Thoughts & Commentary on the Obama Administration

**Askthepizzaguy** · 02-04-2009, 16:00

I honestly haven't heard much from the Lefty Blogosphere. I figure I can get the left-wing slant from MSNBC.

Olbermann is pretty hardcore with that stuff. He has lucid moments, but more often than not he's just a Republican-hating Limbaugh clone from the Left.

That said, he is pretty good at nailing Limbaugh with his recent naked and unabashed double standard I mentioned regarding the ideals of "supporting a president during a time of war".

Practically anything that is wildly partisan or wingnut-laden, I don't read, I don't want to read. Would you read the political manifesto of the Unabomber? I don't think so, I don't care what his wacky environmental/anti-industrial views are, when he talks about morality and then murders the innocent, he's a

hypocrite wacko lunatic.

Any right or left winger who consistently sees the world through red or blue glasses or sees the opposing philosophy (as if there were only two) as the devil is an idiot in my opinion, because that blatantly ignores half of the people responsible for our current dilemma. There's enough blame to go around. That's why, in spite of Bush, I can't just declare myself a Democrat. There's plenty of idiots in that party that need to be replaced, and I'd take an experienced, competent, and not frothing-mad Republican over an untested and potentially dangerous lefty Democrat.

That's why I'm not a big fan of Al Franken. Sure Obama needs support, but Franken is a partisan nutjob.

I'm also from New Hampshire, by the way. Just don't live there anymore. 18 years, born and raised.
Live Free or Die, brother.

**Xiahou** · 02-05-2009, 16:58

Well we might hear some more "my bad"s coming from Obama in the near future, if you read the Politico's chronicle of the new presidents missteps and screwups during his first few weeks in office.

Simply put, the way to exploit a White House moment is not to compete with it.

That kind of PR self control can drive the coverage from the relentless and omnipresent cable outlets back -- again and again -- to that singular event.

But the new White House sometimes runs over its own, central economic message.

For instance, Obama hosted at the White House nearly a dozen corporate executives who support his recovery package on the same day the House passed its version of the legislation on a party line vote.

As a consequence, the support for the legislation from a host of cutting edge technology CEOs was buried amid coverage of the lack of a single House Republican vote in favor of it.

On Monday the White House tried again.

Obama had sought to illustrate the support he has among governors for the stimulus package by inviting Republican Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas for remarks.

But that news was quickly overtaken by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s swearing in ceremony.

Indeed, the Obama team has yet to fully exploit the open and enthusiastic support it has received from such higher profile Republican governors as Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California for his stimulus program.

I also like how Obama makes several disastrous nominations, says "oops, my bad" and is praised for it.

The stimulus plan also seems to be quickly headed towards disaster as Republicans are successfully labeling as a pork-laden mess and public support for it is plummeting. The mistake there was in letting congressional Democrats craft whatever they wanted with little or no direction from the White House. Obama needs to pick up the learning curve and turn talk into action before the honeymoon is over.

I look forward to being called a horrible person for interrupting the love-in.

**drone** · 02-05-2009, 17:14

Originally Posted by Xiahou

I look forward to being called a horrible person for interrupting the love-in.

According to the locals, I believe the love-in officially ended last week.

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 02-05-2009, 18:06

Originally Posted by Xiahou

...I also like how Obama makes several disastrous nominations, says "oops, my bad" and is praised for it.

Brilliantly played. He's in his honeymoon, had a stumble, gets to look honorable for taking the blame on himself, but does so during a time-frame when there is no downside to the measure. He disassociated himself from the "mistakes" BY taking responsibility for them -- and simultaneously fed a little red meat to the Bush haters who never got to hear those words from the person they define as the source of evil.

Obama is an adroit politico. Unfortunately, he'll have (is having) more trouble getting his own party in step then side-stepping GOP efforts. What his team wanted for their first big bill was a Reaganesque broad support and a quick passage based on Obama's prestige -- and that was a solid idea. What the administration got was a porcine effort with too much Dem pork in one ugly chunk -- and the House leadership gave the GOP core something to hammer on.

I won't like the bill coming out of the Senate either, and the conference result even less, but something will pass within the month.

Curioser and curioser said Alice.

**Don Corleone** · 02-05-2009, 21:32

And now, Hilda Silas.... Hilda Salis confirmation put on hold to investegate tax liens against husband.. Boy, for folks that are big on raising them on the rest of us, do ANY Democrats actually pay taxes? (the ones in office, that is).

**Don Corleone** · 02-05-2009, 21:43

Originally Posted by Don Corleone

And now, Hilda Silas.... Hilda Salis confirmation put on hold to investegate tax liens against husband.. Boy, for folks that are big on raising them on the rest of us, do ANY Democrats actually pay taxes? (the ones in office, that is).

For the record, this is not a partisan hack or me being led by the masses... this is the VERY reason I have never trusted the Democrats in office. It's not that I don't have a big heart or want to help people. It's that you do enough digging, and you learn that they don't, that government is just one giant Ponzi scheme. After the past 8 years, I have a host of reasons not to trust the Republicans either, so I guess I'm voting Federalist in the next election.

**Xiahou** · 02-12-2009, 22:53

Judd Gregg Withdraws as Commerce Secretary Nominee

“It has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census, there are irresolvable conflicts for me,” Mr. Gregg said in a statement. “Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.”

I never understood why Gregg ever contemplated the nomination to begin with- glad to see he changed his mind. I'd guess the census issue was probably the final straw.

**drone** · 02-12-2009, 23:47

His nomination has been catching flak from minorities over the control of the 2010 census. He apparently opposed some changes for the 2000 census, I guess the heat got to be too much.