President Obama Backs Secret Service, Rejects Black Caucus Criticism
Email"I could not have more confidence in the Secret Service," President Obama said this morning in a newspaper interview, his first public comments on Gate-crash-gate.
The president said "the system didn't work the way it was supposed to" but was full of compliments for the U.S. Secret Service.
"They do an outstanding job,” the president said. “They have been with me since I was a candidate. I trust them 100%, not just with me but with my wife and my children."
The president made his comments in a joint interview with Richard Wolf of USA TODAY and Justin Hyde of the Detroit Free Press in stories to publish Friday.
The president also rejected criticism from members of the Congressional Black Caucus that his administration was turning a deaf ear to the struggles of minorities, who have been disproportionately hurt by the recession.
Ten members of the CBC, to which the president once belonged, boycotted a key vote on financial reform legislation in the House Financial Services Committee yesterday after failing to arrive at an agreement with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel on a variety of issues that CBC members think the Obama administration is ignoring, including employment in urban areas.
CBC member Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said the 43 members of the organization could join with the House GOP to sandbag Democratic bills if need be.
“I think that it is important for us to educate those people around [Obama],” Waters said. “We’ve got to get his people educated and moving. We have not brought these issues to him personally — it is important first to educate those people around him so they understand.”
Waters said “there are those who choose not to speak about African-Americans or the working class. We can no longer be in denial that certain sectors of our population, including the African-American community, are feeling the recession to a greater extent.”
But President Obama told Wolf and Hyde that “the most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community, period, and that is get the economy going again and get people hiring again."
"I think it's a mistake to start thinking in terms of particular ethnic segments of the United States rather than to think that we are all in this together and we are all going to get out of this together," he said.
-jpt
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He knows the SS was not at fault , supports the troops , knows job creation is done by the private sector and feels no empathy for the race industry ? What has happened ? Maybe he is an American . I expect a birth certificate next , I would hate to bet against him at this rate .
Posted by: nat turner | December 3, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Speaking of educating…here’s a thought…Try educating all people and not “his” people…I do not agree with the Obama agenda…surprise surprise by my previous comments, BUT it is hardly the fault of the Obama Administration for the undereducated thus unemployable faction of our community…Try assigning blame where blame lies…..
Posted by: Parallex View | December 3, 2009, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
The President just the nail squarely on the head. The real problem with America is that people do not think together as Americans. Politics has subdivided into so many cause oriented lobbies and splinter groups that we are too divided against ourselves. There is no collective vision for the good of everyone. It is only about their own little hard core constituencies. No wonder Representatives and Senators are such gutless gameplayers.
Posted by: CND FOX | December 3, 2009, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Obama is becoming the President instead of being the mouthpiece of the progressive left wing. It’s about time. And, in case you think I’m a white guy, I’m not: I’m a 54-year-old black woman. I’m a registered Democrat who on the whole agrees with the party platform, but the Democratic party never can get their act together. Never. They don’t act as a disciplined, cohesive unit with a pragmatic mindset to get things done. Instead, they engage in identity politics and in-fighting. It’s disgusting. This country is a center-left, center-right country, that swings between the two just slightly from issue to issue. Too far to the left, AND, too far to the right doesn’t cut it. Never has, never will. Obama is a liberal, but once the Democratic party loses control of Congress (and I’m not betting that they will in 2010; but it will be close), Obama will have a much easier time with a Republican congress getting things done as far as process, if not in political philosophy. Just wait: Obama is, at heart, an incrementalist. Obama will be frustrated with the political philosophy, but he’ll have a much easier time dealing with a disciplined party, rather than a mess.
Posted by: Laura Brown | December 3, 2009, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
Why does ABC news insist on devoting a major amount of news coverage on tabloid news stories like the bogus White House attention seeking guests and Tiger Woods’ philandering? Isn’t there enough real news to cover like the ‘Climate-Gate’ scandal (which would make the financial scandal perpetrated by ENRON execs seem paltry in comparison)?
There’s been nary a peep from journalists about this story. If I was in the journalism industry, I would be thoroughly ashamed!
Posted by: Michael | December 3, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
“collective vision for the good of the people…..Yaikes….Here’s a thought…independent vision for the progress of America as this Country was founded on the spirit of individuality and not one mindless collective thinking or agreeing as one….
Posted by: Parallex View | December 3, 2009, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
Once again the low level guys are caught up while the higher ups skate. I thought this administration was going to be different.
Posted by: -T | December 3, 2009, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
The administration invokes excutive privelege to avoid having the social secretary testify before Congress? And Congress does nothing? Unbelievable!
Posted by: -T | December 3, 2009, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
“I think it’s a mistake to start thinking in terms of particular ethnic segments of the United States rather than to think that we are all in this together and we are all going to get out of this together,” he said.
Finally a position with which I can agree with the president. Unfortunately, given his comments that led to “GatesGate” I’m not sure I completely believe that this is how he feels in his heart. We’ll see.
Posted by: tjp612 | December 3, 2009, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm
My take: Admin leave is due to them taking the fall for someone else, who told them to let the folks in…… someone very high up.
These guys do not bend rules, unless a superior insists.
Posted by: John A | December 3, 2009, 3:46 pm 3:46 pm
This is interesting “tabloid” info. Where is the meat on Climategate? The biggest Science Hoax ever!
Posted by: John A | December 3, 2009, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
. Where is the meat on Climategate?
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Don’t you mean ‘where is the hysteria’?
Posted by: tierra | December 3, 2009, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
I am just as hard on the far left as I am on the far right nuts.
Posted by: gl, From Pittsburgh | December 3, 2009, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
I don’t know what the CBC is complaining about. or the rest of America for that matter.. President Obama put together a stimulus package to put America back to work and look at all the jobs he created………..Oh those were fake jobs… sorry
Posted by: nothing more than a photo-op | December 3, 2009, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
I had read that the bulk of the layoffs were high skilled white collar jobs-what the racial makeup is I haven’t a clue but I do know many from all different races who are out of work.
I agree with the President on this but I would have to say that it is his Government that is scaring the craps out of people with all this uncertainty. No one in their right mind is going to take lots of risk when all this “change-mayhem” is going on.
I do agree with Maxine that somebody needs to get the attention of his advisors but I’ll bet that when these advisors who are buddies with each other, who have helped each other make really big deals in the past, are going to go out og their way to do to much that will help working people-regardless of race.
Posted by: david | December 3, 2009, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
The administration allows the Director of the Secret Service to testify, but invokes Executive Privilege to protect the social secretary from a Congress controlled by their own party! How funny!
Posted by: Terry | December 3, 2009, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
ok.. i was born yesterday.. i beleive whtever the lame stream media lapdogs are telling me. even if people under him.. even though people of his party.. so we are talkin of morons who have a 100 percent chance of thinking like his Lordship barack hussein obama.. feel the secret service messed up and are incomeptent, barry is the shining star.. standing next to the downtrodden s.s., PLEEZ. its deflection of blame, its a coverup…its stupid…someone let these people into the party… supposedly their reality show is from bravo! a network owned by g.e… jeff immelt is a big obama person.. i say its publicity stunt. i fooled u all, i wasnt born yesterday, and dont beleive anything this worthless network or others say.. you are just stenographers of obama and cant think for yourselves. what a success story you all are.
Posted by: realman1963 | December 3, 2009, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Cara A wrote, “It doesn’t matter whether or not the commenter is racist, the remark definitely singles out young men by race. There’s a lot of lazy people– of all races, ages, genders. And a lot of drug dealers of all races, ages, genders. ”
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I guess you and I see this differently. I tend to see the positive side when one challenges me. I don’t like to play victim. In fact, I don’t need anyone’s sympathy if only I can find the opportunity to work hard and make it on my own. I just don’t know if the reaction should be to cry racism when a poster challenges me by saying something that has a lot of truth to it even when singling me out. I like to challenge myself first before I even give a thought to what negative things you want to say about me. Thus, if the poster meant this in a racist way, it wouldn’t affect me in the least but positively. We can choose to deny reality by blaming the messengers all we want, but the evidence remains for all to see.
Posted by: David | December 3, 2009, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm
Race really should never come into play here. The percentage of unemployment is to to high among all races in this country. True it’s higher among Blacks and Latinos but a comprehensive jobs plan would solve that problem and provide jobs for all Americans that want to work.
Posted by: johnnylee | December 3, 2009, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
Wait til they tell you that all those fake jobs in those non excisting places were all taken up by minorities, that should satisfy everybody.
Posted by: earl | December 3, 2009, 7:25 pm 7:25 pm
Good job Mr President. Stay the course. Do what you know it right.
Posted by: Cindy | December 3, 2009, 8:26 pm 8:26 pm
Obama got 97% of AA vote and has basically still been given a pass by the AA community for just about everything. No surprise that he treats them like doormats.
Kind of like he treats the lapdog media.
Posted by: hank | December 3, 2009, 10:08 pm 10:08 pm
Where are you going to go CBC? I’m sure Obama is really worried about losing you. He will toss you a bone soon.
Just ask his gay supporters.
He needs your money and your votes.
That’s the extent of his involvement with either group.
Posted by: tyler | December 3, 2009, 10:16 pm 10:16 pm
Looks like three more to soon add to the list of jobs not saved!
Posted by: Terry | December 3, 2009, 11:39 pm 11:39 pm
Maxine Waters must not have gotten the memo about FUNemployment under Barack Obama.
She needs to tell her constituents that nothing bad happens under Obama’a leadership. It’s all rainbows and unicorns, ask the press.
Oh wait, Waxman says some in the press may need bailouts…
Posted by: Harry | December 4, 2009, 12:25 am 12:25 am
She needs to tell her constituents that nothing bad happens under Obama’a leadership. It’s all rainbows and unicorns, ask the press.
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More nonsense. The press has consistently pointed out the economic mess, including job losses.
Obama said repeatedly that the economic recovery would not be quick, nor would it be easy – and that things might well get worse before they got better.
The “rainbows and unicorns” is a bogus right wing contrivance, same as calling Obama ‘the One’ or ‘the Messiah’ – it is a creation of the right, set up only for the purpose of RIDICULE – cheap shot.
Posted by: tierra | December 4, 2009, 12:35 am 12:35 am
I like all African Americans am sorry I ever decided to vote for Obama. I wish I had voted for Hilary Clinton.
Posted by: Jerold | December 4, 2009, 4:18 am 4:18 am
If the CBC joins forces with the repubs on this issues, then I will withdraw my support of the CBC forever. I too was a Hillary supporter, but I realize that the repubs want nothing more than to divide and conquer. And it seems that the black orgs and dems are falling in line, as usual. THE ONLY WAY to correct the issues in the black community is to unify around the president. And what do you thing the critiqs and repubs will do with a lot of fanfare about our prez giving preferential treatment to black. Let’s be serious, AND smart.
And by the way, I am a black professional who has been unemployed forover a year. I need a job. But as a patriot of this country I need the prez to succeed. He has more on his plate than should be because of the previous admin. And, he is admirably attacking so many issues, but with nothing but criticism. And now from the Black community also. I don’t think so. That would just give credit to all the jokes out there about our community not being able to work together. I won’t be part of it and will boycott and I will speak out against any black orgs that side with the repubs. I’m not the only one!
Posted by: Peachez | December 4, 2009, 7:47 am 7:47 am
A fake African American (1/16 African) has faked his way into office and is now faking help for non-existent beneficiaries of his so called stimulus plan that stimulated no one but the wealthy elitist liberals who supported him with their millions and now fake themselves into believing they are color blind by calling everyone else racist.
What a country.
Posted by: JAI | December 4, 2009, 10:42 am 10:42 am