July 11, 2011

Obama: "Pull off the Band-Aid. Eat our peas."

Today at the press conference, metaphors for resolving the budget right now. No more temporary solutions.

AND: Don't listen to those "voices":



Note the puppet-hand gesture.

IN THE COMMENTS: PackerBronco said:
These days, when the President says that we have to "eat our peas", I no longer know whether he's offering a metaphor or invoking the Commerce Clause.
No, the Commerce-Clause-challenging vegetable is always broccoli.

115 comments:

rhhardin said...

Throw out the trash.

Anonymous said...

Ground Air Force One. No, let's not get carried away.

Anonymous said...

Blah, blah, blah nothing more than a incompetent community organizer trying to stop his political bleeding.

Epic Fail.

Pastafarian said...

You know, it's bad enough to be lectured to, by people who have never held a productive job in their lives; and who have overseen the willful destruction of the greatest economy in the history of man.

But to be infantilized by them, and hectored into eating my vegetables; it's really just too much.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

What ever Obama said is the exact opposite of his goal for us in the Non-existent budget and showdown at high noon Summit meeting with the GOP's rich guys flying private jets.

Obama is stage setting the coming media assertion that it is the US default that crashed the robust Obama Recovery, and it will be all Boehner's fault.

He is so boring.

David said...

Band aid?

He's wrapped the economy up like "The Mummy."

You won't like what's under all that gauze.

cassandra lite said...

I'm not eating any pea that came from under a Band-Aid.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Does anyone in the Beltway bubble think it is impossible to chop 10% from current fed spending and chop it right now? If not, then they should commence the chopping!

Until they do that, no thinking person should take any of them seriously or listen to their crap.

James said...

I'm so glad you guys listen to Obama so I don't have to. I actually feel some revulsion whenever I see him on TV and it amazes me how he lies so effortlessly.

Last Friday he said that securing Congress' approval for trade deals would lower unemployment. Well, didn't he block the U.S. - Colombia trade deal when he assumed office?

Daryl said...

Obama says the debt ceiling is like a gun to the USA's head.

Obama says he won't accept a short-term fix (why not?)

Obama says he won't accept a long-term fix without raising taxes (why not?)

If hitting the debt ceiling is so terrible, why isn't he willing to compromise on a solution? Why is he holding the USA hostage?

His position boils down to this: "Give me tax increases that I can blame on the GOP, or else I'm going to pull the trigger on the gun to the USA's head. We're going to hit the debt ceiling, and things are going to go bad for all Americans, and I'm going to put the blame on the GOP"

Having used extremely inappropriate language (casting this as a hostage situation) he now puts himself in the role of hostage-taker/terrorist.

And he's threatening to seize spending power for the executive branch, which would be totally unconstitutional.

TW: pyrefro

Most awesome TW of 2011: I win.

Henry said...

What did Tiger say?

Henry said...

"Update: Tiger Woods' agent says a report of a special press conference was erroneous and there will be no such announcement."

Tiger, pull off that band-aid!

Henry said...

@Daryl. Well framed.

Apparently Obama's 2012 election slogan will be "Vote for me or I shoot the puppy."

Scott M said...

Plenty of people have juxtaposed this with his statement from earlier in his term stating that "you don't raise taxes in the middle of a recession".

How does he figure things have gotten better?

Paddy O said...

"he's threatening to seize spending power for the executive branch"

No he's not. It's "actuating kinetic monetary policies within a new paradigm." Which can be found in antumbra of the Constitution.

Pastafarian said...

I guess the "change" part of hopen'change was: Spend-and-tax, instead of tax-and-spend.

TosaGuy said...

I like peas, I am having some right now. but I am not eating them with the wv: kinfie

Einfahrt said...

Kill Obamacare; reverse recent regulatory actions in healthcare, energy, banking, and EPA; and go back to 2006 federal spending levels (minus the wars).

A good start and everyone's grandmother will still be covered by adequate safety nets.

Not that hard, but more than 10% less than what we are spending this and each year since the Dem majority in Congress.

rhhardin said...

If they don't raise the debt ceiling, then they have to operate under a balanced budget.

The only hangup is how Obama is going to prioritize. It's certain to be in the most damaging way.

He's unlikely to eliminate the DOE or the EPA or the NEA, which are the obvious choices.

Or repeal Obamacare.

VanderDouchen said...

Wipe your chin, then put your napkin back in your lap.

Don't talk in someone's backswing.

Repair your divits -nevermind, I doubt you hit the greens on your approach shots.

WV: tostudan:

As the anthem played, The President raised his glass and said, "tostudan!"

m11_9 said...

what a joke, another ten year plan based on rosy scenarios. these people will never get serious.

thank at least the last ten presidents for this, but esp. w's constant emergency off budget war fundings for really pushing irresponsibility forward a notch.

Paddy O said...

"juxtaposed this with his statement from earlier in his term"

Well, here's your problem right here.

In the first postmodern presidency, there is no 'earlier'. History only exists as malleable narrative dependent on the needs of present assertions of intent.

By laying claim to Obama's history you're clearly attempting to impose a colonialist, racialist, likely heteronormative, meta-narrative just like so many generations of euro-descent oppressors have done.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Having used extremely inappropriate language (casting this as a hostage situation) he now puts himself in the role of hostage-taker/terrorist.

Reminds me of the hostage scene in Blazing Saddles. (Couldn't find the clip)

Scott M said...

just like so many generations of euro-descent oppressors have done

Yes, but I'm a direct decedent of those euro-oppressors. If I'm just a random accident of biology, merely lucky to be in a species slightly more highly evolved, how can I possibly go against my genetic imperatives? Blame the ice age, I say.

The Crack Emcee said...

He's the one who has to eat his peas - we have to Make Michelle Bachmann A Gay Icon.

Jim Bullock said...

What's his proposal, exactly?

I understand that it's all the bad people's fault, and we'd be fine if we'd just do as he wants. But, what is that?

The thing is, he doesn't know any better. A guy with a career in organizing the aggrieved to help them demand that someone else make things better, followed by 0 actual executive experience, rides to "victory" on charisma, Bush-fatigue and the accident of his personal story. Then, because the country is in extremis, he gets a hands-off 800-billion or so blank check, without debate, opposition, review or oversight.

THEN, he gets to sign into law a 40-year deferred dream of the "progressive" left, by merely ... well ... hanging back and letting everyone else do the heavy lifting. He's a hero by declining to veto.

Now, there's icky things like international realpolitik, actual budgets with tradeoffs and an opposition - even thought it's an opposition with less control of half the legislative branch than his party had for the first 2 years.

Whiny-guy is, I believe, truly surprised. And he doesn't know how to do anything but whine and slime, since, well, that's all he's had to do to date.

Sad, sad.

Alex said...

So basically the Republicans are hostage-takers, terrorists. That's the analogy.

Alex said...

Joan Walsh - Standing up to the hostage takers

from Salon.com

Riley said...

My favorite part was when he said "I'd much rather be standing here talking about something that everybody would be happy with, like...uh...new programs."

edutcher said...

Damn, DBQ beat me to it.

Anyhoo, this brings me back to that little incident one Friday, shortly after he was inaugurated, when he and Michelle suddenly showed up at a grammar school.

When asked what they were doing there, he said, "They let us out early".

That's the story of his Administration in a nutshell; somebody else is really in charge, he really isn't involved.

Problem is, as Pasta notes, whomever is in charge doesn't have any more of a clue than Barry.

PackerBronco said...

These days, when the President says that we have to "eat our peas", I no longer know whether he's offering a metaphor or invoking the Commerce Clause.

Scott M said...

ZIIING!!!

Get the man a bah-dump-bump.

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

I've heard of people growing into the office. I've never had the opportunity to see someone grow themselves out of office.

This guy was actually more presidential before he became president. And I'm setting a very low bar indeed for that statement.

Kurt said...

So many great comments, today, but PackerBronco's might be the funniest so far!

chickelit said...

Visualize whirled peas.

Anonymous said...

I am having lunch (actually pea soup) at the Oval Room with many consultants. All are in agreement: OB2 will defeat the GOP across the nation, across the cities, across the states. The GOP defeat is going to be so big, that it will take a decade (actually 3-cycles of Presidency) to get back. They will lose the WH, House, Senate, and State Legislatures. There is a sense that GOP pols. will face unemployment soon and that is the big worry for the WH. It is bad enough to worry about Joe Citizen but now we have to worry about GOP Smith getting a job after her/his defeat.

Anonymous said...

I would gladly eat my peas if I didn't have this gigantic ObamaCare shit sandwich jammed down my throat!

Curious George said...

America's Politico said...
I am having lunch at the Oval Room with many consultants. All are in agreement: OB2 will defeat the GOP across the nation, across the cities, across the states. The GOP defeat is going to be so big, that it will take a decade (actually 3-cycles of Presidency) to get back. They will lose the WH, House, Senate, and State Legislatures. There is a sense that GOP pols. will face unemployment soon and that is the big worry for the WH. It is bad enough to worry about Joe Citizen but now we have to worry about GOP Smith getting a job after her/his defeat.


I think it was the latest awesome job numbers that put the DNC and Barry over the top and sealed the GOP's fate. I'm sure they will be up to the task of dealing with this future employment issue too.

Cincinnatus said...

Bizarre how he ignores his own contribution to the disaster. Its clear that he believes his own teleprompter.

Steven said...

The only long-term solution isn't available until November 6, 2012.

Unless, of course, the President and Vice-President are offering to resign to clear the way for President Boehner?

Harsh Pencil said...

I'm getting to really like America's Politico. Far more entertaining than Titus's fascinations.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

That's the best they can do? The Pea Party?

Fred4Pres said...

rhhardin, you said it all.

BarryD said...

I always liked peas, when I was a kid.

I've got a hand gesture for BO.

Mike said...

When a fellow is in the soup, it's amazing how his mind turns to peas. Well at least if the soup is Puree Mongole.

Seriously I'm glad that at least someone was able to suck it up and watch this latest news conference. It's a nasty job.

Ron said...

All he is saying is give peas a chance.

edutcher said...

TreeJoe said...

I've heard of people growing into the office. I've never had the opportunity to see someone grow themselves out of office.

This guy was actually more presidential before he became president.


That's because all he had to say was, "It's Bush's fault". Or, "Hope, Change, Hope Change...".

Now he actually has to say something intelligent. Like he knows what's going on.

Too bad they let him opt out of that required Economics class at Columbia. If they didn't, it would have been raaaacisst.

And TOTUS doesn't tell him how to pronounce, "Boehner".

America's Politico said...

I am having lunch (actually pea soup) at the Oval Room with many consultants.

Is that anywhere near the Oval Office?

Ron said...

I'd rather sip a cup of tea than be forced to sit and eat my peas.

Unknown said...

His position boils down to this: "Give me tax increases that I can blame on the GOP, or else I'm going to pull the trigger on the gun to the USA's head.

Stop these racist references to Blazing Saddles, please !

ricpic said...

The only thing saving Vomitbama's ass is the utter fecklessness of Establishment Republicans. Don't do a deal, Boehner. Then explain to Americans that all this doomsday fearmongering is based on one thing and one thing alone: Democrat spendthrifts are addicted to other peoples' money, YOUR MONEY, and will not stop spending. Rinse and repeat. And sit back and dare Zero to continue spending us over a cliff. But Boehner won't do that because he's feckless. The main thing, the only thing is to have a seat inside the buttercup. Tant pis for the peasants.

Toad Trend said...

Yeah, the best way to convince people of something is to talk down to them.

This guy is unbelievable.

wv -degunco

Rather fitting, no?

fernstalbert said...

This is the best analogy - metaphor - descriptive Obama can find? What does he read Dr. Seuss or perhaps Margaret/H.A. Rey? Harvard must have avoided the classics. What a sad example of public school education. Cheers.

Scott M said...

I suppose he could have gone with something more contemporary like castor oil.

Kurt said...

Maybe next he'll try jumping some sharks in that pea soup.

WV: hocat

Mark O said...

Pea or pee? He's all wee-wee'd up.

Worst president ever.

madAsHell said...

Is he still trying to push the car out of the ditch?

ummmmm....Slurpee!!

TreeJoe said...

I don't hear about it AS much nowadays, but I've got to imagine the dems are considering a primary challenge to Obama as he gives more senseless speeches on debt and the economy, and things continue to get worse and make him more un-re-electable.

I mean...2.5 years after election in a recession, and after his own projections were wildly off in terms of recovery and stimulus effect, he's giving sound bytes like "I'm ready to roll up my sleeves"...

I don't see anything wrong with saying "This is not our guy." and, ya know, moving on...

Seeing Red said...

NR is saying he offered his original budget that no one wanted as the compromise?

Seriously?

Joe said...

(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
I mean...2.5 years after election in a recession, and after his own projections were wildly off in terms of recovery and stimulus effect, he's giving sound bytes like "I'm ready to roll up my sleeves"...


OBVIOUSLY, you did not read America’s Politico…in the Oval Room the Democrats are cackling with glee! All Republicans are to be swept from office by the Broom of Doom, this November! Please try to keep up….

The Crack Emcee said...

Alex,

Joan Walsh,...from Salon.com

That's an admission that somebody's lying right there.

What are you thinking?

wv: "coondro" - I'm a black guy, somebody help me out here,...

soleproprietorPatriot said...

I think the peas that need to be eaten is our federal government, by accepting the simply mind blowing fact (to them) that you cannot borrow 40% of what you spend.

Misinforminimalism said...

Can someone please ask the President what his plan is in the event there is no compromise? This breathless talk about the 14th Amendment reminds us that the President has a duty not to default. So he's certainly developing a plan, prioritizing government spending, etc., in order to avoid default. Wouldn't it be germane for the people to know what that plan entails?

coketown said...

Obama's choice of paternalistic metaphors is always interesting. The American people are children and need to act like big kids. We may not like higher taxes and cuts to entitlement programs, but they're good for us, and Obama knows best!

Does anyone think at his next press conference he'll hold up a spoon labeled "revenue enhancements" and say, "Here comes the airplane, coming in for a landing. Neeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrr."

Tom Spaulding said...

Quantitative Peasing III

coketown said...

If he pulls this off, maybe he'll get a Nobel Peas prize... No? Not clever? Dang.

jrberg3 said...

"Wouldn't it be germane for the people to know what that plan entails?"

Come on Unkown, the man is just trying to eat his peas. Can't you leave him alone.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JAL said...

News Flash to President Obama:

The Public is Worried About YOU and What You Have Done to THEM.

JAL said...

"Pull off the Band-Aid. Eat our peas?"

Can we have an adult as president next time?

wv watswiv
Exactly.

Carol_Herman said...

First, I thought he was going to say "the voices in our head."

Then, I thought, my gosh. We've gone from "broccoli" to "peas." Is this going to be part of our presidential lore, showing up in trivia questions decade from now?

Carol_Herman said...

Does Obama just read anything that his people put up on his teleprompter?

Wouldn't it get interesting if someone put up sticky notes? And, he could read this off, one by one, like Alex Tribecki reading index cards?

Or, like Johnny Carson, when he was Karnak. Even that hat would be a good addition.

Imagine Obama ripping off the side of the envelope, and blowing into it. Before extracting the question.

Paul said...

Hopefully in 2012 we pull this bandaid of a president off so the wound he has made heals.

Carol_Herman said...

A comparison to Hoover.

Hoover's Treasury Department had come up with fixes to the recession ... But Hoover was trying to scam FDR. He wouldn't implement the good advice until FDR guaranteed him that FDR would "hire" Hoover to be his economic advisor.

You, of course, know what happened to Hoover.

Oh. And, then, instead of waiting for March 20th ... for the inaugural, this got moved up to January 20th. Cars were a luxury. We had no air transportation system in place. (Except two-seaters. Which I am not counting, here.)

You got to DC by train. And, all the stuff you wanted to carry with you were carted on board the train.

And, the day FDR was sworn in ... He immediately set to work! With what, you might ask?

With everything the Treasury Department had done. And, Hoover just sat upon.

Obama? He's just in a long line of power-madness. But between Obama and Hoover ... Hoover was actually educated enough to have a clue.

Harvahd fell down on its job. Or it discovered it got black students that had to pass ... And, there was no way they were going to absorb an "eduKAY-chun."

Thank goodness, for Clarence Thomas! And, Thomas Sowell.

Maybe, even for Muhammed Ali. Who toured to Africa ... and when he came home he said: "Thank goodness my grand-pappy got on that boat."

For an administration to be as poor as this one, though ... took being surrounded by trust babies and fools ... who have no idea how wealth is gathered.

Or as Balzac said: Behind every fortune is a crime. (Crime waves seems to pay off?)

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

So his strategy is to just keep giving news conferences until we give him what he wants so he'll shut up?

(Someone may have already said this. If so, forgive me, but I stopped reading after the comment thread became way too predictable.)

Alex said...

Obama's latest Gallup is 45/46. Not bad when you look at the economy.

Alex said...

Carol - a funny thing about Hoover/FDR. During the '32 campaign FDR accused Hoover of engaging in socialist policies. Of course then we got the New Deal. Slick operator that FDR.

Alex said...

If you look at the:

Obama approval RCP average

Obama was in negative territory in early April. Then he got the Bin Laden dead-cat bounce and he's back to where he was.

pst314 said...

Peas? At least he's not lecturing us about arugula anymore.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Obama needs to give one of his great speeches. That's the ticket- and it will give the media a chance to drool and report how he is the bestest speechifier ever.

KCFleming said...

I think Peter Sellers did a much better job as Chauncey Gardner in Being There than this remake.


"In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again."

Carol_Herman said...

Oh, Alex. No question that FDR was a slick operator. Among his gifts was his smile. And, people said he always seemed to agree with them.

So, they'd leave his office, after the handshake. And, think they had a deal. When they did not.

But my cousin, who was born around 1929 ... said to me, once ... that she named all her dolls "Eleanor." Because all she knew was FDR. He covered her entire childhood.

By the time I was born (1939), I named all my dolls Betty.

Obama just wishes he was FDR. But FDR had a class advantage. He was a politician's politician.

As to the friendship between FDR and Churchill ... Churchill was right when he said he was better than any mistress to FDR.

But he knew in his heart FDR was a faker. He just didn't wrote those words down.

And, FDR? He never wrote ANY words down.

I guess people get so befuddled when they think they're making an impression on somebody else, huh? FDR really could handle crowds! And, not lose his luster.

Alex said...

Carol - I was watching some FDR speeches on Youtube the other night and he could really carry a crowd. 1932 - what a scary time!

Unknown said...

Obama at Gettysburg:

We made those dang rebels eat their peas. This cemetery gives me the creeps. I'm outa here.

Methadras said...

Stop trying to be my dad you fucking big-eared prick. This guy is a fucking moron. Enough!!! Please anyone but him by 2012. He's killing us with his irrational cluelessness and his unmitigated hubris.

I feel like I'm watching real time blazing saddles.

BJM said...

We're way past peas, Obama's eating the seed corn.

Scott M said...

I feel like I'm watching real time blazing saddles.

HOWARD JOHNSON IS RIGHT!!!

"Pull off the band aid. Eat our peas."

...Not only is it authentic frontier gibberish...

I'm Full of Soup said...

Don't most people like peas? If so, why'd he choose that vegetable?

wv= humpena

Phil 314 said...

I liked his high-minded platitudes better.

KCFleming said...

Nerobama fuddled while Rome burned.

Unknown said...

When does he start stamping his feet and holding his breath?

Scott M said...

When does he start stamping his feet and holding his breath?

August 1st.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Peas go great with mashed potatoes and gravy too. I mush them together. Highly recommend you try it with a good hunk of juicy roast beef. Jeez- I am making myself hungry.

sonicfrog said...

Crap... Does this mean I can no longer put my peas on my spoon and catapult them across the room? I have to actually EAT them now???????

Dammit... I HATE Large Government!!!!

Unknown said...

Sonicfrog said "HATE."

RACIST!!!!

Bruce Hayden said...

No, the Commerce-Clause-challenging vegetable is always broccoli.

And the reason for that is that many of us do not like broccoli. The hypothetical is (simplified) that if the individual mandate, forcing economic activity where inactivity was preferred, is Constitutional as Necessary and Proper, then why wouldn't forcing everyone to eat broccoli also be Constitutional for the same reasons? After all, broccoli is good for us, and if we all ate a lot more of it, we would all be healthier, and use and demand less health care.

Peas on the other hand are good. Well, ok, not everyone likes them - we found out in adulthood that my mother would move her peas around on her plate and mix them with her mashed potatoes in order to avoid eating them. But, I would suggest that a lot more people like peas than like broccoli. I, being one of them.

Bruce Hayden said...

Don't most people like peas? If so, why'd he choose that vegetable?

I think, because he is clueless, and esp. about ordinary Americans.

Bruce Hayden said...

Interesting that this is the thread that is getting the traffic, and not the Palin one. Someone there suggested that by being about her, it would surely hit 200. I think this is the thread today that will do it. We shall see.

Bruce Hayden said...

And, I was #100. I was thinking about whether I should mention that in my last post, but figured that if I did, someone else would have sneaked in there, and gotten that prized position. I did #200 awhile back, and that was really exciting.

coketown said...

@Bruce: Palin is yesterday's news and tomorrow's news, but never news today. Today it's all about Barack Obama (Peas be upon him).

Kurt said...

News flash for Obama: Don't Pea on us and tell us it's raining.

WV: coldr

KCFleming said...

Pull off your peas.
Eat your Band-Aid.

These fit better with "Raise taxes during a recession."

Scott M said...

"Take my wife's, peas."

coketown said...

Caption for a photo of an unemployment line: Mind your peas and queues.

Darcy said...

I love peas. More, peas.

Deborah M. said...

"Or, like Johnny Carson, when he was Karnak. Even that hat would be a good addition."

..and Biden, playing Ed McMahon, reads the answer...LOL

yashu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JAL said...

@Pogo Being There remake.

Laughed totally out loud. (If I tell you I love you ,tell Mrs. Pogo not to fear. Not quite as old as Carol_Herman, but getting up there.)

But the Being There comment is true, and that is the scary part.

pst314 said...

"Don't most people like peas? If so, why'd he choose that vegetable?"

It's an old cliche that little children don't want to eat their peas.

We're not children, and those peas he wants us to eat are really a sh*t sandwich, so better that he STFU and FO.

traditionalguy said...

Sweet peas must sorted for size because each pod has small peas at each end, medium size peas towards the center of the pod, and big peas in the center.

The fresh harvested hard peas run on water chutes down through sorting barrels with the holes directing sizes into the next chutes in uniform sizes.

Running 24/7 during harvest, the barrels and chutes become green slime coated. So every couple of weeks everything stops for 4 hours and the cannery is washed and scrubbed down...just in time for the USDA inspectors to come by.

Many cannery workers come to hate the smell/taste of green peas, but I still love them.

The best green peas come from valleys in and around Walla Walla, Washington.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Althouse, Obama is likely the 1st president who surfs the net and I bet he gets furious at the lack of respect he gets in some parts.

Anonymous said...

The man is clearly insane.

SGT Ted said...

Eat our peas?

He needs to shut his cakehole.