January 18, 2010

Let's read the full text of Obama's pro-Coakley speech.

Ah! I found the full text of the remarks Barack Obama made in Boston yesterday. Reading earlier news reports, I was struck by the lack of anything actually about Martha Coakley, the candidate he came to support. That's why my blog post last night reads — was I too enigmatic? — "The personal touch turns chillingly impersonal." I got the impression that he mainly said the Democratic Party needed another vote in the Senate, and Coakley was the Democrat. Did he have anything specific to say about her? It was personal to travel to Massachusetts to help her out, but when he got there, it seems, he went impersonal, and only characterized her as a Democratic Party vote.

Now, I want to check out that impression by reading the whole speech.

The first section consists of generic cries of "Fired up!," introductory thank yous, references to his time living in Boston — Cambridge, really, wasn't it? — and an indirect reference to the Red Sox in the form of a reference to the White Sox. And that was an indirect reference to Coakley's cockup about Curt Schilling.

Finally, he's ready to talk about Coakley.
And today I've come to talk about one thing.
Coakley?
I've come to talk about Tuesday.
Oh, Tuesday!
On Tuesday, you have the unique and special responsibility to fill the Senate seat that you sent Ted Kennedy to fill for nearly 47 years. And I am here to tell you that the person for that job is your attorney general, Martha Coakley. (Applause.)
Finally, the name has been spoken.
Now, there's been a lot said in this race about how it's not the Kennedy's seat -- it's the people's seat.
He quotes Scott Brown's best line.
And let me tell you, the first person who would agree with that was Ted Kennedy.
Good. Play off Brown's line.
See, the only thing he loved more than the people of this commonwealth was serving the people of this commonwealth.
Huh? He loved the people, and he loved serving the people even more than he loved the people. Well, okay. Ted was a people guy, a man of the people, a servant of the people, really into serving. Servile as all get-out.

There follows a paragraph about all that Ted did for the people. That segues into the representation of Martha Coakley as a woman of the people — "raised in North Adams, one of five kids... worked her way up..." — who has worked for the people. This is the part of the speech that is specifically about her as opposed to Obama's agenda and the need for another Democratic vote in the Senate. It is 2 paragraphs long and — I counted — about 7% of the total verbiage. He says:
Look at her record. As a prosecutor, she took on cases most of us don't even want to think about, putting murderers and child abusers away.
And the Amiraults too. Who wants to think about that?!
As attorney general, she took on Wall Street and recovered millions for Massachusetts taxpayers -- (applause) -- took on predatory lenders that were taking advantage of Massachusetts families. She went after big insurance companies that misled people into buying coverage only to deny it when they got sick. She went after big polluters who put the health of your family at risk. Time and again, Martha has taken on those who game the system at expense of hardworking, middle-class families.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Let's go, Martha! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: That's the kind of leader the people of Massachusetts need now more than ever. (Applause.) You need somebody -- (audience interruption) --
Oh, here's where that heckling takes place and Obama takes forever to end the disruption, with the audience eventually coming in with booing and then a "Fired up!" chant. You can look at the clip here. I can't figure out what the guy is yelling. "One more [???]!" One more Chevy?

Hmmm. I kind of get the feeling Obama is glad to be interrupted there. Sort of: Oh, good, now I don't have to talk about Martha Coakley anymore. Just let this play out. Maybe I'll look like the underdog and people really will get fired up.

Hmmm. Any chance the interruption was a scripted part of the presentation?

Finally, he gets back to his prepared remarks. Conveniently, he's through with the details about Martha. He tells us we need "somebody who has fought for the people" because times are tough. He's got something to say about "Martha's opponent":
He's driving his truck around the commonwealth -- (laughter) -- and he says that he gets you, that he fights for you, that he'll be an independent voice. And I don't know him, he may be a perfectly nice guy. I don't know his record, but I don't know whether he's been fighting for you up until now, but --
So he doesn't know anything about the guy he's about to tear down, but please laugh at the man who drives a truck. He doesn't worry that the truck might backfire. It becomes a theme in the next section:
Forget the truck. (Laughter.) Everybody can buy a truck. (Laughter.)...
... I'd think long and hard about getting in that truck with Martha's opponent. (Laughter.) It might not take you where you want to go....
Now, the repeated recurrence of the truck may be a good distraction, because this section of the speech is incoherent. Obama wants to tell us that the Democrats will build up the economy and cut taxes the right way, but he also demonizes business and wants us to reject Republicans because they are on the side of business. The key seems to be to distinguish between small business and Wall Street bankers. In this framework, it's hard to explain all the money — tax money — that we — including the Democrats — handed to bankers:
It was your tax dollars that saved Wall Street banks from their own recklessness, keeping them from collapsing and dragging our entire economy down with them.

But today, those same banks are once again making billions in profits and on track to hand out more money in bonuses than ever before, while the American people are still in a world of hurt.
So you helped the banks, but you don't want to say it was great that the help worked. Do you want them to succeed or not? Would it be better if we all suffered together?
Now, we've recovered most of your money already, but I don't think "most of your money" is good enough. We want all our money back. We're going to collect every dime. (Applause.) That's why I proposed a new fee on the largest financial firms -- to pay the American people back for saving their skin.
What is the connection between a "new fee" and getting all our money back? Isn't it great that we've got most of the money back, and isn't it enough to get the rest the money back? Why the fee? To punish success? To my ears, it's a non sequitur.
But instead of taking the side of working families in Massachusetts, Martha's opponent is already walking in lockstep with Washington Republicans, opposing that fee, defending the same fat cats who are getting rewarded for their failure.
But you didn't explain the fee. You're demonizing the bankers — "fat cats" — the very people that you gave our tax money too. And how are they "getting rewarded for their failure" if the bailout worked? Why aren't you pleased with the effective use of our tax money? It's incoherent.
Now, there's a big difference here. It gives you a sense of who the respective candidates are going to be fighting for, despite the rhetoric, despite the television ads, despite the truck. (Laughter.) Martha is going to make sure you get your money back. (Applause.)
Get our money back or impose that "new fee"? Scott Brown isn't against getting the bailout money back, is he? This is deliberate obfuscation, it seems.
She's got your back. Her opponent has got Wall Street's back. (Applause.)
That sounds nicely slogan-y, but what does it mean? You can count on Democrats to be hostile to business? How is it defending us to attack Wall Street, and if it is, why did you give so much of our money to Wall Street?

Obama wants to say that he's helping the economy:
We're forcing the banks finally to start lending again on Main Street, and not just worried about profits.
That's an attitude about the economy that people ought to examine. Forcing lending? Isn't that what led to the mortgage crisis? Don't we want banks to worry about profits so they don't go back to making all those bad loans? And don't we want the hope of profit to motivate people to take risks? Apparently not.
So understand what's at stake here, Massachusetts. It's whether we're going forward, or going backwards.

AUDIENCE: Forward!

THE PRESIDENT: It's whether we're going to have a future where everybody gets a shot in this society, or just the privileged few. If you were fired up in the last election, I need you more fired up in this election.
And with that, Obama makes the special election in Massachusetts into a referendum on the work he and the Democrats in Congress have been doing for the past year. You were excited about me, he says. You wanted change. If you want us to keep moving on in the direction we ran after you gave us the power, we need you to elect Coakley. The election transcends anything personal about her — or Scott Brown, whom Obama purports to know nothing about other than that he's a Republican (and has a truck).

Obama wants that vote, and that vote comes in the form of Martha Coakley. It's the "people's seat," as Scott Brown called it, but it's the Democrats who are for the people — and against business (unless it's small!) — so fire up and vote for Martha.

245 comments:

1 – 200 of 245   Newer›   Newest»
former law student said...

For business to continue as usual, American businesses must be able to borrow money on, in some cases, a daily basis.

The American people bailed out the biggest banks to preserve our banking system so that busnesses could continue to borrow money.

Banks aren't lending money to the extent necessary, thus not fulfilling the purpose and intent of the bailout.

garage mahal said...

I think it was "stick a curling iron up her butt".

I'm Full of Soup said...

It sounds like Obama just went thri the motions. At times, he reverts to his own somewhat lazy work history.

Anthony said...

As I type this, a picture of JFK and a rose is being delivered to every Catholic in the state. Tomorrow, every Democrat is getting a free ride to the polls, driven by the Kennedy of their choice.

There is NO WAY Coakley loses. I say she wins by 8.

somefeller said...

Win or lose, one thing's for damn sure. The Democratic Party of Massachusetts could screw up buttered toast. Obama should never have been put in a position to have to come rally the troops on the Sunday before election day.

I'm Full of Soup said...

FLS:

There is anectdotal evidence that small businesses are not even trying to get loans because they fear the changes Obama is making to the economy and the tax system.

So, I would not blame the banks. They can't lend money to people who don't apply for it.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Will Obama need to call out FEMA after the voter tsunami?

rhhardin said...

"That's why" in an Obama speech conects a lie and a bad idea.

Peter V. Bella said...

"...unique and special responsibility..." Why does Kennedy's legacy matter? The man was a killer, a drunken bum, a serial adulterer, and a member of an organized crime family. Preserve that legacy? Hey, Al Capone fed more people during the Depression than the government. He is still reviled.

gbarto said...

"... I'd think long and hard about getting in that truck with Martha's opponent. (Laughter.) It might not take you where you want to go...."

Let's fix that, shall we?
"... I'd think long and hard about getting in that truck with the previous senator. (Laughter.) It might not take you where you want to go...."

I'm not aware of any reason you shouldn't get into Scott Brown's American-made motor vehicle.

Peter V. Bella said...

"Banks aren't lending money to the extent necessary, thus not fulfilling the purpose and intent of the bailout."

That is very true. A major part of that problem are the new laws,, regulations, rules, and proposed rules on lending. Banks are having trouble understanding the conflicting regulations on lending.

The current situation with the government is paralyzing the banks. Until it is resolved- one way or another- lending will be slow.

AllenS said...

What was missing in Obama's nonsense, was the hope and change BS.

WV: woblyca

G Joubert said...

Today Intrade has it at 64.9 Brown, 35 Coakley. If I were putting money on it, I'd still put my money on Coakley. Hey, we're talking about Massachusetts, after all. The bluest blue state out there. Besides, one thing the Dems know how to do is win counting votes in the back rooms where the votes get counted.

I hope Brown wins but I'm still skeptical about his chances.

grrizzli said...

It's not that difficult to understand why Obama mentioned "truck" at least five times. Driving a truck is a sin for people like Obama, his speechwriters, and white people in general. It's almost as bad as not recycling. Obama tried to emphasize one negative thing he knew about Brown.

Fen said...

See, the only thing [Ted Kennedy] loved more than the people of this commonwealth was serving the people of this commonwealth.

Mary Jo could not be reached for comment.

Scott M said...

Brown benefits from a good backstory, a likeable personality and family, and, from what I've seen, an ability to think on his feet. None of that equals a good conservative candidate to the Senate when we're in sorry short supply.

What he also has going for him is quite possibly one of the most laughable, pitiful, ignorant, and innately incompetently-run opposition campaigns I've ever watched. Seriously...Coakley aught to sue her campaign manager for political malpractice.

Still, less than twenty-four hours until the polls open, you have to admit that all of the momentum is on Brown's side. That's substantial in and of itself, but with both Slick Willy and the President making appearances over the weekend, it's HUGE.

For everyone's sake, I hope whoever wins does so by a significant enough margin that we don't get a cascade of lawsuits to determine the winner.

If Brown wins, I hope the press pins Gibbs to the wall since he's said it's not a referendum on his boss only to have his boss go up and claim it anyway.

Peter V. Bella said...

Amen Fen!

Unknown said...

I agree that his speeches are increasingly incoherent and poorly delivered. And he is sarcastic while Brown is charming.

For those of us who are interested in politics, we know it is HIS administration that is making deals with pharma and insurance and docs and unions; we know that HE is jerking the banks around in public and supporting them in private; we know HE is running GM and student loans and mortgage loans for his party's benefit.

Not everyone gets their political news from People, Mr. President. The outpouring of support for Scott Brown proves just that.

exhelodrvr1 said...

I wonder if Obama really wants Coakley to win. The best thing for him now politically would be for health care not to pass. He would take a short-term hit, but in the long-term he would have a chance to recover.

John Stodder said...

Ann, I love this summary. Obama and whoever wrote these remarks for him seem barely able even to fake it.

The incoherence of Obama's "populist" pandering about Wall Street is exposed here. If we're still "in a world of hurt," does that mean the Wall Street bailout that Obama pushed for unequivocally was a failure? That doesn't seem politically very adept. He's got to claim credit for a meaningful achievement because, as FLS says, the point was not to help Wall Street, it was to help the economy. However, to answer FLS's narrative (We helped them because we want ordinary American businesses to be able to borrow money, but the bankers are just pocketing the money instead of lending it), you have to ask Obama to explain why he didn't do more to guarantee that the promised resumption of lending would occur. He's trying to make it seems as if the bonuses are the obstacle to the needed lending -- which is nonsense, of course. But even in those terms, why didn't Obama do more to assure that Wall Street would reign in bonuses for a decent interval, just so as not to rub taxpayers' noses in the stink of their wealth? Either way he goes with this, Obama is essentially criticizing twin failures of Obama's. He's saying the goal, more lending, was not accomplished and, at the same time, those who accepted the taxpayers' bailout money were not put on a tight enough leash.

Obama's response now is, impose a punitive tax on Wall Street. But he can't explain how that gets us to the primary goal of more lending. This response is supposed to fire up his base, but it has the effect of telling the American people that this immense bailout, which Obama insisted on, failed, so now it's time for payback. He's lashing out, really, because the economy and the capital markets didn't do what he promised would happen.

The Wall Street bailout isn't the only economic measure of Obama's that failed. So did the stimulus, by Obama's own definition. Unemployment is far worse now than it was in January. So does that mean Obama will now seek to punish the stimulus recipients for not hiring more people? Or members of congress for putting earmarks in the stimulus bill that were non-stimulative?

I think Obama's political situation going into 2010 would be better if he claimed that both the bailout and the stimulus are, in fact, working, but the immensity of the problem was such that the medicine will take more time to bring us back to a semblance of normality. But in this speech and in his new "populist" incarnation, he is taking pokes at himself, and in the process making it impossible for most Democrats to run on anything positive related to the economy. But such is what passes for strategy among the alleged WH masters of PR and public policy.

And that's why his endorsement of Coakley seems so hollow. His logic finally seems to be, don't blame her for my screw-ups -- Blame George Bush. I need Coakley in Washington to do... whatever helps me in the short run, even if it's a zig-zag, incoherent series of actions cooked up for political benefit by political advisers of questionable judgment.

vbspurs said...

Today Intrade has it at 64.9 Brown, 35 Coakley.

It's 66.2 for Brown, 34 for Coakley right now. He was as high as 70 yesterday, which means there has been a slight correction about his chances from last night.

There's a snow storm predicted for Tuesday, and I fear that the Indies (already a tough crowd to get to the polls on Special Elections) might sit this one out.

IIRC, he's at 70% with them. Yowza. That's the real story -- Obama is haemorraghing independents.

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

wv: dudhi. Martha stepped on it, big time.

gbarto said...

Actually, looking at the truck riff again, it looks like he's saying not to get into cars with strangers. Which is problematic when you're backing someone who tried to keep an innocent man in prison for molestation.

Would Obama actually use a narrative with such dark undertones or am I seeing something that's not there?

In any case, I'd still rather get in Scott Brown's truck than Teddy's car.

vbspurs said...

P.S.: Although I heard that Mass has an unbelievab;e registered Independent rate. Over 50%? That's crazy. Why? Are the crypto-Republicans too nervous to out themselves in this Prussian blue State?

Chase said...

Again, John Stodder's indepth analysis wins the day.

It must be a bad day to be a Democrat.

vbspurs said...

In any case, I'd still rather get in Scott Brown's truck than Teddy's car.

Gbarto wins.

John Stodder said...

Driving a truck is a sin for people like Obama...

However, it's okay, in fact necessary, for taxpayers to subsidize building trucks, especially GM and Chrysler trucks.

Alex said...

There is NO WAY Coakley loses. I say she wins by 8.

Agreed, the ACORN machine will not let the Dems down.

AllenS said...

What does Marcia Coakley drive?

Arturius said...

Banks aren't lending money to the extent necessary, thus not fulfilling the purpose and intent of the bailout.

Is it possible that small business aren't asking for any?

traditionalguy said...

The Obamanation Plans do include the final solution to a tradition of Capitalists making financial descisions based upon profits and reaping rewards for their skills. Descisions will now be made by a Chicago style fascist cabal, provided that Obama's regime continues in power. And how much will any use of coal, oil and gas energy cost you? Why, just ask the Blago style machine that cares only for you, unlike those evil Capitalists that care only for shareholder profits. And get you a Green Job from the new eastar bunny, because your investments and retirement plans will be sucking wind once the capitalists are gone the way of the Kulaks.

vbspurs said...

John McCormack didn't reveal the car, AllenS, in his Shovegate writeup:

After she got into her car, I went to my car and fired up my laptop to report the evening’s events.

But she looks like a Saturn gal.

Cheers,
Victoria

Peter V. Bella said...

"His logic finally seems to be, don't blame her for my screw-ups -- Blame George Bush."

Yep, that wily old criminal Bush is to blame for all of Obama's screw ups.

Typical Democrat response. When in the wrong, blame somebody else for your mistakes. Become the victim.

When will the Democrats bring out the canard of the VWRC again?

Ken B said...

Truck, truck, truck, truck: Translation, hick, bitter-clingy, not one of us, probably went to a state university (snicker)

Peter V. Bella said...

If Coakley wins the election the Democrat Party still loses. Massachusetts has proven that the message of the Democrat Party tyranny is resonating with the public.

vbspurs said...

Exhelodrvr1 wrote:

I wonder if Obama really wants Coakley to win. The best thing for him now politically would be for health care not to pass. He would take a short-term hit, but in the long-term he would have a chance to recover.

But think, that would mean that wishy-washy Repubs like Snowe and Collins would be courted BIG TIME, if they needed their votes instead of Brown's. And frankly, at least with Snowe, I'd think Obama and Co would have a shot to get it.

However, if they got it, it's not peaches-and-cream for the Dems, because they would have to run in November with the tagline "bipartisanship": and it secretly KILLS them to admit the Republicans helped them, no matter what they say.

Their entire narrative is "The Party of No" and "Bush's fault".

Cheers,
Victoria

Christy said...

Nice deconstruction, Althouse.

Just how blue are the voters in the bluest state in the Union? I ask because I lived in Maryland for decades, probably the 2nd bluest state. I've always considered myself an independent, but registering as an independent doesn't make sense when the primaries are closed and the Republicans rarely field viable candidates. The real election takes place in the Democrat's primary. I always thought friends who stood on principle and registered as Independents were foolishly giving up their right to choose a candidate. What percentage, in a closed state, do you figure are truly committed to the dominant party? Massachusetts is a closed primary, right?

vbspurs said...

Can we agree on something before tomorrow's election? Even if Coakley wins, if it's really close, I say Ben Nelson switches his vote on HCR, as does Blanche Lincoln.

I honestly don't think that thing passes.

Alex said...

victoria - nope. Nothing short of a Brown victory is a "moral victory". Losing is for losers.

MadisonMan said...

Typical Democrat response. When in the wrong, blame somebody else for your mistakes. Become the victim.

That is a typical politician's response. Not just Democratic.

The MSM and the blogsphere is certainly playing this up as an important race, and I'm not certain that it is. But is there anything else to talk about, political-wise? I don't think the results will mean much when push comes to shove. Either the Democrats will get political cover -- provided by the Filibustering Republicans -- or they won't. If they get cover, i.e. if Brown wins, they can run against the Republicans again. How tiresome. If Brown loses, then the Democrats can run on the merits -- or lack thereof -- of whatever bill eventually passes.

I would prefer to judge a party on what it does.

Michael said...

Former Law Student:

The banks aren't lending because there is residual fear on the part of lenders that borrowers won't pay them back. You might have forgotten that the credit crisis came about because the people who borrowed money didn't meet their obligations. The Government continues to try to strong arm lenders into reducing principal on bad loans. The current Government has also shown an indifference to contract law that causes concern. The fat cat bankers make a nice target for populist rhetoric but the fact is that the system failed because borrowers did not pay as agreed.

Scott M said...

I say Ben Nelson switches his vote on HCR, as does Blanche Lincoln.

Nelson has already said he wants the language given NE the sweet deal removed from the bill. He is absolutely running scared at this moment, even though he's not up for re-election until 2012 if memory serves. The slim thing with him is his stand was supposed to be on principle, but he got bought off.

My read on it is that the pressure will not fall on the already-passed Senate version. All of the Democratic pressure will be turned to those representatives in the House that don't want to vote for the Senate version without changes (ie merging the house and senate bills). If that is successful, they only need a simple majority in the Senate to send it to the Oval Office.

This looks like the path of least resistance for the left if Brown wins. Unfortunately, that's not saying much as there are plenty of House members with severe problems with the senate version.

Arturius said...

I wonder if Obama really wants Coakley to win. The best thing for him now politically would be for health care not to pass. He would take a short-term hit, but in the long-term he would have a chance to recover.

Oh I don't think that would be the case at all. Obama has hitched his wagon if not his entire Presidency on getting a health care bill passed. Personally I believe that the bill in its compromised form is a blow against Obama because its not what he wanted despite having huge Congressional majorities.

john said...

I could use a new truck. I am tired of clinging, bitterly, to this old one.

ricpic said...

Let every blue collar guy who drives a pickup truck tell "The Party Of The People" where to go tomorrow!

MadisonMan said...

Their entire narrative is "The Party of No" and "Bush's fault".

Maybe I'm repeating myself, but why is the Republican Party enabling this? It's like watching bickering siblings, stuck in the same pattern. The Democrats did it too, not so long ago. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Republicans should remove the restrictions from passing the bill, and let the Democratic Party sink (or not) based on the result. Laws can be repealed.

Scott M said...

@MadisonMan

Put simply, this race has everything we as a culture seem to desire in our narratives, regardless of ideology. There's drama, legacy at stake, high stakes national impact (undeniable, I'm afriad), a very likeable underdog who's actually doing a pretty good David to Coakley's Goliath. In fact, continuing the narrative check list, you've got a bumbling, incoherent, and incompetent campaign on Coakley's side.

What's not to capture the public's eye at this point, especially when we're in the home stretch and the drama is ramped up to a fever pitch?

Tank said...

One day before the election to replace the Swimmer and we're talking about whether a Democrat can win in Mass ????

WTF ????

The world is upside down. This was the safest Democrat seat in the country.

It's been awhile since I could listen to BO without gagging. I can't even stand to read his words now. Fullblown ODS. I admit it.

Scott M said...

@MM

Republicans should remove the restrictions from passing the bill, and let the Democratic Party sink (or not) based on the result. Laws can be repealed.

Nope. The stakes are too high and it will take the better part of a decade to play out the way you suggest. I have a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 3-month-old. There's simply too much going on in my next decade to have to coexist with this abomination of a "reform" bill and what it will do to our government.

traditionalguy said...

Michael@ 11:49....That is a precise statement of the true situation. Now, who will get us out of this credit frozen economy and start a program that primes the pump for new businesses? Obama just wants to dance upon the grave of Free Market Capitalism and become our dictator like Chavez.

vbspurs said...

I would prefer to judge a party on what it does.

That's the problem in a nutshell, Madison Man. Politics isn't about getting things done, but about how well you can govern.

Some know how to govern very well, because their sense of purpose outstrips their ideology and need for a victory dance over the corpse of their opponents.

After 8 years of talking down the past President, this cadre of Democrats want to inflict such wounds on the Republicans, that every movement of life from them should merely be a death rattle. They are shocked and pained to find out there's life in the old body yet.

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

The world is upside down. This was the safest Democrat seat in the country.

Let's be honest. They could've nominated a baloney sandwich, and it would've won handily in 2009.

I'm not sure why Ted didn't step down before he died, thus obviating the need for this Special Election after the disastrous November turn-around against Dems.

vbspurs said...

You know what I noted about Obama during his Coakley speech? The fire in the belly he had for the Presidency -- not there no mo'.

bagoh20 said...

"Let's read the full text of Obama's pro-Coakley speech."

I thought that was in the last post:

""I proclaim the end of the world. All the world will be destroyed in this century. Every human being will die in this century."

"I am not God and I am not the son of God. I am the Christ Eternal,""

vbspurs said...

Laws can be repealed.

*boggle*

Are you serious? Do we still have Social Security, 70 years after the fact?

Hoosier Daddy said...

You know what I noted about Obama during his Coakley speech? The fire in the belly he had for the Presidency -- not there no mo'.

That's because the evil Cheney had his minions steal Obama's mojo and he has it in a vial somewhere in his secret underground lair.

vbspurs said...

And here I thought Michelle had given him a hard time about cleaning the gutters the night before.

bagoh20 said...

"I have a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 3-month-old. There's simply too much going on in my next decade to have to coexist with this abomination of a "reform" bill and what it will do to our government."

When they grow up, they are gonna be pissed.

They will ask: How could you people have been so lazy, so stupid, so weak, to not appreciate, fight for and preserve the miracle country that your parents handed to you. Instead, you drained, shackled and neglected the most precious of gifts fought for and paid for with so much blood before your turn at the helm. You let it all slip away for your silly ideas that you already had ample proof were failed and debased.

Tank said...

bagoh20

No, they won't. They'll be fully indoctrinated by the time they get out of Government Schools at age 22 or 23 or 24, and start their Government Jobs or go on the dole.

The new world that the big Zero and his pals are working toward will be in full operation by then.

If they dare to have such evil thoughts (call the hate police), they will be "appropriately" medicated.

garage mahal said...

All I wanna know is if Brown wins, will he go "all the way" in Cosmo this time? Republicans have already won. Win or lose.

Scott M said...

@bagoh20

I'm not sure why my kids would be mad at me as I oppose the bill and every other bullshit piece of crap this Congress has tried to deal out lately.

Further, why would my kids tell me that my parents handed me a "miracle country"? If you want to reword that as "miracle country your GRANDPARENTS" gave to me, then I'll let it slide. My parents are bonafide boomers, albeit on the conservative side. The boomers (on both sides) are running the show now and making a gawdawful mess of things.

Remember to think in aggregates on this topic. I believe history will judge the boomers as aggregated failsauce.

John said...

"All I wanna know is if Brown wins, will he go "all the way" in Cosmo this time? Republicans have already won. Win or lose."

Good question. The Repubicans need to run Brown and Palin in 2012. They can have dueling covers on Cosmo and Maxim.

Hoosier Daddy said...

All I wanna know is if Brown wins, will he go "all the way" in Cosmo this time?

Need a new foldout for your collection?

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

exhelodrvr1 said...

vbspurs,
"But think, that would mean that wishy-washy Repubs like Snowe and Collins would be courted BIG TIME, if they needed their votes instead of Brown's. And frankly, at least with Snowe, I'd think Obama and Co would have a shot to get it."

Yes, if Obama really, really wanted to win. I felt all along during his candidacy that they never thought he had a chance of being nominated - the intent was to get his name out there, possibly to be the VP nominee, give him a chance to get more experience, and figure out his platform. Then, unexpectedly, they win - and they haven't really thought everything through yet.

I think that the health care issue is a microcosm (if you can use that word in the context of the health care plan!) of the above. Now that they are have a chance, they don't really know what to do with it. They didn't have a specific health care plan in mind when they were praising the concept on the campaign trail. And now, once they see the reality of the situation, I think that they would prefer that the opportunity be taken away from them. Then they can just blame the Republicans for being obstructive.

If Obama REALLY wants the health care plan, he has done a horrible job from the start of getting it done.

bagoh20 said...

" this section of the speech is incoherent. Obama wants to tell us that the Democrats will build up the economy and cut taxes the right way, but he also demonizes business and wants us to reject Republicans because they are on the side of business."


Of course it's incoherent, it's Obamanomics. It's been incoherent all year, it was so 2008, yet you voted for him because you believed he would handle the economy better. While I admit that McCain was far from perfect, the truth remains Obama was not a logical choice, but an emotional one. That's called a mistake.

vbspurs said...

Most of the comments sections in articles tend to hyperbole, and this is no different. But it really reflects Americans' beefs with this current President.

"Liberal Democrats had it all, everything:
the Presidency,
the Senate
the Congress.

So what did the Democrats do with this once-in-a-lifetime gift of control?

They began immediately to behave like ignorant, wild-eyed terrorists towards the American people. Throwing their weight around, dictating orders and laws and regulations which were totally against the will of the people. When the public complained, Obama promptly told them to shut up and accused the people of being part of the Bush administration and the cause of all the world's ills."

Bush also had a Republican Congress in his first term in office, and he had the crisis to end all crises in the War on Terror on his hands. But he was able to GOVERN much better than Obama has done -- ironically with the help of Senator Ted Kennedy, in No Child Left Behind.

Can the Democrats and President Obama point out any piece of legislation even remotely similar to No Child Left Behind?

garage mahal said...

They began immediately to behave like ignorant, wild-eyed terrorists towards the American people. Throwing their weight around, dictating orders and laws and regulations which were totally against the will of the people.

By trying to enact legislation they promised to enact, after winning the election pretty handily? Health care is like wild eyed terrorism? Less wingnut blogs Vicki.

Paul said...

"All I wanna know is if Brown wins, will he go "all the way" in Cosmo this time? "

garage and his obsession with Brown's hairy crotch....

Anonymous said...

Silly Althouse! You just don't understand the truck comment:

You don't get into a truck with Scott Brown because he might take you somewhere and RAPE you!

Those hicks always have terribly deviant sexual urges, you know... They're not civilized like the people in Cambridge or Beacon Hill are.

KCFleming said...

Venezuela, Cuba, and Zimbabwe have few fat cat bankers and few trucks. Same with the former Soviet Union and Maoist China.

Those are connected ideas; fat cats and trucks.

The idea that poverty exists because of the wealthy is a pernicious and incoherent lie, here retold by Obama. Egalitarianism is the opiate of the people.

Anonymous said...

And when Obama said:

He's driving his truck around the commonwealth -- (laughter) -- and he says that he gets you, that he fights for you, that he'll be an independent voice. And I don't know him, he may be a perfectly nice guy.

Obama means that "he may be a perfectly nice guy" or that he may be a rapist-- you wanna take that chance?

garage mahal said...

garage and his obsession with Brown's hairy crotch....

Hey, he's your guy, not mine.

The Drill SGT said...

THE PRESIDENT: But here's what I do know. I do want somebody who's independent. I want a senator who's always going to put the interests of working folks all across Massachusetts first -- ahead of party, ahead of special interests.

Translation. Me and my Healthcare Lobbyist homies want a party hack to make sure that I can keep my super majority and cram this HC bill up America's a$$

JAL said...

Vic --

Coakley wheels? Mmmmm .... (Puts finger tips on temples, closes eyes ...)

Feels like a Beamer, or Lexus.

Because she worked hard for it.

vbspurs said...

Incidentally, that comment I quoted from was (as the link revealed) from The Washington Posts' section, after an EJ Dionne article stating that the reason Democrats are losing their Morning in America moment, is because they aren't demonising the Republicans ENOUGH.

True story.

bagoh20 said...

Scott M,

My comment wasn't aimed at you personally, and I agree with you.

I'm assuming they will blame us all, since if we let it happen it will be because we, as a generation, let it happen. While I agree that it has been happening since long before we had any say, it is happening now at a very accelerated rate, it's not subtle anymore and we now have no plausible deniability. We own what's happening now. Nobody else is gonna take care of it, it's our turn.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Where is 'boots on the ground titus' The peoples reporter.

Nothing happened until boots on the ground titus says it happened.


wv - erecitly. I kid you not lol

former law student said...

You might have forgotten that the credit crisis came about because the people who borrowed money didn't meet their obligations.

The risk of default was priced into the loan's interest rate. That's what "sub-prime" means. The banks were betting enough people would pay to make up for the ones who didn't. Further, the ones who couldn't pay would be turning over valuable assets to the bank. The banks figured there was no way they could lose out on the deal. They figured wrong.

I'm Full of Soup said...

In general, liberals are not industrious so they don't buy pickups. That is a fact.

Full disclosure: I drive a pickup.

sonicfrog said...

"Now, we've recovered most of your money already, "

...and spent it on other things you also didn't approve of!

vbspurs said...

Pogo what you said about the pernicious wealthy being blamed for poverty (that is Marxist logic, plain and simple) is right, but...

Venezuela

has loads of trucks!! They have (even now) pennies to the gallon gasoline, and you've never seen so many big-ass cars in your life, than in Venezuela, since 1960s America.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Coakley's cockup about Curt Schilling.

Its unseemly for a law professor to show off like that ;)

even if its her blog.

Arturius said...

By trying to enact legislation they promised to enact, after winning the election pretty handily?

That's a good point which of course raises some additional questions. Why so much opposition to the health care legislation, not just from the electorate, but within the Democratic party itself? Obama's vision of what the health care bill should be clearly doesn't look like it in its current form.

The disconnect between what Obama promised in the campaign and what the electorate (and a significant portion of his own party) suggests his win was motivated factors other than health care for all, closing Gitmo and saving the planet from global warming.

former law student said...

Is it possible that small business aren't asking for any?
Small businesses, in my experience, borrow to obtain inventory to sell, ("floorplanning") and borrow against receivables to meet payroll.

Absent floorplanning loans, they must reduce their stock, thus lowering the chances of making a sale. Plus seeing a thinly stocked store turns off customers who rightly believe the store is in its death spiral.

If you can't get money to meet payroll, you have to lay people off. Assuming those people were making profit for your business, you again enter the death spiral.

former law student said...

Full disclosure: I drive a pickup.

Although I normally drive a fuel-sipping import, I do have a vintage American-made pickup for runs to the lumberyard, tool rentals, etc.

Deborah M. said...

I wish I could get to Mass. tomorrow in my daughter's vehicle. Because baby, that's a truck.

garage mahal said...

Why so much opposition to the health care legislation, not just from the electorate, but within the Democratic party itself?

Especially when the opposition from the handful of Dem Senators goes directly against the wishes of their constituencies back home. If we can go by polls. See Liebermen, Nelson, Lincoln, etc

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Lem here..

Standing in for 'boots on the ground titus' .. coming to you from the sister state NJ..

I have a big business ;)

Obama never had me .. and now he will def not get me.

sonicfrog said...

Now, we've recovered most of your money already, but I don't think "most of your money" is good enough. We want all our money back. We're going to collect every dime. (Applause.) That's why I proposed a new fee on the largest financial firms -- to pay the American people back for saving their skin.

Then collect every dime. Obviously, the new fee has nothing to do with paying the debt, it's simply a punitive populist bone to throw to the progressives. And they made these loans, yet didn't charge interest???? That's just stupid. That would be the way that the banks pay for the privileged of getting to borrow money.

Ver Word: spent! Yes, it really is "spent"

bagoh20 said...

"garage and his obsession with Brown's hairy crotch....

Hey, he's your guy, not mine."



I insist on full disclosure and an even playing field: We need Coakley nude, now before the vote. Once and for all we need put to bed the idea that Dems and Repubs are the same.

In fact, I would suggest all commenter avatars be full frontal nudes. It would create an community of openness and honesty. Who's against that?

vbspurs said...

Although I normally drive a fuel-sipping import

MINI!!

I would never drive a Mini in the States. I'd feel as vulnerable as a newborn babe on 1-95 with all those Deborah's riding around in their Silverado's.

Kirby Olson said...

I hope for change in Massachusetts.

vbspurs said...

Ugh, I did that 's thing for the plural, which I loathe. So sorry!

vbspurs said...

Because she worked hard for it.

I think it must be deuced hard to be an American politician and drive around in a luxury import. Although one of the most iconic figures in American life, Jimmy Stewart, had a Lexus, so maybe. :)

(I remember coverage of his house, when he passed)

john said...

Deborah said...
I wish I could get to Mass. tomorrow in my daughter's vehicle. Because baby, that's a truck
.

Sorry baby, but you need to go to Mass. in this truck. That'll get their attention. 6 mpg. tops.

traditionalguy said...

The free market and world trade makes more wealth faster than we can distribute it. That is due to Pax Americana and Capitalism on the steroids of computers. The human nature of hoarders who are not used to spending new wealth then kicks in to Save their Money, which has to be invested in something. New capital to do what? Build the Dubai sky scraper? The world trusted Wall Street to find investments for their new wealth they wanted to save up. The whiz kids then invented derivitives that were insured and funneled all that Moolah into new construction here in the USA; and the Dems in Congress sent alot to their accomplices in the mortgage brokerages creating a housing Bubble of overbuilt houses and businesses serving only the immigrants and the workers in the bubble until the money flow stopped. That had tempted most middle class Americans, too young to remember the 1930s, into investing in what became no better than a world wide pump and dump. Now we need some jobs and some purpose other than a world War to get the workers back into the game. Any suggestions? How about Drill Here and Drill Now coupled with a pro baby/ pro family policy. Oh no, its Palin again.

john said...

bagoh20 said... In fact, I would suggest all commenter avatars be full frontal nudes. It would create an community of openness and honesty. Who's against that?

You first.

Sofa King said...

Maybe I'm repeating myself, but why is the Republican Party enabling this? It's like watching bickering siblings, stuck in the same pattern.

The obvious answer is that they really think it would be harmful, isn't it? Would you condemn them for preventing harm as they see it even to their own political detriment? Evidently you would, it seems.

I was going to question how a seemingly rational person could be otherwise flummoxed by the manifestation of people making decisions based on what they think is best rather than purely political concerns, but then I remembered - you live in Madison! Res ipsa loquitur.

Michael said...

Former Law Student:

If the people who borrowed the money paid the interest and principal as agreed then there would have been no credit crisis. I quite understand the meaning of subprime and the implications for investors in the various tranches that were sold on. But it is quite irrefutable that if the borrowers had done what they said they would do there would have been no problem.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

You know, I remember Bill Clinton said he used to have an El Camino with astro turf.

Maybe thats what Obama was channeling.

john said...

Nevermind BagoH20, you are all talk, no action.

As long as someone has to be first, here is my personal nude avatar. Enjoy.

Warning - NSFW)

ricpic said...

Obama opines that Scott Brown "may be a perfectly nice guy?" How does an arrogant amoral vicious narcissist judge niceness? How does he even recognize it? What he does is pick up external cues based on the behavior of the genuinely nice and then mimics that behavior. Just as he mimics a connection with average white Americans. The whole act transparently obvious to all but the dullest of dull normals and those other lefty thugs who are in for the kill.

Caroline said...

There's a snow storm predicted for Tuesday, and I fear that the Indies (already a tough crowd to get to the polls on Special Elections) might sit this one out.

This indie would walk in a blizzard for the opportunity to vote in this election.

I'm looking forward to the chance to get the voice of the indies represented in MA. Indies have views that fit no one party line. Having a rep that is not another Dem would be a refreshing change.

I recently read that 51% of registered voters in MA are Independents (which surprised me.) If they feel as I do, snow will not be a deterrent.

Arturius said...

Especially when the opposition from the handful of Dem Senators goes directly against the wishes of their constituencies back home. If we can go by polls. See Liebermen, Nelson, Lincoln, etc

Is that accurate? From what I have read Nelson's poor approval was a result of his support for the health care bill. I don't know about Lincoln or Lieberman or what their constituency wants.

In any event, it certainly doesn't speak well of Obama's leadership qualities if he can't rein in a couple of wayward Democrats if this bill was so vital to the constituency that elected him.

LonewackoDotCom said...

While I've tweeted several tweets on this, my two posts about this issue (linked from here) have been about the candidates' policies. All the time Althouse spent on discussing a speech would be better spent discussing the things that actually matter.

Freeman Hunt said...

If Lincoln doesn't switch her HC vote, she'll be out of office this fall. I imagine she knows that.

People in Arkansas absolutely hate the healthcare bill.

Freeman Hunt said...

You don't get into a truck with Scott Brown because he might take you somewhere and RAPE you!

LOL

David said...

somefeller said...
"Obama should never have been put in a position to have to come rally the troops on the Sunday before election day."

Yeah, I imagine he is very unhappy about it. He's having to spend time and credibility on what should have been a slam dunk for the democrats. That may be one element of the crappy speech.

I am not as convinced as some that this is a great moment for the Republicans. Another way to look at it is that the Dems have put up about as bad a candidate as possible, a major league lightweight, and may still win in the middle of a recession and a war that is getting out of control.

traditionalguy said...

Michael...That is a tautology. The non-payments crisis comes from a loss of income. Then the end will vary accpording to how long the loss of income continues while the borrowers liquid assets are being drained to complete paying a million dollar price by 2 hundred thousand down at purchase and 8 hundred thousand with a bank loan for property now only worth about 2 hundred thousand, until the economy restarts and banks lend again. That is creating the time pressure in the collapsing economy that Obama is letting reach critical mass for some reason known only to Obama and his buddies over at UN World Governance Building and New World Currency Center in Shanghai. The effort to restart the ecomomy is strangely non existant. Why?

vbspurs said...

Don't laugh, Freeman. In my neck of the woods (well, Hialeah where I've only been once in my life), when you buy a truck, the gunrack isn't optional.

It's not hard to picture what Obama is trying to portray about Coakley's opponent:

Scott Brown is one of those scary, angry white males IN A TRUCK, clinging to his guns (bitterly), moseying around town looking for chicks to pickup and then God knows what. Maybe make them vote Republican.

vbspurs said...

What I'm wondering, Just Lurking, is how can people get away with registering themselves as Independents, and not Democrats? I mean, at one point the Democratic Machine in Boston would look at a person's ballot to see if they had voted "the right way", and if not, watch out.

How did such a scardeycat electorate transform itself into a bunch of independents?

(Yeah, even if they vote Dem all the time)

I'm Full of Soup said...

I bet Obama never took an economics course when he was in college. As a result, he thinks the economy is controlled by big business and govt agencies.

In actuality, the economy is largely controlled by how confident people feel.

vbspurs said...

here is my personal nude avatar.

Ooh. I once went to a site that had toon pr0n with such images. Marge with a blue crotch, and what-not. Not nice. :(

Rialby said...

Barack Obama is a snob.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael said...

Traditional Guy:


A tautology only to illustrate that the blame for the meltdown does not rest exclusively with fat cat bankers.

I chalk up the slow recovery to the rational behavior of small business people who are not going to add personnel with so many unknowns adrift in the political marketplace. The number of potential taxes on business cannot be easily counted and the dimmest of owners has a hunch it is better to wait before buying that new truck which just might guzzle more gas than someone wants it to guzzle. The current administration appears to have very little understanding of the investor/owner mentality.

garage mahal said...

One good thing Dems have going for them is Ghouliani was stumping for Brown, which is always the kiss of death. Literally.

sonicfrog said...

And yet, probably the most useless stat in economics is the consumer confidence index. It is often in negative territory, yet the actual consumer spending metrics are up. It's not how people say they feel about the economy, it's how often they use the money in their wallets.

The economy is a dynamic system. Though the action of one of the various groups can hamper or hurt it, none of the singe agents "control" it.

Bruce Hayden said...

I would never drive a Mini in the States. I'd feel as vulnerable as a newborn babe on 1-95 with all those Deborah's riding around in their Silverado's.

It depends on where you live. Normally, in our parking lot in northern NV we have 2 Suburbans, 1 Tahoe, 1 Yukon (they are both white - the Yukon is the one with the rocket box on top), a 3/4 ton Japanese pickup, and a Suburu wagon. Until I got a Suburban (and then the Tahoe), I didn't realize how ubiquitous these large (mostly GM) SUVs are here. My guess is that medium to large SUVs plus pickups are about 3/4 of the vehicles around here.

But recently a couple of the people in the office drove to San Francisco for a CLE conference. The Suburu driver went with her partner in her Mini, while the other person going drove her Suburban. The Mini did fine in San Francisco. The Suburban did not. It is better here in Nevada on the wide open, long, roads, but doesn't work well downtown in a city designed in the 19th Century. It was just too wide, long, and tall for the streets there.

The Suburban driver's biggest problem in SF though seemed to be seeing stop lights. Many of our stop lights have pre-stop warning lights maybe 1/4 mile ahead of the actual stop lights, with both extending all the way across the road. In SF, they often seemed to be on small poles on the right side of the streets, often almost hidden by trees, signs, etc.

Hoosier Daddy said...

I am not as convinced as some that this is a great moment for the Republicans. Another way to look at it is that the Dems have put up about as bad a candidate as possible, a major league lightweight,

Well that describes John Kerry to a tee and that didn't stop him from being elected by the Mass electorate. Now Ted Kennedy was no lightweight. You can't consume the booze he did and keep trim.

Anonymous said...

Oh look! Here's Scott Brown approves of the anal rape of Martha Coakley with a curling iron.

This *will be* the new last minute Democratic talking point.

Hoosier Daddy said...

One good thing Dems have going for them is Ghouliani was stumping for Brown, which is always the kiss of death. Literally.

You have a point garage. I mean a couple of years ago this Brown guy would have been getting us our coffee. Maybe Rudy can sink him and Merkel's twin sister can still win.

Bruce Hayden said...

I bet Obama never took an economics course when he was in college. As a result, he thinks the economy is controlled by big business and govt agencies.

If he did, he never got beyond intro, or he wouldn't have fallen for the Keynesian snake oil that passed as the "Stimulus" bill. It was pure "hope and change". Hoping that doing something that had always failed in the past would finally work this time, and changing what worked in the past just for the sake of change. It was also brain-dead stupid, if the object was stimulating the economy (but not so, if the object was paying off major political supporters at the expense of everyone else).

michaele said...

I would rather get into a truck with Scott Brown than have gotten into a car with Teddy Kennedy.

Hoosier Daddy said...

I didn't hear Obama speak. Does anyone know if he can slip in a Massachusetts accent if he wants to?

Anonymous said...

Freeman,

I think Lincoln knows she is toast now, and doesn't intend to return to Arkansas in January 2011. She's selling her vote to the party that will provide her a nice living in Washington.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I would rather get into a truck with Scott Brown than have gotten into a car with Teddy Kennedy.

michaele wins the thread

WV tersi

Jeremy said...

michaele said..."I would rather get into a truck with Scott Brown than have gotten into a car with Teddy Kennedy."

wow...a teddy kennedy chappaquiddick slam.

and so current.

duh.

bagoh20 said...

AJ Lynch said: "In actuality, the economy is largely controlled by how confident people feel."

Absolutely, No other factor even comes close. Right now, the people with the means to help this economy, (those with money and ideas to invest) are sitting it out, because they don't trust this administration. They don't know what the rules will be in the future and are simply scared to invest in a future with people in charge that seems so intent on punishing success to score political points. This President's ideology and recklessness is just plain scary to real job creators and so those jobs will not be created.

Jeremy said...

and of course, lem, one of the top five mental midget tea bagging wing nuts of the site immediately congratulates the teddy slam as being brilliant.

duh II.

Peter V. Bella said...

"I would prefer to judge a party on what it does."

Since when is this a government of the parties, by the parties, and for the parties?

The problem are all the brain washed, imbecilic people who fall for the party lies and swallow them hook line and sinker. He is a Democrat- he must be good. He is a Republican- he will save the say.

This party attitude demonstrates that Americans have lost all ability to think in a critical manner.

Only a total moron would vote on party affiliation.

Unfortunately the country is inhabited by millions of morons.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

lem, one of the top five mental midget tea bagging wing nuts of the site.

I could not have done it without you Jeremy.

wv allobial - happy cell costumer

Jeremy said...

bag-o-wind - "Absolutely, No other factor even comes close. Right now, the people with the means to help this economy, (those with money and ideas to invest) are sitting it out, because they don't trust this administration."

they're "sitting out?"

who the hell do you think has pushed the dow UP from about 6,000 to friday's close of 10,609...magical elves?

and if you spent less time whining and bitching you'd also know that that two of the biggest home builder's stocks have tripled over the same period. (the car companies also announced today that tyhey're back to hiring.)

why not invest in american companies instead of blathering on about things you don't understand?

garage mahal said...

who the hell do you think has pushed the dow UP from about 6,000 to friday's close of 10,609...magical elves?


Republicans that had the nerve of steel to vote against everything Democrats wanted? Every "No" vote by a Republican is equal to approx 20 points on the Dow. Don't laugh. I'ts true.

Caroline said...

What I'm wondering, Just Lurking, is how can people get away with registering themselves as Independents, and not Democrats? I mean, at one point the Democratic Machine in Boston would look at a person's ballot to see if they had voted "the right way", and if not, watch out.

Now that's just paranoid! :D

It never occurred to me to think that way. Maybe because I'm not originally from MA so I have not learned to fear the party machine.

A lot of the people I know are also relatively new to the state.

A lifelong native may have a different take on the influence of the party machine.

Ralph L said...

AJ, I expect the banks are afraid their loans will be repaid in worthless dollars, if at all.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Jeremy:

Even you have to admit Obama was tone deaf to use a "bad driving story" in a race to replace Ted Kennedy.


wv = liess =what Dems do best

I'm Full of Soup said...

Ralph:

That is a good point as well.

Michael said...

"mental midget tea bagging wing nuts"

Now that is one wicked put down. Best ever? Smartest ever? It combines laziness, shallow thinking, cliches and laughably juvenile turns of phrase. Well done, J.

Alex said...

Now that is one wicked put down. Best ever? Smartest ever? It combines laziness, shallow thinking, cliches and laughably juvenile turns of phrase. Well done, J.

And they wonder why they're about to lose the "Ted Kennedy" Senate seat to a fucking teabagger.

bagoh20 said...

Jeremy, I've been invested in the stock market since 1999. I've had a huge run up in the last 6 months. The stock market is much more complicated than just job creation. This is clear since while the Market has risen jobs have dried up. Most market rise is just rebound from panic, and because there is no place else to put money with banks paying 1%.

I'm an investor, a business man, and I know many others. They are all waiting for Obama to learn or leave, before they go all in and expand their business and hire.

I intend to get completely out of the market soon after 10 years because of this administration's policies are a long term disaster for the U.S. To think that while the rest of the world is moving toward more market based answers after seeing the folly of Govt. interference while we are going the other way means we will be losing jobs for a while. Yea, I do whine, because it's a shame. I'd love to invest in my country, but Obama does not want me too unless he gets the rewards. He's just stupid.

Paul said...

"garage and his obsession with Brown's hairy crotch....

Hey, he's your guy, not mine."

Yeah but you're the only one talking about his hairy crotch and nekkidness.

garage mahal said...

The stock market is up in anticipation of the impending collapse of Obama's rule.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

..also know that that two of the biggest home builder's stocks have tripled over the same period.

Yea thats because the voters broke up a big insider real state ring in Chicago by putting Obama in public housing.

wv priess - an electrical appliance

Jane said...

When I see an old pickup, I think of my Dad. The honest fact is that men who drive them often work hard with their hands. My Dad is a farmer, who works from sunup until sundown and always has. He's paid for everything he's gotten, and if he can't afford it, he goes without and doesn't complain. He's a caring man who loves his wife and kids and grandkids and would willingly die for them.

No, Obama, I don't think just anyone can drive a truck.

master cylinder said...

All the businessmen are sitting it out, waiting for Obama to leave? Shoot! I did not know...I better let more people know.

Michael said...

Bagoh20
You have it exactly right. No one is hiring in the current uncertain climate. The run up in the market proves once again that a low denominator is useful for those with nerves of steel. Homebuilders, hotel stocks and several other categories were so stupidly oversold that it was only nerve required to make a killing. The present regime appears to believe that nonsensical ideas like "green jobs" will do the trick for the economy. It is quite a mess.

Titus said...

Boots on The Ground here.

Weather is bad today, not sure about tomorrow, could have impact on voters.

I am super, thanks for asking.

garage mahal said...

Job losses were at -700k when inaugurated. Now at -50k. This proves something that I've said all along.

Johanna Lapp said...

Winston Wolf called, guys.
Says smoke 'em if you got 'em.

X said...

when your goal is to privatize risk and socialize rewards, you're probably stupid enough to be surprised when you get less of both.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lem the artificially intelligent said...

..Everybody can buy a truck. (Laughter.)...

unbelievable

Anonymous said...

John Kerry:

At a press conference today, U.S. Sen. John Kerry called on Scott Brown to tell his out of state supporters to put an end to the bullying and intimidation tactics of the past few days.

Recent media reports have described a range of these outrageous tactics, ranging from the theft and burning of lawn signs to threatening comments posted on the Facebook pages of Coakley supporters to death threats posted on Coakley’s own Facebook page.

Meanwhile, at a West Springfield event on Saturday, when a Brown supporter yelled “Shove a curling iron up her butt!” in reference to Coakley, Brown himself smiled in acknowledgment of the threat.

“I'm no stranger to hard fought campaigns, but what we’ve seen in the past few days is way over the line and reminiscent of the dangerous atmosphere of Sarah Palin's 2008 campaign rallies. This is not how democracy works in Massachusetts. Scott Brown needs to speak up and get his out of state tea party supporters under control. In Massachusetts, we fight hard and win elections on the issues and on our differences, not with bullying and threats,” said Senator John Kerry.

“He stoked the fires himself - smirking at threats against the Attorney General, busing scores of paid ‘supporters’ into his events, and standing by while his supporters call his opponents ‘Nazis.’ But what we’ve seen over the past two weeks is these out of state supporters coming in and engaging in tactics we’ve never seen here before. Now, as Election Day approaches, it’s become increasingly clear that Scott Brown has lost control of his campaign, and we are calling on him to tell his out of state supporters to stand down,” said Coakley spokesman Corey Welford.


It's those evil out-of-state Tea Baggers! Jeremy, where are you? Grab your sword... I'll drive down from Portsmouth and you and I and Titus can go and lead our Gay Democrat army to fight them off!

I tell you-- this "anal rape of Martha Coakley with a curling iron" this has got legs! Especially now that a former Presidential candidate has lent his legitimacy to it.

John Stodder said...

Is Kerry trying to arouse disgruntled Democrats, or is this pre-emptive whining to explain defeat? I think the latter. Kerry is good at that. The Swiftboaters cost him the presidency, doncha know?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lem the artificially intelligent said...

My Coakley fix is wearing off professor..

I need something to tide me over till the big Coakley free day tomorrow ;)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Boots on the ground gave us a placibo .. some sugar blue pill

Anonymous said...

Kerry mentions in his statement that this is "reminiscent of the dangerous atmosphere of Sarah Palin's 2008 campaign rallies".

He must mean stuff like this (link not for the faint of heart).

john said...

Wow Julius,

I clicked on the link before you deleted it. I am both glad you posted it and glad you deleted it. What is it about little boys who talk that way?

Anonymous said...

@john- Yeah, it's a tough call. I posted it, deleted it, and then posted it again with a warning. I feel that its okay since I not posting it gratuitously. Rather, its meant to call attention to the ludicrousness of Kerry relying on the statement of any random person. If you are looking for turn the rambling of any random person into a political point, there will always be plenty of fodder for you.

Anonymous said...

I don't know his record, but I don't know whether he's been fighting for you up until now . . .


Hey, Commander-in-Chief Obama, LTC Brown is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard. So, yeah, he has been fighting for the people of Massachusetts and the people of the United States for a long time now. When you were hanging out and doing a little blow, Brown was in uniform, defending this country.

This attack by the ignorant Obama is disgusting.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I realize I'm outing Althouse as a Coakley fiend..

But at this point I don't care .. I'm hooked ;)

Anonymous said...

One more thing about the Kerry statement:

If you read it carefully, it seems that the entire point of it was to bring up the "anal rape of Martha Coakley with a curling iron" bit.

Look closely at the way it is structured. The part about stealing lawn signs is just a warm up to the major thing Kerry wants you to know.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I went from Palin to Coakley .. After tomorrow I think I'm going back on Palin again.

Palin is safe for me.

wv - cdolocan - over the counter

garage mahal said...

When you were hanging out and doing a little blow, Brown was in uniform, defending this country.

Was he a "real soldier" though? Was he part of "real" American even? I know with Rush, and conservatives, not all soldiers and people are real. In fact, leaving limbs on the battlefield can get your face morphed into Osama bin Laden.

Titus said...

Julius, you are from Portsmouth?

Fabulous, love Portsmouth. So cute.

Anonymous said...

@Titus- I just moved to Portsmouth. It is indeed fabulous, cute, quaint, etc...

It was a New Hampshire Supreme Court ruling that provided the initial impetus to move here.

Anonymous said...

In fact, leaving limbs on the battlefield can get your face morphed into Osama bin Laden.


Look at garage, kickin' it ol' school. He wants to party like it's 2002. Except that Osama didn't morph into Cleland.

Other than that you're right on, baby. So how about the Commander-in-Chief attacking a distinguished Army NG JAG officer? Especially when he admits that he doesn't "know his record." Reminds me of Gates-gate: O didn't know all the facts, but he was sure the Cambridge police acted stupidly. Oh, brother.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Coakley was too high end..
too expensive for the regular folks.

Palin on the other hand has enough kick to kill a moose but at the same time you can find Palin on any given night at Fox.

From Inwood said...

Gee, it seems like déjà vu all over again.

I mean, coming to “Massatoosits” looks sorta, kinda like coming to Copenhagen for the Olympics & for Climate Change. How’d that work out for him?

Maybe soon many people might see The Emperor’s old clothes.

Allen S

WWMD! Good one.

But, hey, at least Pat K didn’t say “Martha Moxley”


PS My word verification here is "who raps". Someone trying to tell me something?

Cedarford said...

To me, not just Obama but the people of Massachusetts are exercising a little willful blindness about Coakley as a great legal servant of the State who deserved to be AG, let alone Senator.

Curling irons and Amiraults and looking the other way on Beacon Hill corruption???

It is like saying Mike Nifong was a great prosecutor and servant of the State people should like and support...Just ignore that stuff about him giving a pass to black politicians getting kickbacks, and of course the silly little Duke Rape Case miscue he had.

From Inwood said...

Allen S

WWCD: What would Cicero Do?

former law student said...

A bit of bullshit from Brown:

Guard rules mandate retirement in two years, which irks Brown.

“I’m probably one of the most qualified soldiers in the entire Massachusetts’’ Guard, he said. “I have enlisted service, I have infantry, quartermaster, JAG, I’m airborne qualified, I’ve been to all the courses. I know what I’m doing, and they’re kicking me out because I’m 50 years old.’’


My buddy Jim is still serving at age 63, and is currently on active duty. Fifty is the earliest one can retire from the Guard, not the mandatory age.

Peter V. Bella said...

Julius Ray Hoffman
I viewed that link. I am not surprised. That is the type of "cute" stuff those people do. They seem to think it is appropriate to demean others in such a low and inhumane fashion. KOS, MyDD, the Democrat Underground, all use such tactics.

Worse, they are never discredited. Some even get traction and huge followings like KOS. Who knows, maybe one of these so called people will run for office one day. No one will criticize them because they did, said, or wrote what they did for the common good.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The first time I had Palin I almost overdose.

McCain was a pow in Vietnan for a long time..
How did he keep Palin off the street all that time I'll never know.

Deborah M. said...

Sorry baby, but you need to go to Mass. in this truck. That'll get their attention. 6 mpg. tops.

We wants it Gollum.

Deborah M. said...

"I would never drive a Mini in the States. I'd feel as vulnerable as a newborn babe on 1-95 with all those Deborah's riding around in their Silverado's."

Wise. Because Minis approximately reach outside mirrors on that beast.

Cedarford said...

garage - "In fact, leaving limbs on the battlefield can get your face morphed into Osama bin Laden."

1. No ad morphed Cleland into Osama, contrary to the false Lefty narrative they tried planting.

2. No one cast Cleland out because his patriotism was brought into question. Cleland made the bad mistake of bringing San Francisco values to Georgia, favoring gay activists over Boy Scouts, favoring union contracts governing what people in national security may do on the jobs. And more taxes.
So Georgia voters determined "he's not like us, he's a lifetime DC creature" and tossed him.

3. Cleland did not lose his limbs on a battlefield. He lost them in a grenade handling accident following a beer party. Depending on what story you believe, Cleland was fumbling with his gear, unpinned a genade fuse and was scrambling trying to find it in high grass and toss it when it went off..or the story of a rear ech soldier who claimed he was having fun in the rear, threw a grenade to celebrate something, and didn't see Cleland was near.

(It would be nice if every soldier who had a disabling non-combat injury was entitled to be a US Senator or in a lifetime cushy government sinecure, but alas, there are tens of thousands of them and no one really wants just military people who got wounded somehow in charge of running the whole country. We have a moral obligation to help the disabled Vet - not to put them in charge of us just because of that. Same with the military worshippers belief that McCain was entitled to the Presidency, like the other 500 POWs, because he was a POW.)

Ralph L said...

When you were hanging out and doing a little blow, Brown was in uniform, defending this country.
And laying down his body for Cosmo.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

AJ, I expect the banks are afraid their loans will be repaid in worthless dollars, if at all.

Bingo. The danger of being repaid on current loans with deflated currency is one problem.

The banks also have to worry about making loans in this current extremely low interest rate environment when it is 100% certain that in the future interest rates will have to rise. Rather soon if the Fed begins its hinted at repurchase of Treasuries.

When you have a loan portfolio locked in at a rate of 4 to 5% and interest rates in general rise by several hundred basis points, your income is not going to be keeping up with your expenses (the amount that the Banks will need to pay on deposits). In other words the value of your assets (loans) will be shrinking while your liabilities will be substantially increasing.

So unless the banks can limit their loan exposure to short term (less than 5 years) loans or only make short term high interest loans or variable rate loans(credit cards and consumer purchase loans).....they are doomed.

Is it any wonder that the banks are reluctant to make a lot of loans and sub prime loans (again)? They don't want to commit suicide. As a stock holder of some of these banks and you people as stock holders through your various mutal funds, whe should all hope that they don't commit suicide either.

Peter V. Bella said...

I feel very sorry for those poor left wingers from Massachusetts. Times are tough. The economy is bad. The whole country is in a turmoil. When all these things happen all they have left to cling to are their hammers and sickles and Ted Kennedy's legacy.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

And laying down his body for Cosmo.

He was trying to break that professions ceiling..

Everybody knows a woman gets more pay when they take it off.

wv - sitamen - yes lets sit Brown.

Synova said...

"My buddy Jim is still serving at age 63, and is currently on active duty. Fifty is the earliest one can retire from the Guard, not the mandatory age."

And your buddy is in the same state as Brown? The same organization?

Guard units have their own rules. But I'd say with confidence that your buddy Jim has special permission to serve at his age. I know that I looked into joining after 9-11, not terribly seriously because of kids and family responsibilities, but I did look into it, and age limits are a big deal. I know others who looked seriously into going back into service who were told no in no uncertain terms. Those cases where someone got special permission were usually in a specialized field or, well, knew people. What does your buddy Jim do?

Brown might be more qualified than just about anyone else, but that doesn't mean that he's someone they can't do without to the extent that anyone wants to push through an exception for him. Or his particular organization might be run by someone who doesn't believe in exceptions.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

You could say Brown was spearheading civil rights by posing for Cosmo.

wv - oriation - an oral history

Peter V. Bella said...

With all of her gaffes. With her lack of knowledge of national security. With her inability to spell Massachusetts correctly. With her repeated dumb, moronic, idiotic, and stupid comments. Martha Coakley makes Sara Palin look like the most qualified woman in politics right now. That is some testament.

Ralph L said...

Fifty is the earliest one can retire from the Guard, not the mandatory age.
If it's like the active branches, years of service and rank determine when one is forced to retire, but even that is sometimes flexible. At the last minute, my dad was offered another year at his post because his relief wasn't ready. And in war time, sometimes they won't let you retire.

1775OGG said...

"Um, um, now wait a minute..... where was I?"

Yep, that soaring speech, that outstanding rhetoric, made the difference Marcia Coakley will keep the seat warm for the Kennedy's!

Peter V. Bella said...

fls,

There are upper limit age restrictions in the Guard, the Reserves, and active duty services. However, there are also waivers granted under various circumstances. Your friend may have been granted waivers to stay in so long.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

a bumper sticker

I would not vote for Coakley for all the kimonos in Japan

or

All the kimonos in Japan could not keep me from voting against Coakley.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I would not vote for Coakley for all the kimonos in Kalamazoo.

former law student said...

Logistics is Jim's speciality. As far as waivers goes, they were going to kick him out when he was 55, but he finagled something -- he just loves the Army. In civilian life he's an IT manager.

bagoh20 said...

C4 said:
"Same with the military worshippers(sic) belief that McCain was entitled to the Presidency, like the other 500 POWs, because he was a POW.)"


Your right about Cleland, his injury was apparently a result of a drunken mistake, not battle. But McCain deserves respect for: 1st putting himself in a situation (battle) where he could become a POW, but much more so for how he acted while a POW under severe torture for 5 years. I wouldn't claim it is enough by itself to make me vote for him, but it's an exceptional indicator of his character and is a big plus for me.

It certainly is more qualifying than a Harvard degree, Kenyan Dad or a nice pants crease.

Anonymous said...

The speech does underscore this administration's bargain with the voter rather well:
i.e. 'The dream will continue only if poor electoral choices continue to be made.'

But the dreamers are waking up.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Reading earlier news reports, I was struck by the lack of anything actually about Martha Coakley, the candidate he came to support.

You're probably about as struck by that as I was by the fact that your carpetbagger commentariat can't think of anything regarding Scott Brown that they support, either.

Face it. We're all just playing a numbers game. (Which should, technically, put Republicans at a disadvantage because they have a lot of trouble with any math beyond basic electoral arithmetic.) But at least I'm not pretending to understand in full detail what the voters of Massachusetts want. Your little rabid lemmings, OTOH, are certainly free to believe that they can dictate to the people of MA anything other than what they don't want to see, personally, for two years at most - and it has nothing to do with policy (and apparently Brown understands this).

Good luck holding onto the seat once Brown's lived out his use.

Son of Brock Landers said...

I am surprised no one has pointed out how the incoherent truck section of the speech matches up well with the incoherent 'mop' section of Obama's speech at his appearance for Corzine. It's as if he goes off teleprompter and then gets stuck on something.

Anonymous said...

Coakleyquiddick

Michael said...

I continue to feel better about my now two year long contention that Obama is average in intelligence. Average. Not the smartest person or president ever.

RebeccaH said...

It's important to remember that, for Obama and the current Democratic Party, "profit" is a dirty word. It's the current liberal thinking: that people exist only for the benefit of other people, and should not ever have the effrontery to consider anything that might benefit themselves.

Anonymous said...

@RebecaaH- Yeah, sure. At least the Democrats know some words. Somebody should teach the Republicans what "corruption" means.

I'm referring to the pre-2009 conservative thinking: Americans only exist so that those in the political establishment can serve their friends, and those in high places need never consider the question of what is right and just.

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