a⋅plomb

-noun

Origin:
1820-30; < F à plomb according to the plummet, i.e., straight up and down, vertical position

Synonyms:
1. composure, equanimity, imperturbability.

Antonyms:
1. confusion, discomposure; doubt, uncertainty.

MCCLATCHY: Thank you, Mr. President. As a former smoker, I understand the frustration and the fear that comes with quitting, but with the new law that you signed yesterday regulating the tobacco industry, I would like to ask you a few questions, how many cigarettes a day --

OBAMA: A few questions?

MCCLATCHY: Well -- how many cigarettes a day do you smoke? Do you smoke alone or in the presence of other people? And do you believe the new law would help you to quit and why?

OBAMA: Well, first of all the new law that was put in place is not about me, it's about the next generation of kids coming up. So I think it's fair, Margaret, to just say that you just think it's neat to ask me about my smoking as opposed to if -- being relevant to my new law. But that's fine. I understand. It's an interesting human interest story. Look. I've said before that as a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No. I don't do it in front of my kids. I don't do it in front of my family. You know, I would say that I am 95 percent cured, but there are times where -- there are times when I mess up. And I've said this before. I get this question about once every month or so. And I don't know what to tell you other than the fact that, you know, like folks who go to AA, you know, once you've gone down this path, then it's something you continually struggle with. Which is precisely why the legislation we signed was so important. Because what we don't want is kids going down that path in the first place. Okay? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/23/obamas-smoking-questioned_n_219707.html

I just marvel at this. Clinton could do this. Remembering of course that with a few weeks notice, Willie would never have mustered 250,000 Germans to listen to a speech. I remember when Obama gave that speech, he walked out in front of that mass of humanity like he was born to lead them.  He was only a candidate. It pissed off the repubs sooooooo bad that Fox at first was reporting numbers approaching some tea bag gathering months later and then, our repub shills did a one eighty and accused Barack of pandering and seeking some world government. Ha!

But Willie could answer the meanest, rottenest question given to him by the likes of evil perpetrators of doom like Hume.  He needed no teleprompter to answer inane questions and he never walked away perturbed like Nixon or w.

Back to the press conference. Our New President did not have notes. He did not have a teleprompter. He just courteously slapped the idiot down.  Did he say:

I did not have sex with that cigarette?

No. He looked right into the accuser's eyes and answered him directly.

Am I a sinner?  You betcha, but like every godfearing man, I seek redemption. How about you?

When Barry gives the speech of a lifetime, Fox is yelling about the teleprompter. Ha! Their favorite son could not even pronounce half the words on a teleprompter.

When Barry responds to meaningless inquiries from the press, he is eloquent and yet he can be disparaging without being that disparaging. You know what I mean?

When Barry is set to give a speech and throngs of people show up on a moment's notice, ten or twenty times the number Palin could ever muster, Fox will accuse him of being a celebrity. Ha!  They are accusing him of being popular. BRING IT ON!!!

When Barry chooses not to hide in some stronghold euphemistically called a ranch but instead comes out fighting EVERY SINGLE DAY, Fox would accuse him of pandering or some such.

I watched a tape of him exiting a plane and doing a 'half stumble' with his first step. No cable news pundit said a word. You know why? Because even when he stumbles he does it with aplomb.

Mathews is still ribbed about his comment after one of Barry's early speeches:

I felt an electrical charge going up my leg.

To be honest I only feel like that when I am chatting with Bwak or LisB. Hahahahahaha.

But I feel a tingling up my spine at times. I feel a lightening in my head. Maybe lightning is a better metaphor. Whatever happens, I am so proud to have this man representing my country.

My favorite professor here is Amike.  If you have time go back and read some of his recent blogs about parsing and such. When he listens to Barry or reads Barry he is not comparing him to w, he is comparing him to great writers and speakers. The professor is the only one here who spends any time on Cicero--except for me. Ha! Anyway Amike made the following comment on one of my blogs:

The clarity and the ambiguity of words make human life possible, which may be a gift or a curse, depending on what side of the bed I wake up on.

The right is certainly wrong about our New President.  And so cruel and so libelous. And Barry is getting a lot of pressure from the left nowadays. Which is to be expected and I believe, righteous.  It is a good thing that the 'base' attempts to keep our Leader honest.

People are getting angry at him. And as time goes on, they are getting angrier and angrier.

Me?  I am more than proud to call Barack Obama my President. I have only felt that way recently.