President Obama Accepts Wilson’s Apology, Says He Hopes the Political “Fever Breaks a Little Bit”

Tucker Carlson:
“Never has a president been warped by Washington quicker. At times tonight, Obama sounded like an embattled second-termer with a 35 percent approval rating. What percentage of his speech was spent lashing out at his enemies, real and imagined? Radio and cable-television pundits, George W. Bush, former Congresses, unnamed ghouls employing “scare tactics,” whose “only agenda is to stop reform at any cost”—they’re all against him, Obama said. And they’re lying.
This isn’t how confident leaders speak. These are the complaints of a man on his way to bitterness. So soon?”

Obama: He said when it comes to party affiliation, “most Americans don think about those labels that much. They are turned off when they see people using wild accusations, false claims, name-calling, and sharply ideological approaches to solving problems. They want pragmatism.”
========
Oh, Irony!

It’s already been said, but I gotta get it out of my system, too …
“We have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling without the assumption of the worst in other people’s motives.”
That may be the most hypocritical statement I’ve ever heard in my life, given how the President and his associates have responded to the Americans making noise at the recent townhalls. “Without name calling”? Without “assumption of the worst in other people’s motives”? Like calling protesters “brown shirts” and “evilmongers,” even “right-wing terrorists,” and “assuming” they were assembled and bussed in by FOX News to the townhalls, even insinuating that some of them were out to see the President dead??
WHAT A HYPOCRITE! President, you’d darn well better start paying attention to the “loudest and shrillest voices,” because that seems to be the only way for us average Americans to get Washington’s attention these days. BRAVO, JOE WILSON. You said a mouthful!

Jake,
Why don’t you all do a piece on whether Rep. Wilson was factually correct in noting that the President was lying.
Just a thought.

Lies, waste, fraud?
Why isn’t Obama outraged over the billions of stimulus money that the crooks at ACORN may receive?
Obama is a hypocrite.

I bet the vast majority of people commenting here today didn’t even watch the address last night, much less have read even a portion of the bill. The bill does NOT extend coverage to illegal immigrants, which is what Wilson was screaming about. So, Wilson was the one who lied last night.

All it took to pull the Democrats back together again was a Repub insulting Obama?
I thought it was his soaring speech (number 264) that gave them another tingle up their legs.
How long will it last?
At least until Obama sends more troops to Afghanistan
Or until he folds on government run health care.
Dems are a fickled bunch.

“Looks like the non-partisan Congressional Research Service is also calling Obama a liar.”
Is HR 3200 Obama’s plan?
Nope.
The only liars are the right wingers like you, the Ashley Todd Hoax spreader, again trying to appeal to anger and racism about illegal immigrants.

I think Obama has gone off the deep end because his popularity is fading away.
He’s been on TV twice today and looking alittle desperate.
I hope he feels better after that angry attack on the straw men last night.
He probably sucked his thumb all night.

Thnak God the Dems would never make any masty remarks about a repub president nor would they boo him at the State of the Union – no way!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right wingers, please prove us all wrong! Please post the exact passage that says illegals will get health care. The exact quote please. I’ve read the bill, that is not stated. But, think about it, no matter what happens, we will always have illegals, they go to hospitals, if they can’t pay all our costs go up, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to allow them to pay for health insurance.

“Obama sounded like an embattled second-termer with a 35 percent approval rating.”
At not time did Obama sound like former President Bush.

jozy–
hr3200 does not explictly say that illegals will be able to access health care. that’s true. what’s also true is that democrats consistently vote down bills that would require any person wanting medical care to require proof of citizenship. it’s a back door measure and a smart one for obama, the pragmatist; say that it’s a “lie” that the bill allows for coverage of illegals on the one hand and yet on the other support his party that has and will vote against any measure that would allow a person trying to sign up for “the public option” to show proof of citizenship.

oh, i wish someone would remind the good president of his philosophy 101 lessons, that pragmatism comes with a capital “P” and is an American philosophical movement born right here in the good ‘ole USA which states that what works is what is true. I truly believe the president believes that but most Americans believe it only to a point. For example, would it have been wrong to fight Nazism if we had not won? of course not. Our first principles of fighting evil (back when we all agree what evil was, it seems) was good and that led to the strategy of how to fight that evil. Obama is a political pragmatist which he stated quite well in his own memoirs: “if you can get elected, you should. And then you govern.” The ends justify the means, because what works to get you where you want to go is good and true and leads you to a place of power so that you may do more “good.”

“Rep. Joe Wilson’s web site is overloaded with people trying to contribute”
Nope but his opponent is raking it in.
“Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-S.C.) untoward outburst Wednesday night has had a positive effect for at least one person. Rob Miller, a Democrat planning to run against Wilson in 2010, has taken in more than $350,000 from over 5,000 people through the website ActBlue since his opponent heckled the president.”

Illegal alien provision DOES NOT ALLOW for oversights..Example: Imposing an 55mph speed limit Without restrictions or fines if one breaks that speed limit, just a suggestion not a law…Denial of benefits to non-American citizens is just words on paper nothing more…no restrictions, no fines, NO OVERSIGHT….This provision, if allowed to remain as stated, will add unlimited costs…….

“Rep. Joe Wilson’s web site is overloaded with people trying to contribute”
Erick Erickson of redState “Conservative Activists Are Proving to be a Pathetic Bunch”
That was in response to poor fundraising for the embattled Wilson especially compared to his opponent having dump trucks of campaign cash roll in.

“”Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-S.C.) untoward outburst Wednesday night has had a positive effect for at least one person. Rob Miller, a Democrat planning to run against Wilson in 2010, has taken in more than $350,000 from over 5,000 people through the website ActBlue since his opponent heckled the president.”
Won’t do much good. Wilson’s outburst will be a badge of honor he can proudly wear come 2010. I smell re-election for one Joseph Wilson.

Highlight of the speech.

Having read all the posts here, my prior belief that any attempt to reason with modern Repubs is an act of futility has been reinforced. This morning Wilson admitted that he apologized only after being told to by his leadership and he declined to acknowledge his mistake before the cameras. Obama, immediately, publically and graciously accepted the faux apology. Repubs then respond with more sarcasm, vile and mendacity. Unfortunately, the modern GOP views civility, reason, and respectful dissent as weakness. Extreme ideologues never respond to reason. They only understand greater adverse political power. Dems need, to exercise the power that the last November’s elections gave them.

Republicans take note learn from the President how to have some class now President Obama what a guy! you have some real class learn something Republicans!

“nah…. less coverage of yer 2 girls, Palin & Orly Taitz”
Who is Orly Taitz? Never seen her. I guess she must not get coverage you think she does…but good try! :)

No Drama Obama will pretend to be above the fray, in spite of his vindictive partisan rant last night.
Obama has plenty of thugs to do his dirty work.
I’m sending a donation to Wilson for saying what I wanted to say.

Joe got it right and there was no need to apologize.

Obama, immediately, publically and graciously accepted the faux apology. Repubs then respond with more sarcasm, vile and mendacity. Unfortunately, the modern GOP views civility, reason, and respectful dissent as weakness. Extreme ideologues never respond to reason. They only understand greater adverse political power. Dems need, to exercise the power that the last November’s elections gave them.
Posted by: BBear | Sep 10, 2009 2:36:29 PM
***
I agree with you BBear, particularly about exercising the power that last November’s elections gave them.

“My door is always open” Obama said.
Did he bother to mention the Republicans have not been invited to the WH since April, and turned down in May.
He lies.

“Even though I voted for Nader instead of Bush both times, I regret it because Bush is more of a MAN than obama will ever be. larry sinclair tells the truth.”
Jenny’s right wing slip is showing…
Independent who hates liberals but voted Nader and thinks a lunatic who is a Free Republic hero tells the truth.
The lesson as always? Right wingers lie.

A person can throw shoes at Pres GWB and be arrested. But to shout at Pres Obama during a speech loud enough it can be heard around the world, an apology is good enough. There seems to be an inconsistency. Both acts are equally disrespectful.

Health care policy researchers are contradicting President Obama’s claim that a government-run health insurance program would be self-sufficient and could rely on premiums, saying it’s not possible to insure up to 30 million people with better coverage and reduce costs at the same time.
“The numbers don’t hold up,” Grace Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute, a think tank devoted to health policy, said Thursday
The Commie appointing President is a LIAR

This says it all: countrys direction
RCP Average: -22.6%
Right Direction 35.8%
Wrong Track 58.4%

Biggest lie was WMD’s in Iraq. Yet, the mindless boot-lickers still voted for Bush in ’04. Now, all of the sudden, they’re truth seekers and fiscal conservatives. They have ZERO credibility to even post here.

“They have ZERO credibility to even post here.
Posted by: JV | Sep 10, 2009 3:35:19 PM”
You don’t get it.
The right wing could care less about their credibility.
The key is to repeat the lie over and over again so its absorbed by their gullible base.

To put Rob Miller’s big day in perspective.
Up to now (last FEC report June 30th 09), he had raised $67K while Wilson had raised $284K.
In 2008, the total raised by Miller was $614K vs over $1.1M for Wilson.
The game has changed.

“The game has changed.”
Doesn’t matter. Count on Rep. Wilson wearing this badge of honor on his way towards winning re-election in 2010.
I haven’t checked contributions to Harry Reid’s opponents…hmm…I wonder how that is going….
BTW, Ryan C, look forward to response to question I posed to you.

“Yes I do. ”
How Ryan? You we’re specifically asked how, not just whether you think it’s possible. And we’ll need a little more than a “Yes, we can!”
Oh, and before you reach for the preventive services myth, you might want to acknowledge that the even the AP called the President out on that whopper last night.

tjp612:
If you voted for Bush, then go away. You’ve done enough damage and should be on your knees begging God for forgiveness for what you put this country through. You owe an apology to every family member of the brave young men and women who died because of your vote.
Not only that, Bush came into the office with a projected budget surplus of over $3 trillion but he left Obama with a $1.8 trillion deficit.
Clinton cut spending from 22.1% of GDP to 18.4%. Bush raised it to 20.9%.
In 2003, the Bush administration repeatedly lied about the cost of the drug benefit plan to get it passed, and Bush himself pressured reluctant conservatives to vote for the program.
Because reforming Medicare is an important part of getting health costs under control generally, Bush could have
used the opportunity to develop a comprehensive health-reform plan. By not doing so, he left his party with nothing to offer as an alternative to the Obama plan. Instead, Republicans have opposed Obama’s initiative while proposing nothing themselves.
You have no reason to be here.

“How Ryan? You we’re specifically asked how, not just whether you think it’s possible. And we’ll need a little more than a “Yes, we can!” ”
Who is we?
The rest of the cube dwellers at the RNC internet outreach?
This was your question.
“Do YOU believe it is “possible to insure up to 30 million people with better coverage and reduce costs at the same time”?”
I answered yes and the path towards achieving that would be single payer.
Single payer increases the risk pool and has far less administrative costs than private insurance which is more concerned with turning a profit than making sure healthcare is received.
That said I am open to other universal care options.
What Germany and Japan have done is interesting.

“Now he gets to go against a better financed and supported opponent who already has ready made oppo ad.”
Again, won’t matter. Joe Wilson wins big in 2010, no question about it. His opponent better be careful, his negative/oppo. ad may backfire.
w.r.t. Harry Reid: What about Danny Tarkanian’s numbers? I didn’t see him included in figures (not that he’ll reach Harry Reid like numbers, given all the special interests Harry has in his pocket – won’t matter, Harry is going down, as is Chris Dodd in the housecleaning that will be 2010).

Ryan,
How do you pay for it? This is what the President is getting skewered over. Right on the heels of the OBO revising the 10 year budget up $2 Trillion. People want reform. I want reform. But the question is how do we realistically pay for it. As usual, the nutter left has no answer, just as the nutter right as no new ideas.

===If you voted for Bush, then go away===
I voted for Bush and I refuse to go away.

“Again, won’t matter. Joe Wilson wins big in 2010, no question about it.”
He didn’t win all that big in a super safe GOP seat against an under financed opponent with zero national support.
“His opponent better be careful, his negative/oppo. ad may backfire”
The right wing lout vs the war vet.
I am betting that South Carolina takes the war vet.
“w.r.t. Harry Reid: What about Danny Tarkanian’s numbers? I didn’t see him included in figures”
I stated those were the latest FEC figures as of June 30th.
I see that Hugh Hewitt ran a fundraiser for him in which he lies…shocking for a right winger!
“if they sent $10 to Danny Tarkanian, Reid’s only declared opponent in the 2010 election,”
As you can see from FEC reports, Reid already has a Republican State Senator opponent among others.
But Hewitt is a right winger.
The lesson as always? Right wingers lie.

“How do you pay for it? This is what the President is getting skewered over. Right on the heels of the OBO revising the 10 year budget up $2 Trillion. People want reform. I want reform. But the question is how do we realistically pay for it.”
We raise taxes.
That is the way to realistically pay for something.
While there are other measures that may contribute to save money, in the end taxes will have to go up.

Miller has NO SHOT. The Dems are going to get trounced in ’10. And Miller will be part of the collateral. He can raise over $100 million. Don’t matter. Wilson won by 8 points in a off year for Repubs. He will trounce Miller in a very conservative district. Especially when they find out all his money comes from the communists at DailyKOS.

“He didn’t win all that big in a super safe GOP seat against an under financed opponent with zero national support.”
Yeah, but Obama won’t be at top of ticket this time around and come 2010 independents (and some Democrats) will be re-thinking votes they cast in 2008.
“The right wing lout vs the war vet. I am betting that South Carolina takes the war vet.”
I used to live in SC, you would be wrong, sir.
“if they sent $10 to Danny Tarkanian, Reid’s only declared opponent in the 2010 election,”
Well, if Hewitt said this, it is not true. But we all enjoy how you go overboard with your signature “the lesson as always? right-wingers lie” tagline – very endearing.
I hope you are doing some research to respond to the prior questions I posed to you:
- How can you assume that single payer would have “far less administrative costs than private insurance”?
- What examples of successful federal government institutions can you point to that would lead anyone to believe the federal could be successful in administering a single payer system?

I thought the Obamanation was the loudest and shrillest… did I miss something.. voice wise?? ?? ??

@ 007
“What am I missing?
Posted by: tjp612
lol…….almost too tempting….”
Bring it, my friend…would love to hear from you. :)

“He is going to have a much tougher time with a social conservative/war vet who has a bigger war chest and party support.”
C’mon, Ryan C. This isn’t a fight worth fighting. As explained:
- Obama will not be at top of ticket, which will have a negative impact on Dem candidates (section of “yes we can” crowd will not show up to vote, particularly younger voters)
- Democrat Party/Obama Fatigue will be endmic one year from now
Wilson by 15%-20%. Easy.

“I realize Liberals are very limited in their thinking when it comes to economics”
ROFLMAO!
Recession? Right wing says cut taxes.
Boom time? Right wing says cut taxes?
Debt? Right wing says cut taxes.
Any situation? Right wing says cut taxes.
“can’t blame ‘em though, many of them did not do well at math in school and later received majors in non-quantitative fields such as poli sci).”
ROFLMAO!
Yes statistical theory and study have nothing to do with political science.

“This is an election more likely to turn on the candidates as you can see from Miller’s showing in 2008 when he was outraised 2 to 1.”
Not for Republicans, my friend. Tables are turning.
Also, as mentioned by someone else, how are SC voters going to respond when Wilson points out where his opponent received a big chunk of his funding?
Wilson by 15%-20%. Easy.
BTW – How is raising taxes to pay for ObamaCare going to foster economic growth? It won’t. If I recall correctly, I think you live in CA (could be wrong) – Are you pleased with the financial state of CA? With Obama’s/Dems exorbitant spending are we as a country not headed in same direction?

If he is going to raise taxes (beyond the expiring cuts and the sin taxes).. now would be the time.. it only costs more if we wait… if you spend, you tax..

-While there are other measures that may contribute to save money, in the end taxes will have to go up.-
What happened to savings?

By all means, have Rob Miller take that windfall of his and plow it into attack ads with the theme “Joe Wilson thinks Barack Obama’s being less than honest about health care!” See what that gets you.
I dare you. I double dare you. LOL.

“Could it – just maybe – be because TAXES ARE TOO HIGH?
Per the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report (2009-2010):
“Extent and Effect of Taxation”: U.S. #59 of 133 countries
“Total Tax Rate”: U.S. #67 of 129 countries ”
So taxes rates aren’t too high.

@ Ryan C
“Even as Democrats have lost some points in approval, the Republicans have not gained anything.
Why? Because they offer the moderates nothing but insane right wingers.”
Wrong. Again. Thinking like this will lead to big surprises come 2010. It’s coming, my friend, it’s coming. Count on it. Broaden your social circles and you’ll see what’s going on (tho’ if you live in CA – which I think you do – it may be difficult!)
Wilson by 15%-20%…Book it!

“What do Dems/Left do when they want to spend more money? Propose to raise taxes!”
Shocking that one would seek to pay for one’s spending increases.
You would think this would be an issue people could find common ground on.

“Why? Because they offer the moderates nothing but insane right wingers.”
Wrong. Again. Thinking like this will lead to big surprises come 2010.”
Not really.
Dems will lose 5 to 10 seats.
Or about the historical average for the same party as the President in an off year.
Which will leave them still in firm majorities.

“By all means, have Rob Miller take that windfall of his and plow it into attack ads with the theme “Joe Wilson thinks Barack Obama’s being less than honest about health care!” See what that gets you.”
Tie it in with Mark Sanford’s embarrassing of South Carolina.
Rob Miller now has nearly $500K

I also read a great quote from independent Bruce Bartlett, a conservative economist and former Republican who is sick of the GOP and their misplaced rage:
“No doubt, right wing publishers like Regnery and Crown will be beating down Wilson’s door today to sign a book deal that will put him at the top of the New York Times bestseller list along with drivel from the likes of Michelle Malkin, who has probably already started writing her biography of Wilson, titled, “The Man Who Spoke the Truth.” By the end of the day a Wilson for President web site will be fully functioning if it isn’t already. Watch for the announcement on Glenn Beck’s show this afternoon,” – Bruce Bartlett.
Joe Wilson/Michelle Bachmann 2012!
or Joe the Wilson/Joe the Plumber 2012!

“Wow. That’s awesome. I didn’t expect that in such a consistently red state though I’m unfamiliar with the district.”
Its a very red district.
Wilson has run unopposed and virtually unopposed (his Dem opponent raised all of $12K against him).
Miller was the first to really give him a run.
Is Wilson in trouble? Not yet but half a million in a Congressional race is nothing to sneeze at.
Also I agree with you on the energizing of a base that seemed uninterested in a fight.

TPM also posted how he blasted Strom Thurmond’s illegitimate (and African American) daughter for being a liar then after apologizing for that he still said she should have kept quiet.
Posted by: Ryan C | Sep 10, 2009 6:53:47 PM
***
Several patterns become clear and some people are calling the dude a martyr for a cause (eyeroll.)

who were the 2 guys with the hate on their faces to Wilsons left and right?

The central fact that Obama is a liar seems to have been lost.

“And I came across THIS bit of information about Joe the Wilson”
And so the “Joe the Plumber/Sarah Palin Demonization” begins… Classy…
BTW, Joe Wilson says two words (“You lie”) and it is as if this type of behavior (speaking out against sitting president in address to Congress) is completely unheard of… I guess y’all are just conveniently sweeping under the rug THE BEHAVIOR OF DEMOCRATS AT THE 2005 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS.
The hypocrisy is stunning. I would call it disappointing, but my expectations are not that high.