Austan Goolsbee: President Obama Should Have ‘Mea Culpa’(ABC News)

ABC News ^ | June 17, 2012 | George Stephanopoulos

[lbryce]

This morning on “This Week,” President Obama’s former economic adviser and current ABC News consultant, Austan Goolsbee, said that the president should “have a mea culpa.” What Goolsbee said on the roundtable in full is below:

Goolsbee: “I think Matt’s right that we ought to come forward — and both sides — and the president should have a mea culpa, that we have gotten into a place that was very different from what the campaign wanted it to be from 2008, one in which — and, look, I think you could blame more the Republicans, but I’m sure the Republicans would say more you blame the president, but we got to — we got to back away from that. Otherwise, we’re not going to be able to confront this pretty serious challenge at the time when we — when we could do it.”

Earlier in the show ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd suggested that President Obama should issue a mea culpa to help address the partisan divide in Washington that, Dowd argued, is a partial result of Obama pushing a partisan health care law after running on a message of unity during the 2008 campaign. Here’s what Dowd said this morning:

Dowd: “I think — I think the president — the only thing I’d say about the president — I think his message is right, but he should start with a mea culpa, because the president in 2008 ran on this exactly same message. President Bush ran on this and didn’t do it and basically made the country more polarized. ”

[lbryce]

Dowd: “I think — I think the president — the only thing I’d say about the president — I think his message is right, but he should start with a mea culpa, because the president in 2008 ran on this exactly same message. President Bush ran on this and didn’t do it and basically made the country more polarized. ”

That is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. My fellow Americans, I'm really sorry I screwed up. I know better now, so please give me another chance. The only difference is that a mea culpa implies a mistake, an unintentional act of some sort but what Obama has done, is still doing is wholly intentional. So, the bonehead idea for Obama to offer a mea culpa does not apply.

Dowd, regarding your comments on President Bush, as you don't seem to have a clue as to what you're talking about I'd say it's just best that you just

STFU.

[skeeter]

You know the democrats are slipping down the crapper when they’re in ‘cant we all just get along’ mode.

[liberty or death]

It’s time to crush them under our heels and not let up.

[justa-hairyape]

President Mulligan. That is his best campaign strategy.

[Cboldt]

That’s all nuthin’ but pancake-bunny talk. Send up a substantive proposal. Describe the scope of your job if you don’t want to legislate, etc.

[EGPWS]

George Bush, the most effective president with the longest lasting effectual political potency in the history of humankind.

[MonicaG]

Total snakes, so right.

[GOPJ]

Ummmm, we're polarized because elite liberals are bankrupting the country and their doting court eunuchs in the MSM aren't reporting truthfully on this liberal administration or any other liberal administration.

[Calusa]

Didn’t the press constantly hound Dubya to admit he had made mistakes. I guess they feel confession is good for the soul. Makes great opposition soundbytes, too.

[God luvs America]

terrific point...that is something the GOP should hit on every day....

[Hotlanta Mike]

The zombies that voted for Obama in 2008 owe America a mea culpa...

[OrangeHoof]

President Mulligan. That is his best campaign strategy.

If any Republican president tried that, the Dems and the media would shred him into pulp. But if Obama did it, the media would declare it a sign of courage and a true sign of someone comfortable in his own skin.

[DoughtyOne]

I half expect them to pull a Rodney King they’ve been acting like him so long.

[vette6387]

“You know the democrats are slipping down the crapper when they’re in ‘cant we all just get along’ mode.”

Yeah, the problem is that their “spokesman” Rodney King just OD’d and drowned hisself yesterday. So much for “can’t we just get along!”

[workerbee]

President Mulligan. That is his best campaign strategy.

Sounds better than President Communist in Cognito.

[ModelBreaker]

Obama’s Mea Culpa:

“My fellow Americans. I have really, really sucked as president. I have repeatedly trashed the US Constitution and run up a national debt that even my opponents in 2008 could not have imagined. But I like the vacations and the power. So please elect me again.”

[USS Alaska]

Goolsbee: “I think Matt’s right that we ought to come forward — and both sides — and the president should have a mea culpa, that we have gotten into a place that was very different from what the campaign wanted it to be from 2008, one in which — and, look, I think you could blame more the Republicans, but I’m sure the Republicans would say more you blame the president, but we got to — we got to back away from that. Otherwise, we’re not going to be able to confront this pretty serious challenge at the time when we — when we could do it.”

I've read this babble several times, and I can't get a single cogent thought from it.

Word salad and/or just bullshit?

[Scotswife]

Here’s the best I can do in translation..

“He should sound like he’s apologizing without actually admit any wrongdoing - then he should place blame on republicans.”

I’m not sure exactly who he thinks will fall for that BS, but there’s always a bunch of dummies somewhere who will be fooled.