Little R-S-P-E-C-T [Dowd]

NYT ^ | March 8th, 2014 | Maureen Dowd

[Third Person]

WASHINGTON — IF you can’t spell it, you can’t get it.

President Obama pulled a Quayle Thursday night at a White House performance by the women of soul and muffed the title of Aretha Franklin’s anthem. “R-S-P-E-C-T,” he said, looking a bit confused and eliciting laughter.

When Patti LaBelle took the stage, she told Obama, “Baby, you’ve got swag.”

Swag and respect are exactly what the president needs. He’s got a swag gap with Russia. His administration, after belatedly figuring out what was going on in Ukraine, is improvising as the uber-swaggering Vladimir Putin once more rolls in with tanks anywhere he likes.

But the president is severely constrained in how he can respond, given that the Europeans are reluctant to be very punitive because they’re worried about their energy supplies and have to play nice with the bully on their borders.

He’s doing what seems appropriate at this point — putting a ban on U.S. visas, imposing financial sanctions on “individuals and entities” responsible for Russia’s invasion of Crimea, and trying to horse-whisper the Botoxed, bare-chested man on horseback whose eyes read “K.G.B.,” as John McCain likes to say.

[MulberryDraw]

Good points. I’m a white guy and I can hear Aretha singing that line (R-E-S-P-E-C-T) but then, I’m American.

[BigIsleGal]

Maybe he needs to begin again, something easier?
Perhaps: There was a farmer, had a dog and BINGO was his name-OH, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O...

[shove_it]

Thank you, sir. May I have another?

[EEGator]

I don't see why not...

[kanawa]

A little risque for direct posting, but my favorite.

[submarinerswife]

Get with the program, Larry. Another FR rule is that when Helen Thomas' name is mentioned, a picture must be posted to remind other Freepers to use their eye bleach immediately after seeing an example of Leftist beauty.

I follow these rules. So must you.

[tanknetter]

Catherine Zeta Jones. Michael Douglas left Maureen Dowd for Jones.

People should also keep in mind the larger Dowd/Douglas/Jones story that was/is at play.

Back during the Lewinsky mess Dowd really came out hard at Bill Clinton. I mean, some of her articles were really scathing. At the time she was much more prominent and influential as a columnist than she is today.

The Clinton War Machine saw her as a major threat, given her influence within Dem politics. But they couldn't really go negative and take her out using their usual means (politics of personal destruction). So, in the greatest acting gig of his career they threw Michael Douglas (at his peak following "The American President") at her.

Douglas was brilliant in the role. Dowd fell for it hook/line/sinker, and suddenly her articles came decidedly back to spouting the pro-Clinton line. But it was just a role; Douglas dropped her like the proverbial hot potato once Clinton was "safe" and went for a MUCH better (aka hotter) POA.

That really messed Dowd up. People should go read her man-hating pieces from after the breakup. Basically they came down to "Rich, successful older women want rich successful older guys. But rich successful older guys are shallow/egotistical/self-absorbed/evil/etc and only want young hot women. It's SOOOOOO UNFAAAAIIIIRRRRR!!!!"