How Was This Helpful To Obama?

Obama steps on the Republican debate with his request for (yet another) speech on jobs to a joint session of Congress; Speaker Boehner squawks, and Obama retreats.

SO - just what outcome did Obama's "strategists" expect? And was this mini-drama helpful to Obama?  Does he look like a man who is eagerly trying to present his ideas as soon as possible, now that his vacation is over, only to be blocked by those anoying Republicans?  Or does he look like a weak waffler guy who was scheduling the speech as a political opportunity to suffocate the Republicans contending for his job?

Yet another tough call.

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS...  If Obama renews his call for 'green jobs' after this Solyandra debacle, I hope to hear some Congressman mutter "Is this a joint session of Congress or have I blundered into a comedy club?"

Comments

[Bill in AZ sez it's time for Zero to resign]

I hope the Republicans have the sense to walk out when he launches into the same old drivel of the last few weeks, and expects them to sit quietly through his attacks on them.

[peter]

Would love to hear another "You lie."

[DebinNC]

just what outcome did Obama's "strategists" expect?

Apparently, not what happened..which is amazing to contemplate. I wonder what outcome the WH expects if NBC delays the Packers-Saints game to air his speech?

[Jim Ryan]

I'm excited about Obama's latest plan! If we can seed the American economy with some funding for green jobs like solar and wind power, then we'll see some green shoots growing, some good-paying jobs, and we'll also bring American closer to carbon-neutrality and saving the planet from destruction!

[Danube of Thought]

I think, first, that choosing to deliver this speech to a joint session of congress is almost unimaginably desperate and inappropriate (and stupid). Second, the wholly unnecessary flap about the timing is clumsily amateurish.

This guy is a petty, petulant fool, and he is surrounded by lightweights. What a fiasco.

[narciso]

I think 'a scene of unimaginable violence' outside the NBC studios.

[DebinNC]

Journal Sentinel: "In a report on the speech on the "Today" show, NBC political reporter Chuck Todd, however, said the White House knows of the [Packers-Saints game scheduling] conflict and plans were already afoot to ensure the speech does not conflict with the game and could air as early as 6:30 p.m."

[NK]

Excellent post Tom-- I was thinking about this as well--- how did the obnoxious 9/7 date proposal help Obama? It didn't. Why'd he do it? Answer-- He's a gross incompetent. Every issue that comes up shows Obama has no clue how to run his administration or even run for re-election. He's a grossly incompetent leader, and he's not even a good politician. In 2011 one thing went well for him-- killing bin Laden. Who did that? Strong, smart brave men who worked on it for several years. It was a gift for Obama. That's all. For the future? More of the same, a dead labor market and lousy growth. One term failure.

[pagar]

Sara exposed the plan from the Federal Dysfunctional Family in her 11:44 PM last night. Force all the US private industry jobs overseas, that way we won't need any more job speeches, leaving more time for golf.

http://www.redstate.com/aglanon/2011/08/31/doj-advises-gibson-guitar-to-export-labor/

[Jim Ryan]

Zero figured Boehner would cave in because he thinks he's still a Mrs. Iselin in hypnotic power but the hypnotic mystique is gone. He's more like Senator Iselin now: useless buffoon.

[narciso]

Btw, Cheney's round on Morning Joke, was a home run, then again he's dealing with agitated hamsters there

[centralcal]

Well, Oblamer's email to supporters immediately after accepting the Boehner date is one long diatribe against the awful do-nothing Congress. Just imagine him at the joint session, wagging his crooked ET fingers, railing against those evil Republicans, stamping his little feet, with slo-Joe nodding in agreement behind, and the CBC giving standing ovations.

A circus of ugliness, televised, but will anybody watch?

[Ranger]

Well, even the lefties at Time are wondering what it was all about (via RCP):

Even as He Prepares for Fall Offensive, Obama Retreats on Jobs Speech

Barack Obama had three weeks to plan his first move of the fall political season. When he announced it, that move appeared to be an aggressive one. And then it blew up in his face.

BTW, will the Republicans get a chance to do a response right after? If so, I think Sen. Rubio should do it.

[Hawkins]

The endgame is to continue the endgame of framing the Congress as obstructionist

[Jim Ryan]

OBAMA: I just told Boehner I'm giving the speech Wednesday night at the same time as their debate. [SMILING AND EASING BACK INTO HIS CHAIR] We'll watch him fold like a cheap suit. He's not going to say no to me.

AIDE 1: [CHOKES ON HIS COFFEE, STIFLING A LAUGH]

OBAMA: Johnson?

AIDE 1: Oh, no, I just...[VISIBLY STIFLES A LAUGH]

OBAMA: Oh, come on. Henry, I've still got it, don't I?

AIDE 2: [DOES FACEPALM]

[Ranger]

BTW, Sen Johnson has a jobs plan that is good, but still doesn't go far enough:

JOHNSON: Obama at a loss

Until we get serious about eleminating those parts of government that have become a cancer on the economy (EPA, NLRB, both DoEs) we will never really break the chains that are holding the American economy back.

[Cecil Turner]

This bit is priceless:

President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner clashed over, of all things, the date and time of the president’s much-awaited speech to the nation about his proposal to increase jobs and fix the economy.

"Much-awaited"? If we're talking about a jobs initiative, yeah, like for three years. If we're talking about another speech on how porkulus and payola are "unexpectedly" disappointing, not so much. This thing is a campaign event--nothing more--and ought to be treated like one.

The President's sooper-dooper jobs ideas are so complex they're inscrutable. Right? Or maybe they're eminently predictable:

President Obama’s much-anticipated jobs speech will undoubtedly cover more of the same things that already haven’t worked. He will propose an infrastructure bank, extension of unemployment and food stamps, promotion of green jobs, more government-corporate partnerships, and a one-year extension of the payroll tax reduction. He’ll advocate a second stimulus. [. . .]

Yeah, how hard was that? He goes on to give actual recommendations that would probably work. Too bad our President and the Dems are ideologically incapable of following them.

[Sue]

I think Obama did it on purpose. He wants the media talking about how he was forced to move the speech instead of what is in the speech.

[Sue]

And, he wants the media talking about how the republicans wouldn't even budge on the date so how can Obama expect them to implement his most wondrous jobs plan?

[Sue]

I think Obama is very calculating and does absolutely nothing without a reason. His obvious lack of political skills is apparent when he is forced into something. But when he has time to script it, he does so thinking one step ahead. And our media sits in the cheerleading section saying...ooh...ahhh.

[Ranger]

And this is interesting:

Libya conflict: Leaders gather for Paris summit

Senior politicians from around the world are gathering in Paris for a summit on Libya's future.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and UK leader David Cameron are hosting the meeting, to be attended by officials from the US, Russia and China.

Delegates from Libya's rebel government will also be there, and are expected to ask for help on security and democracy.

Funny that Obama isn't going to be there.

[Janet]

I liked daddy's post on the other thread on Jim DeMint's response -

"This Politico story says Senator DeMint Vows To Block Obama Speech.

“If he (Obama) has a jobs proposal, put it in writing, give us a cost estimate, and send it over. I want to read the bill, not listen to talking points off a TelePrompter. If he insists on playing politics by picking the night of the GOP debate, I will object to the session.”"

[DebinNC]

And, he wants the media talking about how the republicans wouldn't even budge on the date

Except Boehner turned around and suggested the 6th, 8th, 9th, 10, and even 11th. Obama never imagined Boehner wouldn't grudgingly give in imo.

[Appalled]

The folks in This Is Spinal Tap had the line for self-inflicted wounds like this:

"There's a fine line between clever and stupid".

I wish, sometimes, the Obama folks were a little closer to the fine line.

[Texas Mom 2010]

I can't wait to hear the CBO again state 'we can't score a speech!'
Obama looks like a very small small man.
Watching his speech will be like watching the stands at Wimbleton from the dugout, Obama chin up, face turning side to side, ROFLOL!

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 24 at Raz today.

[Jack is Back!]

Found this in my local Play Bill:

Waiting for Jobs is an absurdist play by David Axelrod, in which two characters, Barack and Michelle, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Jobs to appear. Job's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's staging every autumn after 3 successive "recovery summers". It was voted "the most over-rated and insignificant English language play of the 21th century".[1] Waiting for Jobs is Axelrods's translation of his own original French version, En attendant les Travaux, and is subtitled (in English only) "a [national] tragicomedy in two acts known as Inauguration and Failure".[2] The original French text was composed between 21 January 2009 and 8 September 2011.[3] The première was on 3 February 2009 in the Theater of Congress, Washington, DC. The production was directed by David Plouffe, who also played the role of Pozzo.

[Sue]

Deb,

Which would be great if that was what the media was reporting. So far I've heard Boehner did the unthinkable by refusing the President's request, never done before, yada, yada. The fact that Boehner offered and Obama accepted the 8th is not really mentioned except as the date of the speech and how the President now has to compete with the NFL.

[pagar]

"just what outcome did Obama's "strategists" expect?"

Does that mean the outcome was unexpected?

[MarkO]

How does the old saw go, or am I inventing: Those who can do, do; those who can't speak.

[DebinNC]

Funny that Obama isn't going to be there

AAP: "The president is scheduled to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Honolulu on November 13 and is then expected to fly to Bali to attend the East Asia Summit on November 19. Australian officials hope Mr Obama will use the few days break between the forum and summit to squeeze in the Australian stop.

Forget Paris, it's BO&MO fall vacay time!

[I R A Darth Aggie]

Yeah, but remember that The Won is smarter than you and me put together.

[Barbara]

I think, first, that choosing to deliver this speech to a joint session of congress is almost unimaginably desperate and inappropriate (and stupid).

DOT,

Exactly. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Supreme Court should not be required to sit through his political diatribe on Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. I wonder if they'll show up.

[Sue]

Dick Cheney vs 4 liberals on Morning Joe. Poor bastards won't know what hit them.

Twitter.

[narciso]

'This is just great,' I heard Corporal Hudson, murmur:

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/09/new-libya-releases-600-jihadists-from-prison.html

[Jack is Back!]

Barbara,

Its not a SOTU speech but one to a joint session. I doubt the JCS or Scotus are even invited. But I could be wrong. BTW, attendance is not mandatory and it will be interesting to see who may just want to step down the hill to Le Colline and sit at the bar watching the game.

[matt]

James Hansen, NASA's global warming avocate, arrested at White House protest against pipeline. LUN

It's good to know Darryl Hannah was there as well. She's one of our very brightest minds.

[Danube of Thought]

Gallup:

"PRINCETON, NJ -- Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, is at 9.1% at the end of August -- up from 8.8% at the end of July... This data further confirm Gallup's mid-month prediction that the August unemployment rate that the government will report Friday will be higher than the 9.1% it reported in July -- barring another sizable decline in the U.S. workforce or an unusual seasonal adjustment."

[hit and run]

How does this help Michelle's kids?

[Jack is Back!]

DoT,

You left out a word. "Unexpected".

[DebinNC]

Time isn't seeing a shrewd genius at work in Obama's speech-moving.

[Janet]

James Hansen, NASA's global warming avocate, arrested at White House protest against pipeline

This guy collects a paycheck from NASA?...when does he ever go to work? What exactly IS his job?

[Bear1909]

This is a sad moment for the Republic. Impotence is a terrible complex. Right now it appears the entire government is suffering from it. What makes it appear worse is how the Red Queen Media (the US Press) has completely disappeared into its fog of being a propaganda arm for the impotent federal bureaucracy and the executive branch. And that's what I think is saddest. The media players who are in the tank as propagandists should be publically shamed for what they are doing, and what they have done. Stocks in the public square would not begin to shame them enough.

[hit and run]

Ras:

Perry 44 Obama 41
Romney 39 Obama 43

[Sue]

Deb,

I didn't claim he was a genius. But the article does support that he was calculating his moves.

[Ranger]

Jim Geraghty's take on Obama's e-mail to supporters last night:

Obama to Supporters: Demand Congress Pass My Unrevealed Plan Now!

The one thing I notice is that Obama is back to pitching himself as a proto-tea partier:

That’s why I’m putting forward a set of bipartisan proposals to help grow the economy and create jobs — that means strengthening our small businesses, giving needed breaks to middle-class families, while taking responsible steps to bring down our deficit.

Yeah, and America is still waiting for those "net spending cuts" you promised in 2008.

And, of course, no mention of his plans to continue dumping new regulations on businesses, or to starve the country of cheap domesticly produced energy.

[Porchlight]

I hope the scheduling works out so that the speech doesn't conflict with the game. That way when no one watches the speech, he won't have an excuse.

[hit and run]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRAU MACHT MICH LÄCHELN!!!

[Janet]

Happy Birthday, Frau!!

[Porchlight]

Yay! Happy birthday, Frau!

[DebinNC]

I didn't claim he was a genius

Sorry, Sue, I didn't mean you did. I was deriding the whole msm meme that Obama is brilliant, when he's so obviously an idiot.

If you have time, I'd love to know your opinion of this piece on the high-living Perrys. If true, this is really disappointing.

[Sue]

Happy Birthday Frau!

[centralcal]

Good morning. I was just about to ask where has Frau been, when I see it is her birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Frau.

Hope she shows up today!

[Charlie (Colorado)]

JiB, I liked the Beckettization so much I stole it.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

This guy collects a paycheck from NASA?...when does he ever go to work? What exactly IS his job?

Janet, PJM has an FOIA lawsuit going right now trying to figure out exactly that.

[Jane]

Yippeee Frau! Are we still in Leo territory? Leo's are the best!

[MarkO]

The Clinton boys discuss Obama and the Great Jobs Speech of '11 (part VII)

Carville, an ABC News consultant, told me it doesn’t matter what Obama proposes, it won’t get through Congress.

“Just go out and just document it, it’s not so much that the speech is important George, it’s the follow up after the speech,” he said. “And this is going to have to be what they are going to run the 2012 campaign on…this congress is not going to pass anything that the president proposes, that is pretty clear.”

[Sue]

Deb,

As far as I know, the article is true. No one is disputing he lives in a rental mansion, that it costs taxpayers, etc. I wonder why no one is asking why the Governor's Mansion is still being renovated? The fire was in 2008. Does Texas really want their governor living in a trailer house? Any area around the capital is going to be expensive, including a downtown apartment large enough for the governor to entertain. It hasn't been an issue here in Texas, except for those who hate Perry and democrats, and probably more largely discussed in Austin proper, which I'm far enough away from to consider it a foreign country.

[jimmyk]

This just seems entirely the result of Obama's narcissism and laziness. First, he still imagines that he can move mountains with his stirring oratory, and that he doesn't need to deal with such mundane matters as putting together a detailed proposal. Second, he never imagined he couldn't just pick a date and time for his great speech, and everyone would just accommodate him and breathlessly await his every word. No need to concern himself with little details like congressional calendars, conflicting events, etc. He's the PRESIDENT! And he has that voice!

[Porchlight]

DebinNC,

The Perrys have been in a fairly lavish rental home. But he's the governor, and they should be able to entertain there, so realistically, it's not going to be a modest 2 or 3 bedroom.

Also, it's not his fault the governor's mansion has not been habitable for four years.

The better question is, what would it cost taxpayers for him to have lived in the governor's mansion in a normal fashion, with its attendant expenses, during the same time period? For example, what portion of the $700K was the cost for security - and what would it have cost to provide that same security in downtown Austin? Is having an ice machine - remember, this is a place where Perry is expected to entertain large groups of people as part of his job - really all that extravagant? And window coverings for a decent-sized house are going to be expensive, because they ain't cheap even for a small house.

For comparison's sake, it would also be interesting to know what, say, Pat Quinn and his wife's living and travel expenses were for the equivalent period.

All this is not to say that I think the Perrys couldn't live a little more frugally. But with the current duo in the WH, and Romney as the chief competition, I don't think they'll suffer from comparison. (The Palins are a different story.)

[DebinNC]

Thanks, Sue. On the surface it looks bad, and things like the sealed travel records hint of bombshells poised to go off later.

[PD]

Or does he look like a weak waffler guy

44 = 404

[Extraneus]

Obama Outsmarts Himself on Speech

Happy Birthday Frau!

[PD]

It's good to know Darryl Hannah was there as well. She's one of our very brightest minds.

"Standard pleasure model."
-- Blade Runner

[DebinNC]

Excellent points, Porch. TY.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Yippeee Frau! Are we still in Leo territory? Leo's are the best!

No, die geehrte Frau ein Jungfrau ist.

Astrologically anyway, I don't know about her personal life.

Leo ends about a half hour (literally) before my birthday.

[Jack is Back!]

Frau, alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

It is also Frederick's "Jaardag" today. 8 going on 28 in more ways than one. Its also his first day of band playing (learning) the alto Saxophone.

We just learned that my FIL, on his daily bike ride, in Antwerp, was struck by a truck and is in hospital with a some bruising and feeling pretty sore but not life threatening.

[Ranger]

Capt. Ed has a good take on Obama's recent poll numbers:

Obama hits new Q-poll low, 42/52

The dip in favorability means that Obama’s teflon coating on personal approval is peeling away under the intense heat of a failed economics program. His personal numbers had been his armor, and his one hope for appealing to voters to give him another chance to get things right. These results show an electorate that has tired of Obama and is looking for a better approach to Presidential leadership.

So, this little stunt with the timing of his grand blamefest probably will hurt him more than help him. When people liked him, they would have given him the benifit of the doubt and thought that the Republicans were jerking him around. Now they are realizing that Obama is the jerk.

[Barbara]

"Its not a SOTU speech but one to a joint session. I doubt the JCS or Scotus are even invited."

JIB, Yes, that makes sense. It's not mandatory that they attend such speeches - even the SOTU. I don't recall that either group attended Obama's speech on Health Care.

[Porchlight]

I wonder why no one is asking why the Governor's Mansion is still being renovated? The fire was in 2008.

This is another question that might come up. I have a very, very liberal friend who works for Texas Historical Preservation, whose budget is being severely cut. This friend happens to be somewhat sane in the fiscal responsibility department, and she has been appalled by the waste of money there over the years, so she admits that the budget cuts aren't wholly unmerited. But her fellow preservation libs are up in arms because Anita Perry wants to put an expensive addition on the governor's mansion (which may be on hold at the moment now that Perry's running) at the same time the THC budget is being slashed. Of course, if you're going to add on, it makes total fiscal and architectural sense to do it at the same time as the other fire-related renovations, which my friend readily admits.

At any rate, the addition is something the local libs like to use as a hammer against the Perrys, and might explain some of the delay in finishing the renovations.

[Jack is Back!]

ChaCo,

Hey! Thanks for that. I was going to make an Xtranormal movie of it but its such a turgid piece of abstract discourse it started to verge on our reality. Why go through all the trouble when its being shown everyday in the news.

[narciso]

that occurred to me, y invokPD, it's not her it's Pris, the Daily News is so obsequiously, so pro-Obama,'Debate This'
on their front page. they should feel shame, but that's ben removed from their
programming. Mydaily McClatchy headlines an, 'atrocity' story culled from the Wikileaks, and interpreted by the former
UN grand inquisitor on Gitmo, Phillip Alston.
eration that reveals all
the informants,

[Sue]

See, I knew they discussed the mansion in Austin proper.

[Sue]

Holy guacamole narciso, I can't even translate that one and I'm pretty good at it.

[Ranger]

Another WaPo opinionator's take on the speech kerfuffle:

Obama-Boehner speech spat should worry Democrats

If this was an attempt to make Republicans look unreasonable, then, in almost every conceivable way, it failed spectacularly. And scheduling the speech during the GOP debate, even if Boehner had immediately acceded, is the one way the White House could guarantee a) that fewer voters would be watching and that b) viewers and pundits would pay less attention to the speech’s content and more to the theatrics around it. In other words, it’s the easiest way to lessen the speech’s chances at success. If this is a preview of Obama’s re-election campaign, Democrats should be very worried.

As they say, read the whole thing.

[Sue]

In my opinion, that is what Obama wanted/wants. The speech is not going to have anything new in it..."as I've always said"...

If we are discussing the theatrics of it, we won't pay any attention to the lack of a plan in it.

[Sue]

Theatrics is all Obama has ever had. Greek columns, Oprah, JayZ and Beyonce, date nights.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Frau:

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

[narciso]

It turns out it's an old story, that Malkin covered:

http://michellemalkin.com/2006/06/02/the-incident-at-ishaqi/

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Not surprisingly, I should have refreshed. JIB beat me to it. Also, meine deutsche ist nicht so gut so it took me a while to find it on the net.

[Neo]

Obama has pivoted to Jobs so many times that they think he is on the Apple basketball team.

[Sue]

meine deutsche ist nicht so gut

I know what that says. How weird...

[centralcal]

Speaking of debates and viewers (i.e., ratings), FNC and Google are co-hosting a debate Sept. 22nd. The moderators will be Brett Baier, Chris Wallace, and Megyn Kelly. I am thinking many will tune in for Megyn.

[narciso]

So do I, ans I didn't even have to google it, meanwhile the clowning proceeds apace:

http://twitter.com/#!/tommyxtopher/status/109056922916896769

[centralcal]

Sue, too funny. I remember when I was young, I had a teacher say that English and German were both "gutteral" sounding languages and closely resembled each other.

The phrase by Jim certainly proves it true in at least that one instance!

[Jim Ryan]

Ladies and gentlemen, the guitar that caused millions of Americans to lose half their hearing with no regrets, the Gibson SG:

[Jane]

The Obama's are now planning a trip to Bali. I wonder if they will take 2 planes.

[matt]

Gnaedige Frau;

bestens am ihre geburtstag!

[hit and run]

Jim:
Also, meine deutsche ist nicht so gut so it took me a while to find it on the net.

I wheel and deal in Austrian much better than in German.

[Porchlight]

Sue,

I wonder if they are going to visit the historic place where they were staying when Barack received the envelope from Ayers with the final manuscript of Dreams.

[Threadkiller]

Happy Birthday Frau!!! You share this date with my Schatzi. No wonder I like you so much!

ChaCo, you don’t accept Ophiuchus?

[narciso]

Once upon a time, he was part of the DLC:

http://www.tnr.com/article/the-permanent-campaign/94372/kilgore-bachmann-perry-christian-extremism

[Porchlight]

Jim Ryan,

I always liked those pointy horns on the SG - vaguely evil-looking. :)

[narciso]

Happy birthday, Frau, it should be a crime to do that to Gibson.

[centralcal]

Granny Jan and Jihad Kitty have set up a terrific looking Facebook Page - Obama Bali Vacation Guide. I am sure it is going to a lot of fun to follow.

[Janet]

The Obama's are now planning a trip to Bali.

I wonder if they are going to visit the historic place where they were staying when Barack received the envelope from Ayers with the final manuscript of Dreams.

They do seem to go visit old stomping grounds. Was it ever clear whether Michelle went to Bali with him when he was writing Dreams? ...and did we ever figure out what type of computer he was using?...Those old portable ones were the size of Volkswagens.

[MarkO]

Jane, I think two planes always go when the President travels. The question is in which will Mo ride? And the mother-in-law. And, the uncle?

[Jane]

WE need to do some defunding!

The president has asked federal agencies to find solutions on their own. His message to lawmakers: We can do this without you.

President Obama is either fed up with Congress or he's testing his own administration's mettle. Or both.

On Wednesday, Obama took a now-familiar path in adopting a program--this time a jobs and infrastructure effort--that can happen entirely within his domain. Obama directed several federal agencies to identify "high-impact, job-creating infrastructure projects" that can be expedited now, without congressional approval.
NJ logo.JPG
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One week before he will make a major address to Congress on jobs, Obama is making sure they know he plans to move forward without them. The president has also directed the Education Department to come up with a "Plan B" updating the 2001 No Child Left Behind law in the absence of congressional action. The message to Congress is clear: Do your work or we'll do it for you.

[glasater]

Yesterday Kudlow called the Infrastructure Bank a Fannie/Freddie operation.
IOW--paying off cronies.

Happy Birthday Frau!

I've found a new apple (to me) I must discuss with you!

[centralcal]

lol! Looks like they are fearing the worst for Oblamers speech next week. Per Twitter, Van Hollen is already floating the idea of "non-partisan" seating. Remember that following the Giffords brouhaha (civil discourse, blah, blah, blah)?