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You are here: Home / Slow Learners are Learning

Slow Learners are Learning

by @heymistermix.com|  October 21, 20117:25 am| 57 Comments

This post is in: DC Press Corpse

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It looks like the message that the Republicans are obstructing in the Senate is finally getting out, with a big push from the Obama Administration. It’s amazing how much effort it takes for a simple, true message to take hold in the beltway.

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Reader Interactions

57Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    October 21, 2011 at 7:29 am

    Was so glad to see that.

    More of this, please.

  2. 2.

    Elizabelle

    October 21, 2011 at 7:36 am

    David Gregory’s on “Morning Joe.”

    He made me reach for the remote. TV off. Equates Obama not being able to close Gitmo with Herman Cain’s policy prescriptions.

    David.

    You would look good in a tumbrel.

    (And that’s after a lot of inanity from the show’s host.)

  3. 3.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 7:37 am

    Not so fast! Reuters:

    The action came shortly before Democrats were expected to block a Republican bid to stimulate the economy by repealing a pending 3 percent business withholding tax.

    And the Twidiot response:

    DEM CONTROLLED SENATE fails to pass Obama’s bid to create 400K jobs for teachers, 1st responders

  4. 4.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 21, 2011 at 7:44 am

    @arguingwithsignposts: Reuters seems to be, for whatever reason, the worst offender these days.

  5. 5.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 21, 2011 at 7:45 am

    I know this isn’t an open thread, but I’d love to know what combination of words in the post or comments caused an ad to come up asking me to “sign the petition” and “show my support” for “America’s #1 Governor, Bobby Jindal.”

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    October 21, 2011 at 7:53 am

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Sigh. Maybe the same combo that gets C-Span to invite me to watch Boehner’s speeches and events.

  7. 7.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 21, 2011 at 7:57 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Did anyone mention exorcisms for volcano monitors? If not, I am stumped.

  8. 8.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 21, 2011 at 7:58 am

    @Elizabelle:

    C-Span only ever invites me to watch Cantor’s speeches. I’m not sure what that says about you, me, or C-Span.

  9. 9.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 8:01 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Adblock is your friend. Ordinarily, I’d turn it off for a domain I support, but those ads that come up are so noxious, and the ad servers slow page loads to a crawl.

    The way “contextual” advertising works around here, I wonder why anyone would pay for such poor targeting.

  10. 10.

    BB

    October 21, 2011 at 8:02 am

    Wapo has already scrubbed “Republican” from the headline. Now just “Senate.”

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 21, 2011 at 8:02 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Is a puzzlement.

  12. 12.

    Elizabelle

    October 21, 2011 at 8:07 am

    @BB:

    Still there a moment ago.

  13. 13.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 8:08 am

    @BB: The front page still has “Republicans” in the headline – for the moment.

  14. 14.

    amk

    October 21, 2011 at 8:08 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: reuters, ap, the whole buncha of reputed news orgs in 70’s & 80’s have become pathetic now.

  15. 15.

    JD Rhoades

    October 21, 2011 at 8:09 am

    @BB: I’m sure they got a stern talking to from the GOP handlers tasked with keeping them in line.

    That’s got to be an easy gig. Just whisper “liberal bias” into the phone and the fucking cowards will skitter away from even the most obvious facts.

  16. 16.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 8:12 am

    And a big, hearty fuck you too for Sens. Jon Tester, Ben Nelson, and Joe Lieberman for jumping in with the shit-eating caucus.

  17. 17.

    mistermix

    October 21, 2011 at 8:13 am

    On the ads: I get a lot of ads that are relevant to searches that I did on other sites. For example, I was looking at some camera stuff and for a few days every ad on B-J was about cameras. It isn’t necessarily what’s on this site, and it’s Google’s judgment of what you might buy.

    Also, too: John is one of the few bloggers who rarely asks for money and, as far as I know, plows the little bit of money he gets back into the site or donates it to causes. I run ad blockers for some sites, but not this one. Your choice, but that’s my take.

  18. 18.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 8:17 am

    @mistermix: like I said, normally I’d turn it off around here, and I have in the past, but it really did slow the page loads down. Unfortunately, the change.org is the worst offender, and not affected by adblock.

  19. 19.

    Ben Cisco

    October 21, 2011 at 8:18 am

    @Elizabelle:

    David Gregory’s on “Morning Joe.”

    The real problem here is with the latter half of the sentence. Why is anyone watching that tool?

  20. 20.

    Elizabelle

    October 21, 2011 at 8:23 am

    @Ben Cisco:

    Yeah. Visiting someone with cable; fell asleep with MSNBC on.

    Carl Bernstein was shrill this morning.

    Joe’s on a crusade to take Cain out, as if Herman’s own antics won’t eventually do that …

    The silence is blissful now.

  21. 21.

    Napoleon

    October 21, 2011 at 8:24 am

    @mistermix:

    On that note also if you use the Amazon link at the top to order he gets a little something from it.

  22. 22.

    BB

    October 21, 2011 at 8:30 am

    All I can see on Washingtonpost.com is “Senate blocks…” Maybe y’alls browsers are using a cache? Look even at the link:
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-blocks-money-for-teachers-firefighters/

  23. 23.

    SiubhanDuinne

    October 21, 2011 at 8:32 am

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    Thanks, not sure it’s available on the iPad (Safari) but will certainly check it out.

  24. 24.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 8:32 am

    @BB: That’s the actual story headline. mmix’s screenshot is from the home page of WaPo.

  25. 25.

    gogol's wife

    October 21, 2011 at 8:33 am

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    I lost it on the phone with a Lieberman staffer. I said, “Why didn’t he worry about the deficit when he was voting for the Iraq war and tax cuts?” The little — said,”There wasn’t much of a deficit in 2003.” The top of my head blew up at this point, and I got very uncivil. But I refrained from any obscenities, for which I am proud of myself.

  26. 26.

    WereBear

    October 21, 2011 at 8:37 am

    @Napoleon: On that note also if you use the Amazon link at the top to order he gets a little something from it.

    Especially, as so often happens, I read about an interesting book on the blog!

  27. 27.

    Brandon

    October 21, 2011 at 8:39 am

    WaPo definitely says only ‘Senate’ as others have pointed out. Looks like the only slow learners here are the folks that expect the WaPo actually do anything differently.

  28. 28.

    Plethded

    October 21, 2011 at 8:42 am

    Joe Scarborough was explaining on his show this morning that President Obama had failed to offer a good deal with his jobs bill because he hadn’t tied it to benefit cuts in a grand bargain. One of his regulars pointed out that Obama had tried a grand bargain, and that too many republicans won’t agree to any deal with the president. Just won’t do it.

    I was shocked at the momentary burst of reality. It didn’t last long, of course. In the next few minutes they all agreed what the country needs were serious centrists who can compromise, from both sides, and that democrats are as uncompromising as republicans blah blah blah.

  29. 29.

    arguingwithsignposts

    October 21, 2011 at 8:49 am

    @Brandon: go to Washingtonpost.com – the main page. third story down on the left side.

    Also, in the story, third and fourth paras:

    All 47 Republicans voted against allowing the bill to proceed to a full debate, arguing that temporary stimulus dollars for state and local government would do little to bolster the private sector.
    __
    Republicans also opposed imposing a 0.5 percent surtax on million-dollar incomes to pay for the aid, as Democrats proposed. They contended that inclusion of a tax increase signaled that the vote was intended as a campaign tool and was not a serious effort to find bipartisan agreement on spurring job growth.

  30. 30.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    October 21, 2011 at 9:01 am

    I’m getting ads for doorbells, custom-made signs, bus tours, blenders, old Fender electric pianos, vacations on some island off the coast of Tuscany, and leather-bound blank diaries. That one’s in Russian.

    Who the hell knows.

  31. 31.

    RossInDetroit

    October 21, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Slow learners indeed. As quick as the MSM are to rally all national attention to a shiny balloon in the sky that might have a little boy in it, they can’t seem to accept that the GOP has the economy in the toilet and they’re reaching for the flush handle.

  32. 32.

    SW

    October 21, 2011 at 9:11 am

    It’s not true really. It reflects the White House’s finally giving up the dream of ‘bi-freaking-partisanship’ and calling out the Republicans specifically instead of all this ‘some people in Washington’ bullshit we’ve been hearing from them for three years now. This could have happened much sooner but I’ll take it. Sure the press is fucked up. But you still have a pretty big megaphone over there at 1600. You just have to decide to use the god damn thing. I think we are all see that now. The problem is that you need to use it to campaign for Joe blow’s job for the git not just your own ever four years.

  33. 33.

    cleek

    October 21, 2011 at 9:16 am

    NPR couldn’t be bothered to get it right. as usual.

  34. 34.

    amk

    October 21, 2011 at 9:18 am

    “Deliberately dumb press”

    Title fixed.

    Almost made me go godwin.

  35. 35.

    amk

    October 21, 2011 at 9:20 am

    @SW: That whiny megaphone/bully pulpit meme is really getting to be grating on the nerves.

  36. 36.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    October 21, 2011 at 9:35 am

    OT: I heard on MSNBC that Steve Jobs told Obama that he had to be friendlier to business or he would be a “one-term president”. Jobs also ripped into Bill Gates, calling him “unimaginative” and that he had ripped off ideas from other people.

    What a nice guy…lol!

  37. 37.

    Cat Lady

    October 21, 2011 at 9:56 am

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    Ruh roh. You’re inciting a flame war if you criticize the Bestest.CEO.Evah. Outraged consumers confused by enhancing their life with Changing The World descending on you in 3..2…

  38. 38.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    October 21, 2011 at 10:07 am

    @BB: That link’s broken. On the PostPolitics page, the link leading to the article says “Senate Republicans” while the headline on the article itself says “Senate blocks”. The article brings up the responsible party “before the fold” as it were, though it contains the usual caveats: “The vote represented the legislative part of a strategy by Democrats to convince voters that they are pushing popular job-creation bills that are being thwarted by Republican opposition.”

  39. 39.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    October 21, 2011 at 10:13 am

    @polyorchnid octopunch: Personally, I blame Taylor, one of the founders of the Harvard Business School, and Lenin’s favourite economist after Marx.

  40. 40.

    OzoneR

    October 21, 2011 at 10:21 am

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Steve Jobs, a teabagger. A million yuppie heads just exploded.

  41. 41.

    boss bitch

    October 21, 2011 at 10:27 am

    @SW:

    The problem is that you need to use it to campaign for Joe blow’s job for the git not just your own ever four years.

    What are you talking about? whether 1,2,3,6,13,24 months ago, the media and most certainly people like you would have said it was all about keeping HIS job. So give us a break. And may I point out that the bill has not passed. So don’t start with the I Told You So’s either.

  42. 42.

    Paul in KY

    October 21, 2011 at 10:27 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: I got the same thing. I live in KY & would rather powersand a tattoo off than watch that evil SOB.

  43. 43.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 21, 2011 at 10:32 am

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: I am utterly bewildered by the reaction to Jobs’ death. I own pretty much every toy he ever came up with, can’t get through a day without my iPod, but he wasn’t fucking Gandhi. In the story I read, he told Obama the US needs to imitate Chinese policy toward big business.

    On topic: Reuters’ headline says “Dems Reject Obama Jobs Bill”. and they count Lieberman as one of the “three Democrats” who broke with Obama.

  44. 44.

    catclub

    October 21, 2011 at 11:04 am

    @gogol’s wife: well isn’t there a big difference between increasing the total debt from
    $1Tr to $2Tr and increasing it from $13Tr to $14Tr?
    (Ans: No)

    of course, the proposed bill was paid for and increases the deficit zero IN CONTRAST to the Iraq boondoggle, but that was probably central to his point.

    I feel for you.

  45. 45.

    FlipYrWhig

    October 21, 2011 at 11:41 am

    @SW:

    calling out the Republicans specifically instead of all this ‘some people in Washington’ bullshit we’ve been hearing from them for three years now.

    On issue after issue, a chunk of Democrats have been backstabbers themselves. The Republicans are the vast majority of the problem. But conservative Democrats aid and abet them. For that reason, “Washington” and “Congress” are good, accurate names for the malevolent entity that prevents sensible things from getting done.

    ETA: First I wrote “getting down”! :P If I can’t dance, it’s not a revolution.

  46. 46.

    FlipYrWhig

    October 21, 2011 at 11:44 am

    @gogol’s wife:

    I said, “Why didn’t he worry about the deficit when he was voting for the Iraq war and tax cuts?” The little—- said,”There wasn’t much of a deficit in 2003.”

    Cripes. Along similar lines, there wasn’t much of a problem with hurricane damage in New Orleans before August 2005.

  47. 47.

    William Hurley

    October 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    Why am I not surprised that there’s a celebration of failure found here.

    Are you really suggesting, and do you really believe, that “vote for our well intentioned guy even though he can’t overcome his opposition – even while enjoying a majority in the House and Senate that was unprecedented” is a winning message?

    Or do you mean “winning” the Charlie Sheen way?

    Before your knockers get too twisted, give this interview a viewing. It’s Amy Goodman speaking with William Black, the latter a former bank regulator who worked to clean-up the S&L mess.

    Congress has no ability and no role in “obstructing” a DoJ effort to address rampant criminality in the housing and financial disasters of today.

    The sooner O-Bots accept the fact that Obama cannot win in 2012, the sooner we can work to put forth a winning candidate, winning messages, winning policy goals and – in the course of achieving that win – resecure the House & Senate in the wake of the RahmBo/DCCC/DNC face-plant of 2010.

  48. 48.

    William Hurley

    October 21, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    @William Hurley:

    corrected: Before your knockers knickers get too twisted, give this interview a viewing. It’s Amy Goodman speaking with William Black, the latter a former bank regulator who worked to clean-up the S&L mess

  49. 49.

    JC

    October 21, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    Good news this is getting, a little bit, better.

    The administration has to continue to be focused on the same message, again and again, and don’t let the Rethugs, the press, etc, get them away from the message. It’s idiotic, of course – why do you have to repeat yourself, like an idiot, again and again?

    But you have to, because the political media scene is idiotic.

  50. 50.

    William Hurley

    October 21, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    @FlipYrWhig:

    HUH???

    The national debt in 2003 stood at around $6 trillion and debt service took a 15-18% cut of the total Federal budget.

  51. 51.

    William Hurley

    October 21, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    @JC:

    How about focusing on problems and solving them.

    Following this novel course will “solve” the “rethug” problem as a side benefit.

    Obama could start by firing Geithner and his fraternity of failures at the DoT. He could also clear house at Justice.

    Then, he could scrap HAMP/HARP and admit the programs and his his efforts were a waste and in their place institute a real principle relief program backed by aggressive investigations and – as evidence permits – prosecutions of the tens of thousands of instances of fraud, theft and deception on the part of the Fin Services industry (a.k.a. Obama’s most generous and reliable donors).

    Any other course is a path ending in his unemployment.

  52. 52.

    JC

    October 21, 2011 at 1:00 pm

    @William Hurley:

    We are talking about the jobs bill here. The jobs bill, and Rethuglican opposition.

    What you bring up, is a different subject.

    As far as Obama administration too close to the financial services industry – he looks bad in this regard, compared to which Republican?

    Am I happy about Obama ties to finance? No.
    Do I support and go see Occupy Wall Street because of this? Yes.

    Is he still a thousand miles better than any republican?
    Yes.

  53. 53.

    Felinious Wench

    October 21, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    @William Hurley:

    The sooner O-Bots accept the fact that Obama cannot win in 2012, the sooner we can work to put forth a winning candidate

    Whom do you propose who is electable?

  54. 54.

    Felinious Wench

    October 21, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    @JC: There is only one response to people who keep insisting that they won’t vote for Obama, or Obama will not win the election. “Whom do you propose who is electable? What’s the plan?”

    Absolutely I have disagreed with the President. But I’ve agreed with him much more. So, if someone’s going to convince me not to vote for him, I want to see the alternative and the plan to get them elected. I’ve yet to see much but bluster. Which, of course, you never see on blogs.

  55. 55.

    JC

    October 21, 2011 at 1:55 pm

    @William Hurley:

    You know, I wonder if this is simple trolling. After all, at this point, Obama is what, nearing one million individual donors?

    There is no one else, at this point. There is Obama, or a Republican. That is the reality.

    And Obama has done a lot – a lot – of things right.

    There is no white horse. There is no other candidate to elect.

    You can work outside the system, but IN THE AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM, in the presidential race, it’s Obama. And he is still a super-smart, great speaker, disciplined and incredibly likeable candidate.

  56. 56.

    Waynski

    October 21, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    @JC: Clearly, trolling. As William should know, any effort to field another candidate other than Ralph Nader is preposterous at this point. So either get on the Canadian bus or get out of the way. It burns me knowing that Dick Fuld breathes the same free air as I do everyday rather than rotting in a federal lockup. But Obama inherited a burning building of an economy and he didn’t have a magic wand to put it out or rebuild it. With Republicans circling the smoldering ashes with gas cans, Obama’s the best we’ve got. Get over it.

  57. 57.

    gerry

    October 21, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    Geez…if only Obama had started making that effort in 2009. What a wonderful world this would be.

    BTW, who are the slow learners? Obama or the Media (or both)?

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