Gibbs: Obama Still Wants To Feel Pressure From The Left

[laughingliberal]

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs sought on Friday to put an amicable coda on his tussle with the "professional left," telling the Huffington Post that the President continues to welcome the pressure he gets from his progressive base.

Addressing the issue four days after he initially chastised liberal (cable news) critics for having demands of the White House that he deemed "crazy," Gibbs once again stood by those remarks.

"There are a small number of people on cable and elsewhere who will never be happy, who will never give the President credit for anything, and who will always look for some cardinal sin to be upset about," the press secretary said in an email to the Huffington Post.

...........

"I also stand by my statement... that the vast majority of progressives and those on the left, whether that's bloggers or groups or what have you, do not hold those beliefs and are pushing in good faith for a better country as they see it," Gibbs added. "The President has urged those who want change to push for it and hold him accountable, and that's how he feels."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/13/gibbs-obama-still-wants-t_n_681691.html

A little heat seems to have softened him up a little.

[derby378]

1. In other words, Gibbs is still using a straw man argument

Which means he hasn't done shit at all, including reaching out to the left.

[roguevalley]

25. he doesn't. He wants us to fuck off and die.

[Pirate Smile]

29. LOL. Are you serious or is that snark?

[izquierdista]

31. What do you expect?

From a suit full of straw?

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Their internals must REALLY, REALLY suck

[laughingliberal]

26. That was my thought on reading this.

It's my impression the WH keeps insulting liberals under the mistaken notion the mushy middle and RW will love them for it. How many times do they have to find out the RW is never going to love them and the mushy middle is waiting for jobs right now?

[jwirr]

35. Well said.

[Jax]

37. They should n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. Screw you, Gibby --

we got your message first time around. :eyes:

[me b zola]

4. Gibbs can go fuck himself n/t

[golddigger]

5. Fucking clueless!

[DJ13]

6. We push, were called retarded. We push, you say we need to be tested for drug use

Gibbs, go F yourself.

[quinnox]

7. Sure, they will permit the left to put all the pressure it wants

and they will continue to ignore them regardless. What a charade, Obama admin. doesn't care what the left thinks and never has, as shown concretely by their actions.

[LooseWilly]

60. Mmm, actions speak louder than words... and inaction even louder still...

[femmocrat]

8. Does anyone else feel like, "Why bother?"

He doesn't listen to us anyhow. :boring:

Gibbs is still blasting that "small number" instead of taking on the real culprits-- the repukes-- who the administration has bent over backwards for.

[EFerrari]

9. Is his drug test back yet?

[old mark]

33. Dude,.....we passed!

:hippie:

Fired Up?
Smoke 'em
If you
Got 'em

(That big "G" looks soooooo....ROUND, ya know?)

mark

[lob1]

10. If Gibbs softened what he said, I'll soften what I said

about him. Instead of "Fuck Gibbs", I'll soften that down to "Gibbs can go fuck himself".

[OHdem10]

11. I wonder how President Obama might be doing if there were

different face at that Podium every day???

[FiveGoodMen]

40. ...or if he told the guy that's speaking to say different things.

[Autumn]

12. Quit watching fox news. Quit listening to republicans,

and quit getting them confused with the people who are trying to pressure him. Fox news. :puke: That seems to be the only place I have heard of where there are people who will never be happy or give the President credit for anything. Even his harshest critics here and in the real world can give him credit for doing something good.



Oh yeah by the way. Get a drug test

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

13. Who the Fuck is he Talking About?????

"There are a small number of people on cable and elsewhere who will never be happy, who will never give the President credit for anything, and who will always look for some cardinal sin to be upset about," the press secretary said in an email to the Huffington Post.

There are indeed such people on FOX, but they are not "liberal (cable news) critics"

What liberal cable news person meets that definition?

Seriously...

Who?

[Prometheus Bound]

14. Yeah, it's an absolutely meaningless statement.

Seems to be a requirement of the job.

[Bluenorthwest]

43. It is a lie he repeats again and again

He can not back up his whines at all, he's tilting at windmills.

[hfojvt]

52. I understand that Jane Hamsher was on CNN

but cannot find a transcript. Perhaps Ed Schulz, KeithO and Rachel have been attacking the administration.

[gratuitous]

15. Uh huh

The administration needs to punch some more hippies, and that's not going to happen unless you guys come poking around, needing drug tests and insisting on results instead of more of the same. Don't you see how nicely the deck chairs on the ship of state have been arranged? Yes, we're still occupying other countries illegally, imprisoning people without charge or counsel, torturing, and all that other stuff we'd really rather you would just forget about, but come on! If you keep putting on pressure, we'll keep punching you, and maybe someday (someday!) that dreamy Joe Lieberman will love us again. {Sigh!}

[MisterP]

16. that thread WAS right, they're trying to create a Silent Majority--

nasty, negative, always-complaining critics vs. the red-blooded Faithful, Honest, Americans Working For a Better America and Rallying For America

people were disgusted when Agnew and Ashcroft similarly stuck up their pinkies and sneered at anyone against them

[another saigon]

17. wiggle words

what bullshit. Their fund raising letters/email responses must be abysmal.

[EFerrari]

18. I hate it when people think I'm more stupid than I am.

lol

[David Zephyr]

21. He's an ass.

Just an ass.

[EFerrari]

23. I don't mind people making mistakes.

But sticking by stupidity to the great cost of everyone around you is destructive.

[laughingliberal]

41. Yes. The proper response to a mistake is, "I'm sorry. I have no excuse. I was out of line."

"I hope you can forgive me and I'll try to do better." Anyone old enough to have been working in a position of responsibility or conducting relationships as an adult for any length of time has probably had to learn those words. It is part of being a grownup. Not a fun part but a necessary part.

[BzaDem]

49. That's assuming that Gibbs WAS out of line and has something to apologize for.

That is the incorrect assumption you are making.

He was clearly directing his original comments to a very small subset of liberals. For that very small subset, not only was what Gibbs said correct, he should shout it from the rooftops.

His comments today made it even more clear that he was not taking about 95% of liberals, and that he still welcomes pressure from these.

[laughingliberal]

53. Surprisingly, I don't agree with you.

Whatever my feelings about certain types of patients who were entrusted to my care, it was not EVER appropriate to vent any of that publicly. EVER, no matter how 'frustrating' I found them.

If I, with my little nursing degree and meager wages, could get that, I damned well expect a man who has reached the lofty height Gibbs has and whose salary I pay to know the meaning of professionalism.

Yeah, we heard. He only meant those liberals who won't be happy til we close the Pentagon. As far as I can tell, that number is hovers around -0-. Pretty stupid to create a PR mess over people who don't exist.

[golddigger]

55. Ha. Democratic leaders only apologize to republicans.

[Bluebear]

19. Why? He hasn't listened to a damn thing from the Left yet.

[PA Democrat]

36. But he will happily take your money.

:evilfrown:

[David Zephyr]

20. Memo to Robert Glibbs: STFU.

How patronizing, how condescending of him.

How insulting this worm has become.

Edited for K&R.

[laughingliberal]

28. Thanks! nt

[David Zephyr]

22. Gibbs "welcomes" the pressure from the Left.

What a piece of work this pompous shithead is.

[Z_I_Peevey]

44. Perhaps he means they want the sort of pressure

that one might find in a massage parlor. To which I say, pound yourselves for awhile and see how you like it.

[flyarm]

24. Gibbs..shut up..just stfu! I don't want to hear another abusive word from you!

Just STFU and get out of our faces!

The abuse is over for me from you ! and your ilk!

[Individualist]

27. Gibbs is a POS.

[Ramulux]

30. Gibbs, I am begging you to STFU

This dude is unbelievable. How can he not understand the immeasurable amount of harm he is doing to this administration with his amateur political ravings.

I think the main point to take away from this whole fiasco is that Gibbs and this administration are fucking terrible at understanding the political landscape.

I hate Gibbs, I never liked the guy and as others have said hes been saying shit like this for a while so hes not really the issue here.

The issue is that there are so many positive things the dems could be using to their advantage but they not only dont seem to want to do them, they dont even seem to see them.

Mike Lux was on the Young Turks the other day and he talked about how progressives and liberals always had a place at the negotiating table in the Clinton administration, he may not have always given them what they wanted but he always heard them out. He then said that Obama is not doing this at all. He surrounds himself with people who have openly shown childish disdain for liberals and basically control Obama's schedule and who he gets to meet with.

This makes me feel like Obama is not even aware of what we want and what we expect of him. This point is hammered home with Gibbs making ridiculous statements about us thinking hes Bush or wanting to get rid of the pentagon. This administration lives in the Washington echo chamber and seems incapable of communicating with anyone on the outside in a realistic manner. Rant over.

[Laelth]

32. Well said. That needs its own thread. n/t

-Laelth

[Raineyb]

34. Why? So he can give another interview and show how "moderate" the WH is by bashing them again?

This asshole really has a nerve. I have two words for him: fuck off.

[FiveGoodMen]

38. So that he can appeal to teabaggers by bashing us some more?

FTS!

[madfloridian]

39. After Gibbs laughed at us that is not enough. Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax1cdARwiXk

He seems to have shown the mindset of too many surrounding the president.

[damntexdem]

42. "I don't want no dissension, just dynamic tension."

;-)

I guess Gibbs is feeling the Horror of the Rocky period he has gotten himself into.

[Zorra]

45. "The President has urged those who want change to push for it

and hold him accountable, and that's how he feels."

Now, that's half of what a real adult public servant does, recognizes accountability.

The other half is sincerely attempting to enact the will of the majority of the people.

I'll do my part. I'll start now:

Mr. President, I respectfully request that you please do everything in your power to advocate and legislate for the complete removal all corporate influence and any future possibility of corporate influence on our government and our legislators as soon as you can, in order to restore democracy in America. Thank you so very much for addressing my concerns, Mr. President.

God bless you and your family.

Sincerely,
Zorra

[Forkboy]

46. I bet he does, that little vixen!

[Forkboy]

47. I bet he does, that little vixen!

[Marr]

48. I don't want an apology.

I'm glad Mr. Gibbs stated the Administration's position so frankly. I will keep it in mind.

I suspect that the votes they'll lose for these intermittent slaps at the left will outweigh the support it earns from corporate America. I don't think it's wise, personally, but then, I've never played three dimensional chess.

[bvar22]

50. Thank You, Mr Gibbs...for speaking the plain truth.

Your explanation (apology?) was insincere, smug, and ambiguous.

--bvar22
A former FDR Centrist, but NOW a "leftist" who wants:
*an END to perpetual WAR
*a defunding of the Pentagon by 50%
*Health Care comparable to what the rest of the WORLD takes for granted.

If I am no longer welcome in the "New Democrat Party",
so be it.


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone

[Radical Activist]

51. That's exactly how myself and many others interpreted his first remark.

It was pretty obvious that he wasn't talking to the entire left.

[PA Democrat]

54. How about a seat at the table?

Remind me again who was invited to join in White House meetings on health care reform to represent single payer?

NO ONE.

The Physicians for a National Health Program asked repeatedly for a seat at the tyable. They were denied.

[old mark]

56. Pressure, OK, input, forget it...Talk all you want, but only amongst yourselves.

And don't come whining around here questioning your betters...

Sorry, I really expected much better...probably all those drugs...


Mark

Fired Up?

Not right now...

[laughingliberal]

57. Oh, great.! Now, you're getting all grabby.

:sarcasm:

[Safetykitten]

58. Surreal.

[JoeyT]

59. First he says something offensive.

Now he's just lying through his teeth.

Edited to add: And screw his and everyone he associates with on their opinion of "in good faith".
Trying to work with Republicans for more than two weeks shows they don't know "in good faith" when they see it, certainly not well enough to judge motives. I complain about this administration because an awful lot of their policy sucks. Not all of it, which is why I don't complain about all of it and (generally) will say something positive when I agree with them.

When I complain about rendition, warrantless wiretaps, or and assassinating Americans without trials, it's not because I have an ulterior motive. It's because it's fucking wrong. And anyone that thinks it isn't wrong fails the decent human being test.