Friday, July 25, 2008

"He didn't even sweat."

Report Judith Bonesky of German newspaper Bild, gushes about her opportunity to work out with Barack Obama in the Ritz Carlton Hotel gym in Berlin:

Obama (with toned arms and a strong back) puts on his headphones for his iPod to listen to pop music. He hums quietly. Then he jumps on a fitness bike. He pushes three times on the pedals -- but then can't be bothered with it.

He picks up a pair of 16 kilo (35.2 lb.) weights and starts curling them with his left and right arms, 30 repetitions on each side. Then, amazingly, he picks up the 32 kilo (70.4 lb.) weights! Very slowly he lifts them, first 10 curls with his right, then 10 with his left.

Quickly I ask: "Mr. Obama, could I take a photo?". "Of course!" he answers, before asking my name and coming over to stand next to me. "My name's Judith," I reply. "I'm Barack Obama, nice to meet you!" he says, and puts his arm across my shoulder. I put my arm around his hip -- wow, he didn't even sweat! WHAT A MAN!

Heh.

Part of a CNN.com story about the German press's reaction to Obama's Berlin visit. Another choice tidbit, this from Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung commentator Reymer Kleuver:
He explicitly called for German soldiers for Afghanistan -- he did not say 'more
soldiers' but that was what he meant. And Obama also indicated this:
he will want support as president to wind up the Iraq adventure.

Someone should show this man the definition of the word "explicit." But he's probably right; the U.S. "adventure" in Iraq will need international assistance to be shut down. No one's thinking that some measure of western military support won't be offered to -- and likely accepted by -- Iraq's government for some time to come. When firefighters put out a fire, they don't just walk away when they don't see flames anymore. They stick around to look for hot spots that might flare up again.

Incidentally, quite a misleading headline for the CNN story, but typical of the corporate media.

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