WASHINGTON (AP) — No need for a rewrite — or a reweave — of the new rug in the Oval Office.
President Barack Obama‘s spokesman said Tuesday the White House was correct to attribute a famous quotation in the rug’s pattern to Martin Luther King Jr., even though the civil rights leader acknowledged being inspired by a 19th-century abolitionist, Thomas Parker.
“It was not us that thought he said it, it was many people that believed — rightly so — that he said it,” press secretary Robert Gibbs said.
The wheat, cream and blue rug, which debuted in the Oval Office last week, features the presidential seal in the center and quotations from famous Americans around the border. It was made by the Scott Group of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Describing the rug, a White House statement credited King for these words: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
It‘s one of Obama’s favorite King sayings. And no one disputes that King said it exactly that way — perhaps most memorably to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on Aug. 16, 1967.
But Parker’s adherents note the Transcendentalist and Unitarian minister wrote this in his 1853 treatise “Of Justice and the Conscience”: “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one … And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
Jamie Stiehm, writing in The Washington Post on Saturday, said crediting King but not Parker “goes beyond the beige.”
“We certainly all learned a lot of important history,” Gibbs said Tuesday. “What King said and what Parker said are not the same thing.”
He also noted neither man’s name is actually on the rug. None of the quotations has names attached.
Previously on The Blaze:
Is Anything Wrong With the Seal on New Oval Office Rug?
Whoops: New Oval Office Carpet Includes Incorrect Quote Attribution
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Comments (44)
Gary Swisher
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 5:15pmLook kinda desert just sayin
Report Post »libh8er
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 3:31pmMichelle did say that Barry was going to change history.
Report Post »David2010
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 2:55pmYou guys are talking about a rug. Seriously. A rug. Seems like a pretty trivial thing to go into full pearl-clutching mode over.
Report Post »The Bees Know
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:41pmNope. It is not about a rug. It is about common decency and respect for the words of others. Neither of which are common in politics.
Report Post »Texas Patriot
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:23pmSorry, but giving credit to anyone other that the originator of that quote (even if the rerun is slightly changed) is a no no.
Just ask any college student who has had an otherwise good paper discredited for the very same thing.
Report Post »Reagan was Right
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:08pmThere is a new web site for the Conservative Right.
http://rightnetwork.com/
Check it out.
Report Post »jessieH
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:14pmChanging history, one step at a time.
Report Post »JJMinor
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:13pmAs if that office needed a new rug. What do we make of a man who decides that the office needs some new decorative touches…? I’m thinking he sets a bad example. If I were elected, the last thing I would do would be to spend tax-payer money like this.
Report Post »marybel
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:53amThe famous abolitionist’s name is THEODORE PARKER, not Thomas.
Not only do they give the quote to MLK, the morons even misappropriate the quote to some nobody.
Theodore Parker. Theodore Parker. Theodore Parker. A simple Google search is Gibbs’ friend.
Report Post »mizflame98
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:40amIt’s time to change the history the way FLOTUS said since the White House can never be wrong.
Report Post »bdl901
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:39amWhat’s next?…The White House on MTV Cribs
Report Post »MySecondLanguageisTheUSConstitution
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 11:30amDon’t give them any ideas! Surely enough MTV would DROOL over this chance, just like “MessNBC” (-Limbaugh)
Report Post »Skwerl
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:24amThe decor is as exciting as oatmeal.
Report Post »NC
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:00amFrom a previous post
“solvitur ambulando *** Deo
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 4:55am
Actually, “they” have redesigned the flag! Check out the One Nation flag being promoted with the 10.2.10 rally.”
Here is the link, but i really doubt this is a move to replace the Stars and Stripes with an “Ed” flag.
http://www.onenationworkingtogether.org/
Report Post »ruffnex
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:42pmSTARS AND STRIPES FOREVER!
Report Post »citizencman
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:59amI have been reading The Blaze for a small bit now. This King quote is not the story when it comes to this rug. The Teddy Roosevelt quote, “The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us.” is. Leave it to the media powers that be to identify that.
Report Post »iyam
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:58amI think this issue pretty much sums up obama, makes up facts as he goes
Report Post »jrcess
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 5:07pmYep, we would have a Kenya flag with a sythe and an axe
Report Post »xxooss
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 8:35amRobert Gibbs is an idiot just like Obama.
Report Post »Unbelievable
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 8:14amJust another attempt to re-write history.
Report Post »cat48
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:59amIf Gibbs says it is so, then so be it! Gibbs is such a clown. Too bad he’s just the tip of the iceberg of idiots in charge now.
How can anyone say such stupid things – we believe and many others rightly so – even though it’s WRONG!
So, I believe – as many others and rightly so – Gibbs is a clown, perhaps a “useful idiiot”.
Report Post »StackJumper
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:17amGibbs is full of more crap than a Christmass turkey. What we have here is the reaction to the unintended consequences of not being aware of the facts. This is Gibb’s version of what is “is”. By the time Gibb’s lips quit moving Lisa P. Jackson of the EPA will have to declare the White House Briefing Room a hazardous waste site.
Report Post »Flown Over Too Long
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 3:27amWow – the true mindset of the Liberal Progressive is revealed here so very cleasrly: “We thought he said it, therefore it is true!” This is the same thinking that has disregarded the Constitution and the Founders basic design of a government of laws!
Their minds are obviously so much more powerful than any truth – no wonder our economy is in the shape it is with these intellectual elites running the show! Please, please do not conuse them with hacts…..
Facts indeed are rare and powerless visitors to the PEOPLE OF THE LEFT….very scary
November 2010 and 2012 cannot arrive too soon!!
The radical, formerly mainstream now kooky fringe, media’s control of what America gets informed about has been broken open by Talk Radio, Fox News, the Internet and now THE BLAZE!
The TRUTH IS OUT and it our friend and Progressivism’s mortal enemy!
Report Post »nmb7401
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:45amGibbs is such an idiot! He thinks he can just say ANYTHING and try to spin this and we will all go “Oh…alright… I get it”! NO ROBERT…doesn’t work that way, not any more…you have NO credibility…NONE…ZIP…NADA! Just like the rest of those people in that big ole White House…you have spun things once too often and WE are on to you folks!
Report Post »texaswoman
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:58pmThere might be even a hint of credibility if every other word out of his mouth wasn’t “uh” or “er uh” and if he actually answered questions, preferably without his usual disdain. Seriously, who thinks this fool is even remotely qualified to be the White House Press Secretary?
Report Post »nmb7401
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:36amGive me a break…once again Gibbs is doing his spin thing and it’s so laughable how they stick their foot in the mouth then think they can say ANYTHING and just get right out of it! They have got to be so DIZZY
Report Post »adamjw2
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:56am“It was not us that thought he said it, it was many people that believed — rightly so — that he said it,” press secretary Robert Gibbs said.
Seriously? That’s your response? Do you even listen to the words that come out of your mouth, Robert?
Report Post »rocktruth
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:46amMartin Luther King Jr. should not be an icon for morality neither should Ghandi. They were men of moral substance but definitely not the source. God is only good.
Only Jesus Christ gets to be the image of true moral justice!
Report Post »misterresearcher
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:42amI guess I need to research George Sorros’ web sites to get the truth. After all, Glenn beck does not own the rights to any of our predecessors speaches; therefore, he should not try to revise history by objecting to the POTUS directives on rug quotations. Next he will attribute the “I have a dream speach” to “W” on the campaign trail. Loser.
Put_God_ First
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:58amGo on believing in that crapola of the Democratics/ Progressive/ Socialist/ Marxist/ Communist propaganda machine. Keep on believing……LOL
Report Post »Jeff in Miami
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 4:52amJust because the quote was made famous by a famous person does not warrent giving that famous person credit for the quote, especially when they give the proper credit to the source.
Only in the world of the far left can plagerism be upheld as normal.
Report Post »keithwright
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 6:12amOf the many things this President has said, this quotation is the least of my concerns. I would focus attention upon the things this administration is saying and doing to “FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM”
Report Post »our country. A quotation on a rug?? Really?
StackJumper
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 6:32amMisterResearcher you need to get some help from MisterSpellChecker and MisterProofReader , speaches is really speeches.
Report Post »pucker
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:31amYou are a sad individual. Seek the truth!
Report Post »238junkie
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 5:57pmHe didnt object to the qoute on the ROTUS. He was pointing out that it was not originally said by King. Even so, how is pointing that out trying to “own the rights” of past figure’s speeches?
Report Post »IntegrityMatters
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 2:57pmfrom an article in the June 2010 Politico…
Obama retold the story of two men, one who built his house on a pile of sand and the other who built his on a rock: “We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand,” Obama said. “We must build our house upon a rock.”
“Build your house upon a rock” -Jesus Christ
no wait, that’s wrong…just a minute… let me look it up first…
“must build [y]our house upon a rock” -Barak Hussein Obama
That‘s right isn’t it Mr Gibbs? Everyone knows he said it..it was in all the papers, so it’s his quote right?
What a crock and a mockery Obama has made of our country’s democratic republic system.
Report Post »It‘s like he’s in a play in College. He gets to play the lead role, he’s just pretending, and the sad part is EVERYONE KNOWS IT!
Vote the impostors out!!!!!
NoMarxist
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:29amGood thing they haven’t redesigned the flag yet. It would look odd with 57 stars.
Report Post »solvitur ambulando *** Deo
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 4:55amActually, “they” have redesigned the flag! Check out the One Nation flag being promoted with the 10.2.10 rally. It does away with stars representing the states..(.in effect doing away with states….????) vs. one central government represented by one huge “N”.
t_lashley
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 6:30am58 Stars, “Ive been to 57 states so far, with one left to go”. Ill stick with my constitutional Betsy Ross Flag with 13 stars, before the progressives.
Report Post »patriots22
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 11:38am” I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”
He has been to 57
Report Post »He has to visit 1 more
He wont go to 2 others Alaska and Hawaii
Grand total of 60 States