Posted on 02/28/2010 5:04:55 AM PST by IbJensen
In an attempt to paint Senator John McCain as “bitter” over his defeat in the 2008 presidential election, President Obama was blunt during last night’s Health Care summit. After McCain articulated some of the GOP’s concerns with the health care bill, a cantankerous Obama tells him, “Let me just make this point, John, because we’re not campaigning anymore. The election is over.”
Obama’s remark tarnished the personae of a diplomatic mediator that he attempted to establish during the summit. Of course, it didn’t help that he also dominated the conversation and did little to hide his impatience at the statements from the GOP, even mocking them at times. Needless to say, his behavior has sparked another media frenzy and has Americans once again calling Obama both “rude” and “arrogant.”
Ron Fournier of the Washington Post writes that throughout the debate over the health care bill, Republicans have “branded Obama as arrogant and overreaching for refusing to drop a health care plan that a majority of voters don’t favor.”
Aside from the level of arrogance to which Fournier points, Obama’s demeanor and remarks throughout the summit betrayed his overall arrogant nature. When Senator Lamar Alexander, (R-Tenn.) commented on Obama’s healthcare plan as “a car that can’t be recalled and fixed, and we ought to start over,” Obama’s body language revealed his frustration, from his pursed lips down to his smirk and the cradling of his chin.
Likewise, when Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell remarked that the Democrats spoke for 52 minutes during the first portion of the summit while Republicans had a mere 24 minutes of talk time, Obama once again felt the need to remind him that he was president. “You’re right. There was an imbalance on the opening statement because I’m the president.” Fournier adds, “Call it home court advantage.”
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Obama’s seemingly impertinent response to McCain’s statement was Obama’s unwillingness to address the concerns that McCain raised. Instead, he turned to Kathleen Sebelius, his secretary of health and human services, with an inquiry.
This is not the first time Obama has been accused of being rude or arrogant. Just a month ago, during his State of the Union address, Obama receieved a lot of flak for publically reprimanding the Supreme Court justices, an unprecedented act. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) reffered to Obama’s remarks as “kind of rude.”
The impression that Obama may be a bit too haughty and uncouth is not limited to Americans. In March of 2009, Iain Martin of the British publication Telegraph.co.uk addressed Obama’s “demeaning" disposition during Gordon Brown’s visit to the Oval Office. Martin wrote, “Why couldn’t President Obama have put on more of a show for his British guests? He looked like he simply couldn’t be bothered.” Martin continues by remarking that Obama’s treatment of the British PM was “exceptionally rude” and that Obama spoke with “little sincerity.”
Despite Obama’s inability to win the favor of Americans, and apparently the British, through his "charm," the fact remains that the summit proved to be unsuccessful, and not because of the President’s arrogance. The Democrats have emerged from the summit as rigid and the Republicans have been labeled “obstructionists.” More importantly, the Republicans have yet to make the important argument that the best health care reform would be for government to gradually withdraw from health care altogether.
After the 7-hour bipartisan summit on health care reform, Obama concludes by saying, “We cannot have another year-long debate about this. So the question that I’m going to ask myself and I ask of all of you is, is there enough serious effort that in a month’s time or a few weeks’ time or six week’s time we could actually resolve something?” He adds, “And if we can’t, then I think we’ve got to go ahead and make some decisions, and that’s what elections are for.”
Strict adherence to the Constitution would do Americans a world of good. It would lead us to far more prosperity than the Progressives (Communist Traitors) could dream of. And that is the point--we don't want them implementing the policies of their dreams. We want the individuals to do that! We want to be the Progressives' nightmare.
What wonderful statesmen these Democrats are.
/S/
IMHO
Obama’s been named Captain Ahab in the Brit press for his obsession with healthcare “change” and inability to govern.
How apt!
Congressman, Paul Ryan (R) from Wisconsin, nailed him to the floor over and over with words from the Senate Bill. obama had no discussion, or sought meaningful resolution.
To me that said it all.
We have a weak and ineffective president. This country is bigger than him, and he's finding it out rather quickly.
He showed himself to be a petulent child like politician, not the miracle worker and constructive person he desired to demonstrate. All in all it was very boring to watch and one had to be alert to the nuggets of truth that showed through. I think perhaps the GOP could have made more of the fact they had not been consulted about anything prior to that day. Canter had the perfect opportunity when demeaned by Ozero for bringing a “prop”, the actual bill. He could have countered this was the first time they had any input into the pile of crap sitting before him.
I do not believe the GOP came off as “obstructionist”. They merely pointed out what they wanted to see in the bill. Meanwhile, there was never an adequate answer from either Ozero or his fellow travelers how any of those points would or may be addressed, rather, Ozero just wanted to polish the language and try to make a sow’s ear into silk purse. Meanwhile, Ozero and his minions know they have until the New Congress gets seated to get this done if they ever do because many of the pro bill supporters will be GONE in 2011.
Watched every minute of the summit and normally I switch the tv when obango comes on. Just watching obango the commie being taken to the cleaners by some very intelligent
congressmen was worth the sick feeling I get when looking
at the muslim,communist,usurper.
oathkeepers.org
Thank you, for your service in combat in Vietnam and in DC.
After Obama leaves office(which I hope is very soon), I wonder how he will struggle through life without a teleprompter.
Does anyone else think his casual attire at these meetings is demeaning to the Office?
“We didn’t just lower the bar for 0bama; we laid it on the ground.”
Or buried it so low that it is now in China!
I, too, picked up on the 'prop' attempt at slamming. The OP should have said 'Is that what you call it?'
Agreed. Our country has been damaged more by Pennsylvania Avenue than by 14th Street.
Did anyone in the media notice that every Republican had a better speaking ability than Zippy? Zip didn’t have a prompter and was a stuttering fool. Check out Rep Ryan who put together a series of cogent, well organized thoughts and made sense the whole time.
Every thing he does is demeaning including calling everyone by their first name. God, I wish I was there so I could correct him on that issue alone. You don’t go into a meeting with the Chief Justice and call him John nor do you call Senators Mitch.
“Hey Liz, how is England these days?”
Ishmael: Queequeg: ...such behavior isn't Christian. In fact, it's downright pagan and heathenish." Moby Dick
We've found that nothing Obama says is true, every statement, every promise, has an expiration date. His word is not his bond...
Nutsy and Filthy were clowns of oration. Bauchus speaks in fits and starts like someone whose brain is in a state of constant malfunction.
He must wear contacts, otherwise how could a habitual wanker like him get through life?
In print, this comment loses the dripping arrogance with which it was said.
0 has no style, no experience, no substance. It has been elected through the cult of vacuous personality which permeates the political estate, in which truth is transient and sincerity is rehearsed.
He picks his nose on TV!
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