Obamateurism of the Day
posted at 8:05 am on August 27, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Call this one a sin of omission, rather than a sin of commission. Barack Obama interrupted his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard on Monday to make an announcement on the economy — reappointing Ben Bernanke to a new term as Fed chairman. As Andrew Malcolm points out, however, Obama and Bernanke both managed to avoid talking about the real news in economic policy:
And if this Monday financial reappointment distracts even 100 people from the positively colossal, mind-numbing new federal deficit numbers also released by the White House today, then this reappointment will have served its PR purpose.
Turns out the White House was off in its 10-year April deficit estimate by about $2 trillion out of about $7 trillion, as The Ticket chronicled here earlier today. That’s a miscalculation of 2,000 billion dollars. …
Whatever your side, such a deficit won’t be successfully hidden by an August Friday leak and an ensuing Monday morning news dump and has now officially entered the autumn healthcare debate.
Bernanke had five months left on his term, so Obama hardly needed to interrupt his vacation to make the announcement. It was an amateurish attempt to swamp out the bungled deficit numbers, after the weekend failed to move it off of the front pages following the White House’s Friday night doc dump announcing the new budget reconciliation figures. If that fooled 100 people into forgetting the $2,000,000,000,000+ math error by Obama’s collection of economic wizards, I’d have to call them … Congressmen.
Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.
Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!
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yup….
hey announcing it “created or saved” about 20 points on wall street yesterday….
when the printing presses stop, if ever wall street will fall back down to the 7900-8500 mark….
Barry is running a perpetual motion machine at the moment.
sven10077 on August 27, 2009 at 8:08 AM
Unemployment is at zero
blatantblue on August 27, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Wag that dog, Obama! Throw something out there. See if it will stick.
TXMomof3 on August 27, 2009 at 8:11 AM
Bomb an aspirin factory. That always helps.
Disturb the Universe on August 27, 2009 at 8:13 AM
Outstanding article today by Victor Davis Hanson on Obama’s real agenda. Very clear.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWQ2NWJkN2M3ZmJjYWQwMDZlMWQyM2FjNWI4ZWJkNGI=
doctormom on August 27, 2009 at 8:13 AM
So,Obama took a day off from his vacation,
boy,Hopey is sneaky and treacherous!
Either its a distraction trick,or he loves
being on tv,24/7!!
canopfor on August 27, 2009 at 8:14 AM
I hope that when conservatives take over Congress next year, we have plenty of economists (ones that are trustworthy) and other specialists (also ones that are trustworthy) that will reverse what this scumbag is doing to our economy. They will have their job cut out for them.
Ceroth on August 27, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Leave Barry alone. Imagine how hard it is to take the greatest democracy in over 200 years and transform it in less than a year into 1917 Russia. It must be a very hard thing to do.
Jeff from WI on August 27, 2009 at 8:16 AM
BOs “people” or “advisors” must be a group of 12 year olds.
jbh45 on August 27, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Do they have a feed hooked up to his ear in order that he responds to absolutely every criticism launched at him….this is getting tiring and quite honestly real old.
justonevictory on August 27, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Even when this idiot is on vacation and told the press to “leave us alone” he can’t get away from the cameras. This could have waited but, no he has to see himself on tv every day.
He is like the Paris Hilton of politics. If there is a camera he is in front of it. Sheeesh.
milwife88 on August 27, 2009 at 8:17 AM
I for one thank Obama for doing this appointment – the rushing-for-rock-bottom economy is now ALL his.
steveegg on August 27, 2009 at 8:19 AM
He must have been having withdrawals for not being in front of a microphone for a day.
Beaglemom on August 27, 2009 at 8:19 AM
Barry, Barry, quite contrary,
How does your deficit grow?
With Porkulus Plans, and Cash for Clunkers,
And lie after lie in a row.
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Can’t cover-up or divert attention away from disaster, no matter how hard you try, Mr. President.
WyoMike on August 27, 2009 at 8:20 AM
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.4452bed82adf3124e5884678e236d7fb.361&show_article=1
Uh Oh, the real unemployment rate much higher than being reported.
milwife88 on August 27, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Now, that is impressive.
TXMomof3 on August 27, 2009 at 8:21 AM
Perhaps he doesn’t care if the economy tanks as long as his pans come to fruition and people are subservient to His Government.
kingsjester on August 27, 2009 at 8:22 AM
pans=plans
kingsjester on August 27, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Waking up is haaaaaaaaaaaaard!
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:23 AM
Worse and Worser
Every single proposal from this President makes the budget outlook worse. Much worse. Unprecedented in peacetime worse. Third World basket case, debtor-nation, worse. Can we get anything from this man that is not a 1,000 page piece of legislation that costs $1 trillion and needs a new czar?
Let’s grant, for the sake of argument, that Obama was handed a terrible situation. He was made captain of a ship that was leaking and close to sinking. But instead of patching the leaks, he is taking an ax to everything. He says we can’t live with the status quo.
Can we please not save this country by destroying it?
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/08/worse_and_worser.html
ICBM on August 27, 2009 at 8:23 AM
I nor Mother Goose will ever read Little Miss Muffet the same again…hilarious!
justonevictory on August 27, 2009 at 8:24 AM
whiner!
blatantblue on August 27, 2009 at 8:24 AM
I’m sleepy and want some real coffee, not this instant stuff!
I’m pathetic and you’re a big meanie!
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:28 AM
Correction..”Mary Mary Quite Contrary”
justonevictory on August 27, 2009 at 8:28 AM
I think this fact explains part of the reason that Sarah Palin resigned and stepped into the fray as a private citizen. I think she saw the writing on the wall and felt it her duty to try to save her country.
keebs on August 27, 2009 at 8:29 AM
By reappointing Bernanke, Obama also was able to divert attention from other Federal Reserve news… the appointment of the AFL-CIO thug as the chairman of the NY Federal Reserve Bank.
TXUS on August 27, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Even the real stuff isn’t working this morning. The guy’s won’t let me make “girl” coffee.
TXMomof3 on August 27, 2009 at 8:31 AM
Everybody’s sleepy! Except for the really mean people.
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Or simply moving the decimal point a mere 3 digits. Anybody can make that mistake, right?
Now think about about all the number crunching that went into getting to that final number. Somebody had to know as they were working out the figures that their methodology was incorrect. They came up with the wrong figure the first time, then spent more time going back and re-doing the estimate. Way to go guys.
CBP on August 27, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Good to see you this morning.
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Yeah. Kanda, simplesimon, and crr6 are wide awake, I’m sure.
kingsjester on August 27, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Kevin Mooney of the Washington Examiner reports
Union bosses who have mismanaged benefits for their own members are poised to receive a $10 billion bailout from U.S. taxpayers in the form of a “reinsurance program” that has been folded into the healthcare bill, according to the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI).
This provision should be viewed as part of a larger payback effort the Obama White House and top congressional figures have set up in exchange for the support they have received from organized labor, Katie Packer, executive director of WFI said.
Section 164 of the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 provides that the government pay 80 cents on the dollar to corporate and union insurance plans for claims between $15,000 and $90,000 for retirees age 55 to 64. Union health insurance funds only have about 30 cents available to cover each dollar of anticipated claims, according to the Lewin Group and other research outfits.
If this provision were to be passed as part of the overhaul package favored by the Obama Administration, the $10 billion figure would probably expand overtime as union plans continue to come under financial pressure, Packer said.
ICBM on August 27, 2009 at 8:34 AM
I have already been at work for almost an hour. But, other than being dressed, it is pretty well on the spot.
TXMomof3 on August 27, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Old Barry O
with his polls sinking low
eating his deficit pie
when along came distraction
and he flew into action
and said oh what a good boy am I
justonevictory on August 27, 2009 at 8:37 AM
A few thousand billion dollar deficit here.
A few thousand billion dollar deficit there.
And pretty soon we’ll all be using monopoly money.
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 8:39 AM
The Zimbabwe Economy Plan is rolling right along.
kingsjester on August 27, 2009 at 8:40 AM
ICBM on August 27, 2009 at 8:23 AM
Thanks for the link. A must read.
milwife88 on August 27, 2009 at 8:40 AM
Obama was obviously suffering from TV withdrawal, and had to get back on so he could practice his famed “nose in the air” routine. This allows him to look down on the peasants while appearing “presidential”.
bradley11 on August 27, 2009 at 8:41 AM
Is it possible for one entire family to qualify as a fashion faux pas, en masse…?
Kent18 on August 27, 2009 at 8:48 AM
I bet BHO felt upstaged by Teddy yesterday.
Liam on August 27, 2009 at 8:48 AM
Barry should have checked in on Kennedy’s condition before giving up prime vacation time for a head fake. He could’ve stayed on the golf course.
Dee2008 on August 27, 2009 at 8:52 AM
I felt the need
Slowburn on August 27, 2009 at 8:52 AM
Why are the kids drinking a soft drink? I thought O wanted to tax that because kids are too fat.
Beaglemom on August 27, 2009 at 8:53 AM
As long as we have full employment in the Oval Office, the economy will be stagnant.
Resign now, Obama.
NoDonkey on August 27, 2009 at 8:54 AM
And here I was thrilled at the idea of 10 entire days without Obama’s face on the television.
bridgetown on August 27, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Oh my, those jeans and sandals on Barry? WTH? I wonder if Michelle’s shirt could get any lower cut? Obama is diminishing the image of the president with each day he is in office.
TXMomof3 on August 27, 2009 at 8:56 AM
Seriously. It’s like a Holiday Inn production of The Grapes of Wrath. ;)
Kent18 on August 27, 2009 at 9:02 AM
Actually, I sort of like your version better. Thanks.
Loxodonta on August 27, 2009 at 9:04 AM
This reminds me of a notable quotable from the Bamster:
“You’ve got some economists and some folks who think they’re economists. By the way, these days everybody thinks they’re economists.”
Buy Danish on August 27, 2009 at 9:11 AM
I’m completely fooled.
And, for some reason, I can’t win at Three-Card Monte, either.
heh
franksalterego on August 27, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Just saw where unemployment is at 16% in the ATL area. Seriously? Have you been here in the last decade? You couldn’t swing a dead cat and not hit 40 businesses/subdivisions going up. Now it is dead here in comparison. Things are much, much worse than we are being led down the primrose path to believe. And it’s not going to get better anytime soon.
di butler on August 27, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Ouch.
ladyingray on August 27, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Why worry? The Jug-eared One is going to save or create six million jobs, isn’t he?
Isn’t he?
Is this thing on?
hillbillyjim on August 27, 2009 at 9:46 AM
You may be overlooking something simple here. Maybe it wasn’t misdirection from the bad economic news. Perhaps it was just Obama’s addiction to talking in front of a camera that reared its ugly head. After all, it’s been a couple of days since he’s had the opportunity to say, “As I’ve always said…. and let me be clear.”
He’s a junkie and he needed a fix.
MagicalPat on August 27, 2009 at 9:49 AM
I did not realize that. Huh. Now I hate the Distractor in Chief even more.
Akzed on August 27, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Distractor
In
Chief
/tee hee
Akzed on August 27, 2009 at 10:12 AM
Barry in shorts and sandals? Yuck. I bet he has really gnarly feet.
anniekc on August 27, 2009 at 10:17 AM
This is surely the “big” story that no one is covering. Amazing lack of curiosity! The fried clams, Teddy’s death, and Bernanke’s reappointment have distracted.
indypat on August 27, 2009 at 10:24 AM
The Won really knows how to have a sucky vacation. Met at the door by hurricane Bill, Teddy croaks and now another storm coming. Shazamm! Just goes to show you, sometimes even the best laid plans go south.
Kissmygrits on August 27, 2009 at 10:40 AM
That’s only 30% off. In affirmative math class getting 70% correct equals A+++++.
Let’s just straight line linear regress these two data points. In about six months from now we will get a new revisions from the smarterest administration ever that the new ten year deficit number revision will be $13,000 billion.
Oops, we guessed wrong.
jukin on August 27, 2009 at 10:40 AM
And by looking at the Democrat Presidential Calendar of Distraction Techniques, if my calculations are correct, it’s either time for Obama to bomb something or start nailing an intern in the Oval Orifice.
Left Coast Right Mind on August 27, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Government in-efficiency expert.
Johan Klaus on August 27, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Better yet… drag up a five year old case and prosecute the CIA.
jana on August 27, 2009 at 10:49 AM
bradley11 on August 27, 2009 at 8:41 AM
FIFY
jana on August 27, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Dreamer!
jana on August 27, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Never waste a good opportunity to see yourself on television …
ExpressoBold on August 27, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Hey, a sex scandal is a great distraction.
Go for it zero.
It also increases your pol ratings among libs.
dragondrop on August 27, 2009 at 2:10 PM
He’s a piss poor magician. When you distract the audience with the one hand in order to hide what the other is doing…the audience isn’t supposed to know it…amateur.
Obama is a liar and Truth
is killing his Marxist agenda.
Army Brat on August 27, 2009 at 4:54 PM