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politics
Obama Dances In Boring Press Conference
Joshua ChaneyPosted: Mar 24th 2009 10:30PM
Filed under: Politics, News, The Economy, Muskingum CollegeWho's sick of hearing the President blame all of his problems on the previous administration?
Evidently some in the press.
The answer to a tough question usual begins with an Obama answer along the following lines: "Well, I would say you have to remember, I inherited (insert any current national crisis or issue here)."
The president didn't disappoint in delivering that answer at a press conference in which he spent most of the night defending his $3.6 trillion budget, saying the budget "is inseparable from this recovery."
Overall, the press conference seemed dull, highlighted only by Obama's eloquence in dancing around each question, giving long-winded answers normally that had little - if any - to do with what was asked and usually ended with health care reform or green energy reform and green jobs.
CNN's Ed Henry and CBS' Chip Reid called the president on the hypocrisy. Asked on the question of whether his budget tramples wishes not to "pass on our problems to the next generation," Obama kicked off his answer by blaming President Bush and Congressional Republicans.
The following is a portion of the press conference transcript from CNN:
The president again used a hand-picked list of journalists to direct questions to, oddly leaving out many major print sources like Newsweek, Time, The New York Times and the Washington Post. In an obvious effort to fend off his teasers, Obama also chose to ditch the familiar glass teleprompters he often uses for a large flat screen television in the back of the room instead.
Defending a budget idea to reduce the tax deduction that wealthier families can take when the make charitable donations, Obama said it is "the right thing to do."
Evidently some in the press.
The answer to a tough question usual begins with an Obama answer along the following lines: "Well, I would say you have to remember, I inherited (insert any current national crisis or issue here)."
The president didn't disappoint in delivering that answer at a press conference in which he spent most of the night defending his $3.6 trillion budget, saying the budget "is inseparable from this recovery."
Overall, the press conference seemed dull, highlighted only by Obama's eloquence in dancing around each question, giving long-winded answers normally that had little - if any - to do with what was asked and usually ended with health care reform or green energy reform and green jobs.
CNN's Ed Henry and CBS' Chip Reid called the president on the hypocrisy. Asked on the question of whether his budget tramples wishes not to "pass on our problems to the next generation," Obama kicked off his answer by blaming President Bush and Congressional Republicans.
The following is a portion of the press conference transcript from CNN:
Reid: Thank you, Mr. President. At both of your town hall meetings in California last week, you said, quote, "I didn't run for president to pass on our problems to the next generation." But under your budget, the debt will increase $7 trillion over the next 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office says $9.3 trillion. And today on Capitol Hill, some Republicans called your budget, with all the spending on health care, education and environment, the most irresponsible budget in American history.
Obama: Yes.
Reid: Isn't that kind of debt exactly what you were talking about when you said "passing on our problems to the next generation"?
Obama: First of all, I suspect that some of those Republican critics have a short memory, because, as I recall, I'm inheriting a $1.3 trillion deficit, annual deficit, from them. That would be point number one.
Later...
Obama: Yes.
Reid: Isn't that kind of debt exactly what you were talking about when you said "passing on our problems to the next generation"?
Obama: First of all, I suspect that some of those Republican critics have a short memory, because, as I recall, I'm inheriting a $1.3 trillion deficit, annual deficit, from them. That would be point number one.
Later...
Henry: Thank you. Mr. President. You spoke again at the top about your anger about AIG. You've been saying that for days now. But why is it that it seems Andrew Cuomo seems to be in New York getting more actual action on it?
And when you and Secretary Geithner first learned about this 10 days, two weeks ago, you didn't go public immediately with that outrage. You waited a few days. And then you went public after you realized Secretary Geithner really had no legal avenue to stop it.
And, more broadly, I just want to follow up on Chip and Jake. You've been very critical of President Bush doubling the national debt. And, to be fair, it's not just Republicans hitting you. Democrat Kent Conrad, as you know, said, quote, "When I look at this budget, I see the debt doubling again."
You keep saying that you've inherited a big fiscal mess. Do you worry, though, that your daughters, not to mention the next president, will be inheriting an even bigger fiscal mess if the spending goes out of control?
Obama: Of course I do, Ed, which is why we're doing everything we can to reduce that deficit.
Look, if this were easy, then, you know, we would have already had it done, and the budget would have been voted on, and everybody could go home. This is hard.
And the reason it's hard is because we've accumulated a structural deficit that's going to take a long time, and we're not going to be able to do it next year or the year after or three years from now. What we have to do is bend the curve on these deficit projections.
And the best way for us to do that is to reduce health care costs. That's not just my opinion. That's the opinion of almost every single person who has looked at our long-term fiscal situation...
Henry: But on AIG, why did you wait -- why did you wait days to come out and express that outrage? It seems like the action is coming out of New York and the attorney general's office. It took you days to come public with Secretary Geithner and say, "Look, we're outraged." Why did it take so long?
Obama: It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.
And when you and Secretary Geithner first learned about this 10 days, two weeks ago, you didn't go public immediately with that outrage. You waited a few days. And then you went public after you realized Secretary Geithner really had no legal avenue to stop it.
And, more broadly, I just want to follow up on Chip and Jake. You've been very critical of President Bush doubling the national debt. And, to be fair, it's not just Republicans hitting you. Democrat Kent Conrad, as you know, said, quote, "When I look at this budget, I see the debt doubling again."
You keep saying that you've inherited a big fiscal mess. Do you worry, though, that your daughters, not to mention the next president, will be inheriting an even bigger fiscal mess if the spending goes out of control?
Obama: Of course I do, Ed, which is why we're doing everything we can to reduce that deficit.
Look, if this were easy, then, you know, we would have already had it done, and the budget would have been voted on, and everybody could go home. This is hard.
And the reason it's hard is because we've accumulated a structural deficit that's going to take a long time, and we're not going to be able to do it next year or the year after or three years from now. What we have to do is bend the curve on these deficit projections.
And the best way for us to do that is to reduce health care costs. That's not just my opinion. That's the opinion of almost every single person who has looked at our long-term fiscal situation...
Henry: But on AIG, why did you wait -- why did you wait days to come out and express that outrage? It seems like the action is coming out of New York and the attorney general's office. It took you days to come public with Secretary Geithner and say, "Look, we're outraged." Why did it take so long?
Obama: It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.
The president again used a hand-picked list of journalists to direct questions to, oddly leaving out many major print sources like Newsweek, Time, The New York Times and the Washington Post. In an obvious effort to fend off his teasers, Obama also chose to ditch the familiar glass teleprompters he often uses for a large flat screen television in the back of the room instead.
Defending a budget idea to reduce the tax deduction that wealthier families can take when the make charitable donations, Obama said it is "the right thing to do."
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jjcallahan
12:33AM 12:33AM Mar 25th 2009
he is a lying clown
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LEW
11:47PM 11:47PM Mar 24th 2009
Wonder who is really cranking this guys organ grinder. Statement, not a question.
There has always been the well-worn phrase..."If you cannot dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your BS." Attorneys and politicians are historically adept at this technique.
Another key description ..."full of sound and fury, signifying nothing...".
Sounds like elected government officials, to me.
I believe that although many, if not most, elected officials aspire to do the "people's" business, there are those elected officials who continually campaign for re-election beginning on day - One after election.
No politician / elected official, at any level of government, in my opinion, should have a career in politics.
Establishment of term limits is the best available guarantor of what is left of American democracy, in my opinion.
National government today is solely about "spin" and deception, or so it seems. It's sorta like a "sneak", AKA a guy who farts in a room and points fingers at everyone else, blaming them.
Our current "spinmeister-in-chief" is quite adept at dancing around any unfamiliar or distasteful issue by just rambling without substance.
If something looks like a snake, talks like a snake, and is hawking some form of oil, well, guess what folks, it is a "snake oil" salesman.
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glenda
9:49AM 9:49AM Mar 25th 2009
It's really sad that President Obama has to blame the past administration. He inheirited what he helped cause. There was a Democratic controled congress for the last 2 years of the Bush Admin. Gee how soon we forget. 4 Years ago we were not in this bad shape but when the Dems took over it was SPEND, SPEND , SPEND.
I was a Dem for 40 years and a UAW vice president then I woke up and realized they no longer cared about the little man. Example the people he picked for his cabinet, a lot had not paid their taxes. The little man would either be paying big fines or have their wages attached. Right now I can not support any political party but we are on the road to losing all of our freedoms. Really sad.
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azlady43
9:43AM 9:43AM Mar 25th 2009
It's really sad that President Obama has to blame the past
administration. He inheirited what he helped cause. There was a
Democratic controled congress for the last 2 years of the Bush Admin.
Gee how soon we forget. 4 Years ago we were not in this bad shape but
when the Dems took over it was SPEND, SPEND , SPEND.
I was a Dem for 40 years and a UAW vice president then I woke up and
realized they no longer cared about the little man. Example the
people he picked for his cabinet, a lot had not paid their taxes. The
little man would either be paying big fines or have their wages
attached. Right now I can not support any political party but we are
on the road to losing all of our freedoms. Really sad.
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Wonkette
10:17AM 10:17AM Mar 25th 2009
Hmm..I'm thinking that Bill Clinton was the Teflon man, while Obama is the Deflection Man....Stuff just flew of the Clinton, while Obama deftly dodges and ducks EVERY question!!!
His strategy.....
1st..Blame it on Bush..>Why not..Everyone does it!
2nd...Spin them..."Mr. President, why didn't you come out on AIG sooner?" O - "Hey...the ONLY way to get less dependendent on big oil is to go green." Next question.??? DOH!
3rd. Act angry! Now that he's been accused of being "punch drunk" (I have to admit my favorite) he's now serious (boring) and I'm already missing his late night rounds...(Not)!
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moderate
11:31AM 11:31AM Mar 25th 2009
Really people, the economy was sound and there was no deficit before 2007? What about the senior prescription bill (part D) which adds 50-60 billion ayear in deficit spending, with no price negotiations. War funding, listed as supplimental, not budget. tax breaks for the wealthy, even reagon raised the taxes to off set the deficit. Deregulation which started with Gramm in 1999 and 2000.Lower corp. taxes, even with the loop holes which allow the corp. to pay low to no taxes. Out sourcing of american jobs, with no corresponding tax on the money. All this was done by Bush with no corresponding spending cuts. Really need to further research the actual budget deficits befor you respond. Almost 2 trillion in 3 years with growth rate of deficit to compound and bloom into much larger if the trend continued.
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Carol
12:39PM 12:39PM Mar 25th 2009
Obama sickens me when he tries to blame the entire world's problems on Bush. Bush wasn't a great president but Obama has out spent him four times over in just two months, continues to lie and break every campaign promise he made and refuses to accept any responsibility for AIG when HIS people wrote the bill and HE signed it without reading it. I don't like it that AIG is getting away with millions of our tax dollars but the agreement was in the bill very clearly and Obama signed off on it without even reading it. Maybe if he wasn't on the basketball court and doing what he's supposed to do, things would have ended on a better note with AIG.
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moderate
1:34PM 1:34PM Mar 25th 2009
Basketball court? Your bias is showing, and it is not pretty. Bush spent most of his time in crawford, did you have a problem then. read about Bushes budget and uncounted supplemental spending. Yes Obama inherited these problems, he is trying to find solutions. If he goes quickly you complain, if he works slow you also complain. Tell me what is the solution since you believe you know and all Obama is doing is playing b.ball.By the way if we start breaking contracts were do we stop?
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mw
3:47PM 3:47PM Mar 25th 2009
moderate: Obama has said he has a basketball court...there is no bias.
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Msmyra5
2:24PM 2:24PM Mar 25th 2009
People who voted for Obama didn't even know, when polled, that the Dems were in control of Congress! And they still have no idea that Congress creates budgets. Obama counts on the ignorance of the American people when he blames the previous administration, leaving out his party's involvement. And the major media will never point out the hypocracy. We'd better start taking this country back in the next election cycle, and reverse this course!
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mw
3:27PM 3:27PM Mar 25th 2009
So sad, charitable deductions will suffer and churches, soup kitchens are where people go when they're in need. This guy wants to wring out not just the wealthy, but the poor as well to make them mad.
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mw
3:28PM 3:28PM Mar 25th 2009
AIG got 169 million, ACORN got 4.5 Billion. Buy the way, ACORN hired people to picket AIG houses. That's our tax dollars at work!!!
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Ash
7:54PM 7:54PM Mar 25th 2009
Um...AIG got more like $180 billion from the government ... it's called knowledge, I suggest you get some.
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moderate
4:45PM 4:45PM Mar 25th 2009
I would hope the top 1% are giving to charity because they want to help, not because they need or want a tax break. For every $10000. in donation these individuals will have a tax break raised less then 10% from 28% to 35%. Why should this stop them from donating. When I donate, I do not even think of the tax BENEFIT to myself, no one should. Msmyra, just who are you talking about, were is your source. The repubs were in control, who wexactly do we need to take control from, republicans, democrats, who.
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ryhuang22
5:23PM 5:23PM Mar 25th 2009
Wow Moderate. For having a screenname like Moderate your comments are not "moderate" at all. I've seen your comments on this board quite often and everytime you are either arguing against people who opposes Obama or defending the president's decision (regardless he is actually right or not). Don't lie to people, change your screenname to "liberal" or "obamadefender". You are not kidding anyone that you are actually a "moderate".
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moderate
6:00PM 6:00PM Mar 25th 2009
Thats your reply, pathetic. I am moderate I respond when people are propagating lies or distortions.Do you really believe the top 1% will stop giving,it is a small amount.
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dandee
6:31PM 6:31PM Mar 25th 2009
I read, on this page, that Obamaman did not use his teleprompter. Does that mean he didn't use it in answering questions? because I would swear he was reading the (so called ) speech he made. I was watching his eyes and you can tell he was reading from something. Then when he was TRYING to answer questions it was back to the uh, huh, er, well and all those stuttering words he always uses.
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moderate
6:02PM 6:02PM Mar 25th 2009
read the 8:31 post, truth were written but no one will research just spout lies.
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Maria
7:34PM 7:34PM Mar 25th 2009
wELL, WELL, WELL....even Rush, Beck, said that O'Bum is brilliant....??? Am I missing something??? As a matter of fact I do not think he understood some of the questions and even did not know how to answer them. He is a pathetic buffon depending on the TELEPROMPTER. By the way few people comment on the grand entrance for the teleprompter's speech. He really looked like the chief in the Old MOvie Zulu, although the actor was more handsome, and a real african as our so called president is neither african american, nor african african, just a common mestizo psyco
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jan
10:25PM 10:25PM Mar 25th 2009
The thing is, Obama's right. In a nation used to shallow thinking, short attention spans and instant gratification, he seems long-winded and evasive because he deals in complexities. He hasn't yet learned to simplify and distill his thinking into easy-to-understand, short phrases.
These problems absolutely were inherited. Their scope and number are appalling; they would be daunting for anyone. I guess this was inevitable - that people would be calling for blood if he didn't solve everything in six months.
Try to work on your memories, people, as well as context. It's everything.
And incidently, we, the people, just DID take this country back. It has NOT been in the control of Dems for a long time so yes, the mess all around us on the day Obama took office is not his fault - or of the Dems as a whole.
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