Althouse: Obama hugs Sebelius.

April 12, 2014

Obama hugs Sebelius.

But check out the look on his face.

39 comments:

madAsHell said...: If he really felt that way about her, then he should have fired her.

In all fairness, I am not a hugging type of guy*. I'm sure that my face would show similar discomfort.

*....unless ya' wanna do that wild thang!; 4/12/14, 11:42 AM
PB said...: Can I play poker against that man? Please? Please?

No wonder every leader around the planet sees through him.; 4/12/14, 11:47 AM
Greg Hlatky said...: Looks like Michael Corleone embracing Fredo while looking at Al Neri.; 4/12/14, 11:53 AM
Anonymous said...: "Sibelius" we can all agree is a typo. Unless Obama has a thing for dead composers.; 4/12/14, 11:54 AM
Sydney said...: He always has that sour look on his face. It's as if he is trying to look serious and smart when he's playing his official role.; 4/12/14, 11:56 AM
Mark O said...: Is everything about him fake?; 4/12/14, 12:01 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Hugging bony old women can be painful.; 4/12/14, 12:01 PM
Bob Boyd said...: "But check out the look on his face."

He's got a good grip on her.
She doesn't seem to suspect anything yet.
He can see the bus coming along.
He's focused now on the timing.; 4/12/14, 12:03 PM
Ann Althouse said...: typo corrected.

thx.; 4/12/14, 12:05 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Well Sebelius was a lobbyist for the first 10-20 year after college and Obama has said he does not like lobbyists.; 4/12/14, 12:07 PM
JRoberts said...: Such open affection makes me blush!; 4/12/14, 12:11 PM
Anonymous said...: This reminds me of a story posted on Instapundit this morning.

http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/new-level-secrecy-and-control-nytimes-chief-jill-abramson-obama-white-house/

This line stands out,

""Instead, [there's] a preference to have journalists rely on photography handouts from the White House," she says. "I'm not knocking the White House photographers—they're great—but you don't want one source for all information and all imagery about the president."

I think it's safe to assume that if this picture had been taken by White House Photographers, it never would have been released.; 4/12/14, 12:21 PM
Michael K said...: "Looks like Michael Corleone embracing Fredo while looking at Al Neri."

Exactly !

If I was her, I wouldn't go fishing for a while.; 4/12/14, 12:24 PM
Hagar said...: Suppose a White House person removed that page from Sebelius' speech?; 4/12/14, 12:43 PM
Anonymous said...: To me, this highlights the idealism and style over substance issues that got him elected and re-elected.

He has certain problems that are specific to the office, that any President would face. Constraints and limitations.

Usually he deploys the hour long lawyerish windbag approach for those complex problems. At least he can appear to know what he's talking about.

On the other hand, every principle and decision includes optics and appearance and timing, compromise and oft shameless cunning.

Such is politics.

He needs to keep up the fairly childish, dumbed-down emotional appeals that maintain his coalitions.

When I see that hug, the contrast seems more clear, and certain words ring in my ears:

'Get da f**k outta heea'; 4/12/14, 12:47 PM
Sorun said...: He's obviously very disappointed in her. Years ago he commanded that Obamacare be done, and yet his incompetent minions caused him so much embarrassment with it. It's not supposed to be that way for a brilliant Harvard professor such as himself.; 4/12/14, 1:05 PM
Chef Mojo said...: Yep. That totally looks like Winning!™; 4/12/14, 1:10 PM
mccullough said...: He looks like he is about to cry. She doesn't really hug him back, but that's a pretty good embrace he gave her.; 4/12/14, 1:11 PM
jacksonjay said...: Therefore, DO NOT let photographers near Obama, unless we have to!; 4/12/14, 1:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Mr. Obama doesn't like girls. They have cooties.; 4/12/14, 1:16 PM
Unknown said...: And plug's face? The man exudes moron.; 4/12/14, 1:19 PM
rhhardin said...: It's too bad she can't fire Obama at the same time.; 4/12/14, 1:47 PM
The Godfather said...: This is another reason I favor seppuku over resignation as an exit strategy for pols.; 4/12/14, 1:58 PM
Hagar said...: On the (Wall Street) Journal Editorial Report this morning, Dan Henninger opined that he thought they could not get anyone from outside to take the job, and they brought in Burwell from the inside because she had been approved 96-0 for the OMB job, which supposedly is going to make it more difficult to vote against her for the HHS position.

Not sure how that is going to work, but we will see.; 4/12/14, 2:08 PM
traditionalguy said...: Barry has trouble forgiving white women from Kansas.; 4/12/14, 2:53 PM
Anonymous said...: 1. Note, that was out in public, shot by AP. If it had been in the Oval office by some USAF MSGT, they would have reshot it to get the right vibe.

2. As HHS she was a real disappointment. A successful Governor of a Red state and OMG, Insurance Commissioner for 8 years. She certainly displays a compete lack of understanding about insurance.

3. Sylvia is clearly smart, but her previous Congressional testimony reveals an inability to respond to questions without snark. And lest we forget, her recent budget to Congress (ok, his budget, but she worked it) got a 413-2 vote. One of the 2 yes votes was my retiring Clown, Jimmie Moran.; 4/12/14, 3:28 PM
Sam L. said...: Well, she's white; and maybe Michelle is watching.; 4/12/14, 3:55 PM
Hagar said...: If Ms. Burwell was asked to take the job, she would rather have to agree, wouldn't she?; 4/12/14, 4:06 PM
JRoberts said...: "Barry has trouble forgiving white women from Kansas."

It's just part of his racist war on women.; 4/12/14, 4:51 PM
~ Gordon Pasha said...: That's the same look that Thulsa Doom had on his visage just before he morphed into a snake.; 4/12/14, 5:08 PM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: So.. it's OK now for male supervisors to hug female subordinates?

Disrespectful sexist pig!; 4/12/14, 6:57 PM
rehajm said...: He is trying to hide behind her.

He didn't but now knows his signature achievement is a disaster.; 4/12/14, 8:39 PM
David R. Graham said...: And check out her body language.

No reciproccation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabellianism; 4/13/14, 12:14 AM
Limited Blogger said...: That's a "let's never do lunch again, ever" hug.; 4/13/14, 8:04 AM
MD Greene said...: Actually it's pretty good. You can't even see the shiv in her back.; 4/13/14, 8:09 AM
Rusty said...: Mark O said...
Is everything about him fake?

Not as long as everything is about him.; 4/13/14, 8:10 AM
Brando said...: That was a bit Michael Corleone from Part II. Maybe he whispered "you broke my heart, Fredo!" as that photo was taken.; 4/14/14, 7:49 AM
Andy Freeman said...: > Can I play poker against that man? Please? Please?

You can, but every time he loses, he takes the the pot.; 4/14/14, 11:34 AM
Unknown said...: I suspect POTUS suspects that she mightn't continue to be a good soldier and take policy bullets for the White House.; 4/14/14, 3:23 PM