That Whole Tedious Chief Executive Thing...

I guess being President of the United States is even more challenging than getting a lot of the asbestos out of Altgeld Gardens - apparently, Obama has better things to do and more important places to be than at a tiresome press conference talking about his plans for the economy:

Obama Ditches Tax Cut Presser, Bill Clinton Takes Control

AllahPundit:

Great news: Bill Clinton apparently now president again

and Jim Treacher:

I guess Obama abandoning his post is some sort of brilliant strategy. Or maybe he just doesn’t want the job anymore. Maybe he’s finally realizing that the more he talks, the worse things get for him.

I supose Axelrod is plotting a very subtle comebck strategy for his guy (Hmm, is "Comeback Kid" available as a nickname?).  Sometime soon we should look for billboards in the DC area with Obama's smiling visage and a big "Miss Me Yet?" caption.  Or keep an eye on milk cartons.

I MAKE THESE TOUGH CALLS EVERY DAY:  The weirdest thing about Obama walking out of his own presser was:

(a) bringing in Bill Clinton to provide assurance that Obama isn't triangulating the Dems;

(b) listening to Bill Clinton defend the Bush roll-back of the Clinton tax hikes;

(c) watching Obama implicitly declare that while Clinton and the press talked about stimulus and the recovery and unemployment relief, he had more important things to do, namely, get to a party with Michelle.  Geez, why not announce he is getting back to the Oval Office to play Farmville?

WHO WAS THE ADULT IN CHARGE?  Ann Althouse wonders what Obama and Clinton were thinking.  As a Bonus Conundrum, what was Robert Gibbs thinking?  He could have ended the show at any time.

Comments

[Jane the hostage taker]

Actually as Dana Perino said, the weirdest thing was watching Obama and Clinton defend the Bush tax cuts.

[rse]

I mentioned the other day that I was reading Paul Kengor's excellent Dupes: How America's Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century.

He has an entire chapter detailing Frank Marshall Davis' activities in Hawaii around 1950. He quotes from the columns Davis was writing.

It's alarming stuff under any circumstances. Knowing someone that deceitful and manipulative who clearly and loudly hated the US and Christianity and touted the USSR talking points even when they are absurd had access to a future US President when he was an impressionable boy and adolescent is jaw-dropping in its implications.

The book was published this past September and is as mesmerizing a read as any I've read.

Great stocking stuffer except the endnotes with small print are almost 100 pages.

[Extraneus]

This is obviously all about positioning for 2012. If Obama can recover his "reasonable, thoughtful, sterling temperament" illusion, the calculation is that nobody can truly threaten him from his left (since exceedingly few people are actually *to* his left), so pissing off and inviting a challenge from that side is all good. What he really has to worry about is a primary challenge from his right, so expect more moves designed to circumvent that.

This is all obvious, of course, but I'm finding it too easy to get caught up in enjoying the present follies to the point of underestimating the threat of an Obama re-election.

[Pagar]

" had access to a future US President when he was an impressionable boy and adolescent is jaw-dropping in its implications."

The Communists have had complete access and
(IMO) control over his life from day one.

[Terry Gain]

I am always amused when people talk about Obama needing to deal with his left wing base. It's as if they don't know that he is as left wing as anyone.

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

Instapundit posts a link to this humor piece from 2008
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2008/11/obama-names-bill-clinton-to-president-post.html

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

Oh. I see people use LUNs here.
Sorry.

[Jane the hostage taker]

I am always amused when people talk about Obama needing to deal with his left wing base. It's as if they don't know that he is as left wing as anyone.

Plus where are they going to go?

Bernie Madoff's oldest hung himself with his 2 year old son there and his wife in FL. Weird

[centralcal]

Weird and sad, Jane.

[Captain Hate]

Funny how the reporters for the WSJ, who are just as libtarded as their ilk elsewhere, are acting like it was nothing strange for McDivot to hand the reins over to Bent Willy to conduct a Presidential presser.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Jane-

I believe the son, Mark, was not allowed to leave NYC. I also believe the court governed their use of cash.

The Austrian suit may have been the proverbial straw.

There will be no winners in this tragedy. Let alone, the hit Investment Advisors are taking as a group.

[Jane the hostage taker]

I believe the son, Mark, was not allowed to leave NYC.

That's very weird since there were no criminal charges against him. How did they manage that?

[Captain Hate]

I'm sure Mark was shunned by people who were his former friends that lost tons of money thanks to dear old dad. Taking the high road is pretty difficult when you've been kicked hard in the financial nads.

[Jack is Back!]

Actually, what I am hearing is that they have resurrected Jack Bailey and have created a new reality TV show called: President For A Day.

Clinton was the winner yesterday after he broke down in tears telling his compelling life story of growing up in Hope, Arkansas. Before he was crowned he had to go out and convince the left wing Dems that the plan was necessary.

Next up today, I hear Palin will be crowned President For A Day and will do the same presser but to convince Jim Demint and Tom Coburn to climb down off their resistence. Bernie Saunders is being left for Ralph Nader on Monday's show.

[narciso]

No, JiB, I don't think she'll go for it, this deal, needs to 'nuked from orbit' just to be sure, much like with Mr. Burns trying to be good, he still does evil, and the green jobs hokum is just the frosting on the cake,

[MayBee]

Barack Obama frequently uses the henpecked husband gag. I can't keep Michelle waiting at a party. Don't tell Michelle I'm eating fries. It's like a bad episode of The Honeymooners.

[Ranger]

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/12/11/obamateurism-of-the-day-416/>Ed Morrissey pretty much sums the impact of this up in one sentance (but you have to go to the Hot Air main page to see the picture he is referencing):

The picture on the front page says it all — he’s diminishing into a background player in his own presidency, largely because he just can’t be bothered to do any lifting for himself.

A few of us around here predicted that he would burn out by year 3. Looks like we over estimated Obama's endurance.

[Elliott]

These are the times that try men's schedules...

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Too funny Elliott!!

[Jane the hostage taker]

He is a lazy wimp, isn't he? Tells you so much about democrats' taste in men.

[Porchlight]

How is the left taking this Clinton Podium Intruder thing? I can't bear to go look for myself, it's too beautiful a day to wade into the swamps.

[peter]

Yeah, I'm with you, porch, who cares?

[Jack is Back!]

Hey, Jane, I am the one who dubbed him TFWOTUS (the first wimp of the united states):)

I hear Niblick has the movie rights to yesterday's presser and is currently in production. Something by the weekend.

[Captain Hate]

I'm with porch too; who needs to watch poo-flinging monkeys?

[MayBee]

Podium Intruder! Genius, Porch!

I actually saw the original "Bed Intruder" guy a few weeks ago. He was here in LA, trying to get some fame. Sadly, he'd changed his hair.

[Jane the hostage taker]

Not bad JIB, not bad at all.

[Cecil Turner]

That picture is priceless. Drudge is using it as his header (along with a "President Obama Clinton" caption).

[Cecil Turner]

Also linked at Drudge, I see Chris Matthews got his tingle back.

His gushing over these two is way beyond embarassing. (But it's way entertaining.)

[Extraneus]

Shouldn't that be FWOTUS, Jack? It wolls wight off the tongue.

[glasater]

RSE-

Paul Kengor is just finishing up with Q&A on Book TV and is just terrific in his presentation.
He's really selling his story/book and I'm going to get it.
Thanks for the heads up!

[Porchlight]

MayBee,

I can't help it, I find Antoine totally charming. Too bad about the hair.

Maybe AutoTune The News will do something with the Obama-Clinton presser. That would be awesome.

[DebinNC]

Barack Obama frequently uses the henpecked husband gag

The week before the election Obama attended a political fundraiser in RI for only 20 min., skipping the $7500 a plate dinner and stiffing the diners, excusing himself with...“I’ve got to go home to tuck in the girls and walk the dog and scoop the poop.”

[bgates]

Don't worry about that 3am phone call: they have automatic forwarding in the White House.

[Clarice]

bgates!!!!Fantastico

[hit and run]

Here was my take on the Obama-Clinton dynamic back in the day...

--------------------------------

The Financial Crisis

It's 3 am and your children are asleep. But there's a phone ringing in the White House...

Obama: Hello? You do know what time it is. […] What? A financial crisis? We must act immediately? I don’t know what to do, what do you think we should do? […] OK, well, I’ll get right back to you. I want to bounce this off some other people.

[3:07 am: Obama hangs up receiver, picks it up again, begins to dial]

Obama: Come on, come on, pick up dammit.

Bill Clinton: Hello, Mr. President. What can I do for you?

Obama: There’s a financial crisis, I need your advice.

Bill Clinton: You could bomb an aspirin factory.

Obama: …

Bill Clinton: Oh and then go on camera and bite your lip. Tell people you understand their…no, that you can feel their pain.

Obama: …

Bill Clinton: And listen, you must be earnest. Look straight into the camera. Wag your finger a lot, too.

Female voice in background: Come back to bed, Billy.

Obama: Yeah, yeah, ok, let me talk to Hillary.

Bill Clinton: She’s not here.

Obama: But I just heard her in the background.

Bill Clinton: You thought that was Hillary? Hah! Hey, don’t say a word about this, mmmkay?

[3:11 am: click]

--------------------------------

But that was before even I thought that Barack would give the podium to Bill -- rather than just call him instead.

[Clarice]

HEH

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

The weird part of yesterday is that according to last night's news, there were to be no questions after the Clinton/Obama private meeting, no press, pretty much a blackout.

[Clarice]

Whenever O is away from TOTUS and his handlers he makes major errors--this was his worst.

[anduril]

Hugh Hewitt says it well:

As recognition grows that the so-called tax bill has become Stimulus II, some of the bill's supporters are rethinking their earlier positions. Bill Clinton's usurping of the baffled Obama's role on point for the deal may have helped clarify the situation for many as 42 bluntly noted that Democrats have to support the Christmas Tree deal because they cannot possibly do as well in January. Powerline's John Hinderaker, for example, lays out what ought to be the thinking of every elected representative and senator: The bill has evolved from a not-very-good-deal-to-avoid-a-tax-hike plus an extension of unemployment benefits into a giant exercise in wasteful spending, and thus support for it should end. The new Congress --the one embodying the people's demand for spending restraint and continuation of existing tax rates-- can get the job done in the new year.

It may be difficult for some in the GOP leadership to admit that they got worked by the president, but better a little embarrassment now than the massive loss of credibility that goes with this bill. Besides, they didn't sign up for ethanol and windmills. Speaker-designate Boehner and GOP Senate Leader McConnell will win enormous points for walking away from a bad deal that has gotten worse by the hour.

If the leadership does not shift course, individual GOP representatives will have to make the tough choice to part with leadership and demonstrate a true commitment to fiscal reform. Hopefully such an unnecessary and divisive showdown will be avoided, and the GOP regain the momentum they had achieved on November 2.

TeaPartyPatriots.org has begun to mobilize its grassroots network to oppose the deal, and other Tea Party organizations are surely making the same appeal. MSM is of course three days behind in their rpeorting, but with no House vote occuring any sooner than Wednesday, the story of Stimulus II is just beginning to be written.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

I posted this on the wrong thread:

Maybe Clinton told the Bumster that, like most performers, "he never shares the stage with children or animals" in keeping with an old theatre adage sometimes attributed to WC Fields.

[DebinNC]

Obama: There’s a financial crisis, I need your advice

That point in the presser that became so unbearable for Obama, after only 10 min., that he had to grab BC's arm and interrupt him mid-sentence to announce his departure was when Clinton began answering the question about what advice he'd given The One. Obama's ego couldn't tolerate the idea that he, always the smartest person in the room, needed schooling from another, especially "He played the race card on me" Clinton.

[glasater]

Anyone found the full twenty minutes of Clinton holding forth? All I've seen is the fifty three second clip at Real Clear.

[rhymin' simon]

Glasater it is at C-span

[glasater]

Thanks rhymin' -- I did look there but must have missed it. Will try again.