Five Drivers Decline Obama Invite

[DainBramaged]

Five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have declined an invitation to attend a White House reception with President Barack Obama next week. The five -- Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart -- all cited "scheduling conflicts" as the reason for their inability to attend, according to a press release issued today.

Five-time and defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson will attend Wednesday's function, along with NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. Johnson commented on the invitation via Twitter today, saying he had no idea why the other drivers had declined, but, "IMO, regardless of political views, when (the President of the United States) sends an invite and wants to honor you at the White House, you accept."

http://www.sirius-speedway.com/2011/09/five-drivers-declined-obana-invite.html

[Ineeda]

1. One insult after another for this president.

And one of the big memes of NASCAR is patriotism. Shame on them.

[DainBramaged]

4. That was EXACTLY my thought when I posted this

They fly the big planes, wave the flag everywhere, sing patriotic songs, pray before every race blessing the sponsors and owner, but make a point of at least respecting the Office, nah, not the Dem or the Black man, fuck them, they aren't important. And I always thought Tony Stewart was one of us, maybe it's a protest?

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Republicans are selective patriots.

[Sugarcoated]

10. I'd go so far as to say

many Regressives come right up to the line of treason.

[joeybee12]

12. But if they declined a Bush invite, they'd be heroes...nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. I mIght get crucified here

But if any president invites me to the White House I would be honored and act accordingly. It's the office and not the occupant.

Shame on them.

[coalition_unwilling]

43. Few people here remember (or choose to forget) that the poet

Robert Lowell declined LBJ's invitation to the White House in 1965 to protest the escalation in Vietnam. Lowell was excoriated at the time, then heroized by the anti-war movement and has now slipped back into more political obscuritty.

Likewise, a group of poets declined Barbara Bush's invitation to appear at the WH to protest Operation Shocking and Awful. Those poets were greeted here and in the larger anti-war movement as heroes.

[mainstreetonce]

13. Sponsors

I hope they have sponsors who drop them.

[yurbud]

29. I'm sure not every jock who showed up at the Bush White House was a fan

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Nobody respects him anymore

Boner just walks all over him. If Boner asked Obama to let him use the Oval Office 3 days a week, Obama would allow it in the name of bipartisanship and compromise.

Obama has enabled this by coming off as extremely weak.

[Lionessa]

3. I agree, Obama has done this to himself.

[SusanaMontana41]

35. Yup. It shouldn't be this way, but his weakness made it this way. nt

[sufrommich]

45. Somehow I doubt these drivers had much respect for him

to begin with. Lets not pretend this has anything to do with politics.

[jbnow]

47. Bullshit. You think if Obama had just given speech elsewhere

and had let us go into default and trash talked the republicans that they would be respecting him more?

Was his weakness why congress and media started trash talking him before he was president?
I saw things turn for the worse back in spring of 2008 when that crazy Iowa rep king started spouting off about how terrorists would dance in the streets if Obama became president and doubled down on it when asked about it. I waited for others in congress to speak out. Nothing, not from either party. The response I did see what a sudden and lasting increase in nasty comments after articles about Obama and mentions of how King was a hero to finally say what everyone said...

And that was just the start of the crazy and multiple attacks on him. The only ones I've heard really bitch about it in Congress was Bernie Sanders (and both times a liberal host changed subject since that wasn't topic) and then Barney Frank when he told woman it was like talking to a (couch?) and how foolish to be calling Obama like Hitler for healthcare. Few things like that.

Is Obama suppose to whine about it every time someone says insult? If a republican president were treated that way there would have been uproar from the start, subject would be nasty Democrats, not weak president.

But now we are jumping in and adding to the attacks on his person (plenty of policy toi bitch about). I agree he hasn't put up the fight we'd like on a lot of things but I also don't think we look at his "losses" too realistically.

Like tax cuts for the rich. I'll just start with deal itself. It was an expensive deal made, 850 billion. Know how much was extending tax cuts for those over 250 K and the estate tax part? About 120 billion over 10 years... too much but that's about 14% of the total. The bulk is cost for middle class extension, unemployment extension, the payroll tax cut, the continued and expanded earned income credit, tuition credit and a few like that. Well over 80% of it benefited lower and middle class Then that cave on the budget deal? Anyone notice that the CBO found that the 38 billion dollar cut deal actually cut somewhere between 130 million to a minus 3 billion (that is actually spending up to 3 billion more). They explained what bulk of cuts in deal were... like money already going unused and targeted for return or expired fund deadlines and other smoke and mirror stuff.

And we blame him for so much that is on Congress. Like Gitmo. Is he weak not to close it or perhaps are Dems in Congress scaredy cats because when republicans started yelling 'terror in the streets" they voted to block any funds for moving anyone from Gitmo or the transfer pf funds from elsewhere for that purpose. The Senate vote was 91 to 6 on this! and so on

Traitor! Weakling! Grow balls! You broke a promise! You caved! That comes from our side on these deals.

I disagree with many policies or how he does many things... but that we join in on this and that we blame him for the disrespect he's been getting from the start really is disgusting to me. Who the hell has his back on anything without having something sharp in their hand.

Oh that Obama, he just caves

[Bragi]

5. Maybe the White House can reschedule to Thursday

Oh, nevermind.

[Dawgs]

11. LOL! Beautiful and too easy...

:hi:

[InkAddict]

6. Good on them - POTUS has lost all credibility as anything other

than a capitulator. IMO, he sure isn't acting in accordance with his campaign theme of hope and change - nope, not by a long shot. I'll write-in next time around.

[Lex]

8. Maybe Pres. Obama can ask them what would be a good time for them?

And then he can change his schedule accordingly.

[NeedleCast]

9. Wow, and I didn't think anything could top the OMG OBAMA CAVES scheduling threads

DU continues to surprise and amaze.

[Emit]

18. My sentiments exactly, NeedleCast. Sad to see.

wow

[nobodyspecial]

25. Justified criticism is one thing

These days I feel like I clicked on a FR link.

I guess all the cool kids are hating the president these days. What would be nice is a viable alternative. Not like anyone is challenging Obama in the primary.

[NeedleCast]

30. There are viable alternatives, just not on this website anymore

[flpab]

14. NASCAR is mostly redneck conservatives

Not surprising, the France family sucks the life out of our county. They pay nothing in taxes and it is so bad the Daytona cops refuse to do the races anymore. The county and state have to patrol and do traffic.

[DainBramaged]

46. (sigh) no it isn't but sterotyping is typical of Liberals too.

[Sugarcoated]

15. So?

[Lex]

17. Dick Cheney?

[Sugarcoated]

21. Jimbob?

[Lex]

22. Psssst

"On the security front, I think there's a general consensus that we've made major progress, that the surge has worked. That's been a major success," Cheney told ABC News' Martha Raddatz during an exclusive interview in Oman.

When asked how that assessment comports with recent polls that show about two-thirds of Americans say the fight in Iraq is not worth it, Cheney replied, "So?"

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Vote2008/story?id=4481249&page=1

[MrTriumph]

16. And this from people who owe Obama for saving GM & Chysler

Wow. There was some resistance to allowing GM & Chrysler to continue to sponsor NASCAR during the bailout. It is no exaggeration that these drivers may owe Obama their livelihood

LBJ's WH would have not only had all drivers present, but the drivers would be expected to pay respect to the president.

[catabryna]

19. Oh, the drama...

:rofl:

[Recovered Repug]

23. When polled, members of DU said they'd decline also.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3131311

[JoeyT]

24. He's not a monarch.

How many of y'all would have shown up for Bush? I certainly wouldn't have. And if a celebrity had turned Bush down we'd have cheered them on. As much as I despise NASCAR and everyone involved in it, I can't be bothered to care.

Look on the bright side, at least now there won't be a cleaning bill for trying to remove Skoal juice from the White House carpets.

[demwing]

26. The sad thing is the fact that

President Obama would honor NASCAR in the first place. Redneck, circle-driving, no-right-turning, lame excuses for athletes, anyway.

[one_voice]

28. I disagree...

it's not sad. He's the President of the UNITED STATES, not just those that voted for him. He's had football/baseball/and hockey teams, why would he slight NASCAR?

I do, however, agree that they're fake athletes. It may take skill, but you don't have to be athletic. I agree with your description of NASCAR.

We may not think it's a sport, but many Americans do. There are NASCAR fans on DU.

[DainBramaged]

38. you don't have to be athletic

you have no idea what yu are talking about, none at all.

[one_voice]

40. self delete n/t

[madinmaryland]

27. Those five are dicks, and always have been. I'm glad to see #24, Jeff Gordon there

along with the others. Looks like most of the drivers are from the Hendrick Motor Sports team (Johnson, Gordon, and Hamlin are). Think Busch is too.

Interestingly, I saw Carl Edwards team here in Maryland outside of Baltimore at a hotel. They must be racing in the Baltimore race this weekend.

[n2doc]

31. He wants Republicans to love him soooo much

But he's doomed to unrequited love in that matter. Will he wake up?

[Johonny]

32. Some know how to drive to the White house

others only know how to drive in circles.

[MerryBlooms]

33. Did some decline during previous administrations? n/t

[Rex]

34. I would label this under 'who gives a shit'. I know NASCAR fans

and NONE of them voted D. If those 5 refuse, then fuck them and the car they rode in...in.

[taterguy]

36. Junior Johnson did radio ads for Obama in 2008

[Rex]

37. AND now he doesn't like the POTUS.

That is his choice, but in reality it means nothing in the longrun.

[mfcorey1]

39. Punks!

[Broderick]

41. They are likely gonna miss out on

some pretty good eats.

[Rex]

42. +1

NO shit! I'd jump all over the chance to sit next to The Man!

[Broderick]

44. I want to sit next to Michelle