Gibbs on Capitol Hill Protest: “I’m Sure There’s a Jon Voight Joke in Here Somewhere”

===Gibbs later clarified for a reporter that he was not referring to Voight’s performance in Deliverance.===
So, what line was he thinking of?

Isn’t the White Houses dismissive response, disconnect with americans and attack style exactly what Obama campaigned against?

A great poster at the rally today:
“We are only 12 months away from fundamentally changing Congress”
Kudos to Michelle Bachman for rallying thousands on short notice to protest government takeover of health care.
Palin/Bachman 2012

“Gibbs later clarified for a reporter that he was not referring to Voight’s performance in Deliverance.”
ROFLMAO!

Lets see if the Gibblet is laughing in 2010……….

Pass it Dems and watch your seats fly away in 2010. The majority of Americans are against this legislation. The Dems won’t listen and yet they accuse the GOP of just saying no! Well, in this case, more Americans have sided with the GOP, unless poll numbers lie.

RUFUS LEVIN —- Great post.

Pass it Dems and watch your seats fly away in 2010. The majority of Americans are against this legislation.”
Hat tip to Numeros for the compilation
“Favor/Oppose Public Option
48%/42% NBC/WSJ Oct. 22-25
61%/38% CNN/Opinion Research* Oct. 16-18
57%/40% ABC News/WaPo Oct. 15-18
62%/31% CBS News Oct. 5-8
50%/46% USA Today/Gallup Oct. 16-19
53%/42% Ipsos/McClatchy* Oct. 1-5
57%/39% Kaiser Family Foundation Oct. 8-15
61%/34% Quinnipiac Sept. 29-Oct. 5
55%/38% Pew Sept. 30-Oct. 4
46%/37% Rasmussen** Oct. 2-3″

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down from 45% a week ago but unchanged from two weeks ago.
Fifty-four percent (54%) now oppose the legislative effort, up three points since last week.

Thirty-five percent (35%) of American voters say passage of the bill currently working its way through Congress would be better than not passing any health care reform legislation this year. However, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that most voters (54%) say no health care reform passed by Congress this year would be the better option.
This does not mean that most voters are opposed to health care reform. But it does highlight the level of concern about the specific proposals that Congressional Democrats have approved in a series of Committees.

Well, in this case, more Americans have sided with the GOP, unless poll numbers lie.
lfrichar | Nov 5, 2009 2:59:53 PM
Poll numbers rarely lie. It’s usually the people who deliberately misstate the questions and inferences from them who are the liars.

jhw539 — OK, I will play. Here is what I said and Ryan denied it: “The majority of Americans are against this legislation.”‘
Can I be any clearer?

“”"”"confused by the various bills being prepared, and are generally distrustful of politicians – and who can blame them after the last 8 years.”"”"
Posted by: tierra
And the past 9 months! Pelosi has been around a while and there were 5 different bills being floated around. Then the were 3, Reid, Baucus and Pelosi. There are still 3 but Pelosi got these AARP and AMA idiots to sign on which only makes it seem even less credible. No big deal, a seat shake up in 2010 will be good for us.

It would b inersting to know how many protestors in DC today work for Insurance companies or other firms that might benefit by maintaining the status quo.

Tony B — Have you read the GOP bill? Have you read Ton Coburns bill? Or, are you doing exactly as many and taking everything Pelosi is saying as the truth? Do you really believe they can come up with 5 different bills and 4 of them somehow come under Obama’s requirement, but now they are looking to pass the most expensive? Keep drinking!

“The American people know the government is incapable of doing anything,”
And yet you right wingers are desperate to be in charge of it.
“You and the other flat earthers are too busy pushing that “climate change” line of crap and all the other anti free market propaganda”
10 of the hottest years on record since 1997
The luddites on the right wing would prefer to protect polluters and not look to invest in new technology.

Hey, how great can the mean old Republicans plan be?
It only costs like, what 60 some billion?
We gonna Rahm through the mother of all spending bills for over 1.25 trillion dollars (then we have to add back 250 Billion we are hiding) and really give America what it deserves!
That the Republicans are willing to spend such a paltry amount says a lot about how spiteful they are.
Plus the Republicans want to limit lawsuits and bring tort reform. Don’t forget that trial lawyers need jobs too America.
And the V healthcare plan is nothing like our plan either.
And Anita Dunn is not a lizard!

Great article Mr. Tapper…finally a journalist who deserves the title!!

How much do you think Gibbs gets paid to say this stuff with a straight face?

“tierra—- What part of the polls I posted did you not understand?”
_____________________________________
I understand the poll you posted very well and my interpretation of those polls is different from yours – if you have disagreements with my interpretation you can try to counter them.
“The majority of Americans are against this legislation.”‘
______________________________________
I don’t think so. I think the majority of Americans still don’t really know what’s in ‘this’ legislation, are really tired of the misinformation and bickering – and would like to see what the final outcome really is – and they do support a public option, no doubt about that.
ALL the polls show a majority of Americans supporting a public option – up until recently they were never assured there would be one.

tierra —- My posts are black and white and need no interpretation. Those polls I posted were on this legislation, not the public option. Lie all you want to support your party, but don’t pull the BS “interpretation” crap. There was absolutely no reason for interpretation.

“”"”Sorry, there are still people left with functioning brains.”"”"”
Posted by: tierra
Please, when you find one, let us know.

Tierra: It bears reposting so here it is: “”"”The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down from 45% a week ago but unchanged from two weeks ago. Fifty-four percent (54%) now oppose the legislative effort, up three points since last week. “”"”
do you wish for me to interpret this or did you find that functioning brain we talked about?

I don’t believe Pelosi would schedule the vote unless she has the votes for passage. I believe the bill will pass with 218 votes, after a careful pairing votes so that those considered most vulnerable in 2010 will be able to cast a “no” vote while knowing that the measure will pass.

Cap n Trade is theft on a massive, global scale.
Posted by: Janet | Nov 5, 2009 4:45:26 PM
______________________________________
Nonsense. You think one web site is going to present to you all the answers regarding greenhouse gases and global warming? You’ve been duped. Study some legitimate research.

Man’s greatest arrogance: “I control the earth’s climate!”
(Now recycling I’m in favor of and practice wholeheartedly.)

Wow, the ny post just published the Obama/Pelosicare numbers:
“First, we need to get past the misleading accounting games. Each bill is routinely “scored” for its 10-year costs from 2010-19. Yet this includes several years when the spending wouldn’t yet have kicked in. According to the Congressional Budget Office, fully 99.9 percent of the Pelosi bill’s costs would hit from 2013 onward. Similarly, 98.3 percent of Reid’s spending would come after 2014.
Reid: Championing a fiscal nightmare.
If you start the tally when the bills’ spending would actually start (in 2013 for the House bill and 2014 for the Senate bill), then the bills’ real 10-year costs become clear — and are remarkably similar.
The CBO reports that, in their true first 10 years, the House bill would cost $1.8 trillion, and the Senate bill would cost $1.7 trillion. Pelosi would raise Americans’ taxes by $1.1 trillion over that period, while Reid would hike them by $1 trillion.
And the House bill would siphon about $800 billion from Medicare to spend it elsewhere, while the Senate bill would suck out about $900 billion.”
These people will do and say anything to jam it down our throats. I would check out the rest at the nypost.

“Looks like the “6 page glossy brochure” has morphed into 230 pages and the “countdown” may end soon”
Only 4 months after promised.
The bill’s “reforms” which are mostly giveaways to insurance companies include letting insurance companies move to states with less regulation and sell their policies from there, there is no requirement regarding pre existing conditions and basically this bill will “save money” by not covering any additional people and allowing the insurance companies to provide less coverage for the same money.

We have the VERY best Health Care in the World.
The issue is insurance. Can anyone say FEMA ? and Flood insurance.
We see how well the Federal Goverment handles insurance. WHY would anyone want a Federal Employee to handle your medical insurance???????

Meanwhile, on the amateur foreign policy front:
President Obama came into office insisting that his administration would press hard and fast to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But after nine months, analysts and diplomats say, the administration’s efforts have faltered in part because of its own missteps.
As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made clear during her Middle East trip, which ended Wednesday, U.S. officials are now promoting new tactics — what they called the “baby steps” of lower-level talks — to bring the Israeli and Palestinian leaders together for direct talks.
But the dynamics have changed since Obama named a special envoy to the region on his second day in office and tried to make a fresh start. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whom the administration once would have been happy to see undermined, has been strengthened — while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom the administration had hoped to bolster, has been weakened.

Did I say “amateur?”
Daniel Levy, a veteran Israeli peace negotiator now at the Century Foundation in Washington, summed up the administration’s efforts in recent days as “amateur night at the Apollo Theater.” He said the administration did not game out the consequences of its demands on the parties — and then flinched. “They just dug deeper and deeper their own grave,” he said. “All of this talk of negotiations doesn’t cut the mustard in the region.”

We do not have the best health care in the world. But this so called health care bill will not make what we have any better it only covers the uninsured and unless you havent had insurance for the past 6 months you are not eligible to get public option. So we are forcing those who dont have insurance to buy insurance. Those protests were to try to get the option for everyone.

The Republican bill is nothing more than a political ploy designed to counter Democrats’ real efforts toward health care reform. Even writers at the American Spectator are totally unimpressed.
Posted by: Alyson
Agreed but there are a few good ideas that get zero play from the Dems.

As I have said here before: I am a practicing Nurse Practitioner in the state of NJ. I’ve practiced for nearly 20 years in this capacity, in many, many different health care delivery systems. My friends are in the field of health care and there are many, many people that I’ve developed close associations with along my career.
NOT ONE BACK THIS BILL. NOT ONE !!! NOT ONE !!!
It’s bad for the economy, it’s bad for the health of this community we call America and it’s very bad for the practice of medicine, which is so much more than dispensing pills….it’s an art and a science….OBAMA will never get this.
Call your doctor. Call your NP. Call your pharmacist.
ASK THEM.

“As I have said here before: I am a practicing Nurse Practitioner in the state of NJ. I’ve practiced for nearly 20 years in this capacity, in many, many different health care delivery systems. My friends are in the field of health care and there are many, many people that I’ve developed close associations with along my career.”
Its supported by the AMA.
The Nurses Unions prefer single payer versus this effort.

The only way the taxpayers will get a good health care program is if congress and yes, even the president have the same health care as the rest of the country. This is what the protesters should be fighting for. I guarantee we would have good health care, medicare and prescriptions. Also, they need to be on Social Security, I bet then we would get a cost of living raise. Oh I forgot there is no inflation for SS receipants, but apparantly there is for congress since they voted themselves a 6% cost of living increase. How dare this administration cut medicare by 500 billion dollars. I have an idea, how about cutting the president’s air travel by 500 billion.

It’s not very often I get so mad that I feel like crying, but now is one of those times. These are everyday folks, worried about what this healthcare bill could do to the ever increasing deficit, worried about how it will affect them, angry that abortion will be covered with FEDERAL funds, and so on and so on…and what do they get? A WH spokesman who has no respect for anyone and has no clue what it means to have a “real job” and live in a “real world”. Why are these people (and millions of others) concerned about this bill? Why have all these people come out to protest? Because they haven’t been told ANYTHING. There is so much junk in this healthcare bill, so much spending and no proof of “cutting costs” besides the tired old “waste, fraud and abuse”. The administration has gone back and forth on what the bill contains, how much it costs, who it covers, etc. to the point that we, the American public, the people who pay the taxes to support their pork laden butts, have NO IDEA what to believe.
The liberals nearly have a stroke every time someone says the slightest bad thing about Obama, but it’s perfectly fine for him and his little frat boy crew in DC to make fun of anyone and everyone they choose to. Boy, that’s really showing some class.

“According to PEW, most Americans don’t think we have the best health care in the world.”
Lemme see…although they’re against the Dems’ current bill, that doesn’t matter because they don’t know what’s in it. But on the other hand they’re really up to speed on other nations’ healthcare. (And of course it’s a certainty that if the Dems’ bill passes, ours will improve.)
Works for me…

President Obama’s own Organizing for America has organized call-in protests and letter writing protests. All to support a non-specific health care reform.
When OFA asked people to sign letters pledging *support* for reform, there was no bill written, no specific plans. OFA didn’t even ask supporters to demand specific reforms- just to support whatever Obama would eventually say he wanted.
Last month they organized a call-in drive, to flood Congressional offices with “support” for the Obama plan. Which is not even specific enough to say if there is a public option on the table.
That’s ok with Gibbs, but going to Washington to be against the current bill is not?
They need to learn to listen to and acknowledge the validity of criticism, even if they eventually disagree.

Did Gibbs give a “shout out” before the presser? Just axing.

You are so correct Allyson. Morons have been given WAY too much respect. Starting with 1600.

And suppose Sarah Palin has said that?

If the election of a Democrat in the White House and Dems in Congress hasn’t done anything else, it’s shown what a bunch of hypocrites liberals/Dems are when it comes to protests. When it’s anti-war or any other type of left wing protest, no matter how irrational it is, it’s fine. If it’s conservatives protesting a so-called “health care bill” it’s terrible.

And by the way: does your carbon footprint increase when you get really fat?
“WASHINGTON: Former US vice president Al Gore, who has campaigned relentlessly on green issues, is on track to become the world’s first “carbon billionaire” amid claims of profiting from the climate change agenda… Gore’s personal fortune has risen from 1.2 million pounds to an estimated 60 million pounds, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.”
Does anybody want to tell us whether Mr. Gore’s profits are “obscene?”

Robin Gibbs would be better served as a comedian on SNL. His defensive quips are wearing thin. Then again, it can’t be an easy job being the mouthpiece for an administration such as the one we have now.
As for his comment about small businesses that are dropping health insurance because it’s not affordable, I think he’d best check some facts. As co-owner in a small business, we pay 100% of our employees health insurance. And so does another small biz owner friend of mine. And we do it at our own expense.
That smamry comment about Voight’s performance in Deliverance speaks volumes. Deflect Deflect Deflect. So very sad.

I am getting tired of the old “pre-existing conditions” line that is coming out of Gibbs and all the other Dems mouth and ate up by every sucker out there that doesn’t understand insurance and why you buy the level of coverage that is appropriate for you.
The biggest scam is when someone doesn’t carry insurance right now, gets sick, knows it and then applies for insurance either through their employer or they buy it themselves and then provide claims to cover their expensive procedure/treatment. These frauds thought they could get away with not paying for insurance or buy a policy that was the bare minimum coverage and then they cry that they had their insurance pulled because of a pre-exisiting condition. Complete fraud and you suckers fall for it everytime Gibbs or Obama repeat it like Liberal Orthodoxy. These people are bilking the system.
And Democrats want to destroy the best Healthcare system in the world, because some fraudulent hucksters pull at their heartstings. Liberals always have such good intentions, but such awful outcomes. The laws of unintended consequences will bite us all in the tail. That is why I am not a Lib any longer.

This is typical of the Obama administration and his yes-men. When the GOP has a hollywood star like Voight show up at one of their rallys, they make a joke of it and try to minimize their presence. Yet when liberal toadie suck-ups like Oprah, and the rest of the famous liberal ilk “visit” the whitehouse, or speak on Obama’s behalf, somehow their credibility is actual and sincere. But to be honest, nothing the Liar-In-Chief says or does surprises me anymore.

Ignorant Republicans – we will pass a health care bill without you – and only 20% of voters now consider themselves Republicans – you are out numbered now – and you will be out numbered in 2010. Your greed, racism, and un-Americanism is showing who you really are. Real Americans care that their fellow citizens are dying because they don’t have health care. Your treatment of the President of the United States is appalling and hateful – you should hang your heads in shame. Christ will judge you – the bible says “What you did not do for the least of you, you did not do for me.”

Chris says “What kind of person thinks its okay to hold a sign comparing health care reform to the Dachau concentration camp?”
____________
This is not even close to the personal attacks that come from the left to the leadership of this country, past and present. This may have been in bad taste but it was far from a personal attack against the President or the Democratic leadership. On this blog and others the vile things that are said about the Right are astonishing.
So where is your concern when the left is personally attacking the right? Or is this selective outrage? If it complies with your point of view then, well, they get a pass. if it is even slightly distasteful and doesn’t comply you blame the right has ruined civil discourse in the United State”
I walk away shaking my head because you seem to have missed the real juicy stuff and are stopped dead in your tracks on a quip.

It is absolute hypocrisy for anyone on the left to talk about “vile signs” when the last 5 years the left was worse. I am not even a Bush voter or even a republican. All I can say is if the Statists pass this bill and Cap & Trade the “progressives” (are they going by this now or is it liberal?)will be a perminate minority in government. When we are losing 500,000 jobs a month, I would think jobs and making a living so people could AFFORD TO EAT without standing in line for 5 hours at a food bank would make more sense than this health care plan.Get a job get insurance! What a concept, and something that the Republican bill does that the Statist bill doesn’t is it actually lowers COSTS and is not going to cost 2.4 trillion like Pelosicare!

“anybody that watches (the rally) is struck by the fact that there’s a rally going on without a solution on their side.”
Note to Gibbs: The solution will become clear in 2010 and 2012.

Jon Voight need to “rally” his daughter’s support for his “rotten arse”. (ANGE DON’T ALLOW THIS IDIOT TO INDOCTRINATE YOUR CHILDREN, KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THIS IDIOT…WE DON’T NEED ANY MORE OF THEM). She doesn’t even want him around, so what make you think You can tell me anything. Get some decency and a clue Voight, YOU GET YOUR PHILOSOPHY AND BELIEFS FROM “ANOTHER COUNTRY” BECAUSE YOU DON’T LIVE IN OUR WORLD ….the last movie I watched of yours was in the 1970′s because Walken was in it….

Protests ‘without a solution’ Mr. Gibbs? You mean like the “final solution’ that the Democrats have for seniors? Deny them medical care and accelerate their demise? This will eliminate costs to the government for medical care. It will reduce costs for social security payments (the old will die sooner). It will also increase estate taxes. The elderly will die with larger estates so they will be over the limit. So the ‘final solution’ that is obama care is quite similar to Hitler’s ‘final solution’ to the Jewish problem. Eliminate them. You are too fat to be a good Goebels stand-in. You are right. Republicans don’t have a solution to kill the elderly. We defend the right of the individual to the health care that they have paid medicare premiums for. Government as evil care denying HMO? That’s your plan? That’s how you are ‘reforming health insurance’? Good luck with that. By the way which group will you target next for early demise? AIDS carriers? Those with high cholesterol? Diabetics?

Smug. Smarmy. Rookie…

Lies, Lies, Lies. Gibbs you lie.
The Democrats have no Health care plan
their bill is an assault on freedom and an act of tyrany. This bill is a threat to America more severe than any terrorist. The Republicans offered several very good plans that were shot down by Dems and the media never covered it.

Well at least we know Gibbs understand that it is a represntative democracy…but he doesn’t understand that its not our job to come up with the solution…its the job of the people we represent…when their solution doesn’t meet the needs of the majority we hire(vote) for someone else…i don’t understand why the dems in the white house can’t understand that …in fact they loathe it because they tghink they are smarter than everybody else

Kate1149 said “Christ will judge you – the bible says “What you did not do for the least of you, you did not do for me.”-
Christ was speaking to the Church, not Caesar. Plus, what happened to the lefts desire for separation of church and state? Are you going to force non-believers to to follow Christ’s teachings?

Gibbs said the line that I’d like to give you”..
I think we have identified the problem. You see Mr. Gibbs we don’t want “a line”. We would like you to answer the questions without sounding like a smart mouthed 4th grader making personal attacks on those that disagree with your boss’ beliefs and policies.

OBWAN222 – Well if you will listen to your democratic leadership, that is EXACTLY what they are saying. The One is even talking about the Bible.

“After the use of that term…”
Oh get YOUR mind out of the gutter. It’s a simple word like bang or backdoor or melons or any other word that can sound dirty to people with dirty minds.

Small clarification with large distinction; we live in a Representative Republic, or maybe even a Democratic Republic. Not a Democracy. We are represented by people who are hemmed in by law (the Constitution).

I see that Obama, Pelosi & Reid continue to miss the point of the 2008 election. They misread this election at their peril. The emperor’s glow is not transferable . What the MSM has not discussed are the many local elections for town and county offices that took place on Tuesday. Many democratic incumbents have been turned out of office. The Democratic Weschester county executive was defeated by a large margin. The Nassau county legislature went Republican after eight years of Democratic majority. A Popular Nassau county executive is in a virtual tie for reelection necessitating the impounding of the voting machines and a recount. These local election results were repeated in statewide and local races in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. If you were an incumbent Democrat this year, your reelection was much more difficult. The electorate is frustrated and angry; they are tired of being lied to and lied about. Ignore the electorate at your peril. They will have the last word in 2010. election.

If any of the health care reform naysayers find themselves without health insurance coverage one day, they can call Jon Voight or Jon Ratzengerger to help pay their medical bills and keep them from going into bankruptcy because of medical bills.

I read Gibbs’s remarks and immediately conjured up the image of Rush Limbaugh squealing like a pig.

OBWAN222 – so let me get this strait, if the Bush administration did it, it is OK for the Obama administration, right? 2 wrongs make a right? Unbelievable. But that is the logic you liberals use all the time.
Thought you voted for change. LOL

I can’t wait until 2010/2012… Deliverance

What spin! “anybody that watches (the rally) is struck by the fact that there’s a rally going on without a solution on their side.” Is it OK to ridicule the voices of warning when it’s obvious that the government is on a course to disaster? This is ridiculing just because there is no rational way to do what the administration’s is hell-bent on doing. An analogy would be this: The government is trucking down the road and ignores posted signs that the bridge ahead is not structurally sound enough to support the load being hauled. The trucker ignores the signs because there are no alternate routes posted and is hell-bent on delivering the load in one trip. So he blows past the signs. The bridge in this analogy is the economy. The economy is supported by the privately employed work force that is dwindling. The load is the growing government workforce, entitlements, health care for the uninsured,… basically everything that the government relies upon the private sector to pay for through taxes. Since the bridge is loosing it’s private sector strength it is doomed to fail under the approaching load. So just because the alternate plans are not so grandiose by themselves does not mean there are no alternatives. The load on the truck needs to broken down into smaller loads to succeed in the delivery. These protester understand the need for reform and the ultimate objective of quality health care for all. We can never achieve that by being irrational and putting on blinders.

Whine, complain. Loved the prior 8 years. Found no reason to demonstrate then as we moved into depression territory. Yes I have been to the brainwash right wing stations. I hope I covered it mostly.

1. Go ahead, Mr. Gibbs, ridicule half the nation by ridiculing one of the speakers that represented them yesterday. That last-century-Alinsky tactic is getting really old, kind of like continuing to blame our nation’s first 21st Century president for all the ills of the 21st Century.
2. Gibbs dismissal of one Republican bill is the only public explanation I know of on record discussing any alternatives. (Wyden’s? Why not? Mackey’s ideas? Why not? What would Mayo Clinic suggest? Why not?) My point is this: A methodical, public deliberation by Congress is a vital primary step for substantive change. The Worst.Congress.Ever arrogantly slid right past a transparent review of our health care system and the best ways to improve it, and instead patched together this Frankenstein in their backrooms.
The nation deserves a full, documented review of all the issues and alternatives and for Congress to be on record on why they won’t work.
That’s why I stood at my Congressman’s office yesterday with another 100 folks — in solidarity with others across the country and those on the Capitol steps — to say “Kill the Bill”. Start ALL over and do it right.