Obama says he "neglected" what was important: Not policies, but having a bi-partisan tone.

[Bluebear]

Obama to Redouble Effort on Core Principles

From Tahman Bradley:

En route back to Washington after a 10-day trip overseas, President Obama was introspective about his first two years in office. The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had an “obsessive focus” on policy and he will now “redouble” efforts to get back to his core principles.

Obama said he “neglected” things that matter a lot to Americans in his rush to get major legislation passed. He explained those things as maintaining a bipartisan tone, dealing with earmarks, making sure that policy decisions are fully debated and shaping public opinion. He can better focus on these principals now, the president explained, because the economy is more stable.

The president plans to meet with Congressional leadership this week and said he expects that even though his party lost badly in the midterm election, Republicans will work with him to get things done.


http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/11/contrite-obama-vows-to-redouble-effort-on-core-principals.html

[Toucano]

1. EL. OH. EL.

What happened to Obama?

I really thought he was smart.

Obama is Charlie Brown, trying once again to kick that football. Everyone already knows how that will play out, except Charlie Brown.

[Bluebear]

2. I don't think 1 out of 100 Americans know what an "earmark" is, let alone it being "important"

[Toucano]

6. Bingo.

And if you press anyone who cites earmarks as an issue, 9 times out of 10 they couldn't explain what it is or why it's so bad. Talk about your red herrings!

Capitulation to right-wing talking points is really pathetic. Not "presidential" at all.

[Better Believe It]

75. Ain't that the truth! Bingo! And he promises to be more bi-partisan! Yippee!

[Jamastiene]

24. Spot on.

President Obama is the only person in the world who does not know that he is Charlie Brown and the Republicans are Lucy. He has effectively surrounded himself with only "yes" people and remains clueless as he once again races to kick a football he'll never touch.

[ladjf]

58. To me, President Obama seems to be dumb and cowardly. nt

[Skittles]

3. please, PLEASE tell me this is satire

PLEASE

[Bluebear]

8. I'm waiting for "ignored" to come along & say this is a GOOD thing.

:crazy:

[d_b]

10. lollol

[Skittles]

11. WTF PT

I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE

[pgodbold]

35. Sometimes people get through life on their looks but sometime people just try to get through

by being a smooth talker. Obama is life support system for a suit. All lit up but nobody home. It's hopeless. We are totally screwed.

[LWolf]

50. Unfortunately, no.

:(

[Suich]

4. Last time I checked,

earmarks account for less than 1% of the total budget.

Not a big deal, at least to me.

:shrug:

[Lasher]

29. And to House Republicans they are now the best thing since sliced bread.

Now that they'll be controlling the House but not the Presidency. Wait and see.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. The ONLY thing the Republicans will work on?

Defeating Obama.

Hemming him in, and making him a one-term President.

Good God, Obama!

Wake up.

[Skittles]

12. Miss Peggy, repukes have let the world that's really their only agenda

it's impossible Obama doesn't know that

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. I'm afraid you're right, my dear Skittles...

How can he talk like this, if he does know it?

Is he fucking clueless?

Damn.

[Skittles]

18. it appears so

"..........signaled by the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”"

If that doesn't spell it out for him, he is doomed.

[dgibby]

74. De Nile ain't just a river in Egypt. n/t

[indy legend]

33. The republicans don't have to work on defeating him. He's doing it for them.

I'm really starting to think he doesn't want the job anymore.

[Hannah Bell]

7. wtf? on what planet?

[Skittles]

27. Planet Obama

[Raine]

9. Oh gee just how clueless can anyone

be ... I didn't think it was possible to be that much. :crazy:

[Starry Messenger]

13. The economy is more stable?

Maybe on paper. wtf? People are suffering a lot. Those people don't care about bipartisanism. WE don't.

[Bluebear]

16. Whatever. The jobless rate is only pushing 10%.

Dolores Davis, of Philadelphia's Davis Associates Consulting Group, said the nation must change how business is done if there is going to be any real employment, especially for African Americans.

In October, the unemployment rate for African Americans was 15.7 percent, down from 16.1 percent, but still significantly higher than the nation's 9.6 percent rate, or the 8.8 percent for whites.

"There are no real jobs for the average person," Davis said.

She advocates incentives that would persuade American companies to return their overseas manufacturing to the United States.

"We have to make something if we want the economy to grow," she said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013359325_jobless06.html

[Skittles]

19. LOL, 10% - right

that's what they tell us, but we all know it's much higher

[Poboy]

53. Not to mention those with jobs- many are 'underemployed', taking whatever they can. -nt

[Starry Messenger]

20. The most charitable thing I can say is that he must live in a bubble.

I don't think he's going to give those American companies incentives to do jack for the worker. That hasn't been at all the trend with this administration.

[area51]

37. Unemployment rate

Or maybe the unemployment rate is 30.5%

[Marr]

15. He certainly is anxious to "compromise", isn't he?

The GOP has taken one half of one branch of the government, and he's basically promising to let them set the agenda.

Team Obama is clearly very happy to finally have an excuse for pushing corporate policy.

[Skittles]

17. honestly, it's about the only explanation

[BlueCheese]

21. Are there no editors these days?

"He can better focus on these principals now, the president explained, because the economy is more stable."

For goodness sakes, shouldn't people who are paid to write for a living know the difference between "principals" and "principles"?

[Bluebear]

31. good catch.

The principal is your PAL. :)

[Jamastiene]

22. I take it the message he got from the midterm election outcome

is to kiss (the right wing's ass) harder.

I am at the point where I believe he is either complicit in taking the country to the right or his ego is keeping him from learning from his mistakes. So, to save face, he is continuing right down the same path as before the midterms, and pretending like he is doing anything at all different than before the midterms.

I take it the message he got from the midterms is to kiss harder.

The Charlie Brown comparison is exactly correct.

[Poboy]

54. Nevermind kissing their asses, looks to me he is eager to 'toss their salad'! -nt

[avaistheone1]

23. Is Obama's blackberry working any more?

He seems way out of touch with what is going on with Democrats. I think Obama has too many sycophants, and yes people around him that cannot or will not tell him the truth that Democrats are tired of Obama bending over backwards to be bipartisan, among other issues.

Mr. President that bipartisan thing is not working for you.

[Jamastiene]

25. "Yes" people.

I really do think he must be surrounded by nothing but "Yes" people who will not tell him the truth.

[avaistheone1]

26. Seems like

there is an echo chamber of people who surround him that just parrot back to Obama what he wants to hear. At the current time Obama sounds terribly out of step with rank and file Democratic sentiments to me.

[Tx4obama]

28. That is NOT what he said. See his quote below

"I spent the first years trying to get the policy right," Obama said. "In that obsessive focus on policy, I've neglected a few things that matter a lot to me."

Article here: http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/14/obama-rested-and-ready-for-clash-with-republicans/

p.s. ABC should have used his quote and not made up their own story.
He said "I've neglected a few things that matter a lot to me." - nothing there about 'what matters to a lot of Americans'.

WORDS MATTER ;)

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[de novo]

48. It goes on to say not enough time spent on "maintaining a bipartisan tone".

"I spent the first years trying to get the policy right," Obama said. "In that obsessive focus on policy, I've neglected a few things that matter a lot to me."

Obama said that in focusing so much in the first two years on the "short-term crisis" he did not spend enough time on "maintaining a bipartisan tone" and cleaning up Washington by targeting earmarks, which are "wasteful at a time when everyone else is tightening their belts."

http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/14/obama-rested-and-ready-for-clash-with-republicans/

[Tatiana]

55. Do you not get that what matters to HIM should be what matters to "a lot of Americans?" n/t

[TexasObserver]

32. I'm not reassured.

Reaching out to Republicans worked so well the past two years.

[Capitalocracy]

34. Facepalm.

Gee, Mr. Prez, you think we didn't catch on to the fact that you were trying to be bipartisan? Why don't you beat us over the head with it a little harder for the next two years?

:banghead:

K&R

[sendero]

36. It'sofficial....

.... Obama is a clueless one-term president.

[rucky]

38. Note how there's not a single direct quote in that excerpt.

Here are the quotes:

“I am very confident that the American people were not issuing a mandate for gridlock,” Obama said. “They want to see us make progress.”

Obama repeated his belief that the country can’t afford to extend the Bush tax cuts for people earning more than $250,000 a year.

“I believe it is a mistake for us to borrow $700 billion to make tax cuts permanent for millionaires and billionaires,” he said.


Another discussion/article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x522241

[old mark]

39. Mr. Obama must not be reading my emails...I have been telling him

"bipartisanship is bullshit" for over a year, but they never respond to me....He never writes, he never calls...

link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact


Try it for yourself - he's NOT listening to what he does not want to hear...

mark

[cornermouse]

40. He still doesn't get it.

[Poboy]

56. The man doesn't even know that there is an 'it' to get! CLUELESS!

[zbdent]

41. In junior high and high school, I "neglected what was important"

and got good grades. That was instead of what was important ... screwing up my grades to fit in with the "popular kids".

[Vinca]

42. What is wrong with the POTUS? Seriously.

Is he so sealed into the bubble he never hears about the real world? How can he be so clueless?

[undeterred]

43. Yeah, he neglected to act like he gave a shit about the Democrats.

[lunatica]

44. Sigh, I wish my economy were more stable

[SidDithers]

45. K&R...nt

Sid

[deacon]

46. Sad day when focusing on policy is a bad thing. He's saying he has to do more politicking and guess

what. When he does that he will be criticized for that too.

[deacon]

47. Sad day when focusing on policy is a bad thing. He's saying he has to do more politicking and guess

what. When he does that he will be criticized for that too.

[WinkyDink]

49. Is this from The Onion?

[Democat]

51. He doesn't sound like a leader at all.

Sounds like he wants to be a member of a committee, not a leader.

[Poboy]

52. This is just fucking pathetic. What a sad little man.

[Tatiana]

57. At this point, I think we probably need to realize the Prez isn't going to change his viewpoint.

We need to focus on Congress and making sure our Democratic caucus in the House and Senate do their best to block bad legislation initiatives coming from the Republicans.

[kentuck]

59. Really? Is this what he thinks?

He can work with the Republicans?

He should be telling the truth about the Republicans.

[Brickbat]

60. What the fuck is this shit right here? WAIT, WHAT?

[fascisthunter]

61. sorry folks, but he's full-of-it

I don't believe him... if he really believes this, he is crazy.

[JVS]

62. We are so fucking doomed.

[Javaman]

63. I'm of the firm believe that Obama is now officially insane...

insanity is defined as trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time.

how many times does he need to try this "bi-partisan" bullshit before he realizes it's not working?

Maybe he's OCD?

[piratefish08]

64. Bipartisan?? Is he planning on reaching out to the left?

[Brickbat]

67. HA! Love it.

[Bluebear]

77. +

[MadHound]

65. Then get ready to be a one term president Mr. Obama,

You obviously haven't learned a thing if this is what you take away from the the elections.

[Renew Deal]

66. I like how you changed the headline to change the tone of the article.

It's both predictable and sad.

[Ikonoklast]

76. SOP for the OP.

Make it sexy, even if it's actually misleading.

UNREC.

[Deep13]

68. So, he's learned nothing then. nt

[sufrommich]

69. That's not the gist of the article at all. nt

[Bluebear]

78. Please enlighten us, then. Everyone is reading it wrong?

[Dragonfli]

70. Is anyone trying to draft someone to primary him yet, we need leadership

Not more rubber-stamping of 90's Republican legislation, hell by the tone of this he would like to start rubber-stamping current Republican legislation.

We need someone that will be on the side of the people rather than trying to increase the gap between the richest and poorest while destroying anything in between.

Is there no one to advocate for and push legislation that will help people anymore, or is it all about getting corporate cash now and nothing else?

Has voting become a completely useless exercise?

[piratefish08]

72. .

yes
yes
no
yes

what do I win?

[Dragonfli]

73. You win what we all win - poverty and lack of liberty

Who are people trying to draft? If they find someone that would fight for us I would like to become active.

[Autumn]

71. A lot of his "principals" sure are

different than mine. How much more "bipartisanship" can we take? It amazes me that he can be so naive as to think Republicans will work with him to get things done. :mad: I personally believe he will work with them and we get screwed.

[Safetykitten]

79. Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Did anyone check the WH for old pods?

[Tx4obama]

80. See Comment #28 for quotes in order to read what Obama actually said. n/t

[Bluebear]

87. Everyone can read the article to see what he said.

[librechik]

81. good god, if he appeared any more bipartisan, he'd have to register as a Repub.

This is like Bush's most embarrassing moment in office being when Kanye called him racist. Get on the same page with us please, Mr. President.

[Shining Jack]

83. The shoe throwing was pretty embarrassing too.

:P

[Bluebear]

89. !

[Shining Jack]

82. "he will now “redouble” efforts to get back to his core principles."

M'yeah, sure. What are those "core principles"?

If it's what he promised while campaigning then it means same thing as in the last 2 years.

"The president plans to meet with Congressional leadership this week and said he expects that even though his party lost badly in the midterm election, Republicans will work with him to get things done." The Repukes are LTAO when reading that nonsense. :(

[Better Believe It]

84. Yup. He needs to step up that bi-partisan thingy. That'll put the Republicans in their place!

[donheld]

85. Is he trying to be a one termer?

[Saboburns]

86. I'll never vote for this man again

How is it possible for a man to be so wrong so often.

Sigh..................

[Rex]

88. The Republicans hate your guts Mr. President

but you go ahead and walk right on in and sit down and try. No wonder the GOP hardly has to try and gets crazy people elected. We need to compromise with the likes of Rand and Palin, yeah okay goodluck with that crowd. :banghead: