The President's Teleprompter and the Irish Prime Minister

[Jackeens]

When Cowen (the Irish PM) rose to speak, he began by welcoming us to St Patrick’s Day at the White House – which seemed an odd thing to do given that it was not his house.

“We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States,” he said. Then he stopped, looked first at the teleprompter and then at Obama. “This is your speech,” he said to roars of laughter and applause. “Who said these things were idiot-proof?”

....When the Taoiseach was finished speaking, the president stepped up to the microphone and, copying his guest’s opening line difficulties, said: “First, I’d like to say thank you to President Obama . . . Happy St Patrick’s Day, everybody.”


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0319/1224243068325.html

:rofl: ........... :blush:



("Stay as long as you want,” Obama told his guests. “Try to avoid putting any lampshades on your head because there are reporters watching and many of you are members of Congress.”)

[asphalt.jungle]

1. so skynews' account of the telemprompter episode was fiction

When Cowen rose to speak, he began by welcoming us to St Patrick’s Day at the White House – which seemed an odd thing to do given that it was not his house.

“We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States,” he said. Then he stopped, looked first at the teleprompter and then at Obama. “This is your speech,” he said to roars of laughter and applause. “Who said these things were idiot-proof?”

When he regained his bearings, Cowen noted the work of Irish architect James Hoban on the White House. “We were always good in the construction business,” he said. “America does ambition well, ambition to succeed, ambition to build a better future. America does pride well, justifiable pride. America does change well, and does hope pretty well, as well. Ireland does connection well, the proof is here.”

When the Taoiseach was finished speaking, the president stepped up to the microphone and, copying his guest’s opening line difficulties, said: “First, I’d like to say thank you to President Obama . . . Happy St Patrick’s Day, everybody.”

--

he was making fun of the mishap and obama didn't takeover from the Taoiseach after the wrong script was in there, they changed it to the Taoiseach's speech and he finished.

[Jackeens]

2. That's hilarious, I missed the bit with Obama's response - added it to the OP, thanks! n/t

[Jackeens]

3. Wow, I see what you mean, just found the Sky report...they just didn't get the joke, did they?

Obama In St Patrick's Day Teleprompt Blunder

12:26pm UK, Wednesday March 18, 2009

A teleprompt blunder has led to Barack Obama thanking himself in a speech at the White House in a St Patrick's Day celebration. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was just a few paragraphs into an address in Washington when he realised it all sounded a bit too familiar.

It was. He was repeating the speech President Barack Obama had just read from the same teleprompter.Mr Cowen stopped, turned to the president and said: "That's your speech."

A laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium to take over but it seems the script had finally been switched and the US president ended up thanking himself for inviting everyone to the party.

Mr Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the "teleprompt president" over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Barack-Obama-Thanks-Himself-In-Teleprompt-Blunder-During-Address-With-Irish-PM-On-St-Patricks-Day/Article/200903315243932?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15243932_Barack_Obama_Thanks_Himself_In_Teleprompt_Blunder_During_Address_With_Irish_PM_On_St_Patricks_Day

[asphalt.jungle]

4. doesn't surprise me that a Murdoch outfit wouldn't get it and

then use it as an opportunity to take shots at President Obama.

[Jackeens]

5. Agreed. And now the RW nutters are calling it a gaffe by the President.....sigh.

Teleprompter Gaffe: President Obama Thanks Himself — UPDATE: Where’s the Video?

I’ve been searching for the video of Obama accidentally reading Irish PM Brian Cowen’s speech yesterday. He even thanks himself at the end! Apparently his teleprompter went loopy.

If this were GWB, the video would be everywhere, yet I can’t find a clip on the Internet of a public press conference that took place yesterday. It will come out, but this is amazing.

Thank Sky News for doing its job:

Mr Cowen stopped, turned to the president and said: “That’s your speech.”

A laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium to take over but it seems the script had finally been switched and the US president ended up thanking himself for inviting everyone to the party.

Mr Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the “teleprompt president” over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech.

Be afraid everyone, be very afraid.

Update: 10:30 am PST: Still no video released. This is the third Obama gaffe with no video. First the wrong door incident at the White House, then the helicopter head bump and now this. A dangerous precedent is being set here. If any other politician made this kind of blunder it would be everywhere.

Update 4:00pm PST: Still no video. Stories are starting to appear blaming the whole thing on Irish PM Brian Cowen and insinuating that Obama thanked himself as a joke. That is not the tone of the original Sky News article and if that is the case why is the video still absent from the internet or cable news? It surely exists.

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jromano/2009/03/18/hotflash-obama-as-ron-burgundy/



:wow:

Are they REALLY that humourless and thick?

Guess so.

[asphalt.jungle]

6. why yes they are.

and this breitbart clown is a prick of the highest order. he was on real time with bill maher last week and got his a$$ handed to him by michael eric dyson.