Perils of Leno Appearance and First Fan Bracketology
EmailABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf reports: The President’s bracket selection with Andy Katz made for good TV Wednesday night and his appearance on Jay Leno could make for good TV Thursday, but Republicans have a different perspective. Some members of the GOP are seizing on the president’s much anticipated appearance on Leno – and the ire of Duke’s Coach K at not being picked in the president’s picks for the Final Four – to say Obama should focus on the economy and not basketball and television. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., in a scathing moment at a Capitol Hill press conference said the president ought to fly back from Los Angeles, Calif. ASAP. "We’ve got a crisis on our hands, the president is correct about that," said Kyl. "He flies out to Los Angeles tonight to be on the Jay Leno show." "My suggestion is that he come back since he’s taken the full responsibility to get his people together and say alright I want to know exactly what happened," said Kyl. "Who did what when. How are we going to prevent this from ever happening in the future and how are we going to manage these taxpayer assets in order to solve the banking and financial institution crisis facing this country. Let’s get this resolved or the American people are not going to have any confidence in this administration." Republicans have suggested that when Democrats from the Treasury Department and the Senate included language capping executive pay for TARP recipients in the stimulus bill last month, in reality they were creating a nefarious loop hole to allow bankers to get bonuses. It’s unclear if Democrats were trying to create the loophole, but, Kyl said there should be hearings on how the executive compensation language was changed and by whom before lawmakers consider any law to try and claw back the bonuses. Buttressing Kyl’s point about Obama’s appearance on Leno with his own point about the president filling out an NCAA bracket, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., praised the president for his ability to multi-task, but said instead, he should be focusing on the economy. "(Obama) even found time to fill out his NCAA basketball brackets, which is a healthy thing to do in my opinion. But, he picked North Carolina and it caused the Duke coach, our Olympic coach, Coach K, to say, respectfully, you might be spending less time on the brackets, Mr. President, and more time on the economy. I that’s what we’d like to say, with respect. This country has one big problem. It’s the economy. There’s one person that can fix the banks and get the credit flowing again, that’s the President. It’s also notable that the president gave the cold shoulder in his bracket to the Pac 10 even as he headed to the South land, prompting L.A. Times Sports writer Diane Pucin to pen the story, "The Pac 10 Doesn’t Get the President’s vote." "Let’s see," she wrote. "President Obama’s NCAA tournament bracket predicts UCLA, USC, California, Arizona and Arizona State will all be first-round losers. Pacific 10 Conference champion Washington? Gone in the second round, upset loser to Purdue. What’s up with that?" UPDATE: ABC’s White House Correspondent Jake Tapper has this to add: As a UNC fan not particularly inclined to defend Coach K, I am nonetheless forced to say his remarks — which may seem petulant and immature — appear to be taken a bit out of context. Coach K’s full quote, said while smiling: "Somebody said that we’re not in President Obama’s Final Four, and as much as I respect what he’s doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets. Why would I care about that? I love the guy, and I think he’s gonna be great."
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“How are we going to prevent this from ever happening in the future”
Perhaps if Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. bothered to read the page that the famous “Dodd exemption” was added to, he’d realize SUCH BONUSES ARE ALREADY FORBIDDEN. The clause allowing past bonuses was part of this ban (and arguably was good law to properly state the scope and protect the clause from legal challenge and unintended consequences in contract law).
Sen Kyl – WHY HAVEN’T YOU READ THE THREE PARAGRAPHS AROUND THIS FAMOUS CLAUSE? It’s called an “exemption” because it was exempting pay already part of a signed legal contract from the ban on future such payment levels.
Posted by: jhw539 | March 19, 2009, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm
THE ‘FIRE, READY, AIM’ OBAMA TEAM! (Team Obama in Action)
*They select folks for critical positions and jobs before checking to see if they are qualified!
*They rush through billions of dollars in ‘Stimulus’ legislations without knowing what they are signing (to wit, AIG retention bonuses).
*The President talks down business and the stock market until he is dressed down by the CEO of CITI (Mr. Parsons), and the following day, the skies are much brighter.
*On March 16, the President advises major veteran organizations that he is thinking about causing veterans with war wounds to obtain their own private health insurance.
Based on the serious impacts this would have had on veterans and the potential of the volunteer force – largely the out cry (of total disbelief) from veterans, the President backed down on March 18!
*One of President Obama’s first major international policy changes was to CLOSE GITMO! On March 18, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that some of those prisoners might be released in the US. Yes folks – this is the same Eric Holder who called citizens of the US ‘COWARDS’ last month. Guess he is now going to give us all a test!!!!
—-and today, it appears that many of the democrats are all in a circle, with loaded pistols, firing at each other (Dodd vs Whitehouse and Geithner), and fighting over mics!
WHAT WILL BE THE NEXT FUMBLE BUM??? Please get Obama a teleprompter that will give him the correct answers to issues!!!!
Posted by: GrannyCares | March 19, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
i think it is funny for kyl to question obama and geitner since congress only works 4 days a week and it seems to me all they do is talk.
Posted by: william | March 19, 2009, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
Obama is treated differently than Bush. Bush went back to the ranch and cut brush all the time, but nobody said anything. However, if Obama fills out a bracket, it is because he is lazy and not doing anything. You know, the black stereotype.
Posted by: reason | March 19, 2009, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
Did these same Republicans give the former president grief when he made a joke about looking for WMD at a correspondents dinner while our soldiers were dying in Iraq?
Or when he took the time to blow out the candles on a birthday cake for McCain while an American city was being lost?
HYPOCRITES!
Posted by: Mysterious Traveller | March 19, 2009, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
GrannyCares:”*They select folks for critical positions and jobs before checking to see if they are qualified!”
Citation please. Or are you claiming that you believe that properly filling out a tax form is a key qualification for something like health care reform?
“*They rush through billions of dollars in ‘Stimulus’ legislations without knowing what they are signing (to wit, AIG retention bonuses).”
The AIG retention bonuses WERE NOT PART OF THE STIMULUS. You hate Obama so much that you’re starting to look foolishly ill-informed.
Posted by: jhw539 | March 19, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
jhw539.. um, of course it’s a requirement. If you can’t even successfully make your way through a tax form, how in the world can you be expected to handle trillions of dollars and take responsibility for the health of millions of Americans?
Would you give the keys to a Ferrari to somebody who can’t even drive a tricycle? Sheesh. Wake up.
Posted by: Courtney | March 19, 2009, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
“Would you give the keys to a Ferrari to somebody who can’t even drive a tricycle? Sheesh. Wake up.”
What does riding a tricycle have to do with driving a Ferrari? And it’s a bad analogy. I know plenty of great managers and administrators who have only a limited knowledge of the specifics of to what their operational processes apply.
Posted by: silky | March 19, 2009, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm
Courtney:”Would you give the keys to a Ferrari to somebody who can’t even drive a tricycle? Sheesh. Wake up.”
Wow. You’ve never done anything beyond a 1040-ez have you? It’s well documented that the IRS’s own internal help desks often gives conflicting interpretations of tax law. This is the big (only in my opinion) shining argument in favor of the flat tax – the current tax code is so convoluted it is unreasonably burdensome to comply with.
Posted by: jhw539 | March 19, 2009, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm
When will Republicans stop sniping at the president and offer coherent alternatives? At least work with him. I don’t expect because their leader Mr. Limbaugh wants him to fail and don’t care how many suffer to make their point. While I have little respect for Democrats in Congress I have less than zero respect for Republicans.
Posted by: indy_voter | March 19, 2009, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
indy_voter,
The GOP has offered an alternative that contains no additional taxes. However, it has not be allowed to put out on any media other than FoxNews. A congressman and a senator were both interviewed and explained how it would work and it would also stimulate the economy. Look it up before you say that the GOP did not offer anything
Posted by: DJ | March 19, 2009, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
All those GOP talking heads who’re blasting President Obama for his prognostications about the NCAA basketball tournament and for his upcoming appearance on Leno this evening are being their usual petty selves. Before he became President he was a man who has enjoyed playing basketball, watching basketball and talking basketball with his friends. Those enjoyments haven’t come to an end because of becoming President of the U.S. As far as appearing on Leno this evening, that can and will accomplish two goals — it gives Obama an audience of REAL people — not just those who manage to get a ticket for the show, but the millions of average Americans who’ll tune in tonight to hear him explain the new proposed budget in a setting more relaxed than standing at lectern, flanked by flags, in front of the Great Seal that, believe it or not, is off-putting to a lot of people because it stresses the distances between the President and average folks. Being on Leno will give him and us the informality of our living rooms.
Maybe the high and mighty GOP should re-examine how they continually fail to interact with the “lower classes” and how that failure probably went a long way toward their now being political underdogs. In the less than 2 months he’s been in office, he’s done more work than his predecessor accomplished in 8 years.
Posted by: nanameow | March 19, 2009, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
I can see it now…
Obama “I would like to thank Obama for….err…isn’t this your line?”
Posted by: Angie | March 19, 2009, 6:46 pm 6:46 pm
Crisis…Crisis…the house is burning! Right! Sounds like the Bailout, WMD, Mushroom Cloud. President Obama doesn’t vote in Congress. You got a Loud mouth with ‘airbubbles” Kyl. President Obama is going to fullfill his Mandate Mr. Kyl. The ones he was sent to Washington to do. Didn’t you vote today for the 90% tax on this money?
Posted by: sngeorgia | March 19, 2009, 10:38 pm 10:38 pm
PETTY>>>>>>>>SHOWBOATING REPUBLICANS. SINCE WHEN HAVE THEY GAVE A ‘HOOT’ IF IT WASN’T ABOUT THEIR SELF-SERVING POSTURING.
Posted by: sngeorgia | March 19, 2009, 10:41 pm 10:41 pm
Kyl and your conrades in the “NO” MEN club……….get ready for the up or down vote on our budget! Hay, for Healthcare, Jobs, College, New Energy and an economy that is not based on “cooking the books”, but a real foundation.
Posted by: sngeorgia | March 19, 2009, 10:45 pm 10:45 pm
how dare you talk about President Obama taking time to enjoy his life to choose an Ncca College Game for the Final Four. Damn Shame those same Republicans that chose to try to but President Obama for appearing on Jay Leno Show & traveling across the U.S. being the way he is PERSONABLE& so what he chose to still be the way he is not stuffy & a human being. Just because he is appointed to the White House does that make him different/or not because the First Afro American so/call Elitest to occupy /you know where
Posted by: bonita henderson | March 20, 2009, 11:50 pm 11:50 pm
Obama is the kind of politician the Framers feared when they opted for a republic, rather than a more direct democracy. I cringe when I read the comments from this demagogue’s supporters. Most of them are the ideological successors of the fish wives that spurred on the French Revolution to its glorious conclusion.
Posted by: marrob4 | March 21, 2009, 10:44 am 10:44 am