Obama on pork: Gone With The Change
posted at 2:12 pm on March 11, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.
The final couplet from Gone with the Wind offers an instructive look at the approach of President Barack Obama on pork. He spent two years railing about special interests, lobbyist influence, and pork-barrel spending in Washington, and insisted that it took an outsider to bring Hope and Change to the federal government. Instead of taking a stand, however, Obama allowed Congress to roll him for thousands of earmarks worth billions of dollars to lobbyists and special interests.
But Obama wants to assure us that he’ll … well … work on it tomorrow:
“I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it’s necessary for the ongoing functions of government,” Obama declared. “But I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching change.”
In a sign of his discomfort with the bill, Obama did not sign it in public. And he declined to answer a shouted reporters’ question about why.
Running for president, Obama denounced the pet projects as wasteful and open to abuse — and vowed to rein them in.
Explaining his decision, Obama said that future earmarks must have a “legitimate and worthy public purpose”, and the any earmark for a private company should be subject to competitive bidding rules. Plus he said he’ll “work with Congress” to eliminate any the administration objects to. …
During his presidential campaign, Obama promised to force Congress to curb its pork-barrel-spending ways. Yet the bill sent from the Democratic-controlled Congress to the White House on Tuesday contained 7,991 earmarks totaling $5.5 billion, according to calculations by the Republican staff of the House Appropriations Committee.
Fiddle-dee-dee! Governing in consonance with one’s stated principles is just too hard to think about right now. He’ll think about it tomorrow.
Yeah, sure.
Blowback
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What a joke this country is turning into.
Firebird on March 11, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Obama’s a fake and a liar.
He is not my president.
I want him to fail.
That covers it.
fogw on March 11, 2009 at 2:15 PM
The
emperorPOTUS has noclothesballs.OmahaConservative on March 11, 2009 at 2:15 PM
As our band director at Auburn used to say “You can tell yourself that, folks, but tomorrow never comes”.
AubieJon on March 11, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Memebrs of congress can wrap that language around just about everything.
myrenovations on March 11, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Too late to close that barn door, 0bama, the earmarks have already escaped
Sekhmet on March 11, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Ed, Don’t you know that invoking Gone With the Wind when talking about Obama is racist!
/sarc
BrianA on March 11, 2009 at 2:17 PM
you know what would have made a great “departure point for more far-reaching change”? Vetoing this bill and making congress do it over.
Mord on March 11, 2009 at 2:17 PM
“I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it’s not Marxist enough.
necessary for the ongoing functions of government,” Obama declared. “But I also view this as a departure point for more far-left-reaching change.”Yes, we can.
OhEssYouCowboys on March 11, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Translation: I LOVE this bill, and soon, very SOON, there’s going to be lots more LIKE it.
MBuck on March 11, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Usually it takes our elected representatives a bit longer than a month and a half to abandon all their campaign promises. Change indeed.
tballard on March 11, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Everyone here is so teeth-gnashingly fed up of this joke presidency already, it’s hard to make any constructive comments.
I want him to fail too, because Obama:succeed=America:fail.
Fortunata on March 11, 2009 at 2:20 PM
I am too busy trying to get money to pay my mortgage to worry about all this spending I’m doing on vacations and clothing.
MayBee on March 11, 2009 at 2:20 PM
In fairness, he’s only abandoned the ones that smacked of centrism or conservatism… he’s proceeding full-speed ahead with the leftist promises.
Y-not on March 11, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Calling America a ‘banana republic’ is an insult to bananas.
technopeasant on March 11, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Fail!
backwoods conservative on March 11, 2009 at 2:23 PM
i love that he did yet another “press conference”….i mean can you really call it that when he reads from his TelePrompTer and takes no questions…
then went and signed it in a back room with out the adoring clappers standing behind him and the adoring media capturing every flick of his pen…
he must think if there is no photo evidence…then he can pretend it didnt really happen…
alexraye on March 11, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Wait…Gone with the Wind? Slaves? Obama?
RAAAAAACIST.
Ed, yo’ skonk!
MadisonConservative on March 11, 2009 at 2:24 PM
That’s a complete lie. If he vetoed the bill, Congress would just pass a continuing resolution to fund govt at the current levels, like they always do. But that would mean no new earmarks. Signing this bill is one thing only – Obama’s complete capitulation to Congress on earmarks, and he’s doing it to gain favor when the his first budget comes around – the one with cap-and-trade and healthcare reform.
Kenrod on March 11, 2009 at 2:25 PM
Our own little Scarlett with a twist on an old line “as God as my witness, you all gonna go hungry”.
sherry on March 11, 2009 at 2:25 PM
It is time for the american people to cut the strings
on the puppet and expose the puppet masters.
Somebody please unplug the teleprompter!
scootertrash on March 11, 2009 at 2:27 PM
It’s just too bad we can’t start a nation-wide recall petition.
-Dave
Dave R. on March 11, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Funny, I was thinking about “Annie” as my daughter was in the musical performed at her school last night.
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
There’ll be sun
Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow
‘Til there’s none
When I look at a day that’s gray and lonely
I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say
Oh….
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on ’til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow, tomorrow
I love ya, tomorrow
You’re only a day away
rockmom on March 11, 2009 at 2:30 PM
What a joke.
Obama wants us to fail.
reaganaut on March 11, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Less than 60 days. That’s how long it took drag what’s probably the greatest democratic republic in history from world leader to the brink of the Marxist cess-pit. Many thanks to all you trolls who sold your souls and whored for this man(?), his co-conspirators, and those of you who are too willingly blind to acknowledge that you’re Hell-bent on enslaving us all.
My sympathies to you young people who will be forced into servitude by you new Masters.
oldleprechaun on March 11, 2009 at 2:31 PM
This guy is a rank amateur. Period.
We are being governed by little children.
Martin on March 11, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Repeal the 17th is all I can say…
Kevin in Washington State on March 11, 2009 at 2:32 PM
It’s amusing reading all the Obamapologists trying to explain this away. That dog won’t hunt.
Obama is officially full of sh*t.
drjohn on March 11, 2009 at 2:32 PM
And the market is selling off with yet another message from our Dear Leader….
msmveritas on March 11, 2009 at 2:33 PM
LEAVE BARACK ALONE!!!!!! sniff sniff…HE”S ONLY A MAN…boohoo…He is just tired of all you mean people, he needs a break after 50 days in office
/sarc
The worlds savior is tired of tearing down the economy, destroying peoples’ futures and the gutless media still gives him a pass and make it look like this bumbling idiot is not in far over his head. What happened to their cries of full disclosure when GW was in office? Where are those voices now?
PatriotPete on March 11, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Obama would rather take his cues from Pelosi than from most Americans, his own economic heavyweights, his own business leaders.
What are principles if you don’t stand up for them?
IOHH–In Over His Head.
BuckeyeSam on March 11, 2009 at 2:33 PM
“So y’all don’t like this imperfect omnibus bill? Frankly, Scarlett…”
whitetop on March 11, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Obama to America (to paraphrase Rhett Butler from GWTW):
Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a d@mn!
Steve Z on March 11, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Lord, let me be principled. Just not yet.
Cap and trade, health care reform, etc., cannot wait. But establishing that the formulation and execution of Federal budgeting policy is a sensible, orderly and credible process equal to our current challenges? Entirely secondary.
DrSteve on March 11, 2009 at 2:34 PM
Hey nation, can you recall we have a constitution?
WashJeff on March 11, 2009 at 2:35 PM
“I know this bill is full of earmarks, and that I, as a candidate for president of these United States, promised I would put an end to wasteful spending and give line by line the scrutiny it deserves, especially in a time of financial crisis, but frankly my dear voters, I don’t give a rat’s ass. Now excuse me while I take a nap and then
sign the billkiss Pelosi’s ass.scalleywag on March 11, 2009 at 2:35 PM
I don’t even care what the article is about…super props on the pic!
Sarjex on March 11, 2009 at 2:35 PM
We call that “rhetorical.” What with all the fanfare accorded everything he signs this is really horse manure. The American people deserve to see him renege.
drjohn on March 11, 2009 at 2:35 PM
But please, more importantly, will there be a conga party tonite?
anniekc on March 11, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Maybe he wanted to sign it in public, but had the urge for a cigarette.
WashJeff on March 11, 2009 at 2:37 PM
That sounds tough, he has set the bar low.
WashJeff on March 11, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Did we expect anything different from the filthy liar in the White House? If you did, then you are a moron.
Barak Hussein Obama is your typical corrupt (i.e. filthy) Chicago politician. The liar has not kept one of his campaign positions when it comes to ethics, governmental reform, or responsible good stewardship. The man is a complete amoral rudderless bastard. He is evil and the nation is, daily, harmed by the man.
This whole idea of signing off on legislation with 8500 earmarks should be offensive to any taxpayer. Yet, sadly, I suspect that the filthy liar’s partisans will be able to spin this away and by the time the bastard has to put up a budget of his own there will be some other reason why the filthy liar is going to sign off on earmarks.
highhopes on March 11, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Obama:These principles things are exhausting! I’m overwhelmed!
DavidM on March 11, 2009 at 2:39 PM
He didn’t even bother to try getting the earmarks that he himself sponsored removed from the bill.
Anyone who believes he gives a damn about earmarks in a democrat controlled congress is a fool.
DamnCat on March 11, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Rick rolled!
Ann on March 11, 2009 at 2:40 PM
So, fiddley-dee,
Fiddley-dum
Look out, earmarks
‘Cause one of these years here I come!
I’ll be bringing a budget to you
With a consonance that’s true
So get ready, get ready
One of these years I’ll have to remember to try
To make a principled pork free budget for you
So get ready, get ready
Someday it’ll be here I come, here I come
One of these days I’ll be on my way, yeah
Alright, hear it!
MB4 on March 11, 2009 at 2:41 PM
He waited for this bill because he wants to get as much debt in place from the Bush as he can. Then he will always point out the TARP, auto bailout, AIG, Citi, and the omnibus bill were all Bush’s problems.
genso on March 11, 2009 at 2:42 PM
Indeed, Obama must fail. He and his ilk must fail miserably if America is to have any hope for the future.
Obama, send me some hope and change careers.
Grafted on March 11, 2009 at 2:42 PM
But Masstuh Ed, 0bama don’t know nuthin’ ’bout fixing eee-conomies!
(With apologies to the great Butterfly McQueen)
GeneSmith on March 11, 2009 at 2:42 PM
What a pile of bovine excrement! Congress can pass an emergency spending bill to maintain the “ongoing functions of government”. Jerk.
ladyingray on March 11, 2009 at 2:43 PM
I’d bet my job that he doesn’t even know what earmarks he signed. I’d bet my second job that no one in congress has read the whole thing either. Imagine, though, if your company was about to sign a budget proposal for the year and you showed up to the meeting not having read it. Do you think you’d keep your job? Yet these incompetents get away with it year after year after year.
scalleywag on March 11, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Seriously he’s going to sign this and then go to a party? Has there ever been such blatant corruption? Rome could not have been worse.
petunia on March 11, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Indeed the filthy liar must fail but you’ve made one factual error in your post. Obama has never actually had a “career.” He has simply been following the peter principle where he keeps getting promoted to higher levels of responsiblity to hide the incompetence of the socialist’s messiah and false prophet.
Obama is one of those leeches on society that hasn’t worked an honest day in his life, hasn’t produced one thing good for society, and hasn’t balanced blind partisan ambition with the grounding to do the job for which the idiots of the left have elected him.
The filthy liar may hold the office but he will never be “my President.” There isn’t a thing about the bastard I can support or defend unless it is his sudden resignation from office.
highhopes on March 11, 2009 at 2:47 PM
I definitely think there will be fiddle playing at this party. The filthy liar seems completely and totally disassociated with the reality of the world around him.
highhopes on March 11, 2009 at 2:48 PM
More to the point, it is very clear that the filthy liar doesn’t care about the earmarks in this bill. Not even a blip on the radar for the bastard. He truly is an evil man who is harming the nation.
highhopes on March 11, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Next thing you know he’ll say he don’t know nuthin’ ’bout partial birthin’ no babies.
Brat on March 11, 2009 at 2:52 PM
Every time hopie opens his mouth I am reminded of a classic Richard Pryor phrase … “lyin’ motherf—-r”!
Dukehoopsfan on March 11, 2009 at 2:54 PM
I’m waiting for the day the shit starts to squirt out of his ears since he’s so full of it.
gsherin on March 11, 2009 at 2:58 PM
If he holds to his old ways, a pick up game of basketball is
in his near future. It’s how he celebrates a political victory.
I hope more people quit going along with all this BS and his
winning streak comes to an end real soon.
elderberry on March 11, 2009 at 3:01 PM
You know, I don’t totally blame Obama for this crap, I blame Pelosi/Reid/Frank/etc. They’re the ones who want business as usual, and I don’t care who would have come to office, they would have run right over him/her to get their grubby paws on their special interest money. And lots of it. However, I did think (naively so I admit) that he would actually stand up to some of them and say no, I’m the president now and this is the way it’s going to be. Instead, he’s let the whiny little fit-throwing head-banging breath-holding children have their way. What he should have done is taken a paddle to their whiny behinds and stuck them in the corner while he went about cleaning house. It’s too late now, congress knows who’s boss and this crap will never end, not while he’s in office.
scalleywag on March 11, 2009 at 3:02 PM
Outstanding Post ——- Kudos
Kuffar on March 11, 2009 at 3:03 PM
So, when faced with signing a spending bill with over 8,000 earmarks, Obama took a stand and said. No! We have to draw a line!
That’s awesome! Stands like that are what stopped the spread of slavery. Stands like that ended English rule over the colonies, and their taxation without representation. Stands like that defeated the Nazis. Obama is clearly a leader in the mode of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and even Washington.
Huh? What do you mean he said that WHILE SIGNING IT?!?!
/sarc
The fact that he tries to be mr. anti-earmark while enacting 8,000 earmarks shows that he’s reached a point where he no longer cares if anyone believes his lies. Woe unto those who chastise his hypocrisy, for the wrath of Robert Gibbs, Rahm, & Carville will be upon thee.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 3:04 PM
…..You just keep on talkin’ there BO.
try again later on March 11, 2009 at 3:05 PM
We all know who the Mammy in this story is and I can just see Michelle tugging Bammy’s corsets in the a.m. and Bammy sweating over his lost 17 inch waist as he’s now missing those a.m. workouts.
NoDonkey on March 11, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Another way to see Obama’s “stand” on earmarks.
“I dare you to cross this line.”
“Oh yeah, well I dare you to cross THIS line, then!”
If only he were as smart as Bugs Bunny, we’d end up with Reid and Pelosi stepping off a cliff.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 3:08 PM
But as the LA Times said… Barry is not authentic, he has no slave blood…
phreshone on March 11, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Didn’t get to hear the whole thing…did he throw in the good old ‘Inherited Deficit’ standby??
So we went from ‘No Earmarks!!’ to ‘Only Earmarks that will serve the public interest!!!’…The next logical step will be ‘Yeah, there’s earmarks, so??? What are you going to do other than suck on it?? I won!!”
BigWyo on March 11, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Sad, isn’t it. It would have taken some guts to do so, but instead of Americans dropping their jaws in disbelief, they could be dancing in the streets celebrating the first president who drew the line on wasteful spending. Talk about a the chance to take advantage during a crisis…he had an opportunity and threw an airball.
scalleywag on March 11, 2009 at 3:09 PM
I found a link with a breakdown on the earmarks. Sorry if it’s been posted previously.
ladyingray on March 11, 2009 at 3:11 PM
http://www.taxpayer.net/resources.php?category=&type=Project&proj_id=1961&action=Headlines%20By%20TCS#
ladyingray on March 11, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Heath Shuler has an earmark!
ladyingray on March 11, 2009 at 3:13 PM
The greatest administration evah!
ObamatheMessiah on March 11, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Well…
As long as he remains calm about it.
Blaise on March 11, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Thank goodness my new GOP congressman has no earmarks! Wish I could say the same about my two GOP Senators.
ladyingray on March 11, 2009 at 3:22 PM
I hope he fails.
bluelightbrigade on March 11, 2009 at 3:23 PM
OBAMA…One Big Ass Mistake America
Wyznowski on March 11, 2009 at 3:33 PM
It is so obvious that Obama is not in charge.
He is merely the “Salesman and Chief.”
That is exactly what Reid and Pelosi have instructed him to do.
Go out and sell what we tell you to do.
“Hope” is nothing more than “Hype”.
“change” is nothing more than “chutzpah.”
Baxter Greene on March 11, 2009 at 3:35 PM
Ya’know I’m starting to think that we all elected a lyin’ corrupt machine politician with a heavy dose of Alinsky social radicalism thrown in.
jjshaka on March 11, 2009 at 3:36 PM
How come he didn’t throw a black tie gala for this bill signing?
RepubChica on March 11, 2009 at 3:37 PM
We in some deep doody.
He has already failed. Hope has sprung eternal.
Jed1899 on March 11, 2009 at 3:42 PM
FIFY
Liberty or Death on March 11, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Obama signs the spending bill behind close doors.
Transparency.
Right….
albill on March 11, 2009 at 3:47 PM
A cartoon connecting earmarks and The Ears is in order, I guess.
djueat on March 11, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Could be a double post, sorry…
A cartoon connecting the earmarks and The Ears is in order, I guess.
djueat on March 11, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Obama: “Oh, I don’t know what caused me to tell such a terrible lie; I don’t know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ a budget without pork!”
Kafir on March 11, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Where’s my bumper sticker?
ladyingray on March 11, 2009 at 3:59 PM
We can. Just doing it would send a jolt to Ogabe and his friends.
JiangxiDad on March 11, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Second look at Biden!
ronsfi on March 11, 2009 at 4:06 PM
As Mammy once said of Rhett Butler and Scarlett:
“They just mules in horse harness!”
rockmom on March 11, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Another ‘promise’ under the bus.
Let’s face it folks. WE NEED A BIGGER BUS!
GarandFan on March 11, 2009 at 4:17 PM
God, I swear, if you’ll just get me through this Bill, I promise I’ll never, ever, ever accept another earmark.
(Except for Porkulus II….)
BobMbx on March 11, 2009 at 4:30 PM
+10!
BobMbx on March 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Nope. That’s when the Consitution, as intended by the Framers, will become solid as a rock instead of the gelatinous mass libtards beleive it to be now.
BobMbx on March 11, 2009 at 4:32 PM
That Vivien Leigh… total babe.
el gordo on March 11, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Maybe it’s the subject: earmarks
We all know how touchy Obama is about ears…
Onus on March 11, 2009 at 4:59 PM
And Republics
No we didn’t forget; we just figured that if we aren’t entitled to make sure the POTUS is natural born as defined by the Constitution, we probably also have not standing to recall him for harming the US.
katablog.com on March 11, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Don’t you mean a fleet of buses?
katablog.com on March 11, 2009 at 5:16 PM
that run on fairy dust and hopey sprinkles, produced by GM and paid for by the people who work, to give rides to people who dont.
UNREPENTANT CONSERVATIVE CAPITOLIST on March 11, 2009 at 5:34 PM
But what I really wanna know is, who got the cool White House pen??
Didn’t Obama once say that all bills would be on the internet for 5 days for public comment?? How many bills that he has signed so far have been posted this way??
I couldn’t agree more, I HOPE HE FAILS!!!
To quote from another movie, if I may, “Get that cat outta here” – The Man with 2 Brains.
kringeesmom on March 11, 2009 at 5:55 PM
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