Barack Obama on ABC This Week: Bush Response "Puzzling"

[Stinky Bushes]

Barack Obama just said that Bush's response was puzzling in that he did not show empathy for the people down there. On now.

[Stinky Bushes]

1. No sense of reflection; no sense of lessons learned; no soul searching

[Stinky Bushes]

2. Bush should reach out to a broader circle of readership

in the African American community...issues of confidence in the response have to be dealt with...poverty has gone up AGAIN...flat income...these realities should matter to the Prez...an "empathy deficit..."

[Stinky Bushes]

3. Judge Roberts confirmation hearings....

ask ourselves whether he has the heart & perspective...should look out after not just the powerful but also the powerless...lots of problems in our midst...poverty...overwhelming response from people underscores the degree to which we can do better...

[Stinky Bushes]

4. End of segment.

[AirmensMom]

5. Just caught it.

Good job -- Thanks!

[Darranar]

6. There's nothing "puzzling" about it...

Except, perhaps, how he got away with it.

[longship]

7. Very measured words

Not to mince words... wait a minute, yes, I am gonna mince words here.

Why the hell will nobody say that the Bush reponse was "criminal"?

[nyhuskyfan]

8. Obama has a measured personality...

He doesn't strike me as the fire and brimstone type.

[librechik]

11. His words were careful to the point of being incomprehensible

In fact I wasn't able to pull "puzzling" out of what I heard. It was pretty disappointing. I want more firmness from the Dems, not the wishy washy whatever I'm seeing.

[lateo]

19. Its called "tap dancing around the issue"

What is the deal with this guy?

[GreenArrow]

20. he's a polio-tishan

That's what they do, tap dance. He speaks with a forked toungue, is another way of putting it.

[lateo]

22. He is a spineless tool.

Now is not the time to speak in mealy-mouthed tones.

[GreenArrow]

23. but poor Barrack!

He could risk his career if he were to speak bluntly. He must play his hands cautiously in order to safeguard his ambitions. Now, which way is the wind blowing again?

[lateo]

25. Riiiiight...

If your political ambitions come before serving your country...

[leesa]

9. What is wrong with this twit?? Is he really as clued out as he always

sounds?? Don't you realize what Bush is doing to our country?

[AndreaCG]

10. Apologies if I have said this before

but a black journalist friend had a very difficult time getting an interview with Obama when he was running for office and fundraising in nearby Minnesota. He said Obama was a real asshole.

[magnolia]

13. There are a lot of "wishy washy"...

...democrats that are too careful not to offend anyone and they annoy the hell out of me. But I don't think that's the same as being intelligent, seeing the complexities in situations and expressing them in ways that aren't completely clear to me. Obama reminds me of John Kerry in that he sees to such depths that I have to listen carefully and pay close attention.

We have a so-called president who sees only black and white and none of the gray areas. We have the straight talking, plain spoken guy who an eight year old can understand and who everyone wants to have a beer with. You can't have it both ways.

I would much rather listen to Obama and scratch my head than hear "Our job is to solve problems, we're problem solvers..."!

[CascadeTide]

15. one problem with punditry though is intended offense

People go hog wild preaching to the choir and do nothing but further divide people. While we do need people like that to barge through the doors and stick fingers in people's faces, we also need people like Obama who are more positive in looking for solutions rather than laying blame and pointing out faults.

A positive, pro-active plan of action goes a lot further than accusations. Not saying that Obama has that plan of action yet but hopefully he'll work towards it.

[GreenArrow]

24. it's one thing to be able to see complexities

it's another entirely to be able to communicate them simply and clearly.

[davsand]

17. Obama is NOT a "real asshole."

He's my Senator--I actually LIVE in Illinois--and I have never found him OR his staff to be anything except the essence of courtesy.

Frankly, the opinion of some (word deleted*) journalist doesn't mean squat to me, or, I suspect, any other IL resident.

We'll keep Obama, TYVM. He's a good guy.


Laura

*on edit: I removed the original word choice of F***ing out of a desire not to offend any with more delicate sensibilities. After I read over this post I thought it best to at least clarify the NATURE of the intended insult...

[OneGrassRoot]

12. another link to more of what he said.........

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2081591

[WiseButAngrySara]

18. Thanks TFOR!....n/t

[Walt Starr]

14. Puzzling indeed to SEE this sort of thing n/t

[WiseButAngrySara]

16. I missed the entire show! Anyone have a good recap? ...n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

21. More Obama quotes from today's show...... thanks WBAS ....*S*

Obama said the word "incompetence" and specifically used it with regard to "this administration."

And that there is an obvious disconnect....that the administration can't conceive of people not being able to get in their car and use a credit card to get a hotel and evacuate.

He talks about "anguished and angry" African-Americans. Not using the term racism but said there is a "passive indifference" which is as bad as "active malice."

He is talking like a politician, though.

He just said, "Race continues to play a part, class continues to play a part" in America.


"Given his (Bush) immediate response during 9/11, it's puzzling that he didn't show the same empathy for these victims."

Talked about how he went to the Gulf states with Clinton. Wow, what a ticket those two would be....*sighs*

"How can we be so slow to respond when we've been spending billions of dollars on homeland security."

With regard to Rove telling Bush not to meet with Blacks in New Orleans, "I think that points to one of the big problems I've seen in this administration. They have excellent response when it comes to PR but less effectiveness when it comes to governing.....there was a terrific spin operation but not the kind of soul-searching I think you'd want to see from any administration, Democratic or Republican."

There's an "empathy deficit" in our government.

Regarding rejecting John Roberts (George shows clip of Dean talking about post-Katrina and Roberts), George asks if it's appropriate to link Katrina and Roberts:

"Roberts' resume indicates he has qualifications." We need to ask if he has "the heart, the breadth of perspective"....to look out "not only for powerful but for the powerless." "Katrina indicates we've got a lot of problems in our midst."

"The overwhelming response you saw from people towards this tragedy....underscores the degree to which the American people know we could do better. They were ashamed of what we saw last week. Part of our job - Dem and Republican....this gives us an opportunity to align America's deeper aspirations for our country with the way our government functions. That's a conversation that is overdue."

"I think there is an underlying concern that a judicial philosophy that ignores the possibility of racial or gender discrimination...that errs on the side of powerful instead of powerless, can exacerbate some of the problems we have in this country."


That's the stuff that stood out for me.