So Obama was with a room full of Republicans today

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Full video and transcript:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/transcript-of-president-o_n_442423.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/29/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6155115.shtml?tag=stack

Perhaps the most striking moment in the president's appearance – which was reminiscent of a Prime Minister appearing before the British Parliament, though far more polite – was when the president complained that some Republicans had suggested his policies, which he cast as relatively moderate, were in service of a "Bolshevik plot."

There was some applause following that comment – apparently not an endorsement of the president's point, but rather the notion that he was, indeed, a Bolshevik. The moment seemed to point to the futility of the president's message – the GOP is not suddenly going to start portraying Mr. Obama and the Democrats as moderate realists, especially when Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts suggests the current strategy has been working just fine.

"If the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town -- a supermajority -- then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well," he said. "Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions."

Now the GOP is trying to decide if their oppositional strategy makes sense in 2010, with the midterm elections looming. Boehner, who has signaled little interest in working with Democrats, told colleagues Thursday that "we could conceivably win by simply opposing everything and standing for nothing. But could we govern that way? I think we all know the answer is 'no.'"

Following Mr. Obama's appearance Friday, Boehner came before the cameras to suggest he wouldn't be changing his posture. When he casts the health care reform effort as a "government takeover," he said, that's because he "truly believe" that it is.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_GOP?SITE=PAYOK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

"We've got to be careful about what we say about each other sometimes, because it boxes us in in ways that makes it difficult for us to work together because our constituents start believing us," Obama said. "So just a tone of civility instead of slash-and-burn would be helpful."

There's a dash of that hope and change we've been missing from the "O" lately. And more of the same old "No" from the R's. It took balls for Obama to face down a room full Republicans like that.

 

[drebo]

Saying "no" to bad policies should be commended.

The Dems accuse the Repubs of not wanting to work together. Well, the Repub's stance is that there should be no health care bill or that the current one isn't good. Are the Dems willing to remove legislation from that bill to MAKE it appease the Republicans? No, probably not.

Hence, neither side is any better than the other, and none of this is "hope" or "change". It's all more of the same rubbish. Though, once again, I support anything and everything that prevents the federal government from interfering even more within our lives.

 

[spidey07]

He completely embarrassed himself. Watch the video of it.

And people aren't convinced it isn't some Bolshevik Plot - it sure smells like one. Watch his actions, not his words. He tried to demonize the SCOTUS and a little less than half of congress. It's not going to work, We The People see what you are and we reject it.

And a super LOL at this one. Since when has Barrack EVER used this kind of rhetoric? Since Scott Brown, that's when. He's scared shitless as well he should be.

"If the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town -- a supermajority -- then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well," he said. "Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions."

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I think it's likely that we'll see a good many things that Republicans want wrapped in poison pills. If they don't vote for it, they'll get hammered. If they do, they'll get hammered.

Politically it makes sense, and it's all that both parties are really interested in. Beat the other side silly.

I'm OK with that, because as long as they neutralize each other they'll have less time to torment us with their foolishness.

 

[Jhhnn]

Send Spidey for a piss test, because his description of what I'm watching being rebroadcast on C-span right now doesn't resemble his remarks in the slightest. Repubs spout canned talking points, Obama calmly and quietly lays 'em in the dust.

They sure as hell won't be risking a repeat performance, bet on it.

 

[boomerang]

I saw some footage of the meeting. I truly think the man is delusional. His lips say one thing and his actions say the opposite. He comes across as very sincere so he's either delusional, a sociopath or both. I know that some will see that as an inflammatory statement, but it's hard to deny his modus operandi. No consistency. To use an example along the lines of this thread, if he'd stood up before the Republican retreat and called them all a bunch of no good mother fuckers, at least that would have been in sync with his actions. If it hadn't been for the Brown win in Massachusetts, he wouldn't have been there at all.

Regardless, he's ill suited to the job. One quarter of his term in and he doesn't appear to have learned much about how to effectively perform it. There are still many swayed by his manner of speaking however. Content must mean little to them as most of what comes out of his mouth are lies.

But conservatives judge themselves on results while liberals judge themselves on intent. So, to a liberal, he's successful.

The progressives truly hate him.

 

[spidey07]

I saw some footage of the meeting. I truly think the man is delusional. His lips say one thing and his actions say the opposite. He comes across as very sincere so he's either delusional, a sociopath or both. I know that some will see that as an inflammatory statement, but it's hard to deny his modus operandi. No consistency. To use an example along the lines of this thread, if he'd stood up before the Republican retreat and called them all a bunch of no good mother fuckers, at least that would have been in sync with his actions. If it hadn't been for the Brown win in Massachusetts, he wouldn't have been there at all.

Regardless, he's ill suited to the job. One quarter of his term in and he doesn't appear to have learned much about how to effectively perform it. There are still many swayed by his manner of speaking however. Content must mean little to them as most of what comes out of his mouth are lies.

He doesn't care about learning. It's all about the ideology and us vs. them tactics. Thankfully the people are onto his ways and actions.

Notice the complete and total change since the Scott Heard around The World. Complete and total message change. We have a straight up Marxist as the president.

Hayabusa - I saw a lot of poison pill initiatives in the state of the union address. A LOT. Couple with the blatant class warfare, and well we know what he is.

 

[Balt]

I saw some footage of the meeting. I truly think the man is delusional. His lips say one thing and his actions say the opposite. He comes across as very sincere so he's either delusional, a sociopath or both. I know that some will see that as an inflammatory statement, but it's hard to deny his modus operandi. No consistency. To use an example along the lines of this thread, if he'd stood up before the Republican retreat and called them all a bunch of no good mother fuckers, at least that would have been in sync with his actions. If it hadn't been for the Brown win in Massachusetts, he wouldn't have been there at all.

Regardless, he's ill suited to the job. One quarter of his term in and he doesn't appear to have learned much about how to effectively perform it. There are still many swayed by his manner of speaking however. Content must mean little to them as most of what comes out of his mouth are lies.

But conservatives judge themselves on results while liberals judge themselves on intent. So, to a liberal, he's successful.

The progressives truly hate him.

A laughable statement if I've ever seen one.

 

[Sclamoz]

I saw some footage of the meeting. I truly think the man is delusional. His lips say one thing and his actions say the opposite. He comes across as very sincere so he's either delusional, a sociopath or both. I know that some will see that as an inflammatory statement, but it's hard to deny his modus operandi. No consistency. To use an example along the lines of this thread, if he'd stood up before the Republican retreat and called them all a bunch of no good mother fuckers, at least that would have been in sync with his actions. If it hadn't been for the Brown win in Massachusetts, he wouldn't have been there at all.

Err you might want to watch the whole video before you speak.

If a mod reads this please merge the thread I started w/ this, thanks.

 

[Ozoned]

Send Spidey for a piss test, because his description of what I'm watching being rebroadcast on C-span right now doesn't resemble his remarks in the slightest. Repubs spout canned talking points, Obama calmly and quietly lays 'em in the dust.

They sure as hell won't be risking a repeat performance, bet on it.

Mr. President what about the earmarks? Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I was too busy.


This is the shit sandwich you made jhhnn. I have no doubts that you like how it tastes.

 

[boomerang]

Err you might want to watch the whole video before you speak.

I've seen all I need to see. A leopard can't change it's spots.

He's a pathological liar and will say anything he feels he needs to in order to achieve a goal.

 

[jpeyton]

Wow, the GOP got pwned hard. What a huge miscalculation to invite him there AND let the media tape it.

 

[spidey07]

Wow, the GOP got pwned hard. What a huge miscalculation to invite him there AND let the media tape it.

I think it's great. It only exposes what he really is. Keep talking Obama, please, keep talking.

 

[jpeyton]

The only thing it "exposed" is the fact that the GOP will stick to a yearly closed-door circle-jerk from now on. Perhaps book Palin or Rush for next year's "Q&A" session.

 

[woolfe9999]

Much of the posturing and rhetoric that Obama was talking about in his discussion with the GOP is apparent in this thread.

I watched the entire video. I thought it was an excellent and very frank exchange between Obama and the repubs. There was a some spirit of bipartisanship and also some very contentious points from both sides. Obama had some very sharp points about the cause of partisanship (including a mention of the media that was dead on). He also talked about how politically difficult it is to reduce the deficit by cutting Medicare because whichever party proposes it gets jumped on by the other for trying to cut benefits for seniors.

This sort of thing should be done way more often.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35143654#35147119
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35143654#35147797

- wolf

 

[Balt]

I think it's great. It only exposes what he really is. Keep talking Obama, please, keep talking.

That explains why Fox News is running it 24/7. Oh wait...

 

[Sclamoz]

Frank Luntz: Obama Had The Advantage Today, But GOP Should Do This Again

I just got off the phone with Frank Luntz, the well-known GOP pollster who was aggressively called out by Obama at today’s televised face-off with Republicans, and he conceded Obama had the advantage today — but said he’d still advise Republicans to debate him again, because it put them on his “level.”

Luntz also confided that Obama had approached him after the event and joked with him about calling him out. “We had a laugh about it,” Luntz told me in an interview just now. “He said, `It’s good for business.’”

During today’s event, Obama singled out Luntz, poked fun at his obsession with polling and focus groups, and cast him as a symbol of what’s wrong with Washington. “It’s all tactics, and it’s not solving problems,” Obama said.

Asked who won today’s face-off, Luntz said something that people on both sides would agree with.

“I call it in favor of the American people,” Luntz said. “I think it was good for everybody. I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never seen the President of one party interacting with the other party.”

Pressed on who had the upper hand, Luntz conceded: “Obama had the advantage. But he always has the advantage” because he’s President. Luntz said it was a boon to Obama, because he “demonstrated bipartisanship before a national audience.”

But Luntz said he’d counsel Republicans to do it again. “It was good for Republicans — it put them on the same level with the president and it will get their ideas heard,” he said.

“I would advise both sides to do it again,” Luntz said. “It should become a tradition. It demonstrates respect for the political process when both sides engage in debate.”

Okay then, White House and Republicans, when do we get to see this again?

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/p...advantage-today-but-gop-should-do-this-again/

 

[Patranus]

"If the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town -- a supermajority -- then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well," he said. "Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions."

I like how the "Progressives" are throwing a temper tantrum over this 60 vote issue. They are acting like the GOP made up some rule on the spot.

 

[Generator]

Another attempt at achieving some cooperation. The republicans give Obama the back of their hand again. I think Obama really is going to let himself be slapped around by Republicans for this entire year. Obama wants to show America just how right wing the republican party has become. A whole year watching Republicans demonize and disrespect the President of the United States.

When did the republicans become this right wing?! We all know the party has been hijacked by 2nd rate men. But when did it exactly happen? Can't expect anything from the women of the republican party either, just complete indifference and cowardice.

The President is really trying here for some bi-partisanship. At least publicly, I can't imagine there a many who have the strength to suffer these Republican fools like he has.

 

[spidey07]

Another attempt at achieving some cooperation. The republicans give Obama the back of their hand again. I think Obama really is going to let himself be slapped around by Republicans for this entire year. Obama wants to show America just how right wing the republican party has become. A whole year watching Republicans demonize and disrespect the President of the United States.

When did the republicans become this right wing?! We all know the party has been hijacked by 2nd rate men. But when did it exactly happen? Can't expect anything from the women of the republican party either, just complete indifference and cowardice.

The President is really trying here for some bi-partisanship. At least publicly, I can't imagine there a many who have the strength to suffer these Republican fools like he has.

You have GOT to be kidding me. When has this president ever been bi-partisan? Only in the last few weeks since Massachusetts senate election in his desperation and just NOW he says he's a representative of the people?

No, We The People flatly reject him and his first year have only strengthened that. Too little, too late you bastard. We're onto you. Watch his actions, not his words.

Notice that he and holder are now trying to back off from trying terrorists in civil courts. Wonder why that is?

 

[Ozoned]

Another attempt at achieving some cooperation. The republicans give Obama the back of their hand again. I think Obama really is going to let himself be slapped around by Republicans for this entire year. Obama wants to show America just how right wing the republican party has become. A whole year watching Republicans demonize and disrespect the President of the United States.

When did the republicans become this right wing?! We all know the party has been hijacked by 2nd rate men. But when did it exactly happen? Can't expect anything from the women of the republican party either, just complete indifference and cowardice.

The President is really trying here for some bi-partisanship. At least publicly, I can't imagine there a many who have the strength to suffer these Republican fools like he has.

Heh. Maybe the 13 people that watched it.


Why doesn't Obama just talk to the people?


And last but not least, 3 more years of disrespecting and demonizing to go. My constituency demands it.

 

[Jhhnn]

The President is really trying here for some bi-partisanship. At least publicly, I can't imagine there a many who have the strength to suffer these Republican fools like he has.

Despite Luntz's remarks, and the ideological blinders exhibited by some posters here, repubs would have to be even dumber than they showed themselves to be during this exchange to do it again. Anybody who actually thinks in a non-circular fashion saw Obama politely, gently and firmly hand 'em their collective asses. Failure to see it as such is willful blindness, all too common on the Right.

Obama probably recalled the words of brer rabbit as he left the gathering- "Oh please, brer wolf, do anything you want, but don't throw me into that briar patch!"

 

[OrByte]

The good ol party of NO.

The GOP is not doing what they were elected to do...just saying NO isn't governing...

 

[spidey07]

Despite Luntz's remarks, and the ideological blinders exhibited by some posters here, repubs would have to be even dumber than they showed themselves to be during this exchange to do it again. Anybody who actually thinks in a non-circular fashion saw Obama politely, gently and firmly hand 'em their collective asses. Failure to see it as such is willful blindness, all too common on the Right.

Obama probably recalled the words of brer rabbit as he left the gathering- "Oh please, brer wolf, do anything you want, but don't throw me into that briar patch!"

He is mistakenly thinking the anger is on Washington. The anger is purely at him. His narcissism will be his downfall. Keep talking Hussein, keep talking. Please keep opening your mouth.

His delusional lies are catching up with him.

 

[Ozoned]

Despite Luntz's remarks, and the ideological blinders exhibited by some posters here, repubs would have to be even dumber than they showed themselves to be during this exchange to do it again. Anybody who actually thinks in a non-circular fashion saw Obama politely, gently and firmly hand 'em their collective asses. Failure to see it as such is willful blindness, all too common on the Right.

Obama probably recalled the words of brer rabbit as he left the gathering- "Oh please, brer wolf, do anything you want, but don't throw me into that briar patch!"

Ayup. Obama now needs to talk to the voters in Mass. and hand them their collective asses as well.