Obama the Tough Guy
I suppose you all have heard about Obama's candid moment caught on tape again, kind of like the bitter-clingers moment. Very bellicose language from Mr. Civility in Chief as he was talking about the audacity of Republicans in trying to kill parts of Obamacare in his budget negotiations. After reporters had left the room he said this to donors:
You want to repeal health care? Go at it. We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we're stupid?
Then, I just read a few minutes ago that Mr. Obama issued a signing statement indicating he won't abide by the provision in the budget bill concerning the de-funding of certain czars. Obama said:
The President has well-established authority to supervise and oversee the executive branch, and to obtain advice in furtherance of this supervisory authority. The President also has the prerogative to obtain advice that will assist him in carrying out his constitutional responsibilities, and do so not only from executive branch officials and employees outside the White House, but also from advisers within it. Legislative efforts that significantly impede the President's ability to exercise his supervisory and coordinating authorities or to obtain the views of the appropriate senior advisers violate the separation of powers by undermining the President's ability to exercise his constitutional responsibilities and take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
You might recall Obama's harsh criticism of President George W. Bush for his signing statements. Mark Levin just reminded me that this is not a separation of powers issue and that Congress can defund executive positions, especially those that have no statutory basis to begin with -- so Obama is on shaky ground here -- as if that ever bothers him.
These little items, coupled with Obama's nasty budget speech this week should help to wake up those recalcitrant stragglers who still maintain, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Obama is a wonderfully friendly, bipartisan, conciliatory fellow.
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Dec '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
Well, if the President says he has the prerogative to obtain advice, then I guess he does. Unfortunately for those advisers, the Constitution gives Congress the prerogative to determine whether those advisers are paid out of the Federal purse.
May '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
I support the President's ability to get advice from whoever he wants, but not to pay them from public coffers. Is that signing statement legal? Yikes.
I love it when he gets feisty. As do all libs, and so should all conservatives. Because he's not good at, well, anything, so when he casts aside the rulebook and decides to wing it, it doesn't end well for him.
He's nailed his trousers to the mast, so by all means, let us help him. We knew all along he was playing by these rules, but good to have his backside exposed to a wider audience.
Jul '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
Apart from the left, the only people who don't know about Obama's shallowness and seeming laziness are the willfully ignorant and the obstinately blind. Yes, I have just described the independent voter. Alas, the game is all about them. The president still has buzz going for him, a big plus in a celebrity-worshiping society. What do conservatives have? Please don't say pulse-deadners like Mitch Daniel or T-Paw. So help me, I'm beginning to think more kindly toward Trump more as the days go by even though the GOP establishment has begun its predictable push back. It might be that the suspicious certificate of birth might only be the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 5:05pmJul '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
Jerry Carroll: Apart from the left, the only people who don't know about Obama's shallowness and seeming laziness are the willfully ignorant and the obstinately blind. Yes, I have just described the independent voter. Alas, the game is all about them. The president still has buzz going for him, a big plus in a celebrity-worshiping society. What do conservatives have? Please don't say pulse-deadners like Mitch Daniel or T-Paw. So help me, I'm beginning to think more kindly toward Trump more as the days go by even though the GOP establishment has begun its predictable push back. It might be that the suspicious certificate of birth might only be the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned. · Apr 15 at 5:03pm
Edited on Apr 15 at 05:05 pm
The people of Indiana love Mitch Daniels. And his speech at CPAC was a real crowd-pleaser. Take a closer look.
Jun '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
How many Obama fundraisers does a regulation compliance waiver buy? I'm just curious.
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
"You want to repeal health care? Go at it. We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we're stupid?"
The arrogance, the pettiness of tone, the whole air of hollow defiance--every word of that could have been uttered by Richard Nixon in one of his dark moods, couldn't it?
Sep '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
America has their first Lord Fauntleroy Presidency
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 10:06pmSep '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
"You think we're stupid?"
Few in the GOP think Democrats are stupid, at least when it comes to political tactics. But there are significant elements in the GOP who think Democrats mean well and will play by the rules. So, were Obama to be more accurate he would have said, "Do they think we won't play dirty over this?"
Sep '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
These little items, coupled with Obama's nasty budget speech this week should help to wake up those recalcitrant stragglers who still maintain, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Obama is a wonderfully friendly, bipartisan, conciliatory fellow.
Is anyone still peddling this tripe? I haven't seen that kind of editorial anywhere in quite a while, but I'm just perusing RCP so I'm missing a lot, I'm sure.
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
K T Cat: These little items, coupled with Obama's nasty budget speech this week should help to wake up those recalcitrant stragglers who still maintain, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Obama is a wonderfully friendly, bipartisan, conciliatory fellow.
Is anyone still peddling this tripe? I haven't seen that kind of editorial anywhere in quite a while, but I'm just perusing RCP so I'm missing a lot, I'm sure. · Apr 16 at 7:36am
I didn't really have editorialists in mind so much. It's people I talk to and hear talking about it; it just seems assumed that he's a nice guy and well-intentioned. You might think this is too far back but you'll remember his Tucson speech, which so many said indicated how wonderful, magnanimous, civil, etc. he was. Yet we had abundant evidence way before that (chronicled in my book and many other places) about his character. There is a stubborn refusal among some to get past the idea that he's a nice guy, a class act, etc. Maybe you don't see that as much, but it sure seems like that to me.
Sep '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
David, thank you for the kindness of a reply.
In reading the editorials and listening to what little non-sports news I hear, I'd suggest that his sycophants are now far more worried about the reality of monster budget cuts than they are trying to paint the fellow as "above the fray." Witness the number of liberal pundits bemoaning the fact that he's not showing sufficient leadership. They're not looking for a compromiser, they're looking for someone who can combat the inexorable mathematics of our debt and preserve their vision of the social compact.
I'm sure they'd still run out the trope that he is Mr. Congeniality if they could spare the time, but right now the spectre of Portugal as the Ghost of Socialism Future is weighing too heavy on their minds.
Sep '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
One more thing - my progressive friends on Facebook and in the blogs have stopped posting anything other than "Rescue the Poor from Heartless Budget Cuts!" I'm sure you're right, many people still see Obama as a nice guy, but the drumbeat is now a frantic rearguard action to preserve what they've got.
How about this as a reason you're not seeing a change in the way people perceive the president - most normal folks only have a small amount of time to absorb political news. They're going to be most heavily influenced by the headlines and how it affects them. The budget battles are far more personal and getting more attention than whether or not Barack is a good man in his heart.
Jun '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
Perhaps this is all about racism. People feel they must preface their doubts about Obama with, "He's really a good guy and I like him personally..." so that their opinions about him will not be perceived as rascist. I am not the least concerned, however. Anyone that calls me a racist gets anti-semite thrown back at them. Rememeber Obama's accidental use of the middle finger? The man is a very nasty piece of work. He will not be defeated by a pansy. The only tough conservatives on the scene with the stones to take him on are our women. And then there is The (reconfigured) Donald.
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
If he ignores the law, I trust that some Congressman will seek a court order against him.
Jun '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
Unfortunately my faith in the courts is rapidly diminishing. I would guess that he will be on his third term by the time the courts get around to this.
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
It turns out that I'm not the only one thinking about this subject. I just received, in my e-mail this morning, the e-mail blast from Mark Tapscot at the Washington Examiner, with the subject line: "Mean Streak: Obama is not as nice as he looks." Here's a link to the editorial of that title.
Sep '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
What do I get to throw back? Anti-green shirtist?
Jun '10
Re: Obama the Tough Guy
Dan Holmes
What do I get to throw back? Anti-green shirtist? · Apr 17 at 8:19am
Dan, you can throw anything you like, just don't be timid. Stand tall and speak loudly. This is our country and our future and our children's future that Obama is destroying. He is an arrogant sack and is racing as fast as he can to bury us. It took 230 years for this country to create 9 trillion in debt and he and his cohorts have added 5 trillion, 55% increase, in just 3 years. The man before him was no spendthrift, for sure, but this group can only be purposely leading us to ruin. They can not be that stupid or gutless. Our laws do not concern Obama. He has proven that time and again.