McConnell makes it official: Obama is Public Enemy No. 1
I’ve been hesitant to make too much of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s statement a few days ago that “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” It seemed over the top, like something McConnell said off the cuff, in the heat of battle, and probably regretted.
Surely it was more important to McConnell as a public servant to get millions of Americans working again, or to restore the nation’s financial health, or to stop Iran from getting the bomb. Surely working toward those and other national goals took priority over trying to defeat Obama, especially in difficult times such as these.
Silly, silly me.
“Over the past week, some have said it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term in office,” the Senate Republican leader plans to tell the conservative Heritage Foundation, according to excerpts of his speech provided to POLITICO.
“But the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill; to end the bailouts; cut spending; and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all these things is to put someone in the White House who won’t veto any of these things,” the Kentucky Republican will say. “We can hope the president will start listening to the electorate after Tuesday’s election. But we can’t plan on it.”
McConnell isn’t some talk-radio host trying to work his audience into a lather. He’s not a behind-the-scenes political operative or consultant plotting the next election. He’s the Senate minority leader, with an obligation to govern that ought to transcend partisan goals.
For that reason, it means something when a person in his position embraces partisan gain over all else, however he may try to justify it to himself and others. In fact, it’s hard to hear his statement as anything but a declaration of all-out partisan war, damn the consequences.
For example, given the choice of supporting something that was good for the country, but would also benefit Barack Obama politically, what would McConnell do? If you take him at his word — and I guess we have to, since he has chosen to repeat it for emphasis — you at least have to wonder.
I just can’t imagine such a bald assertion of partisan gain over policy at any other time from such a prominent source. Tom Daschle in 2002, saying “the single most important thing we want to achieve is beating George Bush?” Unthinkable, because then as now, the country had bigger things on its plate. Even Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich, at the height of political acrimony with Bill Clinton, didn’t publicly commit themselves to Clinton’s political destruction as their primary goal.
The good news is, at least we know where we stand.
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485 comments Add your comment
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:03 am
Finn,
“He is part of the “what’s in it for me” crowd, not the “what’s best for the country” crowd.”
I see that attitude as a huge problem in this country and what people don’t seem to grasp is that the government is charged with making things work for a majority of the people — because you know the government IS “WE the people” not “ME.”
Madison
November 4th, 2010
9:04 am
Gordon, It is true. Sad but true. This total POS is going to spend about a billion dollars for nothing.
joe
November 4th, 2010
9:05 am
and it’s currently raining outside…tell us something we don’t know JB…
Paul
November 4th, 2010
9:06 am
Madison
Please read the post at 9:03 -
JDW
November 4th, 2010
9:06 am
Ragnar Danneskjöld
November 4th, 2010
8:56 am
“Dear JDW @ 8:33, actually the Dow is forward-looking. The collapse beginning in September 2008 was anticipation of a hard-leftist regime, and you have to admit that it was an accurate forecast. (I realize the long decline actually began about one year into the democrat control of Congress, but the true collapse materialized only when the ascent of the Chosen One was manifest.) I think the Dow now sees a flicker of hope for the economy. Had the tea partiers taken the senate too, the Dow would have risen 2000.”
HORSE HOOEY…the bottom of the DOW was caused by the fear that the Republicans had caused the next Great Depression. From the day Obama took office and belayed that fear it has risen.
As for that whole leading econimic indicator thing…not so good.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/09/news/economy/equities_leading_indicator.fortune/index.htm
It does do a decent job of reflecting what buyers THINK might happen in the future…problem is they are wrong more often than not.
Doggone/GA
November 4th, 2010
9:06 am
“What is the source of this information? ”
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/us-to-spend-200-mn-a-day-on-obama-s-mumbai-visit-64106
stands for decibels
November 4th, 2010
9:07 am
Jay, just for fun, if you could wave a magic wand and fit several dozen Senators with functioning spines, what rules changes would you like to see the Senate impose in its next session?
(For the sake of argument, let’s presume they “go nuclear” and allow a simple up-or-down vote to carry the day when they re-convene in January.)
Madison
November 4th, 2010
9:08 am
Paul, You do some research. They majority of the money that will be spent will be for security!
JDW
November 4th, 2010
9:08 am
@Peadawg
“Or am I getting deficit and debt confused again?”
Yep
Gordon
November 4th, 2010
9:09 am
@Doggone/GA,
“Yes…if it’s replaced with something even better.”
Obama has already said he is only willing to tweak it. “Tweak” and “Replace” are different. A bill that adds 3 dozen new federal agencies is unacceptable to most people. That doesn’t mean those people are against health care reform. For example, you could start as simply as passing and enforcing a law that prevents an insurance company from dropping or radically increasing the rates (unless it was increased for ALL participants) for someone based on their claims experience.
ms. shirley
November 4th, 2010
9:09 am
So Mr. Bookman how are McConnell’s comments any different then the actions and words of Reid, Pelosi and B.O. the past 2 years. Talk about a blatant abuse of power…those three took advantage of their positions and have no regrets about it. And now it’s cost them. Good for McConnell for throwing down the gauntlet. BO is weak for a president, even more so then Carter and W. When a sitting president goes on a talk show and the host calls him dude, that’s blatantly disrespectful and indicates how BO doesn’t take his position seriously. There should be a boundary and BO is too soft to establish it. He has his own agenda with influence from his father. (He’s got big time daddy issues) We as Americans have to burden and pay for BO’s agenda because he’s trying to measure up to his weirdo father’s beliefs.
Randy
November 4th, 2010
9:10 am
I voted straight Tea Party or Republican because of the following reasons. The health care fiasco, the stimulus bill, against teachers unions and illegal immigration. The massive spending by our federal government has got to stop. I think the majority of voters voted for these reasons as well.
Now comes the responsibility of these incoming party leaders to step up to the plate and give us what we are looking for.
#1 Tax Reform The taxes we pay simply do not justify what we get in return. Social Security is a joke fix it and give the American people a proper portion of what they were forced to pay in.
#2 If you cannot repeal health care simply refuse to fund it.
#3 Stop American companies from sending jobs overseas. How? Simple if they move their companies overseas then their products or services are not allowed into this country. Period.
#4 Illegal immigration…..My next door neighbor is an illegal Mexican (God honest truth) He earns $1000.00 a week. While Americans are unemployed the company he works for refuses to hire Americans. You tell me an American won’t work for $1000.00 a week???????? Tell me that!!!!!
#5 Cut the salaries of both the House and Senate, show America you are willing to help the situation and stop this business of special retirements, special health care and special benefits for members of government. Lead by example.
I am not finished but I am aggravated. You Republican and Democrat leaders have two years to get this unemployment under control or your offices will be cleaned out at the end of that period or we as voters will do everything in our power to ensure the Tea Party become a more viable force than it was this year.
Governor Deal, you and the Republicans control every faucet of the Georgia government. Do something about the issues mentioned above or you can go home as well.
Americans are fed up with politics as usual and we know how to vote. Keep that in mind.
Do we as Americans realize if our government had not wasted money on these bailouts and simply given the money to it’s citizens this recession would have been over a long time ago? Do you realize the amount of money we are talking about? You would have had at minimum a million dollar check coming to you. That would have paid off or bought you a house (fixes housing market) you could have paid off or bought a car (fixes auto industry) you would have saved or invested some of it (stimulates the economy) so if simpletons like me can figure this out why can’t our leaders.
It is time to put politics aside (every party) roll up your sleeves, get the lobbyists out of Washington and stop pork barrel projects. Give the tax money back to us citizens and let us vote in our respective states as to which projects we want to fund.
Think we won’t? Just look at the idiots in Jefferson Georgia who just voted to increase their taxes during an economy such as this.
“”A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy…” ~~ paraphrased from Sir Alex Fraser Tytler (1742-1813) Scottish jurist and historian.”
America we cannot become a nation of socialism it will not work. I don’t care if you are Republican, Democrat, Green, Independent, or any other party you cannot take from the public treasury to support yourself. What you do is vote in leaders who will control spending and take only what is needed AND allowed by the constitution.
BADA BING
November 4th, 2010
9:10 am
What is the big deal? Every Rep or Dem is out to keep their party in power. That is part of the job. Say there were 2 large newspapers in Atlanta (We can dream can’t we?). Your job, Jay, would to be the best columnist you could be, so that your paper would be number one in Atl. Isn’t that the way it works?
Big D
November 4th, 2010
9:10 am
Just figure the cost of fuel for 40 planes to fly all his friends and pose there and 574 rooms of the Taj hotel…this is crazy no mater how you look at it under the circumstances we are under…
David B.
November 4th, 2010
9:10 am
The GOP’s sole focus is going to echo Gingrich’s Contract On America to bring up GOP numbers for the next election. They, like the Democrats two years ago, will pretty much say anything this week to appease their base and echo their media, because they had a good run in the election.
Reality will sink in soon enough, when legislation has to get passed, and compromises have to be made, and hopefully more moderate voices will prevail. Moderate voices don’t make the front page news.
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:10 am
Security costs money!!! Newsflash!! Lets all act like Bush or any other president since the invention of the airplane does not require security when they travel overseas.
Ken
November 4th, 2010
9:11 am
India, why ?????????????
AmVet
November 4th, 2010
9:11 am
Sadly the tone for this thread is set with that first (idiotic) post.
Speaking of arrogant.
AmericansRepublicans don’t want Republicans to compromise w/ Obama.AmericansRepublicans don’t like Obama’s liberal policies. Did y’all not get that memo yesterday?Peadawg….Haven’t you got the memo yet….
EverythingNothing is the GOP’s fault.Party First. Party Last. Party Always. (Sorry, America, you come second…)
“As I recall, the republicans and Bush ended up working quite nicely together.”
SO much material, in so few words!
“I had no idea our country was destroyed…..”
Paul, you sir, have a stunning lack of sympathy for drama queens…
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:11 am
“For example, you could start as simply as passing and enforcing a law that prevents an insurance company from dropping or radically increasing the rates (unless it was increased for ALL participants) for someone based on their claims experience.”
Gordon,
And how do you think that is going to be paid for? The insurance companies are not going to do that out of the goodness of their heart or a cut to their bottom line. It’s totally lunacy to think that insurance companies will not drop people and NOT raise their rates.
Paul
November 4th, 2010
9:12 am
Madison
I said it was off the top of my head. The items I cited are how these ‘bills’ are usually compiled.
Do you have a source for the individual costs that made up that daily number? I looked but didn’t see an article.
But when I’ve looked at past such situations, it’s stuff like “The Air Force will spend $N an hour to fly their C-17s. There are N Secret Service agents involved for N days, so their salaries cost $N. Indian military patrols will cost $N.
And as I said, the Air Force and Secret Service and Indian military would have spent the money for salaries and operating costs if Pres Obama went to India or if he stayed in DC.
Gordon
November 4th, 2010
9:12 am
Doggone,
Thanks for the link. That is truly outrageous. So outrageous I thought it was made up.
Doggone/GA
November 4th, 2010
9:12 am
“Obama has already said he is only willing to tweak it. “Tweak” and “Replace” are different.”
There is no limit to “tweaking” – if a replacement bill was passed and is better than the previous one, he’ll sign it. I have no doubt. What I *do* doubt is that a better one will ever be presented, let alone passed.
Madison
November 4th, 2010
9:13 am
Ken, His kids want to play in the pool at the Taj Mahal.
Paul
November 4th, 2010
9:14 am
AmVet
I know.
Probably came from raising teenagers…..
@@
November 4th, 2010
9:15 am
Too funny, Paul.
You don’t appear to be capable of overcoming “IT”. Just like some(body) else I’ve had to listen to over the past couple of years.
Prickly! NO…just an observation…much like the one you claim to have.
Gordon
November 4th, 2010
9:15 am
Bosch,
They will raise their rates based on the claims experience of ALL their pool, not just trying to eliminate the few that are costing them the most money. That is the point of insurance. And of course they aren’t going to do it out of the goodness of their heart – that’s why you have a law and enforce it. That is an actual legitimate role of government – to enforce law – not to administer healthcare.
Big D
November 4th, 2010
9:15 am
Whats wrong with you people …this guy has not gone on TV or anywhere explaining this DA trip…I think this guy could feed you dog poop and tell you it was chocolate and you would swallow that too…
Wake UP… this guy is up to no good and we ..ALL of us better start taking a better look at him.
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:15 am
The hard-to-swallow claim originated with a Nov. 2 Press Trust of India article quoting an unnamed “top official” in the government of Maharashtra (one of India’s states). The source was quoted as saying that Obama’s upcoming trip to Mumbai will cost $200 million per day for security and living arrangements, among other things. The story claimed that the president would be accompanied by about 3,000 people, including Secret Service agents, government officials and journalists, and will stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel — the scene of a 2008 terrorist attack.
We find stories based on anonymous sources always deserve special caution, especially when they come from only one news organization. In this case, the anonymous official is not even in the U.S. government, and any information about costs would necessarily have come second-hand at best, an added reason for caution.
Nevertheless, the story was widely repeated without any additional reporting. Soon after the article was released, The Drudge Report — a news aggregation website — linked to the Press Trust of India article, with the headline “REPORT: US to spend $200 million per day on Obama’s Mumbai visit…” Later that day, Rush Limbaugh claimed on his radio show that “Five hundred seven rooms at the Taj Mahal, 40 airplanes, $200 million a day this nation will spend on Obama’s trip to India.” He repeats the “$200 million a day” claim several times throughout the show without specifying its source
Y’all believe that ?? Man , i got some stuff to sell you !!!
Doggone/GA
November 4th, 2010
9:16 am
“So outrageous I thought it was made up.”
Well, my advice is to take a line through the “outrageous” cost of Michelle Obama’s trip to Spain. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if there’s just about as much truth to THIS story as there was to THAT one.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:16 am
Big D,
Question and let’s be honest here — were you as poutraged as you seem to be over this trip when any other POTUS took any other trip and it required the same amount of money?
I mean really.
Madison
November 4th, 2010
9:17 am
Paul, And of course we have a standing order to keep the 800 room Taj Mahal hotel booked. And of course those planes would be flying to India even if the POS POTUS wasn’t going. Please read about the trip before more asnine comments.f
Left wing management
November 4th, 2010
9:18 am
“I just can’t imagine such a bald assertion of partisan gain over policy at any other time from such a prominent source. Tom Daschle in 2002, saying “the single most important thing we want to achieve is beating George Bush?” Unthinkable ..”
Exactly, Jay, and in this way the Republicans are our Taliban. It goes without saying for them that no compromise with the present order is possible, as it is what must first be swept away.
This ought to serve as a lesson to all easy-going centrists and pragmatists (which includes 98% of the mainstream press) about how successful the Republicans have been in advancing ideological purity and “True Belief” over what a couple of decades ago would have surely been a more pragmatic outlook and a sense of solidarity.
That solidarity is now gone. We live in times of virtual civil war at the ideological level and the sooner other players in the struggle realize it, the better.
fulldawg
November 4th, 2010
9:18 am
Is Mitch McConnell so blind to the fact that Obama is not going to need any help to be a one-termer? Not only are his priorities screwed up he is oblivious to eth state this nation is really in. Moron…
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:18 am
Big D,
“and it required the same amount of money?”
I take that back because apparently this is just that: a right wing poutrage based on nothing but twisted lies.
Road Scholar
November 4th, 2010
9:18 am
Peadawg: I agree that healthcare costs have increased since the HC bill was passed. That was anticipated since more citizens were being included, and coverage changes. But in the past 10 years, my HC premiums increased by the same annual %, if not higher, each year. Now how do you explain that?
Also, I want leadership that promotes the well being of this country, not a personal vendetta. And I don’t care who gets credit! Also remember, while conservatives control the House, they do not control the Senate! You aren’t near controlling 50% of our Federal government.
Gordon
November 4th, 2010
9:19 am
Doggone,
“It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if there’s just about as much truth to THIS story as there was to THAT one.”
Me either. This CAN’T be true. 3,000 people? $200,000,000 a day?
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:19 am
I cant believe people are repeating what Limbaugh is saying like its the truth!!
Um…. wait a minute, yes i can.
Like i said, i got some great stuff to sell you.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
November 4th, 2010
9:19 am
Dear JDW @ 9:06, you err. You assume that the Dow is like all leftists, “cult oriented” and that it believes people cause economies to prosper or collapse. In truth the Dow is logical, and it believes economic policies cause economies to prosper or collapse. Surely you do not argue that the Obama agenda has been pro-business. No, the Dow response is a pretty logical assumption that the worst impulses of the leftists will be constrained.
As to your closing note, “It does do a decent job of reflecting what buyers THINK might happen in the future…problem is they are wrong more often than not” you may be dismayed to learn that I agree with your argument. You appropriately highlighted the key word.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:20 am
Hey Vet, how do you feel about your man taking 3000 of his closest friends to India at a price tag of $200mm a day to the tax payers? Oh I know, you will have a witty and personal comment comeback concerning my intelligence and the evil republicans. You are as honest as our President and as credible.
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:22 am
Yep, its about as credilble as people believeing that BS about the India trip.
stands for decibels
November 4th, 2010
9:22 am
Y’all believe that ?? Man , i got some stuff to sell you !!!
How much do I hear for this Michelle Obama “Whitey” Video?
I’ve also got ACORN helping out a guy dressed like a 70s movie pimp, and some Death Panels as well. Plus scary Negroes preventing white folks from voting. And illegals committin’ Voter Fraud. Cheap.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:22 am
Big D, Sid, and others,
Please read this:
http://factcheck.org/2010/11/ask-factcheck-trip-to-mumbai/
Ivan Cohen
November 4th, 2010
9:22 am
Mitch McConnell: he’s got that look…….like a Grand Dragon of the Klu Klux Klan.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:23 am
Road Scholar
November 4th, 2010
9:18 am
You are right about the senate but, you better keep your eyes on the moderate liberals who want to get re-elected in 2012 and the ones that just won running against Obama. Example: the senator from WV. The dems don’t have a sure lock on the senate.
FREE AMERICAN
November 4th, 2010
9:23 am
If the dems freeze the system it may be time to stop paying all taxes and put them out on the street.They don’t have a jail big enough for everyone but we have one big enough for them.
AmVet
November 4th, 2010
9:24 am
Based on rags and several other comments here this morning, it obvious that the garden variety neo-con still has no earthly idea what happened in September 2008.
ZERO.
They don’t know the culpable players, they don’t know the history leading up to it, they cannot even describe the events that happened and they are intellectually dishonest to the point that they will not connect the dots.
Because that will take them where they desperately do not want to go.
Instead, they make up idiotic assertions about how the attempted corporate destruction of capitalism began in 2006 and other such sophomoric claptrap.
I believe this is why they still think men like McConnell, who is a perfect Republican, but a disgraceful American, have the “answers”.
And in some ways I envy them. It would be so much easier to be blind sheep going to the slaughter…
WillieRae
November 4th, 2010
9:24 am
Don’t mind me Jay.I am just sitting in the back of the bus with the rest of Mr. Obama’s “enemies”.
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:25 am
Thats where i got my info, Bosch. But people still believe that hoooey because Limbaugh told them so.
Chris
November 4th, 2010
9:25 am
I want to know what’s so unreasonable about the Politico excerpt.
stands for decibels
November 4th, 2010
9:26 am
By the way, I am highly Concerned, I tell you, about this India trip and its apparently outrageous costs that some Responsible Media Outlets have reported.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:26 am
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:22 am
No dispute on the 3000 guests and friends Larry. So how much will this cost for 3000 + 1 to travel to India? Fact check that one please.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:26 am
larry,
I liked this part:
This story has spread rapidly among the president’s critics, but there is simply no evidence to support it. And common sense should lead anyone to doubt it.
Common sense — yeah, there you go.
Paul
November 4th, 2010
9:28 am
Madison
Asinine? Okay, let’s try again.
Trip costs can be split into two categories: those directly attributable to the trip and those that would have occurred regardless.
Costs directly attributed to the trip are such things as hotel costs, entertainment – that sort of stuff.
Costs that would have occurred regardless are the costs to operate the military aircraft and ground forces; salaries of gov’t employees, such as Secret Service or White House staff, involved in the operation.
Costs that would have occurred whether or not the Pres went to India far outweigh the direct costs.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:28 am
Sid,
“No dispute on the 3000 guests and friends Larry. So how much will this cost for 3000 + 1 to travel to India? Fact check that one please.”
That’s not the way it works here — you make the claim, you back it up.
Jefferson
November 4th, 2010
9:28 am
For a group that only has a third of the legislative power, they are setting themselves up for failure.
Road Scholar
November 4th, 2010
9:29 am
Bosch: Thanks for the link.
Sid: Understood. But I want my representatives to be “free thinkers” versus a “rubber stamp”!
Big D
November 4th, 2010
9:29 am
The OBAMA trip has not only booked the entire Taj they have booked many more hotels in Mumbai including the Oberoi and Grand Hyatt…180 more rooms with an average price of $374.00 a day for plain rooms…you do the math…go to rediffnews.com…
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:30 am
Paul,
I guess they think the Secret Service works for free when Obama is in DC.
Donovan
November 4th, 2010
9:30 am
Ah, excuse me for saying…but you Democrats have a short memory. Remember the eight years of the Bush administration? I do believe that you all relentlessly sniped, ridiculed, and undermined the president’s stay in office. Now that you all are on the receiving end of a royal butt kicking and had your lunch eaten, the idea of partisan politics has you all upset. For those 8 years of rancid attacks the Republicans took notes and returned the favor. As they say, “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”. You created your own monster. Jay, you can stop with the pious call for bipartisonship and expectation of old Republican suboordination. There’s a new sherriff in town and he’s in no mood for playing Mr. Nice Guy. Obama and Harry Reid represent the enemy and they cannot remove the bull’s eye on their backs. Welcome to the new conservative movement.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
A word to Chauncey, regarding his 3000 person entourage: gotomeeting.com
marky mark
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
“He’s the Senate minority leader, with an obligation to govern that ought to transcend partisan goals.”
Wow Jay….you guess Hary Reid ever had that thought? Not likely…..
barking frog
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
Hooray for Bollywood…..
AmVet
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
Sid, aka mystery meat #217, obsess over somebody else for awhile, OK?
Regarding illegal immigration, where are the Republican calls to arrest and prosecute the thousands of American business owners who profited illegally from using those people?
Why are there NOT widespread prosecutions of these law-breakers?
And why is the GOP so opposed to the rule of law and the concept of justice?
marky mark
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
thats harry
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
Big D,
I’m sure that you might understand why I would rather not take a website called rediffnews.com’s word over Fact Check.org.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:33 am
AmVet
November 4th, 2010
9:31 am
Sid, aka mystery meat #217, obsess over somebody else for awhile, OK?
Why vet, you are so much fun.
Nofreecheese
November 4th, 2010
9:33 am
“The reason President Obama’s legislative agenda hasn’t yielded the positive results the electorate expected from him is that Republicans obstructed much of his legislation.” This is the prevalent explantion(excuse) currently being put forth by Obama followers.
Given that Obama spent enormous political capital and the 1st 18 months of his tenure convincing Democrats to pass Obamacare, and got “80% of his agenda passed” (his very own words), this assertion is ridiculous. He got legislation passed despite the opposition of not only the Republicans, but of his own party. Do we really want a president in office who can’t forward his legislative “vision” w/ a Senate super-majority and House majority? By defending the “chosen one” w/ this Republican obstructionism excuse, his followers are implying that he is politically impotent–which he clearly is not. The simple truth is that OBAMA’s priorities were not in sync w/ the majority of voters.
Obama is like a guy who has “good game” w/ the ladies; he knows exactly what to say, how to dress, and how to behave in order to convince them to give it up for him. A few months later when he is living w/ some woman w/o paying rent, driving her car, and not contributing towards utilities and groceries, she has to admit she made a mistake and kick him out.
He delivered on his promise of “change” to a fault; it’s just not the change the electorate wanted or needed.
barking frog
November 4th, 2010
9:34 am
I admire Mcconnell for his honesty in expressing
the goal of all republicans although I question
the wisdom of his doing so….
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:35 am
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:28 am
So it could be $100mm a day and your side says, see, we were right? Yeah, liberals are funny people and you just proved it.
chuck
November 4th, 2010
9:35 am
Jay,
“Surely it was more important to McConnell as a public servant to get millions of Americans working again, or to restore the nation’s financial health, or to stop Iran from getting the bomb.”
Isn’t that what he said?
Jim
November 4th, 2010
9:35 am
Cynthia — So far Obama and the supporting Democrats have not done anything that does not violate individual rights. I believe McConnell recognizes that and does not anticipate that Obama would put individual rights ahead of his own agenda.
Ken
November 4th, 2010
9:36 am
I’m calling out the AJC and YOU JAY BOOKMAN. Why is it so hard for the media to accept that most of this country does NOT lean left and embrace a humanistic and relativistic world view? Being a conservative does NOT equate to somehow being less educated or unenlightened because we refuse to embrace a world view that ignores the reality of true human nature. Obama IS public enemy #1 without a shadow of a doubt. In 2 short years, he has done more damage to this country than any predecessor before him. He has blatantly ignored the constitution in ramming health care down the throats of the working middle class, turning a blind eye to illegal immigration, and expanding government in a model characteristic of China or the Soviet Union. I’ll go a step further…He is a TRAITOR and is guilty of TREASON. The constitution itself says that the people have the freedom to remove an elected official for behaving in a despotic manner. It’s the basis of why this country was founded. VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMOVE AN INCOMPETENT, AMORAL, NARCASSISTIC CLOWN from office.
Big D
November 4th, 2010
9:37 am
Bosch..sorry to have to correct you, but the White house director refused to give ANY information on costs…so where does that leave the debate? Your source…
Doggone/GA
November 4th, 2010
9:38 am
“I do believe that you all relentlessly sniped, ridiculed, and undermined the president’s stay in office”
I see. You’re taking your stand on the playground principle that it’s Ok because “Tommy did it too.” Doesn’t it bother you AT ALL that you haven’t advanced in maturity since you were 5 years old?
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:39 am
Nofreecheese
November 4th, 2010
9:33 am
“The reason President Obama’s legislative agenda hasn’t yielded the positive results the electorate expected from him is that Republicans obstructed much of his legislation.” This is the prevalent explantion(excuse) currently being put forth by Obama followers.
Nice post. This dog don’t hunt anymore little liberals. He had full power in both houses to pass anything he wanted and failed. When you are not a leader to begin with, what did you expect. The guy had people in his own party turn against him. You all voted in a guy who can not lead and you blame the minority for his short comings. Only in liberal 101 training are you taught this behavior. Nice.
jap
November 4th, 2010
9:39 am
WOW!!
How soon do we forget. We remember it was Bill Clinton (a democrat) who put this country in the black when he was president. George W. Bush (republican) had a goal mine when he cheated his way – oops – I mean when he was voted in as president. What did he do? He started a war in a place that did it didn’t needed to be started in, caused gas priced to skyrocket (a lot of gas stations here didn’t even have gas), houses went into foreclosure, banks and mortgage companies went out of business, unemployment went up, etc, etc, etc. But President Obama is Public ememy number 1? The republicans knew exactly what they were doing. What is sadder is that the public is so fickle that they will blow wherever the wind takes them. They knew the president could not clean up 8 years of mess Bush put this country in in less than 2 years, so they pounced, and the media did too. I cannot believe people fell for this. Didn’t the president say things were not gonna happen overnight? No one listened. Well, now that republicans have control of the house, what now? Repeal the healthcare bill? Continue giving tax cuts to millionaires? Continue taking from the working class? Reduce minimun wage? I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the public. By 2012, everyone will see the true colors of the republicans and the tea party. And President Obama will be president for a second term. Just keep our president in prayer. For the next two years the House will be giving him hell, but we have to have his back.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:40 am
Big D
November 4th, 2010
9:37 am
And his source is………
Red
November 4th, 2010
9:41 am
Peace fellow ‘lefties’; let the Right spiral into hyper-partisanship and show their true colours now that they think they have a mandate by controlling one house of Congress.
The middle does not take kindly to extremes on either side.
Chris D.
November 4th, 2010
9:41 am
Jay…I must be missing something, but I do NOT see anywhere in your quote where Mitch O’Connel calls Obama “Public Enemy #1″? Perhaps you are confused…Last week Obama called Boehner and other Republicans that disagree with him and his agenda “His Enemies.”
Chris D.
November 4th, 2010
9:43 am
Bosch in your figures you ought to add the 34 ship aircraft carrier fleet that is being deployed for thsi trip as well….
AmVet
November 4th, 2010
9:43 am
Haven’t followed the Obama to India story, but given the massive amount of self-righteous outrage from the silly cons, I only hope it is as productive as Pray for Rain’s four dozen member delegation to Cuba.
(Damn Republican commie sympathizers…)
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:43 am
jap
November 4th, 2010
9:39 am
WOW!!
How soon do we forget. We remember it was Bill Clinton (a democrat) who put this country in the black when he was president.
You are right, how soon we forget. It took the republican led congress to force Clinton to the middle and work with them to cut spending and reform welfare. Oh how soon we forget. See the 1994 election and how Clinton did the right thing ffor the country. Obama will not due to arrogance.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:43 am
Big D.,
Oh, don’t feel sorry, because you didn’t.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:44 am
AmVet
November 4th, 2010
9:43 am
Expected nothing less from you am, a no answer just insults. You da’ man!
TM
November 4th, 2010
9:44 am
Does anyone know if Boner is the first orange person to hold the House leader position?
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:45 am
Chris D.,
Oh, no that would be YOUR figures and math — so to help us all out, why don’t you do a spreadsheet of all the costs and we can go through it together.
TM
November 4th, 2010
9:45 am
By the way, it’s November 4.
WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:45 am
Red
November 4th, 2010
9:41 am
The middle does not take kindly to extremes on either side.
You just explained why we won Tuesday. Thank you.
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:45 am
Matt Lehrich, White House Office of Media Affairs: The numbers reported in this article have no basis in reality. Due to security concerns, we are unable to outline details associated with security procedures and costs, but it’s safe to say these numbers are wildly inflated.
It is always costly to move a U.S. president around the world. And in this case, the president is attending a G-20 meeting and will be accompanied by several cabinet officials. But given the dubious source of this assertion, the fact that the claimed cost exceeds the cost of a war, the flat denial by the White House and the lack of any evidence to support the claim, we’ll classify this one as false.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:47 am
“The middle does not take kindly to extremes on either side.
You just explained why we won Tuesday. Thank you.”
It always amuses me to think that people like Sid think they are “the middle.”
Doggone/GA
November 4th, 2010
9:47 am
“you ought to add the 34 ship aircraft carrier fleet that is being deployed for thsi trip as well”
And of course those warships wouldn’t be costing the taxpayers a PENNY, not a PENNY if he wasn’t going to India.
Yeah, right.
larry
November 4th, 2010
9:47 am
Its called FACTCHECK, for the last time………….
http://factcheck.org/2010/11/ask-factcheck-trip-to-mumbai/
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:47 am
TM
November 4th, 2010
9:45 am
We have to clean up after the dems the way the dems had to clean up after Bush. Boy, did they leave a real mess! Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Left wing management
November 4th, 2010
9:47 am
Jay, you want to see one way the ‘Democrat party’ (as Rush Limbaugh calls them) can ensure a long period in the political wilderness? Just consider this statement by Evan Bayh in his NYT op-ed yesterday:
” Exit polls showed that 22 percent of voters identified themselves as liberals, 32 percent as conservatives and 44 percent as moderates. An electorate that is 76 percent moderate to conservative was not crying out for a move to the left.”
This is precisely how NOT to interpret Tuesday’s results.
How should they be interpreted? Well, just ask yourself how Republicans interpreted the results of the elections of ‘06 and ‘08. They answered trouncing defeats not with a timid”we should compromise more”, but with EVEN MORE commitment and determination to push their message and vision through, come what may in the way of scandals or setbacks. They were undeterred. Until Democrats learn that lesson, they are going to be in for misery.
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:48 am
Doggone,
“And of course those warships wouldn’t be costing the taxpayers a PENNY, not a PENNY if he wasn’t going to India.”
Because they are free when they sit around in US ports. See?
Madison
November 4th, 2010
9:48 am
Paul, My apologies until I do more research. I’m trying to find out the true cost and it hard to nail down but I will keep looking.
james hardy
November 4th, 2010
9:49 am
Jay, plain and simple…you’re a left wing idiot. You’re stupid for refusing to agree that obama is the worst president in the last 100 years…he’s driving the country into the ground. But I guess a leftie like you thinks that’s a good thing. You’re just dumb…can’t make it any plainer than that.
Sid Farcas
November 4th, 2010
9:49 am
Bosch
November 4th, 2010
9:47 am
It always amuses me to think that people like Sid think they are “the middle.”
Didn’t say I was middle, I agreed on why we won. Independents left Obama in droves and if we don’t do as we said we would, they will leave and go back to the dark side. It always amazes me how people like Bosch thinks they know all.
lawdawg
November 4th, 2010
9:49 am
Has it ever occurred to you Jay that maybe, just maybe, the Republicans and the voters who sent a message to Washington on Tuesday believe the only way to “get millions of Americans working again, or to restore the nation’s financial health, or to stop Iran from getting the bomb” is to get Obama out of office? Perhaps the best measures that will result in those goals, such as making the Bush tax cuts permanent, ending out of control government spending, and eliminating an appeasement-driven foreign policy, are only possible if a Democratic Senate and Democratic President armed with a veto are eliminated from the political landscape. How naive to Senator McConnell to take a practical outlook on politics!!!!!!!!!
chuck
November 4th, 2010
9:50 am
DoggoneGA, REALLY?
“Doesn’t it bother you AT ALL that you haven’t advanced in maturity since you were 5 years old?”
Some of the comments you have made about President Bush since he’s been OUT of office are dispicable, and you are going to complain when Obama is criticized? What a joke.