Once More Into the Breach: Obama, the Big O or a Big Oh, Oh

"I once said cynically of a politician,
'He'll doublecross that bridge when he comes to it.'"
- Oscar Levant

From The Washington Post 15 Sept.,2008

At a morning rally in Jacksonville, McCain noted what he called "tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall Street,'' but continued to say he believes the economy is sound -- a line from his stump speech for which Democrats have mocked him.

"Our economy, I think, is still -- the fundamentals of our economy are strong, but these are very, very difficult times,'' McCain said. "I promise you, we will never put America in this position again. We will clean up Wall Street."

Sen. Barack Obama seized on McCain's assessment of the health of the economy, blasting the Republican for being "disturbingly out of touch" with the reality that everyday Americans face.

"I just think he doesn't know," Obama said in Grand Junction, Colo. "He doesn't get what's happening between the mountain in Sedona where he lives and the corridors of Washington where he works.... Why else would he say, today, of all days -- just a few hours ago -- that the fundamentals of the economy are still strong? Senator -- what economy are you talking about?"

From The New York Times 13 March, 2009

Mr. Obama said, "There are a lot of individual families who are experiencing incredible pain and hardship right now."

"But if we are keeping focused on all the fundamentally sound aspects of our economy," he added, "all the outstanding companies, workers, all the innovation and dynamism in this economy, then we're going to get through this. And I'm very confident about that."

Mr. Obama actually came close to using the same language that helped doom the campaign of his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, who was hammered by Democrats last year for declaring that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." Recognizing the danger in appearing too upbeat, however, the president and his advisers were careful to warn that recovery could take a long time.

Still, after weeks of emphasizing the dire nature of the economic crisis in order to pressure Congress to act on his proposals, Mr. Obama has lately tried to calibrate the tone to inspire Americans rather than stoke their fears. In fact, Lawrence H. Summers, director of the president's National Economic Council, said in a speech Friday that there was an "excess of fear."

There seems to be no end to the baloney offered up by the President. His say anything approach betrays an incompetence and ignorance that makes one marvel. This next piece of cheap lunch meat just makes one shake the head.

Obama also told business executives that the current economic crisis is no excuse to postpone costly federal investments in health care, energy and other areas.

He said the problems with financial markets are only a part of what threatens the economy. He said the country cannot keep ignoring long-term threats to the nation's prosperity, which he listed as medical costs, the U.S. dependence on oil and an education and fiscal deficit.

While one may agree with "medical costs, the U.S. dependence on oil ... and fiscal deficit" being part of the problem I can for the life of me only wonder how socialized medicine, inefficient alternative energy schemes and deficit spending will solve those problems. As for the education deficit, the destruction of the vouture system in Washington D.C. Would be an indication that Obama is not too keen on what the problem with education is.

It is looking like it's not just me but even his own people are beginning to wonder if Barack is the big O or a big Oh, Oh.

From the Telegraph.uk.co

A source close to Mr Obama's top team telephoned this newspaper last week to say that White House officials now regard it as "a mistake" to have returned the bust of Winston Churchill that the British government loaned George W. Bush - a story first reported by The Sunday Telegraph - and then to have sent the prime minister home with a gift of 25 DVDs after his visit to Washington.

Ya think?

The admission came as Mr Obama faced and upsurge of criticism from influential and previously devout supporters among American commentators, halfway through what Mr Obama hopes will prove the most consequential first 100 days since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

So far he has had a radical economic stimulus approved by Congress, but faces accusations that he and his team, who regard themselves as great communicators, have made presentational errors.

The veteran Newsweek political columnist Howard Fineman, previously an enthusiastic cheerleader, delivered a withering verdict under the headline "The Turning Tide", which concluded: "Obama still has the approval of the people, but the establishment is beginning to mumble that the president may not have what it takes."

Camille Paglia, the feminist writer who was early and vocal Obama fan, said: "Heads should be rolling at the White House for the embarrassing series of flubs that have overshadowed President Obama's first seven weeks in office."

She denounced "the fiasco of the ham-handed White House reception for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown" and said that Mr Obama's aides were a "posse of smirky smart alecks and provincial rubes" who seemed like "dazed lost lambs in the brave new world of federal legislation and global statesmanship". Ms Paglia added on Salon.com that Mr Obama "has been ill-served by his advisers and staff."

Nile Gardiner, the foremost conservative expert on the special relationship in Washington, is gunning for the official at the state department who told The Sunday Telegraph last weekend that Britain deserved no special favours and was "just the same as the other 190 countries in the world".

All that experience as a community organizer doesn't look so valuable as he claimed it would be, eh?

Well he can just blame Bush for all the trouble.

From The Washington Post 14 March, 2009

Over the past month, Obama has reminded the public at every turn that he is facing problems "inherited" from the Bush administration, using increasingly bracing language to describe the challenges his administration is up against. The "deepening economic crisis" that the president described six days after taking office became "a big mess" in remarks this month to graduating police cadets in Columbus, Ohio.