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Disparaging the president is uncalled for (LAUGH ALERT)
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 23, 2014 | Laura Washington LauraSWashington@aol.com

Posted on 06/23/2014 10:36:28 AM PDT by Chi-townChief

‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” the song goes.

It is easy enough to spell, but for some vocal critics of President Barack Obama, it seems exceedingly hard to do.

As the president moves toward the land of the lame ducks, his political enemies are calling for blood. That’s no shocker at this stage of a presidency. In this case, the cuts go deeper.

For some, it is not enough to disagree. Some high-status public figures seem determined to demean, denigrate and ridicule the president of the United States.

On June 12 the Speaker of the U.S. House stepped to a podium and insulted Obama for his handling of the ongoing crisis in Iraq.

“It’s not like we haven’t seen over the last five or six months these terrorists moving in, taking control of western Iraq,” U.S. Rep. John Boehner said at a press conference. He added, in his trademark, obdurate tone: “And what’s the president doing? Taking a nap!”

Last week, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk pronounced that Obama has fallen short in his dealings with Iran, reported CBS2 Chicago. “I’m very worried that the president doesn’t appear to be up to this job, of protecting the United States,” he said.

The disrespect comes in words, tone and attitude. He’s “taking a nap.” He’s “not up to this job.” They refer to the president as though he were a wayward child.

It’s nothing new. Obama supporters, especially African-Americans, have fumed over the insults for years. Oprah Winfrey recently suggested it has something to do with his race. “There’s no question about that,” she said.

Last week, former Vice President Dick Cheney leveled a blistering attack on the president’s foreign policy in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “Rarely has a U.S. president been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many,” Cheney wrote. Obama cares more about his golf game than the raging conflict in Iraq, Cheney asserted.

(I could give you a few thousand words on Cheney’s track record of mistakes, but that would be digressing).

Some critics refuse to address the president by his title, instead sneering lowly pronouns, like “he” and “him.” On the talk shows, via the blogosphere, even on the floor of Congress, they ridicule him in personal, demeaning ways.

In 2009, President Obama was speaking on immigration reform before a joint session of Congress. “You lie!” U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted from his seat.

Others, from Donald Trump to Newt Gingrich, have insisted that the president is some kind of alien, a “foreigner,” demanding he produce his birth certificate to “prove” he is an American.

I know how it is. In today’s hyper-partisan USA, Launching tirades at political enemies provides cheap, red meat for the base.

Still, we are talking about the president of the United States, a man who, while imperfect, is very much a grown-up, possesses high intelligence and has many talents. In two national elections, American voters definitively entrusted that man with the job.

That man represents the presidency, the most powerful office in the world. Politicians who publicly disrespect the man who holds that office derogate their own profession.

The disrespect and insults give license to the world’s despots to, in turn, disrespect him, his position, and us.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 0bama; bho44; usa; wethepeople
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To: livius

Correct. Obama is just doing what Communists are trained to do.

Our problem is that only the leader in Congress do not understand that.

Speaker Boehner will never do anything to punish Obama!

What has Obama go to lose?

Obama will continure to “Fundamentally transform the United States of America” for as long as John Boehner is Speaker of the US House of Representatives.


81 posted on 06/23/2014 1:55:01 PM PDT by Graewoulf (Democrats' Obamacare Socialist Health Insur. Tax violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: FoxInSocks

Can you believe how stupid this writer is? If you were going to write an article telling everyone to respect Obama, the last thing you would do is remind them he couldn’t spell respect or remember the song, probably because he was a little boy in Indonesia at the time it came out.


82 posted on 06/23/2014 2:12:45 PM PDT by Defiant (Obama is not the anti-Christ. He is Satan's John the Baptist, preparing the way.)
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To: Chi-townChief
...They refer to the president as though he were a wayward child.

Spank his ass and put him to bed!

Maybe a permanent timeout?

83 posted on 06/23/2014 2:45:47 PM PDT by OldSmaj (I am an avowed enemy of islam and obama is a damned fool and traitor. Questions?)
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To: OldSmaj

CARRY ON OUR WAYWARD SON...


84 posted on 06/23/2014 2:55:54 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Ingtar

Thing is, I think GW would laugh at that.


85 posted on 06/23/2014 3:01:44 PM PDT by Ghost of SVR4 (So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)
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To: GOPJ
I'll try to be gentle; if you look at the writings about MO and quotes from her own mouth I think you will see an angry side of her that translates into a special hatred for certain categories of people - working class and white conservatives in particular.

I've come to believe that she is the one who drives her husband more than we are led to believe.

86 posted on 06/23/2014 3:42:48 PM PDT by Baynative (How much longer will the media be able to prop up this administration?)
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To: dead

That is hilarious!


87 posted on 06/23/2014 5:26:27 PM PDT by uncitizen
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To: Graewoulf

Sounds like Winston spent some time in the Caribbean ...


88 posted on 06/23/2014 5:33:05 PM PDT by Chi-townChief
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To: Chi-townChief
The disrespect comes in words, tone and attitude. He’s “taking a nap.” He’s “not up to this job.” They refer to the president as though he were a wayward child.

Oh please b****, this same president has used the childish insults "suckin' on a slurpee" repeatedly to disparage conservatives.

89 posted on 06/24/2014 4:45:00 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: kcvl

Strange that a guy would be named “Laura”.


90 posted on 06/24/2014 4:50:42 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.)
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To: Chi-townChief

Sorry, I meant no disrespect for the jug-eared jackass. In the future I shall bow to the power-grabbing, radical community organizer.


91 posted on 06/24/2014 4:53:52 AM PDT by windsorknot
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To: Chi-townChief
In 2009, President Obama was speaking on immigration reform before a joint session of Congress. “You lie!” U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted from his seat.

It wasn't about immigration reform (the lying witch), it was about a lot of things including Obamacare coverage for illegal immigrants.

Here are the details that every American needs to know about this plan. First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. (Applause.) Let me repeat this: Nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.

What this plan will do is make the insurance you have work better for you. Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition. (Applause.) As soon as I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it the most. (Applause.) They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime.

(Applause.) We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick. (Applause.) And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies [both of which have been pushed back 10 to 15 years in life as a cost savings "no benefit from early detection" mantra from Big Med]-- (applause) -- because there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives. (Applause.)

Now, that's what Americans who have health insurance can expect from this plan -- more security and more stability.

Now, if you're one of the tens of millions of Americans who don't currently have health insurance, the second part of this plan will finally offer you quality, affordable choices. (Applause.) If you lose your job or you change your job, you'll be able to get coverage. If you strike out on your own and start a small business, you'll be able to get coverage. We'll do this by creating a new insurance exchange [he pushed it off on the states] -- a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices. Insurance companies will have an incentive to participate in this exchange because it lets them compete for millions of new customers. As one big group, these customers will have greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage. This is how large companies and government employees get affordable insurance. It's how everyone in this Congress gets affordable insurance. And it's time to give every American the same opportunity that we give ourselves. (Applause.)

Now, for those individuals and small businesses who still can't afford the lower-priced insurance available in the exchange, we'll provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need. And all insurance companies that want access to this new marketplace will have to abide by the consumer protections I already mentioned. This exchange will take effect in four years, which will give us time to do it right. In the meantime, for those Americans who can't get insurance today because they have preexisting medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill. (Applause.) This was a good idea when Senator John McCain proposed it in the campaign, it's a good idea now, and we should all embrace it. (Applause.)

Now, even if we provide these affordable options, there may be those -- especially the young and the healthy -- who still want to take the risk and go without coverage. There may still be companies that refuse to do right by their workers by giving them coverage. The problem is, such irresponsible behavior costs all the rest of us money. If there are affordable options and people still don't sign up for health insurance, it means we pay for these people's expensive emergency room visits. If some businesses don't provide workers health care, it forces the rest of us to pick up the tab when their workers get sick, and gives those businesses an unfair advantage over their competitors. And unless everybody does their part, many of the insurance reforms we seek -- especially requiring insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions -- just can't be achieved.

And that's why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance -- just as most states require you to carry auto insurance. (Applause.) Likewise -- likewise, businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care, or chip in to help cover the cost of their workers. There will be a hardship waiver for those individuals who still can't afford coverage, and 95 percent of all small businesses, because of their size and narrow profit margin, would be exempt from these requirements. (Applause.) But we can't have large businesses and individuals who can afford coverage game the system by avoiding responsibility to themselves or their employees. Improving our health care system only works if everybody does their part.

And while there remain some significant details to be ironed out, I believe [putting it mildly]-- (laughter) -- I believe a broad consensus exists for the aspects of the plan I just outlined: consumer protections for those with insurance, an exchange that allows individuals and small businesses to purchase affordable coverage, and a requirement that people who can afford insurance get insurance.

And I have no doubt that these reforms would greatly benefit Americans from all walks of life, as well as the economy as a whole. Still, given all the misinformation that's been spread over the past few months, I realize -- (applause) -- I realize that many Americans have grown nervous about reform. So tonight I want to address some of the key controversies that are still out there.

Some of people's concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost [Obama has just called his critics LIARS]. The best example is the claim made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Now, such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple. (Applause.)

There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms -- the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.

These are the full remarks that preceded Joe Wilson's "YOU LIE" outburst. Was Joe to shout it at EACH instance Obama lied?

Just as it won't cover abortion, right? Well, not as I originally way back proposed it once upon a time...

92 posted on 06/24/2014 5:02:14 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: Chi-townChief

“You wonder why the President is such a poor trader. He gets taken in every transaction. I thought he would be much better, he’s got the lobes for it” Quark


93 posted on 06/24/2014 5:14:56 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: GOPJ

I have no opinion on the loving parent side, but I do not see Michelle Obama as a “good person”. Her public demeanor is far too strident and controlling for that. She exhibits a self-righteousness that belies whatever goodness she may show.

I also think she is trying to set herself up to be the next resident at 1600 PA Ave.


94 posted on 06/24/2014 5:50:16 AM PDT by MortMan ("Homeland" may be a documentary.)
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