POTUS and TOTUS meet the press: Defensive about AIG, blame-card on debt, blows off charities
President Obama will hold a news conference tonight in a few minutes, starting at 8pm Eastern. TOTUS is fired up and ready to go, too — but after a few opening remarks, POTUS will fly without a net.
The White House sent out a preview:
President Barack Obama looked to steer the nation’s economic attention to the bigger picture Tuesday night and away from recent days’ micro-focus on outrage over executive bonuses, declaring signs of progress as his administration attacks the crisis “on all fronts.” “It’s a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to restart lending and to grow our economy over the long term,” Obama said in remarks released in advance of his prime-time news conference.
During a crowded week for the White House and furious debate that echoed from Main Street to Capitol Hill corridors, the president sought to take a step back. He summarized the steps taken so far by his administration to address the worst economic disaster in a quarter-century, framing them with optimism.“We will recover from this recession,” he said. “But it will take time, it will take patience and it will take an understanding that when we all work together — when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other — that’s when we succeed.”
I’ll update with any gaffes or unusual occurrences (such as non-sycophantic questions from the press).
***
8:01pm Eastern. POTUS/TOTUS on economic crisis: “It took many failures to lead us here.”
And you will be victims of many more!
Obama touts the tax cuts he signed into law. ($13/week that won’t buy you earrings worth Michelle Obama’s time.)
Obama assails the “illusion of prosperity,” while he adds to the illusion.
Assails borrow and spend, while espousing more borrowing and spending.
Re. AIG bonuses: “I’m as angry as anybody.”
(But Geithner is doing a heckuva job, and I’m not letting him go!)
***
8:07pm Eastern. AP’s Jennifer Loven gets first question…why pushing for new government authority of financial institutions? “I think there’s going to be strong support for this authority.” AP: “Why should people trust govt to buy up toxic assets?”
BO basically says: Because they will.
Refers to IndyMac as a success story. Hello?
Talks about the “tools” he needs.
Tools = power/control.
***
8:15pm Eastern. Jake Tapper gets a question. Right now, Senate Dems are writing a budget not including middle class tax cut, cap and trade, and other measures. Will you sign a budget if it does not contain tax cut and cap and trade?
I expect health care reform, blah blah. “I am confident that the budget we put forward will have principles in place. Middle class tax cut will be there for next two years. Cap-n-trade – the broader principle is that we have to move to a new energy era.”
Refuses to talk more about it, since he hasn’t read it.
Basically, he’ll sign it.
***
Next q: What about the debt you are creating?
Obama goes back to his Bush’s fault card. I’m inheriting debt, so nyahnyah.
Blasts Republicans for not proposing an alternative.
But…
Here’s GOP Leader Boehner:
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today held a press briefing in advance of President Obama’s news conference scheduled for this evening. At the briefing, Boehner challenged the President’s assertions about Republicans and noted that the GOP has presented alternative ideas directly to the President on every major issue where there has been disagreement this year – and will offer a better budget solution later this week.
“I think a lot of Americans believe that our economy is in a crisis. Americans are looking to Washington for solutions. The President has offered a budget that will, in my opinion, hurt our economy and destroy the very jobs that we’re trying to save and to try to create. And I believe Republicans were offering better ideas to the President in hopes of building a better budget.
“This is today’s front page the Louisville Courier-Journal. If you read it you probably won’t be surprised that the President will probably say this again tonight in his press conference. With all due respect, Mr. President, the statement is not true, plain and simple. Your budget spends too much, it taxes too much and borrows too much from our kids and grandkids, and I believe Republicans are offering a better solution.
“Last week, I released a video — a YouTube video outlining our budget principles and laying the groundwork for the alternative budget that we will release later this week. Our alternative will create jobs by allowing American families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn, ensure that the federal budget doesn’t grow faster than the family budget, expand access to health care while preserving Social Security and Medicare, end the bailouts to protect taxpayers and reform the financial system, encourage an all-of-the-above energy strategy to make us energy independent, and to fight inflation so the prices of goods and services that American depend upon will remain stable.
“Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve offered better solutions, and the President knows that. Eric Cantor and I personally delivered to the President our stimulus proposal at the White House in January. Our plan would create twice as many jobs at half the cost as the President’s plan, and that’s even according to an economic analysis by his chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. And what was the response? The White House pretended they never even saw it.
“At a time when our economy is in serious recession, I think Americans deserve better. They need solutions, not distortions. The fact is the President’s budget spends too much, taxes too much and it borrows too much. It raises taxes on every American family and small business. It includes irresponsible levels of spending, reaching $5.1 trillion 10 years out. And if you look at the spending in this budget, you can begin to see how out of control this spending cycle is, and it doubles the debt on our kids and grandkids over the next six years. If you look at these debt figures, you can see this. This is all of the debt through 2008 that’s been accumulated in our country by 43 Presidents in 220 years in our history, and the President’s budget will double that over the next six years.
“I just think that this may be the most irresponsible piece of legislation I’ve seen in my legislative career. It’s an irresponsible plan that only makes the crisis we’re in worse. But when it’s all said and done, I think it’s time for a do-over. We need to start this budget process all over again. And I will hope that the President will work with us to build a responsible budget that will help strengthen our economy and put Americans back to work again.”
***
8:31pm Eastern. Question from Stars & Stripes on how to save money in defense budget.
Obama cites John McCain to back him up on procurement cuts.
But I thought McCain = 4 more years of Bush = Bad?
***
Q about AIG. Why is Andrew Cuomo doing more/getting more answers than you and Geithner, who were slow on the uptake? And what about debt you are creating that your daughters will inherit?
Obama ignores first question. Debt answer: It’s hard. Best way to tackle it is to reduce health care costs.
(By spending a few trillion dollars and engineering a massive govt takeover!)
Reporter follows up on AIG question, which BO didn’t answer. Why did it take you so long to respond?
Snippy: “It took a couple of days because I like to know what I’m talking about.”
Snorting. Out. Loud.
***
8:39pm Eastern. “I don’t believe we need a global currency.”
Politico asks about mortgage interest/charity deduction limits. Obama still supports. “It’s not gonna cripple them. They’ll still be well-to-do.”
Follow up: It’s not just the wealthy. It’s the charities.
Obama: They’re wrong.
***
8:46pm Eastern. Q: What about homelessness? Tent cities everywhere!
Obama: We’ll have more programs.
(But didn’t homelessness end with the Age of Obama?!)
***
Dumb question from Ann Compton: What about race?
Obama: I’ve been dealing with the economy.
***
8:56pm Eastern. Blahblahblah. Rambling last answer. Losing consciousness…
***
Fox News’ Bret Baier notes that NYTimes, WaPo, Times, Newsweek, big media all frozen out of q’s.
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
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- Obama Ignores Cheaper, Better Solutions from GOP, Forcing Trillion-Dollar Porkulus Bill and Debt on America « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- TOTUS Address… « Moderate in the Middle
- Presidential press conference: my quick and dirty take « Wellsy’s World
- The Nobama Blog » Blog Archive » Photoshop Fun: Ready Made Animatronic President
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- ScoopThis.Org » President Obama’s speech before taking questions…
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- Jackie Clegg Dodd served as an “outside” director of IPC Holdings, Ltd., a Bermuda-based company controlled by AIG. IPC « Goodtimepolitics
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- Obama Fumbles on AIG Bonus Topic « Samaritans Scalawags Scoundrels Fleecing the Sheep
- After Leno, Laughter on “60 Minutes,” Boredom From “No Drama” Obama « Peace and Freedom Global Future
- Obama Pre-Empted American Idol And All I Got Was This Lousy Press Conference « Beltway Snark
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- Michelle Malkin » Revisiting Ann Compton’s stupid question
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For which the penalty, in a civilized society, would be death.
Where are the tent cities popping up around the country?
tent cities? across the country?
The Charitable Deduction argument is so false. What no one acknowledges is that the rich guy (except Obama) gives $10,000 to the Homeless Shelter and deducts 39%; the bus driver (rightfully so, given his lower disposable income) gives a $100 and deducts 28%. Without the larger deduction, the rich guy will only give as much as the (rich) Obama’s – a paltry $2k or something, much less than they previously did.
Race card.
This guy is going to drive this country into the ground. Can we survive four years of this?
Race — planted question.
Yes, we are judging you on being a statist and distroying capitalism.
He’s still yakking…
The Wife’s watching him,
across the room!
I’m still not listening…
He makes me wanna scream and
throw stuff!
karl ‘n the girls
There was an article recently about the “homeless children” statistic. Don’t recall the details but it said something about how the people working up the numbers including children who live with their grandparents and such as “homeless”
Stem cell.
He didn’t wrestle.
He was lobbied.
NO! I predict we will be totally bankrupt by June 2009
“Look”…how many times is he going to tell us to look at something?
uh umm uh ah he doesn’t wrestle with abortion! he’s all for it?!!
The Stimulus was needed to build more bridges… for the children… to live under… or something.
Stem cell — planted question.
Wow, he is stumbling badly on this one. Ouch. The ear monitor must have went out.
Incoherent…
Saw that too.
I was shocked at the nerve to even report such a slanted analysis.
I guess Obaminator thinks they should have just been aborted in the first place.
Exactly JonB – the statistic on “homeless” children is yet another smoke screen to serve the left’s ideology. They are counting all children that live with relatives. See how Odumbo used it to his advantage. Course, he had help from his bro from “Ebony” magazine. It’s all that straightforward transparency and stuff.
Exactly JonB – the statistic on “homeless” children is yet another smoke screen to serve the left’s ideology. They are counting all children that live with relatives. See how Odumbo used it to his advantage. Course, he had help from his bro from “Ebony” magazine. It’s all that straightforward transparency and stuff.
He called on the Wash Times?
The only time he wrestles with “these issues” is when he’s called on them in public. He does, though, have a magnificent gift of droning on for ~45 seconds or so to collect his thoughts before actually beginning to respond to the question.
They’ve all seem to have sprung from deep in the dirt. Almost sounds like the president gave them out beforehand.
He is trying to refute Charles Krauthammer’s WaPo article that skewered him on stem cells.
Write Wing #110 Good one!
DANG IT! Sorry all, I have no idea why that is happening
An international question.
UH
UH
UH
Where is TOTUS?
100% concensus is no longer just concensus. It would be unanamus.
Green beer just makes it all better!
TOTUS is called in sick but he does have an electronic device off stage so you won’t see his crib notes.
He’s not using teleprompter. He read the blog and caved.
Is it over? Please let it be over!
Of course he had to give a shout out to IndyMac, George Soros is a major stakeholder now. That’s why I have no remorse about letting my house go into foreclosure with them and fleeing California.
Fixed it for ya, John.
Can’t stomach the POS, listening to Mark Levin Show on streaming, side comments keep me listening for Mark’s remarks not the TOTUS’s. Who does this guy think he’s fooling, oh, that’s right, the 52% of the voters of last Nov.
Do I hear buyer’s remorse as his approval ratings are dropping like a rock?
As in Global Warming?
I know its catty, but he needs to either leearn to tie his tie or use a clip on.
Did he acknowledge that Iran is building nuclear weapons and funding terrorism?
Was Rhambo picking his nose?
Fox News announced he had some electronic device off the stage. Yes, he’s tired of TOTUS talking back.
Progress in the middle east will come when Mrs O starts wearing a burqa
Iran video? Are the Mullahs done laughing yet? They’re not laughing at you they’re… yeah, they’re actually laughing at you.
Cleanguy -just remember that free beer is best.
Wow! Did he hightail it out of there or what?!?!?
He forgot to use the “alleged” word he picked up from Helen Thomas.
Okay, there the TOTUS is!! Sheeessszzzz
NBC is going to bat for BO…
Motorboat, motorboat… go so slow.. motorboat, motorboat.. go so fast… step on the gas… straight toward socialism…
Someone should tell Axelrod to stop chewing gum like a cow.
He said that Geithner has a plan. Did anyone alert Geithner?
That jive walk of his. Puke. Can he ever do anything without that beebopping?
TOTUS’s older big brother.
Totally agree. It wasn’t even centered on the collar. I know BHO looks in the mirror… a lot!
Brian Williams and Chuck Todd have little cartoon hearts bubbling up from their heads….?
They’re still mullahing it over in their heads.
(sorry, couldn’t resist that)
That was one big ol’ Black TOTUS!!
Shhhh… Listen… Can you hear it?
Muffled weeping and a woman saying “There, there now baby! You did good! It wasn’t so bad at all, was it? Shhhh, mama will make it all better. Would you like some milk and cookies? We will bring your tellyprompty back next time.”
I doubt he ties his own ties…maybe it’s done deliberately by someone who dislikes him as much as we do.
I’ve seen better tied ties at the funeral home.
#148
Barney Frank taught him how to tie his tie.
Carl Rove is doing postmortem on FOX now
Of course, they’re pro’s.
They do have a little more time to work on them there.
On March 24th, 2009 at 9:04 pm, Marie said:
Carl Rove is doing postmortem on FOX now
If Bill O will let him speak instead of telling us how great Bill o is.
Carl is holding his own..
O’Riley making highfives for his Obama interview.
Obama kicked his @ss.
If there are truly one out of fifty children starving while living under bridges here in the United States, can anyone explain why there are no pictures of these poor waifs???
The internet would be teeming with such a picture. I call BS, and in a really big way.
You got us on that one… the gulags were a hell of a work program.
Whaaaaa???? Maybe Geither is just BO’s whipping boy so the rest of us dont have to pay reparations. (Kind of reminiscent of Jesus ya think?)
I was shocked that he actually allowed the Washington Times to ask a question.
Well I guess I’ll go back to completing the armory wing of my bomb shelter. -sarc off
Yeah and Ebony got to ask a question. Go figure! No racism there!
Wonder if the reporters were sequestered for 24 hours before the press conference so that they would not have any contact to real world questions?
Blame America Last – I said the same thing to Ms. Bay State. Barry-O calls on Fox, Telemundo, Politico, Wash Times, some girly dude I never heard of, etc. This must be the new tone, the questioners change, but the answers remain the same.
Meanwhile, Helen Thomas is still nodding off waiting for her turn.
Well duh!!! He only invites RINOs to the table, not conservatives. RINOs are noteworthy mainly because they don’t stand for anything. Conservatives are the ones who have alternative proposals but he dismisses them as “failed” ideas of the past and he wants to move forward with “new” (Bolshevik) ideas.
I almost always disagree with Bob Beckel but I like his style and the ability to hold his own.
Bless you all for watching this train wreck. I can’t listen to him anymore. It’s really too stressful.
Thanks for the summary Michelle!
Lay off of Helen Thomas!!!
She was Woodrow Wilson’s favorite correspondent.
Beckel is a bully – he loses to O’Reilly all the time! Ha!
Is American Idol on now???? please…… I’ve had enough already! time for some mindless entertainment after the mindless political yada yada yada….
I’ll mail out $1,000.00 dollars to the first person who can convince me Odopey is not a complete idiot. Feel free to e-mail me at.. snowballschancein Hell @ youcantdoit.com
No joke! She looked asleep/dead when you caught a glimpse of her.
Just wait until ACORN tallies the Census counts in a year. Obama will start hosting infomercials showing pictures of the 150MM Americans/Americanos living in abject poverty and without hope…until BIG GOVERNMENT came along. He and a Democrat controlled Congress will just need another 6 years to lock in all the programs to make life equal for all residents of the US. Pick up the phone and pledge your campaign donation now – government workers are standing by to take your call…Matching funds are being pledged by George Soros and MoveOn. Call now!
Mindless entertainment? Well, wouldn’t that be bill o’reily?
Stupor came to mind with Helen….
Well, I admit that O’Reilly has jumped the shark some time ago.
O’Reilly did good with Barney Frank!
Gave him what-for!
ajmontana
You get the prize for the funniest post I have ever seen. Well done. BTW I think that $1000.00 is safe.
Sorry good people, the lawn needed cutting. I am paying too much for blood pressure medications to watch He Whose Middle Name is Hussein. Keep up the good work–your suffering will not be in vain; the lawn looks good.
*Blah Blah O’Reilly and P-BO have one thing in common for sure; They are overflowing with narcissisim.
I actually appreciated him being able to talk without the TOTUS. The wife always complains whenever I hear his prepared remarks and I comment that I can’t stand to hear him preach to us.
I was already calling him a liar within the first minute of tuning him in. About the time of the deficit talk.
And ohhh, that investment in the health care system. Leave it the H*ll alone. That really riles me.
The health care is a major role in the economy, I believe I heard the word crisis. OMG
Interesting that the Pres. got a question about homelessness and talked about the gov’t coming up with a solution right after the question about gutting the charitable donations tax deduction. It was an interesting and strange juxtaposition. Private citizens may give less so big daddy can give more?
Ugh… I do not listen to the Usurper-in Chief.
From the sound of it, he certainly can’t take the pressure of real questions. Wonder how he’d act if the press actually did their jobs and treated him like they did Bush?
Miss Cheryl:
Tent Cities in California…