Obamateurism of the Day

posted at 8:05 am on February 21, 2011 by Ed Morrissey

Remember Friday’s OOTD, the one that won the OOTW yesterday in a landslide?

“I’d say that I haven’t followed exactly what’s happening with the Wisconsin budget,” and then promptly declares that Walker’s plan “seems like more of an assault on unions.”

Well, it turns out that Barack Obama was right. Oh, not about the bill being an “assault on unions,” but about the fact that he hadn’t bothered following the Wisconsin budget debate. The Wall Street Journal discovered that for themselves on Friday:

The protests have an orchestrated quality, and sure enough, the Politico website reported yesterday that the Democratic Party’s Organizing for America arm is helping to gin them up. The outfit is a remnant of President Obama’s 2008 election campaign, so it’s also no surprise that Mr. Obama said yesterday that while he knows nothing about the bill, he supports protesters occupying the Capitol building.

“These folks are teachers, and they’re firefighters and they’re social workers and they’re police officers,” he said, “and it’s important not to vilify them.” Mr. Obama is right that he knows nothing about the bill because it explicitly excludes police and firefighters. We’d have thought the President had enough to think about with his own $1.65 trillion deficit proposal going down with a thud in Congress, but it appears that the 2012 campaign is already underway.

Perhaps President Obama would do well to remember the axiom that instructs that it is better to keep one’s mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.  And since this is a state matter and not within the jurisdiction of the federal government, it might be better for Obama to tend to his own business rather than Wisconsin’s.

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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He is a fool, among other things.

OmahaConservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:08 AM

Community organizers don’t care about a silly thing like details….

cmsinaz on February 21, 2011 at 8:09 AM

Perhaps President Obama would do well to remember the axiom that instructs that it is better to keep one’s mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

He removed all that doubt within his first 10 days in office. All he has done since then is reinforce that fact.

pilamaye on February 21, 2011 at 8:09 AM

He can he claim to not know anything when the website that bears his name is right in the middle of the Union protests?

kingsjester on February 21, 2011 at 8:10 AM

Ed’s right. All doubt has been removed. I am thoroughly convinced.

++

ted c on February 21, 2011 at 8:11 AM

How can he…

kingsjester on February 21, 2011 at 8:12 AM

He probably knew, and was just playing along with the talking points of that particular day. If Republicans point out that it excludes firefighters and police, the media is free to ignore it, but if Obama says it, they would have to report it.

The next day it morphed into the lie that firefighters and police unions all endorsed Walker, and that’s why they were excluded.

and on to the next lie…

forest on February 21, 2011 at 8:12 AM

kingsjester on February 21, 2011 at 8:12 AM

Knew what you meant…

OmahaConservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:13 AM

It may be an axiom, but is actually Proverbs 17:28

http://bible.cc/proverbs/17-28.htm

ted c on February 21, 2011 at 8:13 AM

The 2012 campaign, for Teh Øne, has been underway since January 20, 2009. He’s like George Wallace, former governor of Alabama – far more effective at campaigning than administration.

ExpressoBold on February 21, 2011 at 8:13 AM

He is a sitting US President, the truth is what he says it is, that’s what the msm says.

tim c on February 21, 2011 at 8:13 AM

“President Obama, whose group Organizing for America, has bused in some of the nearly 70,000 protesters Saturday, last week called the bill “an assault on unions.”

The sooner we can get him out of OUR house, the better OUR country will be. Just a community organizer who doesn’t have a CLUE about being a leader. He and his ilk totally disgust me on a daily basis.

lyfsatrip on February 21, 2011 at 8:14 AM

ted c on February 21, 2011 at 8:13 AM

A man may show himself to be a wise man, by the good temper of his mind, and by the good government of his tongue. He is careful when he does speak, to speak to the purpose. God knows his heart, and the folly that is bound there; therefore he cannot be deceived in his judgment as men may be.

OmahaConservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:16 AM

He is the captain of a ship of fools.

flytier on February 21, 2011 at 8:17 AM

Obama; the gift that keeps on givin’.
*Pull string for intelligent thought. If string is in use, wait. You won’t be disappointed*

Electrongod on February 21, 2011 at 8:18 AM

The prudent man keeps the word of God continually in view. But the foolish man cannot fix his thoughts, nor pursue any purpose with steadiness.

OmahaConservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:18 AM

Did he grab the mike and say, “Imma let you finish but them teachers and firefighters and po-lice do the greatest work of all tiiime..” ../?

ted c on February 21, 2011 at 8:19 AM

it might be better for Obama to tend to his own business rather than Wisconsin’s.

nice backhand. ++

ted c on February 21, 2011 at 8:20 AM

Great quotes OC

cmsinaz on February 21, 2011 at 8:21 AM

Read in an article today that only 46% of high schoolers in Milwaukee graduate. Some fine teaching going on in that part of the world. FIRE THEM ALL!!

lyfsatrip on February 21, 2011 at 8:24 AM

How about this new revelation.
Ever wonder how all those terrorist tips and warnings came about?
All phony and a fraud:

Hiding Details of Dubious Deal, U.S. Invokes National Security

“The software he patented — which he claimed, among other things, could find terrorist plots hidden in broadcasts of the Arab network Al Jazeera; identify terrorists from Predator drone videos; and detect noise from hostile submarines — prompted an international false alarm that led President George W. Bush to order airliners to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean in 2003.

The software led to dead ends in connection with a 2006 terrorism plot in Britain. And they were used by counterterrorism officials to respond to a bogus Somali terrorism plot on the day of President Obama’s inauguration, according to previously undisclosed documents.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/us/politics/20data.html?src=me&ref=general

albill on February 21, 2011 at 8:25 AM

To modify an old Southers saying: It ain’t what Odamna don’t know that gets him in trouble. It’s what he DOES know that just ain’t so.

Crusader Rabbit on February 21, 2011 at 8:25 AM

I’m just waiting for 0bama to bow low to Mary Bell, WEAC’s president.

OmahaConservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:31 AM

After a reporter reminded the President that police and firefighters were not affected by the proposed legislation, Obama continued “…police and firefighters aren’t affected? Well, then, they acted stupidly.”//sarc

Kevin71 on February 21, 2011 at 8:36 AM

Obama cares far more about getting involved with “community organizing” when it comes to the Wisconsin union protests than he does with having to deal with the federal budget or the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. You know on those issues, he’s told the support staff to handle it, while the collective bargaining debate is the one that’s got his attention (even if he doesn’t have the attention span to actually find out what the bill says, and is simply relying on SEIU/AFL-CIO briefing papers).

jon1979 on February 21, 2011 at 8:37 AM

Kevin71 on February 21, 2011 at 8:36 AM

beer summit!

OmahaConservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:37 AM

Obama: JUDGMENT to LEAD! (::snicker::))

apostic on February 21, 2011 at 8:40 AM

So who’s protesting today in Madison? The teachers need a break(they’re are not used to long hours)and the Teamsters are on holiday(can’t give those up)–so who is carrying the friendly neighborhood picket signs this Monday? As for the Senators–they’ll soon be sick of living out of a suitcase. Even the pretense of martyrdom grows old fairly quickly. If it weren’t for all the hullabaloo–Walker and the GOP should wait it out. These protestors must be caught up in the moment, because if they were thinking straight, they’d realize that shutting down the State will not go over well with the voters. Neither will importing protesters from other states. This is not France.

jeanie on February 21, 2011 at 8:41 AM

OT:

Holy schmokes! In a couple days we’ll know if this is statistical noise, or if WI et al are having their effect

Sekhmet on February 21, 2011 at 8:44 AM

From today’s “The Prowler” at The American Spectator blog:

A BINDING CONTRACT
The White House has been watching the Wisconsin state employee labor fight with a degree of alarm, says a White House aide: “I think all of us recognize what this could mean for us in the re-election fight,” says the aide. “Without well financed labor, we’re screwed.”

For several weeks, now, the Obama Administration, with staff from the Labor Department and Department of Education, among others, have been setting up working groups to examine how, if at all, they could block or reverse in some way state-based rules and laws that would draw back labor unions’ abilities to collect chunks of member pay for political purposes on the state and national level.

In fact, some political advisers to President Barack Obama have been speaking with senior national labor officials about the roles they might play in the re-election bid. Says the aide: “One way to strengthen labor’s position and get them politically engaged for us is through contract negotiations, and there are several, large contracts coming due in 2011 and 2012. Corporations may think they can push these unions around because of the economic situation, but we’re looking for ways to ensure that if organized labor wants to fight, they will be able to fight. That can only help us politically.”

This administration’s honchos never sleep when their politics and ideology are at risk. They really care more about their own skins than they do about their party. OFA, indeed!

onlineanalyst on February 21, 2011 at 8:50 AM

Obaka. It.Fits.

ladyingray on February 21, 2011 at 8:50 AM

I have been around long enough to have seen true leadership and have been inspired by it. But rabblerousing, agitating and inciting anger and violence against fellow citizens is what we are to accept as leadership today. I refuse to accept this. I refuse to forget the greatness of our past and accept the smallness of our present. This Obama is a nasty little man with no appreciation for our history and a great vision of himself alone. I hope he fails.

SKYFOX on February 21, 2011 at 8:51 AM

Spot on Onlineanalyst

cmsinaz on February 21, 2011 at 8:53 AM

And since this is a state matter and not within the jurisdiction of the federal government, it might be better for Obama to tend to his own business rather than Wisconsin’s.

And Arizona’s.

itsnotaboutme on February 21, 2011 at 8:54 AM

Obama only cares about creating chaos, and the more the better.
It looks to me like Obama’s 2012 strategy is chaos.

ORconservative on February 21, 2011 at 8:54 AM

Mr. Buttinsky in Chief opened his mouth once again and removed all doubt he is a fool. Do you think he’ll ever fit into big boy pants?

scalleywag on February 21, 2011 at 9:00 AM

He acted stupidly.

Anyone else would be embarrassed.

petefrt on February 21, 2011 at 9:21 AM

Obama stated he wanted to paint the nation (SEIU) purple.

As Maya Angelou said, “When someone tells you who he is, believe him the first time.”

Fallon on February 21, 2011 at 9:23 AM

POST NO BILLS

Some genius around here has been saying for years that this administration was going to play to the lunchbox folks. And pols are loved for spending NOT paying down deficits. Check history.

And lest thee think that every WH strategy has no reason, recall how the left needs the unions then add the confluent effects of a resurgent economy and ending wars.

On Saturday night, a woman a lot smarter than I agreed with me. And she was sober at the time.

IlikedAUH2O on February 21, 2011 at 9:27 AM

Perhaps President Obama would do well to remember the axiom that instructs that it is better to keep one’s mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Too late.

GrannyDee on February 21, 2011 at 9:40 AM

‘Mind your own damn budget!’

dont taze me bro on February 21, 2011 at 9:48 AM

“…and they’re police officers,” he said, “and it’s important not to vilify them.”

Odd, that didn’t stop Barry before.

GarandFan on February 21, 2011 at 10:23 AM

I’m sorry, but I don’t buy the idea that Obama “hasn’t followed this”. OFA (website: Barack obama dot com) is busing in mobs of protesters and he’s feigning ignorance? The protests aren’t on the page now, but they were. There must be a screen shot of it out there somewhere.

He purposely mentioned firemen and policemen even though it’s false that they are affected. He does this sort of thing all the time – he lies, he erects straw men, and employs all sorts of lawyerly tricks. This is nothing new.

Buy Danish on February 21, 2011 at 10:43 AM

“…and they’re police officers,” he said, “and it’s important not to vilify them.”

Odd, that didn’t stop Barry before.

GarandFan on February 21, 2011 at 10:23 AM

Good catch.

slickwillie2001 on February 21, 2011 at 10:43 AM

OBlahBLah has unleased his civilian police force larger than the US Military on the American People!

Shut up, get in the back, pay up, or get your face beat in, your kids and wives scared to death, and your employment terminated!

Pay for the slackers and takers in the public sector unioons or else!

Bring it clown! Some of us were Boy Scouts and we learned “Always Be Prepared”!

dhunter on February 21, 2011 at 11:21 AM

Perhaps President Obama would do well to remember the axiom that instructs that it is better to keep one’s mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Maybe he needs an overcharge reset button.

mizflame98 on February 21, 2011 at 12:07 PM

I blame Bush for Obama’s tendency to sound more and more like the MSM wanted you to think Bush sounded.

RedNewEnglander on February 21, 2011 at 12:14 PM

He is a putz.

Schadenfreude on February 21, 2011 at 2:24 PM

See… you guys do this every day; you find some stupid a** thing that Barry has said, and then make fun of him for having said it… all in an attempt to deny his brilliance. Very sad/s
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RalphyBoy on February 21, 2011 at 7:20 PM