Per the comments, some additions….
To the sips category:
* “members of your own party”
* “approval ratings”
* “revenue neutral”
* “deficit neutral”
* “individual responsibility”
To the swig category:
* “sleeveless”
* “what message does it send”
To the finish your glass category:
* “euthanize your grandparents”
Update.
So as not to create to many threads I’ll just update this here as I hear more things.
Sip — “Henry Louis Gates”
Clarification. This all applies to the question portion, not the speech.
Update. Damn, I should have put “curve” under sip. I meant to but I forgot.
Update.
Add to sip.
* “how to pay for it”
* “how you will pay for it”
* “who will pay for it”
Update. Obama is very good. And, shockingly, the questions are good too. I’m surprised. This isn’t that bad.
General Winfield Stuck
Political Capital
demkat620
Does he get a birther question?
I bet he does.
amk
canadian healthcare
bipartisanship
Snark Based Reality
So when does this party start and where can those of us internet-only people watch it live? (I’m lazy.)
Edit: To respond to myself it starts now-ish and live feed is msnbc.msn.com/id/32056993/
freelancer
msnbc usually has streaming video of his pressers live
MikeJ
“Certificate of live birth” should be a separate category, since the birthers seem to think it’s something different.
geg6
I am praying to the FSM for a birther question. That would be the most awesome thing ever. Oh, and I think Big Media Ezra will get the blogger question. Also. I’m with Laura W and the three morans, Chuck, Chip, and Jake. That is one tasty trio of MSM sub-80 IQ there.
Just Some Fuckhead
How many times is the President going to have to explain that he’s the President and creating legislation is not his fucking job?
Zam
I have a feeling I’m about to get so drunk I won’t be able to meet up with my friends later
Laura W
@geg6:
Well, don’t blow your prayer wad on this one. You damn well know it’s coming, especially since Brian Williams covered it on Nightly News tonight.
@Fuckhead: HUH? Go get a Corona man. Stop making sense.
demkat620
Am I allowed to want him to take the GOP to the woodshed? Stop playing around and just beat them down?
Can I haz that?
Brick Oven Bill
Sip:
“Compassion”
“Empathy”
“Quality Care”
Swig:
“Choice”
“Excellence”
Finish Your Glass:
“I Mean It”
p.s. Glenn Beck does have a CCW permit and talked about it on his show today. He was packing at the movie theater over the weekend.
tomjones
Cost curve! Don’t forget about the cost curve!
I think you drink the entire bottle if we hear “Bend the cost curve like Beckham.”
geg6
Laura W: Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t really praying anyway. Just hoping fervently.
freelancer
I think we’re going to have to add “Let me be clear”, or “Let us be clear” to any Obama speech. He likes that phrase.
demkat620
Um, is it me or is Barack pissed?
freelancer
@demkat620
He doesn’t get pissed.
He gets even.
Laura W
@freelancer: Much like John Cole’s: “At any rate.”
Oh yeah. He is pissed now.
Is it just me or is he uber-hot when he’s mad?
Max
Call me a fangirl, but I love me some of my President.
Snark Based Reality
Damn it, no Waterloo reference.
Mike P
Wait…we need to discuss this post on Free Republic (via Wonkette) in which the Freepers declare their intentions to march on D.C., overthrow Obama and install…Hilliary Clinton as president.
They’ve finally crossed the Wingnut Threshold.
Bad Horse's Filly
@Laura W: Oh, you beat me to it, couldn’t belive they spent 5 minutes on the birthier issue. Of course we’ve spent countless posts and billions of brain cells on it. I was nauseous (sp) after reading birthier comments last night. Ooops, Obama almost said Waterloo!
Violet
@Laura W:
Cracked me right up that BWill covered it on Nightly. I appreciated that they got Medved in there to say, “it’s making us look ridiculous!” and then covered all the other “birther” controversies. I thought it made it seem both totally wacko and also not uncommon – which seemed to take a little of the oomph out of it somehow.
If this was the first and only time anyone had ever suggested a presidential candidate or president wasn’t a natural born American, then it would be a bigger deal. But this sort of thing has been going on among the fringe crazies for as long as we’ve been a country. This is just one more example of it. Somehow that marginalizes it somewhat.
demkat620
Now we’re cooking. This is what I wanted to hear.
Kick. Their. Ass.
Gobama!
amorphous
DON’T ANY OF YOU REALIZE THAT THIS WHOLE SPEECH WAS FROM A TELEPROMPTERZ? Or did that ship already sail?
dmsilev
Now he’s using the GOP’s “We will bury him” rhetoric (complete with podium-banging footwear) against them.
Nice.
And the bobbleheads are up.
-dms
DeadlyShoe
Youtube has a good feed.
youtube.com/whitehouse?feature=ticker#play/uploads
Obama’s not pulling his punches, though…heh
kay
@Just Some Fuckhead:
It’s a great question.
He’s trying to inspire Congress to act like a Congress, and they don’t want to, because it’s hard, and President Bush never said they had to….
demkat620
@Laura W: No, he’s just uber hot. He’s a nerd, he’s smart, he’s good looking and he has one helluva smile.
What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!
El Cid
“how to pay for it”
“how you will pay for it”
“who will pay for it”
Laura W
Deficit Neutral!
Slurp.
freelancer
oh snap deficit neutral
Freelancer +1 (and a shit ton of Chinese food)
Bad Horse's Filly
In all honesty, I only watch these pressers anymore because I get to follow along on BJ. Kind of like MST3000.
shoutingattherain
“deficit neutral”.
Glug glug glug…
El Cid
whitehouse.gov/live has its own live video stream. In widescreen, too.
geg6
He’s schoolin’.
Napoleon
@MikeJ:
Mike said : ““Certificate of live birth” should be a separate category, since the birthers seem to think it’s something different.”
Because they are idiots. I don’t know why people even engage those morons.
By the way I checked my birth certificate tonight and sure enough it is entitled: “Ohio Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Live Birth.” And it is like Obama’s. Honestly if any of my employees even raises some kind of BS like these birthers do I will file them on the spot.
Well I can’t watch this – someone will say something stupid and it will p— me off.
Everyone have fun drinking.
Comrade Mary
Ooh. I like his explanation of the status quo.
Just Some Fuckhead
I believe Obama gave that first questioner the evil eye.
JenJen
@Laura W: I dunno. I think Chip Reid might be up to the task.
Snark Based Reality
It’s all clear now. Obama just said he knows the devil.
Dave C
Obama brought his A-game tonight.
freelancer
Love the way he’s framing this, basically wooing the anti-tax crowd by saying employers are being taxed by insurers at a really fucking obscene rate. for profit. We won’t do that.
Demo Woman
I really wanted him to talk about the upper income average taxes going down over the last two decades…
Trinity
I’m drunk already….just because we have a real President! Woo hoo! :)
Laura W
DAMN! The devil you know vs. the one you don’t know!
Shoulda had that.
DougJ, why didn’t you carry all the entries forward and consolidate into one post? I’m getting really confused and really drunk flipping back to the previous post to tell me when I should drink.
LOL.
“Why the rush?”
Shoulda thought of that one too. It’s so hard to anticipate all the stoopid in advance.
THE STARS ARE ALIGNED.
Omigod. He’s into astrology. I’m just gonna kill the whole 1.5 now. Nighty Night, All.
demkat620
@Just Some Fuckhead: No, the stank eye.
amorphous
@Snark Based Reality: I wonder what Sean Hannity is going to do with that…
MikeJ
Oh god, he said “the stars are aligned”. Prepare the fainting couches for the wingnuts.
DougJ
DougJ, why didn’t you carry all the entries forward and consolidate into one post?
I shouldn’t have created a new post. Sorry about that.
I don’t know how to consolidate.
me
Easy fix, just don’t stop drinking.
Calouste
“This isn’t about me. I have great health insurance, and so does every Member of Congress.”
Zingggg.
It’s another way of saying to the voters: some of your representatives really don’t give a flying f$%# about you, because they got theirs.
colleeniem
DougJ–You should really name a bar and a time prior to 15 minutes before the conference. Then those of us in the Roch-cha-cha area can drink/snark with you (including those visiting from out of town). Go Rhinos!
Colleeniem +2 (prior to presser)
El Cid
Can he please make understandable for these nimrods that savings may go beyond teh FEDRUL GUBMIT money — ordinary people and businesses may SAVE MONEY even with different taxes?
Comrade Mary
“I’m not gonna sign a bill [various conditions]” doesn’t yet seem to include a public option. Is he ever going to sell this hard to the public?
amorphous
Chuckster c’mon…
DougJ
Why did I leave out “47 million Americans”???????
Anya
Chuck Todd, stupid semi-quetions coming.
bvac
I’m not sure how it would be worded, but if there is some hypothetical reference to Obama’s mom aborting him, be sure to have a few bottles of Jack on hand. I sense it coming.
Bad Horse's Filly
Chuck at the plate, he swings and he…..
LorenzoStDuBois
Guess I’m the only one that thinks this is pretty weak so far. No “Everyone will be covered.”
No “No one goes home for recess until this is done.”
No dismantling of cost concerns.
Sorry, but I think so far this gets a fail.
geg6
Hmmm, Chuckie gets a C+. Might his best effort, really.
Laura W
@DougJ:
Copy
Paste
??
El Cid
When you’re the butt of an entire Stephen Colbert routine on how stupidly pro-Bush/Cheney/establishment you are, you might be a Chuck Todd.
amorphous
TELL ME I HAVE TO SACRIFICE CHUCK. DO IT.
freelancer
@DougJ
cause you starting your drinking game rules an hour and 20 minutes ago when the pundits were talking about the stupid.
Trinity
@El Cid: Win!
General Winfield Stuck
Best line so far by O
. some people think they’re indestructable, then when they get hit by a bus, they end up in the emergency room
COOL
Comrade Mary
Chuck, you can ALWAYS blame the Republicans.
Just Some Fuckhead
That wasn’t me.
Bad Horse's Filly
@Bad Horse’s Filly: Oh, yeah and because our Prez is hot. (What can I say, smart men get me all a flutter).
freelancer
He ALMOST said Waterloo! Fuck it, I’m drinking anyway
amorphous
oh boy tappy time
Trinity
@Bad Horse’s Filly: Could not agree more. Intelligence is SEXY.
freelancer
@BHF
You talking to yourself, hon?
Martin
So, Grassley, Enzi, and Snowe are dead to the GOP now, I suppose.
Dave C
Jake Tapper: WHAT ABOUT THE SACRIFICE!!!!
El Cid
It would be funny in a different universe if Obama were to precede a question by saying “When I was born in Kenya, um, I mean, Hawaii…” just to watch the rod-contrail-shadow peoples-birthers’ heads explode…
amorphous
THERE’S THE WINNER! TAPPER WITH THE “SACRIFICE” COMMENT! TWICE! YOU MISSED YOUR CHANCE, CHUCK.
demkat620
Understandably?
Fuck you Tapper.
geg6
The Tap man…oooo, is this a dead gramma question?
El Cid
@amorphous: YOU DID IT!!! HEP THE MEDJA GET THE POORS TO UNNERSTAND THEYS GOTZ TO SACKRIFICE MORE!!! SUFFER!!! SACKRIFICE!!!! YOU CANNOT GIT DOCTORIN’ FER FREE!!! MUS’ BE PAIN FOR THE POORS!!!
JGabriel
I knew I should I chosen the blue pill!
.
Comrade Mary
OMG OBAMA TAKES VIAGRA! HE JUST CONFESSED.
OR ELSE HE’S THE ONE.
Fuck you, Jake. Also.
Apsaras
Barry wants me to take the blue pill!
No way Barry, I’m going to the Matrix and you can’t stop me!
Laura W
@me: This was so funny from you in previous thread, I just have to Play It Forward.
balloon-juice.com/?p=24431#comment-1307303
Beeb
From Chuck to Jake. If Chip is next, it’s a triple play of stupid.
Augustine
Blue pill? Red pill? How far does the rabbit hole go?!
Bad Horse's Filly
@freelancer: Have to when you take too long to edit your own comment.
freelancer
I want to see him come out next presser in a 3 pc suit, give his speech, say “Now I’ll answer a few questions”, take off the jacket and dress shirt, revealing a black T-shirt that says I’m with Stupid and has fingers point to his right front and left front.
Blue Pill vs. Red Pill – I knew I shouldn’t have brought up the Matrix today
balloon-juice.com/?p=24404#comment-1306874
Comrade Mary
damn i mentioned the blue boner pill and am in mod. damn.
El Cid
We cannot afford any more deficit but why did you hate America and not build 60 more F-22 fighters which the Pentagon didn’t want? And don’t we need more tax cuts?
me
Washington is the world that is pulled over peoples eyes, so they cannot see the truth.
lamh31
Has he called on Major Garrett from Fox news yet. Anyone else hoping he doesn’t?
El Cid
@Beeb: You WIN AGIN!
Laura W
@Beeb: AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I just freaked out all four cats.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
DougJ
Sacrifice again from Chip Reid.
amorphous
@freelancer: I’d offer to buy the shirt for him.
GODDAMMIT CHIP STOP WITH THE SACRIFICE STUFF.
Dave C
Chip Reid: I hear what you’re saying but. . .WHAT ABOUT THE SACRIFICE?!?!?!
Just Some Fuckhead
When did the White House press corp defect en masse to the Republican party?
Zam
SACRIFICE!
Comrade Mary
Laura just got her three maroons with Chip. Does she have to take heroin now?
Obama seems tired and wonky.
Clutch414
@Beeb: Nice call. I’ll chug to that.
amk
“Teh Sacrifice” should be there topping the list of entire glass category
Demo Woman
Obama is now explaining the deficit to the audience of donkeys who since are an audience of asses will not be able to repeat it to the masses.
geg6
OMFG, the Chipster! Sacrifice! A 9/11 commission for health care! Woo hoo! Panel of experts! Yippee!
General Winfield Stuck
Chipper. Sacrifice with teh PAIN. JUmped The 300 Shark on that one. weeeeee…..
Trinity
He likes to take on his opponents. I LOVE that!
freelancer
@Beeb and everyone
Does anyone think BHO is deliberate and just wants to get the stupid out of the way?
“Okay, I’ll call on the glimmer triplets, but after that, no more correspondents wearing helmets!”
The Grand Panjandrum
Now the transparency question is a very good one.
Comrade Mary
Krissy asking a fair question about transparency.
Laura W
@El Cid: Er, I was sorta in there too, you know.
balloon-juice.com/?p=24431#comment-1307142
me
“Doughnut hole” would be another good phase, although I doubt it will be used again.
bvac
Question about letting cspan televise healthcare meetings et c. Not bad. Am I allowed to spit up some liquor for that decent question?
Beeb
It’s a good thing “incentivize” wasn’t on the list or we’d all be under the table.
El Cid
Holy, sh*t, smack — “they haven’t been secret — most of the time you guys were in there taking pictures” on the health executives.
I sure hope that’s true, ’cause that would be an AWSUM smack.
She’s right on the TARP, they (all of gubmit) are acting like the Treasury is there to give free money in sekrit to any big bank / investment company.
Turgidson
Still enjoying the fact that our president speaks in full sentences and without a contrived folksy accent.
that’s all for now.
amorphous
Am I the only one following along at foxnation-dot-com?
Anya
Did he call on a blogger yet. I hope he calls on Ezra Klein, at least he knows what he is talking about. Then the MSM will have a freakout, wait, is Ezra a big media now.
Mike in NC
Too bad he didn’t go out like Dillinger. Maybe next time.
El Cid
Obama cannot talk without a teleprompter.
You Don't Say
The WH reporter you dislike the most? My vote: Chip Reid.
Trinity
@amorphous: yes
Bob In Pacifica
I watched “The Wrestler” this afternoon. I wonder who paid for his hospitalization.
demkat620
Okay, how does Tweety spin this as a bad performance by Obama?
Personally, I think he is kicking ass.
Dave C
Lynn Sweet: Journalistic Fail.
bvac
Henry Louis Gates!!!!!!!!!!
Comrade Mary
oh fuck me lynn sweet
amorphous
Really? A race question?
El Cid
@Laura W: YOU GIT A KAR TOO!
amk
Ah, race relations ? Lynbe Sweet.
Obama – Here, I would get shot – Zing
Clutch414
@You Don’t Say: Chip is close but Tapper is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Josh Huaco
Isn’t this the part where Paul L. weighs in with a non sequitur or BOB says something like, “That Zulu Barry Sotero, he is lost without his teleprompter?”
ScreaminginAtlanta
The live streaming on the White House site is great. Didn’t know they had that.
I love not being nervous before press conferences because I know the guy can think AND talk.
Beeb
No blogger question. Oh well. And Laura W, you definitely picked the trio of not-a-clue. Getting all three in a row was icing on the cake.
And here comes the Prof. Gates question. Glug glug glug.
freelancer
Okay, how does Tweety spin this as a bad performance by Obama?
“Stepped on his own headline with the Gates stuff”
General Winfield Stuck
Tonight was Presnit Obama the health care wonk. Explained in simple understandable terms. No bullshit, or very little.
Demo Woman
Darn,, My wine bottle is already empty and a Henry Gates question…
Cain
Haha.. Obama brings on the funny. Stupid ass question by Lynn Sweet. Bringing in some local issue to the PotUS just because he’s black. Fucked up. FAIL.
cain
demkat620
Of course. He stepped on his own headline.
Fucking Tweety.
abo gato
Teleprompter? I don’t see no stinkin teleprompter?
How the hell can he talk with no teleprompter?
****walks away, all confused****
demkat620
Of course. He stepped on his own headline.
Fucking Tweety.
linda
@demkat620:
did you catch his first comment — ‘obama stepped all over his message tonite with his comment about gates’
DeadlyShoe
god that was such a good press conference until the last question
SKIP GATES ATTACK AAAA
SiubhanDuinne
@ Freelancer: “glimmer triplets,” YOWZA! There is a whole big mouthful of petite syrah spewed all over my BlackBerry screen
lamh31
Ya gotta admit thought that Obama answered the Gates question pretty damn well.
Like Josh Marshall said, imagine for a minute Obama being arrested for trying to “jimmy” the lock at the White House
El Cid
“Hey! You’re black! What’s up with this black professor who got arrested in his house? What’s up with that?”
Micheline
@demkat620: What is Chris Matthews saying?
lamh31
So no questions for Faux News.
Who wants to bet some Faux personality will say that it is because Fox entertainment network didn’t broadcast the presser.
General Winfield Stuck
Fucking Chuck Todd. Goes on national Teevee and says Obama committed to only taxing people with over a million dollar income. When Obama only said that’s what Pelosi had stated and it meets his rule to not pay for HC on backs of middle class. Idjit.
Laura W
@Demo Woman:
I’m sorry what? You have only one wine bottle in the house at a time?
That is just piss poor planning, DW.
UH OH…Fineman is dissing POTUS for being tired and repetitive. This can’t be good. He did look tired. I will definitely concede that. Prolly clearing too much brush.
Beeb
Howard Fineman: I was bored, so he failed.
Um, Howard, you’ve heard all this before because you are paid to listen to everything. Some people watching it on TV actually just might have been hearing it for the first time. Wanker.
Montysano
Shorter Howard Fineman on MSNBC: “Instead of talking about stuff, I wish had Obama had just told us some cool stories” Jeezus, what a vapid pinhead.
Martin
This was okay, not great. Lots of wonky bits, but he needs to make Congress (specifically, the health care lobby inside Congress) the enemy standing between the public and a better future, and he didn’t really do that.
Not bad, but not a game changer, and this country needs game changers.
Trinity
God I hate the MSM.
amorphous
Who broke Balloon Juice? It was either Tapper or Tunch.
Demo Woman
@Micheline: Chris is saying that he’s upset cuz President Obama called the policeman stupid. We don’t ever call Police Man anything in America except Yes Sir.
shoutingattherain
I, for one, am grateful for the Gates question because NOBODY talks about race in this country like Barack Obama. His answer was pitch perfect.
linda
who needs chris matthews when you have rachel maddow propelling the meme — will obama now have to apologize to first responders for his comment about police acting stupidly re the gates dust-up.
Trinity
@amorphous: I blame Tapper. Douchebag.
Brick Oven Bill
This is not about me, but you are going to ruin my Presidency;
The Republicans are opposing me, but they have no power;
We will extend care for pre-existing conditions, but will not increase the deficit;
You will be able to keep your plan, but not change it.
And I mean it.
Oh, and no lobbyists, and FISA, and public financing, and 8.5% unemployment, and cigarette taxes, and energy taxes, and we’ll post legislation online for 5 days, and Annenberg said the certificate is valid so shut up.
I won.
Laura W
Dang! Elizabeth Edwards up on Rachel next and she looks great! Better than she’s looked in months.
Of course, it could be the cheap Beringer 2008 Pinot Grigio I am currently viewing her through.
BOB, go have some cheap Chilean red. Don’t harsh our mellow tonight, please?
Elroy's Lunch
After watching the press conference with a couple of glasses of white circulating it seemed to me that that Obama was off. But so was the press corps. They seemed to be really on tenterhooks to not look like the ridiculous high-school kool kids like they did in the last press conference when he tooled them. They looked like they thought they were gonna get slapped no matter what they asked.
Of course that could have just been the wine.
Comrade Kevin
BOB must be taking some powerful narcotics.
General Winfield Stuck
I was glad Obama shot down the new meme of being like Bush and cheney for not disclosing names of health industry visitors to WH.
The complete list has now been mailed out. AND YOU MORAN REPORTERS TOOK FRIGGIN PICTURES OF THE VISITORS WHEN THEY WERE HERE. I wish he’d said it like that, but, one of a zillion reasons why stuck ain’t presnit.
freelancer
Wow, is the site slowing to a crawl for anyone else?
I’m done with politics for the next couple hours. I’m going to follow J. Michael Neal’s advice and watch The Hurt Locker.
Steinway1957
After the press conference I was going to watch the MSNBC commentary, but Chris Matthews and Howard Fineman were so stupid I couldn’t stand it and had to turn it off.
“He stepped on his own headline.” What?? All he did was answer the question, Howard. A question that shouldn’t even been asked at this press conference.
I’ve got to think the Cambridge Police Chief isn’t too happy tonight.
linda
@Montysano:
wasnt that maddening … but, he’s part of that wdc chattering class that passes off gossip as astute political anaysis. reportering is hard work…
but i will say this for howie — he finally gave up and went all grey; and frankly looks much better than those sad dye jobs of the past. :-)
El Cid
@Laura W: I’m liking this Elizabeth Edwards interview. A cheap Argentinian Malbec doesn’t hurt.
Mike in NC
BOB once noted that he likes to drink bourbon from a Pepsi can. Sounds like he’s put away a six-pack.
Anne Laurie
Missed all but the last 20 minutes, alas. (But the new daylilies are planted out, DAYLILIES ROCK!, and I have mosquito bites in places where I didn’t even have places 30 years ago.) Obama did look tired, or maybe just frustrated… and the reporters seemed subdued?
Maybe they’re getting some faint glimmer of an idea that fixing the health care system is somewhat more important to the general public than the junior-high-level lunchroom rankings of the Media Village Idiots? Naaah…
Elroy's Lunch
@Laura W
“Bob’s”, Sauvignon Blanc, 2007, South Africa.
Odd bit of symmetry in my choice of wines.
amk
BOB must go suck an egg, a rotten one at that.
JGabriel
Just Some Fuckhead:
Around 1994. Where’ve you beeen?
.
Demo Woman
Just went to Drudge… and Cambridge police acted stupidly is at the top left.. It will be in the center with sirens within moments..
The Cambridge police man did act stupid.. He should have said thank you sir for showing me your id and I apologize and here is my badge number and name.
SiubhanDuinne
@ Laura W: I agree, Elizabeth Edwards looks really good tonight. What a smart, classy broad. I wish there were some public, highly visible role for her in the Obama administration. Does anyone NOT like her?
lotus
The rate he’s going, I bet O’s hair is completely gray by Christmas. Can’t think why . . .
Bob In Pacifica
I can’t believe the Cambridge police chief was happy when he found out that one of his Barney Fifes arrested a black man who was friends with the President inside his own house for disturbing the peace.
Luckily, he didn’t shoot Professor Gates inside his own house for disturbing the peace.
Luckily, the cop wasn’t a BART police office.
Laura W
@Elroy’s Lunch: OK, that’s just some sort of freaky synchronicity in action there.
I thought the best S.B. from South Africa was Two Oceans. Or so I’ve been told. Also.
kenswineguide.com/wine.php?wine=3580
Brick Oven Bill
Actually I’m on my first beer.
I have made friends with a lizard I call Larry who hangs out with me on the patio from time to time. I injure flies and feed them to Larry. Minutes ago Larry had his first few gulps of beer.
Now Larry is just kind of standing there with his head up in the air.
Zach
Thought Obama did well but was too wonky. Say your lowering the deficit by 2 trillion over 10 years. Easy. Not that it was 7 trillion but is now 5 trillion and if you subtract 5 from 7 well look what you’ve got! Also, really don’t get why he doesn’t have an immediate answer to: “What sacrifices will we have to make? Will we still get to choose care with our doctors’ advice?” It’s easy. “Do you have a choice now? Do you know anyone who’s been denied the best care not even because it’s too expensive but just because it’s not profitable for their insurer? Do you get to choose from every doctor and hospital in your town on your insurance plan? We aren’t taking choice away, we’re making decisions based on effectiveness instead of profit and we’re adding preventative care. The only sacrifices are going to be made by insurers who pay for inefficient care because it raises their profits.”
Also, his answer on Gates was phenomenal. Didn’t think that’d come up and was surprised he was so ready for it.
Brachiator
@General Winfield Stuck:
The speech was a good overview of his principles and aims. I think he was great at slapping down the self-absorption of the Beltway crowd. He set the tone of the debate and the questions had to fall in line. But there are still concerns that have to be addressed. I have been listening to people who have been calling and emailing a local talk radio show. Here’s a few things (filtering out wingnuts).
People are largely happy with the health care coverage they have. They want to be assured that they will not lose ground here.
People are greatly concerned about the costs of their health care and health insurance. They care more about this than about providing universal coverage.
People are concerned that their taxes will be increased to provide health care coverage. This is far more tangible than concerns about the deficit increasing because of health care proposals.
Small business owners are concerned that their employee costs will increase.
This is the kind of stuff that Obama is going to have to nail in future discussions about this subject.
Oh yeah, I agree with Zach about Obama’s response about Gates. Nice touch that he mentioned that Gates was a friend, since it takes away any noise from any but the diehard wingnuts that Obama either should not have addressed the issue (not a presidential quality question) or that he is being too empathetic towards Gates.
Bender
If you guys don’t see this abortion of a presser as the Gaffe-olympics that it was, well…
…you’re the only ones.
Much, much damage control over the next two days as The Zero’s poll numbers plummet further and further. “I don’t know the facts, but I’ll misstate the facts and say the police are stupid” will work out just great for him.
The myth that Obama is a great orator (as opposed to a great speech-reader) and brilliant on his feet is now officially dead.
JGabriel
@Laura W:
Beringer is usually one of the better cheap wines.
.
RedKitten
Is he lounging?
Bender
“Elizabeth Edwards looks really good tonight. What a smart, classy broad. I wish there were some public, highly visible role for her in the Obama administration. Does anyone NOT like her?”
I don’t think John’s a big fan…
Trinity
@Bender: You are troll-licious! Go forth and be stupid.
gwangung
Well, thank you for visiting this reality, glad you had a nice time. Y’all come book soon now, y’hear?
rock
Sadly, I have to kind of agree with Bender troll that s/he is. I’m worried that tonight, Obama convinced the middle-class their taxes will go up to give healthcare to people too lazy to work, and also they will have to sacrifice their quality of care — that’s the spin that will come off this. Ugh.
Elroy's Lunch
@BOB
You give names to the lizards but not the snake? Really?
Dave C
@Bender:
LOL WUT
kay
@linda:
It’s part and parcel of Rachel Maddow. Good with the bad. She jumps on phrases from Republicans, looking for offense, and she’s consistent when dealing with Democrats.
If she were a first responder, she would be outraged. She’s probably outraged on behalf of first responders right now.
He should just apologize to Maddow. Cut to the chase.
Josh Huaco
@Bender:
When Obama says that Saddam was trying to purchase yellowcake from Niger and when his approval rating reaches 28 percent, you can speak. Until then, choke on it.
Dave C
@rock:
Are you serious? From where I was sitting, this is the best press conference that Obama has ever given (and we won’t even mention is predecessor). I thought he was just about as clear and persuasive as he could have been.
MikeJ
Wow, somebody who never posts here reluctantly agrees with somebody else who never posts here. What are the odds?
Comrade Kevin
@RedKitten:
in his leisure suit?
Josh Huaco
But can he save you any money on car insurance?
Anne Laurie
Despite its image outside the Boston area, Cambridge is mostly a working-class city — 85% of the population is perennially at odds with the Talented Tenth-Plus around Crimson Central. It was mostly a *white* working-class city until the First Bush Recession in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The current mayor is a woman of color, but her election was a “first” and treated, IIRC, as an anomaly. Busting some Uppity Friend-of-Barack may look bad to the great American public, but within the city limits, the ‘Barney Fife’ in question will (has) garnered plenty of support, not all of it covert.
General Winfield Stuck
@Brachiator:
I agree that these are things that people are worried about and need to be reassured. Though I don’t know how much clearer Obama can address these fears than he did tonight. He does need to keep saying it, but people are going to have to decide who they believe. The wingnuts or Obama. Though he did appear a little tired tonight, maybe that was a good thing, because what I took away from his remarks was a kind of a projected emotional communication that I’m leveling with you on what’s at stake, and we have to try something new, or else things will keep getting worse.
Though the MSM is plugging for an epic intra-party war between the dem presnit and congress, I think Obama is playing it right by not making specific demands on mechanisms and just laying out his general expectations. Saying he would veto any bill without those objectives met meant a lot to me. That he won’t do a Harry Reid and just accept any bill for the sake of just getting something passed.
Of course, when it gets to the witching hour and if congresscritters are still doddling, he may need to get specific and take charge. But that’s a ways off.. I think.
rock
Are you serious? From where I was sitting, this is the best press conference that Obama has ever given (and we won’t even mention is predecessor).
Did W have press conferences? There’s no point in comparing the two, I think.
What Obama said was fine with me, but I don’t think it will be with the MSM (Gore sighed! Lost debate!). I think he left questions (some unasked) unanswered that open this up to spin.
Healthcare reform is a big deal. I worry that the administration isn’t attacking it with the energy necessary to do it well.
Anne Laurie
Those McCain points won’t earn themselves, my friend. Three more lie-brul blogs, and they get the golf jacket! W00t!
Mike in NC
McWalnuts voted to kill pissing away more billions on the F-22 Porkfighter, so tonight he gets points for not being a total bitter old douchebag. Tomorrow is another day.
Laura W
@Josh Huaco:
Godzilla-Sized Win!
kwAwk
200+ comments and I still can’t figure out what ‘euthanize your grandparents’ has to do with the Obama press conference.
Brachiator
@General Winfield Stuck:
Much of whether Obama succeeds here will depend on his follow-through. And the wild card is the Democratic Party controlled Congress. They still don’t seem to realize that they won. They have a remarkably clear field in which to come up with good ideas and a president who is willing to allow them to take the lead.
Good point. What Obama did here was to go over the heads of those critics who complain that he travels too much by emphasizing not the time he spends in policy discussions, but the time he spends reading the letters of “real Americans.” I also liked how he checked Republicans by pointing out how he adopted one of their proposals. How can they criticize him on this without looking stupid. Damn, this guy is good.
The only people who care about the MSM are bloggers, conservative pundits (who use them as a convenient whipping boy) and reporters themselves (who can barely get out of the glare of their own reflection in the mirror to ask questions). But as I noted before, Obama’s methods may cause Congress to stumble because they are so used to getting marching orders from an Imperial President.
Good point. And note here he is using this soft threat against his own party as much as he is using it to keep the GOP in line. A nice signal that he is looking for something more than a weak compromise cobbled together by Congress.
mvr
Obama read Leonhardt in the Times today (or heard him on NPR this afternoon — or his staff did) and followed his lead. Leonhardt’s premise was the “What’s in it for me?” point, had to be answered, and the way it was explained was also similar to how he suggested.
See: Economic Scene”
Good move by Obama, I think.
RareSanity
@Bender:
Now that is good trolling!!
What does that even mean?
freelancer
Beck, Levin, Limbaugh and the talk radio cheerleaders have referred to hypothetical limits in Obama’s healthcare bill as akin to killing babies by funding abortions and killing the euthanasia by actively having doctors decide to kill their elderly patients.
Chuck Butcher
I’m not sure I agree with the idea that this was a great presser. I was neither impressed or depressed and I was hoping for impressed. I’m no longer convinced that this entire mess will not end in a bill that only makes real reform nearly impossible.
DougJ
I’m not sure I agree with the idea that this was a great presser.
My expectations were low.
To me, Obama made the key point: that our current system is awful and needs to be changed. I want a great bill, but I’m starting to buy the notion, put forward by Ezra Klein and Steve Pearlstein, that almost anything would be an improvement. I think Obama argued that forcefully.
Mr Furious
Additional drinking word for any Obama presser: “Kitty.”
burnspbesq
Sounds like this was good. Will have to watch when I get home.
Yanno, if my taxes have to go up by one percent in order for us to have a decent public option, then where do I go to make the fucking payment? I can afford to have my taxes go up by one percent. And anyone in my income bracket who says they can’t afford it is either (a) a liar or (b) even worse than me at managing their finances, which is really hard for me to believe.
Elie
Yanno burnspeq — what do ya do now if you get like real sick and cant work for a while and have a lot of doctors bills and such? Can you afford THAT? Do ya go to the doctor much at all and can you afford any medicines that you take an all that now?
Steeplejack
Bummed that I missed the real-time experience (late work shift). I love you Balloon Juice knuckleheads, and I love to drink, so it would have been a “rich journey of discovery” type of experience. Maybe next time.
I will continue to drink, however, even though I missed the formal competition.
Bender
Was this “Profit-and-Earnings Ratios” Obama or Gaffe-a-Minute Joe tonight?
“They’re going to have to give up paying for things that don’t make them healthier. And I — speaking as an American, I think that’s the kind of change you want.”
A competent President would probably not suggest that he wants to absolutely control what his “subjects” eat, drink, smoke, do for recreation…
“Now, I don’t know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly.”
That’s going to play reeeeeeeeally well. HE’S A GENIUS!
“Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that’s out there. So if they’re looking and you come in and you’ve got a bad sore throat or your child has a bad sore throat or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, “You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out.”
The Chicago Way: If you pay off the AMA with promises of increased Medicare payments to get them to support your dying health insurance plan, then you get to fuck them up the ass like a dirty whore. “Evil doctors want to hack up your healthy kids because it makes them money!” But the Republicans use scare tactics!
Everyone who thinks that Gaffe-olympics went well (when even obaMaSNBC was saying it didn’t give them a thrill up their leg), just check out the poll numbers in the following days.
freelancer
I liked Bender better when he was a homicidal-minded con-artist robot rather than a poorly spoofed partisan imbecile.
Guy thinks he knows the Chicago Way, but he’s bringing a dildo to a gunfight.
burnspbesq
@Elie:
I have good health insurance, plus short and long term disability, through my employer, if you must know. But I know how fortunate I am to have all of these things, and I know that our social safety net in this country just doesn’t cut it, and I know that’s not right, which is why I am willing to see my taxes go up.
Blue Raven
@Comrade Kevin:
Fixed.
Wilson Heath
Anyone feel like being immature and sending De Mint information about visiting St. Helena for a spell?
discoveroursecret.co.sh/pages/getting_here.html
Egilsson
So was BoB the Traitor plotting violent overthrow of our government with his fellow birthers while picking the wings off flies?
Or was he just enjoying the zen of picking the wing off flies all by itself?
Bender
If all you guys have after that disasterous (and revealing) presser is lame ad hominem, I’ll just say: Watch the polls, my Kool-Aid-addled friends. Watch the polls…
And kiss my shiny metal ass. Of course.