WASHINGTON—In what some are calling the boldest move of his Presidency, Barack Obama broke with a time-honored tradition observed by several U.S. Presidents including George W. Bush by pronouncing the word "nuclear" as it appears in the dictionary.
Announcing the new weapons pact with Russia today, Mr. Obama repeatedly pronounced the word "nuclear" in a way that has rarely been used by a U.S. President since Jimmy Carter was in the White House.
But according to Davis Logsdon, a professor of international relations at the University of Minnesota, Mr. Obama's pronunciation of "nuclear" may have been key to the diplomatic breakthrough: "The Russians have heard Presidents pronounce it "nucular" for so long, they may have thought he was offering something new."
Mr. Obama's obscure pronunciation of "nuclear" drew harsh reactions from members of the Tea Party movement, who see the President's obsession with correct English usage as an attempt to make the nation more European.
A sign at a recent Teabagger rally read, "Obama Wants to Disconnect Your Granma (sic) and Correct Your Gramar (sic)."
Elsewhere, Sarah Palin campaigned for John McCain today in a bid to shore up his support among morons.
Posted By: Richard Kigel
Friday, March 26th 2010 at 5:27PM
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