Posted on 01/28/2010 12:02:40 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The Democrat-vs.-Democrat anger roiling the ranks of Congress is being wrapped in smiles and standing ovations Wednesday as President Barack Obama outlines the nation's top priorities in his first State of the Union speech.
But for most of the Democrats cramming the House chamber, there is no issue more pressing than getting re-elected in November. And it's not clear that pursuing Obama's priorities will help them achieve theirs.
In personal and profane terms, House and Senate Democrats have huddled behind closed doors to list the debacles: The stunner in Massachusetts that cost the Democrats a Senate seat. The slow-motion collapse of health care talks. A government bailout of Wall Street while unemployment sits in double-digits.
"It just stinks to the high heaven what happened here," Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., railed earlier in the day at Obama's treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner.
He was talking about the bailout, but the statement could well describe the Democrats' attitude about Obama's performance and the toll it's taken on their political standing. And Wednesday night, they were expected to put on a smile and applaud a president and an agenda many have questioned.
Republicans were making a studied effort to stay out of the way and avoid a "You lie" moment that stole the show during Obama's last address to Congress. The House's three top Republican leaders Reps. John Boehner of Ohio, Eric Cantor of Virginia and Mike Pence of Indiana all lectured their troops before the address that the president should be treated with respect.(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
"And there shall come a day, when ye shall smell land, and there shall be no land. And on that day Ahab shall go down to his grave. But he shall rise within the hour and beckon, and all save one must follow."
Liberals apparently are quite comfortable with California’s arrangement. They go on to cushy lobbying jobs after filling a spot. On the other hand we hate to see a machine career politician like Ted Kennedy. These folks generally have easy access to big money (sources of it are needed right from the start, for the campaign) so they don’t really have to live like the little guy post-career anyhow. I think the fellows who penned the Constitution picked the better side of the dilemma. If individual states want to impose limits they ought to be free to do so.
Also, why would Bummer suddenly be giving a damn about foreign influence in American politics?
Snort! That only applies to Republicans, Monorprise!
The driveby media has no interest in applying critical standards to a man they made.
Sounds like a good idea.. why didn’t the founders think of that? O wait! However, I still contend that the committees would then be run by perpetual candidates from those states. Those states and their senior, well- connected committee members would also reap the benefits, while states that impose limits may find themselves without powerful committee chairmanships.
The Guardian could dig up a liberal at the RNC convention and declare that liberal ‘uncomfortable.’
Trumpeting Dem ‘anger’ is weak tea considering they are STILL nominally in power. What are they angry about? Their own inertia and cravenness?
Niteside
Andy Borowitz, Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Toobin, Calvin Trillin, Jonathan Alter, 92nd St. Y
Andy Borowitz: Republicans Are the “Sex Pistols of Politics”
While the rest of the country watched President Obama’s State of the Union address last night, satirist Andy Borowitz hosted a panel of guests — ranging from Janeane Garofalo to CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin — at the 92nd St Y to evaluate the president’s first year in office.
“For someone not even from [this country], he’s doing an excellent job” Borowitz deadpanned. “He’s basically an exchange student.”
The New Yorker humorist and sometime-standup had the audience in stitches, denouncing President Obama for his inability to rid the high seas of bloodthirsty Somali pirates and dubbing the Republican party — after hearing Toobin call them a bunch of tax-cutting nihilists — “The Sex Pistols of politics.”
Looking at ease in a zip-up hoodie, jeans and sneakers, Borowitz set an irreverent tone, flexing his comedic chops — a skill he’s perfected writing fake news stories on his eponymous website, The Borowitz Report — for the majority of the evening.
His panelists werent afraid to follow suit: “Dead Line” poet and longtime Nation and Time columnist Calvin Trillin recited a poem that repeatedly (and brilliantly) rhymed with disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevichs last name. Toobin and MSNBCs Jonathan Alter joined the fray for what Horowitz dubbed a “CNN and MSNBC SmackDown.”
Of course more serious issues were broached too. Garofalo expressed bitter disappointment regarding the Presidents first year in office, and though her fellow panelists werent as harsh in their Obama critique (and even defended some if not many of his policies), there was a palpable sense of let down from the Yes We Can highs of just a year ago.
It’s amazing. Apparently 0blahblah can tell any lie and as many lies as he wants to and no one will hold him accountable.
No kidding. He said he didn't want to meddle in the affairs of foreign countries. (Except Israel and Honduras.) Is he upset that the ChiComs may give the Clintons more money than Soros is willing to give him?
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