All of which, of course, is absolutely true:
If President Barack Obama thought having a private lunch with Republican senators would ease partisan tensions in Congress, he grabbed the wrong recipe.
The president walked into a remarkably contentious 80-minute session Tuesday in which GOP senators accused him of duplicity, audacity and unbending partisanship. Lawmakers said the testy exchange left legislative logjams intact, and one GOP leader said nothing is likely to change before the November elections.
Obama's sharpest accuser was Bob Corker of Tennessee, a first-term senator who feels the administration undermined his efforts to craft a bipartisan financial regulation bill.
"I told him I thought there was a degree of audacity in him even showing up today after what happened with financial regulation," Corker told reporters. "I just wanted him to tell me how, when he wakes up in the morning, comes over to a luncheon like ours today, how does he reconcile that duplicity?"
Four people who were in the room said Obama bristled and defended his administration's handling of negotiations. On the way out, Corker said, Obama approached him and both men repeated their main points.
"I told him there was a tremendous disconnect from his words and the actions of his administration," Corker said.
White House spokesman Bill Burton, who attended the session in the Capitol, said the exchange "was actually pretty civil."
The senators applauded Obama, who had requested the luncheon, when he entered and left the room. Obama told reporters as he departed, "It was a good, frank discussion about a whole range of issues."
Some Republicans were less kind.
"He needs to take a Valium before he comes in and talks to Republicans," Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told reporters. "He's pretty thin-skinned."
Clearly Republicans are reading the tea leaves.
Crossposted at Brutally Honest.
Permalink | Linking Blogs | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
Barack Obama, Republicans
Comments (11)
"He's pretty thin-skinne... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Falze | May 26, 2010 7:09 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
"He's pretty thin-skinned."
Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious!
1. Posted by Falze | May 26, 2010 7:09 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 07:09
2. Posted by jim m | May 26, 2010 9:54 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
"how does he reconcile that duplicity?"
I don't think he feels a need to. I think that he does not consider his political adversaries as deserving of anything remotely like honesty or fairness. This is about him and his getting his way. No one and nothing is allowed to get in the way of that. If you are a person in his camp and you get in the way you get thrown under the bus. If you are opposed to him then he will lie, cheat and steal to get his way and if you get hurt it's your own fault for being on the other side.
Asking how he reconciles his duplicity contains the tacit assumption that lying to others bothers him. It assumes that he has a conscience. I do not believe that lying to people to get his way bothers him.
2. Posted by jim m | May 26, 2010 9:54 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 09:54
3. Posted by Oyster | May 26, 2010 10:16 AM | Score: 6 (10 votes cast)
"Asking how he reconciles his duplicity contains the tacit assumption that lying to others bothers him."
It was painfully obvious that it does not bother him in his reply to McCain when he brought up the fact that Obama wasn't living up to campaign promises:
"the campaign is over, John."
In other words, he lied to get elected. Not that he's the first one, but in my memory, he's the first one to tell so many lies so fluently.
3. Posted by Oyster | May 26, 2010 10:16 AM |
Score: 6 (10 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 10:16
4. Posted by Michael | May 26, 2010 10:16 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Obami is losing it. He knows that the financial bill was the last one that was going to get passed before November and now he is panicking.
4. Posted by Michael | May 26, 2010 10:16 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 10:16
5. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | May 26, 2010 10:40 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Hey Pat, MOST would-be dictators and hyper arrogant, self-important thugs are pretty thin skinned. But then, being a senator, that shouldn't come as news to YOU!!
5. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | May 26, 2010 10:40 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 10:40
6. Posted by ODA315 | May 26, 2010 11:21 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
"On the way out, Corker said, Obama approached him and both men repeated their main points"
That says it all. "If I can just talk to him again, I can convince him I'm right...." Not unlike you biweekly speaking tours Mr. President.
Narcissism on parade.
6. Posted by ODA315 | May 26, 2010 11:21 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 11:21
7. Posted by GarandFan | May 26, 2010 11:36 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
"I told him there was a tremendous disconnect from his words and the actions of his administration," Corker said.
I guess Barry doesn't like to be reminded of all those "expiration dates" on his promises.
To Barry's credit, at least he didn't say "I won".
7. Posted by GarandFan | May 26, 2010 11:36 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 11:36
8. Posted by Tsar Nicholas II | May 26, 2010 1:17 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Accusing Obama of duplicity really is an insult to duplicitous people.
8. Posted by Tsar Nicholas II | May 26, 2010 1:17 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 13:17
9. Posted by Hank | May 26, 2010 3:32 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
I'm happy to see Obama called out on his duplicity. As Oyster said: "he's the first one to tell so many lies so fluently."
He's a dangerous mix of glib articulation, megalomania and ignorance.
His megalomania propelled him to seek the presidency. His gift of articulation got him elected. His ignorance will be his downfall.
9. Posted by Hank | May 26, 2010 3:32 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 15:32
10. Posted by epador | May 26, 2010 4:36 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
The Republican leaders won't be laughing and so snide when the SEIU version of Kristallnacht reaches their homes.
10. Posted by epador | May 26, 2010 4:36 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 16:36
11. Posted by GarandFan | May 26, 2010 7:00 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
About time those senators grew a set. Did someone finally remind them that it's 3 co-equal branches of government? There's a certain deference to the position. But that's a 2-way street, not "I WON HIGHWAY".
11. Posted by GarandFan | May 26, 2010 7:00 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 26, 2010 19:00