Was Anyone Out There Upset With The President's Comment About A Nuclear Bomb Deployed In Manhattan..

[global1]

was his #1 security issue and not Russia/Putin. A friend of mine was really bent out of shape on that and the fact that President's focused the global spotlight on NYC.

I think I understood the context with which the President said this and wasn't offended. Are others offended by his statement?

[NCTraveler]

1. I missed the comment. Do you have something to put it in context?

Transcript or just a little more info. Thanks.

[octoberlib]

7. Here you go.

During a press conference in the Netherlands with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday, President Barack Obama said he was more worried about a nuclear bomb going off in Manhattan than Russia's recent actions in Ukraine.

Obama's comment came in response to a question from ABC's Jon Karl, who asked if former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "had a point" when he referred to Russia during the 2012 campaign as America's top geopolitical foe.

"Russia's actions are a problem," Obama said. "They don't pose the No. 1 national security threat to the United States. I continue to be much more concerned when it comes to our security with the prospect of a nuclear weapon going off in Manhattan."



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-manhattan-nuke-russia-putin-2014-3#ixzz2x5VlSk25

[NCTraveler]

11. Thank you for the additional info.

If it were a speech or a little more scripted, I would probably think his comment was fear mongering. Nothing different than we have seen in the past. But this seemed just him driving a point home. Making Washington thoughts loud and clear with respect to where Russia stands in the eyes of the world.

[B2G]

2. I'm guessing most Manhattaners were

I really don't understand why he would mention that specifically.

[Warpy]

6. Dunno, the people I know who live there

know there's a big, fat target on the new WTC and quite possibly the city, itself. They also know how remote the chances are on any given day.

And Obama is right. That's a much bigger threat than Putin is. The old Cold Warriors just haven't all gone to their eternal reward yet and those are the people who are running around like decapitated chickens.

[leftynyc]

14. Sorry but nope

I didn't think twice about the remark. We're a target, we know that, the President was just stating the truth which we are more than capable of handling.

[PoliticAverse]

3. I can understand why it might rattle a Manhattanite, can you?... n/t

[polichick]

4. My family spends a lot of time in Manhattan so it freaked me out a bit.

[quinnox]

5. Now that you mention it, yea, I thought it was strange

to be that specific, it makes me think maybe there is a real threat like this that the president was briefed about recently.

[cyberswede]

8. I thought it was kind of a weird thing to say...

as opposed to a more generic description of being more concerned about security at home, or somehting like that. I presume he meant that Russia is small potatoes compared to an attack on American soil, national security-wise.

[Liberal Veteran]

9. Well, I suppose he could have said Autaugaville, Alabama, but I really doubt many would care.

I think it is just a city that a lot of folks identify as THE American city without giving it much thought. Sorta like someone would identify Tokyo with Japan or London with the UK or Moscow with Russia.

[Motown_Johnny]

10. It is the most likely target

His comment makes perfect sense. It is by far the most densely populated area in the country and a WMD attack there would create more casualties than anywhere else.


Not stating that a nuke in NYC is his biggest concern would have been a mistake.

[chillfactor]

12. nope...

do not take it out on context

[seveneyes]

13. Same as if any previous President would have said it

[closeupready]

15. Been living in NYC for 18 years, through 9/11, and no, it's an unspoken reality.

This is the financial capital of the US and the New World, and this is likely to be a good candidate for such an act. To be honest, I didn't think it was really a secret. (Is it possible our right wing media establishment sought to make that comment into something it wasn't, since it was a socialist, Kenyan Islamophile president who made it? I mean, seriously, Republican Tancredo went there YEARS ago - and he didn't get raked over the coals.)

But the reason I'm not bothered by the comment is that after 9/11, there was plenty of open discussion about what would happen if a terrorist detonated one here, and what kinds of retribution would occur - eye for an eye stuff - with regard to the terrorist and any agent of any state aiding and abetting such an act.

[PeteSelman]

16. I'm not offended but it was…indelicate.

Stupid even. Unnecessary.

[snooper2]

17. Mark Levin and Michael Weiner were

[otohara]

18. Well It Is The Financial Capital of The World

and I suspect it would be target #1...

Manhattan will be under water is a guarantee though..

[GeorgeGist]

19. It strikes me as vapid ...

that his first instinct is to appeal to fear.

As a great Democrat once said

“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”

President Obama sounds like the Republican he sees himself to be.

[frylock]

20. not upset, but disappointed..

it was more bushco-like fear mongering.

[bluestate10]

21. I wasn't impressed by the comment. It doesn't appear to have been

thought through.

[Demo_Chris]

22. It was a weird and rather silly thing to say. nt