That 90% tax bill is going to surely cause some unintended problems sooner or later.

Like the fact that it's 100% unconstitutional? The whole government is now just making stuff up. It's unbelievable. That piece of paper means squat now.

Well, last night's interview proved why Mr. Obama needs a teleprompter at all times. I doubt he'll be on many talk shows going forward and he'll rarely be without his teleprompter.

I have a young relative who is mentally disabled and participates in Special Olympics. I'll say it because my nephew isn't able to say it. Fuck you Obama. Fuck you.

I can see it coming already. Obama will create a nice little PR appearance where he bowls somewhere with some kids from Special Olympics and then makes a joke noting that disabled people bowl better than him. This just in......that doesn't change what you've already said. Disable people can do anything they want to do. You fucked up.

The most obvious missing piece to that I think would be that states haven't had the right to decide much of anything in decades. That's something that exists in name only, or more accurately whenever the feds decide they aren't in the mood.

A function of his age and the reality that a significant portion of his fan base has the attention span of a fruit fly. Plus there's that whole messiah thing, which brings certain expectations of immediacy.

I thought it was a great joke. As John McCain once said, some people just need to lighten up and get a life. The way Obama looked bowling, maybe he does belong in the special olympics.

Yes, because there's no good bowlers in the Special Olympics, right? Because they're disabled in some ways, they can't bowl any better than Obama, right?

Check your ignorance at the door and actually attend a Special Olympics event. You might actually learn something about what motivated disabled people can achieve. Their effort in their endeavors even with their disabilities often dwarfs the efforts of lazy people who have no excuse for their lack of effort.

Dude needs to perhaps start acting like a president and not a celebrity. Make your choice. Leno, ESPN, signing book deals or do your f-ing job.

I can't believe we elected this guy and unfortunately, the Republicans are entirely to blame.

That's pretty stupid. He's been pretty active as a President. In fact, he's even been criticized in this thread for acting too quickly. What planet are you living on where he's not doing his job?

Being active doesn't equate with doing his job. My dog chases his tail for a half an hour. He's active, but I'm not sure he's getting much done.

Heh. Not bad.

Do you really think he's not getting anything done? Seriously? That's the argument you're going with? I mean, I could understand people not liking what he has done, but to say he's not getting anything done is ignoring reality.

But you know, I heard he ate lunch yesterday. Surely, the economy is more important than a club sandwich. Why is he eating lunch?!!

I've said that I like his move to roll back the stem cell research (mostly because I know people who could benefit from it, hence my reaction to the Special Olympics comment). But his economic policies, including the stimulus packages have been brutal at best. The economy is slowly improving, but owes little to the administration's policies in regards to that improvement.

I agree with you that the 24/7 expectation of work from the President is silly at best. All I ask is that he doesn't insult disabled Americans on national television in his spare time.

By the way, I hope the Kennedy family publicly hammers Obama for this comment about the Special Olympics. It's a travesty that their mother's achievements would be minimized by a sitting president given all that she's done for disabled individuals.

there are no quick fixes for the economy though. for all we know the administration has actually staved off the economy getting even worse.

Absolutely correct that there are no quick fixes. If anything, the events of the past week or two just prove how short-sighted it can be to hand out money without proper regulation as this administration has done. I don't have a problem with a stimulus bill when done correctly.

But they couldn't be brutal unless he was "doing something", right?


So after getting your stupid dog joke out of the way, you now agree with my original point, but quickly switch to another line of criticism. Congratulations. You're ready for the internets.

dola

Just to be clear, I'm not happy with the Special Olympics joke, either. That's really disappointing.

and the past administration did as well...for all the whining about the AIG bonuses (which are ridiculous) and total what...165 MILLION, everyone seems to have forgotten about the 350 BILLION under Paulson that's just dissapeared onto the banks balance sheets and who knows where else

:+1:

Well, if your only point truly was that he was doing something, regardless of quality, then I suppose you're correct that I agree.

Sorry about lumping two topics into your response. I'm pretty pissed off about his comment right now.

How many times do I have to state this? I was the one bitching about that stimulus bill as well on this very board. If this was a thread about Bush, I'd be stating it again. But it's not. For all the willingness to focus on Obama's presidency, there's certainly a lot of people who are more interested in saying he's better or equal to Bush every time a criticism of Obama's administration is put out there. Weren't the Democrats the ones not long ago who stated that wasn't exactly a high bar to leap?

My point is that we may disagree on the quality of what he's done, but it's silly to say he hasn't done anything, and it's silly to criticize him for filling out a bracket or appearing on a talk show as if it somehow impedes him from doing his job.

It's been a gradual decline and certainly didn't start last week.

fair enough. i just think it's intellectually disingenuous to seperate one reaction from the other for the purposes of criticism when they have been essentially the same.

The thread is about Obama. If you would like to start a thread where we list the failures of the past administration, I'd be happy to join in and provide my list. :D

I'm not sure that it's unconstitutional. What section does it violate?

Yeah, it was.

Putting aside my personal feelings, last night's comment on Leno by Obama does affect the political landscape for the upcoming election. Whether you like her or not, Obama just provided Sarah Palin with a huge board in her platform after the Special Olympics comment. She'll be able to deliver speeches similar to this one while taking a pretty heavy stab at Obama.

YouTube - Governor Palin's Address To The 2009 Special Olympics In Boise, Idaho

I doubt she'll emerge from the primaries, but Obama virtually guaranteed with his comments that we'll be hearing from Palin again at some point in time.

Yes, that is all you ever ask :rolleyes:

SI

Perhaps I'm asking too much of the current President. You may be right.

That Special Olympics joke was really a WTF moment, but really, not a big deal. Let's deal with important stuff, like Geithner being a joke of a Treasury Secretary so far ;).

What block of voters does Palin get that she wouldn't have already? Sure, she'll have a good line or two, but demographically I just can't see how she substantially increases her coalition just because of Obama's dumb comment.

Oh, I agree. I don't think it will increase her chances any. I just think it guarantees that we'll have to hear from her again at some point.

I must be a f'n psychic. From Good Morning America this morning........

that's cool though. i mean does it make it all better what he said - no it doesn't. but it's nice visibility for Special Olympics and an awesome moment for those chosen.

Ok we get it you are offended...he probably wouldn't have liked to have that sentence back...give it a rest...that horse is dead.

man the interwebs can really make a mountain out of a molehill hmm?

Our president made fun of the Special Olympics on the Tonight Show.

Just a funny sentence.

What are the odds he hosts SNL during his first term? Or maybe the Academy Awards? He could be in some funny skits.

At least he wasn't wearing really expensive clothes - we'd have another 500 posts to go.

If we're to extrapolate this decision to enforcement of other federal drug rules (which would probably be wrong to do, but anyway), a "need" for a federal drug policy would still exist for the purposes of a) speaking to cases where state drug policy is silent or doesn't apply and b) overriding state drug policy where still applicable.

In reality each Administration changes the way it enforces certain rules (not just on drug policy) and eventually has a few showdowns with states regarding differences in enforcement on various policies.

I think it's a fair thing to ask of a current President. I'll just make sure to remind you for a few days every time you ask for anything else since you said you don't.

SI

Who cares about the special olympics joke, or the mission accomplished banner, or Sarah Palin seeing Russia, or Hilary Clinton coming under sniper fire? They are stupid comments/jokes/ideas that really mean absolutely nothing. I don't care if you know someone who is disabled it doesn't change the intent of Obama's comment. He didn't say let's abort all down's syndrome babies. Get over yourself. It is discussing bs like this while allowing the government to take control of more important parts of our lives that causes the real problems. Call him out on policy. I think he has some really bad policy, but I don't think he secretly hates all mentally retarded children. What a waste of the next 10 press cycles this bullshit is going to be.

Side story: Obama and the Democrats spend another trillion dollars. Main story: Ohio mom with down's syndrome baby has had enough!!!

This was inevitable but it was still funny.

My Way News - Special Olympics bowler: I can beat the president!
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - The top bowler for the Special Olympics looks forward to meeting President Barack Obama in an alley.

"He bowled a 129. I bowl a 300. I could beat that score easily," Michigan's Kolan McConiughey (KO-lahn Mc-KAHNA-he) told The Associated Press in an interview Friday.

The athletic-minded president made an offhand remark Thursday on "The Tonight Show" comparing his weak bowling to "the Special Olympics or something." He quickly apologized and told the Special Olympics chairman he wants to have some of its athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.

McConiughey, who is mentally disabled, is just the bowler for the job. He's bowled five perfect games since 2005.

The 35-year-old McConiughey has been bowling since he was 8 or 9. His advice for Obama? Practice every day.

He'd kick my ass too in bowling.

I'm glad that you think this comment is no big deal. Millions of Americans are smart enough to know that this kind of ignorance needs to be battled at all levels. Disabled people have enough people who use them as the butt of jokes. They don't need the President of the United States to provide an example of how to do that.

I cringed when I heard it. But I don't expect him to resign over it.

Dola --

I feel the same about race comments. People say things they shouldn't. The "first offense" if you will are teaching moments that can help others not make those same mistakes, especially public figures who ought to know better.

I am disappointed by the comment and I dont have a mentally challenged child so I wont question anyone's ire who does.

That being said I do think that some will take this as their 'shot' at him even if they've been trying to find their 'shot' for a long long time. Go for it. Im sure the President's people know it's coming.

Panerd makes a much better point in all of this eventhough Im sure we'd come to different conclusions since I think that the administrations policies have resulted in more good than bad at this point, especially in their handling of the economy (AIG bonuses aside).

I don't think Obama will mind if they come after him for the comment. It becomes a nice distraction for him from real issues.