Barack Obama just finished up a townhall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, which has among the highest unemployment rates in the country. He did two things of particular note. First, he invited everybody and didn’t screen his questions. This resulted in at least one question from a Sean Hannity enthusiast. That’s a refreshing change from Bush’s scripted townhalls. Second, he expressed disappointment that education investments were stripped out of the Senate bill, explained why they are crucial, and promised to try to have some of that funding restored. That means he has the House’s back on contesting the Senate version and that he is prepared to fight for the money in conference.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Yeah, read Elhart County IN has an unemployment rate of 15.3% officially, meaning the underemployed/drifted out of the workforce “real” unemployment numbers there are well north of 20% if not 25% or more.
That kind of hell is in store for all of us unless this stimulus turns it around. I’m hoping this is the first stop of Obama’s “GOP Go Frak Yourself” 2009 Tour.
He is way to my right, but he’s a smart, decent person, with a brilliant grasp of practical politics.
Obama should have taken DeMint along with him so old Jim could field a few questions about how “pumped” he is about his obstructionism and how a thrill just runs up his leg every time he thinks about screwing people in the ass like those in Elkhart.
Shaggy and DeMinted should take a gander at the Gallup poll numbers that say that almost 60% disapprove of the way that congressional rethugs are handling the economic stimulus debate. And while I’m sure this may play peachy in South Carolina, good luck with selling it elsewhere.
As I see it, Obama acted in good faith with the repubs, knowing full well they’d act as expected. The repubs then went out and started gloating about how wonderfully smart they were to impede progress. People who are now, more than ever, scrambling to keep their collective heads above water, see what Obama is doing and what the rethugs are doing and of course disapprove of the rethugs. They look like they’re game-playing.
Part of the reason the repubs believe their own hype is because of the media apparatus that seems to be stuck in a 1999 mindset. (Luckily, most “real people” tune out this bunk, but still.) An example of this lunacy is the interview John King had with Mark Sanford yesterday. Sanford–whose state has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation–was going on and on about how he doesn’t want federal help because he fears we’re moving to a “savior-based” economy. (Of course, given how “Christian” he is, you’d think he’d be all for it.)
Now, this is just stupid on its face because we all know that he’s not turning down any of this money–he’ll either take it outright or let it happen by allowing the feds to work around him (e.g., direct transfers to the state superintendent for schools). So why indulge this at all? But what really got me heated, and still does were the statements (can’t find the transcript) along the lines of Sanford being a “lonely voice” on the stimulus and whether his state should take the money.
And I’m sitting here thinking, “You gotta be kiddin’ me.”
Barabara Lee is often a “lonely voice” on some issue or such, but I don’t see folks tripping over themselves to book her on these programs. It’s just maddening. It’s like high school on acid: using the Heritage Foundation and Drug Rush as popularity tastemakers, and the talking heads rushing to books who is deemed “popular.” Please.
The other problem is that these folks use rethug talking points as research…they use rethugs “questions” as their own, and think they’re actually doing a service, instead of getting a grasp of an issue, and then asking questions based on what they read. It’s certainly legitimate to say, “Rethugs say “X” about the bill; what’s your response?” but they often don’t do more than that. And it’s frustrating.
I know you can’t erase 30 years of venomous propaganda overnight–but wouldn’t it be sweet if we could, yes? Until that day comes (at about half-past never) there’s still more work to do.
The divergence of realities between the Republican/Media world and the rest of the country could not be more stark. They are functioning in a world that is so distant from the reality that huge swaths of the country are staring in the face that it is incomprehensible. Many in this local area who are watching people lose their jobs and homes on a daily basis are foaming-at-the mouth rabid against any stimulus.
The stunning ignorance and misinformation campaign being waged by the right is just overwhelming. Rushbo’s lemmings are marching in lockstep here. They’re screaming like crazy and don’t even realize that they are calling for their own financial destruction. It makes your head spin.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to support the House. He might try to get it restored in a different bill down the line. At least, that’s how I read what you posted. Maybe Obama made it more clear in person.
He said that he would be working on it over the next several days.
Well that’s welcome news.
But would this move lose the tiny gang of “centrists” from the Senate?
I wish I knew what Snowe, Spector, Nelson and Collins are thinking is non-negotiable for them. Surely, they assume that some give-back in the conference process will happen, but how much?
I wonder what they consider sacrosanct about the senate version?
And I have to say that the local coverage by the CBS & NBC affiliates was fantastic. They both covered from 1/2 hour before it started (talking to local “real people”, not politicians) to a 1/2 hour after. Very few doubters in the crowd, most people seemed very inclined to give Obama the chance to fix things. Very positive stuff from a county that did not vote for him. Plus, the man is just damn good.
no one is answering evan bayh’s phone on DC today and his mailbox is full.
someone’s not only a corporate knob gobbler, he’s also a cowardly little baby.
Obviously, it’s not his style – not by a long shot – but wouldn’t it have been interesting if President Obama had been rude with the GOP…