In President Obama’s town hall about the economic crisis in Fort Myers, FL today, a woman named Henrietta Hughes – facing homelesness thanks to the crisis – gave voice to the economic concerns of real Americans being dismissed by the conservative echo chamber and the mainstream media.
Ms. Hughes asked the President: “We need something more than the vehicle and parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help.”
The President responded that “We’re going to do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you”, then he embraced her.
Let’s do this right for Ms. Hughes and the rest of America.
UPDATE: As usual, the con media is attacking Ms. Hughes.
Too bad he isn’t really doing much of anything to help, and plenty to hurt.
It’s shocking to think that putting the very people who helped utterly ruin the economy in charge of rescuing it would prove to be a catastrophically bad idea.
Pretty speeches, flowery words and warm, fuzzy hugs are great, but Obama is 100% f*cking up so far on the most important issues of the day (let’s save the whole “state secrets” full court press he’s pulling to cover up torture for another post).
It seems that Bill L is nostradamus.. Oh, he isn’t – then shut the fuck up asshat, incoherent sniping from the sidelines just makes you look like a geriatric pair of boobs. After 8 years of inaction, Obama is doing something. Everybody seems to be an economist these days, unfortunately, because of that we get nothing but inbred commentary from misinformed naysayers.
“Now Henrietta, you just get in this line here. Let me introduce you to some folks. Up here, this is my half-brother George. George, this is Henrietta. And just right here is my great-Aunt Zeituni. Zeituni, come say hello.
“Henrietta, you just have to be a little patient with me. I’ll be helping you out just as soon as I get these family matters taken care of.
“In the meantime, while you’re waiting, I’m going to have a staffer bring over a laptop and get you logged on to mybarackobama.com so you can make a little donation. I know you’re already on government assistance, and since it isn’t even really your money, I know you won’t miss it.
Okay? Great, thanks. Be sure to have some cake while you wait. My wife Marie, uh, Michelle, I mean, she baked it herself this morning.
“Hey, Rahm, make sure the chef has those waygu steaks all ready when we get back on the plane, got it?”
Legislating by Anecdote: always proven to be effective. What about the other 299,999,999 Americans, Mr. President?
Shorter Farris, steno, and the entire wingnutosphere:
Stop whining and get a real job, you cow!
In a nutshell, Rheinhard!
“Hey lady…PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY–get it?!?!?”
Where’s my pony?
Looks like a few of you are plain envious. Maybe instead of writing meanspirited blogs you should get yourselves a dayjob and stop wasting oxygen. The few who made these obnoxious comments are plain old ordinary ignorant bigets.
Feel sorry for your sorry selves on your own time, or donate your organs to a real human being!
Hey it seems that HC is just a foul mouthed dim bulb who thinks that Paul Krugman is an armchair economist.
Read the links Forrest.
Do you not get it? Do you have any idea how easy it is to become homeless these days? Try living paycheck to paycheck because you had to settle with a low paying job…now picture losing that job…no money…no rent money…no grocery money…no money to move to a different/less expensive place. You are STUCK! And believe me there are NO JOBS! Even our local McDonald’s isn’t hiring!
Get a clue people…
Hi-Larious Steno! It’s as if someone took Dennis Miller and raped the funny out him!
I always laugh when the wingnut trolls come out to play (yeah, I mean YOU steno, bill, farris et al)) because in spite of the fact that you’re heartless, knuckldragging idiots, you’re fun to watch.
Now shut up and go away, your party’s over.
Obama did more POSITIVE changes in 20 days than Bush did in any year of his STOLEN presidency.
When did Americans loose compassion for one another? oh wait….they never cared for each other, segregated themselves based on religious beliefs and skin color, fought against the constitution, fought against federalism, declared war on each other….It’s only when we have the Terrorists, the Russians, the Chinese, the Japanese, etc.. attacking us that we can come together as Americans…I am ashamed of our country, and the callousness in the lack of humanity that we should all feel for a woman who fell down and is subsequently living in her CAR with her CHILDREN!!!
I was at the town hall meeting today and listened to Ms. Hughes explain her own personal plight. The humanity of the moment is moving: to see the president leave the podium, go into the audience and hug this elderly, crying woman was phenomenal. She is now the face of the American Homeless.
The only way to respond to missing the town hall meeting in ft. myers today is to congratulate Henrietta Hughes. I’d prepared my housing crisis questions. I did my hair and nails.
Alas, the Florida ’staff’ dropped some passes to the Obama event. No hard feelings…only gratitude for Henrietta Hughes who touched our hearts. She, and the others who got in, invigorated the President.
got my mojo back,
Christy
Where’s my pony?
Keep digging, monkey boy.
Obama did more POSITIVE changes in 20 days than Bush did in any year of his STOLEN presidency.
Seriously. 8 fucking years of doing NOTHING and you guys did nothing but cheerlead. Now you won’t even give the new guy time to find the fucking crapper in the Oval Office before you start whining.
Can you count the strawmen?
1. “doing NOTHING”: Even if you disagree with the policies he supported, you’d be hard-pressed to claim Bush “did nothing”.
2. And even if you want to stretch the claim into “Bush did nothing positive”, Bob Geldoff would like to have a word with you.
3. “did nothing but cheerlead”: Conservative reactions to Harriet Myers, Dubai Ports, Immigration, McCain-Feingold, No Child Left Behind, et all put the lie to that claim pretty quickly.
4. “give the new guy time”: Oliver waited until all of before he was even inaugurated to claim Obama Greatest President Ever and I didn’t see you tsk-tsking him. Plus, as pointed out in another thread, the same crowd claiming we should wait is the same crowd that was gunning tooth and nail for Bush during early 2001. I guess you forgot the old “People in Glass Houses” parable.
5. “whining”: granted, I’m guilty of throwing off a few one-liners in the past few weeks. But there has also been substantive criticism. To lump everything together as petty bickering is disingenuous at best.
Wow, only 5? I thought there’d be more. Then again, you only gave me 2 sentences to work with.
Being called a “knuckldragging[sic] idiot” by a guy who then tells me that “Obama “did more positive changes” ?
Oh, that’s some fine irony! YOu just can’t contain that kind of awesome.
I love this place…
I hope Miss Henrietta runs over you guys with her car when you heartless idiots lose your jobs in the next round of lay-offs. There are no real jobs out there for her to get. 597,000 people lost their jobs in January. This solidifies the fact that most of you boneheaded republicans don’t get it. I’m sorry, I forgot to use smaller words with pictures for you troglodytes.
Hey, Steno, if the shoe fits, stick it in your mouth and go and try to do it without dragging your knuckles.
Moron.
Fine, Farris, you got me hyperolizing (is that a word?).
I don’t remember much about early 2001 except the made up stories about all the W’s being off computer keyboards and porn left behind on Air Force One.
you’d be hard-pressed to claim Bush “did nothing”.
That’s true. He took more vacation days than any other President.
Bob Geldoff would like to have a word with you.
About what?
Conservative reactions to Harriet Myers, Dubai Ports, Immigration, McCain-Feingold, No Child Left Behind,
I guess there is a limit to the amount of bullshit even conservatives can swallow.
Oliver waited until all of before he was even inaugurated to claim Obama Greatest President Ever and I didn’t see you tsk-tsking him.
I certainly don’t feel the need to admonish Oliver every time I don’t agree with him. It’s his yard, he can call the game.
But there has also been substantive criticism. To lump everything together as petty bickering is disingenuous at best.
Last few days, it’s all be clumping together. The sour grapes get mixed in with the sweet ones.
Still not sure what Bush did that was positive his first 3 weeks in office.
It is somewhat ironic that Henrietta Hughes is homeless because of policies enacted by Obama.
Because congress passed an act that required banks to make housing loans to people who could not afford to repay the mortgage. On a interview posted on youtube, she said she had a $1000 mortgage. Can you imagine her bills with insurance, gas, electric, etc.? She was saddled with a big house she could not possibly afford because of Obama and his congress.
He is directly responsible for her situation but now he is her savior?
That is sicko.
Still not sure what Bush did that was positive his first 3 weeks in office.
He arranged a submarine ride for some of his Texas pals.
Would one of the trolls here care to explain how tax cuts are going to help that woman?
I’m guessing the reason she’s living in a car isn’t because of her overwhelming capital gains tax burden.
Yeah, would somebody care to explain how directing 40% or MORE of the stimulus to useless tax breaks in a bill that many economists already feel is too small to get the job even half done is going to help that woman?
How is Geithner’s plan to throw buckets of tax payer money down a hole to prop up insolvent banks…AGAIN…going to help?
Make my words, Geithner and Summers, Wall Street whores to the bone, will bring the economy down around Obama’s ears.
Really, how many Beltway and Wall Street insiders does Obama have to court while blowing off the progressives who helped get him elected before anyone here will call him on it? Remember the ban on lobbyists? Remember how he waived it right out of the gate for William Lynn? Then looked the other way when he nominated industry tool Tom Daschle for HHS?
And let’s forget this appalling development.
Kinda reminds me of that promise to filibuster telcom immunity. Remind me, how did that go again?
Positive steps like insuring poor children or helping ensure women get equal pay are terrific, but pale when measured against the need to rescue this nation from a relentless hoard of privileged parasites who have no qualms about stealing food from the mouths of generations yet unborn. Consider that the military budget, already more than half the total domestic budget (counting supplemental funding for little things like illegal foreign wars) and greater than then nearly all the rest of the world COMBINED, is going up while Congress and our new president wrangle over how many social services will cover another 50 billion in tax breaks.
So yeah, how the f*ck do tax breaks help again?
Would one of the trolls here care to explain how tax cuts are going to help that woman?
I’m guessing the reason she’s living in a car isn’t because of her overwhelming capital gains tax burden.–biggerbox
Could you explain how a unemployed, homeless woman with one child who are both living out of a truck for the last year and a half just happened to get a ticket to an Obama townhall meeting? And a front row seat, nicely dressed and coiffed?
Could you explain why the video above just happened to cut off right before the creepy lady in the white coat to Henrietta’s right mouthed a big “I Love You, Barack” to him?
Could you explain how the lady who gave her a house shortly after this exchange was run on the airwaves just happened to have a spare house on her and could so easily just hand it over to her? Did the benefactor of this house just then and there realize there are homeless people amongst us who could’ve used her help, or was this a V-8 moment for her?
And could we start a fund for her here right now for helping Henrietta when she gets her tax bill on the house she was just so kindly given?
Would one of the trolls here care to explain how tax cuts are going to help that woman?
Perhaps the local factory owner would be able to hire her if the tax burden weren’t so onerus. Cut taxes, and the local entrepeneur will be able to afford to hire Ms. Hughes.
Guess what guys? Raising taxes on “the top 1%” has consequences. This is one of them.
Perhaps the local factory owner would be able to hire her if the tax burden weren’t so onerus.
-On the owners income or on the net income of the factory? Since when did Sally Struthers offer degrees in economics? As of now maintaining AMT relief would have a direct cost of $3.7 trillion over the next ten years. Go peddle your bullshit over at Red State or Hot Air where they don’t question stupidity.
Could you explain how a unemployed, homeless woman with one child who are both living out of a truck for the last year and a half just happened to get a ticket to an Obama townhall meeting? And a front row seat, nicely dressed and coiffed?
The tickets were free.
Shorter Dennis: I got nothing.
Steno funny stuff! Where were the wheelchairs, the lame, the sick in the front row? The Almighty obama could have walked up to them and “hugged” them and they would have been healed!
Boy this sure was a tearjerker of a tale until an evil Republican gave her a house.
Oops.
Could you explain how a unemployed, homeless woman with one child who are both living out of a truck for the last year and a half just happened to get a ticket to an Obama townhall meeting? And a front row seat, nicely dressed and coiffed?
Could you explain where you think homeless people should be and what you think they look like? “Homeless” isn’t a synonym for “dirty bum living under a bridge.” The homeless also have children. The homeless also own clothes. The homeless read and think and vote.
Do you actually believe that because this woman is homeless she’s somehow out of place at this town hall?
I agree with Michelle. Times are tough. I need some money. WIll you give it to me Obama. I will be faithful to you and never vote republican. While we are at it, I need a home, a car and gas.
Do you actually believe that because this woman is homeless she’s somehow out of place at this town hall?–Quaker in a Basement
Not saying that, Quibbie. Just wondering if this thing wasn’t all very much pre-arranged. Wouldn’t bother me so much if it weren’t that that was the first accusation out of just about every liberal blogs’ keyboard the day after John McCain mentioned Joe the Plumber in that debate. Or that Keith Olbermann and the vlog sites (one in particular that OW linked to on the Glenn Beck topic recently) that criticized every Iraq photo-op Bush ever did with accusations of planting for effect.
Maybe it was just a random event and this lady had a very lucky thing happen to her, God bless her for that and I’m happy that fortune smiled on her. But if it was staged, I have to wonder if it’s not just more of the ‘Jesus Christ was a community organizer’ messiah meme that his handlers are still trying to push, especially right now when the stimulus bill is being met with more and more public skepticism.
Legislating by Anecdote: always proven to be effective. What about the other 299,999,999 Americans, Mr. President?
Translation: “How DARE you personalize the issue! It’s not like the issue affects people or anything.”
Why do you hate Americans so much?
Hey Farris,
Game. Set. Match.
Hey Farris,
Game. Set. Match.– Bill L.
You mean there are some corporations with similar scruples of Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner, Chris Dodd, Al Franken, Hilda Solis and Nancy Killefer?
Or are they just tax avoiders, as opposed to the above tax cheats?
You mean there are some corporations with similar scruples of Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner, Chris Dodd, Al Franken, Hilda Solis and Nancy Killefer?
Seriously, you’re fucked up.
You’re throwin’ a whole bunch of hperbole right there, and only a small smattering is sticking.
I get Daschle, Geithner, Dodd, and Killefer, but Franken, Solis?
And please, SOME corporations?
and only a small smattering is sticking.– Duros62
Chinks in the armor, Duros62. If I’ve only gotten one liberal to think a little more clearly, I can sleep better at night.
What I wrote is not hyperbole, btw. Saying ALL Democrats have trouble paying their taxes would be hyperbole, although given recent revelations, not so far off as to be deserving of the accusation of an egregious use of it.
but Franken, Solis? Bill L.
Yes.
And please, SOME corporations?
That’s probably hyperbole. The current tax code for corporations and individuals is seriously f’ed up.
Not surprisingly, Oliver ignores (and will continue to ignore, no doubt) the fact that the woman who donated her house has contributed to Republicans and in fact is married to one.
Hell, she might even be a Republican (or at least a conservative) herself.
But that fact would get in the way of what is yet another in a long chain of Oliver diatribes about those evil cons and Repubs who just want to see poor people thrown out into the street so they can point and laugh at their misfortune from the safety of their mansions.
Dave in SoCal, in your quest to troll Oliver’s site, you forgot that tidbit wasn’t in the news until late yesterday.
The least you can do is try to be as articulate as your fellow Repunk troll, Dennis. I don’t think it will help much but you’ll sound smarter by 1/4th.
but Franken, Solis? Bill L.
Yes.
Cite please?
but Franken, Solis? Bill L. Yes.
Cite please? –Duros69
Franken’s tax problems should have been caught
Just the first story that came up from google, and I didn’t vet it, but there are hundreds.
Same here: UPI: Tax problems delay vote on Hilda Solis
Game. Set. Match.– Bill L.
So … companies that generate ZERO net profit for the year should still have to pay taxes on gross income? Does this fantasy land apply for individuals as well?
PS. In your article, most of the blame is put on Sub-S corporations. So, in your mind, that makes John Edwards yet another tax cheat. Yes?
President Obama is God sent! He is a man of compassion and
cares about people generally. The President demonstrated his
concern when he left the stage to step down to kiss Ms. Hughes and take time to listen to her sad story and
then to say that he would help her. What other president has
shown this kind of compassion toward ordinary, suffering human beings? I’m sure other presidents may have been caring, but President Obama frequently shows it by the way he understands and connects with all kinds of people so well. He is showing us how we should treat one another, as the Bible teaches us.
The real event was the blond woman behind and to the left who in almost religious tears cried,” I love you, Barack.” She looked pre orgasmic. Give me a friggin’ break. He’s a man. Get it? A man! His hem will not heal you.
He’s a man. Get it? A man! His hem will not heal you..—Stephen Rapp
Cue ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ by Yvonne Elliman in Jesus Christ Superstar.
And yes, Jesus Christ was a community organizer too.