Obama, GOP exchange barbs, ideas in rare encounter

He chastised them for opposing the bad ideas suggested by his administration and the dems on the hill. Apparently they were supposed to stand on the sidelines and applaud the passage of those bad ideas, and them being ignored, like most of America was ignored. The people think they know what to do with my money better then I do. Who have no problem reaching into my pocket to pay for their outrageous and wasteful bills. Sorry for not agreeing.

Back now to the subject of this article. I watched a bit of this conference. Obama did a good job speaking. I admit I was impressed. He made some good points. Admitted some mistakes. Well, not precisely, just admitted that in hindsight, events have proven some of the Republican ideas would have been better, then the ones they implemented, but that at the time he couldn't find anyone who said it would have been better. Still, I applaud him for showing up, and having the discussion. And admitting that the numbers have since borne out the Republican suggestions. Now to see if this is all just rhetoric, or if like Clinton he is actually going to leave his fringe position, and perhaps jog towards the middle.

"Obama, GOP exchange barbs, ideas in rare encounter"

But that's impossible. The GOP doesn't have any constructive ideas.

Oh wait - they did have one - to back Sarah Palin - the idea that was the final lightning bolt through the heart of John McCain's campaign. :-)

Oh wait - they did have one - to back Sarah Palin - the idea that was the final lightning bolt through the heart of John McCain's campaign. :-)

I love how you wingers try to rewrite history. His campaign was dead, bringing in Palin revitalized it, and gave him a fighting chance. That he lost was due to his own ineptitude as well as being too closely associated with Bush. Obama and his handlers ran a great campaign. This insistence that Palin killed the campaign ignored the bounce he got in the polls from her, as a large percentage of previously undecided voters decided to vote for her.

Molenir - you are correct, McCain did get a bounce from throwing Palin on board.

Then it all slowly but surely turned sour - especially after the Katie Couric interview when people started to see she didn't have more than a couple of functioning braincells.

But the GOP still loved her. That was probably one of the funniest and most interesting parts of that 2008 campaign for me.

As usual, it was the Democrats and non-Americans who could see McCain had picked a loser. It was just the conservatives - out of party loyalty or more likely utter desperation - who continued backing her.

Obama - "“I don’t believe that the American people want us to focus on our job security, they want us to focus on their job security,” he said.

Very true. I think one of the problems with most modern democracies is the short electoral terms, in which the final year is all about politicians campaigning to keep their jobs rather than governing the country they were elected to lead.

I think America with its 4 year terms is on the right track, however the one fundamental flaw with American democracy in my view is the inability of Congress to sack the prsident.

Bush jnr's tenure made that requirement crystal clear.

Gotta give President Obama credit for meeting with and taking questions from Republicans on camera. It was also humurous to see him chastise Republicans for being partisan and not cooperating as if he hadn't been blaming Republicans for all of his problems over the last year. Never-the-less, it was good thing for him to go into the lions den even if it was just for show.

The irony of the thing is that the districts and states which are represented by the Republican Party represents less than 40% of the United States. And yet they want 80% or better of legislation to go their way.

Or else they have hissy fits.

I love how you wingers try to rewrite history. His campaign was dead, bringing in Palin revitalized it,

The words remind me of Lenny Bruce's routine on the comic who finally got his dream of performing at The Palladium -- and ended up dying on stage night after night. What he did to "revitalize" his act was hilarious and very apropos to McCain/Palin.

I watched a portion of the discussion and I was quite impressed. In some respects I think Obama's chastising both the republicans and the democrats that they need to get their heads together and pass some of this legislation. To start working together and quit disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing.

I believe that the democrats were voted into office because the people wanted Obama's ideas tried, but there is room for republican ideas. Just don't expect to get all you want and neither should we. < :-)

Sushi: "The GOP doesn't have any constructive ideas"

I'll admit some Republicans aren't true conservatives and don't support the following, but cutting taxes and limiting government spending isn't constructive?

Sarge, 2 questions for you - did cutting taxes work?

And does limitng spending boost the economy?

Then it all slowly but surely turned sour - especially after the Katie Couric interview when people started to see she didn't have more than a couple of functioning braincells.

Sushi, Obama's got some real good advice for you.

Obama, a former law school professor, launched into lectures of his own at times. He warned lawmakers from both parties against demonizing a political opponent, because voters might find it incomprehensible if the two sides ever agree on anything.

“We’ve got to be careful about what we say about each other sometimes, because it boxes us in in ways that makes it difficult for us to work together because our constituents start believing us,” Obama said. “So just a tone of civility instead of slash-and-burn would be helpful.”

Sarge, 2 questions for you - did cutting taxes work?

The answer to the first question is simple. Its worked every time its been tried. The second though, the only time they've ever managed to limit spending was when a Republican congress refused to go along with it. Clinton jogged right, and wow, amazing how that worked.

Yabits - The irony of the thing is that the districts and states which are represented by the Republican Party represents less than 40% of the United States. And yet they want 80% or better of legislation to go their way.

If Dems want republican support, its really simple to get it. They know what they have to do. They've been working together for years. But Dems shouldn't expect Republicans to support their ideas when all the ideas they bring up, are ones Republicans wouldn't support, when all the Republican ideas are ignored, and any attempts to amend the bills to make them more palatable are turned back by Dems. No, if Dems want Republican support, all the need to do is come up with bills that they can support. Its really not that hard. Theres plenty of room for compromise, its just that with 60 votes in the Senate, and an overwhelming majority in the House, the Dems didn't feel like they needed to compromise until now.

I couldn't help but notice that when Republicans complained about being blocked by Pelosi, Obama didn't want to hear it.

I guess it was all just for show then, since he doesn't want to fix congress' single biggest problem.

But hey, kudos to him for following in GWB's footsteps (again) by meeting with the opposition.

WhiteHawk - "GWB's footsteps (again) by meeting with the opposition."

When did GWB ever do that without sounding like he was talking to a bunch of 3rd graders?

Molenir - "The answer to the first question is simple. Its worked every time its been tried."

lol! Where did all the money go? First bush cut taxes, then he started a war and didn't raise taxes to poay for it.

The combination of both was disastrous and the conservatives are now trying to pin the blame on President Obama.

You really need to try harder.

"President Obama traveled to a House Republican retreat in Baltimore on Friday and delivered a performance that was at once defiant, substantive and engaging. For roughly an hour and a half, Obama lectured GOP leaders and, in a protracted, nationally-televised question-and-answer session, deflected their policy critiques, corrected their misstatements and scolded them for playing petty politics.

So effective was the president that Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended."

lol!

"The question-and-answer session at the end wasn't initially supposed to be broadcast, but the White House pressured GOP leadership to bring the cameras in. .....Hours before the event began, Republican leaders finally relented.

Priceless. The GOP clearly knew they didn't have what it took to take on Obama.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/obama-goes-to-the-gop-lio_n_442331.html

When did GWB ever do that without sounding like he was talking to a bunch of 3rd graders?

Glad to see GWB brought up once again by Sushi. Also the Huffington Post is nothing but the lefts version of Fox news, its pure spin Sushi.

I wacthed the whole thing on You Tube just now. It was a very good and RESPECTFUL give and take and I was pretty impressed by President Obama and those 'knuckle dragging, gun clinging, bible thumpin, NASCAR watching, pick-up truck driving, war lovin, Republicans. I'm glad the President made the effort and I really liked the part where he said to the Republican leadership after they asked him, can we have just a few more questions if your schedule permits Mr. President, and he responded Of course I'm having fun here and they said so are we. You could tell they both meant it and that really should be the way Washington should work.

I hope this really does bode well for the future, today was a good restart for both him and the loyal opposition. Want it kill it? Just keep posting insults about Republicans and how they are a bunch of dolts and dimwits. Obama doesn't agree with you thank goodness, and I hope one day you'll get the memo also.

Quick thoughts:

Many Republican pundits think the Republican caucus shouldn't had invited Obama so soon after the State of the Union - he stole the the show, when it's supposed to be when Republicans formulating their ideas.

"Clinton jogged right" - Didn't Republicans hated him and his wife?

Noticeably missing: teleprompters.

Just my opinion on how President Obama really did here. It was refreshing and re-assuring to me at least and I hope all Americans no matter what political stripe. He did very well defending his reasoning and policy decisions. I don't agree with his health care plan and I do not agree with his overall economic policies but I do have a better understanding and respect for his positions and the reasoning he used behind them. He did very well and as an American first and a conservative second, I have to say he accomplished the most important thing at least for me by doing this. That was that President Obama is really up to doing this job after all. I was having serious doubts up to this point but watching him without a teleprompter and a script in a very polite but overall hostile crowd to his policies.....he did well, very well.

I also want to give the Republicans credit, the questions asked were tough, pointed and so important to have answered, and they gave as good as they got in getting their points across as to their policies and positions, and in areas where there can be real compromise and sane legislation passed. I truly do hope this does continue in the future and I think it will and if it does, then we can really move forward from these tough economic times and be a stronger and better people in the long run.

It as good to see this after the poison of the past year from all sides. Really good.

Nice to read, sailwind, nice to read. :-)

Credit to both sides. For Republicans having the courage to invite Obama (open-court townhall meetings play to his strengths, ala campaign trail). For Obama admitting his mistakes, short of apologizing (has he apologized enough?).

Don't expect any changes come Monday (not yet). At least hope for more civility (no more "you lie" shouts).

Indeed Sail - refreshing to see a conservative on the boards with an objective analysis.

Furthermore, for Obama acknowledging Republicans have ideas of their own, and for Republicans acknowledging sometimes the hindrance to Obama's policies are not Republicans but Obama's fellow Democrats.

Where's RomeoRamenII with the Obama-teleprompter report?

Over an hour and a half of unscripted questions from your opposition party -- answering them skillfully and articulately -- and not a teleprompter in sight.

The relatively inexperienced Senator from Chicago did pretty well in my book.

Great to see some civility. Maybe we on Japan Today could have a Civility Day every second Tuesday where it is all only compliments, 'Sirs,' 'Madams' and lots and lots of 'With all due respect''s.

:-)

Real intelligence at display. They guy knew what he was saying. He leaves the Fox folks nothing to whine about. Credit to those who issued the invitation too

Obama's back to his old habits:

http://hotairpundit.blogspot.com/2010/01/did-obama-use-middle-finger-again.html

I just wanna laugh over the last post just above this post of mine. Is that all that we can complain about?

"Real intelligence at ( on ) display. The guy knew what he was saying."

Who, Obama? Ho ho ho!

Sarge, what you saw was a whole room full of GOP leaders and not one of them matched wits with Obama. Any person standing outside of any political leanings could see that Obama beat the GOPs hard and won. I'm even more impressed at his intelligence now than I was before before.

He had a well-thought out answer with facts and numbers to every question.

"Obama beat the GOPs hard and won"

Yeah? Then how come he got whipped in Massachusetts last week?

Sarge, um..the president wasn't running in Massachusetts....

Sushi, um... the president supported the Democrat candidate who got whipped in Massachusetts.

It was as if he knew the question before hand and had the answers on a TelePrompTer. I now know why the GOP didn't want the cameras and also why they regret allowing the cameras. Where are the Fox/GOP denials?

Thanks for the grammar Sarge

I'll admit Obama made some good points, I'll also admit the man is a polished speaker, however some of what he said was laugh out loud ludicrous. And some of what the Republicans challenged him on, he really couldn't answer. So, if you think ducking questions and blaming Bush, means he won, then ok, but as for me, I'd say both sides came out looking pretty good. Him for being very polished, them for challenging him on his very poor policies, at least one of which he admitted was in hindsight a mistake.

however some of what he said was laugh out loud ludicrous

How about providing one specific example.

Here's an outright Republican embarrassment -- one of many: The wet-behind-the-ears Utah representative Jason Chaffetz hectoring the President about how he was "disappointed" on some of the things he saw that Obama wasn't following through on. And yet one of Chaffetz's main legislative "accomplishments" was a bill -- co-sponsored by congressional crazies Bachman and Joe "you lie!" Wilson -- to ban the use of the kind of airport security scanner needed to catch the Christmas-day bomber.

What credibility.

How about providing one specific example.

Sorry, that would mean I'd have to go find a copy of the transcript, and I'm feeling too lazy at the moment to do so. If you watched it though, you'll know what I mean. Some of the claims he made were just ludicrous on their face. Again, as I mentioned before, the man came off fairly well. He pushed back on some of the claims against him, that Republicans have laid against him, that really weren't his fault. But some of the stuff he said... Anyway, if you find a transcript, link it here, I'll take a look and point out the parts I thought were particularly amusing.

About Chaffetz. I'm not from Utah so he's not my congressman. I really don't know what he has or hasn't done. However in regards to that airport scanner. How many Dem cosponsors of that bill were there? A lot of people from both sides of the aisle are concerned about the privacy implications using such scanners imposes. Its not just Republicans, so I don't think you can hit him up for that. I know I for one don't feel comfortable creating scanners that can essentially create a naked portrait of myself. I imagine very few celebrities are in favor of it as well. But we're getting off the thread of this discussion, so I'll stop.

If you watched it though, you'll know what I mean.

I watched it and do not know what you mean.

SS3:

When did GWB ever do that without sounding like he was talking to a bunch of 3rd graders?

If nothing can please you, then the problem must be you.

yabits:

Over an hour and a half of unscripted questions from your opposition party -- answering them skillfully and articulately -- and not a teleprompter in sight.

If there is any speech Obama has down pat, it's "blame Republicans". I bet SushiSake wouldn't need a 'prompter for that either.

SS3:

Sarge, what you saw was a whole room full of GOP leaders and not one of them matched wits with Obama.

Not true. Marsha Blackburn (and someone else, I can't remember now) cornered Obama about Pelosi's obstruction, and he had nowhere to go.

Sarge:

Yeah? Then how come he got whipped in Massachusetts last week?

And Virgina and New Jersey before that?

SS3:

Sarge, um..the president wasn't running in Massachusetts....

I guess you didn't see the exit polling:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31708.html

Again, good on the GOP for inviting him, and good on Obama for showing up. Now let's see Pelosi do the same. Just her on her taxpayer-funded "booze plane" and keep the destination a secret.

Or maybe Obama can address an NRA convention. He can take Holder with him. THAT would be an interesting Q-and-A session!

SS3:

When did GWB ever do that without sounding like he was talking to a bunch of 3rd graders?

Sushi, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/op_ed/article/ED-HINKLE29B_20100128-182402/320790/

Whitehawk - there's no point posting an irrelevant link to prove a non-existant point.

3 more years of Obama. Can we survive it?

Sushi: "Whitehawk - there's no point posting an irrelevant link to prove a non-existant point"

You didn't read the link, did you, Sushi?

If there is any speech Obama has down pat, it's "blame Republicans"

The summary of Obama's walking alone into the den of the minority party's meeting is this: "I school Republicans."

The states and districts represented in Congress by the Republican Party is less than 36% of the U.S. population. And Republicans selfishly want things 80% their way.

yabtis:

The summary of Obama's walking alone into the den of the minority party's meeting is this: "I school Republicans."

And just how did he "school Republicans" when they pointed out Pelosi's strong-arm tactics in squashing their proposals, or when they called him out for not keeping his campaign promises to broadcast the health care negotiations on CSPAN? Hmmmm?

The states and districts represented in Congress by the Republican Party is less than 36% of the U.S. population. And Republicans selfishly want things 80% their way.

That's not true. The people who elected those Republican representatives still want their representation. It's the same thing Democrats say when they're in the minority. Just because Democrats have a majority does not mean that Republicans have to submit to their ridiculous legislation, especially when they're excluded from negotiations.

And just how did he "school Republicans" when they pointed out Pelosi's strong-arm tactics in squashing their proposals

LOL! As President Obama explained to my congressman, Tom Price (whose emails I receive almost weekly), a great many Republican "proposals" don't check out when submitted for reality checks to independent analysts.

That's the problem with being a rabid right-winger. Most of the country is not rabid right-wing. When we are told that completely deregulating banks is a good thing, we don't expect complete crashed. When we are told that it is a sure thing that a certain dictator has WMD, we want them found. When we are told that there can be tax cuts and a budget surplus, we don't like to see record deficits as a result. It's par for the course on Tom Price's proposals on health care.

Obama's response to the CSpan issue was quite acceptable. You can't have a dozen cameras going simultaneously in all the committees that were hashing out the bill. Someone was going to complain about being left out.

When we are told that completely deregulating banks is a good thing, we don't expect complete crashed

Sorry. The previous sentence should read: When we are told that completely deregulating banks is a good thing, we don't expect complete crashes of the banking system requiring massive bailouts.

It's par for the course on Tom Price's proposals on health care.

Yes Yabits, one sure wouldn't think this guy Price would know anything about reforming health care. His bio should tell everyone how clueless he is about health care reform.

Congressman Price received a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Michigan and completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at Emory University. He established an orthopaedic clinic just north of Atlanta, where he practiced for 20 years, helping grow his group into the largest private practice of orthopaedic surgeons in the nation. He then returned to Emory University School of Medicine as an assistant professor. Before coming to Congress, Dr. Price was medical director of the Orthopaedic Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, teaching resident doctors in training.

I know Dr. Price (and a few of his former patients) very well.

And there is a difference between Price the former doctor and Price the Republican congressman. He knows he has to tow the Republican hard-line on this issue because he'd never get elected if he showed a hint of moderating it with his personal views -- which you never hear from Tom the politician.

As President Obama explained to my congressman, Tom Price (whose emails I receive almost weekly), a great many Republican "proposals" don't check out when submitted for reality checks to independent analysts.

What "independent analysts"? Can you name them? Can you do a better job than you did when I asked you to name some right-wing dictators?

The truth is, the Republican proposals are reality checks. Tell me how these are unrealistic: http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=139708

Tell me if they ever saw any "independent analysis" before being killed off by Pelosi.

Can you do a better job than you did when I asked you to name some right-wing dictators?

Huh? It was I who asked you that question -- for which you came up empty.

As for the name of an independent analyst, how about the Kaiser Family Foundation? They have looked at every one of the proposed measures in the Senate and House bills and their analysis is available at the following website: http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm

One important detail that I left out about Dr. Price's (R-GA) former medical practice: What his business primarily did was hip and knee replacement surgery. Now, what segment of the population goes in for hip and knee replacements? (That's right, the folks who are already on the single-payer system known as Medicare -- the elderly.)