If, during the press conference last night, you heard President Obama address the stem cell question, and you are a sane person, you heard this:
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.
In your remarks on stem-cell research earlier this month, you talked about a majority consensus in determining whether or not this is the right thing to do, to federally fund embryonic stem-cell research. I’m just wondering, though, how much you personally wrestled with the morality or ethics of federally funding this kind of research, especially given the fact that science so far has shown a lot of progress with adult stem cells but not a lot with embryonic?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Okay. No, I — I think it’s a — I think it’s a legitimate question.
I — I wrestle with these issues every day. As I mentioned to — I think in an interview a couple of days ago, by the time an issue reaches my desk, it’s a hard issue. If it was an easy issue, somebody else would have solved it and it wouldn’t have reached me.
Look, I believe that it is very important for us to have strong moral guidelines, ethical guidelines, when it comes to stem-cell research or anything that touches on, you know, the issues of possible cloning or issues related to, you know, the human life sciences.
I think those issues are all critical, and I’ve said so before. I wrestle with it on stem cell; I wrestle with it on issues like abortion.
I think that the guidelines that we provided meet that ethical test. What we have said is that for embryos that are typically about to be discarded, for us to be able to use those in order to find cures for Parkinson’s or for Alzheimer’s or for, you know, all sorts of other debilitating diseases, juvenile diabetes, that — that it is the right thing to do. And that’s not just my opinion. That is the opinion of a number of people who are also against abortion.
Now, I am glad to see progress is being made in adult stem cells. And if the science determines that we can completely avoid a set of ethical questions or political disputes, then that’s great. I have — I have no investment in causing controversy. I’m happy to avoid it if that’s where the science leads us.
But what I don’t want to do is predetermine this based on a very rigid ideological approach. And that’s what I think is reflected in the executive order that I signed.
If you are an insane crazy person, or Andy McCarthy (sorry to be redundant), and the election of not only a Democrat, but a socialist muslim black man who most likely isn’t even American (has Andy seen the birth certificate yet? Why not? What are you hiding, President Obama!) has you increasingly unhinged, you heard something completely different, and it involved infanticide, ACORN, and thuggish attempts to… call a radio station:
Obama does this a lot — instinctively, and in response to questions or comments directed to him that contain any hint of criticism. He has been so immune from media scrutiny, and his supporters have been so thuggish in shouting down critics (recall, for example, the efforts to stop Stanley Kurtz’s appearance on Milt Rosenberg’s radio show in Chicago), that a disturbing presumption has taken hold — at least in Obama’s own mind. Namely, questions that imply even mild dissent from or disfavor of Obama are not legitimate unless he personally decides they are within the ambit of proper inquiry. The questioner has to get over the legitimacy hurdle before he or she gets an answer — so better be careful about your topic and your tone.
This is of a piece with his ACORN days, when the community-organizer was not above resort to what those extortionists glibly call “direct action.” Obama can appear civil, gracious and, as he insists, “pragmatic,” but the prospect of intimidation is always in the air. This is not a pretty picture after only two months, and it doesn’t get better from here.
These people have really lost touch with reality.
jenniebee
Lost? What makes you think they ever had it in the first place?
schrodinger's cat
May be Andy McCarthy can run for Congress and keep Bachmann company.
John PM
I understand the old adage keep your friends close but your enemies closer, but if you keep reading NRO and its ilk you are going to give yourself a stroke.
Having said that, it does appear that McCarthy viewed the press conference from an alternate reality that is low on oxygen.
Atanarjuat
I’m just relieved that President Obama’s teleprompter gave a flawless performance during the press conference.
It would have been embarrassing for the President and the entire nation if that scrolling panel of scripted talking points had shorted out and left Obama gaping like a modern day Ralph Kramden sputtering, "humminah humminah humminah!"
Phew!
-A
scarpy
I thought it was an interesting tic though. I did have a split-second reaction of, "Of course it’s a legitimate question, dumbass."
Then it passed.
c u n d gulag
Andy,
If you stop at 2 martini’s, you’ll be better off.
Rule of martini’s: One to inwind, two to unravle, three to unhinge…
I think some on the right are downing more than three.
Winston Smith
This is classic. You may have noticed that Obama is a black man.
It is important to realize that in Andrew McCarthy’s fever-induced reality, all black men are — at all times — dangerously close to committing violence. So, even as reporters stand up and calmly asks questions, and Obama calmly answers them, good, God-fearing white people like Andy know that at any moment, Obama is going to throw down his malt liquor and "go medieval" on the reporter’s "ass," because as we saw in that documentary, Pulp Fiction, that’s what black people do.
I hope this clears up any confusion.
Anyway, I just read this site for the Tunch pictures (hint hint).
jibeaux
Maybe he was playing Goodfellas in the background.
How the hell otherwise would you derive "intimidation" from that answer?
Speaking substantively, I don’t think this is nearly as controversial an issue as some would have you believe, not nearly as controversial as, e.g., abortion. The last polling I saw on it was strongly favorable. To the extent that it is controversial, I think this
goes a long way towards neutralizing that.
Shoot, there I go being sane again, though.
4tehlulz
You know, if he, no, any president did this on a regular basis, more people would watch press conferences.
R Johnston
To echo what jenniebee said, completely untrue. What’s happened is that you, John, have gotten in touch with reality.
The American right lost its last touch with reality sometime around the civil rights movement, and it’s never come close to reality since. It’s true that these people have gotten more dangerous, but that’s what tends to happen when you get pissed off over time about the conflict between reality and your beliefs.
Zifnab
Shorter Andy McCarthy: If you do not agree with me, you are CRUSHING MY DISSENT!
The idea that the President just gets to "make decisions" and "do what he wants" gets under everyone’s skin at times. Lord knows, Bush issued plenty of vetoes and hired / fired plenty of administrators I didn’t approve of in the least. But it gets Bachman-like foolish to have a guy running around effectively questioning the legality of every move the President makes.
Zomg! He answered a question! How intimidating! How thuggish! What kind of world do we live in?
jibeaux
@Atanarjuat:
Yes, you’re right, it was an entirely scripted QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION. And although I’m glad to hear you think he did well, we all still like BoB better.
President Obama's Teleprompter
@Atanarjuat: Thank yew. Thank you very much! I’ll be here all week! Try your waitress and don’t forget to tip the veal!
Comrade Jake
Before responding to Atanarjuat, just remember:
1) he’s a troll, though not a particularly skilled one;
2) he guaranteed a McCain victory. In other words, he’s dumb as rocks.
inthewoods
@Atanarjuat: Wow, was a blistering response to the President’s press conference. What substance! Seriously, does the wingnut crowd have anything to say besides tired statements about teleprompters?
Zifnab
@Comrade Jake: What does this have to do with the Duke Lacross Rape scandal?
dmsilev
It’s not just Cornerites. Check out this lovely story about how Obama had the *gall* to agree to give the commencement address at Notre Dame in a couple of months, and how the "pro-life" fanatics have duly dialed the outrage-o-meter up to 11:
-dms
El Cid
I am sick and tired of the MAINSTREAM MEDIA failing to investigate how ACORN is stealing stem cells in order to replicate an army of Luo Kenyans to be Manchurian planted in charge of Freddie and Fannie so that they can give away free homes to Mexican immigrant drug barons in exchange for Bill Ayers’ help in blowing up government buildings.
cleek
McCarthy is dunce-cap, nose-picking, chalk-chewing stupid.
i’d feel sorry for him if he wasn’t employed. but since he is, he serves as a beacon of hope to all the other pitiful morons in the world. maybe they too can find a job jerking off into a sock for a bi-weekly allowance and a chance to socialize with people just like themselves.
Farley
My friends,
I can see hypocrisy, a lack of self-awareness, and your bitter, praying gun cabinets from my big white house.
Alternatively,
I’ll see the thundershitcake you call morality and raise you actual morals.
Atanarjuat
Before taking Comrade Jake’s advice, please remember:
1.) He’s my personal stalker.
2.) He’s butthurt that I’m just not into him, which goes right back to the first point.
-A
Cat Lady
They got nuthin’. If they start agreeing with him on anything, their reason for being collapses. I hope they keep it up. Reality intruded last September, set up shop at the election, and is now insisting on monopolizing everyone’s attention. Good luck with bucking it.
Argive
Shorter President Obama:
I did not take the executive order regarding stem cell research lightly. This was a very difficult decision, but I feel it was in the best interests of science and the medical community.
Shorter Andy McCarthy response:
Woe unto those who ask questions Comrade Brother Barack X does not deem legitimate, for they will face reprisals from the dreaded ACORN secret police!
nepat
The wingnuts have been consistent and persistent in their Declarations of Bad Omens since Obama became the front runner in the primaries. Victor Davis Hanson declared Obama’s presidency over after two weeks – and not just over but apocalyptically over. But apparently psychosis pays dividends (see Ratings, Fox News), so we’re stuck with it for the duration. The only possible upside is that going crazy this early will lead to some kind of chronic fatigue syndrome downstream as they grow too exhausted and listless to muster the requisite poutrage.
The Moar You Know
@Winston Smith: I’m sure he thinks Obama learned how to make a mean shank during his time in prison.
What, Obama wasn’t in prison?
Well, then Obama must have been such a scary violent badass that no one would dare prosecute him!
ibid
Obama’s ACORN days? The place of birth isn’t the only part of Obama’s biography he is confused about.
Atanarjuat
@inthewoods:
I guess I should have been impressed by all the dodging and weaving from Obama’s responses to some rather pointed questions from the press? Sorry, I tend to avoid partisan Kool Aid, especially the liberal flavor.
As far as the teleprompter, even the Associated Press picked up on the President’s over-reliance on this device.
iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/25/america/Obama-Analysis.php
-A
kay
@scarpy:
Well, it was my favorite question, so of course everyone else hated it.
Obama has a theme and he basically harps on it. On issues that inspire screeching back and forth (anything having anything to do with when life begins) and can’t be "resolved" he compliments the person who asks a civil question. This was a civil, sincere question, so he recognizes that.
It may be patronizing. Whatever. I don’t care if conservatives don’t approve. I think it’s effective, and it’s also used a lot. It’s a rhetorical tactic. It’s akin to "good question!".
We have to stop screaming at each other. We’re not getting anywhere. People who ask real questions about touchy subjects should be encouraged. That’s what he’s doing.
Farley
@inthewoods: Stop it! You’re making too much sense!
Svensker
WTF is McCarthy talking about? Did someone switch the pie filter on when we weren’t looking? There are nouns, verbs, subjects, predicates, objects, etc. but I can’t make out what it means. Is it a word cloud?
inthewoods
@Atanarjuat: You might be confused because you actually have someone up there who answers questions, and the questions and the resulting answers are complex due to the nature of the issues. Therefore, they cannot be boiled down to something as simple as, say, "Fool me once…" like Bush. So the bob-and-weave you keep referring to is called subtly – something that wingnuts (like you) have a huge problem understanding. Thus, you are simply reduced to either: making petty comments to attack the messenger rather than addressing any real issue, or invent your own version of the world that has no reference to reality.
As for your AP reference – once again – this was:
"EDITOR’S NOTE: Ron Fournier is the Washington bureau chief for The Associated Press."
Shocking that he would say something like this! And of course you print it like it is news rather than a sad, weak ideological attack from McCain’s former press secretary.
SpotWeld
I read that and I wanted to shout "yes, finally!!"
It may be just words, but that is exactly "the buck stops here" sort of attitude I really thing was a critical failure during the Bush administration.
I really got the impression that, to Bush, an issue was only important if it reached his desk and he thought it was importants (with a lot of people around him that understood that they were deciding interally what "important" really was).
kay
@Svensker:
They’re bonkers. When the President says "good question!" does that mean all the other questions were bad ?
Imagine living or working with these people. You’d tear your hair out. They’re like hothouse flowers. Every phrase or word brings MORTAL OFFENSE.
jibeaux
See other thread for commentary on being boring, being late because he’s black, being possibly on drugs, ACORN, and birth certificates.
I think if teleprompters magically make you a good speaker, then Dubya should gotten a solar-powered portable one and taken with him everywhere. It could have spelled out the phonetic pronunciation of "nuclear". On the downside, novelty calendar manufacturers would have suffered needlessly.
bago
Two Words: President Zobama.
Woodrow "asim" Jarvis Hill
For those unaware of Mr. Fournier’s background, a few pieces:
cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/23/politics/animal/main4376842.shtml
narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/ap%E2%80%99s-ron-fournier-racial-arsonist-and-unethical-journalis…
majikthise.typepad.com/majikthise_/2008/08/ron-fournier-ma.html
kay
@jibeaux:
It’s bullshit, of course, the teleprompter bit. Kurtz in the Washington Post lets us all in the big secret: they all use teleprompters. It’s the electronic equivalent of a note card. Not just government-types either. Business, entertainment, and on and on. He thinks the whole theme is dishonest and silly, and designed to pretend that other "important" speakers are winging it, when they’re not.
Svensker
@kay:
What’s wrong with Kurtz lately? He’s actually been making sense occasionally. Start or stop taking his meds?
valdivia
@kay:
precisely. It is also, a professor thing I think. I do it with my students all the time, even more so when i feel the room tense up as if the question was not a good one and it is I underline the point that it is a valid good question to ask.
bago
Also, as someone who worked in the online ad industry, the only reason you’d display the same ad twice on a site for one http get is if you defaulted all the way back to house advertising. (Well, retardation exists, but this IS Pajamas Media.) When the non-run-of-site ads are all the same, you got jack and shit for inventory. The only people that will buy ads from you is… you.
Also, you are so bankrupt you can’t even come up with enough house ads (or script seed management) to ensure you don’t blow your inventory by displaying the same ad twice in a row.
Also, this is the third paragraph I’ve started with "Also". It’s a meme that is powerful.
Not doing a teleprompterz joke because of the exclamation limit.
Rosali
It was scary and intimidating to see Obama’s supporters engaging in direct action on a massive scale last Nov
Atanarjuat
@inthewoods:
That was a rather impressive tumbling of that strawman you set up, inthewoods. Your whole argument boils down to the very transparent fact that you hate Bush, and will likely never get over the reality that he was elected twice. Any criticism of Obama is met with "but, but, but Bush!"
Sorry, man, but most people who haven’t chug-a-lugged gallons of liberal Kool Aid could clearly see that President Obama provided tortured, long-winded responses to the serious questions posed to him. The only way that Obama’s dissembling jackalopes could be any more obvious is if his teleprompter was placed at the speaker’s podium, while the man himself was cueing talking points from the back of the room like a struggling playwright.
-A
kay
@Svensker:
We didn’t know because they didn’t tell us and the camera angles don’t allow us to see. I didn’t CARE, of course. Why are those cue cards politicians rely on somehow more legit than an electronic prompt? It’s ridiculous.
In my opinion, Justice Roberts could have benefited from a cue card at the swearing in, electronic or otherwise. I wouldn’t have minded. Just get it right, dumbass.
El Cid
The damn librul media refuses to note that Obama has a micro-teleprompter implanted inside his cornea, which is the only possible explanation for his ability to answer questions contemporaneously. He is not smart like George W. Bush Jr.
The Grand Panjandrum
Actually Obama should have swatted the question back at that nimrod.
That is patently false. Maybe Tim F can chime in here and give us a little more background. By implication isn’t this reporter saying scientists are farther along in their research of adult stem cells than they are with embryonic stem cells? Has anyone actually measured this and determined how far along the research is? The premise was misleading at best.
I’ve listened to–and read–the question several times and that is what I take away from it.
Hob
I would just like to say that thanks to cleek, this thread is now a brighter place for me. Who knew Atanarjuat had so many opinions about pie?
Mike in NC
VDH had himself a massive man-crush on the war criminal Dick Cheney, so he has to be on to something, right?
Trinity
@El Cid 18 and 44:
You are killing me!
r€nato
@inthewoods:
BIRTH CERTIFICATE, BITCHEZ!
NonyNony
@kay:
Well, yeah. Back during the GOP primary when Sarah Palin gave her impressive speech, she was using a teleprompter. Remember how the fawning wingnuts had to figure out how to jive that with their "Obama isn’t a good speaker because he has to use a teleprompter" crap? They pretended like the teleprompter malfunctioned and she gave the speech without it. Which, of course, wasn’t true.
I don’t know why they have so much invested in this – it’s bloody damn hard to get up and give a good speech completely extemporaneously and even if you can do it you’ll probably end up leaving out key details that you meant to cover. The only times I’ve ever seen someone give a speech completely free of any kind of note cards, teleprompters, or PowerPoint slides has been in churches. And even there I’ve seen priests use notecards or typed notes to keep their sermons on target.
r€nato
yes, most people long for the days of George W. Bush, a functional illiterate who talked down to Americans as if it were possible for any mature adult to be even dumber or endowed with a smaller vocabulary than he.
Christ, you’re not even an entertaining troll.
inthewoods
@Atanarjuat:
So, once again, nothing of value to say. "Tortured, long-winded responses" – yes, that’s it – you want just a simple answer like "fucking kill ’em"!
No, my whole argument boils down to the fact that you have nothing to say yet keep chattering away. I absolutely hated Bush because he was a moron – and I expect you were there defending his inability to communicate in anything other than mock-cowboy/frat boy english. If you have an actual critique of what Obama said, speak up, otherwise, you add nothing any value to the conversation.
BDeevDad
@The Grand Panjandrum: It’s actually not just false, but also misleading, considering the medical community has worked with adult stem cells since the 1960s (bone marrow) and embryonic stem cells were first isolated in 1998.
Tim C.
And it’s not even good politics. The whole line of attack reeks of desperation and flop-sweat. You actually have to wait for the president to make a *real* mistake, you can’t just make stuff up. It’s like the Clinton years all over again, the right convinced themselves he murdered Vince Foster, stole half of Arkansas, Hillary was plotting to take away their guns, etc, etc, etc. By the time something real actually happened with the intern, the GOP looked like the total hypocrites that they are. Bush won because he WASN’T involved in much public Clinton-bashing.
My turn to concern troll the GOP:
Shut-up and let the Democrats screw it up on their own, we always do in the end, you are far more likely to be viable in 2014 than 2010, just hold on and spout meaningless phrases and look reasonable until then.
Mike
A real American would have thanked the good Lord that he was there to answer questions.
r€nato
In right-wing fantasyland, Bill Clinton left office with approval ratings below 30% and George W. Bush left office with approval ratings around 60%.
inthewoods
@r€nato: In right-wing fantasy land, Clinton caused the recession we’re in right now.
Zifnab
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Who cares? This isn’t a question of the value of embryonic versus adult stem cell research. Put the shoe on the other foot and talk about animal experimentation. Wingnuts don’t have a problem with that in the slightest.
This is about dogma. Every sperm is sacred. Scientists are being forced to kowtow to religious bullies. The argument Mr. Country First presents revolves around this fetish he and his ilk have for human souls and manifest destiny. There’s some assumption that people are "meant" to be born and this science is interfering with divine will.
And it’s fucking ridiculous. If embryonic stem cell research was a completely dead field with no scientific applications to speak of and no progress in the last thirty years, while adult stem cell treatments were on the verge of curing everything from cancer to herpes to male pattern baldness, a federal ban on the former would STILL be as silly and insulting as a federal ban on eating shellfish or extensive regulations restricting women’s menstruation.
The government has completely overstepped its bounds as an agent of upholding morals. They’ve overreached and now they’re getting the authority scaled back. A good libertarian would be cheering Obama for disentangling himself from the moral quandary. If the unborn advocates want to throw a protest, perhaps they should be picketing the IV clinics where thousands of embryos get incinerated every day. But it’s not the federal government’s job to go around shoving evangelical morals down the throats of every doctor to accept federal funding.
El Cid
@Trinity: Glad to be of service.
c u n d gulag
As I recall, Bush left with a poplarity rating of 97%, didn’t he?
He was noted as he left by historians for his intellegence, diplomatic ability, and ability to communicate clearly (everything except the word ‘nuclear’).
The only people who prevented Bush from leaving with a 100% approval rating wereLiberal bloggers and their readers.
It is because of this that John McCain and Sarah Palin swept every state except Illinois.
What, they didn’t? Who won? The bla… I mean Obama? He did? Jesus, the meth they got in Alaska is sure killer!
Oh, well… Obama won because the only thing that guy can do is read a teleprompter!
The Grand Panjandrum
@Zifnab: I agree it was about dogma and the misleading nature of the question made it obvious.
Anytime I hear a journalist ask a question like that–or anyone ask a question like that–it is readily apparent they have no idea how science works. But science is held in low regard on the right because it based on observable data. How inconvenient, eh? I looked forward to a peer reviewed paper from the Discovery Institute announcing a cure for Parkinson’s disease by holding a Bible in your right hand, clicking your heels three times while saying "Jesus is just alright with me."
passerby
"Obama can appear civil, gracious and, as he insists, “pragmatic,” but the prospect of intimidation is always in the air. "
For too long the media have enjoyed the unfettered ability to hold our national dialog captive. Intimidation? Seems to me that Obama is just fighting fire with fire.
r€nato
@inthewoods:
In right-wing fantasyland, the economy crashed and burned because Democrats took control of Congress in 2006.
In right-wing fantasyland, 9/11 was all Clinton’s fault even though Bush had been president for nearly 8 months.
In right-wing fantasyland, the first WTC bombing in 1993 was all Clinton’s fault even though he had been president for 5 weeks.
In right-wing fantasyland, Clinton attacked Bin Laden in order to distract from his Monica problems.
In right-wing fantasyland, Republicans never criticized Clinton for attacking Bin Laden because he was allegedly trying to distract people from his Monica problems.
Atanarjuat
@inthewoods:
Of course, inthewoods. If one is not effusively praising Obama’s wooden teleprompted perfomance in front of the press, then one has "nothing of value to say." Now that’s some diehard liberal partisanship, sir.
However, you did let slip one telling admission just now:
Indeed, this is the basis of leftist philosophy: undying hatred of conservatism, especially George Bush. He was elected twice, and you guys refuse to get over it. The constant, neurotic comparisons to Obama just goes to show that Bush’s successful presidency continues to torment liberals, and Obama is a painful reminder of just a what a dud for a leader we have in comparison.
-A
norbizness
You know what gets rid of a troll? Constant attention! You guys are geniuses!
Mike G
Shorter McCarthy:
When the President treats reporters’ stupid questions like they are stupid, he is practically shipping them to the gulag.
Zifnab
@norbizness: Oh yeah, well you’re a towel.
inthewoods
@Atanarjuat:
More of the same horseshit – how about a statement about the banking policy? Stem-cells? Anything? You’ve got nothing. Make anything approaching a reasonable argument. Go on, I’ll wait.
"Let slip one telling admission?" I fucking came out and said it. And who would you like us to compare Obama to? Clinton? Ok, he’s cleaner than Clinton but maybe not as good a politican – but maybe we’ll know more in, say, a year vs. 60 days. Ford? Ok Ford was an intelligent man but a political boob. Reagan? Great speaker – Obama shares some of that – maybe some of his Teflon coating. Happy?
We compare him to Bush because Bush was the last 8 years and he was a total and utter disaster. Just about everything the man touched turned to a steaming pile of shit.
I see, so you’re saying now that Bush is conservative? Or didn’t you get the updated Republican meme – Bush was actually a liberal democrat. You’re behind the times of your own mindless alter-world.
I don’t hate Bush because he is/was/might be/maybe not conservative – I hate him because he was the worst President since Hoover.
Wow – you are painfully delusional. Check yourself into a rubber room if you think that Bush was successful. I’m curious though – by what measure is he a success in your demented alterworld?
El Cid
I hated Bush Jr. because he was an asshole.
I hate conservatism (you know, the real thing we’ve had for the last 40 years) because it’s a moronic, anti-American, elitist philosophy meant to pillage the nation at the expense of a majority, and a philosophy pushed by moronic reactionary shitbags.
I don’t hate my fellow Americans for having fallen for that bunch of shit repeatedly, just like I don’t hate family members who repeatedly do stupid things which harm them; I do, however, get angry with them.
norbizness
@Zifnab: It’s commonly known that if a troll’s talking point goes unrebutted by at least 10 people, the talking point will become immutable scientific fact.
cleek
@norbizness:
that needs a name.
i propose: The Norbizness Postulate
(because "norbizness’s law" is tough to say)
lou
Nah, I think you have to be black-skinned with a Muslim name and occupy the White House. Then yeah, you could exclaim the sky is blue, and they’ll pull out the charts proving it isn’t.
TenguPhule
In Obama’s case, this will be true.
JenJen
@Atanarjuat: The best line I heard from a political pundit last night is exactly the kind of thing that should concern people like you:
Paul Begala: "Well, give the man a chance. If at the end of his first term, we find out he’s really, really awful, we could always just pull a George W Bush and re-elect him anyway!"
Enjoy thinking about that. :-)
TenguPhule
One of these words is not like the others.
One of these words does not belong.
AhabTRuler
I have no respect for anyone that ever hosted Crossfire. I think that Begala is a shitheel, only slightly less awful than Tucker Carlson.
But that is an awesome line.
JenJen
@AhabTRuler: Quoting the line was in no way intended to be an endorsement of Paul Begala (although being slightly less awful than Tucker Carlson is nothing to be proud of).
But I do have to say he seems to be enjoying himself lately, and can snark better than just about any Democratic political pundit these days, and snark is what really gets under the skin of someone like Alex Castellanos, who the comment was directed toward.
Castellanos replied, "It’s no laughing matter, Paul," so you could tell the comment had its intended effect. Remember, Democrats are not supposed to laugh or smile because these are VERY SERIOUS TIMES AND IT IS NOT TEH FUNNY!
bago
Atan is just a regular commenter here funnin y’all. The sad thing is, the people at RedState and Glenn Beck are outpacing his deliberate, refined brand of crazy.
TeeJay
This was one of my least favorite questions. The science stipulated in the question was misleading if not just plainly wrong. Adult stem cells are in fact much more limited in their research applications than are embryonic stem cells. Ten years down the road research results from the two will be dramatically different than they are today.
The current lack of progress cited is because Bush effectively banned embryonic stem cell research for years. You can’t outlaw something for the better part of a decade and then turn around and say, "It doesn’t work."
This was the real answer to the question.
Zuzu's Petals
So, just curious …
Does anyone know of a time when Obama told someone their question was NOT legitimate?
Zuzu's Petals
@ibid:
I love how he starts out sniffing about "the context of Obama’s vote in favor of infanticide."
I guess he missed the part where Obama pointed out that, aside from constitutional questions on the bill, Illinois law already required medical care for an infant born alive during an abortion.
Zuzu's Petals
@SpotWeld:
By the time an issue reached GWB’s desk it had been reduced to a one-page memo. Likely with power points.
JWW
John,
Define: These people have really lost touch with reality?
Who are these people?
What is your stance?