Bracing For Obama's Latest Attempt To Move The Needle

Obama will harangue the nation tonight in yet another attempt to sway the public on the debt ceiling fight.

The Times highlights the competing House and Senate plans:

The president’s decision to intervene comes after House Republican leaders pushed for a vote Wednesday on a two-step plan that would allow the federal debt limit to immediately be raised by about $1 trillion and tie a second increase next year to the ability of a new joint Congressional committee to produce more deficit reduction.

Even though the Democrats insist they are winning this debate they don't quite seem to believe that another such victory will help them in electon year.  Consequently, Senate Majority Leader Reid has reached for the dry ice:

But top Senate Democrats called the proposal a “non-starter” and said they would advance their own plan to reduce the deficit by $2.7 trillion and raise the debt ceiling until after next year’s elections, saying it met the conditions that Republicans had laid down during the ongoing debt fight.

And how does it meet those conditions?

The plan assembled by Mr. Reid quickly received the president’s endorsement. Over the next ten years, it would cut $1.2 trillion from federal agency budgets and wring some savings from recurring programs such agriculture subsidies. The proposal also counts about $1 trillion in savings from winding down combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan – a point likely to encounter resistance from Republicans who brand such savings as gimmicks.

So Reid will promise to save $1 trillion by not re-invading Iraq or Afghanistan.  Geez, why not promise not to send a man to the moon and save another half trillion?  (Oh, I know - the CBO does't have a manned moon mission in the baseline...).

Obama will bring his Golden Voice to bear and no doubt enjoy the same success he has had every other time he gets on and whines about some damn thing or other.

However I am very curious to see whether Obama continues to threaten granny's Social Security checks.  And of course, we will monitor his media enablers to see whether his attempt at hostage-taking is questioned.

 

Comments

[Comanche Voter]

Well Granny won't get her social security check. Grampa won't get his heart bypass surgery. The kids will find that Yellowstone Park will be closed. The business guys will find that O'Hare, LAX, Phoenix and DFW just don't have enough money to stay open.

Our petulant posturing pre-adolescent Presidente will find ways to make us hurt. Meantime there'll be another round of Pol Roger and caviar on the Air Force One Imperial Express to Cape Cod. And since Bo the dog has been known to shed, well they'll order up a separate 737 for him.

So give The Bamster his new taxes--or Granny Gets It!

[Ranger]

More Cowbell!!

[J.R.]

Exactly Ranger!! Hopefully he will talk to us every night until this whole debate is over or we default!

[Danube of Thought]

Not that he won't strive mightily to do so, but I really don't think Obama can any longer posture as the master planner who boxed the squabbling children's ears until the did as they were told. You have to have been paying zero attention to this saga to buy that one now.

I hope the GOP mocks the winding-down-the-war "savings" without mercy. It demonstrates how far from serious--and from honest--these guys are.

Take a look at the RCP average at the moment.

[centralcal]

An interesting first day for Ed Henry as FNC's White House correspondent.

Some funny stuff coming across Twitter, too . . .

Dave Weigel (yes, that Weigel): Obama preview: "I just sent Seal Team 6 to McConnell's house. Your move."

Guy Benson: Ever wondered what an orgy of strawmen looks like? Find out tonight -- 9pm ET!

[Jeff]

they are also including the expiration of the "Bush/Obama" tax cuts in 2013 ...

smoke meet mirror ...

[Ben Franklin]

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/aug/18/what-were-they-thinking/?page=2

"According to a report in The Hill newspaper in late June, the tough-minded, experienced, and blunt Democratic Representative Henry Waxman of California told Obama in a White House meeting that he’d asked several Republicans about their meeting with him the day before, and, “To a person, they said the President’s going to cave.” Then the congressman said to the President of the United States, “And if you’re going to cave, tell us right now.” The President was reported to have been displeased, and responded, “I’m the President of the United States; my words carry weight.”"

I think he said 'wait' and was misquoted.

[centralcal]

Congratulating the San Francisco Giants for their first championship title since 1954, Obama gave a special shout-out to the team’s star pitcher, Tim Lincecum, with whom the president said he had one thing in common.

“America learned it’s sometimes good to bet on the skinny guy,” Obama said. “You and me.”

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

Dear God!

[Extraneus]

Via HotAir.

End of a bromance.

[Ben Franklin]

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/07/whats-behind-deficit-kabuki

"But while it's pretty plain that Republican angst over the deficit is just a facade, I think Atrios isn't quite right when he says that Republicans also don't care about cutting spending. They do. In fact, that's the political beauty of pretending to care about the deficit: it sounds fiscally responsible, and it provides cover to cut spending on social programs that Democrats care about. Not defense or, as Atrios says, Social Security or Medicare unless they can get bipartisan cover for it, but pretty much anything else that benefits the poor or the young or the sick. All in the name of getting our fiscal house in order and not becoming the next Greece. Hooray."

[Ben Franklin]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/us-usa-debt-gridlock-idUSTRE76O64E20110725

Paul Light has worked in and studied the institutions of government in Washington for more than three decades. He has written papers and taught about the great American legislative battles of modern times, where compromise has nearly always prevailed.

But on the issue of the extraordinary gridlock in Washington today, where Congress and the White House appear unable to act on the critical need to raise the government's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling and avert a catastrophic default, Light is stunned.

"I've never never seen a breakdown like this," he said. "This is a defining moment in America's inability to act."

[Danube of Thought]

"it's pretty plain that Republican angst over the deficit is just a facade"

Why on earth would they fake it? And what is the evidence that it's a facade?

Drum seems to be saying there's no real reason to get our fiscal house in order, and that becoming the next Greece is just fine. Good Lord.

[Extraneus]

Yeah, yeah. Republicans don't care about deficits or spending, or even about the level of confiscation required to fund a spendthrift gov't; they're just hot to cut anything that benefits the poor, the young and the sick.

If this guy speaks for them, the left is apparently well beyond just bordering on delusional.

[jimmyk]

“America learned it’s sometimes good to bet on the skinny guy,” Obama said. “You and me.”

What Barry doesn't seem to get is that someone widely perceived as a narcissist can't make jokes like that. A genuinely humble person like GWB can get away with the occasional light self-promotion, but with Barry it's just shake-your-head embarrassing.

[Ben Franklin]

"Drum seems to be saying there's no real reason to get our fiscal house in order, and that becoming the next Greece is just fine. Good Lord."

It was sarcasm (hooray) DoT. Remember "Deficits don't matter" (Cheney) Drum's point (many others, as well) that deficits don't matter when WH is in GOP hands.

[Army of Davids]

Worth a watch...

Retreating Democrat line in the sand in the Senate.

Testor

McCaskill

Nelson in Florida

Nelson in Nebraska

Pryor in Arkansas

Sherrod Brown in Ohio

Mary Landreiu.

Tough votes coming for this crew who signed off on ObamaCare.

[scott]

Holy smokes, This guy's on TV more than Castro. His fear is making him jumpy. If there's a male dog in the east room tonight it'll be humping his leg.

[Clarice]

I hope you are right, Army.

I think Obama is truly mad.

[Ben Franklin]

DeLong Channels Salmon;

"http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2011/07/obama-and-geithner-have-a-new-greatest-unforced-error.html

"Obama and Geithner Have a New Greatest Unforced Error
Felix Salmon explains the situation:

How we got into this fine mess: For 37 years, the debt ceiling has provided an easy way for the party which isn’t in the White House to posture politically against the party which is in the White House. Even Barack Obama voted against raising it, once. Every one of the dozens of times the debt ceiling was reached, there was a small but non-zero probability that something disastrous would happen. And each time, disaster was, predictably, averted. It’s a classic sign of how tail risks are treacherous and breed invidious complacency. We’ve reached the debt ceiling dozens of times; nothing’s ever happened; so there’s nothing to worry about; so there’s no point expending precious political capital doing the right thing and abolishing it.

And now we’re paying the price. It’s increasingly looking like the best-case scenario is that America simply loses its triple-A credit rating…."

[Extraneus]

OT:

Restaurants cut back on salt, but they're keeping it quiet

Companies are rushing to reduce sodium content now in anticipation of possible new federal rules. But they believe customers told they're being served a low-sodium dish will say it's bland even before they taste it.

Just in time for the debunking of the sodium scare.

[Neo]

I keep remembering Bush 41 being denied TV time because they said it was political and not Presidential newsworthy stuff. How long till Obama manages to “jump the shark” with these speeches/press conferences.

[Stephanie]

2008?

[JackisBack!]

All Dem Sens up for re-election in 2012, especially from Red or Purple states are very vulnerable to voting the Boehner plan. Stand tough unlike Newt in 1995 and you will end up winning the future - 2012!

[Ranger]

How long till Obama manages to “jump the shark” with these speeches/press conferences.

Posted by: Neo | July 25, 2011 at 06:36 PM

The Gulf Oil Spill speech accomplished that. Its been downhill for Obama ever since then.

[Ben Franklin]

David Frum lists 5 Obama
mistakes..

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/25/frum.obama.mistakes/index.html?hpt=po_t2

#4 was precious....he trusted Bankers.

"
4. Obama over-relied on banks and bankers.
Like President George W. Bush before him, Obama took bold and necessary action to save the U.S. financial system in the early spring of 2009. A lot of ugly things were done. A lot of reckless people got away scot-free -- in fact, richer than ever. But apocalypse was averted, so congratulations all around. Afterward though: Where was the reckoning? The administration remained focused on reassuring bankers long after it had finished the job of saving the banks.
Yes, Congress did pass a law, Dodd-Frank, that addressed some of the worst abuses of the 2000s. For example, Dodd-Frank exposes ratings agencies to private lawsuits for "knowing or reckless" failures to conduct proper investigations of the bonds they rate.
Unless you follow banking law closely, however, you would have little idea that any preventive measures have been taken against the next bubble. What got the headlines instead was the president's appointment of one high-profile banker, William Daley, as his chief of staff -- and a rumor that he intended to appoint another as his second secretary of the Treasury, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase.
Little enough justice was done. Almost none was seen to be done.

[Danube of Thought]

"Drum's point (many others, as well) that deficits don't matter when WH is in GOP hands. "

Whether deficits matter depends on their relationship to GDP, and ditto the debt. We're in uncharted territory now, and a hell of a lot of people seem entirely uncincerned--including Drum (and many others, as well.)

I ain't gonna watch this guy on the tube tonight; I'm relying on you folks to enlighten me.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Remember "Deficits don't matter" (Cheney) Drum's point (many others, as well) that deficits don't matter when WH is in GOP hands.

The hell of it is that in 2005, the deficit actually didn't much matter. It was a couple hundred billion, about a month's receipts. Even the deficit in 2008 was mostly an accounting fiction because we don't do a regular balance sheet -- we compare total debt against current GDP, and the 2008 deficit included $300-$500 billion in TARP funding, much of which was paid back in 2009 and 2010. (Which has the side effect of reducing the deficit in those years: in other words, while BHO was blaming GWB for the deficit, in fact a big part of Bush's deficit was essentially "borrowed" from Obama's.)

I wrote a piece back then pointing out that the US had a debt to equity ratio of something like 50 percent then.

But the effective doubling of the debt, and the relatively slow average growth since 2008, have led us to a point where the debt is much more important. In GDP terms, it's increased from about 60 percent to nearly 100 percent, and the debt to equity ratio may have actually exceeded 1.

[Threadkiller]

--"What Barry doesn't seem to get is that someone widely perceived as a narcissist can't make jokes like that."--

The mores I watch him the more I am convinced the transcripts of his speeches, that include "[laughter]" and "[applause]", are actually scripts that include instructions to the audience.

[Captain Hate]

What Barry doesn't seem to get is that someone widely perceived as a narcissist can't make jokes like that.

Not to mention that his most noted sports accomplishment was leading the bench-warmers to whine to the coach about their playing time. His need to identify with real athletes is hilariously pathetic.

If there's a male dog in the east room tonight it'll be humping his leg.

If there's a cat it'll try to bury him in litter.

[Ben Franklin]

Chaco; This Wapo piece backs up your numbers, but with a caveat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35029-2005Jan25.html

Bush promised to cut the deficit in half (427 Billion) by 2006.

Then this;

"In a separate briefing, CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin said tax cuts and spending enacted by Congress last year will contribute $504 billion to the government's overall forecast debt between 2005 and 2014. Additional debt over that decade should total $1.36 trillion, well above the $861 billion figure the CBO projected in September.

"We're doing a little bit worse over the long term," Holtz-Eakin said, "and it's largely due to policy" changes."

The Lion's share of the projection was seen in 2005

[JM Hanes]

Mother Jones: Fiscal sanity is just a Republican smokescreen for torturing the poor, the young and the sick?

Progressives never tire of selling each other that fatuous shit, and then buying it back.

[matt]

what part of $17 Trillion don't they understand? The fact that even more of the debt is off the books is an even greater outrage.

Even the Chairman of the JCS has called the debt issue a clear & present danger to the welfare of the United States. You don't get more precise than his statement on the issue.

The Dems have offered only nebulous cuts and the president is jiving like he's set to win Dancing with the Stars. And the idiocracy blames those evil Republicans (code word for tea bagging right wing religious fanatics) for taking the country to the brink.

You know that whatever happens they will blame the opposition for the bad and take credit for the good. It's the same old song.

[Captain Hate]

I'm wondering if Vegas has a line on whether he'll **accidentally** give somebody the finger because I'm thinking that's free money. It also might be a good example of why I don't gamble.

[centralcal]

From Jake Tapper, comes a preview of the speech:

Democratic officials say in his speech to the nation this evening, the president will point out that House Republicans are pursuing a plan that likely cannot pass the Senate, Senate Democrats are pursuing a plan that likely cannot pass the House (and may not even make it through the Senate). The nation is stuck in a congressional stalemate, he will say, and now we need to come together to avoid default.

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

Why speak to the county tonight? A prime time address is different than his middle-of-the workday press briefings, reaching a different audience, an official said. “I guarantee you that 80% of the audience tonight has never seen more than a 10 second clip of the president talking about this.” Officials also said that given the possibility that this might come down to the wire next week – or worse – the president needs to address the nation to prepare the public.

[boris]

Both sides suspect the other would rather drive the economy back in the ditch than give in on taxes. Recent history of 3 branch dem government was an explicit attempt to prove once and for all that the way to fix a bad economy was lots and lots of government spending.

That has not worked out very well for them.

Seems to me dems have greater motive to keep the GOP from proving them wrong. If the GOP can establish spending was bad bad bad that is a major ego bust for dems.

[Stephanie]

'Largely due to policy changes' meaning partially that the next congress is not bound by any deals this congress puts through - it is hard to script for out year budgets when they are at most a guessing game based on stasis.

In 2006, weren't most of the gains in congress D gains which made pushback on liberalism much harder? Cuts were weakened and spending was increased as deals were cut reflecting the new realities of more Ds in DC. That in itself smashed the budgetary guesstimates all to hell. I'm surprised that they actually only missed by that much...

[JM Hanes]

Bracing For Obama's Latest Attempt To Move The Needle

Have I told TM how much I love his headlines lately?

[Frederick]

I'll bet you a snickers bar he uses thinly veiled threats to crash the financial markets unless he gets his way. The threats to kill all the old people via witholding their ss checks drew more laughs than anything, so he has to raise the threat level.

Keep lashing out, Barack! Threaten everyone and everything!

P.S. How in the heck crashing financial markets could be perceived as a winning strategy within his inner circle is beyond me, but their going to go for it. A stock market crash will seal his fate very early as a one termer; it really would make him a lame duck.

[Ben Franklin]

JMH;

"Fiscal sanity is just a Republican smokescreen for torturing the poor, the young and the sick?"

Your paraphrase is unfortunate.

[Extraneus]

Isn't in embarrassing that this debt limit issue is world news?

I wonder what the world news would have been during the dying throes of the Roman Empire.

[Captain Hate]

we will monitor his media enablers to see whether his attempt at hostage-taking is questioned.

Somebody should ask him to define "compromise". Much hilarity would ensue.

[Extraneus]

You really believe that BF?

[Ben Franklin]

Believe what?

[Cecil Turner]

. . . deficits don't matter when WH is in GOP hands.

That's gotta be why the Dems didn't submit a budget to Bush in 2009 . . . Bush wanted to spend too much?

[Extraneus]

That "Fiscal sanity is just a Republican smokescreen for torturing the poor, the young and the sick?"

You really believe that, after all this time trolling this site?

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

I hope Jane gives us a full rundown of El Jefe's prime time rant to the nation. I know I wouldn't be able to keep my dinner down if I had to watch His Arrogance try to eke out another term.

On the other hand, Boehner has a real opportunity to show there really are adults involved in this unnecessary brinksmanship. And without a teleprompter.

[bolitha]

I will not watch. Cannot bear to--it is all so embarrassing for him.

[Threadkiller]

Will Boehner respond tonight?

[bolitha]

Not that I care whether or not he is embarrassed--it's just pitiful.

[bgates]

the president will point out that House Republicans are pursuing a plan that likely cannot pass the Senate

Since his budget got destroyed by a 97-0 vote, I don't think I'll listen to his predictions about what can pass the Senate.

America learned it’s sometimes good to bet on the skinny guy

Lincecum? You're LeBron, baby - somebody spent a lot of money to get you where you are, and you're going to lose to the guy from Texas.

[Old Dad]

The troll force is strong on the internets today. The normally rude and stupid have grown civil and stupid. They smell doody in Harry Reid's Depends, and Virginia Slims on the One's desperate breath.

[JM Hanes]

Per the NYTImes:

President Obama.... will address the nation on Monday night on the “stalemate over avoiding default and the best approach to cutting deficits,” Jay Carney, the press secretary, announced in a Twitter message late in the afternoon.

Oh Lordy! Once upon a time, you could actually use White House and dignity in the same sentence.

[Ben Franklin]

"That "Fiscal sanity is just a Republican smokescreen for torturing the poor, the young and the sick?"

You really believe that, after all this time trolling this site?"

Ex; No, I don't believe that is the intent. If you look up you will see that JMH jackassed the quote from Drum.

[Ranger]

I'm thinking this may actually be Obama's Malaise moment. Remember, the Carter Malaise speech was his effor to base the early failure of his presidency on the American people, not his poor choices and inept governance. Obama is probably aching to make the same argument right now.

[JackisBack!]

Isn't insanity described as doing the same thing over and over again hoping to get different results? (ie. TV addresses on prime time).

[glasater]

The anniversary of Carter's Malaise speech was July 21st. We're not too far off that date.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Deficits don't matter" (Cheney) Drum's point (many others, as well) that deficits don't matter when WH is in GOP hands

Citizens and politicians alike often do not understand that debt and deficit are two different animals. One bad, one not as bad. We all learned that in junior high. The trouble is, we've either forgotten the lesson or forgotten the distinction.

And some Repubs might not care about deficits and only want to lower spending so poor kids starve, etc, but I have yet to meet a democrat that gives a sh!t about anyone but him or herself or how they can find new ways to control someone else. They sure as hell don't want to "teach a man to fish," because, the gawds forbid, someone might actually expect them to fish too.

[Ben Franklin]

"Remember, the Carter Malaise speech was his effor to base the early failure of his presidency on the American people, not his poor choices and inept governance."

I agree. Telling the 'Muddle' they are a nest of mentally lazy sycophants who can't make up their minds what they want is always a mistake.....

[centralcal]

As one who, usually, really can't stand to listen to or watch Big O on my TV screen, I am rather enjoying watch him melt down lately. I keep waiting for him to cackle and cry out "I'm melting, I'm melting . . ."

It is also making life so much more difficult in the liberal media as they try to re-mold him into their falsely created image.

[Elliott]

As this is a fellow, for whom speaking fees will be a major source of income from January 21, 2013 onward, someone should remind him to "leave them wanting more."

[Ranger]

I predict the folling will be a good one sentence wrap up of tonight's speech:

I could be a great president and fix this problem, if it weren't for all the people in congress.

[Extraneus]

From your link to Kevin Drum:

"But while it's pretty plain that Republican angst over the deficit is just a facade, I think Atrios isn't quite right when he says that Republicans also don't care about cutting spending. They do. In fact, that's the political beauty of pretending to care about the deficit: it sounds fiscally responsible, and it provides cover to cut spending on social programs that Democrats care about. Not defense or, as Atrios says, Social Security or Medicare unless they can get bipartisan cover for it, but pretty much anything else that benefits the poor or the young or the sick. All in the name of getting our fiscal house in order and not becoming the next Greece. Hooray."

You don't find that entire quote to be the last refuge of an idiot?

[Chubby]

maybe his reason for going on teevee is to spook the markets, which would furnish more grist for his propaganda mill. there is always an immediate reaction in the global markets to his speeches on the economy.

[Neo]

SPIKE will be showing 1000 Ways to Die at 9 PM.
Obama will offer the 1000 & 1st way to die

[Ben Franklin]

"maybe his reason for going on teevee is to spook the markets, which would furnish more grist for his propaganda mill. there is always an immediate reaction in the global markets to his speeches on the economy."

This is more of an example of your point, extraneus.

[Ranger]

BTW, maybe Obama should consider that part of the reason that 70% of the country doesn't even want the debt limit raised is because he himself campaigned on the promise of "net spending cuts." American's elected Obama in part because he promised to spend less, not more on government.

[bgates]

deficits don't matter when WH is in GOP hands

Other things that don't matter when WH is in GOP hands:

* sodomizing interns
* Japanese militarism
* the Kaiser
* slavery

I'm not saying any of these are good or even morally neutral things, mind; just that historically they've been much smaller problems during Republican administrations.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

How in the heck crashing financial markets could be perceived as a winning strategy within his inner circle is beyond me

Haven't you ever been in a situation where you are torn between buying your child their heart's desire and knowing if you do so, you are putting yourself in a huge financial bind? If not, then you are a stronger person than I was with my children. The kids only care about getting what they want, not how much it will hurt their parents' budget to give them what they want. Obama is the child, his advisers and minions are the parents who are guilted into providing against their own best interests.

When I was growing up, the term was "keeping up with the Jones," today it is "you owe me...you bought yourself a new ______ (fill in the blank), so I should have an even newer, fancier ______ just for being so awesome."

[Chubby]

TK

(( Will Boehner respond tonight?
))

yes, immediately after Obama's done

[Frau Steingehirn]

Some of us have to be careful about what we watch. Jane, do you have enough Grey Goose to live blog the speech?

[Rick Ballard]

My money is on King Putts the Petulant taking another run at putting the skeer in the geezers coupled with "preparing for a government shutdown". A Clinton redux, rather than a Carter redux. He won't overcome his inability to project "I feel your pain - and anything else I can reach" as did Clinton and this crop of geezers is more apt to reply "Good For You!, Mr. President - and the horse your rode in on." than to quiver in fear at El JEF's blather.

He's only got the one page Alinsky play and song book and it's only printed on one side.

[narciso]

It bears repeating, that the same crew who thought this would work, 30 some years ago,
Fallows, Matthews, Hertzberg, think unlike
the Who , 'we can get fooled again'

[Elliott]

Rick, I wonder whether there's still time to send Favreau some truly inspirational quotations to insert into his Petulance's oration.

[Chubby]

((This is more of an example of your point, extraneus))

not at all, more like Frederick 7:09

[MarkJ]

Obama is on tube? AGAIN? I've got a 10-spot HBO, ESPN, and Animal Planet will show stratospheric jumps in their viewership beginning 9 p.m. this evening.

If Obama wants to retain any residual goodwill among the American people, he needs to sit down, take a deep breath, and sip generously from a steaming mug of Shut-the-F***-Up.

[narciso]

From a Patterico link, we realize why the root of Twitter is what it is:

Why Obama Has Already Won the Debt-Limit Fight: Jonathan Alter – Bloomberg http://bloom.bg/p50ohRSat Jul 16 00:06:42 via Twitter for BlackBerry®Jonathan Alter
jonathanalter

[Danube of Thought]

Jennifer Rubin just now:

"In case you think we have not had enough condescending, rise-above-it, Congress- is-trying-my-patience pronouncements from President Obama, you are in luck. He’s going to give a speech at 9 p.m. ET. The most gripping question about the address is whether he will say “grownup” more often than he says “rating agencies.”The speaker of the House will respond. Right Turn will be back after the speeches to comment and collect reaction.

"It is dicey, however, since at this point Obama in all likelihood is not going to get tax hikes and won’t get a deal that spares him the ordeal of doing his job again (on the debt) before the next election. So he’s got to leave enough room that when he finally signs the deal, as he must, it isn’t viewed as a major capitulation. Time to lower expectations for the liberal base, in other words.

"Now he’ll argue that we are at a stalemate, but that’s awfully nervy. There was a bipartisan deal on Sunday, which he nixed because it didn’t spare him a second debt vote before the next election. But we aren’t stalemated at all. Congress is doing its business."

[RichatUF]

How in the heck crashing financial markets could be perceived as a winning strategy within his inner circle is beyond me...

When it is his allies that have positioned themselves for a crash? Reading the headlines this weekend, one would think that the markets were going to fall 10% this morning. Bet some people had their arms ripped off today since the Obama circus could only manage to spook the markets by about a percent.

And finished my first day-got my badge, set up my computer, and go to go home early. Start early tomorow however. Celebrated with some chicken alfredo, linguine, brussels sprouts, and grilled scallops.

[Pops]

I think I solved it. The Republicans should propose to increase the individual mandate from 700.00 to 2100.00 dollars and apply the diffference to the debt.

Obama has already admitted this is not a tax, so the Republicans won't be raising taxes.

[Rick Ballard]

Elliott,
Wouldn't it be grand to have the ability to do a 'Jane' edit on the TOTUS script immediately prior to delivery? Assign paragraphs to those JOMers able to make the slight changes necessary so that the President was actually speaking the truth and see how far he gets before the light goes on? That is, if the light ever did go on.

[Pops]

Boehner should tell the country something very simple tonight, like:

Obama thought he could grow the economy by spend vast sums of borrowed money, and it didn't work. Now the bills come due, and he doesn't want to pay it.

What this argument comes down to is the Democrats refusal to cut planned spending. NOt actual money, but money they planned to spend if they had an unlimited checkbook. But their reckless spending has maxed out their credit cards and emptied their checkbooks, now they want to blame and point fingers at everyone except their own irresponsible actions.

[J.R.]

"I could be a great president and fix this problem, if it weren't for all the people in congress."

He pretty much said that already earlier today when he spoke to that wonderful racist organization La Raza.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Frau,

I am nearly out of grey goose. This could be a tough one!

[RichatUF]

Oh no, no gray goose!

[Gmax]

GFY = good for you

I learned something tonight, I have been under a misapprehension for sometime now. Thank you sir.

[Soylent Red]

He's only got the one page Alinsky play and song book and it's only printed on one side.

Give him a break, Mr. Ballard. Joe Biden colored the rest in already, and now sits quietly in the corner of the West Wing eating the pages and washing them down with white glue.

"Looks like we're gonna need a bigger playbook. And laminated," said Axelrod.

And let's just recap...

This is a guy who was elected because he rose above politics as usual, and could bring opposing sides together to work in glorious orgasmic harmony toward common visionary (historic! unprecedented! unexpected!) goals, as laid out by his soothing baritone blatherings. A Lightworker, if you will, something like a god, only with more perfect creases (I get tingly just typing it).

And yet, and yet...

He can't get four people in a room to hammer out a simple set of negotiations, because every time they get close he comes in and screws things up? When he doesn't get his way - HIS way, not a negotiated compromise - he gets bitchy and butt hurt and starts issuing threats and demands.

As a member of the loyal opposition, I wholeheartedly endorse this idiot pre-empting Dancing with America's Top Idol with Talent to tell us everyone else is the problem in this situation. Please, please Obamessiah (PBUH) - enlighten us with your words and waggling finger and groovy cyanotic lips.

[MarkO]

During the President's remarks it will be essential to remember he's just not that smart and he's a liar. That will help if you must watch. I won't.

[JackisBack!]

Hey Elliot,

Been to Lord's?

This here is very much a criket match. An innings of fast bowlers, a couple of edges, a couple of of ducks, a century with 3 different partners, a wide or two, and, a LBW to set up the nightwatchman tomorrow. Who said cricket was dead in America?

Translation of above on request.

[Extraneus]

Surely Jane will take that under advisement, MarkO.

[Pops]

What Boehner really needs to do is spend a few days watching the show HARDCORE PAWN. It is about a family owned pawn shop in Detroit that deals with the typical African American whom doesn't get their way. They bluster and threaten and flip out and cause a commotion in the hopes that everyone else will just give in and give them what they want.

The Pawn shop family just stand their and watch their antics and never give into their ridiculous tantrums. If they need to escalate themselves, they escalte but they don't back down.

Obamas going to throw another tantrum tonight, watch and smile and then tell him NO!.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

he's just not that smart and he's a liar

Perfect example at 8:29 PM, written by a man who spent the last year out of the country in a god-forsaken place and, yet, still has a better handle on the issue than his commander-in-chief, who has been sitting in the WH at the center of the action during the same time.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

And, I should add, another perfect example of why common sense, don't get "stuck on stupid" military types are always smarter than academic theorists who have done nothing but sit around and butt their cigs out on the dorm carpet paid for by "da man" as they pontificate about how smart they all are.

[Rick Ballard]

Gmax,

I stole that fair and square from Soylent (just like the Spanglish El JEF from CH and Jim Rhoads). I only mention it 'cause they're around.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Surely Jane will take that under advisement, MarkO.

I never watch. I listen and channel my inner secretary (since I never learned to type).The real Obama emerges in my fingers all by himself. He simply dares me to press the keys.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I have a very slow connection tonite, so you will need patience.

[JackisBack!]

Jane,

I have ample supplies of the goose in both regular and citron stashed in the wine room to eventually move to freezer. I have learned from survivialists not to depend on late night runs to ABC.

[PD]

Went out to dinner with my Mom tonight. She lives in a retirement apartment building, so I asked her what the folks there think about Obama saying he can't guarantee the S.S. checks will go out:

They're not buying it. None of them believe him, even the ones who voted for him. They know it's a scare tactic.

I then asked her what they think about the Dem position on S.S. reform meaning that their benefits are in danger:

They're not buying that either. They know the reform plans (such as the Ryan plan) affect those who haven't retired yet. And, they're fully aware that S.S. *needs* to be reformed. There is concern about the lack of COLA increases the last few years, and the possibility of decoupling Medicare from S.S.

She further said the nobody there can stand to watch him on TV any more.

[JM Hanes]

Soylent:

I clipped this last month, because I couldn't help thinking of you when I ran across it:

I had an avalanche of information available at my fingertips, but it wouldn’t tell me if the Iraqi police officers next to me or the Iraqi soldiers at the checkpoint down the road would fight if we weren’t beside them. All the PowerPoint slides in the world (and believe me, the U.S. Army can, in fact, generate all the PowerPoint slides in the world) wouldn’t tell me if our hard-won progress would endure.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I have ample supplies of the goose in both regular and citron stashed in the wine room to eventually move to freezer

JIB,

A lot of good that does me!

[Soylent Red]

Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but out and out theft is the cheapest.

I always say.

And be careful Sara. I was one of those cig squashing FTW types back in my undergrad days. Difference between me and Slippery Dick Hussein is I grew out of it.

I'm hoping tonight he comes on national television and threatens to hold his breath until he gets his way.

Also, in celebration of his continuing lack of oxygen supply to his brain (blue lips are symptomatic of this), I think I will refer to him for the next couple days as...

Angry Purple Dick

...and not in the positive, life affirming way some of you JOMettes may be accustomed to.