Tonight’s Q for President Obama

Obama:I have not yet seen the final product coming out of the Senate or the House, and we’re in constant conversations with them. I am confident that the budget we put forward will have those principles in place.
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Jake, didn’t you try to find out the other day if they are in contact with leaders of both parties? I wonder who the “constant contact” is with.
When he was a candidate, the thing I hoped for most from him was that he would lead a very difficult process of changing our health care system.
It seems he is pretty much turning the details over to Congress. Am I reading the situation properly?

Great question, Jake.
of course, no answer to it. Expected. HopeyChangey.

The wealthy are looting and plundering this country like it’s riot day down in Watts – and these are the questions we get from the national media?
Seriously, who’s more incompetent – the media or the bankers? I’m guessing since they cleared more cash and retained control (they still own the networks and cover the reporters’ salaries, right?) -
Yep, the baby boomers have dropped the bar to the point of no return. We’re doomed.
Let us know when you get a definitive answer from the Prez on those middle class tax cuts, Jake -
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire…

Great questions tonight Jake, you’re asking the kind of questions a reporter should be asking, keep this up and I’ll have to take back half the bad things I was saying about you.

In a perfect world, everyone’s needs would be met, health care for everyone according to their needs and means, no pollution, no dependency on foreign oil, etc..you get the pix. I’m perplexed by his nnumbers. There is going to be a day when we cannot unload our debt because noone will purchase them..we’re heading towards massive inflation. I was taught that you save up to get what you want. Credit is a hellhole of interest and debt that basically chains you up. Such as we are now. He keeps saying we need to spend to save for tomorrow or for the long run benefit. The interest alone in the long run have bound the next generation. He seems to just want to shove his programs through before people can fully comprehend. Maybe he doesn’t care about an other term and that’s fine. Maybe he really is the most decent guy who does no wrong. I don’t know, I’m not His maker. I was a Democrat but had trouble when I started to listen to him. I feel as though I’m missing something and I’m having an increasingly difficult time trusting this administration. I absolutely feel as though I’m living in opposite land when he gives me facts according to his beliefs. Where am I thinking wrong? I’m trying very hard to give him a chance but I feel as though the harder I try and try to listen. The words are hollow. I’ve got 4 yrs. to keep trying.

Good question, and a reasonable and non-evasive answer. Way to bird-dog it with the follow-up.
Every single budget has to go through Congress – of course Obama needs to outline priorities and apply pressure. If the document were overly specific, it would just be a set-up for embarrassment. Ultimately, he’ll mainly get what he wants, which is what we need.

“It’s truly frightening that the leader of the free world can’t even answer a few questions w/o his mind masters feeding him what to say.”
Now you know how we felt the last 8 years. The big difference is that even when he was told what to say Bush managed to botch it.

“Jake, ask Obama why countries that already have universal healthcare are experiencing economic meltdown as well.”
Every now and then among the partisan sniping comments, there comes a truly brilliant comment. This is just such an example. I wish someone among the “press corps” had thought of this question.
I will give Tapper credit though for being among the very few journalists left in America, which scares me as much or more than any other issue this country faces. Without a free and fair press we have no democracy.

“Will you sign a budget if it does not contain a middle-class tax cut, does not contain cap-and- trade?”
Honestly, what did you expect the President to say to this? That he would just roll over and pre-emptively give away the only bargaining chit he has with Congress? Sorry, but it strikes me as a stupid gotcha question. I would hope the president will judge the budget as a whole.

Does Obama ever answer a question?

I’m beginning to think Obama is emotionally ill. Megalomania, delusions of grandeur, I’m not exactly sure, but my sense of people tells me that Obama is not normal. And with the myopic/worshipful/chagrined msm, I am wondering and worried how bizarre Obama’s behavior would have to become before anyone will admit that there is something seriously wrong with this man.

Yeah, and AIG gave itself an A- on how it handled the bonuses :)
Given the problems we’re facing, that was a ridiculously inept press conference.
Again, props to the white lady who asked Obama what it was like being a brother in the White House…
That question alone should have assured the group an F – though I thought Obama handled it extremely well :)

Jake, you’re only one of the press
covering this Obama train wreck. Try
to cut the B.S. out from under this
phony at every press conference. I
understand, of course, that you won’t,
or can’t. You in the White House
press are a big part of the problem.

Rahm Emmanuel is to Barack Obama what Howard K. Stern was to Anna-Nicole Smith. Blind ambition meets pathological narcissism. Another human tragedy in the making.

Thanks Tungsten. I do what I can. ;)
I hate to see political discourse devolve like this. I understand a lot of people still haven’t gotten over their disappointment with the election results – been there, but we really don’t have time in this economy for people to wallow in it for too long. Our strength has always been in unity . . . it’s right there in the name, “United” States.

Teri B
“It’s not about Pres. Obama. It’s about US. Our society is based on the premise that we rise or fall together. It’s about time we remembered that.”
Well of course we rise and fall together which is why I think some of these massive spending excursions are so disturbing. So much was made during the campaign of Bush deficits yet here we have spending trillions of dollars like so much used kleenex. Ordinarily I would agree to over spending in a regular cyclical recession, that is extraordinarily different than over spending when the Fed is firing up the printing presses to increase the money supply.
This President’s proposals have nothing to do with deficit reduction, I believe it is impossible to invest by overspending while claiming to save. This is just one way this President has backpeddled from his promises. Moreover, he seems to be bungling his way through his responsibilities in ways that are truly alarming.

President Obama did extremely well tonight. We have a focused and well informed president who understands the intricacies of the large task of keeping America afloat. It is sad to read so much discontent from individuals on this blog who are disrespectful of the person who needs our support in the most devastating economic downturn since the Great Depression. To be honest this blog is full of venomous comments lacking substance. It’s a big pity party and not a reflection of positive and hopeful America.

Good question and good answer.
He is right about the middle class tax cuts already being in the recovery package. My opinion is that tax cuts in the recovery as well as the budget is not really reasonable. So, I think Obama should sign a budget without tax cut provisions.
And Jake, as someone who has also directed some criticism at you, I would like to congratulate you for being a great journalist and carrying yourself accordingly. I am very relieved you weren’t at the receiving end of that well-deserved response to EH.

It was a good question Jake, but it was a gotcha question and the president knew it. I would hope that our president would read the budget before he “signs” it. And if the tax cut is in there great…if not, you get to ask him why…not IF.

Appropriations bills go to the president for his signature and authorizations, but not the budget. Jake Tapper doesn’t know this.

mad,
/—–
Jake, ask Obama why countries that already have universal healthcare are experiencing economic meltdown as well.
—–/
That’s easy. The greedy rich people in those other countries stole the money from their citizens, too. At least the people in those other countries actually GOT something for their loot.

Spending and deficits by Bush harmed this country.
Obama and the liberal democrats that control Congress are spending and increasing our deficits at a rate that will DESTROY this nation.

They need to rename this ‘Budget’ thing…the government isn’t on a budget!

Obama seems to think that because he inherited this huge deficit it is okay for him to continue to grow it. I’m in an out of control car going 50 mph so I raise the speed to 100 mph to save myself. I don’t think so!!

Jake…..
Good work! We are beginning to see the 4th Estate try to accept their responsibilites to this nation. That is encouraging! No one wanted to get cute and waste their question on the trivial.
It is unfortunate that journalists may have destroyed the confidence of the people beyond repair at this point. The dagger in the heart of journalism may well be fatal and press conferences like this one may well be too little too late.
If I had a bone to pick with you if would be the persistent trend of the media (in general) to act like kids trying, in August, to find out what they are going to get on Chirstmas morning, well before the shopping has been completed.
Hypotheticals are most useful when some elements are in place. You asked a compound hypothetical premised on something that is RUMORED to be happening in the midst of a process that is not yet complete.
I am not sure what you were going for? A tiff between those writing the budget and the president? Were you looking a commitment from the president to act in a certain way?
I am glad that we have a President who reacts to the facts that are before him and not what “he said he heard that she said might happen” senario’s. I am glad that we have a president with the sense to preserve his options for dealing with a problem……especially political ones like the potential senario you proposed.
I am glad we have a president who doesn’t try to prejudge other’s actions or telegraph his own.
My personal preference would be for the members of the 4th Estate not to continue a legacy of trying to create (or encourage) squabbles that don’t
exist and to find ways to be forces for resolution of those that do (and there are certainly plenty of those to focus on).
I am disheartened to see so many of those commenting still choosing to characterize every answer that is not to their satisfaction as “evasive”.
Either we want ideologs who, based on their engrained ideologic bents, have off the shelf prepackaged posturing prepared for all the problems we face or we want a president who is thinking on his feet and perpetually recalibrating to meet the challenges that present themselves.
Strength is not always found in the preemptive strike. Sometimes one ends up looking like a hyperreactive, contentious baffoon.
Had Obama outlined measures he would take to combat something that may or may not appear in a budget on the say so of a member of the press he would certainly risk making himself look foolish.
I think that repeating what priorities will guide the choices that he makes for the actions that he might ultimately take (should your he said/she said come to past) is the ONLY responsible answer to your question.
Nonetheless, I am glad that someone asked the question and gave American an opportunity to witness the restraint that Obama uses in his decision making processes.
Sorry to all the kiddies who were hoping to find out what the if/then would be.

It’s sad the stupid people who voted for this idiot BELIEVED they would get a middle class tax cut. It ain’t happening until we can get him out of there in 2012. I am so angry at people who voted for this CLOWN – did you really think an inexperienced job hopper could run a country?

Obama says so much of nothing so nicely.
This press conference was such a waste of time.

Neville….
There is NO evidence that anyone knew much more about the employment contracts of AIG than that some contained some sort of bonuses. There were 100+ different contracts for 116, 000 different employees that had to be reviewed. The Fed Reserve had the contracts and the they have acknowledged that they did not provide a summary to Treasury until March 5th.
Perhaps you are one that was satisfied with the half cocked ineffective politically driven actions of the last administration. I am not.
Perhaps you are one that admired the willingness of the Bushies to ignore our laws to effect whatever they could sell as popular to the public. I am not.
How people who sat back and accepted the Bush explanation for failure to take action (arguably with attempts to obstruct) in the the investigation of the outing of a CIA agent on the basis that he needed “time to gather facts” are finding it possible to twist their mouths to talk out of the other side on this is beyond me.
I am frankly amused that a reporter complained about the absense of a “shock and awe” response from the POTUS! I am pleasantly, and most satisfingly amused that Obama disappointed the press by not getting ‘hair on fire’ until the contracts had been reviewed.
Why Bush didn’t make the release of the TARP funds contingent upon the review of these contracts is beyond me! Why McCain suspended his campaign to address these matters and didn’t look at the contracts escapes me.
What is CLEARLY not arguable is that WHATEVER Dodd or Obama or even Geithner were left with was a need to reverse something that Bush had done.
It is like trying to clean up after a puppy who has trashed a home— you don’t always find every pile of poop imediately. Bush apparently took a dump in a closet in the corner behind other things and who knows where else!
I am amazed that the press (who also failed to follow up on the issues of bonuses despite their access to the hearings mentioning them) let the ball drop on the bonuses and they are collectively so blithe that they think we have failed to notice that fact.

Ability
Even if you got your wish— he would still look more competent than Bush and his gang of criminals!

“It’s sad the stupid people who voted for this idiot BELIEVED they would get a middle class tax cut. It ain’t happening until we can get him out of there in 2012. I am so angry at people who voted for this CLOWN – did you really think an inexperienced job hopper could run a country?”
Perhaps you are not acquainted with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes the following:
$116 billion: New payroll tax credit of $400 per worker and $800 per couple in 2009 and 2010. Phaseout begins at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for joint filers. [30]
$70 billion: Alternative minimum tax: a one year increase in AMT floor to $70,950 for joint filers for 2009.[30]
$15 billion: Expansion of child tax credit: A $1,000 credit to more families (even those that do not make enough money to pay income taxes).
$14 billion: Expanded college credit to provide a $2,500 expanded tax credit for college tuition and related expenses for 2009 and 2010. The credit is phased out for couples making more than $160,000.
$6.6 billion: Homebuyer credit: $8,000 refundable credit for all homes bought between 1/1/2009 and 12/1/2009 and repayment provision repealed for homes purchased in 2009 and held more than three years. This only applies to first-time homebuyers.[31]
$4.7 billion: Excluding from taxation the first $2,400 a person receives in unemployment compensation benefits in 2009.
$4.7 billion: Expanded earned income tax credit to increase the earned income tax credit — which provides money to low income workers — for families with at least three children.
$4.3 billion: Home energy credit to provide an expanded credit to homeowners who make their homes more energy-efficient in 2009 and 2010. Homeowners could recoup 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500 of numerous projects, such as installing energy-efficient windows, doors, furnaces and air conditioners.
$1.7 billion: for deduction of sales tax from car purchases, not interest payments phased out for incomes above $250,000.

“The answer is that he had to go to his spinners (emmanual and what is the other obama marketing guy’s name – the creepy guy with the mustache who ran his campaign?) in the white house to figure out HOW HE WAS GOING TO ACT THE PART OF ANGRY.”
His name is David Axelrod and anybody with any political IQ *at all* knows that.

“How so?”
How was George Bush embarrassing? If you don’t know by now, you’re not going to get it. But I’ll cite the most obvious reason…we were totally duped by the guy on Iraq and then re-elected him. The American population became the laughing stock of the world community for electing the guy the first time…but after that? Forget about it. Did you catch the people partying in the streets in places like Japan, Australia, Switzerland, the UK, etc after the Obama win? Can you ever recall that happening? Me either. That’s one indication of the world community’s thoughts on George Bush.

CHIP REID:…And today on Capitol Hill, some Republicans called your budget, with all the spending on health care, education and environment, the most irresponsible budget in American history.
OBAMA: Yes.
QUESTION: Isn’t that kind of debt exactly what you were talking about when you said “passing on our problems to the next generation”?
OBAMA: First of all, I suspect that some of those Republican critics have a short memory, because, as I recall, I’m inheriting a $1.3 trillion deficit, annual deficit, from them.
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Obama did not inherit a $1.3 trillion deficit from hill Republicans. The biggest deficit under Republicans was $400billion in 2004. The defict went down to about $200 billion when the Democrats took over in Congress.

Teri B
I am short on time so I would only note that a good many Republicans were indeed very upset about deficit spending under Bush. The Democrats ran Congress for the last two years and thus also controlled spending.
Every American regardless of political party will suffer from such irresponsible spending to say nothing of future generations. Republicans paid a heavy price for spending like drunken sailors, I cant imagine why Democrats would fare any different. I in fact do make it known to my state Senators Specter and Casey my concerns about the impact of such spending on us as well as future generations. Fact remains through Reconciliation this budget can be approved without any Republican votes. Democrats need to be as aware and concerned as Republicans if we are to stop this runaway train of fiscal irresponsibility.

plumber, time to start knitting dinner. The teleprompter issue is the phoniest piece of garbage. I don’t recall seeing a teleprompter as Obama was kicking McCain’s ### for a man in debate after debate. It must be very frustrating rooting against Obama and history. In that respect, I feel for you.

Thanks for the response Mary. 1) I’m sure a “good many” republicans were upset about Bush’s spending, but it sure wasn’t the center of most Tepublicans’ universe, nor anyone else’s for that matter; 2) The democrats hardly had control, when the Republicans broke records with the number of times they filibustered during those 2 yrs., which is kind of ironic when they rapidly attacked democrats as “obstructionist” during the 6 previous yrs. if they even whispered the term “filibuster.” It was utter gridlock in the Congress during those 2 yrs. That’s just truth. I mean, these GOP talking points . . . aren’t y’all getting sick of being sold swamp land and told what to think yet? You obviously use the internet for news – here you are. I tend to look up everything before I use it to form opinions. Heritage would not be on my list of “information” sources; and 3) Are you really saying the 6 yrs. before didn’t count? This seems like a pretty weak argument to me.
Again, economists say we need to do MORE spending to rescue the economy, not less, and let’s please try to keep some sort of perspective in mind. I’d rather spend money on health care, education, and green energy, than more and more and more war and tax cuts, tax cuts which have caused an historic redistribution of wealth
The CBO projections are just about as reliable as a Wiji board. In 2001, they projected: “5.6 trillion budget surplus, and $3.1 trillion on-budget surpluses for the next 10 years.” I’m seriously not taking their word for anything.
You’re very luck to have Sen. Spector in your state. I admire him very much, always have, regardless of any party affiliations. He’s an honest, extremely intelligent man, and one of the Senate’s best Constitutional minds. I’d listen to him more, and the Heritage Foundation less, if I were you.

Jake,
I’m a fan but the President doesn’t sign Congress’ budget. I think what you meant to say was will you sign APPROPRIATIONS bills if they don’t include cap-and-trade and the middle class tax cut?

jpt writes:
“We’re having all these coding issues tonight; sorry if you posted a comment and it vanished.”
Don’t look now, but you may be having some access problems TODAY.
Politico — “What Obama Said and What He Meant” — on The CHANGEling’s newly-unbuntinged (He was down to one flag from His customary six) blabla:
–> “Obama fluently answered the questions, sometimes at considerable length. But his responses were typically variations on a single-word theme: Whatever.”
What was He thinking, to high-hat the reporters from major newspapers? Afraid of more questions in the Tapper-Henry vein? (Speaking of “coding” … )
It’d be interesting to know just HOW many press people and others are privately comparing Him, today, to Mussolini. And how long it’ll be before that’s the subject of many press analyses.
“”

Plummer, it wasn’t just non-Americans. Did you watch the inauguration? A RECORD number of Americans withstood the cold and crowds to witness that swearing in, and a record number of Americans watched on TV, not to mention the wide martin of victory in the election.
I know there are several stages of grief, and I think many of you are in the denial stage. I know what it’s like to have a party in power you don’t agree with, but I do know that I gave Bush every benefit and all the support I could . . . until I just couldn’t anymore.
I’d sure like to see Republicans behave that fairly. Again, Obama IS our president for the next 4 yrs. All the sour grapes and wild hysterical ranting in the world, isn’t going to change that.

“Obama IS our president for the next 4 yrs.”
Not necessarily. If the Tappers and Henrys proliferate, and a couple of Congresspersons and “campaign” people blow the whistle, His Wall Street reign could be, one way or another, considerably shorter.

“Well, you’re not representing your ideology with very well. And while I would see that as a plus for my side, I believe in our political dialogue and democracy. Without both Hamilton AND Jefferson, this country wouldn’t have survived, so if one of them starting acting like a nut, we’d have been trouble.”
Well said, TB.

“So silky, when you say “we were totally duped on Iraq” the “we” stands for everyone but you?”
Plenty of people called bs. Including the UN security council. And I imagine plenty of people on the hill had their doubts, but the conviction with which they sold it…with bunk intelligence…put Congress in a position where they felt they had to get behind him. It didn’t pass the sniff test.

“That may be true. I trust if you were one of them you would not use the word “we”.”
Good point.

Obama press barrage is a successful coup of what is to be discussed. Question is now how much government will do and what are the details. White House press asks “hard questions” and enjoys the pat on the back from a colleague or a “glare” from the President. You will all end up like Helen Thomas(god bless her), who no longer has the need to speak. Sure like that seat in the press room, a secutive mistress she is.

“Nationalized health care has never, anywhere on this planet, in any country, resulted in lowered health care costs or “reform”. It has resulted in lowered quality of healthcare time and time again.”
ROFLMAO!
Which is why we pay double the cost of our nearest “competitor” while ranking at best (ie: eliminating things like number of people covered) around 15th to 20th in the ranking of our healthcare system.
We are behind our nationalized neighbors and allies in things like infant mortality rate and life expectancy.

“Last time I checked all those countries that have Nationalized health care weren’t enjoying some kind immunity from the economic crisis.”
Who claimed nationalized health care equals protection from economic difficulty?
“Obama’s policies are going to make things much, much worse.”
Ahhh more fearmongering from the right wing.
All the right wing has are fear and lies.
They certainly don’t have any solutions.

“Last time I checked all those countries that have Nationalized health care weren’t enjoying some kind immunity from the economic crisis.”
Who claimed nationalized health care equals protection from economic difficulty?
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Well, the other day Obama DID say that our current economic problems are tied to our health care costs.
So, some could take away the message that Obama himself said that some form of national health care equals no more economic difficulty as Obama DOES support such an idea.
Of course, anyone that has spent 5 minutes trying to understand the current economic crisis knows that health care costs had nothing to do with it.
Obama, though cannot even be bothered to READ the bills he signs his name to, so I guess reading about what led to the current economic conditions is just asking too much.

The worst of what happened to Obama’s budget is that the carbon Cap & Trade and other green energy pans were cut, by democrats of all people.
More so than even healthcare global warming is THE BIGGEST issue and a far greater threat than even al-Qaeda.
For anyone who has read Jared Diamond’s books, “Guns, Germs & Steel” or “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” you know that the environmental changes to the Americas caused by global warming would render the Bread Basket of The World a memory with a permanent dust bowl in its place.
Natural disasters of all kinds would bankrupt our economy and cost our ggovernment more than Jr. Administration’s wars. You think Wallstreet has problems now? Imagine Manhattan Island under water and hit by hurricanes as often as the Florida coast.
Now because the oil and coal companies with the help of their puppets in the republican party sandbagged this issue for nearly thirty years we may already bbe past the point of no return. But letting this go another year means we’re compounding our global environmental problems worse than they already are.
If nothing else, the green energy plan needs to go back into Obama’s budget.
It’s our @$$ if with get this wrong.
Posted by: John Steiner | Mar 25, 2009 2:21:10 AM
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I have read “Guns, Germs and Steel” and it explains WHY societies develop the way the do and how their development is tied to their environment. It’s a book that looks back not forward.
As for “Collapse”, can’t say, haven’t read it.
The Democrats opposing the cap/trade are probably from states with industries that would be seriously harmed by such a program. When industry is harmed people, REAL people not the obnoxious elitist chattering classes, people with jobs and houses and children and bills, people who keep this country running with their hard work, are harmed.
They were elected to represent their constituents. I suppose they should just tell those people to sit down and shut up because the President somehow “knows better”? Where should these people go when they lose their jobs and all the businesses in their towns (and eventually) states close? There is NO guarantee that “green” is anything close to revolutionizing energy consumption.
But if the Wacko Dems (and they are not all wackos) and Obama (who is a Wacko Dem or at least is trying to impress the Wacko Dems) want to start a revolution?
I say they’re doing a pretty good job so far. Keep it up.