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President Obama's quote about "whose ass to kick" yesterday is ample fodder for the conservative blogosphere, which compared his comments to those of former President George W. Bush, who was often assailed by critics for his aggressive rhetoric. Liberal bloggers also noted Obama's unusual shift in tone, but as means to emphasize the gravity of the oil spill.
NRO's Daniel Foster commented on Obama's statement, during an interveiw with NBC's Matt Lauer, that "I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf. A month ago, I was meeting with fisherman down there, standing in the rain. . .We talk to these folks because they potentially had the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."
Wrote Foster, "To review, the President of the United States is patting himself on the back for caring enough about an Old Testament-scale natural disaster to visit the scene eighteen days into it, and for caring about it before those lazy armchair pundits on the TV. (How many fire booms and Coast Guard clippers did Fox News deploy? That's right, zero. Truly the Party of No.) And then he threatens to kick some ass."
Foster continued, alluding to Bush. "All sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I mean, it's not like he said he was "The Decider" or something similarly juvenile. This guy's an adult."
"Last night, Barack Obama tried to play Mr. Tough Guy, but talk is cheap," said Erick Erickson on his blog Red State. "When George Bush stood on the rubble of the World Trade Center and said, 'I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people — and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!' people knew he meant business... When Barack Obama said he wants to find out whose rear end to kick, it’s just a convenient way for him to buy more time to tie this all to George Bush," he continues.
And for Hot Air's Allahpundit, Obama's comments are too little and come too late. "I thought nothing would top 'plug the damn hole' as a feeble show of command in the teeth of pure federal impotence, but never underestimate The One," Allahpundit wrote. "here’s his attempt at damage control with another two months of this nightmare (at least) still to go, imitating the same sort of bravado that the left used to detest in Bush in hopes that it’ll stop their caterwauling about his dispassion and give them a happy new meme to push. 'See? He’s mad. He cares.'"
At the liberal AMERICAblog, Chris in Paris described Obama's change in tone as "interesting, strange and unnatural." Chris also looked at the substance behind the style. "Good for Obama that he's talking tough and even saying BP CEO Tony Hayward should be fired, but we're deep into this crisis. There is a lot of lost time to make up and the gap needs to be closed immediately."
BalloonJuice's John Cole made his point about what he perceived as the triviality of the "ass kicking" comment by relegating it to footnote status in his post, first linking to a grim article in the New York Times today that "the immense undersea gusher of oil and gas, seen on live video feed, looks as big as it did last week, or bigger."
Several paragraphs later, Cole wrote, "Our press corps is all titillated that Obama said 'kick ass.' Should be an interesting day."
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Looks like a definite return of the anonymous conservative drive-bys and multi-accounters who add nothing to the conversation except nasty snark today. Apparently some of them figured out that all you have to do to create a temporary screen name is to create a phantom email account at hotmail or the like. Ah, well, we did have an accurate gauge of the makeup of the forum for a few days at least.
At least the chihuahuas haven't reared their ,ugly, empty, misinformed heads.
Shhhhhh! Let's not give them any ideas shall we? LOL
It does appear a couple of the other trolls have crawled out from under the bridge...
I for one am glad to see President Obama showing some emotion. In my opinion he has been way too conciliatory towards the Repugnicans since taking office. How many booms have the right wing propaganist sent to the Gulf? Zero!! How many people have they sent down there to help out? Zero!! What was the right wing's mantra during the 2008 election ? Drill baby Drill. Now they try to blame Obama for not diving a mile under the sea and closing that leak with his bare hands!! Oh wait there isn't any leak according to dim bulb Brit Hume. "Where is the oil ?" The right wing in this country is ethically, intellectually and morally bankrupt.
Don't forget, Bill, that IF Obama had the government step in and handle it, all we would be hearing is "Now He's TAKING OVER another private business".
Butt-wipes.
Thanks drive by I had forgotten . :-)
Dickweeds.
Tell me what the difference is in saying "the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from us soon" and what the current President said. If you can't tell the difference I can. It is who said what. They are saying basically the same thing.
First, he was not showing emotion, now that he is, it isn't genuine or too little too late.What do you people want. It is time to stop with gotcha politics and start doing some things that could be considered relevent. I can't believe the mindset of so many supposedly learned anyalysts and pundits.
I am surprised that the President has not lost his cool a long time ago. He should just go ahead, say I am the President and I will do the best I can for the US and if that is not good enough so be it. If America doesn't like it then when the time comes leave with a clear conscious. Enough with all of this childish crap. Either act like adults or shut up and find a place to pout.
You have got to be kidding. You see no difference to what Obama said to what Bush was talking about? Bush was talking about going after the people, countries, organizations, that attacked us. They were our enemy! They had to be destroyed. Obama is talking about going after BP. BP is not our enemy. They made a mistake, an error, have agreed that they have done so, and are working to correct the problem. Obama, and you, appear to think BP is the enemy, and that is very telling pattern for the Obama administration. Obama has the same mentality as Bush, that is "If you are not with us, then you're against us.", except Obama demonizes American and foreign businesses, not Islamic terrorists.
JOAnnaSmith: "Obama, and you, appear to think BP is the enemy, and that is very telling pattern for the Obama administration."
I am so sorry that you feel that way. I was not saying that BP is an enemy and I don't think the administration looks at it that way either. My point was that both of them, Bush and Obama, felt the need to get something done and that is admirable of both. I felt just like everyone else during 9/11 and was proud that the President was able to express that in a way that pulled us together. It was something that we all could understand. I am no idiot, I know the difference between those that want to harm us and those that make mistakes and for you to think that you are the only one to know the difference says more about you than me. You see I understand that there could be more than one way to look at a situation and tend to look for the positive rather than negative side.
I do give others credit for being sensible! I respect your opinion.
Mainstream media is into the sound byte du jour--not in depth, quality, investigative reporting (ala Rachel and Keith).
The right wing decided on Election night 2008 that Nothing but NOTHING this administration would do would be the correct thing. EVERYTHING would be wrong. At least the Liberals/Progressives will take an issue by issue reasoned stance.
I've not agreed 100% with everything the Obama admin. has done, but I shudder to think where we'd be if the Republicans had achieved office. Horrors!
Sad.
How right you are Ginger!
Going back to the earlier comment by Nash... if the MSM had analyzed a quarter of every single move Shrub made... quite possibly we would not be fighting 2 unfunded WARS at the moment!
Talk about dropping the ball! And now that there's a black dude in the WH well... they watch his every move right down to which shoe he ties first! And then discuss for hours on end why he chose that particular foot first...LOL
When he dares to question the MSM gets referred to as arrogant - uppity and showing disdain for the chattering heads...
We had a bumbling IDIOT as CIC for 8 years who couldn't speak English and NOW it's a problem... yeah riiiight... How pathetic *shakes head*
This is the one that always makes me throw my head back and laugh.
The day that President Obama stopped his conversation and killed that fly.... to the pundits that was horrifying..... oh my god!! anything else.
Exactly, Feisty! I remember cringing just about every time the previous Prez opened his mouth. If President Obama made 1/10 the verbal mistakes W did, the chattering classes would have a field day.
I want to hear what the Republicans would do to fix the well or marshall the forces (and I mean SPECIFICALLY!) I'd like to see a bullet point list with FACTS--not Fox News speculations about what could be done differently.
Do the Marines and the Army have expertise in oil spill stopping that we don't know about? Does the President have the Constitutional abilitly to order an oil company's tankers around like they're part of our Navy's fleet? Hmm?
Chris Mathews and Andrea Mitchell carried plenty of water for the Repubs back in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Just sayin...
MSM needs to shape UP and ask the appropriate questions of ALL sides--the government but also the scientists AND the wing nuts. Everyone needs to be able to justify their positions with clarity and thought!
Obama's reaction to the oil spill reminds me of ol' give 'em hell Harry Truman. It is time we realize that the President can be angry just like the rest of this. Acts that are so bad that they would P.O. the Pope are worthy of anger. Expressing his anger is appropriate and he has the "bully pulpit" to express what most of us would like to say regarding the gulf oil spill.
I'm actually curious now... Besides Jindal, what republicans have been speaking out against this oil spill?
NONE...they are just pointing fingers at President Obama for political reasons considering he spilled NO oil, and NOBODY knows how to stop the leak as of yet not even BP or the other Big Oil deep sea drillers. Funny how now Jindal and the rest don't mind that BIG government , or government spending or interference now....of course
I don't recall any. The other part of that is they have not had a lot to say about anything in the last few weeks, strange-strange behaviour.
I do believe that some of the Fox personalities seem a little guarded with the way the republicans and conservatives are so sure of taking over the house and senate. That coupled with the third party candidates may give them something else to think about depending on todays elections results.
Jindal is the only one, unless you count Crist as a GOP. Crist'sUS Senate website seeks to ban all off shore drilling off Florida's coast. Haley Barber has not merely been silent in any condemnation of BP, he's literally been absent during all three of the President's visits to the gulf, he was at Mississippi Day in NYC the last time. Even Vitter has been present each time Obama has been to the coast.
And then you have Rand Paul criticizing Obama's statement that they'll keep their foot on the neck of BP.
Shoot, Haley Barbour is trying to pretend there IS NO oil spill!
It is INSANE that these "journalists" are angry that they couldn't get the President to dance to their tune, as if ranting and raving John McCain / Sarah Palin style would have helped one bit. NOBODY to this day knows exactly how to plug the leak or it would have already been done. Report the news, we are not interested in what you "want" the President to do, but what he actually does and a phony loonatic theater rant ,thank goodness is not in his Character.
Why isn't the GOP paying for some of the oil spil ? They created it by giving their "friends" special deals !Looking the other way ..as usual Same with the banking ..de regulation of the banks.. Keeping the wars going to enrich their stock accounts ...
WaaaaWaaaaWaaa, it's all Bush's fault. Get over it, your boy has been potus for a year and a half in case you haven't noticed. This is HIS problem. But according to you flaming liberals Obuthead can do NO wrong. Let's see in Nov. eh?
You certainly brought a lot to the table....
As for Nov... I say bring it on! Not only are the Republicant's NOT going to retake the Congress... the embarrassment alone will keep them in the dark (where they belong) for years to come!
Go dry hump a tea bagger will ya?
See you in November... :0)))
The GOP critics search far and wide and come up with only garbage.
How can we really expect anything positive from the Republicans today when all they do, with the strong overt and covert support from Special Interests and the select few who they patronize, is use scare tactics and emotional appeals to self-interests aimed to excite and manipulate? How can they solve any of the real problems we have when they won’t even address them and instead only irresponsibly fault and obstruct others efforts? How can we trust them when they literally put their political ambitions above all else and just use subterfuge to rationalize and justify? How can we expect anything constructive from them when all they do/say is aimed at returning to ‘more of the same’ that got us where we are? When ‘deregulation’, ‘open markets’ and ‘small’ government is used to rationalize run-away greed, self-indulgence and gross dishonesty as being ‘conservative’ how can we then expect them to effect real reform? To ever get the Republicans to once again be the ‘Grand Ole Party’ conscientiously, honestly and responsibly representing the people we need to firmly reject what they have become, to resist their manipulation and to reject their subterfuge (and the Tea Party movement just doesn’t get that). To accomplish that we need to be more conscientious and responsible ourselves by rejecting our own irrational ‘more-for-me-for-nothing’ mentality that feeds into accepting their destructive manipulation.
Look, we voted for President Obama because he keeps his cool, and has grace under pressure, which is all well and good, but it's also about time that the President spoke his mind about this travesty that is happening in the Gulf of Mexico with BP. Each and every time BP tries to do something about this spill has been met with abject failure; every gripe and complaint the the CEO of BP gave earned the ire and disdain of EVERY American, and each Republican that talks about wanting the President to do more but complain about the Government taking over everything OR show their disgust about what has transpired over the last 1 1/2 months ONLY to say they need more off sure drilling OR wants to drill in the ANWR or some other place on land shows their hypocrisy, and the level of corruption between MMS and Big Oil shows a complete and total failure of the system.
After each and every episode, if I were him, I would be looking to stomp every ass that is created this disaster into a mudhole until they're walked dry.
Side bar:
Rush Limbaugh recently got married over the weekend to wifey#4.
To the blushing bride, I offer to her some parting,kind,words. These words were eloquently spoken by the late, great Adolpf Cesar, who played "Mr./ Albert"'s Father off of "The Color Purple", to Miss Celie:
" YOU HAVE MY SYMPATHY."
Well, at least Odumbo identified what he speaks out of.
For weeks the MSM have been crying 'where's the emotion' and 'why doesn't he get mad'?
So, he says 'ASS' and they commence to have a cow that he got angry and swore with that horrible "A" word...
Matthews foolish rant tonight puts him on top of the hypocrite list. He needs to go to FOX...
His language was not very presidential. He 's supposed to lead and show by example. Do you think he's starting to feel comfortable with Chris Wallace and Fox and he let his South Side Chicago thug-style attitude slip out? Maybe he's been hanging with Rahm too long.
Obstructionism is being perceived but what seems like obstructionism is really the Republican party voicing their point of view. The points of view of Democrats versus Republicans, I'm sure you will agree, are quite opposite. But not totally opposite. President Obama's idea of bi-partisanship is the conservative side caving to liberal ideas. He's not a "meet me half way" kind of guy.
I want healthcare reform, for example. Premiums are too high. Insurance is too complicated and restrictive. I am totally for the legislation regarding pre-existing conditions. I want help for seniors in that ridiculous "donut hole." I want people to have their own insurance. That's vital. I foresee the shock some will experience when they find out that "mandatory" insurance means they have to buy their own. And I think, if you're making $90,000 a year, you should buy your own insurance and not have it subsidized by the government.
We want immigration reform. We want people to abide by the laws on the books. Otherwise, why have laws?
We want kids and adults to be educated in good schools, with good teachers, so they can make successes of themselves.
We want open markets, competition, and trade agreements. We want regulation and when the regulators drop the ball, we get mad (ie: the SEC, MMS, Barney Frank messed up big time).
We all want the same things. To what extent, who will pay for it, and how we will get there are the issues we disagree on.
We expect services from the government - police, education, fire, emergency and disaster services, trade agreement negotiations, foreign policy work and the military. Other things too intrusive are, well -- too intrusive.
Don't kid yourself. Both sides are bought and sold by groups. Democrats by the unions, corporations and financial firms (the financial reform bill is turning out pretty benign and is being written by the Dems). The Republicans are bought and sold by corporations, too.
Every time I hear a politician say he's going to bring change, work with both sides of the aisle, change the way Washington works, I have hope. Then, sadly, I am disappointed over and over again.
Foster says this is "an Old Testament-scale natural disaster". I'm sorry, but when did this spill become a natural disaster. There weren't any earthquakes or hurricanes involved. This was completely man-made due to incompetence and greed. Anybody that thinks this is a natural disater is an idiot at best or worse being paid to label it as such.
I am tired of hearing about "politically correct" BS. Obama is the leader of this country and should stand up and say 'this is the way it is going to be' and anyone who doesn't like it can 'KISS MY ASS'.
Hey, it worked for Carter against Ted Kennedy. Can Obama come off as tough as Carter? Truly, it's an unfix-able problem, so swearing might be in order, so long as you aren't making promises, which Obama's statement does. You can swear as long as you don't swear to do something.
Still, I see more salty language to come. It's his best bet to connect. Here's a sampling of talking points that are in the pike:
http://klogtheblog.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/obadassama/