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Obama vs. GOP = Great TV

President immensely entertaining in smooth mockery of Republicans

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 29, 2010 4:55 PM CST

(Newser) – Whatever the political consequences of President Obama's meeting with House Republicans today, the encounter will go down as "easily the most entertaining program C-SPAN (or any cable news network, really) has aired in a long time," writes Mike Madden for Salon. The verbal jousting was "a spectacle, the kind of thing that hasn't been seen in American politics in years." Obama smoothly turned what could've been a triumph for Republicans into a debunking of talking points and empty rhetoric.

Discussing the stimulus, Obama attacked the oft-repeated Republican complaint that "You could do this cheaper and get increased results," saying that would be "great" but he "couldn't find credible economists who would back up that claim." Given the tepid reactions to the president's first-year performance, Madden writes, it's no wonder "Democratic operatives around Washington watching it had pretty much the same reaction: 'Where the hell has this guy been?'"

President Barack Obama holds up a document of Republican solutions given to him by House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, before he spoke to Republican lawmakers at the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore, Friday, Jan. 29, 2010.
President Barack Obama holds up a document of Republican solutions given to him by House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, before he spoke to Republican lawmakers at the GOP House Issues Conference...   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama takes questions from Republican lawmakers at the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore, Friday, Jan. 29, 2010.
President Barack Obama takes questions from Republican lawmakers at the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore, Friday, Jan. 29, 2010.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Obama spars with House Republicans at their annual meeting in Baltimore.   (msnbc)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 54 comments
jwada22
Mar 5, 2010 10:50 AM CST
Emancipation of MAN is respect for both sexes not about guys with 2 *****
Lioness
Jan 31, 2010 9:27 AM CST
Cher, I don't follow specific commenters, I respond to specific comments. Not asinine if I'm responding exactly to the comment you made above, which was that immigrants aren't coming here anymore, and "big government" is taking over our lives and corporations. My response was absolutely appropriate, given that exactly the opposite is happening. Like I said, try another argument.
Moderation
Jan 31, 2010 5:55 AM CST
The only person on this whole thread who gets it is Lavender. This isn't about dems or pubs. It's about following the money. The government works for those who provide the most money. Money to get re-elected, money to have retreats and travel. What possible reason could any person have for becoming a career politician? Power and money; and all for playing this little game. It's a helluva lot easier than actually working for a living. Watch the video, they all know each other and they all know the issues. Behind closed doors they are all buddies. They know each others wives and children. When they make public statements, they use their talking points. It's not about getting anything done. It's about playing the game. You monkeys who come on here and repeat the same talking points don't have the first clue. These guys are laughing at you at how easily they can gin up your ire. The folks like Cher are hopeless. YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUES! It is so obvious it's sad. It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to remove all doubt. What Obama is saying is that, wink, wink we need to stop this nonsense and get some work done or we are going to all be out on our ear and God forbid the tea baggers will be running the show. Those jackasses think all of the rhetoric is real. It's like professional wresting, they think we really hit each other with folding chairs. Read between the lines and listen carefully to this conversation without your bias.
 

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