Obama is fine with New York's eviction of OWS protesters.

[FreeBillClinton]

Source: Oakland Tribune

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE—President Barack Obama's spokesman is suggesting the president believes it's up to New York and other municipalities to decide how much force to use in dealing with Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.

Carney spoke to reporters Tuesday as Obama flew to Australia. He was asked whether Obama had been following the early-morning police raid on Zuccotti Park in New York, where Occupy Wall Street protesters have camped out for weeks.

Carney said the president was "aware of it."

He said the administration's position is that each municipality has to make its own decisions about how to handle these issues.

Read more: http://www.insidebayarea.com/occupy-oakland/ci_19341269

---

He's not only fine with the evictions, but how much force they decide to use is "up to them."

Just when you think Obama can't be more disappointing, he outdoes himself.

[RKP5637]

1. So I guess lethal force is perfectly fine in a supposed democracy if it comes to that ...

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ John F. Kennedy

http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/24966.html

[JuniperLea]

8. Spoken as someone who just doesn't get it...

Here you go...

[RKP5637]

10. So JFK was wrong? n/t

[JuniperLea]

33. Oh please, do tell...

How JFK had a similar situation and a different opinion. Please, do edify.

[RKP5637]

38. JuniperLea, I think you've got me on this one!!! n/t

[mvd]

9. Fact is he never has an opinion

He IS the President who is the most powerful person possibly in the world. While I don't think he can MAKE NYC behave right, his opinion has sway.

[JuniperLea]

32. And that's exactly why he keeps it to himself from time to time...

He knows his words have power, and in cases like this, the people who actually have the power need to make the decisions without interference.

If he were to speak out, many would say he was butting in where he didn't belong... and I would agree.

[BklnDem75]

36. The very people who's blaming Obama...

are the ones who'd complain about his butting in. Hatred takes both sides. There's no right answer for some.

[mvd]

39. I disagree and think he should use it. The world won't end if he speaks

Especially where there's injustice. We just have a completely different view of this kind of thing.

[Kahuna]

63. Occupy is too unpredictable. If the president endorses more than what

he already has, whatever negative elements that are occurring will be hung around his neck like an albatross and he knows this. So, you will never get him to say more than, I understand their sentiments and they have a right to be outraged. That's all you're going to get from him, because he doesn't want to be identified with the negatives, like people dancing on the American flag, the rapes, the violence, and the pronouncements against capitalism.

As I've stated, things are unpredictable and they're fluid. No one knows what direction Occupy will take so it would be foolish for the President to fully identify with it. Especially since Occupy is saying they're nonpartisan.

As far as municipalities cracking down on the use of public space, that's not his business. He isn't a king. We elect local politicians to run local governments. The president is not responsible for local governance.

[JuniperLea]

73. Oh, he can speak about injustice...

And the individual issues being brought to light... he has been doing a fair share of that and I think that's great. He should never, ever step on the toes of the local authorities... no president should ever do that.

[Kahuna]

62. I find it amusing that OWS is non-partisan, yet they want the Dems to

endorse them. :crazy:

[JuniperLea]

72. They really are desperate for a label...

That they can rip off and smear. That's the beauty of a purely grassroots movement.

Now I want to see them do more good deeds instead of just hanging out in parks and stuff... more occupying tenement slums and forcing banks and slumlords to own up and fix up... more occupying homes of people being evicted while their homes are being foreclosed... more shinning the bright white hot light of truth on all the ugly crap we're all going through.

[Phx_Dem]

35. Are you talking about the lethal force like throwing rocks and bottles in

a crowd of 1,000 people? That kind?

[RKP5637]

42. More like Kent State. n/t

[Ohio Joe]

2. Wrong headline

and some serious stuffing of quotes into shitty context. Un-rec.

[lamp_shade]

3. Oh yea right. The POTUS should get involved. Sure. *facepalm*

[DisgustipatedinCA]

44. uh.....poor memory?

Did you hurt your face when Obama had a pig and a college professor to the White House to drink beer and talk about an extremely LOCAL issue?

Waiting.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

58. And you saw for yourself how the M$M demonized him and how many on DU

even joined in with the hate.

Fact is: This president can do NOTHING right. People would be complaining had he "butt in." Regardless, the ODSers would be complaining no matter what his decision or position is.

EPIC FAIL!!!

[Kahuna]

64. That was a mistake and a lesson learned. nt

[BklnDem75]

67. Excellent memory is exactly why he won't get involved

Apparently, someone forgot how many here seared Obama for getting involved after pleading how he should do something about that situation. Oh yes, ODS is very tricky.

[msongs]

4. so if bloomberg killed a few thousands protestors with drones...oh wait, that's obama's method nt

[dennis4868]

5. wait a minute....

Is Obama president or a king...because I like other DUers believe he is a king and should be able to over rule municipalities and their rules...Obama is congress, WH and the courts all in one! WTF?

[JuniperLea]

6. Good!

That means he understands that he is not Emperor, King, or Mayor of every US city... he understands that municipalities rule in such cases... do you? I know many DUers don't get this... do you?

[Raine1967]

51. +1 Agreed.

This is about State and local municipalities.

I would not want any president to step in and usurp local authority. Let this play out.

We are seeing how wrong NYC and Oakland are -- but it is NOT for the POTUS to step in and say that these people should stay.

[Amonester]

80. The point is, the rest of the world doesn't get this...

but who cares what the rest of the world thinks, it seems.

Exceptional, indeed....

[FrenchieCat]

7. Free Bill Clinton?

I didn't know he was being held.....

As for your "Obama can't be more disappointing" OP....
I smell an agenda all the way through the computer screen....

[CakeGrrl]

37. Free Willy?

Does NOT pass the smell test.

:rofl:

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. Stupid o.p.

:thumbsdown:

[DevonRex]

43. Careful. Nt

[and-justice-for-all]

12. Then occupy the fucking WHITE HOUSE!!!! nt

[sad sally]

19. There are risks with WH protests: "they'd do whatever it took to deter us from coming back"

Protests in front of the White House are nearly as commonplace as lies in Washington – nary a week goes by without a handful of some decent ones. But actions taken by the U.S. Park Police and government lawyers in two separate demonstrations at the White House – one with LGBT activists and the other with environmentalists - suggest the government may be imposing stricter responses in order to dissuade peaceful protesters from staging certain demonstrations at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Though both of those demonstrations were designed to be actions in which the protesters risked arrest, the treatment of the activists who were arrested strays from the usual way in which acts of civil disobedience in front of the White House have been handled over the last few decades.
---
But "those days are over," says Mark Goldstone, a Washington lawyer who has defended non-violent activists for about 25 years. "The predictability of being able to exercise your rights in the picture postcard zone and coming out of there basically unscathed," he says, "I think those rules that have been built up over the last 25-30 years appear to be breaking down."
---
"I believe that all of these unprecedented arrests are just an attempt to stifle the free speech of progressives," Feldman said. "I personally did not believe the Obama administration was capable of this."

http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201110040014?du

[Beacool]

23. Well, he better start believing it.

Once people achieve power it changes them. Everybody says that they are going to change Washington, but it never happens. Washington changes them.

;(

[Ikonoklast]

68. How true.

[Beacool]

71. Is that supposed to bother me?

Please.........

:eyes:

[Whisp]

76. omg, warning about double ugly, please!!!

[Blue_Roses]

13. This is the dumbest thing I've heard so far today

this is so obvious it reeks...

[JoePhilly]

14. Apparently, Obama can now tell each any every district how to respond to every protest.

Because after all, each is exactly the same.

And so Obama should step in and explain how each area engages the OWS protests.

[JuniperLea]

34. He's magic, donchano... eom

[boppers]

61. For those who don't get the reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro

[JuniperLea]

70. Awesome!

The non-fictional occurrences should be fresh in the minds... and should be repeated often... and killer links like this posted often... so we never forget the racist pigs we're dealing with here.

:toast:

[Leopolds Ghost]

77. JuniperLea, do you believe it's RACIST to point out the obvious - that this is a coordinated effort?

Anonymous sources were reporting LAST WEEK that a coordinated takedown of OWS was in the works for THIS WEEK, coordinated by FBI.

When I posted a thread about this, I was told I was rumor-mongering based on the confirmation by an article I HADN'T even read yet -- the Examiner journal confirming what I was saying -- I was merely reminding folks of what we had been warned about last week!

And you think it's racist to say so?

[MADem]

15. Ah Yes, King Barack, Baby Brother of Jesus, Has His Eye on Every Little Sparrow.

I'm very pissed that he didn't weigh in appropriately on my town's last referendum--the bastard!

:eyes:

[great white snark]

16. Unrec.

His response was not meant for the unreasonable.

[Wait Wut]

24. "His response was not meant for the unreasonable."

That is my favorite quote of the day.

And, I've doubled your "unrec". :hi:

[elleng]

17. Doen't mean he's 'fine' with anything, he recgnizes Separation of Powers

and Presidents' complete lack of authority over such matters.

HAPPY to see several DUers here realize this.
Thanks, Guys.
:hi:

[zalinda]

He seems to have a problem with states rights and marijuana. n/t

[Lost-in-FL]

18. Dramatizing much?

Letting the individual states make a decision regarding OWS does not equal being "fine" with the state's push to evict occupiers. Obama should be thinking on ways to get around congress inaction while the media is busy sensationalizing OWS.

[FirstLight]

20. WAIT just a damn minute here

If it was Egypt, Libya, or anywhere else we had interests in Oil or resources, he'd be the FIRST to call a freaking PRESS conference at the first sign of teargas...

we have a 24 year old Afganistan VETERAN with BRAIN damage and you think he should stay quiet?!

I am galled at the responses here... :nuke:

[Tarheel_Dem]

21. Some of us know how to separate activism from governance.

Sorry you don't. :hi:

[FirstLight]

22. governance ...is that what you call hypocrisy these days? n/t

[ClarkUSA]

25. Hypocrisy... is that what you call governance these days? n/t

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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

[ellisonz]

30. Seriously.

:puke:

[RBInMaine]

31. The national chief executive can't micro analyze and manage every local event. Get real.

[laugle]

26. What do you expect,

it's his usual PUNT? His pattern is always the same, Punt, Kick the can down the road, or throw money at it! The last one is not so easy anymore...............

[AtomicKitten]

55. Neither he nor anybody speaking on his behalf said it was "fine."

Nor is it appropriate for him to opine on local law enforcement issues.

Your bitterness is all-consuming. Seek help. Seriously.

[laugle]

74. Not nice!

Your nastiness at Hillary supporters' is all-consuming. Have a nice life!!

[AtomicKitten]

75. Project much?

[BklnDem75]

28. Unrec. I thought the article alone was a fail...

The whole OP is a fail.

[dionysus]

29. oh hi. unrec.

[bvar22]

40. Well, THAT explains all the "Obama 2012" signs at the OWS protests!

Hope & Change!
All FIRED UP!
Yes. We. Can!




You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.
Solidarity99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[DevonRex]

41. I have no idea what I can say to this.

[Marnie]

45. Don't forget Obama is part ofthe 1%.

And Rahm is is BBF.

We have seen how often he talks the talk but sits out the walk.

[Imajika]

46. There is no way President Obama is going to associate himself with OWS...

Too much of a wildcard, too much bad press.

I guarantee you the polling is going to go downhill fast for the occupy movement. Too many scenes of vandalism, noise, riots in Oakland, etc, etc, etc. The coverage may be completely unfair, but it won't be long before OWS is about as popular as the Tea Party - or even less so.

The bottom line is the masses don't know what they want, or what they want just isn't possible. Voters want politicians that will stand by their convictions, but at the same time want everyone to negotiate and get along. People want change, but oppose breaking a few eggs to make an omelet. People scream they want regular folks to run for office, but then won't vote for any of them and instead go for the polished politicians.

No, OWS will not be popular soon. I just saw a PPP tweet saying its poll tomorrow on OWS was going to be bad news and that the movement is not wearing well with voters. There is just no way the President could associate himself or defend occupy even if he wanted to. Political realities are what they are, this movement will have to go on without any White House support - and that is how it should be.

[Kahuna]

65. The loss of good will for Occupy was predictable. When you get

a lot of people together with no direction and no message, it's a recipe for disaster. The president is smart enough to know this.

[Leopolds Ghost]

78. I think the message is very clear. You just disagree with it. Don't worry, most "moderate" Dems do.

Our country has drifted so far to the right, The "mainstream" of the party is now to the right of Nixon.

[treestar]

47. Where do you get he is "fine" with it?

He simply said that it is a municipal question. He didn't say he agreed with each particular city's reaction. He's in Australia doing POTUS duties. Mayors are supposed to handle the cities.

[bhikkhu]

48. I think I agree - the mayor is the guy responsible for city issues

...and the police department is responsible to the mayor, and they are both responsible to the courts to act within the law.

And, of course, all those people are elected by the people of the city as public servants. In the short term there may be problems and disagreements, but in the long term it should be the best way to go.

I imagine conditions are different city to city, and even park to park, and its hard to imagine dictating how to handle things from DC on a day to day basis being more fair and effective and considerate of the will of the people than allowing local representatives to handle things. Some may do well, some may muddle through, and some may do poorly, but removing the responsibility from them solves nothing, while democracy in the end has its remedies if things are kept simple and local.

[Kahuna]

66. People forget that the president isn't the only elected official. Or maybe

he's the only elected official they've voted for. If so, they should hold themselves responsible for not fully participating in their own governance.

[DevonRex]

49. None of that matters on DU.

Nothing that is said to bash Obama here even has to be true.

[Raine1967]

50. UN REC --

From the article you posted:

President Barack Obama's spokesman is suggesting the president believes it's up to New York and other municipalities to decide how much force to use in dealing with Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.

Spokesman Jay Carney also says Obama hopes the right balance can be reached between protecting freedom of assembly and speech with the need to uphold order and safeguard public health and safety.

Sorry this OP is a fail. This issue is a state and local issue. So YES, it is up to NY and Portland and Oakland.

POTUS never said what the OP is alledging.

[ncteechur]

52. Just because he doesnt say what you want him to doesn't mean he's wrong and stop making up bullshit

Conclusions and headlines.

[blueclown]

53. Dishonest headline.

I expect this type of headline from Andrew Breitbart. Come on, let's at least be a little intellectually honest. President Obama and his spokesman said nothing of the sort.

[SidDithers]

54. Dumb fucking post...nt

Sid

[trueblue2007]

56. the headline is totally stupid.

[DevonRex]

60. Hey, no fair.

How come you get to say that?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

57. Your moniker is all I need to know about you and this thread. Unrec'd!

[bigwillq]

59. Congrats on 200 posts!

:bounce: :toast:

[JNelson6563]

69. If only he's be more like a dictator! Like Rick Snyder.

Here in Michigan we have a dictator named Rick Snyder. You would love him! When he doesn't like how things go in a city he sends in one of his guys. He doesn't care who has been elected by the people to do what, he sends in one of his thugs who then sends all the elected officials home after stripping them of their authority. Then Snyder's thug assumes control and does whatever Snyder wants them to do.

That sounds an awful like what you want the President to do.

Julie

[Leopolds Ghost]

79. Question for the Unrec folks: I gotta say the title of the OP was a low blow. But...

Why are people on DU who don't much care for OWS in the first place, upset at the
idea that the Administration, which includes many prominent economists with experience
working on Wall Street, would support a coordinated campaign to train local police
in how to deal with them and prevent further disruption, so to speak?

Hmm?