Reverting to form
posted at 12:15 pm on February 9, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Well, governing’s been a bust thus far, and Obama likes getting out of the White House. Why not go back to what he does best — in fact, just about all he’s done in his political career?
On Monday, President Obama will travel to [Elkhart, Indiana] to highlight what’s at stake as his $800-billion-plus economic stimulus bill is debated in Congress.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says Obama wants to go where the nation’s economic problems are “acute” as part of his “his effort to convince Congress to move swiftly.” …
Monday’s visit will be Obama’s third trip to Elkhart — he stopped by twice during the presidential campaign — but his first trip outside Washington as president to meet face-to-face with average citizens.
Free tickets to the Concord High School town-hall-style meeting were handed out first-come-first-served starting at noon Saturday. People were lined up before 7 a.m. and the tickets were gone by early afternoon.
During the campaign, critics and opponents noted that the only real track record Obama had built in thirteen years of politics was campaigning for something else. Three weeks into his new administration, he’s found governing to be difficult, especially when trying to shove a partisan porkfest down the throats of an increasingly skeptical public. Time to go back to campaign mode! It apparently beats pulling the bill back for a chance to offer Republicans some input to get a bill that would generate easy support and passage.
Jazz Shaw can’t understand why Obama and the Democrats don’t see that:
If Obama allows this bill to slide through under the Democratic leadership’s knuckle, his vision of a post-partisan, new America working together for a bright future melts into just another four year cycle of political rhetoric which we’ve heard far too many times before. Today is the time to be in the trenches salvaging what will doubtless be one of the defining moments of Obama’s first (and if he’s lucky, not only) term. It’s not a moment to drop back into election mode and head off for a campaign rally.
In a way, Obama’s escaping rather than campaigning. The problem in this bill isn’t in Elkhart, and neither is the solution. Obama let his signature issue jump off the rails when he failed to control Nancy Pelosi and force her to get Republicans involved in writing the bill. That didn’t happen in Elkhart. He could solve that problem by summoning Pelosi and Harry Reid to the Oval Office and instructing them to go back to the drawing board, this time with Republican leadership, and get a bill that would gain massive support on both sides of the aisle.
After all, it’s not as if Republicans have shown an allergy to government spending over the last decade, and a targeted, efficient stimulus already has Republican support, as shown in the alternatives already offered by House and Senate GOP caucuses. If such a bill passed with wide margins, Obama could claim leadership and bipartisanship. Instead, he caved to Pelosi’s partisanship, and worse gave it cover by doing what Pelosi refused to do: meet with Republicans. The Left laughably claims this as bipartisanship, demanding that Republicans reciprocate by supporting a bill in which Democratic leadership refused to give them a voice.
Reversing that would take leadership by Obama, which has been completely absent in the first three weeks. Instead of leading, Obama’s bailing out of Washington and hiding out 1500 miles away. He wants to go back to what he does best, which is obviously not governing or leading.
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Here’s a link to a countdown timer to remind us for how little time we have to endure Obama.
http://www.countdown2zero.com/68e21
Kralizec on February 9, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Not one person asked him what he was going to do to bring back the RV industry?
ctmom on February 9, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Barry got the reduction because his good friend Mrs. Tony Rezko ponied up hundreds of thousands of dollars (earned from her $35k-a-year clerical job) to purchase the adjoining lot at full asking price. Later, Mrs. Rezko very generously sold a 10-foot strip of her lot to the Obamas (for $100k or so), which sale rendered Mrs. Rezko’s lot too small for a building permit (meaning that the sale to the Obamas made Mrs. Rezko’s lot useless, and therefore essentially worthless).
The $300k price break the Obamas received on their house was just part of the story of this highly corrupt transaction. But move along, folks, there’s nothing to see here. It’s just Democratic politics as usual.
AZCoyote on February 9, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Is it too much to expect Obama to actually, you know, do some work?
Ares on February 9, 2009 at 2:12 PM
You folks are operating off an antiquated template. Obama is succeeding. That a majority of conservatives are deluding themselves that Obama is failing demonstrates the most dangerous part of the Messianic Obama: that he is able to stupefy and becloud his opponents into buying into an alternative reality that is patently false.
technopeasant on February 9, 2009 at 2:13 PM
The Dems have to get this passed right away because TARP II is waiting the wings and the stimulus bill has to get passed and signed before the public realizes the price of THAT bill.
PackerBronco on February 9, 2009 at 2:14 PM
That’s just ignorant bleating designed to hide buyer’s remorse.
highhopes on February 9, 2009 at 2:20 PM
I assume no one in the audience was up to date on their contractor licenses or perhaps they had tax liens. They saw what happened when a regular guy asked the wrong question last fall.
Y-not on February 9, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Oh, he knows it, alright. He is already trying to forget he won. “The buck stops here” is NOT something he was prepared to acknowledge. There was ALWAYS somebody else to blame. Bush isn’t in charge anymore so that avenue is disappearing rapidly.
Yoop on February 9, 2009 at 2:42 PM
Again, opposition to the stimulus bill is indeed bipartisan — witness the vote in the House. The proponents, Obama included, have been statistically shown to be partisan.
unclesmrgol on February 9, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Watched parts of his Meeting…
Two statements made me turn it off…
The first was his assertion that there was no PORK in the bill, because there were not specific earmarks in it…
Redefineing Pork… and an outright LIE because there is a LOT of directed spending, which is the definition of an earmark… they were just put into the origional bill instead of added…
Second was his explanation that as long as he had a good “Crises” anyway, he may as well use it to make fundamental change in health care, as the money was going to be spent anyway…
Funny, as there were no Appropriation bills passed last year, and we are still working on continuing resolutions… and this bill is about as large as ALL of the discretionary funding available for the normal appropriations process…
Crises my A$$!
Romeo13 on February 9, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Has Obama deported his aunt?
What happened to Fitzgerald?
JiangxiDad on February 9, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Unfortunately, every time I hear a liberal open their trap, it’s usually to spew the lock step line, “…the last 8 years of failed policies…”. And the MSM eats it up, and pukes it forth.
kirkill on February 9, 2009 at 2:47 PM
What is maddening about this is that Bambi will most likely get away with it.
*Channeling Fallout 3* I’m going to find myself a nice Vault to climb into for the next hundred years or so…
Matt Helm on February 9, 2009 at 3:00 PM
The MEssiah just organized the community of Elkhart, Indiana. Loaves & fishes anyone?
BHO Jonestown on February 9, 2009 at 3:10 PM
oh yeh, Elkhart will thrive with the Porkulus bill.
but back to The Fool’s background.
not only doesn’t he have any experience governing, he doesn’t have any experience picking out a restaurant. Michelle has led him by the nose his entire life.
That is, when his commie handlers weren’t pushing her aside.
notagool on February 9, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Obama told the people of Elkhart that recovery.gov would have info on the stimulus package so that they make sure the money was being spent as intended. But that assumes that money will be allocated on a city-by-city basis, which is obviously false.
I wonder if someone asked him how the economic recovery plan would increase RV sales, since that’s the business that Elkhart lost. That’s what the Dems don’t see – residential construction is down, but most of our job losses are coming from other sectors. So in many cases, even if construction DID put people back to work, they’d be training for lower-income jobs. How does the economy bounce back, if the people who were making RVs are now painting schools?
hawksruleva on February 9, 2009 at 3:43 PM
But he doesn’t need any Republican leadership to sign on, remember? “I won.”
crazy_legs on February 9, 2009 at 3:43 PM
That’s exactly what I thot when I saw the news. These clowns lost every which way:
1) In a perfect world (as in no economic crisis) the RV industry was going to get downsized by the eco-nuts as a waste of resources and heavy carbon footprint.
2) In a world where everyone is tightening their belts, reducing debt where possible, an RV ranks very low on the must have list.
In either case, for those laid off, prospects are dim for a career change unless they individually have marketable skills.
Note to assembly line workers; only have a HS or GED and no vocational skills? Prepare for a downgraded income.
AH_C on February 9, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Obama is an empty suit just like all of the liberals
so they can only run things if
either there is a constant state of emergency
or
a constant state of campaigning
they cant blame bush now..
so they are running out of dc like the cockroaches they are
and hitting the campaign trail 4 years early
IDIOTS..
and you voted them in
jcila on February 9, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Funny, now that he’s elected, he has no problem doing town halls, huh?
PJ Emeritus on February 9, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Well, isn’t the President generally in charge of his Party. President Bush, and Clinton had pretty good control over their respective parties.
How come TAO doesn’t have good control over his party? And if he does, why hasn’t the stimulus bill passed already?
Keith_Indy on February 9, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Somewhere John McCain is shaking his head with that crooked smile on his face.
Brat on February 9, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Must be sarcasm, as the stimulus bill hasn’t passed yet. And isn’t likely to be passed by his self-imposed deadline.
And the bill that will be passed has so little to do with real stimulus, that in another 6 months, the Democrats will be at it again with even more deficit spending.
Obama has also reneged on several of his campaign commitments already, which doesn’t bode to well, since this is only his 4th week.
Keith_Indy on February 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
I hate that guy. I wish he’d just get off the campaign trail already. At least the nightly network interviews serve as a distration — just imagine the number of things he’d manage to ruin if he concentrated all of his powers on running the country.
patriette on February 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Can you imagine the White House staff answering the phones from our foreign diplomats and world leaders that need to talk to the President of the United States about pressing issues…………….
Seven Percent Solution on February 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM
HIs party thinks the RV’s are the most evil things on earth…the most dangerous weapon on earth is the combustion engine…and he is there trying to calm them.
If they believe him, they deserve the layoffs…
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Good idea to talk to the American people instead of the villagers in Washington.
The dems are polling well with the stimulus.
getalife on February 9, 2009 at 4:24 PM
“Why don’t the Democrats see that Porkulus won’t stimulate?”
THEY DO! It’s a massive power grab. Obama knows, Pelosi knows, Reid knows. They ALL KNOW. Obama is a shameless liar who wants to fundamentally change the country to a marxist model. Fact.
marklmail on February 9, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Nonsense. Every poll shows less and less support.
rplat on February 9, 2009 at 4:29 PM
getalife on February 9, 2009 at 4:24 PM
getalife, getabrain.
Disturb the Universe on February 9, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Its actualy worse than that…
The Economy WILL get better. Its cyclic in nature… and as houses are not being built at all right now, eventualy prices will recover.
And, they announced they were getting rid of Mark to Market last week… which will help balance sheets of major banks and such… sooooo…
It will improve, IN SPITE of anything they do… and they will then take credit for that improvement, saying that their brand of Socialism worked… so we should do even more of it… leading to a larger government power grab…
Allllll part of the plan…
Romeo13 on February 9, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Provide one shred of evidence, by link, or go back to school to learn how to read stats/polls.
Schadenfreude on February 9, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Excellent point . . . the demise of the RV is a success for the Democrats, so why were these dolts cheering for this guy . . . perhaps they’re all masochists.
rplat on February 9, 2009 at 4:32 PM
The audacity of hope was for his campaign
Fear and damnation will be for his reign
His candidacy was as a Henry Houdini
His presidency will be as a Benito Mussolini
MB4 on February 9, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Better check Gallup and CNN polls.
The President spanked the gop.
getalife on February 9, 2009 at 4:32 PM
It’s not a lie if you believe it…
ladyingray on February 9, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Elkhart Idiana is the RV capitol of the US. What is Obama’s stimulus plan going to do about the 15% unemployment there? Are we going to fund the manufacture of RV’s that no one will buy, or will we just stuff cash into their pockets and eliminate the need to ever work again?
drjohn on February 9, 2009 at 4:38 PM
It is a lie if you know better however…
And Barry is supposed to be SMART!
Romeo13 on February 9, 2009 at 4:39 PM
62% Want Stimulus Plan to Have More Tax Cuts, Less Spending
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/february_2009/62_want_stimulus_plan_to_have_more_tax_cuts_less_spending
drjohn on February 9, 2009 at 4:39 PM
The gop? Is that what he calls his monkey?
Disturb the Universe on February 9, 2009 at 4:41 PM
In getalife’s world everything is kinky propaganda. Nothing is what it is because everything is what it isn’t. And contrary-wise; what it is, it isn’t, and what it isn’t, it is. You see?
Cheshire Cat on February 9, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Do ya’ll read this blog?
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/09/gallup-58-disapprove-of-gops-handling-of-stimulus-debate/
Geez.
getalife on February 9, 2009 at 4:44 PM
But “supposed to be” does not equal IS…
ladyingray on February 9, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Keith_Indy at February 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
technopeasant on February 9, 2009 at 4:48 PM
More shocking to me than the fact that Obama has assembled the most corrupt administration imaginable. More shocking than the fact lobbyists do, in fact, have a home in the Obama administration. Even more shocking than the fact that the man seems completely adrift in his own happy little world…….
More shocking than all that is the way has no problem being an outright liar! He sits there with a straight face and declares that a bill which includes condom programs and billions for ACORN and tells us that there is no pork in the Democrat reward legislation of 2009. It’s offensive that he thinks the people are really that stupid. Those that still support the filthy liar probably are that stupid but that doesn’t account for the rest of us.
highhopes on February 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Both produce mathematical garbage . . . got any other good ideas?
rplat on February 9, 2009 at 4:52 PM
If the bill is so popular, and if conservatives and the Republicans are so out of sync with the public on this matter, what’s the problem? Why is Obama out pushing the thing like an Amway salesman?
ddrintn on February 9, 2009 at 4:53 PM
And already more than 58% disapprove of what is actually in Obama’s (MOAS) Mother of all Spending, so just wait until some more of Obama’s Onion is peeled.
KentAllard on February 9, 2009 at 4:54 PM
highhopes on February 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
technopeasant on February 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Well, yeah. Ask your typical O-bot to explain how this thing creates jobs. Entertaining.
ddrintn on February 9, 2009 at 5:08 PM
It’s going to be a long 4 years if Obama seriously believes that campaigning is the highest from of governing. As each day goes by he more and more reminds me of David Dinkins, a nice guy obviously over his head.
Fred 2 on February 9, 2009 at 5:13 PM
There is a huge difference between organize the illiterate “victims” of Southside Chicago and the American public. Obama is a filthy liar and he will be exposed over time. At this rate he will be lucky to get a second term.
highhopes on February 9, 2009 at 5:18 PM
He’s not governing anyway.
He’s the dancing monkey to the grinding of the hurdy gurdy.
madmonkphotog on February 9, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I wonder, really.
ddrintn on February 9, 2009 at 5:21 PM
ddrintn of February 9, 2009 at 5: 21 PM
technopeasant on February 9, 2009 at 5:34 PM
I am in Indiana and today I was at the home of a client when his wife turned on TV and there was Obama, flapping his gums.
The wife of the client went on and on about how hard Obama is working for us trying to fix things. Gag…and how everyone agrees with him…
and then I said I thought there were a lot of people who thought his stimulus plan was too much money, too much pork and too much debt.
She was shocked that I would question the Messiah.
It went downhill from there. I try to avoid those discussions, but the truth is most people do not have a clue what it is in the bill. They just think Obama is trying to save us.
gag me.
Terrye on February 9, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Obama = FAIL
pseudonominus on February 9, 2009 at 5:49 PM
The stimulus vote 61-36.
Ted was not needed.
The bill moves forward for a vote tomorrow and will pass.
getalife on February 9, 2009 at 5:54 PM
If he need something to do, he could look for bin laden.
Ronnie on February 9, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Terrye on February 9, 2009 at 5:39 PM
technopeasant on February 9, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Being President is hard.
ronsfi on February 9, 2009 at 6:25 PM
technopeasant:
Yes, it is true. When I asked that silly woman exactly what that bill was supposed to do for the country, she just stammered. She had no idea. After all hers is not to reason why, hers is but to do or die..or something.
I had to restrain myself because of my job. I just hope I can avoid any such conversations in the future or I will lose it.
Terrye on February 9, 2009 at 6:32 PM
He wants it passed fast for one reason: there is the new Son of TARP coming, I think today. It’s an absolute spending, bailout frenzy, and he knows we have a choice on the stimulus.
He’s doubling down to get the whole thing.
PattyJ on February 9, 2009 at 6:40 PM
Watch the market tomorrow. If this Sh!t Pie passes, i’m guessing $6,000 won’t be far behind.
PappaMac on February 9, 2009 at 6:50 PM
I bet that the folks at the town hall can only ask approved questions.
Johan Klaus on February 9, 2009 at 7:18 PM
If I came up with another well known and respected national poll that showed something different would you agree with that poll…or just the polls that support your opinion.
Answer yes, and I will get the poll for you.
Answer no, and the poll won’t matter.
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 7:44 PM
The President will win the first battle.
The second battle, the Tarp crap sandwich ,is the banks blackmailing government to get rid of their toxic gambling losses to start lending again.
getalife on February 9, 2009 at 8:19 PM
I would build one myself, but I can’t figure out how the door works.
Chaz706 on February 9, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Why do I fell the senators from Maine have all the flags of the world in there closet, and would hang the current invaders flag from their window.
Just sayin.
gbear on February 9, 2009 at 9:09 PM
fell = feel, actually should be think.
gbear on February 9, 2009 at 9:11 PM
marklmail and Technopeasant
+2
Getalife right about recent Gallup but the State of the Nation numbers could sink the lying bastard fast.
http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx
-2
IlikedAUH2O on February 9, 2009 at 9:34 PM
I want to pull my hair out every time he says he needs to “save or create” however many jobs. Essentially, all this money and not a guarantee of 1 job?
TacomaNWTF on February 9, 2009 at 10:31 PM
What’s the matter with you people?
Don’t you realize that Obama won and now he just wants to give us the 76 Trillion Trombone Band that he promised.
Uniblogger on February 10, 2009 at 6:45 AM
What I’m tired of hearing is “the worst economy since the great depression.” They’ve been chanting that mantra for over 20 years. Curiously, I dont see people standing in bread lines, I dont see hundreds of men getting on and off freight trains looking for work – I dont see people standing on street corners selling apples and pencils. I do see lots of fat people though, so somebody’s eating good.
abcurtis on February 10, 2009 at 9:45 AM
We are told things won’t get better unless we go deeper in debt and things will definitely get worse if we refuse to go deeper in debt.
From Heritage’s Morning Bell this a.m.
Does a drink make an alcoholic better? Does a fix make a junkie better? Does it make sense for the worker who gets laid off to max out their credit cards?
Only if you never intend to pay it off or kick alcohol or drugs.
What happens when credit terms are not so favorable? This is the easy credit myth.
Taking on debt is fine if you can pay it back.
Today we are taking on more debt than we can ever repay.
Angry Dumbo on February 10, 2009 at 9:55 AM
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