Obama’s Unscreened Town Hall Audience Is Clean Break From Bush’s Supporters-Only Public Events
Obama’s Unscreened Town Hall Audience Is Clean Break From Bush’s Supporters-Only Public Events
Today, President Obama hosted a town hall meeting in Elkhart, IN — which faces the nation’s fastest-rising unemployment rate — to promote his recovery and reinvestment plan. As the Washington Post’s Dan Froomkin notes, Obama traveled to relatively unfriendly territory: Obama lost the county to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) 44 percent to 56 percent. Despite that fact, the White House did not screen its audience, who had the chance to ask the president questions:
In a dramatic contrast to former President Bush’s town-hall meetings — which were held almost exclusively in party strongholds, with tickets distributed primarily to supporters — it was first-come, first-served in Elkhart on Saturday [when tickets were distributed]. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs explained on Friday: “I’ve watched the President do town halls from 2004 through 2008, and the audience has never been hand-picked, and neither have the questions. And we’re not going to start any of that on Monday.”
What’s more, Obama invited two critics of his package along for the Air Force One ride to Indiana: Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), who both voted against the bill.
The town hall is just the latest way Obama is signaling a clean break from George Bush, who aggressively screened his audience members, even requiring volunteer service or loyalty oaths before being allowed to attend his events. A few of the most notorious examples:
– In April 2005, Bush’s security detail threw out three people from an event in Colorado, citing a bumper sticker on their care that read “No More Blood For Oil.” White House spokesman Trent Duffy said that if there’s any evidence people might “disrupt the president,” they “have the right to exclude those people from those events.”
– In early 2005, North Dakota residents were refused entry to a Bush event after their names appeared on a “blacklist” of people banned from the event.
– In March 2005, people seeking tickets to a Social Security event were quizzed about their support of Bush and his Social Security plan ahead of time.
Bush even screened the assembled group of soldiers he would meet in Iraq during a 2003 Thanksgiving visit: Soldiers had to fill out a questionnaire asking whether they supported Bush.
Froomkin noted that Obama will travel to another lion’s den tomorrow, when he takes his road show to Fort Myers, FL, a county McCain won by an 11-point margin.
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Wow. How refreshing. :-)
February 9th, 2009 at 12:55 pmZooey, you took the words right off my keyboard! GMTA. ;o)
~A
February 9th, 2009 at 12:56 pmWe are just too good, Annie. ;)
February 9th, 2009 at 12:59 pm“Loyalty oaths”?
Now why does that sound familiar?
Which famous historical party was it that used to require
“loyalty oaths”?
Oh yea.
The Nazi Party.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:59 pmGreat that President Obama is working to be the president of all the people.
I’m assuming that even though the audience isn’t hand picked, that they are all screened for security reasons.
Regardless of the political differences, one thing we cannot afford is any jeopardy to the safety of the new president.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pmIts nice to see the prez actually take part in a reality based discussion with citizens eh?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pmWait, a Town Hall meeting where anyone in Town can attend???
How will the President know that he’s speaking to the ‘Real America’?
/sarc
February 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pmGee, backup, you have a talent for stating the obvious.
Screening for safety reasons has nothing whatsoever to do with a person’s political leanings, eh?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm…ummm..amazing. I really hope there is press there covering what Obama’s non-supporters think after this type of meeting. How can you not be won over just a little?
I hope he gets tough questions and shows Americans how real leaders answer them.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:02 pmWhat a change. Obama will be the president of all the people not just the people that voted for him.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:02 pmHa haa! Talking to or anywhere near people who disagree with you is a sign of weakness! It will embolden the enemy! Obama will surely fail now!
/wingnut
Man, I have a hard time believing Bush was so incredibly afraid of even a little dissent… such cowardice boggles the mind.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:03 pmBTW, President Obama is still taking questions from this crowd at the townhall meeting.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:04 pmbackup Says:
Great that President Obama is working to be the president of all the people.
I’m assuming that even though the audience isn’t hand picked, that they are all screened for security reasons.
Regardless of the political differences, one thing we cannot afford is any jeopardy to the safety of the new president.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
No hand-picked audience, and no scripted questions. Turn it on, he’s still talking to them.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:05 pmThat is rally up there.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:05 pmSee, W? This is how a real tough guy does it.
It feels good to be proud of our president.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:05 pmI meant rally up there.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:05 pmGood for him. When Bush was here in 2004 for a rallt you had to sign some kind of loyalty paper thingy in order to get in. I would not have signed that in a million years. When Obama was here in October, all you had to do was show up, go through security, and have a seat. Nothing to sign.
It really shows how both parties treat the “commoners.” Obama is one of us, and the others, aren’t.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:05 pmMy wife’s from Elkhart and her family are hard core Republicans like many in that Republican stronghold–yet, I hear a lot of cheering from that unscreened audience. How refreshingly different from Cheney-Bush.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:07 pmI hope some dissenters got a chance to ask questions. That would be amazing if the president got a chance to reason with actual critics in real time and shoot down republic opposition in broad daylight.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:08 pmNow, just to be fair to Bush ( I know, but empathy is a liberal trait): Bush’s supporters, unlike his critics, were unable to see the puppet strings so with only them in the room, there was no opportunity for the charade to be exposed.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:08 pm.
You mean it’s not a “Loyalists ONLY” club anymore?
.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:08 pmA grownup as President…who’d thought….
…I guess the Ex-president Fascist Pig Bush didn’t like decent or something like that.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:09 pmbackup Says:
Great that President Obama is working to be the president of all the people.
I’m assuming that even though the audience isn’t hand picked, that they are all screened for security reasons.
Regardless of the political differences, one thing we cannot afford is any jeopardy to the safety of the new president.
Getting patted down and walking through a metal detector is quite different than having to fill out a “loyalty oath.” It is refreshing to have a President that welcomes constructive criticism instead of hiding behind carefully scripted audiences to make it appear as though he had support.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:12 pmOf course one of the right wing nuts wasted time by asking about his few nominees that had tax problems. That really helps all those sitting there out of work resolve their problems. Trolls are everywhere.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:14 pmSen. Collins is on TV now saying in essense – do it our way or it won’t get done.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:17 pmGoddam Rethugs.
If Franken were seated, we wouldn’t need Collins, and chicken-sh!t Nelson could be forced to join with the Dems.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:17 pmgw bush quotes:
February 9th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
This is sooooo refreshing, like a breath of fresh air after being in a garbage dump.
hand-picked audiences who signed loyalty oaths for admission and lobbing pre-selected softball questions is so quaint.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:20 pmwow, THAT is a real leader
just wow
———————————————
February 9th, 2009 at 1:20 pm‘ere – Atlanta’s Progressive Jazz
(yes that’s me on the piano)
Find us at ReverbNation.com/ere
———————————————
You used to have some good rants, tommy, now you just spam…
February 9th, 2009 at 1:22 pmI hope some dissenters got a chance to ask questions.
dbadass… he took a question from one woman who didn’t really challenge him but told him that he needs to have a beer with Sean Hannity…
Obama’s response?
‘I’m good for a beer anytime…’
When your President is an actual critical thinker interested in ‘Leadership’ over ‘Decidin’… priceless.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pmI heart Obama. The Town Hall meeting was informative. I’m still pinching myself that’s he’s the President. I’m happy to see him taking his recovery pkg to the people, since the airwaves seem to be courting the conservative talking heads for the most part, and they’re confusing the public in general. Obama gets it, and he sincerely cares about this country. Anyone who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken and has some serious character flaws.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:27 pmLoved his Shout out to that dip s**t Hannity
Obama will be in Ft. Myers tomorrow, two hrs south from where I reside. 1500 seats are available, and folks started camping out last night. I have seen him twice as a Senator, campaigned for him to be our President, but I will draw the line at camping out. Those days are long gone. :) YOU ROCK BARACK OBAMA
What a relief! We finally have integrity in the white house again.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:29 pmWhat, no Freedom of speech cages?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:30 pmThat gentle breeze of Democracy, can you feel it? Open the doors, and windows, let some light in, freshen up the way for democracy!
February 9th, 2009 at 1:32 pmsorry nevar, I post on other places with an auto-sigline thing, I forgot to turn it off
sorry that it upset you so much
February 9th, 2009 at 1:34 pmDoes this mean that once again all of America is a “free speech zone?” Welcome home people!
February 9th, 2009 at 1:36 pma0d7fzz,
We have the ‘air’ of integrity. Which is more so than what we have had these last 8 years. However so, there are deep problems that loom on the horizon that will require real integrity to correct course. Until America punishes and the President of the USA supports accountability for crimes perpetrated in the Nation’s name, America as a whole, lacks a certain integrity among the international community. Sure, we have problems with banks and goods and the economy, however this is just a distraction, albeit at a convienient time, from how America has lost it’s integrity on the world’s stage.
O.K. So Obama wants to cap the pay of CEO’s who fail to manage their business and insist on robbing the tax payers instead. In a world of integrity, these crooks would be fired and arrested.
.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:38 pmRushpublicans want to water down the package to where it won’t work, so they can claim ‘it didnt work’ during their campaigns
It’s like them forcing only half a bridge to be built and proclaiming “we told ya the plan to build a bridge wouldn’t get us across the river!”
February 9th, 2009 at 1:38 pmA few mild righty questions but when a lot of your town is out of work and hurting dissent is not your main issue. The wealthy republicans in the senate have no concept of these people’s pain. I’d loved to have seen Insane McCain there to answer for his grievous disregard for the people
February 9th, 2009 at 1:41 pmA clean break from what? Everytime I see Obama speaking he looks like he’s trying to be Arsenio Hall, complete with a whole bunch of hooting, hating, spittle spewing, fist circling neadrethals cheering him on as he hurls wimpy half baked insults at the bygone GOP of ages past. What up with that? If that’s “acting Presidential” then we need some REAL change and fast. This guy looks and acts like he’s nothing more than a low Neilson ranked talk show host. It’s starting to become evident that he’s just going to be nothing more than a rubber stamp for the same old tax and spend pork that the Feinstein-Frank-Reid-Pelosi crowd couldn’t get signed during the Bush days, so I imagine that once he gets booted out of office in four years he could probably find a slot on late late late night cable, right after all the soft core shows are over at 3:00AM. He could call himself Arseniobama.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:43 pmIt’s really a testament to how bad it was. This wouldn’t be news if the former wasn’t so slanted. Open discussion in a Democracy? Who ever would have thought that possible?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:44 pmbelac Says:
dbadass… he took a question from one woman who didn’t really challenge him but told him that he needs to have a beer with Sean Hannity…
Obama’s response?
‘I’m good for a beer anytime…’
Uh-oh! I smell a new Repuke talking point: “Obama is ‘afraid’ of Sean Hannity.”
My eyes are rolling already.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:44 pmlol, hey tibbs, need a tissue?
America will recover and that pisses you off, which, of course, makes me giggle
February 9th, 2009 at 1:45 pmit’s alright, ranting tommy, it just makes you look like the Borgen project is all…
February 9th, 2009 at 1:47 pmThey_call_Mr_Tibbs Says:
February 9th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Maybe you should just put aside your shallow thinking and just LISTEN.
I’d suggest thinking, but I’d be wasting my time.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:49 pmNot really Tom, I think it’s a stitch. His approval rating has dropped 20 points in 2 weeks. That’s actually a faster decline than Bush could muster. Guess there was nothing in the suit after all.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:49 pmaww puddin, tibbs, sorry that America’s economic recovery frightens you so
we’ll be ok without you
February 9th, 2009 at 1:50 pmIt’s true, republicans are not kept out of his events…..
February 9th, 2009 at 1:50 pmwell, nevar, to be honest, I stopped posting here as much because I always have to turn off my sigline or someone whines about it, but only here
I even edited it to contain no links, but some people are just never happy, o well
February 9th, 2009 at 1:53 pmThey_call_Mr_Tibbs Says: “…fist circling neadrethals”
Haven’t heard of that one before…are you trying to get the cap off your prescription bottle?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pmAmong who, the rush/colter crowd? Try again.
The gop has a lower approval rating than bush had……They will now be tied to this bills success or failure just as surely as they are tied to the bush depression…
February 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm“…never happy, o well”
Nevar happy now!
February 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm;)
Arsenio Hall? Really? I mean, Im not exactly the king of pop culture, but multiple references to a talk show that was cancelled 20 years ago? I’m surprised you didn’t find a way to shoehorn in a Michelle Obama’s like Downtown Julie Brown ‘joke’.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:56 pmI watch the town hall online at msn.com, refreshing, I liked the last question going to the kid, get the education funds restored. But I didn’t see the whole thing, was there any discussion about the funds to the states which was cut?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:59 pmYes, very refreshing and a great example of openness and transparency.
Now leave it up to the inside-the-beltway press corps to completely ignore these facts and instead shout out ignorant questions and demands of the prez & Gibbs.
And then when the MSM does not get what it wants they will write a story saying Obama is breaking his promise of transparency.
See how that works??
February 9th, 2009 at 2:00 pm#44 Sheeple. Obama never threw out his dissenters. He invited them to stay, and asked them several times to be quiet and listen. He couldn’t speak over the screaming.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:01 pmIt is funny to watch Reid and Pelosi take this guy out to the woodshed. So much was pinned on him, and now it’s becoming evident that ’stimulus’ means building new office buildings in and around Washignton DC to house yet even greater numbers of bureaucrats. As I was typing this I just heard another sound byte of Obama blaming the GOP for not moving faster on the stimulus bill. Hello, McFly, it’s the Democrat Congress that’s stuffing this thing full of pork, not the GOP, they can’t pass gas with votes they have.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pmIsn’t this the difference between a smart, engaged, self-confident President and a dumb decider guy who has only a superficial understanding of the issues?
The Constant Weader at http://www.RealityChex.com
February 9th, 2009 at 2:03 pmObviously little tibbie is having flashbacks of the McCain/Palin rallies.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:03 pmtibbs is hilariously uninformed
typical rushpublican coward
February 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm#41 Who the hell pissed in your wheaties. Speaking of Neanderthal, did you read what you wrote? you racist bating knuckle dragger. Find another playground, your mean rhetoric is not welcome. We’re seeking solutions not some deluded half wit hurling baseless insults
February 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pmF R E S H A I R !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! THAT FEELS GOOOOOOD!!!!
February 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pmHey tibbster, when you get your soundbite from Rush or Fox News it makes you sound like an idiot. Why don’t you try C-Span some time and get the actual comments.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:07 pmLIBRED, I just wish it was me who’d pissed in his cornflakes. Just another whiny rethug loser who can’t understand what happened last year. Another clueless moron. With a jealous streak, that this president not only holds open forums, but can speak three consecutive sentences without putting the English language in the dirt.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:08 pmApparently Mr. Gibbs prefers style over substance. Oh well.
All I know is that every time we see Obama speaking on tv my friends and I all sigh with relief. No more smirking and lying and confrontational/idiotic rhetoric!
February 9th, 2009 at 2:08 pmWhuh Whuh Whuh Whuh (done with fist held high waving it in a circle).
February 9th, 2009 at 2:08 pmAs well loved as this President is we wouldn’t need the secret service to subdue a possible assassin. If anyone was stupid enough to try something against him the crowd would massacre them.
There wouldn’t be enough of the person left to identify the remains.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pmMr. “Tibbs” I meant.
I wonder if Mr. “Tibbs” would prefer to just get lied to constantly instead.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:10 pmThey_call_Mr_Tibbs Says:
“Whuh Whuh Whuh Whuh (done with fist held high waving it in a circle).”
I see you got your pill bottle open…
February 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pmsheeple Says:
Isn’t there some torture what needs defendin’ somewhere?
February 9th, 2009 at 2:13 pmThe past 8 years have been hell, and I’m so sick and tired of these ppl like the post at #41. Not to long ago, This insane woman told me I should not be allowed to vote, because I’m too “radical” My head practically spun off my shoulders. What pod do these ppl live in?
February 9th, 2009 at 2:14 pmExcuse me, I meant trillion dollars overnight (I’m starting to think like a congresswoman)
February 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pmHere’s an idea… instead of taking every old bit of pork barrel legislation that somehow wasn’t miraculously signed during the last eight year and bundling into a ’stimulus bill’ and forcing Obama to sign it thereby increasing the deficit by another billion dollars overnight we actually do something to help individuals out with their financial problems like making the interest on credit card another debts deductible on their income taxes like it was 20 years ago? I forgot… taxes only go up, not down. Can’t cut the Fed’s budget (or appetite). It’s clear that ‘Help’ comes only in the form of the Fed helping itself. All other sit down and shut up please.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pmtibbs and sheeple sittin in a tree
February 9th, 2009 at 2:16 pmp-i-s-s-i-n-g
first comes torture
then comes gay marriage
then comes Rush with another talking point from Heritage
They_call_Mr_Tibbs Says nothing important, merely impotent…
Shouldn’t that be They_call_me_Mr_Tibbs?
Just asking — you’re the imbecile in charge of your moniker.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:20 pmTibbles is just dumb enough to be one of Sarah Palin’s biggest supporters.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:22 pmWow.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:23 pmMr Fibbs is a racist, AND a sexist.
Huh.
Whoda thunkit?
Wait a minute.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:25 pmIf the president doesn’t screen attendees and is willing to take questions from anyone, doesn’t he run the risk of hearing different sides of the issue and from people with different viewpoints?
Maybe you missed the fact that gw bush just conglomerated the largest bureacracy in the history of the world….and left it in shambles…..someone has to pay to fix that you know.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:27 pmTibbs, you must be a very lonely person inside! Since your obvious solution is more tax breaks, then by all means go right ahead….encourage your Senators to see that the majority of the recovery plan is tax cuts. We’ll just implode and spiral further out of control. Perhaps you subscribe to the notion that “times are tough, pull yourself together and don’t ask for gov’t welfare handouts” No one wants to ask for anything, What is needed is relief. Obviously you’re a fan of Reagan. Clearly his trickle down bullshit didn’t work either. And Mr Tibbs, as a fictional character had some class, you clearly do not!
February 9th, 2009 at 2:29 pmSeriously, it just goes to show you how “protected” George Bush was.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pmWhat?
Were they afraid that he’d have one of his cocaine induced anger fits?
Or another classic “deer in the headlights” moment of total confusion and unpreparedness?
They_call_Mr_Tibbs Says: Waaahhhhhh
Sounds like someone could use a hug. Come on over here lil’ feller, I’ll hug you. It’s gonna be okay cher. Shush now. It’s gonna be o’kay.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pmsheeple Says:
A lesson in the thought process of a conservative.
When arguing or debating political view points, repeat talking points and ‘pithy’ pointless ‘jokes’, for example… ‘If we would let the troops and our intelligence dept. do their job without both hands and feet tied together the troops would be home by now!’
When confronted with conflicting data pointing out idiocy of talking point or pointless ‘joke’ use the tried and true con favorite tactic of ‘declaring victory and going home’: simply leave the discussion and find another talking point or pointless ‘joke’ to post elsewere…
February 9th, 2009 at 2:40 pmWell belac said it better than I would have but I was just starting to say what belac just said…
February 9th, 2009 at 2:44 pmOf course, that’s why all your buddies are against teaching science schools. Lambasting evolution and global climate change is a full time job for someone with such limited intellect.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:49 pmFinally, an American President that lives in the 21st Century.
No more Spanish Inquisition torturing
No more ‘loyalty to the King’ oaths to attend public meetings
No more corpoRATs getting first dibs on Federal funding
No more gigantic financial scams on our hard working people
No more daily lies to American voters
No more illegal invasions for other Country’s oil
February 9th, 2009 at 2:51 pmNo more BUSH!
Sheeple?
February 9th, 2009 at 2:52 pmI’m sorry steeple, but it appears you’ve singled me out.
Now, care to step up to the plate and debate reasonably, or shall you run and hide?
And apparently, you don’t know me very well. Because if you did, you would know I don’t follow lock and step with all Democratic ideologies.
Now, how do you feel about the current president offering to acknowledge and listen to opposing viewpoints, instead of one who only surrounded himself with “yes” men?
February 9th, 2009 at 2:59 pmLet me know if sheeple steps up DRxJ…
February 9th, 2009 at 3:02 pmI have my doubts, you see… sheeple has already ‘won’ and that means that sheeple can return to singing, ‘We are the champions…’ with fingers firmly inserted in ears…
Once upon a time you could tell a place by the smell. Pittsburgh and Gary had the hot fire of the mills. In New England you could smell the wool, cotton and linen of the textile mills. Along the coasts, it was the smell of the sea. In the Midwest, it was farming, growing plants, farms. Communities had their very own aromas, linked to their products.
A little bit of that is still true today. Washington reeks of fear and only when the President reaches out to his roots, our countries roots does the stench dissipate. Rock on, Mr. President.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:27 pmI’m with this 100%. You cant have transparency and accountability without opinions from EVERYBODY. And at least the man acknowledges the fact there are people who DONT like him. And that’s not kool-aid drinking and thinking everything he does is brilliant, that’s the truth. It just seemed at times that Bush wanted everything in his circle to be perfect, and to always seem like he was doing a great job. That lead to his downfall to an extent.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:27 pmPresident Obama seems to apply a no drama aspect to his politcs, but when it comes to the people, he embraces a bit of conflict for their greater good. There is nothing wrong with a spirited debate, we all wont agree on everything, and thats how better ideas come about, and it makes you a better politican and person.
Obama can expect questions or comments at the meeting that are polite and respect the Office of the President.
Bush had to screen to keep out those who wanted to disrupt the meetings like: code pinko’s, move-on-betrayus, and an assortment of liberal wing nuts that would have forced the police to carry them out of the discussion.
Obama will benefit from communicating with Americans concerned about our country not trying to be the center of attention or brain dead from Bush Derangement Syndrome.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:01 pmwhat’s up with the righty propagandists today?
was this thread titled “anti-bama spin cycle”?
Bush rejected the public and the press – in the end both rejected him back, which is better than he deserved.
Obama has set a better example in 2 weeks than Idiot Jr. did in 8 years, with or without a jacket.
purple-faced righty tantrum-tossers will not disrupt the progress.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:53 pmWith precious few exceptions it would seem that everyone here is fighting to be the next person in line to suck Obama’s dick. This man has done NOTHING. He has accomplished NOTHING (other than being elected by people too stupid to know better). He comes from one of, if not the most, corrupt political machines in the nation and has surrounded himself with the same faces we’ve seen before. Change? Carter spoke to “the people” too. Anyone remember what a total piece of garbage he was as a President? You idiots are all about to get fooled again.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pmthe messiah won with 9 million votes. 11 million are having voters remorse about now.
pushing and funding abortion, census in the white house, exec control over an expanded NSA, Gays in the Military, and lots more on the way will cost him the house and senate in 2010. Smoke-um while you got them.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:13 pmdwall Says: more nonsense…
Stalling the stimulus and mindlessly following Rush (ditto, ditto, ditto) will GUARANTEE republican losses in 2010. I don’t know what you guys are smoking but I think you’ve had enough…
February 9th, 2009 at 6:19 pmsmoking isn’t healthy. pushing abortion?
February 9th, 2009 at 6:27 pmangry much, fellas?
get over it.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:31 pmInteresting.
As my kids brush their teeth before bed, I have a quick second to see if sheeple accepted my challenge. Of course, I find nothing, but lo and behold, another “pops” up spouting vile and nonsensical attacks.
Koin-ka-dink?
Me thinks not!!!
Oh well, there’s always the hope for an honest, intelligent debate tomorrow.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:30 pmPFFFFT!
Watch out people….all those new jobs gonna come rolling at you when we get this new stimulus bill rammed down our throats. Keep on believing cause your CHANGE is gonna come.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:30 pmChange, change, anyone got a quarter to spare???
The FALL is about to come and we can blame George Bush…again, and again, and again.
DRxJ Says:
Interesting.
As my kids brush their teeth before bed, I have a quick second to see if sheeple accepted my challenge. Of course, I find nothing, but lo and behold, another “pops” up spouting vile and nonsensical attacks.
then…Oscama Says:
speak of the devil…
February 9th, 2009 at 7:33 pmGood Lord the Trolls are thick (in more ways than one ) today. Did someone give the keys to the Asylum gate to the inmates?
February 9th, 2009 at 7:48 pmNotice how liberals allways resort to name calling when confronted with the truth. Most of you people dont know the ” Good Lord”, so, why are you using his name??
February 9th, 2009 at 7:59 pmNo, we are going to give the keys to the gate to the prisoners at Gitmo. Any other questions???
Now, how do you feel about the current president offering to acknowledge and listen to opposing viewpoints, instead of one who only surrounded himself with “yes” men?
===
we will see who he appoints at the second and third levels and if he develops a shadow govt of advisors, ayers, soros, farrakhan.
Obama is consolidating power for the White house and reducing the power of the cabinet. His latest expansion of NSA is just another step. Giving the census to Rahm is dangerous and maybe unconstitutional.
Lets see who he appoints as white house “fellows”
We are facing a massive shift to the left – until 2010
February 9th, 2009 at 8:04 pm“We are facing a massive shift to the left”
I **WISH**. Then this country would finally be back on the correct track. I really wish this “Obama the far-leftist” delusion you wingnuts believe in weren’t just a delusion. But it is. Too bad.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pmThe sheer arrogance of those who feel they have exclusivity to the “Good Lord” just because of their political beliefs!! As if the word “liberal” would actually connote or equate to being Godless. The republican party took all 8 years to run this country into the ground and destroyed our credibility with the rest of the world with Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld’s war mongering. Now, instead of being part of the solution to this financial crisis, the republican Senate acts like a spoiled child, who didn’t get its way, in pushing forth their tax cuts for the rich. It’s time to put childish things aside and join in the struggle to get this country afloat once again. The “right” is wrong in putting themselves and their interests ahead of Country. Shame on all of you!!!!!
February 9th, 2009 at 9:48 pmTo my fellow progressives: We share the real relief that we finally have a president of whom we can be proud, who is setting the country on the right path and is changinig our political process for the better. We support these efforts and applaud the clarity, tolerance and openness of the Obama administration. Part of this enthusiasm is the great change from the Bush years.
President Obama is skilled, articulate and thoughtful, open and working hard to change the culture of politics. From the right, we have heard blustering, name calling and some of the most inarticulate rhetoric in history. Friends, we are better than that. We are intelligent, tolerant towards other views, able to respond in a crisp, thoughtful manner that defines our position in positive terms. We needn’t wade in the slurry of unfounded accusations, the Rush-isms, if you will, the conservatives continue to sling.
It is time that those of us in the grassroots to elevate our level of discussion above this. We have a President we admire. We need to follow his lead and do better than we have done in the past. If the conservatives wish to rise above the swamp, into the sunlight, then let them follow. We are leading the way.
February 9th, 2009 at 10:49 pmprogressives – put down the cool aide
you want to see how little things have changed internationally check out the info about the munich conference http://www.stratfor.com
But domestically, the messiah will be dragging us to the left bigtime.
he is showing his lack of experience. If a pilot he could not fly a cessna two seater that circled to the left.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:03 amBush supporters are crazy.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
ONLINE, ANTI-BUSH, EDUCATIONAL, SCHOLASTIC RESEARCH: LISTING OF MAJOR ISSUES
http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/10/bush-is-worst-president-in-american.html
February 10th, 2009 at 2:04 amSome of us choose to build up from the abysm that the previous administration has sunk into with a positive outlook and faith that our leader, President Obama, is working for the good of the entire country. On the other hand, others of you choose, instead, to destroy with put-downs, criticism, and insults towards those who don’t share your opinions. You claim to be “good Christians” but fail to act and talk as such. Instead to show yourselves to be ignorant and uneducated on many issues. Do unto others . . . . Oh, you must have forgotten what that’s about.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:25 amTo dwall,
The Munich Security conference has already shown the impact of the course President Obama has set for the country. VP Biden went to Munich and delivered the message that the U.S. was abandoning it’s cowboy, unilateral policies that basically snubbed it’s nose at the rest of the world and pushed forward with a a wholly ego-centric agenda that the rest of the world, as well as many Americans, found short-sighted and ignorant of the global environment of the 21st century. World leaders, most importantly our NATO allies have responded positively to this direction. Complete confidence from other nations will come with time. After all, the rest of the world has come to know an America that acted with little or no legitimate basis in ways that adversly affects the entire planet. The Bush position on global warming is a good example of this.
As far as the “cool aide”, I’ll drink from that cup, and I encourage all to do the same. Discussion and choices based on facts, pragmatic thought free of ideology and looking at the big picture in the long term is far better than the choices made by the past administration. The Bush White House ignored and/or changed scientific data on global warming, pollution, energy needs, they provided false evidence (ie the yellow cake) to support invading Iraq and did so in secret without input from anyone except their hand picked allies. A clear example of this was the energy policy meetings chaired by Dick Cheney that included only reps from the energy companies, no environmentalist, no consumer advocates. The notes of that meeting were blocked from being made public by the Bush White House, citing executive priviledge. We all know what happened to energy prices during the Bush years.
Most certainly, President Obama will take the country back towards the center, perhaps even center-left. This no doubt is troubling for you and other conservatives and understandably so. It will become increasingly difficult for the right to defend a position that brought us to war, ruined our economy, degraded our environment and many other undesired results. We have to change this direction, for obvious reasons. If experience were the key to good leadership, the Bush years would have not left us in the mess we are in today.
dwall, if you wish to join the discussion, offering good ideas, concrete information to support your position and constructive criticism your comments will help push the discussion forward. Simple declarations or prognostications of fear without basis will no longer support your position. Those years are past. You are now in an enlightened period of science, fact and cooperation. Move forward, or be left behind.
February 10th, 2009 at 8:13 amThey_call_Mr_Tibbs Says:
What is funny is watching you ignorant trolls shilling your desperation. If is exceedingly amusing. We already knew you were stupid to the bone but watching you thrash around trying anything you can try to attack Obama is the best clown show in town. Now that you have estabished what a moron you are go play with the other ’special children’ and let the adults talk
February 10th, 2009 at 8:57 amwill be dragging us to the left bigtime.
Good. You rightists are a load of incompetent morons who can’t govern. The past 8 years proved that. The further away from your ideas we go, the better off we’ll be.
February 10th, 2009 at 9:29 amI’m glad some of you think its fantastic that Obama is going to give someone a new car, kitchen and bathroom, is he going to give everyone free stuff. I work in the social service field and I see everyday how people who can work choose not to because they know the government will give provide for them, its so sad how American’s think that the government should take care of them. Do any of you know what Obama’s “spending bill” actually contains? I suggest you do some homework, I’m not ready for the U.S. to become a socialist society.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:03 pmI can’t help but wonder who else felt that although Ed Henry’s manner was somewhat disrespectful. Upon being called on,Henry went right into his tirade and did not acknowledge or respect the office as the others did who prefaced their comments with ‘Sir” or “Mr President’ . This was intentional, rude and a serious breach of etiquette. I was stunned at his poor manners
February 10th, 2009 at 5:01 pmWatch the clip again and I’m sure you will concur.
Henry showed himself to be an arrogant little @#*%#@
February 10th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
WAYNEBRO Says:
“Loyalty oaths”?
Now why does that sound familiar?
Which famous historical party was it that used to require
“loyalty oaths”?
Oh yea.
The Nazi Party.”
REPLY: You are absolutely correct about the Nazi’s. In that light, I provide the following:
“….It appears that Speaker Pelosi has changed the House rules to demand that Members swear to vote ‘yes’ before they can read bills that they are being asked to consider voting ‘yes’ on.”
Boy…. that certainly is their version of “reaching across the aisle.”
February 19th, 2009 at 12:53 pmalvimana Says: “…On the other hand, others of you choose, instead, to destroy with put-downs, criticism, and insults towards those who don’t share your opinions.”
REPLY: Surely you must read most all of the items from your own side, on this topic and every other topic on this site. For you to say what you did, above, is hypocritical to say the least.
So the guy in college who almost fainted when talking to the king, and the Black woman, too; BHO didn’t ask the questions he should have, such as “why don’t you get a second job? ….. why are you still working at a McDonalds after four years? Or “…. Ma’am…. does your son work? Are you doing anything to lift yourself out of poverty, and get off of welfare?
February 19th, 2009 at 1:07 pm