Remember that press conference when President Bush couldn’t think of a single mistake he had made? There’s a new sheriff in town.
‘I screwed up,’ President Barack Obama told NBC’s Brian Williams Tuesday in the wake of his nominee to be secretary of health and human services, Tom Daschle, withdrawing his name from consideration.
Daschle dropped out after acknowledging that he had belatedly paid more than $128,000 in taxes owed to the federal government.
‘Today was an embarrassment for us,’ Obama said. He said he was ‘angry,’ ‘disappointed’ and ‘frustrated with myself’ over the Daschle episode.
(via)
Nice. The president in mensch enough to admit that he’s not infallible.
Now he can make it all better by appointing the guy he should have in the first place: Dr. Howard Dean.
Up next: All the people who hollered for the withdrawal of Daschle’s nomination chide Obama for “throwing Daschle under the bus”!
Up next: All the people who hollered for the withdrawal of Daschle’s nomination chide Obama for “throwing Daschle under the bus”!
Quaker-
Daschle really didn’t do anything wrong, right? Why is Obama apologizing, embarrassed, angry, disappointed and frustrated with himself if it was a simple matter of a tax discrepancy that Daschle quickly rectified.
I don’t get it. Just yesterday he was behind Daschle 100%. Now he says he screwed up. Does he know more about the situation today than he did yesterday.
Or could it be because his job approval numbers are down 19% in just the last week and he realizes, smartly, that the hype and expectations for him are way too overblown?
Blog comment of the day:
There are two kinds of people in the electorate:
1. People who remember how horrible the Jimmy Carter years were.
2. People who are about to find out.
There are two kinds of people in the electorate:
1. People who remember how horrible Republicans are for the country, and so support President Obama.
2. Idiots.
Dennis,
Some of the most important, longest lasting events in my life took place during the Carter administration. Those were the days when a few friends and I developed what would become an Olympic sport and a multi-billion dollar industry, mountain biking. It also overlapped my last two years of roadying for one of the original San Francisco sixties rock bands, and tours with Leon Russell and The Average White Band. Carter was president when I met and lived with a wonderful woman, and together we started a magazine that I edited for seven years.
I had my fun meter pegged for the entire Carter administration and I made pretty good money, so maybe it was your attitude at the time, or perhaps a personal limitation that affected you more than Mr. Carter did.
Redpack Rider,
No my friend, its just that Dennis has a crystal ball and sees Obama admin as a failure(more projection)and would rather insult his honesty. An apology in politics is only a means to boost your “poll” numbers. Jeez, not even one month in and the cons are gnashing thier teeth:)
There are two kinds of people in the electorate:
1. People who remember how horrible Republicans are for the country, and so support President Obama.
2. Idiots.
Or:
1. People who love America.
2. Republicans.
After the Bush years, the Carter years can’t look so bad, even to Dennis.
Carter was a more popular president than George W. Bush. Facts are facts.
Beyond that, picking Daschle was a mistake. Said mistake has been rectified. Moving on.
And I _am_ old enough to remember the Clinton years — prosperity, booming job market, America as the world leader. Those are the times we’re headed toward, no matter how vigorously Republicans continue to shit their diapers and whine.
Repack, I’m glad you had a good time during the Carter administration. You were the exception.
Here are some of the highlights:
* “America held hostage” for 444 days
* Double-digit unemployment
* Double-digit interest rates
* Skyrocketing inflation
* “Malaise”
* Crappy cars
* Disco
* Roller disco
And I’m curious… just what was Obama’s mistake? Not properly vetting Daschle? Not thinking that a six-figure tax mistake was a big deal? What lesson has been learned here? And what steps are being taken to make sure it doesn’t happen again?
Picking Judd Gregg for Commerce Secretary was a good anti-Daschle move. Gregg was a tax lawyer before he started living off the public dime 30 years ago, he’s from a wealthy family (son of a former governor) and a couple of years ago he hit the lottery for almost a million dollars. Judd The Dud might have his issues (I respect my soon-to-be-former Senior Senator, but I don’t like him), but taxes ain’t likely to be one of them.
J.
Damn te adults really ARE in charge!
I definitely remember the Carter years. Thing is, I remember the Nixon-Ford years, too. Inflation got so bad in 1971, that commie Nixon put Wage and Price Controls on. Gerald “Clueless” Ford was wearing “Whip Inflation Now” buttons as the economy was plunging into recession. This is the economy that Carter inherited.
I for one remain grateful that the hostage crisis was solved without violence. I would have hated to see the US military have to fight a war after Nixon had ruined the Army in Vietnam. Do you know how many soldiers were on drugs in the 70s? Lots.
We did have crappy cars though.
Jimmy Carter was no disco fan. I helped stage a fund-raising concert for him in 1976. It starred Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, the Outlaws, and 38 Special.
Sounds like a kick-ass concert, Bruce Henry. If I remember, Jimmuh was a big fan of the Allman Brothers too.
It was, man. I forgot Duane Allman was there, too, but he was in his incoherent drunken fat slob phase about then. Also Dickie Betts. It was at the old Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL.
Ooops, not Duane. The other one, the one who married Cher. Duane was already dead.
Greg.
perhaps a personal limitation that affected you more than Mr. Carter did.
He’s not old enough to remember the Carter years.
Carter is to blame for Disco?
Can I blame Bush for Kanye West?
Bruce H.-
Why couldn’t you get Little Feat? Those were some good times music-wise. Good things do come out of misery I guess, so maybe I should be a bit more upbeat in some respects about the next four years. I admit, the music at the inauguration for the most part was pretty decent.
Can I blame Bush for Kanye West?
To the extent that his blind rage and anger toward him feeds and at the same time muddles some of his creativity, maybe, yes.
Oliver,
Be sure to save this post. You’ll save a lot of wasted effort retyping it over and over and over again over the next 3 years and 11 and a half months.
Dennis, when I say I “helped stage” the concert, I mean I got paid $3/hr to literally set up the stage for the concert. We literally worked 24 hours straight so that the concert could take place on time. The upside was we got free backstage passes. Dickie Betts’ wife was the hottest woman I ever met.
To the extent that his blind rage and anger toward him feeds and at the same time muddles some of his creativity, maybe, yes.
Actually, I was referring to his bloated and fragile ego muddles his creativity and feeds his mediocrity, but thanks.
Be sure to save this post. You’ll save a lot of wasted effort retyping it over and over and over again over the next 7 years and 11 and a half months.
Fixd! Um..wait.
“There’s a new sheriff in town” with a no lobbyist in his administration rule. How’s that working out?
Here are former lobbyists Obama has tapped for top jobs:
Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm.
Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.
William Lynn, deputy defense secretary nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for defense contractor Raytheon, where he was a top executive.
William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.
David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric.
Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs.
Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003.
Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.
Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.
Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president’s assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005.
Crickets…
Hm. So it seems like there’s a 2-year cutoff window. 6 people on your list fall under those guidelines. 5 people don’t and one has no date attached to your copy/paste.
William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.
See? Obammy has gone and put the federal gummint in the hands of Big No-Smoking!
Seriously. If you want to play “That Guy Was a Lobbyist!” be my guest. The purpose of Mr. Obama’s pledge was to get big money industries out of the business of writing their own regulations.
I see maybe 3 examples on the list that’s making the rounds that are worth a closer look. But three names doesn’t do you much good if all you aim to do is holler “Obama! Nyah! Nyah!”
But three names doesn’t do you much good if all you aim to do is holler “Obama! Nyah! Nyah!”
It does if that’s all you got.
* “America held hostage” for 444 days
* “Malaise”
Good for you. You can use a random text generator.
* Double-digit unemployment
* Double-digit interest rates
* Skyrocketing inflation
Got those under Bush.
* Crappy cars
SUVs
* Disco
* Roller disco
You’re really blaming Carter for this? Really?
Zython:
Makin’ this stuff up????
* “America held hostage” for 444 days
* “Malaise”
RICKinNJ: Yeah, famous quote from JC (That’s Jimmy Carter, the Messiah didn’t arrive until 2009); I heard it live, in fact. NOT a random word.
Good for you. You can use a random text generator.
RICKinNJ: Both of the above? Headlines in the Carter Years. Now, who’s using a random text generator.
* Double-digit unemployment
RICKinNJ: You got me there. And it’s going to get much, much worse.
* Double-digit interest rates
RICKinNJ: Not in the last 8 years. We’re talking prime rates, here. If you’re dumb enough to have a credit card at 18%, you’re just paying the Stupid Tax. House mortgages were at 18-20%, not their current 5-8%.
* Skyrocketing inflation
Got those under Bush.
RICKinNJ: Not in a decade; people are still refinancing, in fact. But back then, noone knew where the bottom was.
Skyrocketting inflation? Who’s using a random word generator, now?
* Crappy cars
SUVs
RICKinNJ: At least it’s no longer the norm for cars to die or rust out before the payments were done. I don’t love SUV’s, either. But at least they will run for years, as do most of Detroits products, over-priced though they may be.
* Disco
RICKinNJ: I don’t blame leisure suits on Jimmy Carter, either.
* Roller disco
RICKinNJ: Same as above.
You’re really blaming Carter for this? Really?
RICKinNJ: Not the disco.
RICKinNJ: Not the roller disco.
RICKinNJ: Not the double-digit inflation; that followed the Democrat majority in congress.
RICKinNJ: The rest? You betcha!
CONCLUSION?
Zython, you get an B+ for brazenness, but a D- for your facts being completely wrong, kind of like Obama.
(Notice I did not accuse you of lying; just being misinformed, at best. Obama *knows* the truth, though, so he can’t get by with just being stupid. He’s just a liar.)