Obama says he was too busy to campaign in Wisconsin recall election

Obama says he was too busy to campaign in Wisconsin recall election

By David Nakamura,

President Obama suggested Monday that he was too busy to campaign in Wisconsin ahead of the recall election that targeted Republican Gov. Scott Walker, whose victory last week has raised questions about whether there are broader implications for the president in the fall.

In his first public comments about the election, Obama responded to a question about his decision not to appear in the state to support the Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, by explaining that he has “a lot of responsibilities” as president.

Obama says he was too busy to campaign in Wisconsin recall election - The Washington Post

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WOW! That's way too funny. Obama threw the Unions under the wheels of the Obama bus. Too busy to support the Unions that supported him? Just remember that in November, feel the Obama tire tracks across your pensions. If I worked for a Union that supported Obama I'd stay home Nov 6th, let Obama know how much you appreciate him rolling over all your hard work in Wisconsin. For all the good it did you to help Obama get elected in the first place, ya might as well of stayed home.

Does the Rhinoceros stop to help the Ox-pecker bird pick the ticks off his back?

Wow...the man can't get a break can he?

He plays too much golf.

He campaigns too much.

He always plays politics.

He gets too involved in state elections.

He didn't get involved enough in the Wisc. recall election.

Give me a freakin' break! :roll:

Objective Voice said:

Wow...the man can't get a break can he?

He plays too much golf.

He campaigns too much.

He always plays politics.

He gets too involved in state elections.

He didn't get involved enough in the Wisc. recall election.

Give me a freakin' break! :roll:

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I think we both know Obama saw the polling data and knew it was a loser. So he chose to throw Public Service Unions under the wheels of the Obama bus. He also knows that they are dumb and will still vote for him.

"PITTSBURGH—Citing three years of exhausting partisan politics, constant gridlock in Congress, and an overall feeling that the entire nation has "completely lost it," President Barack Obama openly asked a campaign-rally crowd Tuesday why he'd want to serve another term as president of "this godforsaken country."

"My fellow Americans, I come to you today to ask, why?" Obama said to 1,200 people gathered inside a gymnasium at Taylor Allderdice High School. "Why can't our congressional leaders work together to create jobs? Why can't Wall Street ever be held accountable? And most important, why on God's green earth would I voluntarily subject myself to this nonsense for another four years?"

"I'm dead serious," the president continued, saying that any reasonable person would have walked away the moment the Senate minority leader announced his main priority—above creating jobs and improving American health care—was to make Obama a one-term president. "I'm asking if anybody out there can come up with even one reason why I'd want to endure this unmitigated **** show for another minute, let alone through 2016. What's in it for me, ex*actly? Can anyone answer that? Anyone at all?"

After a long silence during which crowd members mostly just shuffled their feet and stared at the ground, Obama said, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Arguing he'd have to be certifiably insane or some kind of sadistic freak to extend his presidency, Obama asked why anyone with half a brain would willingly open himself up to constant vilification by media strategists, or place himself in a situation that involves so much work for such little reward. He also asked the audience how "messed up and sick" he'd have to be to devote nearly a decade of his life to an unending cycle of political gamesmanship that stifles progress at every turn.

At one point during the 40-minute address, Obama wondered aloud if anyone could blame him for wanting to avoid another four years of idiotic questions about his birth certificate, racist immigration laws, Eric Cantor, citizens who know in their hearts the country must switch to renewable energy but simply refuse to do so, the South, antigay bigotry, and "just all of it, really."

"Today this nation faces difficult questions," Obama said. "For one, how bad must it have gotten for a politician to gladly—gladly—give up the most sought-after elected position in the world? And also, of all the people listening to me right now, is there even one of you who would honestly want to trade places with me? There isn't, is there? And I don't blame you."

In the coming weeks, Obama will reportedly continue to take his anti-second-term message across the country, asking ordinary Americans if they agree that his being on the ballot in November would make him a complete and total moron. Sources within the president's new "One Goddamn Reason" campaign confirmed he is genuinely curious to see if one American citizen can tell him why leaving the White House isn't the best thing he could possibly do for himself and his family.

"I have a pen and some paper right here," Obama said Wednesday morning at a town hall meeting in Ohio. "Let's list the pros and cons of being president. Con: There are people out there who literally want to shoot you dead. Con: We live in a country seriously considering a Newt Gingrich White House. Con: You can help 40 million Americans receive health care, sign legislation that regulates a financial system run amok, give the order to kill Osama bin Laden, help topple Muammar Qaddafi's tyrannical regime without losing the life of one American soldier, end the war in Iraq, repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, stave off a second Great Depression, take out more than 30 top al- Qaeda leaders, and somehow everyone still calls you the next Jimmy Carter."

"Can anyone out there name a pro?" continued Obama, gesturing at the silent crowd with his pen. "That's okay. I asked a bunch of people in Pittsburgh the same exact question yesterday, and they couldn't, either."

While many Beltway observers questioned Obama's new strategy, saying the president could hurt his chances of serving a second term by saying he doesn't want to serve a second term, others argued Obama seems to have finally rediscovered his voice.

"Whenever I watch him on the stump asking a crowd, 'Why am I ****ing here right now?' or saying things like, 'I think I'd rather die than do this job again,' he's so fiery and passionate I'm reminded of the 2007 Obama," Democratic strategist Karen Finney said. "The one who thought he could make a difference before a broken, nonsensical political system and an insane populace robbed him of his humanity, ripped out his heart, and left him for dead."
Obama Openly Asks Nation Why On Earth He Would Want To Serve For Another Term | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Prof. Peabody said:

WOW! That's way too funny. Obama threw the Unions under the wheels of the Obama bus. Too busy to support the Unions that supported him? Just remember that in November, feel the Obama tire tracks across your pensions. If I worked for a Union that supported Obama I'd stay home Nov 6th, let Obama know how much you appreciate him rolling over all your hard work in Wisconsin. For all the good it did you to help Obama get elected in the first place, ya might as well of stayed home.

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And if he had this topic would be, "Obama drops Presidential duties to campaign in WI recall and support the unions."

Wiseone said:

And if he had this topic would be, "Obama drops Presidential duties to campaign in WI recall and support the unions."

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Nice excuse, but it won't fly.

He didn't want to read the outcome of the last chapter of his presidency in June.

Wiseone said:

And if he had this topic would be, "Obama drops Presidential duties to campaign in WI recall and support the unions."

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Granted - he can't win in this scenario - however, it's probably the wisest move on his campaigns part to not lend his personal assistance to the Wisconsin recall. indeed, the polls showed Walker up by 7 points the weekend before, they probably were 99% sure Walker was going to prevail, and lending Obama's name to yet another lost cause and the meme of Obama being the grim reaper of others campaigns is bolstered by his past support for Coakley, Deeds, Corzine and Specter. Were I a Democrat up for election, the last thing I'd want is Obama's personal appearance and support.

Prof. Peabody said:

Nice excuse, but it won't fly.

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What are you talking about? I'm not excusing anything, I'm accusing you of being a two face hack where Obama would be damned if he does and damned if he don't with you. Thats all I'm saying.

Wiseone said:

And if he had this topic would be, "Obama drops Presidential duties to campaign in WI recall and support the unions."

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It's like that with everything with some of these people. Of course, you'd think they'd be thrilled that Obama ditched the Unions....

We won't hear about this in the coming months. By the end of July it'll be back to "He'll do anything to help the Union thugs."

BTW, that's a pretty impressive bus to be able to drive over everybody Obama's "thrown under it." The Unions, Israel, Hillary Clinton....

Prof. Peabody said:

Nice excuse, but it won't fly.

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And yet the counter-argument clearly is "he knew the Democratic candidate couldn't win. So, he side-stepped throwing his support behind him".

So typical of partisan politics in the wake of so much scorn thrown at the President for...

He plays too much golf.

He campaigns too much.

He always plays politics.

He gets too involved in state elections.

But wait...

He didn't get involved enough in the Wisc. recall election.

Prof. Peabody said:

I think we both know Obama saw the polling data and knew it was a loser. So he chose to throw Public Service Unions under the wheels of the Obama bus. He also knows that they are dumb and will still vote for him.

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Sort of, but the real point is that Obama won WI big in 2008, so why make any "waves" there? As you say, he has the union vote AND had the majority of independents in 2008, as well. Many independents voted to keep their governor, NOT because they feel public unions are "bad", but because recall elections, over basic political differences, rather than any "wrong" or "illegal" actions in office, are just a plain old, silly, wasting of time and tax money. This recall election cost the WI taxpayers well over $50 million dollars, WASTED simply to keep their governor, that they elected only 1.5 years ago, in office.

Objective Voice said:

And yet the counter-argument clearly is "he knew the Democratic candidate couldn't win. So, he side-stepped throwing his support behind him".

So typical of partisan politics in the wake of so much scorn thrown at the President for...

He plays too much golf.

He campaigns too much.

He always plays politics.

He gets too involved in state elections.

But wait...

He didn't get involved enough in the Wisc. recall election.

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He threw Public Service Unions squarely under the bus in Wisconsin.



LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! Where are the President's comfortable shoes to walk the line with Wisconsin Unions now?

Wiseone said:

And if he had this topic would be, "Obama drops Presidential duties to campaign in WI recall and support the unions."

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Wasn't he campaigning right next door in Illinois and Michigan? Did someone post a thread complaing about that?

Obama is strictly a politician, he is not a leader, never has been never will. Everything he has done is a calculated political move. He gave the Unions the auto's and threw the tax payer and bond holders under the bus. He gave the environmentalist Keystone and threw jobs under the bus. He pushes green for the liberal left at the expense of the tax payer that does not save one drop of oil throwing the tax payer under the bus. etc etc

buck said:

Wasn't he campaigning right next door in Illinois and Michigan? Did someone post a thread complaing about that?

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I might be mistaken, but I believe the speeches he gave in those states at the time had more to do with national issues, i.e., the economy and jobs, and less to do with any state election if any at all.

Getting back to Prof. Peabody's video commentary in post #14, it's interesting how folks skew context to their meaning. Clearly, the President was referring to unions within the labor force, not public unions. Even the anchor women in the video clip referred to "the labor force". This is a clear example of how the Right has masterfully convoluted political speak. They say "government" and most people automatically think "federal government" completely ignoring the difference between city government, county government, state government and the federal government. Same can be said of unions, i.e., labor unions contrasting with public employee unions.

Context matters, folks....everywhere except in political speak it seems.

Prof. Peabody said:

He threw Public Service Unions squarely under the bus in Wisconsin.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! Where are the President's comfortable shoes to walk the line with Wisconsin Unions now?

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This post really shows off how juvenile you are. Firstly the stream of LOLs is just plain childish, that's how reasonable people form arguments. Secondly, the mockery shows off a level of arrogance I don't think you're knowledge and intellect justify. And lastly, what the hell are you even talking about? Metaphorical writing may be popular with the ignorance and self righteous, but the meaning behind it isn't always clear and I got a strong feeling you don't even know what you mean. So the President has lost his comfortable shoes, what exactly do you mean by that?

Lose the gleefulness arrogance.

Objective Voice said:

Getting back to Prof. Peabody's video commentary in post #14, it's interesting how folks skew context to their meaning. Clearly, the President was referring to unions within the labor force, not public unions.

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It's clear to you, not me.

February 24, 2011 6:03 PM

Liberals call on Obama to fulfill campaign promise, walk with Wisconsin union protesters

By Stephanie Condon

Back in 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama said that if he were president, he'd be walking the picket lines in solidarity with workers if unions were ever threatened. Now, the president has that chance in Wisconsin, but the White House says President Obama has no such plans.

On the campaign trail in 2007, Mr. Obama had this to say: "If American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."

"Everybody is looking to the president on this one," she said.

Protesters in Wisconsin said the same to the Huffington Post.

"He owes it to us," said Kathie Free, a retired Milwaukee public school social worker. "Obama was not put into office just by the big money. He was put into office by millions of poor and middle-class people who walk the neighborhoods, talking to neighbors, getting the votes, and that's how Obama got in, and he has to start remember how he got in. He'd better start working for the middle class and poor people."

Liberals call on Obama to fulfill campaign promise, walk with Wisconsin union protesters - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

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I have it correct, the context you speak of is being skewed by your Lib Goggles.