Obama In Charge

Obama tells us he is in charge at his press conference, then goes off-message by claiming he was a mere bystander to the dismissal of the head of the Minerals and Management Services.

NY Timeswoman Jackie Calmes asked a skeptical follow-up about this, so we will see how much BS the press can swallow.

The last question is on Sestak!  We will get an official Administration whitewash response "shortly".

CARTERESQUE:  Cue Roger Staubach - So great is the White House focus on the Gulf spill that First Daughter Malia asks Obama each morning whether he has plugged the hole yet. 

IF YOU CAN'T CONVINCE YOUR OWN DAUGHTER... Jeff Zeleny of the Times:

The president almost seemed that he, himself, wasn’t convinced that his administration has shown the American people that he is on top of the matter. Why else would he close with an anecdote from his daughter, Malia, asking whether he has closed the hole? That seemed like an odd way to wrap up an event designed to show that he was fully in charge.

Comments

[Sue]

I was surprised to hear someone ask him about blaming Bush. Is the press about to turn on him?

[Sue]

Rush is making your point right now, Tom. He's in charge but he knows nothing?

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Is it just me, or did anyone else get the impression the whole thing was pre-rehearsed by both the WHPC and his wonness [omission of caps intentional].

It had all of the impact of a campaign gig.

[Sue]

Jim,

I got the idea that the press is not buying what Obama is selling. What they do with it, though, is anyone's guess. Well, probably not. We can probably guess what they will do with it.

[centralcal]

This was a pathetic press conference. He rambles all over the place.

I agree Sue, it is getting harder for the press to cover for Bozo. But, they will try harder and come through for him, like they always do.

[Sue]

Unprecedented. Obama's favorite word today. As if Katrina was precedent.

[Sue]

C-cal,

They will but they are having a harder time at it than before.

[centralcal]

Tammy Bruce just tweeted: CNN assessment of Obama presser: epic FAIL.

I'll take her word for it - no TV, but I don't watch CNN in any case.

[Jane]

I thought that press conference was a complete blast. Don't worry about a thing. Obama is in charge!

[peter]

Actually, that was not Malia, that was Amy Carter, asking if the world was free of nukelar weapons.

and then there is this puke-worthy line:

“I grew up in Hawaii, where the ocean is sacred.”
Notice he didn't say "I was born in Hawaii."

[centralcal]

peter: what an astute observation.

[Sue]

I wonder if any of the press will remember Obama's support of the Phoenix Suns aka Los Suns when they write about his refusal to endorse or not endorse as POTUS?

[Sue]

Wow. Rush is really reading our minds today. Or we are reading his. He is now discussing the Los Suns issue.

[hit and run]

From Dan Foster on http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NzZlZTk1YzFkN2U2MGZiYWEzNTQ1YjA4MjExMjZiYzM=>the Corner:

When asked by NBC's Chuck Todd to give his take on comparisons between his administration's handling of the Gulf spill and former President Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina, Obama deferred.
...
"I'm confident that people are going to look back and say that this administration was on top of what was an unprecedented crisis."

Sound familiar? It does to me...

I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise spread of the oil in the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth. This was the moment—this was the time—when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals. plugged the damn hole. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

Bonus points to Obama for the word "unprecedented",too.

[maryrose]

Why didn't he just answer the Sestak question? Doesn't he know what's going on in his own administration? Oh but never fear- Captain Obama is here...

[maryrose]

Boot on the neck of BP-I hate that Chicago thug-speak...

[Rob Crawford]

He's in charge but he knows nothing?

Sounds about right. He has the office, but is utterly clueless.

[jimmyk]

We will get an official Administration whitewash response "shortly".

My prediction: "Yes, we spoke with Mr. Sestak about a possible job, but it had nothing to do with the fact that he was running against Specter. [And I dare you to try to prove otherwise!] If Mr. Sestak thinks there was a connection, he is mistaken."

That would seem to get both Sestak and the administration off the hook, absent a smoking gun e-mail or video.

[bgates]

First Daughter Malia asks Obama each morning whether he has plugged the hole yet

Why don't you put her in charge!

[Ranger]

In regard to unprecedented.

You keep using that word mister president. I don't think it means what you think it means.

[centralcal]

maryrose, he doesn't even know if Birnbaum was fired or not (the head of MMS).

Y'know, I believe it. He is just for show anyway. Rahm, Ax, Botoxalot, and Dingy Harry do all the real work.

[Sue]

Didn't Obama use that line about Malia on something else? I know he did, but I can't remember what it was. Nuclear proliferation maybe? I'll google but if Narciso is here, he could save me the trouble by remember exactly what was said, when it was said and the subject matter. Man, I wish I had his memory.

[Ignatz]

Can't stomach watching the guy so, because I was looking for a little econ data, I kept switching back to CNBC every few minutes and when I did it seemed like a continuation of the same droning sentence I had left him at several minutes before.
Concise he aint', unless it's something no one else could ever have thought to do without him, like "just plug the damn hole".

[Sue]

I think his ears are growing. I never really noticed them before today.

[centralcal]

You're right, Sue! He has used Malia before, but I can't remember about what either.

[Rob Crawford]

I think his ears are growing. I never really noticed them before today.

Whenever you see him, just imagine "Pink Elephants on Parade" playing in the background.

[Pagar]

" Rahm, Ax, Botoxalot, and Dingy Harry do all the real work."

Actually, I think he gets most of his guidance from George Soros, William Ayers, Chavez, Castro and now his newest VBF, the President of Mexico.

[Sue]

I don't think this is what I'm thinking about, because it was Obama relating the story, but it seems on April 23, Malia's most asked question was about endangered animals.

http://tweentribune.com/content/whats-obama-doing-help-tigers>Michelle Obama told a group of curious kids visiting the White House Thursday about her daughter Malia's most frequent question about Dad's job: What's he doing to help tigers?

I'll keep looking. Narciso???? Where are you?

[Janet hates Obamacare & Obamadebt]

The ocean is sacred? More pagan jargon.

[Bill in AZ]

I'm pretty sure it will come out that it was all around expurt Gen Wesley "Posse Comitatus" Clarke who came up with the mud-in-the-hole solution. After all, it was Clarke who bailed out Clinton with the TWA800 self exploding central fuel tank theory.

[rrpjr]

"Is the press about to turn on him?"

Two and a half years from now we're still going to be hearing this same question.

No, the press is not going to turn on him.

[Sue]

Posted by: rrpjr

A girl can dream, can't she?

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Goes with his nose, Sue.

[Threadkiller]

Sue,

Barack Obama Learning Work Ethic From His Daughter Malia

B+

[Rob Crawford]

LUN: A Bridge Too Far.

[centralcal]

No kidding, Rob. First they came for the ham and the bacon . . .

[Janet hates Obamacare & Obamadebt]

Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Salt...always trying to kill their customers. Thank heaven we have Obama to save us.

[Rob Crawford]

No kidding, Rob. First they came for the ham and the bacon . . .

They may take our lives, BUT THEY WILL NOT TAKE OUR BACON!!!

[daddy]

Concerning the dangerous stupidity of letting the Malia Obama's and Amy Carter's of the world running the agendas of their momma's and poppa's in the White House, this famous quote from Pericles (495-429 BC) to his wife is worth remembering:

"The Athenians rule Greece, I rule the Athenians, you rule me, and your child rules you; wherefore let him not abuse his power, which though he knows it not, is greater than that of anyone else in Greece."

[Pagar]

Might want to keep in mind that there is a religion that does not like bacon. The Obama Administration really does seem to side with the members of that religion. Besides, those who raise hogs are often engaged in private enterprises. The Obama Administration usually promotes policies that do not favor private enterprise.

[Jane]

I think my favorite line from that press conference was when someone ask what the people could do to help and Obama said: "Go to the beach."

[Ignatz]

--Might want to keep in mind that there is a religion that does not like bacon. The Obama Administration really does seem to side with the members of that religion.--

Actually there are two.
Barry likes to side with the one that doesn't kill pigs but does enjoy butchering Americans.
He remains hostile to ambivalent about the one which does not insist on barbecuing us in our office buildings.

[bgates]

Barry likes to side with the one that doesn't kill pigs

Ironically, if his last press conference had gone one question longer, I bet he would have ended up endorsing the idea of killing pigs.

[Janet hates Obamacare & Obamadebt]

Obama said: "Go to the beach."

We should go to the oil soaked beaches and let our hair mop up the oil...go shower...and repeat...until all the oil is cleaned up!
an organic solution that incorporates exercise. Perfect. Let's Move!
Leave no fat-ass child behind!

[Jane]

I suspect it is only a matter of time until we are ordered to do that Janet.

[Threadkiller]

Obama said: "Go to the beach."

Well we can at least be assured that the press will eat him alive for saying something so close to Bush's "go shopping."

[Jane]

Someone should import the pix on Lucienne's ffront page.

[Dave (in MA)]

There have been headlines claiming a successful "top kill", but the live video feed seems to indicate that ObamaSpill is still underway.

[Janet hates Obamacare & Obamadebt]

ObamaSpill

Perfect.

[Sue]

Jane,

Well, that wasn't what I was expecting. I laughed so hard my sides are hurting.

[Andrew_M_Garland]

The White House Press Corps must wake up, or they will be out of jobs.

Obama isn't giving many press conferences, and the answers are few, pre-arranged, and evasive.

Couldn't they all be replaced by an occasional press release? Why have 100 (?) reporters assigned to no-news, no-answer jobs?

If they don't start finding some news out of the White House, no one will care.

[NK]

Two things:

Ignatz-- wow, telling it like it is about the "Religion of Peace";

"Go to the Beach"-- nah, he didn't say that-- really? You know for 2 years I assumed Barry O was a glib, reasonably intelligent-- but ignorant of the real world-- lying cheatin' egomaniac who would say or do anything to attain political power. Now I'm not so sure; he may be just a complete moron, strictly a South Chicago Machine man that from a ridiculous set of circumstances made it. One of the last Tammany Mayors in NYC was John P O'Brien-- Jesuit schooled at Holy Cross and Georgetown Law, but he was no genius, everything he had came from Tammany, the Manhattan Dem. Party Club. When he became Mayor, he was asked who he would appoint as Police Commissioner, O'Brien answered "They haven't told me yet." Candor from a machine politics man. Like Dem. Clubhouse Mayor O'Brien 80 years ago,Barry O. knows enough to say "They'll tell you shortly." about the Sestak mess. Barry O. may not only be an 'effin Muppet, he may be as stupid as a Tammany Mayor.

God Help Us.

[centralcal]

Actually, Andrew, someone (sorry I have already forgotten who) tweeted a picture right before the press conference began, and there were 3 or 4 rows of empty seats at the back. Guess, the press didn't all show up as expected?

[matt]

actually, the presser was counted as a part of his jobs created/saved. By holding it to every 308 days, he can claim the entire mainstream media in his numbers. otherwise, he could have a secretary or someone e mail his propaganda to the typesetters/composers.

[Dave (in MA)]

Janet, I first saw that term in a daddy comment. We need to get the google numbers up, though:

About 3,740 results

[centralcal]

Ah, here it is:

"Low turnout from press for this event. Dozens of empty seats."

Scroll down, picture is at the bottom.

[Janet hates Obamacare & Obamadebt]

Hahaha Dave (in MA), I love how Google asks, "Did you mean Obama pill?"

[anduril]

Craig Crawford at CQ Politics rips Obama a new one, but gently:

A defensive, un-authoritative, and equivocal Barack Obama did nothing today to show he's in charge of what appears to be our biggest oil spill in history. He couldn't even answer whether or not he had fired someone.

Today's press conference -- his first since July -- was a time for the President to demonstrate he is on top of the crisis. Despite repeated assertions of control, Obama's awkward demeanor suggested just the opposite. He came across as a beleaguered bureaucrat on damage control.

Perhaps the most stunning missed opportunity to show some authority was his non-answer to a question about whether US Minerals Management Service Director Elizabeth Birnbaum was fired. "I found out about her resignation today," he obliquely said.

While Birnbaum's departure is hardly at the top of the list of concerns in this disaster, Obama's detachment was indicative of the impression he has allowed of a president on the sidelines.

[anduril]

On second thought, that's not so terribly gentle.

[Elliott]

He's in charge but he knows nothing?

Obamnesia.

[peter]

Let's face it if China during the Cultural Revolution could wipe out the country's sparrow population, we as Americans should be able to clean up the oil spill by going to the beach.

[Ann]

This will surprise everyone here:

"Never Again": Obama and the BP Oil Spill

Who'd a thunk the NRSC was working on this great video. Good on them for once.

[centralcal]

Ann: thanks for that link. Great video. I love the golf shots of Mr. Coordinated.

[narciso]

That was at least a putter stroke by Crawford, not to say a nine iron

[centralcal]

Ann: I found this on twitter (Tammy Bruce). It really is fun.

Falling Obama Game

There is no shuck and jive, either.

[anduril]

Is Katla Ready To Erupt And Bring Europe To Its Knees Again?

[anduril]

Greg White:
Obama faced repeated questions implying and literally asking if the Deepwater Oil Spill was his Katrina.

He defended the administration's response: "This has been our highest priority since day one."

But here's the catch. For him to make that claim, Obama is forced to claim authority over the BP response from the start -- saying he could have stepped in at any time. That means defending everything BP has done.

Obama says: "BP is not running around doing whatever it wants with nobody minding the store."

Those kind of lines will not go over well with a furious nation. In fact, Obama now finds himself going against Democrats in Congress who have pummeled BP.

[anduril]

The classic good news bad news scenario: Easy Money, Hard Truths.

Are you worried that we are passing our debt on to future generations? Well, you need not worry.

Before this recession it appeared that absent action, the government’s long-term commitments would become a problem in a few decades. I believe the government response to the recession has created budgetary stress sufficient to bring about the crisis much sooner. Our generation — not our grandchildren’s — will have to deal with the consequences.

[Comanche Voter]

Ah Malia; today she asked about "did you plug the hole"? She forgot to ask about his golf games, his trips to San Francisco (burning just as much oil in the Presidential fleet of 747s and attendant paraphernalia as spilled in the Gulf yesterday) etc. But she sure is worried about that hole!

[anduril]

Hmmmm. Here's a pretty clever cartoon from the Jewish Daily Forward:

Bucky Shvitz
Sociologist For Hire
By Eli Valley
Published May 26, 2010,

For his latest comic, Eli Valley embraces the genre of hard-boiled detective noir with a hero determined to solve an epidemic of lost identity.

To view the cartoon in full size you just click on the thumbnail.

[Pofarmer]

Did I really here a little while ago that they are halting ALL drilling?

[hit and run]

I think my favorite line from that press conference was when someone ask what the people could do to help and Obama said: "Go to the beach."

With that much oil spilled - I am disappointed he didn't remind us that we should all properly inflate our tires.

[Ann]

cc:

That video is worth watching just to see Obama's pathetic golf swing isn't it.

Here's another thing that will surprise ya:

DeMint: Over 90% of bills passed secretly with no debate, no vote

Jane should preserve this on her youtoocongress.com site. Unbelievable!

[anduril]

Obama. Classic narcissist. When he's not being worshiped he gets petulant and disengaged.

[Ann]

Here is the report that backs up Jim Demint: "CRS Report: 94% of Senate Bills Passed in Secret

h/t Amanda Carpenter who works for Demint

[anduril]

btw, that david einhorn article that i linked, "Easy money, hard truths"--it's very good.

[Captain Hate]

That NRSC video was surprisingly well done. The clips of B+ weighing in on Katrina are really coming home to roost. The talking points that the usual suspects are floating about how this is Bush's fault just aren't gonna stick to the wall and they use them at their own peril.

How many donk incumbents do you think are deperately praying to the AntiChrist or some pagan deity for nothing bad to happen between now and November? That's a long time.

[Ann]

Oh, and I got an idea how to plug the hole:

[narciso]

Apparently the MMS account in the Times, just like Gitmo, Iraq, et al, is incomplete, surprise, surprise, in the LUN

[Jane says obamasucks]

What the hell are "secret holes?"

[bunkerbuster]

The president's performance at the press conference was indeed disappointing, though it seems very hard to imagine how others, say a McCain, might have done under similar circumstances.
We can be pretty sure, however, that anyone who'd been elected on the slogan "Drill, Baby, Drill'' might have had a tougher political problem right now than Obama does.

[centralcal]

Okay, I gotta admit this made me giggle:

Jake Tapper tweet:

call me crazy, but "Boots on the Neck" would be a great follow-up for the "Pants on the Ground" guy

[centralcal]

We can be pretty sure, however, that anyone who'd been elected on the slogan "Drill, Baby, Drill'' who was not a Democrat might have had a tougher political problem right now than Obama does.

[Ignatz]

--We can be pretty sure, however, that anyone who'd been elected on the slogan "Drill, Baby, Drill'' might have had a tougher political problem right now than Obama does.--

You mean a person who had consistent principles would have a tougher time than the guy who was elected on promises of a windmill in every pot and stretching forth his hand to stop the ocean's rise, but one month before the biggest blow out in offshore history comes up with a plan to expand offshore drilling and can now be seen to not even be able to stop the petroleum's rise?

[bunkerbuster]

``not even be able to stop the petroleum's rise?''

Absurd to suggest it's Obama's fault that BP can't stop the oil. Though there is of course more fallout for Obama because he did call for drilling in limited areas. Had he been completely opposed, this would have been a win for him, politically.

[Janet]

LUN is an article at Newsbusters about some NYT article on detoxifying your home.
All these lib kooks are marching our nation backwards in time.
We've got dengue fever showing up in Florida. Regular light bulbs are gonna be phased out. No drilling. Attacking large agriculture businesses. Cars are evil...we should walk or bike everywhere.
I better go re-watch that PBS series, Frontier House, and learn to make candles.:(

[hit and run]

I for one don't blame Obama for his impotency.

[fdcol63]

Ann,

Indeed. Large volume liposuction of Michelle's thighs alone could yield enough cellulite to perform a successful "top kill". LOL

[Pagar]

"can not even stop the petroleum rise"

Can't even figure out whether he fired the guy he blamed.

And someone thinks that this guy is on top of the situation?

[Extraneus]

Obama tells us he is in charge at his press conference, then goes off-message by claiming he was a mere bystander to the dismissal of the head of the Minerals and Management Services.

Does anyone know of a "Great Lies at Press Conferences" video? I'm wondering if there were many as egregious as this one. Seems unlikely.

It's kind of fun that incompetence is their main defense these days. "Have you read the Arizona bill?" No? Really? Does anyone believe that none of them have read it? It's just easier to use that excuse to avoid the next obvious question: "Then you know it specifically prohibits racial profiling, don't you?"

Same with Obama on the MMS laugher.

Obama's Addendum to Alinsky's Rules: Avoid the follow-up at any lame cost.

[Extraneus]

Even after Holder's howler, nobody in the Administration - not even those who might be asked that same question on TV - read the bill? Preposterous.

[narciso]

They're all of a sudden concerned about flouridation in the water, in that link and I think leeches are coming back in vogue, that and alchemy

[BobDenver]

They will have to pry my bacon from my cold, dead, greasy hands.

[bgates]

Does anyone believe that none of them have read it?

Sure. That would be too much like work.

Activists in Arizona know that elected representatives who they oppose voted for the bill, so they oppose it; the local press takes activist agitation as their cue to oppose it; the national press takes the cue from the local press; the administration takes their cue from the national press, which uses administration opposition to justify further negative coverage of the law - at no point in any of that does anybody who's opposed to the bill have to read it.

[Pagar]

"Does anyone believe that none of them have read it"?

Does it have a pictures in it? I understand a lot of them spend a lot of time looking at pictures.

[Threadkiller]

bgates,

I think you have the making of "Who's on First?" for the 21st century!

[Janet]

I understand a lot of them spend a lot of time looking at pictures.

Yeah Pagar, looking at pictures and taking meth! Well, I guess it's their 1st amendment right.

and Extraneus, they sound just like little kids huh?..."I don't know." "It wasn't me."

[Janet]

I should print up t-shirts that say "I haven't read it...ask him ->" and mail them to the administration. Cowards.

[hit and run]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2298>Well.

"This notion somehow that the federal government is sitting on the sidelines and for the last three or four or five weeks we've just been letting BP make the decisions is not true," Obama said. "Those who think we are either slow on our response or lacked urgency don't know the facts."

Using the Obama standard (it's unprecedented!)...

"I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role Obama's laziness and disinterest played in a flaccid response. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Obama and his administration acted stupidly."

[narciso]

My complaint with the MMS, is apparently if they spent all that time on meth and watching
porn, although this allegedly because no names
were identified, that is all the time they wasted not processing permits and other such work.