**** (early) Heads Up: Obama will hold a press conference at 2:20pm EST ****

[Clio the Leo]

... and it's official. I'm not going to get ANYTHING done today.

[CakeGrrl]

1. You brought the BIG bucket - thanks for splurging!

The mood is lovely here. Rec'd to zero.

:evilgrin:

[Clio the Leo]

3. I bought it with my tax cut money!

:evilgrin:

[Skittles]

2. thanks for the warning

[jefferson_dem]

4. Yummy...

May I?

[hlthe2b]

5. A "twist the knife in deeper" session?

Sorry, but that is how it feels.... :shrug:

[Clio the Leo]

6. For those counting, the President has now whipped out the "bully pulpit" TWICE...

.... in 24 hours.

Be careful what you wish for. ;)

[polichick]

7. Along with the white flag! nt

[jenmito]

11. What would YOU do? n/t

[polichick]

12. I would have announced over a month ago that tax cuts for the wealthy...

...would get a veto - instead, he signaled this outcome.

[jenmito]

14. He talked about wanting NOT to extend tax cuts for the wealthy all the way up to

the midterms. He wanted Congress to vote on that BEFORE the midterms. They didn't do it. And when they DID, the vote failed. If you would've vetoed it, then taxes would've gone up on the poor and middle class, and they'd be busy arguing about this the entire time. No votes on the DADT repeal, on the DREAM Act, on the START Treaty, etc. No thank you.

[Clio the Leo]

18. Funny how everyone seems to have forgotten that part huh?

Even members of Congress.

[jenmito]

21. Yup. They put all the blame on Obama,

as if Congress had no say in this. It's BECAUSE of them that he had to do this.

[no limit]

31. People forgot that part because it never actually happened.

Obama went along with democrats not to have the vote until after elections all the way back in September.

[Clio the Leo]

35. Again...

Obama slams Republicans
http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/article661574.ece/O...

Obama makes a tax cut threat
http://www.salon.com/technology/how_the_world_works/201...

Obama calls on Congress to extend middle-class tax cuts
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/15/5117441...

Axelrod says the president will continue to accuse Republicans of holding middle-class tax cuts "hostage."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13...

Obama Calls Republican Plan a Return to ‘Worn-Out’ Policies
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-25/obama-calls...

Obama mentioned wanting tax relief for 97% of Americans, for everyone earning up to $250,000.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10865897/1/obama-town-ha...

Obama argued against borrowing money to extend a tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of American households.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13...

how many more do you need?

We have the attention span of fruit flies.

[no limit]

40. Not a single link you posted works other than the first one

I don't see anywhere in the one article that works that he tried to pressure congress to act before the midterm elections, just that they should act. A couple weeks later he announced that the vote wouldn't take place.

[Clio the Leo]

43. Oh good grief...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/09/the_obama_tax_cuts_for_the_mid.html

http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/-55540-1.html

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42101.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20015870-503544.html


... unless Obama has now taken Google away from you, you can look the rest up yourself. ;)

[no limit]

45. Lol, "The Obama tax cuts". Has he used that phrase even once?

[polichick]

19. Making it clear that he would veto could have changed the entire scenario...

Republicans knew they could hold those things hostage because that's what was signaled.

[jenmito]

23. He didn't signal that at ALL before the midterms. Why didn't Congress vote on this THEN? n/t

[Clio the Leo]

27. no one ever has an answer that for that do they.

[polichick]

42. It's so freaking obvious - except to the blindly loyal. nt

[no limit]

24. Are you lying on purpose or by accident?

Obama was part of the decision not to have the vote before the midterms:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39368692/ns/politics-decision_2010/

So why did you just lie?

[Clio the Leo]

30. Using that logic, so was Pelosi....

... now, before anyone capable of basic reading comprehension accuses me otherwise, I am NOT BLAMING NANCY PELOSI .... I dont blame anyone, but the 31 Democratic members of the US House who refused to vote for the middle class tax cut when the President asked them to.

[no limit]

32. The president said on 9/26 they would have the vote after the elections

in what way is that asking them to hold it before?

[Clio the Leo]

36. I think you also missed....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x544619

[no limit]

39. In what way did Obama push congress to act in July of this year?

What specific pressure did he apply on congress?

[Clio the Leo]

41. um....

7/19 - "after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit," Republicans "who didn't have any problems spending hundreds of billions of dollars on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are now saying we shouldn't offer relief to middle-class "
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20010906-503544.html

7/21 - "After Tuesday's vote, President Obama assailed Republicans for "obstruction and game playing" and promised to redouble his efforts to win enactment of legislation to help small businesses and cash-starved states and to renew an expired middle-class tax cut."
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100721_Stalemate_broken_on_unemployment.html

7/24 - "Our economic plan is also aimed at strengthening the middle-class. That’s why we’ve cut taxes for 95% of working families."
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/07/24/presidents-weekly-address-moving-forward-on-the-economy-v-moving-backward/

[no limit]

44. So he didn't issue a single threat? Didn't call a prime time press conference?

Hell, he didn't even call a day time press conference.

So he didn't use the bully pulpit against republicans but he is now using it against the left. Classy.

[Clio the Leo]

46. You're right...

... in no way did Barack Obama try to take his message to a national audience.















lol, primetime press briefing. You realize this isn't 1975 right?

[no limit]

48. Not once did Jon Stewart talk about tax cuts

On how many national broadcast networks did any of those events you pictured appear on? You know, as a prime time press conference would?

[no limit]

20. YEah, busted out the bully pulpit to explain why he busted out the white flag

I think you totally missed the point the people that wanted him to bust out the bully pulput were making.

[Clio the Leo]

25. No ........

... he's BUSTING it over their heads. We can debate the merits of that, but that's EXACTLY what he's doing.

[no limit]

28. Are you being serious or sarcastic? Because what you just said is absolutely insane

What is there left to debate? He fucking caved. Get that through you head.

[Clio the Leo]

33. To clarify.....

... he is using the bully pulpit AGAINST THE LEFT. Again, we can debate the merits of that, but it's exactly what he's doing.

[no limit]

34. Fair enough. I don't think the people that wanted him to use the bully pulpit

wanted him to use it against the left.

But I actually agree with you, this guy has no respect for us.

[Clio the Leo]

37. lol, yeah, I dont think they did either...

.... and I'm waiting for everyone to realize that's what's happening.

[GOTV]

49. And thus further depressing the votes he will need in 2 years.

[Divernan]

29. It's the Bully Pulpit when you hold your opponent's feet to the fire.

All Obama does with his gift for speechifying is to scold all the Democrats who oppose his sellouts. You know the ones - people like me whom his spokesman labeled retarded.

Well I guess that qualifies as bully pulpit, because he considers us liberal, progressive democrats as his opponents, and at this point, we are!

[Clio the Leo]

38. Ah, but who's the opponent ....

.... that's the question.

[ibegurpard]

47. It's not Repukes, that's for sure...

[kestrel91316]

8. About WHAT? Is he still trying to convince us that ongoing tax cuts

for the 2%ers were necessary in order to save the union or some such dreck?

I am trying real hard not to become disillusioned.

[jenmito]

9. Rec'ed up to +1! n/t

[Clio the Leo]

10. ** Savannah Guthrie - "Pres has no news, he just wants to engaged the press in a back & forth..."

I AM SO GLAD I'M OFF TODAY!!!!!! lol

Again, one of the more interesting tidbits from his statement last night (that no one seems to have noticed)...

" I look forward to engaging the House and the Senate, members of both parties, as well as the media, in this debate."


:bounce:

[jenmito]

13. "He wants to take this on and advocate for the deal, they think was a pretty good one given the

circumstances and the political climate. The President's not coming out with anything further to announce as I understand it, but he WILL take questions and push back on some of the resistance they've gotten frankly from members of their own party..."

[young but wise]

15. This going to be interesting.

:kick:

[great white snark]

16. Can't wait, thanks. (nt)

[Clio the Leo]

17. Not sure if this is obvious but the networks will BREAK IN to regular coverage for this...

.... at least NBC will anyway.

[disillusioned73]

22. I rec'd thinking he had changed his mind...

what's this damage control??

[Clio the Leo]

26. Nope love, this is what you call....

... triangulation.