Obama holds "Question Time" with House Republicans

I can't believe he actually believes what comes out of his mouth.

I must be getting cynical in my advancing years, but here's the obvious question: Why is Gerald W. even mentioning this here? Every day, the king or his court jester (Gibbs) implies that those obstructionists (Republicans) are the reason he hasn't accomplished anything in a year, usually right after a reminder of the inherited mess. I suspect he wants yet another public forum (Wasn't the SOTU enough?) to scold them for not being bipartisan enough. For those of you who failed vocabulary, bipartisan means: Sit down, shut up and do what you're told.

A transcript can be found here.

If you enjoy a friendly game of softball, you might enjoy reading it.

I posted it here because I thought readers would be interested in it:

This is unlike any public interaction between a sitting president and members of the opposing party that I have ever seen. It really does remind one of the Question Time that British PM's have to endure on a regular basis, and I for one would love to see it become a tradition here.

There has been so much demand to watch the online stream that C-SPAN servers couldn't keep up with demand.

I think that most Americans, be they GOP or Dem, liberal or conservative, want to see our government become more transparent, with issues actually debated, not the speechifying that currently stands for it.

Obviously, a few will not be able to see beyond their hatred or distrust for whomever sits in the Oval Office. But I wager that for the rest of us, Q&A like what happened this morning is a good thing, a necessary thing.

Mike:

Perhaps the GOP needs to recruit better pitchers?!

Well, I'm just shocked that he has deigned to bother speaking to Republicans at all.

Of course, now that his health insurance punishment reform is in the toilet, he finally understood that "bipartisan" means "both parties."

Sure am glad he's decided he hates people who campaign every day.

Were there beers?

Naran:

As I understand it, the White House was prepared to deliver enough beer for everyone, but conservative members of the GOP Caucus objected.

And yes - I made that up.

Gerald i watched some of it, sad to say but I have nothing else to do, other than darn a few socks for export to bangladesh.

I'd say first thing that Bush, oh misspoke Obama, should do is decrease our involvement in foreign bases and wars over seas, but that is a nonstarter, well I hear he is getting us into Yemen and Somalia. I hear quite well actually.

His performance in the debate essentially came down to platitudes and just political BS.

So essentially we have a candidate for more of the same with a more socialist twist, can you just admit it and let's discuss whether we can change it or if possible?

"....a serious conversation about Medicare and its long-term liability, or a serious question about -- a serious conversation about Social Security, or a serious conversation about budget and debt in which we're not simply trying to position ourselves politically."

Fluff and puff and bi-partisanship.

After listening I don't think the One wants to in charge, he has built his whole presidency on blame. Lets see Gerald, force the American people to buy health insurance or go to jail, Bolshevik idea, I would say yes Obama says no. He doesn't call himself and ideologue, who was the most liberal in the Senate, Obama. His talking out of both sides of his mouth may work on the uninformed but some of us are paying attention. Who killed the health care bill, hint Gerald it wasn't the Republicans. It was Obama and the deals HE MADE with special interests behind closed doors. I am surprised the liberals who screamed about GWB staying the course are now telling Obama to stay the course, I hope he does. I think the curtain has been pulled back on the progressive agenda and America does not like it, 2010 won't come soon enough.

I commend the president and the GOP for trying this. Cantor, Boehner, et al wanted an opportunity for people to see they introduced serious legislation as alternatives to Pelosi's bills, despite the president saying they've just been the party of no. He can't say that anymore without being called a liar.

He had a good moment when he took a question from Rep. Hensarling that turned out to be framed in such a way as to be a gaping hole in the ground that Obama would step in if he tried to answer it. Instead, the president chided him for repeating talking points in place of asking a question. He kept saying that's the way it works in Washington - the closest he got to blaming his side for doing the same thing.

I'd add that most of the press do the same thing, too - repeating Dem talking points disguised as a question.

I give him credit for going to what was anticipated to be a highly confrontational meeting. I think the Republicans who are in the minority raised their prominence by being at the same level as the President and he showed that he wasnt afraid to come before a hostile crowd and could do so without a teleprompter. I don't see a lot of downsides for anyone from the event. Republicans also got the President to agree that they have offered solutions but he has chosen not to act on those ideas.

Previously I wrote "friendly game of softball" but, on reflection "polite game of softball" is more apt.

There's no lack of intellectual heft in the GOP lineup, but I was disappointed at the superficiality of the exchange. Unlike the often hot and incisive exchanges in the British parliament, it seemed that both Obama and his interlocutors were performing a kabuki intended to highlight bipartisanship. I suspect that the GOP, in part, has misread the electorate's anxiety with the current regime as anger at "partisanship," but that's not the problem. The electorate is held in terror over which sector of the economy Obama will threaten whenever political expediency directs him. In my view, the GOP could demonstrate more resolve, more distance from the administration.

Obama's stated policies - not those that he inherited - are an impending train wreck. They will markedly increase both federal debt and unfunded liabilities, government's proportionate appropriation of the nation's aggregate income, and inevitably lead to the middle-class tax increases Obama claims to be able to avoid. Unless these policies are reversed, the nation faces a significant loss of potential economic growth. There's really little room to argue these consequences, but Obama got away with, for one example, the claim that he had passed a "tax cut" and would, oh so judiciously, be eager to consider more of them.

I thought Obama got the better of the exchange itself, but not by much. The GOP could - and should - have held Obama's feet to the fire for his manifest evasions, but I don't think they lost much ground either. As usual, Obama came across as cool and intellectual but he failed repackage himself. If his intention had been to connect with discontented independents, he failed. He can't seem to shake off his lawyerly evasiveness. As his former opponent noted, "I am not a Bolshevik" sounds a lot like "I am not a crook."

Wonder why only 8 reps were allowed to ask questions?

I believe the old question "would you buy a used car from this man", comes to mind.

Obama is a smooth operator, but after he speaks with apparently so much thought all you heard was fluff.

Policy matters more than glorious political prose, or as to the common man BS.

He and our representatives can masticate all they want about how they are going to do this and that, but they aren't doing anything other than picking our pockets and spreading it around, and invariably making matters worse.

Policy to get America started in the right path requires government to reduce their footprint on the American people, they are headed through great speeches and policy in the wrong direction.

Before Senator-Elect Scott Brown's win the President took a much different tone with House Republicans. Remember soon after Obama was sworn in. He met with Republicans and when they starting questioning his policies Obama said to them, "Remember. I won."

skf

I always wondered who the One was talking about when he said he had to mop up the mess. Seems to me things started to go south when he and the other liberals took over Congress. The deficit started to go up as did unemployment. He may be a good reader but a leader he is not.

Context is everthing Scott, as you well know. The quote you cite is secondhand to begin with, but worse, is not complete:

Mr. Obama did voice opinion on some differences on the issue of whether the lowest individual tax rates should be cut from 15 percent to 10 percent and from 10 percent to 5 percent.

As the president, he had told Kyl after the Arizonan raised objections to the notion of a tax credit for people who don't pay income taxes, Obama told Cantor this morning that "on some of these issues we're just going to have ideological differences."

The president added, "I won. So I think on that one, I trump you."

Source

"on some of these issues we're just going to have ideological differences."

So he is an ideologue. Who would have guessed?

Maybe that is the problem he is only half an ideologue just like he is only half white and he is having an identity crisis.

It was all for show. The progressive agenda remains the same. I hope the republicans heed that old saying,
"When you have an enemy by the the throat you don't let go to get a better hold" Senator Scott Brown's victory has shown the way...... all they have to do is move forward.

GW - The context and exact quote is good to have. Thank you. I don't see that it changes the spirit of what I said. Pres. Obama 2010 is reaching out to the GOP in the same way Maine Democrats reach out to the GOP. Obamaism lost the governorships in New Jersey and Virginia and the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts. He's reaching out because, politically, he has to reach out. But he's reaching out while gritting his teeth. He hates it. And if he ever regains his majorities his hand will snap back, bipartisanship will be gone.

skf

Ahab is drowning, why throw him a line? is it to save all the taxpayers shoulders he is standing on to keep his head above water or is it the special interests that might drown during his floundering?

lol.

White House shoots down regular Question Time forums

Obama got lucky. They won't put Mr. Don't Blow A Pile At Las Vegas on the spot again.