A press corps that just a couple of weeks ago was complaining they they never get to question the president now can’t get rid of him, as President Obama gets set to convene his third press conference in 17 days.
While this would normally be a welcome development, it’s actually a sure sign that the debt ceiling talks have descended to a new level of unseriousness, with each side positioning themselves to blame the other for whatever befalls the nation.
photo by Keith Koffler
This could either end up being an increase in the debt ceiling without any deficit cuts, which would make the White House and Republicans each look farcical, or a failure to raise the debt ceiling, which would make all of us look farcical for voting these people into office. I don’t think it will be any kind of agreement on cuts.
How do I know Obama is no longer serious? Well, first of all, he’s never released any kind of plan. Everything is nebulous, nothing is being scored. Normally in these types of negotiations there is paper floating around all over the place and CBO or the Joint Tax Committee or some other outfit is buying up all the No-Doze in town to crunch the numbers. Staffers from both parties are hunkered down in the Speaker’s office, and committee chairmen are striding the halls of Congress, a gaggle of reporters in tow.
Secondly, White House Press Secretary James Carney piously proclaimed last week, when the negotiations between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner appeared to be about something more tangible, that he couldn’t even confirm private meetings between the two because getting a result required the utmost discretion and quietude.
And now we have Obama 24-7, staging press conferences and delivering interviews to local TV stations invited to the White House.
POLITICO summed up the prevailing circus up nicely, I thought.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) suggested House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) should be given a time-out for immature behavior. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had “lost his mind.” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reacted to a possible Camp David retreat as if it were a weekend pass to Alcatraz.
All of this came after President Barack Obama — who likes to portray himself as never getting too hot or too cold — lost his cool Wednesday night when he walked out of the meeting in a huff after Cantor kept pestering him about a short-term deal the president has flatly rejected.
They’re going to just raise the debt ceiling. Because the deadline is coming up soon. No, not the debt ceiling deadline, silly. The congressional summer recess starts August 6!
14 thoughts on “Obama to Hold ANOTHER Press Conference Friday”
Just raising the debt ceiling without any cuts in spending will not be a good thing. There’s probably a QE3 or 4 in the works, too.
My puny income will be worth less than I need, inflation will destroy any kind of economic uptick and the misery index will continue to climb.
I guess I am being a bad citizen, but just do something!! I am sick to puking over this. I was up at 3 am–nightmares–crying to my kid that this country was toast. I am losing it. Hey! That’s a good reason for anyone to abandon any principles, sell out, do whatever they need to kick the proverbial can, postpone, delay or just end this for now! Star commands! (PS–Someone on Lunatic Bret’s show used the word facilitate–wonder if he reads this.)
Lest you hate me for saying delay on some details–yes, I AM worried about another Obominable Care–all whacked together in an hour…so far as cuts go.
My understanding of the agendas for these (so-called) press conferences is that there are a few pre-chosen/reliable softball questions, about which the o runs on, occupying a great deal of the alloted time? Do I have it wrong?
Has there been any substance in them?
They sure seem like living power-point presentations.
They’re not generally pre-chosen, as far as I know – who knows what signals and deals people make? – but they can be pretty softball, for sure.
Keith – have you ever been called on by the presentdent (not by Mr. Shipman). As for questions being pre-chosen – maybe, not. But I do see him look down at a list on the lectern before he calls on the next reporter. Any bets on how long he’ll rudely keep you waiting? Shortens the length of the presser, doesn’t it?
All of this is just a big shuck. Aren’t I statesmanlike today?
I am surprised by this third press conference in 17 days because of the manner that Carney seemed to complain that correspondents were “yelling” questions at him. For what I saw, most of the questions were softball Larry King type of questions.
So, I must ask, why this third press conference? Is the heat getting to this community organizer? Is this debt ceiling deal interferring with his golfing and social life? Is this all an attempt to show that it is GW’s fault and if only those pesky republicans would go along with his big government agenda things would be so wonderful?
My quess is that it will be all about laying blame, class warfare and scaring the seniors to no end. Yes, Keith, you maybe very correct that it is the congressional summer recess that starts August 6 that they are most concerned about.
I am bracing myself for the worse.
He loves the sound of his own voice cause he talks and talks but says
nothing. Hope none of the press yell at him or ask a question any harder
than how many days till your Birthday Bash? Empty suit empty mind.
We are doomed.
Was this a presser or a lecture? Also, I am sick and tired of hearing that the folks don’t care about this or that or aren’t paying attention. I care and am paying attention!
He is indeed in over his head mentioned his Birthday coming up in a
week, well his Bday is Aug 4 so math not his strong point. And just to show how utterly clueless and contemptible he made a couple ‘jokes’.
As a senior about to be thrown under the bus again I don’t find anything funny about this do you?
Jokes…oh great, more jokes from someone with no sense of humor. All we need.
We are doomed I can see the plague of locust coming!
I always liked the squooshy frogs.
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