Obama Caught on Open Mic Disparaging Congress

[kpete]

Obama Caught on Open Mic Disparaging Congress

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked if President Obama was counting on some rest and relaxation during his trip to Israel, the president quickly said, "It's good to get away from Congress."

David Hawkings: "The jape was caught on an open mic and appeared in no official transcripts, underscroring the perception that Obama is never more candid than when he's lamenting his troubles back home in conversations abroad -- and doing so with a foreign leader on the curious assumption that no one's listening in."

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/03/20/obama_caught_on_open_mic_disparaging_congress.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. I thought he was making a little jokey comment. Who WOULDN'T want to get

away from the looney Boner, Turtle Man and company? They do nothing but make his job difficult.

[graham4anything]

2. Why would one assume it wasn't meant to be heard?

[coldmountain]

6. Ageed. Why not tell the rest of the world America is not this Congress?

[meadowlark5]

3. If I were him, I would love to be rid of this congress

I don't think it's any big deal, just being honest. But, of course, it will be made into a big deal

[Laurian]

4. I don't consider that a disparaging remark. Simple truth. It's not

a secret that Congress is fighting him on anything and everything. Pretty mild comment in my estimation. Looks like someone's just trying to stir up trouble.

[Xipe Totec]

5. Is that it? That's all they got? Pfffft! nt

[Cha]

16. LOL n/t

[MyshkinCommaPrince]

7. Disparaging?

He's commenting on his own subjective sense of relief, surely. The best I can get out of it is an observation that the experience of dealing with Congress may be stressful or otherwise unpleasant. That doesn't say much of anything about Congress itself. If they wanted to spin it, they should have gone with "The President can't take it!" or something. Still an exaggeration and distortion, but perhaps closer to the actual content of the comment.

[Glimmer of Hope]

8. I don't blame him. Isn't their approval rating lower than cockroaches?

[Cali_Democrat]

9. Root canals, head lice, traffic jams, colonoscopies and used-car salesmen rate higher than Congress:

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2013/01/congress-less-popular-than-cockroaches-traffic-jams.html

[robinlynne]

15. !

[Grateful for Hope]

10. Good for him.

Why wouldn't he feel this way?

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. He should have written an OpEd for the NYT

Hardly news. Congress' approval rating is up to what, 13 now?

[mwrguy]

12. Congress got off lightly

Obama could have tore them a new asshole.

[Poll_Blind]

13. Oh whatever. Like the House isn't a tumor of idiots and the Senate a circus of stooges? nt

PB

[Generic Brad]

14. And in other news...

A record ten minutes have gone by without a single Congressional Republican making a disparaging remark about the President.

[OldDem2012]

17. The President was being polite...he could have said much worse. nt.

[spanone]

18. i'd wanna get farther away