Inexcusable and irresponsible
Obama said it would be “inexcusable and irresponsible” if Congress doesn’t act immediately on his stimulus bill.
On the contrary. It’s “inexcusable and irresponsible” to rush it through without ascertaining whether its provisions are truly designed to stimulate the economy, and without eliminating the Democrat special-interest giveaways sandwiched in among the better proposals in the bill. The American people demand it, and a thoughtful approach requires it.
Wow, Wow, Wow,
As a person who was EXCITED to see a broad array of people become excited to be an American on Obama’s inauguration day – I have been pretty disappointed in Obama’s non hope and change rhetoric.
I JUST WATCHED this press conference as I am a consultant who provides services for the state of CA and we are ALL off of work today (except teachers and emergency personnel)
It was a striking speech.
And not in a positive way.
It struck me hard when he said that broadly speaking that the bill is of the right size and scope and has the right priorities. He said it isn’t perfect but “a bill” needs to be passed sooner rather than later.
GAG me with a spoon. The stimulus bill does not even SPEND most of the money THIS YEAR. How can Obama want RUSH for a bill that doesn’t spend the majority of money this year?
Something doesn’t compute.
And stifling debate is NOT the way to go.
We need MORE debate on this bill.
Perhaps. But what Congress is more likely to do is add pet projects and pork. And special interest giveaways.
You’re right. Obama’s “I have a Nightmare” speech. Apocalypse now.
He essentially declared war on the Republicans. The Presidency is now entirely partisan.
During the deep recession of 1981 Reagan did not have his bill pass until August of 1981.
I just heard that on Fox News… Must not be true to liberals because of the source 🙂
There you go using common sense and logic again. Nazi!!
Whenever some tries to give me the bum rush because “the world will end if we don’t [insert action here]™”, it’s invariably because the action is something that I do not desire. I’m going to guess that this is probably the case here.
I did not vote for Obama, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, it hasn’t taken long for me to decide that our new president is something of a baby, someone used to always-always- getting his way. The fact that he isn’t getting his heart’s desire at this moment makes him sad. To me, that is not a sign of maturity. Or it could be emblematic of the fact that this is the first actual job he’s had and is at a loss on how to handle it all.
The President may well grow into the job, but he’s not looking strong right now. I’m anxious to see
Barack said the bill is imperfect; pass it anyway. Horse manure. Cut the imperfect provisions. Rework them. Pass them at a later date.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barack also said:
“The American people didn’t vote for the false theories of the past, and they didn’t vote for the phony arguments.”
Barack is saying low taxes and small government amount to “false theories”.
Polling shows the nation is center right, and that voters largely did not disagree with GWB about low taxes and small government, but rather believed GWB and Repubs were ineffective managers. Barack/Harry/Nancy do not have a mandate for big spending. They have a mandate to manage the nation more effectively.
Barack is saying Repubs – when they advocate lower taxes and shrewder spending – are making “phony arguments”.
This is projection. Barack doesn’t believe lower taxes work. He doesn’t believe growing out of a recession can only come from the private sector. Then he projects: he assumes anyone who purports to disagree with him does not actually disagree, but rather is a deceiver and a “phony”.
If they think it politically wise, Repubs could roast Barack’s derrierre over “accept the imperfections” and “false theories” and “phony arguments”. He has no true defense for using those phrases.
Physics Guy:
Or it could be emblematic of the fact that this is the first actual job he’s had and is at a loss on how to handle it all.
That pretty much nails it. The biggest achievement of his previous job was to get elected to the next job. Each one as a steppingstone without any substantial accomplishment on the job. What would he cite as his greatest accomplishment in the US Senate? His proposal two years ago that all US combat troops be withdrawn from Iraq by March 2008?
Executive experience: Annenberg Challenge. Distributed over $100 m for research in improving Chicago schools. Result: no difference in performance between Annenberg schools and non-Annenberg schools.
I looked at US Presidents who had also been US Senators, and compared their experience in the following positions: US VP, US cabinet member, Governor, Military, House of Representatives.
Obama’s experience: none of the above. The only other President once a member of the Senate who also had “none of the above” was Warren Harding.
I am hoping that there will be as little change as possible for the next four years. Have any of the “changes” that Obama has proposed in the last two weeks, from the so-called Stimulus Bill, to apologizing to the Muslims ins a Saudi publication, been changes for the good?
Well he promised transparency. Surely any adult whos ever dealt with a shyster car salesman is starting to see through this man.
Something else – the transparency hypocrisy reminded of it: Barack many times promised to go “line by line” through bills to cut out the waste. Now he says the Senate should pass what it has not read. This is not the hoped for change.
Now that Barack is my President, I find myself holding out hope that he will be adaptable and agile. I hold out hope that Barack is a quick study, and will adjust to reality as he learns what reality is. I hold out hope that much of his previous rhetoric has been due to ignorance of economics, ignorance of history, ignorance of human nature, et al, and that he will meet good thinkers who will guide the bright President along a path of enlightenment. Writing this out, looking at it, I see that maybe I am being a utopian fool.
I like this new theme the Dems are taking:
Sure the bill is filled with bad decisions and lots of pork. What’d ya expect, we’re Democrats. Pass it anyway.
So far Obama and Obey have taken this line.
[addendum from neo-neocon: I guess the following comment from “not a flat-chested bitch like you” is what happens when you go away from your computer for five hours, as I did today.
But I decided to keep the comment up in its entirety, to show the sort of offensive thing I regularly delete. My guess is that the impetus for this comment—which seems to have to do with a three-part post I wrote about Paul Robeson a few years ago—is the idea that criticizing Obama in any way is of course by its nature racist.
As for the content of the following comment—if you give it the kindest interpretation, the person is saying that I am unsympathetic to Robeson’s experience of racism. However, I certainly did deal with that exact topic in my Robeson series: why the racism Robeson experienced was a motive for his becoming a Communist sympathizer and also for clinging to his sympathies even when he had information about Stalin’s crimes. For example, the following is a quote from Part II of my series (read the whole thing for a more in-depth discussion—in fact, read all three parts; I still think Robeson’s story is a fascinating and cautionary tale):
So it seems that Robeson’s love for Communism was rooted in his idea that it was the antidote to the racism that had tormented this very proud man all his life. In this, of course, he was utterly mistaken, but it was a powerful dream that he could not relinquish: “Here, for the first time in my life…I walk in full human dignity.” When push came to shove and Stalin’s crimes became known, Robeson, like so many others, faced a choice between clinging to an ideal and rejecting that ideal because of the horrifically flawed reality that it had become. Like so many others, he clung to the power of the dream rather than face a harsh reality.
And now, without further ado, we have the following gentle missive from a hate-filled troll…]
Hi,
It’s always nice to see an apologist for colonialism and racism hiding behind the internet. You quote Horowitz regarding Paul Robeson but you don’t seem to realize that he not only cites no sources but has been incorrect about many facts regarding Robeson including his CP membership, never proven to this day. You also leave out that Robeson paid tribute to Stalin (whom he never met, Horowitz is wrong again) when Stalin was still a friend of the US, Life magazine’s man of the year . After the Khrushchev’s revelations, Robeson never chose to say anything. Robeson also lived many years after retirement, very happy despite ill heath, not broken or any of the crap you want to see happen to black activist.
Bottom line foul bitches like you blame Robeson for the faults of Communism ignoring the fact that he was the greatest citzen of the world the US has ever created. He has a stamp and he will be honored with a medal of freedom and then you can go kill yourself.
Please get your history right you slag, if you hate Robeson then fine, but don’t parrot an insipid cunt like Horowitz who was TEN years old when Robeson met with itzak feffer and who made up most of what he wrote.
Primarily you have no concept OF history and what it means to actually take a stand. You are just the flat chested idiot in the Ann coulter tradition with Winston Churchill books hoping for the glory days of black, Asians in shackles. You don’t understand what it means when the colored and oppressed white people of the world fight back, to you it just ‘get’s in the way.’
Robeson is on record many times as stating that he felt the existence of a major Socialist power like the USSR was a bulwark against Western European capitalist domination of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Having experienced first hand for himself during the 1930s a climate that he perceived as free from racial prejudice and then to see no western country or superpower actively attempt any comparable commitment to the rights of minorities or blacks, Robeson refused any pressure to publicly censure the Soviet experiment. And he never did because unlike you he stood by his beliefs.
Anyway, you are flat chested right wing hag go back to your madonna albums, Magritte would have hated you. Fuck off. You contribute nothing to the world and engender and inspire no one.
Wow. Neo: Are you leaving that charming missive from “Not a flat chested bitch like you” up so that we can see an example of the worst kind of uncivil discourse? Kind of like a slide from the pathology department? I’m trying to view it in the right kind of clinical spirt, but I have to admit it took my breath away. How terrible. How do some people get this way?
I believe we should leave the above missive from the Communist called “Not a flat chested bitch like you.” We should leave it there because it’s an example of what I’ve seen a lot of over at the Leftist blog sites.
Sorry, neo, that you have to take this kind of abuse, but maybe in this case there is a silver lining to this sort of thing?
And anyway, how does she know? Your photo doesn’t reveal one way or the other.
APB: Something’s just escaped from the big booby hatch.
Wait – isn’t this the same bill that would, according to the Speaker for the House, monthly save five hundred million Americans from unemployment?
No responsible American could allow such a thing to happen to his or her five hundred million fellow patriots (some two hundred million of whom may or may not exist).
– G
GeoPal: Yes, and evidently that something is a huge-boobed booby.
D’oh! I see you’ve already made that pun. (BIG booby hatch).
Please excuse me.
OK non-flat-chested etc.
Just who is Robeson…and how does he/she have a connection with a “Stimulus” bill?
Inquiring Minds Want To Know…
Paul Robeson was a buddy of Frank Marshall Davis, who was Obama’s adult role-model/mentor when he was living in Hawai’i and going to the Punahou Prep School. Both Robeson and Davis were CPUSA members.
What they have to do with the topic at hand is obscure to me.
Not sure what that rant was all about, but sometimes keeping those kinds of soliloquies around helps to implant in other minds the utter derangement that issues forth from the warrens of socialism.
NAFCBLY, actual ideas are more compelling than foul language. It’s clear you feel deeply about your subject – good for you! But relying on nasty slaps and four-letter words tends to diminish your point. Try to take a deep breath before you post again, and think harder about how you want to build your argument. Why resort to hatred? It doesn’t convince anyone about anything. Rather the opposite.
Of course, if you were just trying to get a whole bunch of ugly OFF YOUR CHEST (nark, nark) that’s another story.
By the way, how old were YOU when Robeson met Itzak Feffer?
NAFCBLY,
Your hate-addled mind is clearly incapable of making a coherent statement. Your comments are irrelevant to the discussion at hand and merely display your incredible incompetence and lack of self-restraint.
In the spirit of intelligent discourse, however, I am inclined to contest your views.
Paul Robeson was, although a tireless activist for anti-segregation and pro-African American, an unashamed pro-Communist. In a 1935 interview with Vern Smith, he stated (in reply to Smith’s question concerning the treatment of political prisoners in Soviet Russia) that
“From what I have already seen of the workings of the Soviet Government, I can only say that anybody who lifts his hand against it ought to be shot!”
Conveniently ignoring Stalin’s mass murders, and blissfully unaware of the irony of his statements, he continued to say this:
“It is the government’s duty to put down any opposition to this really free society with a firm hand, and I hope they will always do it, for I already regard myself at home here. This is home to me. I feel more kinship to the Russian people under their new society than I ever felt anywhere else. It is obvious that there is no terror here, that all the masses of every race are contented and support their government.”
East Germany – an oppressive government if I ever saw one – saw fit in 1983 to issue a stamp in his honor.
As to his political affiliations, while it was never proved that he /was/ a member of the Communist Party, he refused to sign an affidavit that stated that he was not a member of the Communist Party.
Was Paul Robeson a Communist? Maybe not, but he actively supported the second evilest regime in human history and urged anti-American sentiment abroad. If that is not anti-American, then I don’t know what is.
– G
My first statement was regardless of cup size. 🙂
I can’t tell if NAFCB is making magnificent satire or not. If so, brava! encore! That’s the problem of our age.
Twice now I’ve had to google blogger quotes about Obama — that he left the White House to visit a children’s school because he had to get out, and that he joked about Rahm Emmanuel giving profanity lessons to children.
I was sure those were over the top jokes, but noooo!
Good ‘Ole Charlie, I too was confused about NAFCBLY’s random drive-by Robesoning, but then I googled neo and Robeson and got a blog posting from 2005…weird, no? I guess people with extremely simple nervous systems have a long reaction time…
NAFCBLY states the following.
When I perused this thread, I saw no quotes whatsoever in this thread attributed to Horowitz . Moreover, NAFCBLY is the only poster who mentions Horowitz. There are no mentions whatsoever in this thread of Horowitz nor or Robeson until NAFCBLY dropped by.
It is possible that after NAFCBLY dropped by, Neo had deleted a pre-NAFCBLY comment about Robson/Horowitz, but I doubt it. Neo does not delete many comments.
All indications are that NAFCBLY is a troll trying to hijack the thread. Ignore NAFCBLY.
Gringo, Neo and E,
I seem to have forgotten my father’s sage advice – “Do not feed the trolls.” My apologies.
– G
Getting back to the topic at hand…
The idea that Congress should pass this 800-page, 1 trillion dollar bill without reading it — or even debating it — is absolutely anathema.
I’m reminded of the French politician — was it Villepin? — who, when asked about the French referendum on the EU Constitution, said: “The French people haven’t read it. If they read it, they wouldn’t understand it. If they understood it, they wouldn’t like it. — But they should vote for it anyway.”
I have a better idea. If our government absolutely must borrow 1 trillion dollars from us, it should pay it right back to us. With approximately 300 million Americans, that comes to $3,333 per man, woman, and child. All in favor, say ‘aye’.
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
This Bailout Is Great!
By Richard Gibbons
Well he promised transparency.
Humm … Transparency you witnessed it in Iraq very well Sheikh Paul “Jerry” Bremer III and $US 9.0 Billions, very transparent Iraq bailout
Obama: “I won! Neener, neener, neener!”
Truth,
Child: But he did it!!!! Pointing fingers at Bush..
Mom: Does that make it right?
Me: Nope.
Oh, I just saw the jeremiad by Cannonball Butt about the Hero of the Workers, Paul Robeson.
Which reminds me of an anecdote by an actress who played Desdemona to Robeson’s Othello. She said that, as they were waiting in the wings to go onstage, Robeson stuck his hand under her dress and “massively assaulted me.” That was his preliminary to their affair.
What a gent.
Er, for the record, large breasts don’t always mean stupid, but even I have to agree that’s the way to place your bets. And I have a balcony you could play Shakespeare off of. Okay, enough about trolls and Robeson (but I repeat myself).
I’m not from there so I’ve never actually experienced suasion the Chicago Way before. What I had in mind was more of a tough guy and less whining. I’m disgusted and annoyed at Mr. Obama, but I’m really disgusted and mad at Collins, Specter, Snowe and the blue dogs who are caving to the whine. What gutless wretches! Does anyone know how to express one’s disgust at politicians from a different state in a meaningful way? Apart from tar and feathers?
If Sarah Palin rather than Nancy Pelosi had made the observation about 500 million Americans losing their jobs in a month, the MSM would have buried her for being a dolt.
Mr. Frank: As surely as the sun rises in the East, would the MSM have buried Sarah for such a gaffe. Pelosi’s 500 million remark reminds me of the one attributed to Senator Dirksen, ” A billion here, a billion there, and soon you’re talking about real money.”
Pelosi had a big hand in the “stimulus” package, and her careless “500 Million” remark quite possibly indicates a lack of number sense, which is not a good attribute for a leading light behind an $800 billion spending bill.
The question I have for the people who voted for Obama in both the primaries and the general election: Did you know that you were voting to transform the United States of America into a Euro-socialist economy?
Either way, your answer means that you own what happens during the next four years and we have every right to criticize your judgment and vision (or lack thereof).
The Body-Snatchers have taken over the country. Pod people, all of them. Whenever I hear a former Bush supporter saying, “You know, I kind of like Obama. In fact, I voted for him,” I’m reminded of the last scene in the movie where the last human girl goes up to Donald Sutherland, hoping he’s still human, and the Donald stares at her, points his finger, and screams an alien scream.
And I’m not kidding.
You know Beverly, you’re exactly right. I had a conversation with my best friend yesterday afternoon. He comes from a very conservative Republican family in a Republican town and has voted Republican since Reagan. We were discussing this mess we’re now witnessing and he admitted to having voted for Obama. I was stunned. I didn’t follow up on it as no good can come of such a conversation.
It was not at all difficult to find critical and insightful information outside of the MSM that foretold exactly the behavior that we are witnessing from Mr. Obama right now. Furthermore, that same information portends a very bleak future for those who love freedom, especially from their government, and value safety from our enemies. I would extend my remarks to cover Pelosi, Reid, etc., but fears of carpel tunnel syndrome stops me.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Atlas Shrugged.
I’ve always been intrigued by the phenomenon of entire nations going mad, e.g., Nazi Germany.
Is this what it looks like?
Neo, thank you for leaving that repulsive NAFCBLY post up for us to see. It is emblematic of so much of the discourse that we endure of late from those who do not agree with us. I am sorry that you have to endure such pornography.
The question is inexcusable and irresponsible to who?
Obviously Obama is more concerned with placating those whose interests he supports and serves than he is doing what’s best for the country.
Preview of coming attractions…
The return of the ‘Fairness Doctrine.’
Gerrymandering of the census to the democrats permanent advantage.
More on the way!!
Hope and Change!!!
Email Mr. Steele at the RNC and ask him to run real Republicans against Snow, Collins, and Spectre. Don’t give those RINOs any support whatsoever. They are now basking in the limelight as the negotiators who saved the deal for the good of America. Idiots. I hope he is leaning hard on them right now.
If the Democrats win in the general, so be it. They will own the mess. Run small government Republicans. Right now, there isn’t much to choose between Republican and Democrat.
Neo,
Speaking of trying to rush a con job through congress, I stumbled upon this gem from over at Vodkapundit which discusses Clinton’s attempted stimulus package. I had forgotten all about this. Makes for some interesting reading though.
“Is this what it looks like?”
This is potentially the transformative stage when government is in the process of expansion into an all encompassing police state, through the demagoguery and political maneuvering of a single ideological party power agenda and it’s ambition, while organized around the cult like leadership of a single lionized figure; Supported by group and mob behaviour grounded in a politics of envy, fear, vendetta, and dogmatic religous fervor. The popular press has become complicit by embracing the ideologues, while abdicating their fiduciary responsibility and role as impartial observers and reporters of the unspun truth. As the tired masses acquiesce in confusion, various megalomaniacs and intellectually retarded opportunists embrace the transformed and corrupted state bureaucracy as an opportunity for their own personal recognition and group ambitions; People who would otherwise be unremarkable and unaccomplished in business, academics, or public life. With the consolidation of the politicized government organization and bureacracy largely completed, the police state is finally in position to commence the usual agendas of favoritism, bribery, extortion, intimidation and finally murder, followed by genocide. The history of political gangsters and their states is very clear, Stalin, Hitler, Saddam, ad infinitum…
“The American people demand it, and a thoughtful approach requires it.”
But there is no time for another approach when the financial system is crashing, the masses will soon be starving and freezing before global warming makes the genocides look like small potatoes…
I was listening to that same speech at the Democratic retreat. I kept thinking to myself that it was full of internal contradictions, e.g. his claim that he inherited a deficit with a ribbon and bow, or some nonsense, yet he was there advocating for a bill that would make those deficits seem like the loose change in your sofa. There were so many of them, many of them empty projections.
My conclusion upon watching this unfold?
This has been the plan all along.
Neo,
Can you add your name to the open letter? 🙂
http://readthestimulus.org/openletter_020709.php
Obama=Chavez.
social justice is finally here.
Like many of my conservative colleagues, I too was willing to give Senator Obama the benefit of the doubt and wish him well in his new job as President, even though I did not vote for him.
But right out of the gate, he has proven to me that he lacks all the things we said he lacked (and thus were mocked and derided by the Left). Instead of Hope and Change, we’re getting more of the same old manipulative, partisan crap we’ve come to expect from Pelosi or Reid.
Hope and Change my ass. Despair and Stagnation is more like it.
By the way, NeoNeocon: Smart is sexy, regardless of your bra size. 🙂
First, the two million mark. Now, verbal abuse to make any drunken pirate blush. You’re doing something right. I’d say you’ve arrived.
Chuck Schumer lied.
He distorted the republican position of just saying, “no no no” and not having an alternative.
What a lazy lying bastartd.
He should be prosecuted for negligence and slander or whatever !!!