Obama staffers exhausted from grueling work of wasting trillions of dollars
posted at 8:00 pm on July 13, 2009 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | regular view
It really is a grind. Ever seen “Brewster’s Millions”? He only had to flush $30 million down the crapper. Multiply that task 75,000 times or so and see how chipper you are.
In a city where work can border on obsession, the Obama staffers stand out. They are not quite the walking dead, but their eyes are frequently ringed with the bags that accompany exhaustion.
“This is a place, because of the stress, the schedule and the sheer hours, that just chews people up and spits them out,” said press secretary Robert Gibbs, whose alarm clock is set to 4:30 a.m., though he ignores the early ring more often these days.
All West Wings face fatigue at some point, but the Obama team has had a particularly frenetic start, the result of inheriting the worse economic crisis since the Great Depression and the team’s own seemingly chaotic drive to push an agenda that includes the creation of a new health insurance system, auto bailouts, Middle East peace, nuclear nonproliferation, two wars and education reform…
Obama is now testing the limits of his staffers’ endurance. So far, there is a palpable sense of pride in the West Wing that treaties are negotiated, complex legislation is crafted and banks are bailed out — all on very little sleep.
Really? You certainly can’t tell from the results. I know I speak for all of us, though, when I say that if there’s one thing I want to read on a day when the deficit finally crossed the trillion-dollar mark, it’s a story about how hard life is in the West Wing. Exit question: To save time and ease stress, have they given up on reading bills before they’re enacted too? Or is that strictly a congressional practice?
Update: Omri Ceren knows what this story is really about.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Just look at the toll it’s taken on TOTUS…………
……….. poor fellow, all that traveling, just fell to pieces.
Seven Percent Solution on July 13, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Dictators are never nice bosses.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 13, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Aw, poor babies. Governing must be, like, hard and stuff.
Wellsy on July 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Golf and parties are so time consuming..
Guardian on July 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Well yeah. Ya have to work overtime to spend all that money.
perroviejo on July 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Imagine the pressure of keeping all of the lies straight.
marklmail on July 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Uhhhhhhhhh…..what governing? Teh One’s still campaigning.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 13, 2009 at 8:05 PM
My favorite part.
“The grueling schedule has forced most of the presidential aides to abandon physical exercise, and the few who persist — often because of incessant goading from their fitness-fixated commander in chief — have planned their workouts at times that stretch their schedules even further.”
Yes, because smoking Newport’s and swinging a 3 wood like a spaz means you’re fixated on fitness.
lowandslow on July 13, 2009 at 8:06 PM
In one of her books, Peggy Noonan (back when she was a conservative) wrote a very entertaining and vivid description of a report by a White House cafeteria worker about how the Republicans were nice, clean, respectful and honest with buying food, and the Democrat staffers under Clinton and how the staff would observe them stealing extra Coke and ice cream etc. by double dipping and eating/drinking before they reached the cashier, not to mention being pigs in the mess hall.
If these Democrats are similarly respectful of property and courteous to others, I think the mess workers might hate these workers too but for a different reason than the White House staffer suspects…
inviolet on July 13, 2009 at 8:07 PM
I wonder what the troops think of this tripe……..
Seven Percent Solution on July 13, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Beats making an honest living….
TexasJew on July 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM
campaign burt out is inevitable!
upinak on July 13, 2009 at 8:11 PM
Ptui! -I- get up at 4:30 a.m. too. Cry me a freakin river.
As opposed to Bush, who merely had the wee trouble with an unknown number of suicidal gonzos at unknown locations inside the United States, with an unknown timetable, bent on slaughtering as many Americans as the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, in our downtowns.
Chris_Balsz on July 13, 2009 at 8:12 PM
I’m stealing this from the comments above:
“Bushed?”
catmman on July 13, 2009 at 8:12 PM
it’s hard damm work being so effed up.
SHARPTOOTH on July 13, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Elections have consequences. You won. You wanted it, you got it. You remember all those times you made fun of Bush talking about it being “hard work”?
Yeah, we’re all laughing all the way to bankruptcy court…..
Idiots.
JeffinOrlando on July 13, 2009 at 8:12 PM
They wouldn’t know what a honest day of working was. Can you imagine calloses on their hands LOL
upinak on July 13, 2009 at 8:13 PM
I know I’m exhausted from keeping up with all their
attacks on this countrywork in the White House.Thunderstorm129 on July 13, 2009 at 8:13 PM
This one was mine:
“Fixing all of Bush’s mistakes is hard work.
/sarc off”
catmman on July 13, 2009 at 8:13 PM
upinak on July 13, 2009 at 8:13 PM
and there arse’s.
SHARPTOOTH on July 13, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Someone has to pick up after the puppy.
Limerick on July 13, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Excellent headline, AP. Glad to have you back.
FloatingRock on July 13, 2009 at 8:15 PM
THAT is where the flies are coming from!
upinak on July 13, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Here, this should help.
Weight of Glory on July 13, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Guilt grates.
faraway on July 13, 2009 at 8:16 PM
I wonder what the troops think of this tripe……..
Seven Percent Solution on July 13, 2009 at 8:09 PM
We think it stinks…
catmman on July 13, 2009 at 8:16 PM
I think that the hack who wrote this article meant “worst.”
If I see this boilerplate phrasing once more, I think that I will scream.
onlineanalyst on July 13, 2009 at 8:19 PM
I tell you, last week was hard. No Beck, no Rush, no Allah. I really did miss you, even though you aggravate me with the Sarah posts.
TXMomof3 on July 13, 2009 at 8:21 PM
They should ALL go out on $250,000 dates to relax. Kills two birds with one stone.
Daggett on July 13, 2009 at 8:24 PM
Welcome back AP – a lot of us missed you.
Ed’s great
butand AP adds even more je ne sais quoi to the fun here at HA.inviolet on July 13, 2009 at 8:25 PM
No brains, no experience, and no sleep – what could possibly go wrong?
Jaibones on July 13, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Yes all that work and being incompetent on top of it. I feel very sorry for them.
Ed Laskie on July 13, 2009 at 8:25 PM
lowandslow on July 13, 2009 at 8:06 PM
I’d like to see this jerk do anything aside from reading a teleprompter. And be classically, looney left.
We might have the Shamwow guy from TV as POTUS even though he beat up a “working” girl.
I would also like to swap salaries with The One getting an E-4 salary and a few of them in combat getting his. Or maybe a very nice commission and big bonus for results. I suggested that to a charity that had Pentagon brass involved and they ran away from me.
Many people do that.
IlikedAUH2O on July 13, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Based on reading a few bio’s of White House staffers, This extreme amount of work is pretty normal, and is why there is considerable turn over in staff. You can only work 18 hours a day for so long before you burn out. If you are lucky you can take a relaxing lobbyists job a for a few year s and come back in at a higher level in a few years.
Fredlike on July 13, 2009 at 8:26 PM
(HotAir ate my links – look them up yourselves)
No brain, no experience, and no sleep – what could possibly go wrong?
Jaibones on July 13, 2009 at 8:27 PM
And on top of all this, he has to tend to the Arugula garden behind the White House.
d1carter on July 13, 2009 at 8:27 PM
Robbing Grandma to feed Goldman Sachs, UAW, ACORN, et all, is hard work.
Joe Bloggs on July 13, 2009 at 8:28 PM
And on top of all this, he has to tend to the Arugula garden behind the White House.
d1carter on July 13, 2009 at 8:27 PM
I thought it was funny that the food tested out of the garden had high lead content. They couldn’t even get that right.
TXMomof3 on July 13, 2009 at 8:29 PM
CNN links?
Joe Bloggs on July 13, 2009 at 8:30 PM
What nerve!!! Our troops are risking their lives, and Obama’s bunch are worn out from spending our hard earned money and savings. What a bunch of wimpering a$$#o1Es!!!!
mobydutch on July 13, 2009 at 8:32 PM
This reminds me of the time honored tradition of sending med students through 24, 48, or 72 hours of shift duty. What a great tradition: putting the lives of people in the hands of the sleep-deprived that can barely read their own handwriting.
I’m so happy to see that this tradition is alive and well in the White House too. Let’s be sure not only to ignore all legislation put in front of Congress, but lets make everyone involved in the process a complete zombie just to make sure the quality of the end-product is just that much better.
#fail
cannonball on July 13, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Team Obama has a legion of ‘Stepford Wives’ as staff,
capable of,and completing any task,or dirty deeds that
might need to be done,really dirt cheap!!haha
canopfor on July 13, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Thread Winner!!!!!!!
Knucklehead on July 13, 2009 at 8:32 PM
So,who has the job of baby sitting the football!
canopfor on July 13, 2009 at 8:34 PM
You couldn’t be such a disastrous failure in such a short amount of time without really putting some effort into it.
Cicero43 on July 13, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Another golf day com’n up,so Obama can recuperate from
all that hard work delegating orders to his staff!!
canopfor on July 13, 2009 at 8:41 PM
Maybe they should work on the hussein snub!!..Ha-HA!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1C_NWMRs8Q
christene on July 13, 2009 at 8:43 PM
Funny, in the industry I’m in, when we have our long work cycles, it’s normal to run a gang for up to 16 hours a day for 21 days in a row. Pretty sure we don’t make 250K a year for that
Canadian Imperialist Running Dog on July 13, 2009 at 8:44 PM
I think it’s time to send ‘warm milk’ to the WH for these poor little minions. Imagine what it will be like when it gets there…
RIP TOTUS.
HornetSting on July 13, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Ice cream is a good medicine. They should stock the freezer with Moon Pies, Nutty Buddys, and Klondikes. Everyone will work harder. Let the ice cream be your metaphor; pefform or melt.
ericdijon on July 13, 2009 at 8:48 PM
In the words of the lovely, young Michelle:”BOO FRIGGIN’ HOO!!!”
Mr. Grump on July 13, 2009 at 8:49 PM
So,who has the job of baby sitting the football!
canopfor on July 13, 2009 at 8:34 PM
.
.
O gave that to the Ruskies on his trip.
hanoverfist on July 13, 2009 at 8:52 PM
I don’t understnsd the update…what am I missing?
CCRWM on July 13, 2009 at 9:00 PM
Chronicle
GOP to Obama: Where Are All the Jobs.
“The president and Democrats in Congress claim this spending
binge is necessary to put Americans back to work”,House Re
publican Leader John Boehner said saturday in the Republic
an radio and internet address.
——————————————————–
canopfor on July 13, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Well take a vacation then, about 3 years and 6 months worth with my blessing and thanks…..
Hog Wild on July 13, 2009 at 9:08 PM
O gave that to the Ruskies on his trip.
hanoverfist on July 13,2009 at 8:52PM
hanoverfist:In exchange for the ‘Reset-OverCharge Button,
no doubt!!
Hey hanoverfist,give my regards to Captain
Sternn next time you see him!!:)
canopfor on July 13, 2009 at 9:08 PM
For kids all this is part of the learniong experience.
Did big momma Obama burn out the bearings on her stairmaster? I am sure one of their automotive gurus carries a tool box and spare parts.
Even the Media is bushed. They have to devote all those nights to infomercials.
seven on July 13, 2009 at 9:10 PM
It ain’t lack of sleep that makes team Obumbler screw up so much.
Oh if only reality could grade on an affirmative action curve.
jukin on July 13, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Gosh, I hadn’t realized how far behind I was in my daily snark intake until this post. So happy to see AP back at work!
clancy_wiggum on July 13, 2009 at 9:52 PM
Ya know, I almost believe this story. It MUST be very hard work making an affirmative-action, no-experience moron look like he actually knows what he is doing while he is also bankrupting the country. You can’t do all of that on a 9-to-5 schedule.
rockmom on July 13, 2009 at 9:55 PM
I have an idea for them, how about resigning?
They’ll get more sleep and the country will be far better off.
It’s a win-win.
NoDonkey on July 13, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Permanent sleep for the Obama gang would be great for the country.
Jeff from WI on July 13, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Two choices: Rag on them for pushing the same ‘blame Bush’ crap as the rest of the media, or make fun of them for letting such a simple spelling error get past their layers upon layers of editors.
Decisions, decisions.
BadgerHawk on July 13, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Thank goodness Michelle Obama isn’t working too hard.
Buy Danish on July 13, 2009 at 10:29 PM
See they thought that when 0bama got into office they wouldn’t really have to work but just show up and be a government union worker. They didn’t think they’d actually have to work.
Losers. They should be happy they have a job unlike the millions who are unemployed and would love to have a job.
Brat4life on July 13, 2009 at 10:35 PM
What wimps!
My husband’s workday NOW starts at 6am and he can be on the phone until 7pm and then work til 9pm getting ready for the next day. And he loves it because he works from home/travels.
BEFORE he worked as a computer consultant at a banking job and was up by 5am for a train ride, worked from 6am til 6 or 7pm and then took a train ride home. That was normal M-F. Then when changes went through he worked weekends also starting with a late Friday – 12pm. Back in by 6am on Sat and work til 3am. And hopefully, if there were no kinks ONLY worked from 8am-2pm on Sunday. And then went back into work at a normal time on Monday.
And he didn’t earn 250K. So DC – there is no shoulder for you to cry on here.
That’s the price HE paid to keep a banking payment system running. Your running the country! Drink coffee and bring a cot in for catnaps.
journeyintothewhirlwind on July 13, 2009 at 11:02 PM
I saw it on Hannity:
If you ask a democrat liberal about the unemployment rate or the failing porkulus they just talk about The One pulling us back from the “abyss”. Now that must have been hard work for such a skinny guy.
Notice how our affirmative action hero is now thinking about helping small business? After you try everything else, try the right answer, Barry.
IlikedAUH2O on July 13, 2009 at 11:03 PM
I have my kingdom to run, my wedding to plan, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it….I’m swamped.
TexasDan on July 13, 2009 at 11:20 PM
See?!?!? It’s tiring, isn’t it?
TexasDan on July 13, 2009 at 11:21 PM
No. I linked four different stories about this administration effing up simple things, but when I hit submit comment it disappeared. When I’m drunk and that happens I curse Allah for banning me without warning, and later I realize I’m not actually banned.
I suspect some sort of conspiracy.
Jaibones on July 13, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Yes, the best results evolve when in haste and exhausted, presumably. When armed cops on the beat are stressed and tired, they’re at their functional peak. When you’re getting your tumor removed, you want the surgeon tired. When you travel by train, bus, or air, you want the pilot tired. Pharmacist filling prescriptions? Tired, too. Clearly, functioning tired is the new Coke of performance.
Plus, the cherry on top and as has always been said, “Haste makes
wastefor optimal allocation of limited resources that aren’t your own.”AnonymousDrivel on July 13, 2009 at 11:47 PM
LOLOL
+100
inviolet on July 14, 2009 at 12:00 AM
“Barack Obama will require you to work.”
Remember her saying that? Yeah, while he flies around the world on a 747, kissing up to tyrants and ogling young girls. When has this guy ever done a single lick of work?
guntotinglibertarian on July 14, 2009 at 12:35 AM
I bet if we gave all these hard-working WH staffers the same deal we gave the Uighers, things would start looking a lot brighter around here.
guntotinglibertarian on July 14, 2009 at 12:36 AM
Links to anything with cnn in the address are apparently censored. There may also be some limit to a comment with more than 3 links? Or there is a conspiracy or you are drunk or somebody is drunk.
Joe Bloggs on July 14, 2009 at 2:06 AM
clearly the thread winner!
as for the poor staffers: somebody call the waaaaaambulance!
thebrokenrattle on July 14, 2009 at 4:22 AM
I have no idea why people in the West Wing are tired. THEY haven’t done the “work” of “crafting” idiotic, wasteful legislation. That’s the House and Senate’s job. All they have to do is make sure Resident Empty Suit has a working teleprompter and the Speech of the Day written by someone else and they’re set. Maybe it’s planning all those trips on the American taxpayer’s dime that keeps them busy. Which four-star hotel? Is the limo waxed and polished? Who can pronounce the name of the country we’re going to? Stuff like that. Yeah, it does sound tiring. Woe. And bitch and moan too.
bradley11 on July 14, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Raping and pillaging an economy is hard work? Who knew?
bloviator on July 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Secondhand smoke.
davidk on July 14, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Their vines will bear no fruit. They can work themselves into a trip to the hospital to recover. I’m sure their employer covers them with health care. We would all be better off if they left for a nice long Pacific island vacation. Like Palau.
Kissmygrits on July 14, 2009 at 9:20 AM
To Obama and staff:
Do a six month tour in Afghanistan with the 4,000 Marines and live (and possibly die)under the same conditions…
Liberals are abject cowards. I’d say pussies, but that wouldn’t be nice
Bevan on July 14, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Well considering only 10% of the money has been shipped out the door, when are they going to start working?
Don’t worry, they will retain at least 50% of the remaining money, so the democrats that are seeking re-election can tease everyone with it or use it as a tool to obtain votes, or buy them.
workingforpigs on July 14, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Awwww…Poooorrrrrr Baaabies…. get a nookie…
CynicalOptimist on July 14, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Oh I can just imagine how hard it is.
Luau’s, waigu steaks, date nights, travelling, and seeing the world, and spending other peoples hard earned money. Pheeeeeew. It’s a wonder they don’t all have a collective break down.
Give me just a small break. This is the do nothing, spend everything administration.
capejasmine on July 14, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Yeah, I think it’s called GUILT.
Sterling Holobyte on July 14, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Comment pages: