Archives for April 2009

Instead of watching the “100 Days Press Conference” last night I watched Lie To Me instead, which is essentially the same thing, only without the show’s motto, The truth is written all over our faces. After Lie To Me it was time for Mythbusters, so of course this morning I read the transcript of the press briefing.

Of course the interesting part is the question and answer session; The questions were,

• Swine flu: “an extra $1.5 billion,” and “cover your mouth”
• Chrysler bankruptcy: “to make sure that the federal government is providing as much assistance as we have to ensure”

More government spending in the works, folks.

• Waterboarding: “it takes away a critical recruitment tool that al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations have used to try to demonize the United States and justify the killing of civilians”

Surely there were no al Qaeda jihadists before the US engaged in water torture?

• Pakistan: “we have huge strategic interests” in making sure the [Taliban, which was mentioned by name only once] doesn’t get a hold of the nukes.
• Violence in Iraq: aiming for ultimate power transfer.
• Arlan Specter: “me reaching out to them [Republicans] has been genuine”

Except when proposing legislation to be voted on, unread?

Somehow that answer got diverted into health care, and Pres. Obama ended up with telling Republicans that “simply opposing our approach on every front is probably not a good political strategy.”

• Abortion: Pro, reduce teen pregnancies, “the Freedom of Choice Act is not my highest legislative priority. I believe that women should have the right to choose, but I think that the most important thing we can do to tamp down some of the — the anger surrounding this issue is to focus on those areas that we can agree on.”

As the reporter pointed out, the Freedom of Choice Act would “would eliminate federal, state and local restrictions on abortion.” That includes live-birth and late term abortions.

And then came the enchanted question.

Good lord.

This morning the cable news played the reporter asking that question, and he actually asked with a straight face.

The Love Boat of the Ship of State, “the ship of state is an ocean liner,” which later mutated into a “this big battleship.”

Anyway, more questions on

• Immigration: “Immigration reform”, secure borders.
• Black unemployment: Extend unemployment insurance, community health centers, and “college affordability and job training; tax cuts for working families, as opposed to the wealthiest.”

This is a troubling reply. None of these measures does anything to directly create jobs in any sector of the economy at all. It implies either ignorance or indifference to basic economic principles, comparable to his prior gaffe on “profit-earnings ratios.”

• State secrets: “the state secret doctrine should be modified”
• Government as shareholder in private industry: Again a basic error in the reply by referring to the Dow as going “from 14 million (sic/thousand) down to 9 million (sic/thousand).”

Softball questions, softball answers.

Anyone think of any probing questions on say, why is the CRA still in the books, for instance? Or perhaps, the Dems role in the budget deficit?

Congress controls the purse strings, not the president, and it was under Democratic control for Obama’s last two years as Illinois senator. Obama supported the emergency bailout package in President George W. Bush’s final months — a package Democratic leaders wanted to make bigger.

To be sure, Obama opposed the Iraq war, a drain on federal coffers for six years before he became president. But with one major exception, he voted in support of Iraq war spending.
…
The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated his policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years, even accounting for his spending reduction goals. Now, the deficit is nearly quadrupling to $1.75 trillion.

No questions on that.

In this morning’s WaPo, an adorational article by Tom Shales, Obama’s Enchanting Quizfest, whose downright fellational tone is either a. sincere, or b. camp:

Barack Obama is a truly flabbergasting president. And in a good way — not the way some of his predecessors were. He’s not flabberghastly.

It’ll be kind and say Shales was being camp,

He’s not the student who wears a button that says, “Smartest kid in class,” but clearly he is, at least when surrounded by the White House press corps.

One thing for sure, Shales will get invited to the cool kids’ parties. After all, there’s the time he called Obama president wonderful.

He won’t be joining the Mythbusters any time soon.

The TOTUS, on the other hand, looks at the new foundation.

UPDATE
Ace captured the enchanted moment,

Nice Deb immortalized the moment in a poster.