In case we may have forgotten over the last two Presidential terms:"Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency."These are words to bring joy to every patriotic heart. And fear to those who have spent too many years subverting the rule of law in this nation. You know who you are.
- President Barack Obama, January 21, 2009
UPDATE: Here's a perfect example of the kind of haphazard, mindless abuse of authority - through ineptitude if nothing else - that I think we'll hear more and more about as the primal fallacies of the Bush Administration are dug into in the coming years. It appears there's a stumbling block to Obama's excellent plan to review the case files of Gitmo prisoners and shut down this stain on the American soul: most of them don't have case files! The lack of communication, total need for secrecy and general stupidity of Bush and Co. means that the information on most Gitmo prisoners is scattered about like confetti through a myriad of government agencies. Left hand and right hand don't even not know what the other is doing, they may not even be on the same bodies!
9 comments:
He's already lying....and getting angry when pressed.
President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the White House press corps Thursday night, but got agitated when he was faced with a substantive question.
Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a deputy defense secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a knowing smile on his face.
"Ahh, see," he said, "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."
Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye.
"Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do."
I didn't care for his answer either.
I think he should have given an answer then and there. Lying? Getting angry? Evading, yes. Which stinks. More ticked off than angry sounds like to me. I guess getting to see Obama the human being is gonna be hard for some folks to accept.
Still better than eight years of never even answering questions.
Obama woke up at dawn. He put his boots on. And than he walked on down the hall.....
Actually, I don't think he was out of line at all. As long as he provides an opportunity for people to ask him those questions, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable that some situations should be off limits.
That was a great opportunity just then, only he didn't have his brain, Rahm Emmanuel, whispering the answers in his ear. He also likes to pick who is asking the questions....
Ignoring those who will ask the tough ones.
This guy is Carter redux.
You guys will defend him til the end.
His CIA just blew up 7 people without trial in Pakistan....
Same as the old boss
Emmanual as Obama's "Brain"? Yoinks! Hadn't heard that right-wing talking point yet. Thanks for the head's up.
Do you also believe that William Ayers wrote Obama's books? That's one of my all-time faves. Couldn't stop laughing when I read it.
It may be hard for you to believe, but I don't like everything Obama said on the campaign trail nor do I like every little thing he's done in this few days so far as President. I don't like this Pakistan crap too. It's too much like Bush for my taste.
BTW, the Pakistan thing shouldn't surprise us. Obama's on record about that policy already. Another thing I don't like, too. The interesting thing about Pakistan is really the question of who is at war. It sounds like the CIA had the go-ahead from Bush to declare open-season whenever and wherever they want there. Is this the CIA's private war on terror? I hope Obama doesn't intend to continue this policy.
I also assume and hope that he'll take responsibility for both the good and bad of his Administration. If Bush had even once taken responsibility for anything that happened during his terms, rather than blame the problems and fiascos on others (Clintons, terrorists, Mother Nature...), he might have saved his party from the humiliating defeat of last November.
I'm also personally glad that Obama is giving me reasons to get pissed at him. For instance, I'm pissed at the way the Dems in Congress, guided by Obama's guru on finance (forget his name right now - Lawrence or something?) have stripped the majority of infrastructure spending out of the $800 billion buck spending plan. They'd rather that us poor consumers spend our way out of our economic woes. Fuck no. Give me a bunch of money and it's going to pay of debt and for savings. I'm not going to buy a new car to save Detroit. Especially when the goddamn roads I'd have to drive it on are crumbling beneath my wheels and the bridges are collapsing. This, I'm royally pissed off about. And I can't blame anyone but the Dems and Obama, because it appears that even in their strongest hour they are caving to the Republican demands on this. Fuckin' wusses. Though it's exactly the behavior I expect from creeps like Pelosi and Reid.
Yes, Rahm is Barack's brain.
Obama needs a teleprompter to answer press questions in the press room. That is why he couldn't do it.
He is not as smart as you would like to think he is.
That will be displayed in the years to come.
Mercifully few, we hope
And good luck with trying to blame Bush for the children that Obama just killed in Pakistan. Obama is Commander-In-Chief
All attacks on foreign soil are approved by him
And Bush did take responsibility for numerous missteps...you just ignore them since they are inconvenient truths
Well, we can both accuse each other of living in our own private rose-colored worlds, can't we.
I don't recall blaming Bush for the new Pakistan strike. I said it was too much like him, I think, but I didn't say it was his fault. I also asked questions about the policy in place with the CIA, which did come from Bush - questions the media I see are asking now - and wondered if it would be continued, while I also acknowledge that Obama is on record already about Pakistan and strikes on terrorists. Said I disagree with him about this too.
If I missed Bush even one time saying "I made a huge mistake when I [insert one of many major screw-ups here] and I as President take full responsibility for it" - then I'm sorry. He always liked to say "mistakes were made" - pushing the responsibility off therefore on some vague nether-President, I guess, who actually did those bad things. Never Bush. He's never taken responsibility for anything in his public or personal life as far as I can see. His failures in the military, in business, in politics, in his personal life - all got shrugged off with an Alfred E. Neuman-esque moronic grin while he waited for someone else to be tagged with the blame and usually for Daddy to bail him out.
Well, Anonymous, you say "you guys will defend him to the end" but you're jumping to conclusions there. I, for one, supported Obama as the lesser of two evils, not as a candidate about whom I was excited. I have many problems with his positions on a number of things, but in this one case of not wanting to have to answer questions anytime, anywhere, I agree with him. As long as he is providing a time and place for those questions to be asked, it seems quite reasonable to me that some of the time he wouldn't have to deal with it.
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