Lawmaker's sign cracks decorum at Obama job speech

AP ^ | 9/08/11 | LAURIE KELLMAN

[EBH]

WASHINGTON — Rep. Jeff Landry knew not to yell at President Barack Obama during his jobs address Thursday night to Congress. That move made Rep. Joe Wilson famous a couple of years ago, and not necessarily for the better. Instead, Republican leaders urged their members to show up, keep an open mind and be polite _ voters were anxious and Congress' bickering had angered large majorities of them.

So Landry, R-La., instead printed out a small white sign to raise when Obama mentioned how, exactly, he planned to put more Americans to work.

"Drilling(equals)jobs," it read in big black letters. Seated two rows behind the well-mannered Wilson, R-S.C., Landry held it up when Obama acknowledged that Republicans might have ideas different from his $447 billion jobs package.

It was only a modest departure from decorum, but a sure signal that more than policy disagreements remain between Obama and congressional Republicans whose standoff over raising the debt ceiling last month brought the country to the brink of default. The markets and recession-weary Americans didn't appreciate the suspense. The nation's credit rating suffered for the bickering, and Congress' favorable ratings dropped to around 12 percent.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Donald Trump is a superannuated freakshow attraction. Who cares what he thinks?

[DTogo]

Paraphrasing Maxine Waters, “Decorum can go straight to Hell!”

[rushmom]

Obama cracked the decorum of a joint session a long time ago.

[MNJohnnie]

And what “decorum” has our hyper partisan Demagogue-In-Chief ever show in his relentless desperate attempts to blame everyone else for the complete failure of his economic policies?

[giotto]

Obama broke decorum using congress to hold a campaign speech.

Agreed. Pretty cheesy. It's like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, though. If he overuses the venue, what's he going to do when he really has something important to talk about?

[MNJohnnie]

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. --George Orwell

Thank you for your courage Congressman Landry.

[FreeAtlanta]

I wish Donald Trump would run as a Democrat opposing Obama, wouldn’t that be a hoot! :-)

[SERKIT]

From now until the election, there will likely be a direct pipeline between the Chicago-based AstroTurf Factory (run by Axelrod, assisted by Gibbs) to the President's teleprompter. If it is on the 'prompter, it was probably typed up in the AstroTurf Factory in Chicago.

I think this speech, more campaign than policy, was hatched in Chicago.

"Pass this bill now" is as fanciful and mythical statement as the command to "Milk this Unicorn Now". Neither exist.

[spokeshave]

Good job Jeff! 20 or 30 more signs might do it!

Que Bob Dylan and his flash card song....

[ken21]

yes.

[SERKIT]

[VeniVidiVici]

The absolute one thing this idiot in the White House knows nothing about is decorum.

[sunny48]

Who and when was he throwing the finger to in this pic?

[newzjunkey]

There was no decorum.

Decorum does not DEMAND to speak before a joint session of congress.

Decorum waits for an invitation. Decorum does not DEMAND a time and date.

Decorum waits for a negotiated schedule.

Decorum does not DEMAND a co-equal branch acquiesce to your whims.

Obama knows nothing of decorum. He is in utter contempt of it. Whether it's dressing down SCOTUS in a State of the Union or using a joint-session for a campaign speech.

He has debased the our systems of government. He's dragged us all through the gutter with his Chicago mob tactics and polarized this nation more than anyone since Nixon.

[newzjunkey]

Who and when was he throwing the finger to in this pic?

2008. That one was directed at John McCain. But it wasn't the first time, and likely not the last...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks EBH.