Obama unplugged, tells Republicans: 'You think we're stupid?'

[Fozzledick]

Source: USA Today

Thinking that reporters were out of the room, President Obama opened up Thursday night about the recent budget talks with Republicans and what he called their efforts to sneak in attacks on Planned Parenthood and his health care bill.

"I said (to Republicans), 'You want to repeal health care? Go at it,' " Obama told backers in a private meeting with an open microphone.

" 'We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget.' "

He said he added: "You think we're stupid?"

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/04/obama-unplugged-blasts-gop-on-health-care-planned-parenthood/1?csp=hf

[maxsolomon]

1. not stupid, they think "we" can be intimidated

and most days, it sure looks like democratic representatives are.

[No Elephants]

5. Looking intimidated, bad as it is, may be preferable to looking as though you

aren't the compassionate populists you profess to be.

Not saying that is what is going on. Just saying it's one of several possibilities.

[BeFree]

2. Sometimes I wonder

How is it we allow our votes to be counted in secret by a private company?
And why do we allow election officials to do as they damn well please?

And why don't we allow everyone a vote?
How come we let republicans place limits on voters?

How stupid is all that?

[MadMaddie]

6. It is more apparant every day that "The Free Market" and

Democracy cannot coexist. We have seen that by allowing private companies to get involved inteh voting process that they cannot be trusted to stay non-partisen.

All voting machines, etc should be under the control of the Government and distributed when elections occur. Rigid audits must be conducted to ensure that the law is being followed.

The voting system has been broken by "The Free Market".

[BeFree]

13. Free Market with quotes is spot on.

How did we get here with these private vote counters?

The republican congress, in 2002, passed a bill called HAVA, Help America Vote Act, which dispersed $4 billion dollars of taxpayer dollars to purchase voting machines.

It is, like so many other republican schemes, a way of socializing the costs and privatizing the profits. And was nothing more than a huge bribe to buy votes and fix elections. And we sat back and allowed it to happen with nary a whimper.

[garthranzz]

15. A great line here. I'm going to "borrow" it.

I'm going to share, with permission (I'll quote your user name?), the line "Republicans want to socialize the costs and privatize the profits."

Love it!!!

[BeFree]

17. I borrowed it, feel free to use it widely

Some smart DUers came up with that a long time ago. Welcome to DU!

The basis is that we are a socialist country. Our roads, our schools, nearly everything great we have done has been due to our socialist leanings. Problem is we are mostly in the closet socialists, afraid to tell the truth. How dumb is that?

The only way we can justify being socialist is by placing profits over the top like icing on a cake.
Take health care.... all the profits and all the wages paid out are funded by the government spending big bucks on the socialist government funded health care programs. Take away that socialist spending and the health care system workers - doctors, nurses, and hospitals go broke in a NY minute.

[freshwest]

33. Thanks guys, will spread the word.

[garthranzz]

39. Welcome to DU?!?

I'm only 68 -now 67 posts behind you.

:)

[boppers]

51. Always somebody on the ladder above you. :) eom

[Manifestor_of_Light]

49. I think an economist said it originally.

Either Robert Reich or Paul Krugman. One of those guys who comments on the news.

[freshwest]

32. Still under the spell of the Nixon era mantra, 'business is more efficient.'

[freshwest]

31. Self-delete

[primavera]

47. + 1,000,000!

[freshwest]

36. These things are begun by 'concerned citizens' looking in the face of local governments who...

Appear to be trying to help is how it gets by. When the GOP gets their majority on the micro level, they really show their colors, as in Wisconsin and Texas Then they dig their spurs in on the process and force the results.

The only counter is for Democrats (not the alleged 'independents' which the GOPher pretend to be to get a foot in the door) to get into these micro processes and get it done.

Citizens in some states took the lessons of 2000 and fought long and hard to get it reversed, precinct/district to county to state. If they had not done so, things would be even worse than they are, more conservative GOP.

If you're asking why they were even considered, it was because of the idea that private companies would make state budgets leaner. They don't, but they've been pushing this for years.

Particularly aggressive are 'libertarians' who decry taxes and government, while living on fat government contracts, saying they are working for private concerns. They compete with regulated public employees and union labor without the same level of accountability, but claim to be different and more efficient.

It seems we are not allowed to question the idea of profits, that they are an excess cost to getting something done. No one dares to say that and be labeled socialist or having class envy.

Those contractors are overcharging the taxpayers for their work. But they call themselves 'producers' and the public workers 'parasites.' These people need to be exposed for their dishonesty, even if they lied to themselves first. They are destroying the country for the rest of us and laughing as millions do without necessities.

Another reason is some people don't like the fact that government serves people they don't know or like, and they want more control, supposedly, by breaking it into smaller parts. Just so happens that encourages corporatism.

The rise of the religious right since Reagan is also a big part of it.

[dkf]

3. Damn his indictment of Paul Ryan's previous votes is masterful.

[still_one]

8. pathetic that the media did not point out the hypocrisy of ryan. Instead they just "raved" about

his plan, without questioning his background, or the substance of his proposal

The media has double vision. They seem to ignore the faults and double standard of the repukes

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. yes, this drives me over the edge too.

I'm still ranting about the 10 second clip of the speech presented by Katie Couric, and then the 45 seconds of UNCRITICAL ATTENTION given to the repuke opinion disingenuous propaganda.

too many people are completely brainwashed by this dirty game of theirs.

[still_one]

41. and the Democrats should start standing up, at the minimum defend themselves. That is what

frustrates us so much

[savalez]

30. I'll quote Obama here for those who missed it:

"When Paul Ryan says his priority is to make sure, he's just being America's accountant ... This is the same guy that voted for two wars that were unpaid for, voted for the Bush tax cuts that were unpaid for, voted for the prescription drug bill that cost as much as my health care bill -- but wasn't paid for ... So it's not on the level."

[freshwest]

34. Thanks X1000 for pointing that out. Needs to be repeated.

[freshwest]

45. That quote could have been used by MSM pundits, but they won't do it.

The hypocrisy of the GOP is never brought up, especially their highest leaders like Ryan, Walker, Rush. Never!

[harmonicon]

4. They should.

Massive electoral win in 2006, and the dems still catered to the Republicans. Massive electoral win in 2008, and the dems still catered to the Republicans. Massive electoral loss in 2010, and the dems cater to the Republicans, but now Obama asks, "You think we're stupid?". I'd say, yeah, they think you're stupid.

[Kolesar]

7. *That* was wildly overstated

But there is no penalty for wild overstatement. Having fun today on the internet??

[Robb]

9. You keep using that word.

i do not think it means what you think it means. :D

[kestrel91316]

10. They don't think we're stupid. They think we're spineless and weak.

And they would be right a lot of the time. Who can blame them for making the assumption??

[Zephie]

11. I wish he could have had the guts to say this openly

Personally, this is exactly what I want to hear out of him. I'm glad that he called them out, even if it wasn't intended to be public. It restores at least a little of my faith.

[gateley]

18. Well it sounds like he said this to them, and that's satisfying. I've heard people

say you do not want to get this guy mad, so I'm sure he's not all conciliatory and mellow during their negotiations. I'm guessing he's just as frustrated and fed up and angered as we are, but he cant belly-ache and bitch about it in public like we can.

[No Elephants]

12. What made the writer think Obama was unaware reporters could hear him?

This may be genius.

[former9thward]

21. The press pool had been dismissed and left the room.

But a microphone was still on.

[No Elephants]

26. Yes, I know. I am implying maybe Obama knew reporters could hear him.

[Safetykitten]

16. One well placed and planned "slip" and he's a tough guy now. Just in time it seems.

[BeFree]

19. Duh!

He is a master politician, eh?

[Skittles]

44. yup

we'll get more as his re-election campaign heats up

[Raine]

52. Yeah and all

intended as a crumb to the liberal "worker bees" needed to do the drudge work in GOTV.

[totodeinhere]

20. Good for President Obama. It was great to hear him talking that way, and that's just what

the pukes deserve to hear. When I heard this it made my day.

[No Elephants]

22. April 14, Obama says (from the OP article):

"That included efforts to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

"Put it in a separate bill," Obama said he told Boehner and his staff. "We'll call it up. And if you think you can overturn my veto, try it. But don't try to sneak this through."



Senate rejects measure to defund Planned Parenthood (42-58)
011/04/14/6472644-senate-rejects-measure-to-defund-planned-parenthood-



Obviously, in practical reality, Obama has no control whatever over the Senate, just as people have been saying from Day One.

[Maeve]

25. In practical reality, the senators have to stand up in the Senate

And the representatives in the House. It's not Obama's job to do it all and the sooner our Congresscritters get on their own two hind legs, the better. Which it looks like the House just might be figuring out...

[freshwest]

37. Appreciate your signature, the reason the right hated him so much they had to destroy his name.

Hopefully the House will reject the Paul Ryans in their midst...

[No Elephants]

53. Obama leads them, as head of the Party, as the person in control of the DNC, including

campaign funds, which Party "stars," including him, campaign for whom and on and on.


Anyone who believes Obama cannot get pretty much whatever he really wants from Democrats in Congress needs to re-read my post--and also to study things like how quickly Obama got Congress to drop the drug re-importation bill. Or how Presidents in general have gotten Congress to do things, even if their own Party doesn't control it.

"It's not Obama's job to do it all and the sooner our Congresscritters get on their own two hind legs, the better."

Actually, as head of the Party, it IS very much Obama's job to lead members of his Party in Congress and to get Congress to pass his agenda. A HUGE part of his job, at that.

I think he's been doing that job--and they've been pretty much following--not letting him down at every turn, as some seem to wish to believe. And now, members of the House are telling him--and everyone else--they will not necessarily follow him if he calls on them to cut OASDI. (Senate, however, is not threatening rebellion against him so far.)

If Congress had been betraying Obama's wishes all along, the House would never have sent him a warning that they were not going to support him if he asks them to cut OASDI.

[Kall]

23. Been stupid so far.

Extending the Bush tax cuts, and waiting half a year for a Republican vote on health care come to mind.

[The Second Stone]

24. Sounds like he knew he could be quoted

nice red meat for the base.

[Demit]

27. Lol, yup. You'd think by now politicians would check to make sure the mics are off, if they really

didn't want to be overheard. It's all a game.

[Demeter]

28. I think so

If not stupid, then corrupted. I can no longer stretch my credulity to naive.

[mysterysoup]

29. A rare unscripted comment from President Obama.

[freshwest]

35. Um, the old GOP smear about teleprompters is still remembered. As opposed to writing on your hand.

[Kingofalldems]

38. I know one who tries to take Democrats for a ride

on a daily basis.

[Tx4obama]

40. Here's a LONGER version of the audio - just under 3 minutes worth

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/15/obama-open-mic-slip-audio_n_849682.html

[Liberalynn]

42. He needs to to talk like this more on the record

and follow it up with action not just talk. JMHO

[ProfessionalLeftist]

43. +1

[grahamhgreen]

46. Well, if this is what he's like behind the secenes...

I approve!

[hansberrym]

48. Mr. President -do you think we are stupid?

After you worked so hard to wrest free will from us, I guess we should not expect you to just give it back.


Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power
Economic Decision-Making Is an Activity Subject to Congress’s Commerce Clause Power


We are headed down a very dark path.

[Fozzledick]

50. Self-serving kick just to light the flame!

:evilgrin: