May 19, 2013

"The onetime messiah seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back from a blistering array of sins that are not even his fault."

Obama's in trouble, and Maureen Dowd is trying to help. I think. But lamely describing lameness? What's the solution?
The president should try candid; wistful and petulant aren’t getting him anywhere. The Republicans who are putting partisan gain above solving the country’s problems deserve a smackdown.
Oh, please. That deserve-a-smackdown sentence is typical of what Obama's been saying for months. It's the very "wistful and petulant" that's not "getting him anywhere." And saying that a smackdown is deserved is perfectly passive. There's no solution there.

Is "try candid" a solution? It's very funny to say "try candid." Try. See if it works, because that other thing you've been doing hasn't worked. Candid is another means to an end, to be tried after dissembling has failed. Try it. For what end? Obviously not for its own sake or you wouldn't say try.  The end must be partisan gain. Or... no, partisan gain is that terrible end sought by Republicans. Democrats are about solving the country’s problems.

How much attention does Maureen Dowd pay to her writing? I suspect that she giddily spins out colorful sentences. She's got a knack. But then she doesn't look at them critically. For example, that sentence I put in the post title:
The onetime messiah seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back from a blistering array of sins that are not even his fault.
Speaking of a blistering array...  that's quite an array of images. And what's a blistering array? It's like the rays of the sun got into array and caused a second-degree sunburn. But the oldest meaning of the word "array" is military — soldiers lined up for battle. It's not really anything that sins do.

But Sad Sack has a military connotation to some of us who remember the old comic book character:



Sad Sack was "an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and humiliations of military life. The title was a euphemistic shortening of the military slang 'sad sack of shit,' common during WWII."

I doubt if Dowd meant to associate Obama with a sack of shit, but she asks us to picture this sack bouncing. Bouncing back from an array of sins. So the sins are arrayed in military formation — perhaps in the sun, with second-degree sunburns — and the sack of shit (which was once a messiah) is trying to bounce, as if bouncing is a good response to an organized military attack.

Seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back... I take it that's an accidental rhyme, just one more lump dingleberry of evidence that Dowd doesn't look critically at her writing, but it's possible, considering her reference to Obama's statement that "he dreams of 'going Bulworth,' a reference to the Warren Beatty movie in which a depressed and fading Democratic senator from California starts rapping, speaking with politically incorrect candor and dating Halle Berry." Seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back... that could be a line in a rap. But no, it's an unintentional rhyme. Just as throwing Halle Berry into that riff about Bulworth unintentionally imputes an adultery component to Obama's Dreams From Warren Beatty.

118 comments:

Shouting Thomas said...

Investing Obama with Jesus like character and ability because his skin is black is precisely what led to the approaching catastrophe.

Obama ordered the IRS to attack his enemies. He's committed an impeachable offense. The hubris he developed from a lifetime of preening for toadies like Dowd is what led him to this denouement.

While I don't favor impeaching Obama, precisely because he is black, he must be impeached. He won't leave us any choice. The Shakespearian unspinning of the web has already been set in motion.

Unknown said...

"and the sack of shit (which was once a messiah) is trying to bounce, as if bouncing is a good response to an organized military attack."

A sack of shit cannot bounce.
Describing what a sack of shit does when it hits the ground forcefully is not unlike trying to describe Obama's presidency.

Gahrie said...

History is going to judge this sad excuse of a president as a modern day Nero.

rhhardin said...

Dowd has a sense of humor, just not in writing.

Her writing is snark for the NYT subscriber demographic.

JPS said...

"Not even his fault."

It's just so unfair. The man seeks to be the chief executive, is elected twice after pretty extraordinary effort, then mean partisans keep wanting to hold him responsible for what the executive branch does and fails to do.

Of course, responsibility and fault aren't the same thing, but I doubt Dowd sees the distinction. Does the President?

John said...

"...associate Obama with a sack of shit..."

Associate?

Michael K said...

"Obama ordered the IRS to attack his enemies. He's committed an impeachable offense. The hubris he developed from a lifetime of preening for toadies like Dowd is what led him to this denouement."

I doubt they will ever find an e-mail ordering the harassment of the enemies of Obama. Even he is not that stupid.

He has been openly attacking those enemies for two years and the toadies at the IRS, government employees and Democrats (but I repeat myself) all, took the hint and went after anybody who they thought he wouldn't like.

phx had a small point yesterday in saying that some of the inquiries about prayers and stuff were the sophomoric humor to be expected of Obamabots.

For example.

The only thing to do is follow this and hold hearings until next year plus send a few of these creeps to jail, for perjury if nothing else. Obama will probably pardon them but he doesn't seem too concerned about underlings. It might smoke out a few more whistleblowers.

He will never be impeached. That is a silly hope. Take the Senate next year and shut him down. Our greatest risk is a Supreme Court appointment.

dreams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
dreams said...

All these scandals and its not even Obama's fault, it is as even the thrill up his leg Chris Matthews said, the Obama gang claims the steering wheel doesn't control the direction of the car.

ricpic said...

Underneath the comedy is the outrage that Dowd and her whole beautiful people crowd were gung-ho for the fundamental transformation of the miracle nation, America. Yes, it's a miracle to be born in and live your life out in a place of safety. But Mo & Co. became BORED with safety, yearned for action. Well, now they've got their hearts' desire -- traitors!

exhelodrvr1 said...

But it wasn't a mistake to vote for him.

edutcher said...

AS JPS notes, "not even his fault."?

What is MoDo smoking?

All of this is his fault. He wants his eeeevill minions to go all Uncle Saul on his adversaries, this is what you get.

Ann Althouse said...

The Republicans who are putting partisan gain above solving the country’s problems deserve a smackdown.

Funny, when the Demos did that over Iraq, I'll bet she didn't have a problem with it.

a second-degree sunburn.

Sounds like Choom's complexion.

Sad Sack was "an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and humiliations of military life. The title was a euphemistic shortening of the military slang 'sad sack of shit,' common during WWII."

In his excellent book, "WWII", James Jones describes him as "a 'pore dumb fuck' of an eternal victim".

Hardly our Little Zero.

edutcher said...

Michael K said...

Obama ordered the IRS to attack his enemies. He's committed an impeachable offense. The hubris he developed from a lifetime of preening for toadies like Dowd is what led him to this denouement.

I doubt they will ever find an e-mail ordering the harassment of the enemies of Obama. Even he is not that stupid.


They never found anything like that from Dolf regarding the Jews.

If he'd survived, does anybody think that would have saved him?

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

President Obama as Mr. Jones in The Ballad of the Thin Man.

All the stanzas work.

The sword swallower walks up to you
And he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels And without further notice
Asks you how it feels
And says,
"Here's your throat back Thanks for the loan"
Something is happening
And you don't know what it is
Do you Mister Jones?

I'm Full of Soup said...

America's Pravda and its propagandists are panicking because they really can't sell a bag of shit once the customers have gotten a peek inside the bag.

Mogget said...

Sad sack of sh!t. Works for me.

However, as soon as he gets one little thing right, and I am sure the WH is desperately searching for something, they will be right back in bed with him, crackers and all. To admit he's a loser is to admit their own lack of judgment, which will never happen. Too bad they don't realize the power and prestige of an adversarial press.

Rusty said...


"Not even his fault."

no, Maureen.(in my best Curly Fine/Howard?)

He's a victim of circumstance! nyuk,nyuk.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Obama should attempt rapping. He could get Jay-Z to give him tips like Tiger Woods providing him advice on the golf course.

Although I think that -- with Him always being the Smartest Guy in the Room -- he probably figures he can do it by himself quite well, thank you, accompanied by the requisite "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" move.

Can one go 2-for-22 in Rap?

KCFleming said...

"Sad sack" seems also to refer to 'ball sack' or 'nut sack' (or 'sac'), and

So this is also another reference to impotence.

Brian Brown said...

The Republicans who are putting partisan gain above solving the country’s problems deserve a smackdown.

It wasn't "the Republicans" that used a federal agency to hamper the political activities of their political opponents, got caught, and covered it up in order to win an election.

The idea that Obama has any interest at all in "solving the country's problems" is silly and obscene.

KCFleming said...

So 'bouncing' fits, testicle-wise.

Illuninati said...

"The onetime messiah seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back from a blistering array of sins that are not even his fault."

That's been the Democrats' mem ever since Obama was elected. Bush is their all powerful devil who is responsible for everything which happened while he was in office and beyond. Bush is an adult. On the otherhand, Obama is a God who can stop the rise of the seas but is never responsible for anything bad which happens on his watch. He is an eternal adolescent.

Shouting Thomas said:
"While I don't favor impeaching Obama, precisely because he is black, he must be impeached. He won't leave us any choice. The Shakespearian unspinning of the web has already been set in motion."

Wishful thinking? I believe the Democrats will eventually rally around their man and support him and his behavior just like they did with Clinton and his sexual predation including probable rape. Once this behavior is established as the new normal, our republic will be over. We will be nothing but a third world country.

Charlie Currie said...

Barack Carter Nixon playing at being Putin ends up a sad sack of shit.

Cheers from a fundamentally unchanged American

Brian Brown said...

Michael K:

That silly little kid in that photo makes $120,000 in taxpayer money.

Isn't that a nice story?

Diogenes of Sinope said...

Obama will run a disinformation campaign with the active support of the media, as in the election, to explain these high crimes and misdemeanors away.

It will turn out Obama knew about the IRS abuse and suppression of Conservative groups well BEFORE the presidential election. AND there will be irrefutable hard evidence proving this fact and making Obama's knowledge undeniable.

Obama will argue these IRS actions were necessary, not abuse of power, were legal and ethical due to Citizens United and Conservative groups on the edge of the law. This is why we are now hearing the absurd claims that the IRS did nothing wrong. Democrats are laying the ground work for Obama's only possible defense.

Brian Brown said...

Not even his fault

How silly.

Obama appointed Hillary Clinton.

Benghazi, is entirely Obama's fault.

He also lied to the country about it in order to win an election

madAsHell said...

Try??

....and a leopard can change his spots??

I don't know much about MoDo, but I'll assume she is a childless, bitter, and scorned woman. Obama is her fantasy romance.

rhhardin said...

Four Imus Dowd interviews from around 2005 real audio.

DADvocate said...

"not even his fault"

Dowd's gone full schizophrenic. Obama sets a tone thuggishness, retribution, intimidation, etc and - Voila! - it all happens. He's supposedly the most powerful man in the world. If he wanted an administration that played fair, showed transparency, honesty, bipartisanship, and all that, that's what we'd have.

No one is more responsible that Obama for what is going on in Washington and the federal government.

edutcher said...

madAsHell said...

Try??

....and a leopard can change his spots??

I don't know much about MoDo, but I'll assume she is a childless, bitter, and scorned woman. Obama is her fantasy romance.


Just like Willie was until he cheated on her with Monica.

Astro said...

The onetime messiah seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back from a blistering array of sins that are not even his fault.

"Not even his fault"? She actually wrote that?
How can anyone, at this point, be in such total, utter, complete denial?
If she actually believes that, she's clinically psychotic.

Chase said...

It's about competence.

Just as modern feminism was openly exposed as a hypocritical worldview when it treated President Clinton differently for his treatment of women because it wanted to keep him sins and all, today's coalition that elected Obama and it's media lapdogs are digging themselves into the hypocrite's ash heap of history. Daily we read attempts to tell us that there is no real scandal. Can these people even think? The IRS ordering a religious organization to list the content of it's prayers?!? If that doesn't bother you, you are unAmerican. You don't get the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And that's just ONE question out of dozens we have seen already.

How much of this shit has to run down the legs of Democrats before they admit they're standing in shit? How much of their genitals have to be out in the open for all to see before they admit their pants are down?

KCFleming said...

Dowd remains convinced the Emperor has clothes.

Hagar said...

Obama did not order the shenanigans in the Cincinnati IRS that the fuss in the media trumpets. They were harassing the "little people" because they could, and their superiors knew about it, but did not say anything. If someone in the White House also knew, they thought it was funny.

Other things that were done by the IRS, David Axelrod and others definitely knew about since they were on the other end of the conversations, though possibly not Obama. This Administration seems to have a lot of things going on that they do not tell Obama about.

And that seems to be copied down through the Departments. It's a "culture" in the current idiom.

edutcher said...

Astro said...

The onetime messiah seems like a sad sack, trying to bounce back from a blistering array of sins that are not even his fault.

"Not even his fault"? She actually wrote that?
How can anyone, at this point, be in such total, utter, complete denial?
If she actually believes that, she's clinically psychotic.


You've just described the last 50 years of American Leftism.

Deb said...

A blivet: 10 pounds of shit in a five pound bag (or sack if you prefer). That's what this mess is.

Unknown said...

"Messiah" Good grief, what an asinine reference to an incompetent, ignorant, ungrateful ass by an equally ignorant, asinine twit who brings new meaning to slobbering solipsism. She can honestly, if quite rudely, called a dumb c**t, she certainly typifies the definition.

The best response, perhaps, to her and her ilk is, We told you so, asshats !!

Diogenes of Sinope said...

Chase,

Leftists do not care about the US Constitution or Bill of Rights. They care about increasing the size, scope and power of government as their tool for implementation of their Socialist utopia.

Obama supporters believe their opponents are evil and that free market capitalism is also an evil force in the world. Leftists are for the use of government power against their enemies and believe more not less government abuse of Conservatives is a moral imperative.

Their complaint is too little has been done to their political enemies. They are Fascist.

glenn said...

Ms Dowd is auditioning for one of those cushy gov't jobs Obama gives the media folks who stay on the reservation.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Oh dear Maureen - you wanted Obama to bring his brass knuckles...


Nothing is Obama's fault. Nothing is Obama's responsibility. Please... please... continue to worship Obama and the democrat party with blind faith.
He's doing his best.
Please ignore the shenanigans, the crimes and his using the constitution as toilet paper.
Thanks.

Wince said...

I doubt if Dowd meant to associate Obama with a sack of shit, but she asks us to picture this sack bouncing.

If Obama is a sack of shit, it's the media throne-sniffers like Dowd that lit it on fire and left it on our porch before ringing the doorbell.

dreams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Larry J said...

Jay said...
The Republicans who are putting partisan gain above solving the country’s problems deserve a smackdown.

It wasn't "the Republicans" that used a federal agency to hamper the political activities of their political opponents, got caught, and covered it up in order to win an election.


It wasn't the Republicans who ignored calls for increased security at diplomatic facilities in Libya and who left Americans to die. Nor was it Republicans who lied about it all, claiming that the creator of some 5th rate YouTube was responsible for everything. And that man is still in jail.

It wasn't a Republican cabinet official who tried to hit up corporations for donations to support a government program.

It also wasn't Republicans who went after the AP.

Obama seemingly wanted the job of Chief Executive but isn't to be held responsible for anything that happens under his watch. Meanwhile, Republican presidents like Bush '43 are held responsible for everything that happens anywhere to anyone.

Anyone who voted for Obama is a damned fool. Anyone who did it twice is certifiable.

dreams said...

Most of the employees of the IRS are Dems so they were willing to do what Obama wanted them to do, Obama's enemies are their enemies, unlike Nixon who tried but was unable to get the IRS to harass his enemies sinply because the IRS is composed of mostly Democrat bureaucrats who aren't incline to harass their fellow Democrats.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/05/on-first-looking-into-chapmans-nixon.php

Saint Croix said...

Kudos for "dingleberry." Reading Althouse is like Shark Week for the mind. Snark Shark!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Other blogs might be more circumspect about criticizing Maureen Dowd's writing. But this one is just so awesome that it doesn't have to!

Big Mike said...

... trying to bounce back from a blistering array of sins that are not even his fault.

I guess she wants to blame Bush?

Wasn't it just last week that Dowd was urging Obama to get tough with his political opponents? The IRS and the fishing expedition against the AP shows what happens when things go as far as she advocates.

Wait a second! Maybe she really means that it's her fault? Her and her fellow-travelers at the Times? Gotta think about that.

Paul said...

Was not HIS fault?

So Dowd does not know of the term, "the buck stops here"?

Nor does she know of the word, Responsibility?

I guess playing dumb is good enough to be president these days.

Oh, and now one of Obama's aids said, when questioned about where Obama was during the Bengasi fiasco, he say, 'it's irrelevant where he was'. Like duh who cares.

So we have President 'empty chair, it's not my fault as I voted present and didn't know a thing about anything'.

That is what hope and change gets you with the democrats.

Paul said...

Was not HIS fault?

So Dowd does not know of the term, "the buck stops here"?

Nor does she know of the word, Responsibility?

I guess playing dumb is good enough to be president these days.

Oh, and now one of Obama's aids said, when questioned about where Obama was during the Bengasi fiasco, he say, 'it's irrelevant where he was'. Like duh who cares.

So we have President 'empty chair, it's not my fault as I voted present and didn't know a thing about anything'.

That is what hope and change gets you with the democrats.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"How much of their genitals have to be out in the open for all to see before they admit their pants are down?"

I guess they must be less ashamed of their genitals than, er, some people, eh? ;)

Dante said...

MoDo makes a good case BO is not in control. Clintons are good at staying in control, but BO isn't so good at it. Cut the guy some slack.

Assuming the IRS effort wasn't a partisan attack, it was justified in some people's minds because standing up for an America that is strong and independent is suspect, whereas those supporting dependence are viewed as good.

I wonder if this is a woman thing. Taking care of kids who can't take care of themselves is part of the DNA. Perhaps that's the difference. Get some MetroFags on your side, and you have yourself a political party.

Basta! said...

Ah, "dingleberry", it brings back memories --- me, daring to ask one of the Big Kids what it means. Him: a dingleberry is a tiny ball of shit that clings to the hair around your asshole; a big ball doing the same is a huskyberry.

I have no idea if this is the accepted definition, per OED or even Urban Dictionary, but it did put me off huckleberries forever.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"While I don't favor impeaching Obama, precisely because he is black, he must be impeached."

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhahahaaahaha! etc.

Anonymous said...

The funny parallel:

-Halle Berry line: "You know you're my bitch, Bulworth."

-Michelle Obama: "You know you're my bitch, Barack."

In this regard, he went Bulworth a long time a go.

dreams said...

A different opinion than Dowd and an opinion I share.

"I say that the Obama Administration (not just Obama, but also many of the key players in his Administration) are corrupt. They’ve set themselves up for a fall. They’ve portrayed their stewardship of government as the way to address and resolve all kinds of national problems. Their façade is a picture of ability. Hey – they can overcome racial and political divides, balance rich and poor, bring healthcare that everyone can afford, and restore the adoration of the world for America. They can even control ocean levels.

But Washington partisanship is as bad as ever. The economy stinks. Healthcare is an expensive boondoggle. The world hates us just as much, and can attack us at will. In every job of government, this Administration is facing its own powerlessness.

There is a huge gap between what this Administration’s façade and what reality is. They can’t admit it, and so they lie about it. That is corruption, defined."

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/What-Is-Corruption-Anyway

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Not only should we impeach Obama, we should revoke Dowd's Pulitzer!

Seeing Red said...

I like the juxtaposition of the IRS scandal and MoDo saying it's not Barry's fault & the Bloomberg scandal.

That really hits a lot of NYCers where it hurts because that's big biz in NYC.

How can 1 defend 1 and not the other?

Both were taking peeks into confidential information, and possibly using it for their own gain.

Seeing Red said...

Walter Duranty's 1st, but that will never happen, gotta make that omelet!

Anonymous said...

Multiple agencies in government being investigated for similar things - using government for the political deeds of the president to intimidate and silence political opposition, with more to come can only lead to one conclusion. The White House knew and approved because they encouraged it in so many ways in so many speeches.

Perhaps they were smart enough to not write things down, but there are too many electronic trails (meetings and phone calls) for a special prosecutor to ignore and use the power of immunity to compel testimony. Internal departmental investigations aren't enough.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"The world hates us just as much, and can attack us at will."

Good point!

I feel nowhere near as safe from attack as I did on September 10th, 2001. We need Dick Cheney back, like yesterday! More 9/11s to make us feel safer!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Althouse for President!

And the Pulitzer!

Seeing Red said...

LOLOLOL you're funny, will you be here thru Tuesday and should we try the veal or chicken?

Charlie said...

The most depressing part of Dowd's piece? The comments from NYT readers. Yikes!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

I dunno. Tuesdays are rough and I'll probably be in Vegas. But either way, definitely go with the veal. :)

caplight45 said...

Instead of "damning with faint praise" she is praising with faint damns.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Shouting Thomas said...

Obama ordered the IRS to attack his enemies. He's committed an impeachable offense. The hubris he developed from a lifetime of preening for toadies like Dowd is what led him to this denouement.


This.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Or speaking of Wisconsin sensations, as Al said in the Weezer video, "Please, try the fish!"

bagoh20 said...

In flipping around the channels, I've noticed that as the liberal side of the MSM gets knocked back with every revelation they have currently fallen back to the more defensible position that whatever happened there is no evidence that Obama was responsible. They are trying to use that to make the more curious among us look like we are just after partisan gain, but in fact, that's just a bonus prize.

Anonymous said...

spinster (n.)

mid-14c., "female spinner of thread," from Middle English spinnen (see spin) + -stere, feminine suffix. Spinning commonly done by unmarried women, hence the word came to denote "an unmarried woman" in legal documents from 1600s to early 1900s, and by 1719 was being used generically for "woman still unmarried and beyond the usual age for it."


Fruit of the loom.

Anonymous said...

"The Republicans who are putting partisan gain above solving the country’s problems ..."

So the IRS targeting of conservatives and expediting Obamites was not partisan. The country's biggest problem is an out of control, incompetent administration.

Anyway, little Maureen knows very well but is cowered by the Republican partisans to say that every scandal is Bush's fault.

bagoh20 said...

Sometimes I don't get Althouse's near obsession with deconstructing metaphors and word choices. It's distracting. Imagine trying to have a conversation with someone who did that.

I think "blistering array of sins"
is just fine, and I got the idea instantly. What's wrong with Dowd's piece is it's abandonment of curiosity or interest in what happened except as how it's not one particular person's fault. The fact there is an array of sins that nobody in particular is responsible for is the real problem - it's systemic.

Ipso Fatso said...

One of the many lies that is MODO is that 15 years out of date photo that accompanies her columns.

Saint Croix said...

I think Obama is genuinely shocked. Not that the IRS singled out the Tea Party for special scrutiny. He is shocked that the media (and Democrats in Congress) are criticizing him for it.

Everybody in the media was jumping all over the Tea Party. They were called racists, of course. But also "tea baggers" which is like calling them cocksuckers. So that was the media environment when the IRS decided to go after them. And the political environment, of course, was that the Tea Party had vanquished Obama's side in the 2010 midterms.

So it wouldn't surprise me at all if it turns out that Obama had ordered the IRS to crack down on the Tea Party groups for their "illegal" political activity.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It's so much all Obama's fault that I bet you he pays off Republican senators to filibuster HIS OWN BILLS!

He also organized the Tea Party.

The man doesn't just hate his country, he hates himself. Just destructive to the core.

DADvocate said...

Sometimes I don't get Althouse's near obsession with deconstructing metaphors and word choices. It's distracting. Imagine trying to have a conversation with someone who did that.

Ask Meade.

Excessive concreteness in interpretation of words plus attribution of unconscious motives and meanings. We all use words and phrases of which we have no clue of the etymology. To read to much into it is to not see the forest for the trees.

Anonymous said...

Ritmo, your thread-babbling reminds me of Hall & Oates classic "Out Of Touch" from their 1984 Big Bam Boom album.

There's something for everyone in Daryl Hall's soaring Philadelphia White Soul vocal stylings, and the frustration of love slipping away alongside the inevitable march of time. This was to be their last top 100 billboard single.

For those 4:34, I'm transported to a world where universal peace, justice, and world rhythms can indeed triumph over human nature, political idealism, partisanship.

Thank you, Ritmo, thank you.

William said...

During the Abu Ghraib scandals, there was a line among liberals that. although Rumsfeld and Bush did not give any direct orders to mistreat the prisoners there, they nevertheless created the atmosphere which allowed those things to happen. They were therefore ultimately responsible. I'm sure careful reasearch would show that Maureen Dowd was supportive of this line........I think the most innocent explanation of the IRS scandal is, in fact, the most damaging. The Tea Party was the expression of the feelings of millions of Americans. How does it happen that the efforts of millions of Americans can be stymied by a few mid level IRS agents operating on their own whims? If this is true, then something is radically wrong.

Saint Croix said...

IWhat's striking about the Obama administration is the tendency to cover-up and hide the truth. Benghazi should be about incompetence. You admit the mistake, apologize and move on. (See JFK and Bay of Pigs).

But Obama is unwilling or unable to admit to any mistakes. So Benghazi becomes a story of a scapegoat who is sent to prison. And talking points that are edited to hide the truth. And then denials that there were any edits. And the process of hiding the truth and covering up what really happened creates a scandal, and makes it worse than the original offense (see Watergate).

What if Obama really did instruct the IRS to examine the political activities of Tea Party groups? In and of itself, that is not a crime, nor an impeachable offense. But Obama is apparently unable to admit to doing anything wrong, or even screwing up. That is the sort of attitude that can easily lead to obstruction of justice and perjury charges.

Chip S. said...

definitely go with the veal

Eating veal is immoral.

I denounce you, Ritmo.

bagoh20 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
bagoh20 said...

Saint Croix,
I agree. If they came out and just admitted that the embassy was attacked by terrorists, and was under-protected (which is obvious), and that the President went to bed because he doesn't directly handle military operations; then that would be criticized, but understood and accepted. It would not have changed the election either.

Even when it's not particularly damaging, this administration is psychologically incapable of just telling the truth on the first attempt, and the second, and the third,...

Roger Zimmerman said...

The worst - and most telling - construction in that sentence is: "sins that are not even his fault". This is a contradiction. To have any meaning, the concept "sin" must include intent. As others have said, this is the essential mantra of this administration, and the man who leads it.

Unknown said...

After dealing with school children for over 20 years what is happening with Obama's administration (and Clinton's) is very clear. They are guilty as hell and they are scrambling for cover. No lie is too ridiculous to try. No excuse is too lame. No revelation is accepted as true. No evidence is uncontested. They will never, ever admit they did anything wrong. Ever.

I'm talking about children who's parent's back them up.

Children who's parents also demand the truth eventually tell the truth and accept the consequences.

There are no parents to make Obama tell the truth. No controlling authority of any kind. No accountability. No press. No political will. No courts. No justice.

Chip S. said...

It would not have changed the election either.

I disagree. Stating that the prez "doesn't directly handle military operations" would've undercut the "GM is alive, and bin Laden is dead" campaign theme.

He is, after all, the commander-in-chief. You'd like to think he'd stick around the important people in case he had to make a quick command decision.

Anonymous said...

If Obama went Bulworth, I rather imagine he would come out, like Beatty's character, for the simplistic, hard left, class war solutions which everyone has been furiously denying were Obama's true colors since 2008.

Or maybe Obama would finally release his inner William F. Buckley...

Riiight.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Robert Cook would care to speculate what Obama going Bulworth would like.

After all of Cook's denials that Obama is any sort of leftist, it would be amusing to hear.


bagoh20 said...

I agree, Chip, that it was the wrong thing for him to do, but it was understandable enough that it wasn't going to change a lot of votes. Nobody ever bought the idea that Obama ended terrorist threats, so voters wouldn't blame Obama for a terrorist attack, but lying about it fell right on his plate as he knowingly spread the lie. I think the administration took the absolute worst approach to it, and yet they still got away with it, because the press was not going to risk his messing up his reelection. It's an amazing development in my life to see the press act like this, but that's where we are. It's impossible for Obama to screw anything up enough to get them to go after him. In the same way it was impossible for Bush to get anything right enough to get them to acknowledge it.

Alex said...

Just ask any liberal and the #1 priority for them is attacking Republicans.

Alex said...

I can see Ritmo keeps changing his Blogger handle in an attempt to be hip & clever.

Alex said...

Ritmo - always on the attack. What a good little Alinskyite you are. Wanna gold star?

Synova said...

When I read the column the first comment displayed was:

"Maureen, I used to have a lot of respect for your editorials, however, your constant criticism of the President is unwarranted. We all know who is screwing up this once-great nation, Washington, and everything else they touch, the crazy bunch of nuts called Republicans! When I see you go after them as hard as you go after President Obama, then you may gain back some respect!"

The mind boggles.

garage mahal said...

Not only should we impeach Obama, we should revoke Dowd's Pulitzer!

This gender nut has a Pulitzer?

Enjoy the decline, bitches!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"Ritmo - always on the attack. What a good little Alinskyite you are. Wanna gold star?"

Alex, always on the complacent.

What an easy target/citizen for a dictatorship you would make.

Wanna gold star?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"The mind boggles."

Can you describe the boggling?

Would you say it's more of a sharp, throbbing boggling or a dull, aching boggling?

Levi Starks said...

Narcissist's dont make mistakes.
It's not in their DNA.
But speaking of euphemisms, and the military,
In the WW2 memoir Band of Brothers there is a nice definition given of the terms "Chicken shit", "Bull shit", and "Horse shit" . the meaning of each is distinct and is used in reference to different situations.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"No excuse is too lame. No revelation is accepted as true. No evidence is uncontested. They will never, ever admit they did anything wrong. Ever."

They should just do what the Tea Party Republicans did, change their name, and say they're now a different party.

garage mahal said...

They should just do what the Tea Party Republicans did, change their name, and say they're now a different party.

Similar to how the Iraq War became "The Surge".

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

"Even when it's not particularly damaging, this administration is psychologically incapable of just telling the truth on the first attempt, and the second, and the third,..."

The Republicans have given them every indication that there is nothing they can be trusted with. If Obama killed a fly, the right would say it's a "liberty fly" and tie the government in knots with several months of hearings. Just no proportion or perspective at all. That's what they're up against.

Gahrie said...

If Obama killed a fly, the right would say it's a "liberty fly" and tie the government in knots with several months of hearings.

This is a literal case of projection. It is the left who gets outraged when people kill insects!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Are you saying that CCD is no big deal, Gahrie?

In any event, it's called "metaphor". Those on a thread critiquing a Pulitzer-winner's writing might want to know about that. Proportion! Perspective! GOOD THINGS! Good Republican, you applied some balance and didn't make every non-Republican term a non-stop scandal-gate! Now go have a cookie!

cassandra lite said...

Modo's thinking is as dated as that bio photo.

Lydia said...

Totally agree with Synova that the mind boggles over that glimpse into Maureen Dowd's readership.

Unfortunately, we have to come to grips with the fact that folks like Dowd and her readers will never, ever turn on Obama.

But they will turn on Hillary. Dowd's column on her last week, for example, was not super friendly.

Anonymous said...

I think of an array in coding terms - it is just a grouping, a set of things or variables. So a blistering array is fine. It is a set of white hot 'sins' that are doing Obama damage.

Synova said...

"But they will turn on Hillary. Dowd's column on her last week, for example, was not super friendly."

If you read to the end of this article it said more, and more firmly, about Hillary than it said about Obama.

Obama is inept, but treated in a playful way. Hillary, OTOH, has to be destroyed. Plus you sort of think that MoDo blames Hillary for the heat Obama is stuck with because he's so nice.

Clyde said...

And yet the cocooned commenters at the New York Times think this is all the fault of the Republicans. They are psychologically incapable of recognizing that the scandals are REAL, not just something that the Republicans spun out of nothing. The irony is that if a Republican administration had done the exact same things that the Obama administration is accused of doing, they same commenters would be demanding the impeachment of those responsible, if not their execution. They are not serious people; they are partisan hacks. They are good for nothing other than comic relief.

Anonymous said...

Obama's most recent approval poll rating is still 53 percent. You'd think that these scandals would cause it to drop a bit. Makes me wonder if the poll is credible or if the American people are just completely out to lunch.

Rose said...

Wyo Sis: "Describing what a sack of shit does when it hits the ground forcefully is not unlike trying to describe Obama's presidency."

SP-L-A-T-TTT!!!

LOL

Rose said...

Which phase of the Matrix are we in? When a thing is not ‘TRUE,’ despite the documents and evidence, until one group says it is true.

IRS harassment did not happen, don’t you know, until the Democrats admitted it.

Benghazi was just a ‘concoction,’ despite real world happenings, because one side said it was real. Until the other side acknowledged it, it didn’t exist.

And on and on. Issue after issue. Laws are “Irrelevant” merely because a Democrat has deemed it so, from immigration, to this IRS scandal.

It leaves us sputtering in helpless rage, as NOTHING we say or do seems to affect it, as long as the American people allow it to go on.

Obama HAS effectively transformed the nation, into a nation where laws are selectively enforced and applied, and nothing matters. “What Difference, At This Point, Does It Make Anyway?”

CitizenEgg said...

Wait...Obama wants to date Halle Berry? (Only part of the Bullworth crap that makes sense).

The response to the simple query of 'where was he while this was going on? What was keeping him busy?' has been to tell us we're not entitled to the answer. The 'know nothing' president wants to share that gift of ignorance with us. Lots of dots have suddenly bobbed to the surface of the political muck. Whether they'll be allowed to sink back down into the comfortable ooze before they're connected, remains to be seen.

Unknown said...

***I feel nowhere near as safe from attack as I did on September 10th, 2001. We need Dick Cheney back, like yesterday!

Its like the Boston Marathon bombing didn't take place just a couple of weeks ago.

Its like a little boy wasnt' blown to smithereens and tens of our fellow citizens were amputated.

Its like the FBI didn't interview the muslim bombers and then forget about it.

Its like the Russians and the Saudi's didnt' warn us about these specific bombers.

Its like tossing an ambassador into the hottest part of the country we flattened and his kidnapping and murder didn't take place.

Yuk yuk yuk our national security is some joke... You are reducing the average IQ of this blog to single digits.

Unknown said...

Garbage sez...
Similar to how the Iraq War became "The Surge".

See this is the devastating results of dumbing down our educational system and more specifically not teaching history.

Go back to your onanistic activities Garbage.

betweenthelines said...

Great post, Ann.

Anonymous said...

@pinkmonkeybird

I think we've long ago reached "the boy who cried wolf" tipping point when it comes to partisan scandals.

If it's your own side, no one cares nor will they. 53% is close enough to the percentage of people who voted for Obama (50.4%).

R.C. said...

I've often wondered...does anybody know if there was ever anything good to say about Maureen Dowd?

I mean, she must have some talent at something or other, that her name broke the surface tension of my studied willful ignorance of dim celebrities.

Granted, Paris Hilton has no such talent, and I haven't been able to avoid awareness of that vapid twit's existence.

But Hilton started out with a lot of money. Anyone can make themselves known if they have enough backing. I don't suppose Dowd did. So how come anyone knows who she is?

It isn't because of any creditable personal qualities. She can't write; she has the usual leftist-feminist lack of humor, lack of good sense, lack of ability to see outside her own dim perspective.

She is, I suppose, attractive enough to some men; at least, she has reddish hair and symmetrical features. But just as some persons have a "face for radio," Dowd's writing reveals she has a "personality for arm's-length-dealing." I can't imagine who'd want to spend much time in conversation with her, when just reading her prose is like licking a corroded penny.

So why have I been afflicted with knowing her name? I resent it. Those were perfectly good neurons which could have been more profitably expended on memorizing "fun facts" from the back of a box of children's cereal.

At any rate, The Anchoress is, so far as I can tell, the authority on All Things Dowd. Hie thee to Patheos - Catholic Channel - The Anchoress, if you want to see the owner of the famous Warrior V-jay take the measure of Maureen. Good stuff.

Don M said...

Of course the correct procedure is to prosecute the low level staffers, and get as many as possible to plead guilty with suspended sentences, until they testify against higher ups. Then get the higher ups to plead guilty, and have them testify in return for suspended sentences, and so on. Charge the higher level under RICO statutes and continue until you find the high level rats. It should take a few years, and we should get to the highest level after the Obamanation is no longer president.

Strelnikov said...

Shouldn't they have set the bag of shit on fire before giving him to us?

Amartel said...

The followers have such involved and complicated fantasies about their leader.