police say in court documents.

Toxicology results for Paul Dhaliwal showed his blood alcohol level was 0.16 -- twice the legal limit for driving, Paul Dhaliwal, 19, told the father of Carlos Sousa Jr., 17, who was killed, that the three yelled and waved at the tiger but insisted they never threw anything into its pen to provoke the cat, according to a search warrant affidavit obtained Thursday by the San Francisco Chronicle.

"As a result of this investigation, (police believe) that the tiger may have been taunted/agitated by its eventual victims," according to Inspector Valerie Matthews, who prepared the affidavit. Police believe that "this factor contributed to the tiger escaping from its enclosure and attacking its victims," she said.

From Robin Roberts' interview with Senator Barack Obama Monday morning on ABC News:

I do think that there -- there should be some standards of honesty in any political discourse. That's part of the change that I want to bring about. You know, if you have something that just directly contradicts the facts and it's coming from a former president, I think that's a problem because people presume that a former president is going to have more credibility. And I think there's certain responsibilities that are carried with that.

Robin Roberts: Anything else you that want to set the record strait that he said one thing about you and you're now saying that's false?

Obama: President Clinton went in front of a large group, said that I had claimed that only Republicans had had any good ideas since 1980. Then he added, I'm not making this up. He was making it up. And completely mischaracterizing my statement.

Anybody see any similarity between these two stories?



Display:


Unfortunately they have Obama on camera (none / 0)

I'll be the first to admit the Clintons are hyping this for all it's worth if the Obamanauts will admit that he did an incredibly dumb thing by making statements on camera that were remotely ambiguous about Reagan and the Republicans being the party of ideas for the past 15 years. And don't deny he said it I've heard it with my own ears. I don't think for a moment the voters of SC believe he's a closet Reagan lover but it's hard to believe there isn't some eye rolling and O man comments because that's what I did.  


by ottovbvs on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 06:00:20 PM EST

Yeah, that was dumb (none / 0)

But challenging Bill Clinton to a joust when Obama was only wearing leather armor, now that was REALLY dumb.


by Trickster on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 06:02:28 PM EST

Re: Don't Taunt the Tiger! (none / 0)

yeah, how long did the Obama's think they could attack Clinton and smear her before they got it back?


ABO... Anybody but Obama. I LIKE the democratic party.

by MollieBradford on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 06:47:25 PM EST

Re: Don't Taunt the Tiger! (none / 0)

I guess your analogy works if you want to compare Bill Clinton to a bloodthirsty carnivorous beast who will sink fangs and sharp claws into his prey and enjoy the act of disemboweling him... but I'm not sure that is the image you want to be painting for your candidate's chief surrogate - but frankly, that's the way he is coming across these days


by lifelongdem on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 07:13:19 PM EST

What I have in mind (none / 0)

Is a majestic and awe-inspiring animal slumbering peacefully in the shade . . . until a rowdy youth who doesn't quite understand the full ramifications of what he's doing jumps up on a rail and starts throwing insults.

Tiger -> Wall -> Drunken Teenagers
is the equivalent of
Bill Clinton -> Obama-Adoring Media -> Obama

Where the young folks involved in each equation learned that the protective barriers in question weren't quite all they were cracked up to be. . . .


by Trickster on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 07:30:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What I have in mind (none / 0)

In your parallel universe, perhaps you think it was Obama who started throwing the insults, but objective observers know that it was the Clintons who started the attacks. When they got called it, the Clintons acted like some child caught doing something wrong - start screaming and pointing and claiming that "he started it" -- anything to avoid responsibility for their own misdeeds

But your attitude about Obama as "a rowdy youth who doesn't quite understand the full ramifications of what he's doing" is a pretty succinct summary of the patronizing way that Clinton supporters seem to view Barack Obama for having the nerve to challenge their imperial claims on a restoration of their glory days.

To think that I used to admire Bill Clinton... he is busy destroying his own legacy. After this, no one will ever look at him as some magnificent sleek tiger  - a hyena, maybe, but a sleek tiger, never.


by lifelongdem on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 08:11:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Obama publicly called Clinton out as a liar (2.00 / 1)

The exact quote is in the interview in the diary.  Hell yeah, he started it.


by Trickster on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 08:28:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Give me a BREAK! (2.00 / 1)

Lets look at the reality of how team Obama has done ths from day one. Team Obama started out this campaign with Communications director Gibbs saying that the disproved lie that the Clintons had "sold out the Lincoln Bedroom.  They sent out two memos - one the punjab one -  was actually quite racist itself. The second one on Bill Clinton said he was a crook and the press ignored and pretended it never even existed.  Michelle Obama has said many times the code words "if you cant take care of your own house, you cant take care of the white house" and on and on and on.  Give me a BREAK!


Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!
by Seymour Glass on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 09:37:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don't Taunt the Tiger! (none / 0)

Simply brilliant diary.


by superetendar on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 08:19:15 PM EST

yup (none / 0)

here-here!


Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!
by Seymour Glass on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 09:38:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don't Taunt the Tiger! (2.00 / 1)


Did anybody notice all the cable news shows,most regular news channels,most of the newspapers
running stories that a lot of Democrats privately
telling them that Bill Clinton is damaging his reputation,his legacy etc. by 'attacking' Obama etc..

Bill is hurting Hillary's campaign so and so. He is mad,uncontrollable etc. This kind of narration
also coming from Republican radio shows, conservative leaning reportes.

Here is the interesting point. Yesterday between
his rants against Clintons, Chis Matthews unintendly opened his mind while talking to his
guest speakers.( We all know his soft corner for
Rudy Juliani and his suffering ever since Rudy's
meltdown few weeks ago.). In a low tone filled with anxiety asking his guest, can Rudy be able to compete with Hillary if he becomes nominee .
This question coming from Chris Mattews after his take or his usual dose of criticism against Hillary on Monday's debate.

Folks that is grudging respect. Unfortunately we dont see that most of the time while these guys conducting their shows.

Similar case with these guys criticism against
Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton has done by himself  what a responsible Entire Media didnt do and ought to be doing. He has pointed that distinctions and Obama's limitations so persuasively to undecided and uninformed voter.
He has done it so effectively.

In all these incidents he communicated the distinctions without one single personal attack
on Obama, contrary to what media says, twists.
I have not a single remark that is derogatory to
Mr. Obama personally. Everthing targeted to the
capabilities,polices,experience  or lack of them.

Now they(some unnamed? Democrats and a few others) are trying to Bully,discourage,planting
doubts to Clinton campaig to make Bill Clinton not do what is very effectively doing(he wouldnt
have done it, if we have a responsible media).

The thing with Clintons is that they dont listen to these pundits and weak boned Democrats. Especially Bill Clinton has this unique ability to listen to his instinct which is very superior and right on target for so many of his victories against Republicans. Thats is the difference and margin he has achieved and rest of the Democrats lacked in their pusuit against Republicans.

Remind you so far Obama has not substantively refuted any of the things Bill Clinton said(not counting the rhetoric).

My respect for Bill Clinton increased a bit while seeing this entire fiasco for the last few weeks.

I can understand why he is the only Democrat who elected twice since FDR.


by BlueSea on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 09:10:01 PM EST

the media are our enemies (none / 0)

just as sure as is the gop.  ask al gore.

bill can, has and will beat them

they are ALWAYS WRONG!


Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!
by Seymour Glass on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 09:41:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: the media are our enemies (2.00 / 1)

The most recent episode with Bill Clinton and the media has been a revelation for a lot of folks.

I can't tell you how many people have said to me something like, "They said it was this huge blowup... and then I watched the video and it just wasn't."

I take no joy in informing them that they do it all the time.  Heck, you might have seen they did it to Obama too just the other day.  Said he was all angry and confrontational with a reporter, and then you watch the video and it's complete fiction.  He was actually smiling and they claimed he was angry.  Greg Sargent wrote the whole thing up.

These people are no one's friend.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 10:03:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.