The scheduling of the jobs speech is not a big deal, but it is a microcosm of Obama's Presidency

[Cali_Democrat]

1) Obama puts forth a proposal
2) The GOP balks and suggests something else
3) Obama agrees and accepts GOP demands in the name of compromise

Rinse repeat.

I'm sorry, but we need a President with a backbone.

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. Yes. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

3. hater!

:sarcasm:

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. kind of Hope-less, isn't it? K&R

[Firebrand Gary]

5. I am going to agree with you, however it is a HUGE deal.

This is about jobs.

Instead it is now about the Republican debate and football. The vast majority of people are tired of politics and do not want to spend two of their evenings this week watching the back and forth.

Therefore the options are Republican debate from the Reagan Library and Football on the other. Epic loss for the administration and it will deflate the base yet AGAIN.

But how bout those Saints?

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. Yeah. It would be so nice, for once, to have him stand up against them.

But he never does.

[lumpy]

27. Be thankful your president is willing to go by the rules of the

Congress of the US. Or would you rather have an all-powerfull dictator leading this country?

[CreekDog]

33. where did that poster say that Obama should break any rules and be a dictator??

try reading it again and let me know.

:wtf:

[lumpy]

38. I was asking YOU not the poster. What would you have Obama

do about the situation?

[CreekDog]

45. How were you asking me when I wasn't even in the thread when you posted at 7:30pm Pacific

My post was at 7:47pm.

So let me get this straight: you were asking *me* a question 17 minutes before I got to this thread --and you just happened to post it as a question in a *reply* to another poster WHOM you are now saying you weren't asking?

:wtf: do you feel the need to pretend such a ridiculous thing???

[liberation]

66. LOL

I think you just had an encounter with the rare time traveling red herring, one of the most confusing fishes there are.

[ProSense]

7. It's

a microcosm of a President not willing to be as petty as the GOP just for theater, especially when the issue is the date of a speech.

The content of the speech is infinitely more important than the circus that will continue until it's delivered.

[handmade34]

17. +1

[lumpy]

23. Plus 4

v

[kenfrequed]

63. Two things:

1) Acting above it all and better than the scum of the GOP really hasn't worked out for us at all.

2) I too am waiting the content of the Jobs discussion. Eagerly.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. So you do not think this is at all embarrassing?

Boner just forced Obama to agree to his terms. Publicly. You do not think that perhaps this is just a wee bit of a PR disaster?

[scheming daemons]

22. It's embarrassing for the DU outrage brigade... and for the GOP... but not much else

[Warren Stupidity]

30. try the top of google news

if you can't figure out why this is a PR disaster - one that will help frame the president as weak and ineffectual - then indeed we have nothing to discuss.

[kelly1mm]

53. Here is the headline in my hometown paper and lots of others as

it is a AP piece:

"Obama bows to Boehner; jobs speech will be Sept. 8"

WASHINGTON— In a retreat after an hours-long test of wills Wednesday, President Barack Obama agreed to deliver an address on jobs and the economy to a joint session of Congress on Sept. 8, yielding to House Speaker John Boehner, who had balked at Obama's request for a Sept. 7 speech.


Yeah, keep telling yourself that it is not embarrassing.

[bhikkhu]

74. Repugs have a way of turning everything into a dick-swinging contest

...and the media seems happy enough to play along. I'd be embarrassed for the other side, but the level of mental development over there is a little lacking for them to realize what types of behavior are involved in good government.

[lumpy]

20. Thanks for saying it like it is. Couldn't agree more. President

bashing is old hat.

[Logical]

35. THEN WHY DID OBAMA PICK A DATE FIRST?????

[KoKo]

9. It was awful! I saw that Obama was pre-empting Repug Debate and said "YEAH! he's Fighting Back!

I thought, FINALLY he's beating them at their own game!

THEN only couple of hours or so later...he caves...even after Jay Carney his Press Secretary said he had the power to convene congress.

He looks like a fool. Why did he do this? It makes no sense. :shrug:

[newfie11]

10. Agreed" nt

[lumpy]

28. Petty bullshit

x

[StarsInHerHair]

58. Obama believes he's "leading from behind"

[GeorgeGist]

11. No Drama, Obama

in a nutshell.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. Try again, Cali! And while you're at it, please brush up on your Civics!!!

The president can only *request* a joint session. The U.S. Constitution gives the Congress, specifically the U.S. House of Representatives (a.k.a. The Speaker), enormous powers. Remember, the Speaker sets the agenda. He/She *ALONE* gets to determine what gets put on the docket (read: schedule). It has NOTHING to do with the president or backbone, or whatever the ODS talking point is of the day.

READ THE CONSTITUTION!!!!!

[KoKo]

15. Read what Jay Carney said at the Presser Today.

I can only give a snip...but the link has his whole rationale.


----------------------------

White House: Debate Organizers Can Always Reschedule Away From Our Jobs Speech

Carney suggested the organizers could move it.

"The network could make a decision to alter of timing of the debate by an hour if it so decided," Carney said. "There is no perfect time."

"There has not been a time in my short period of time of this job where I called the networks and said, 'How about now for, does this time work for the president to speak?'" Carney added. "There is always, 'well, it works for two of us but not the other three.'"

Obama's speech will coincide with the return of Congress from its month-long recess. The White House has signaled a willingness to turn Washington's focus to jobs as the election year approaches. Carney said that conversation is more important than one of the numerous Republican presidential debates dotting the calendar months before the first primary vote is cast.

"There is one president," he said. "There is 20 some odd debates."
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/white-house-debate-organizers-can-always-reschedule-away-from-our-jobs-speech.php?ref=fpb

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. NO! NO! NO! It doesn't matter what Carney says! Sure, they can reschedule the debate

That's not the point. The point is that the president doesn't get to demand when he can address Congress. He can make a request, but sadly, the Speaker *DOES NOT* have to comply!!!

The Constitution gives the Speaker enormous power and that power is most often used to set the legislative calendar. If Boehner requests to have the president make his speech on another day, sadly the president has to comply. The president can only *request*. He cannot demand anything!

Next time most of us will get out and vote and if we don't want to repeat this scenario of putting this much power in the hands of a deranged Republican and his thuggish sycophants.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. where did the OP disagree with that?

as the OP and others have pointed out, Obama has just been publicly humiliated again by being forced to concede to republican demands. Does this administration even consider their exposure before they get into this kind of trap? Why not? What the heck is going on in the staff meetings?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

26. STILL not the point!! For many months, DU has demanded that the president

"call" Congress back into session. Demands on the president to "use the Bully Pulpit!" Now the president tries to do just that, and you folks STILL come around to bash him!!!

[Warren Stupidity]

29. again, where does the OP say that?

here are the words at the top of this thread:

The scheduling of the jobs speech is not a big deal, but it is a microcosm of Obama's Presidency

1) Obama puts forth a proposal
2) The GOP balks and suggests something else
3) Obama agrees and accepts GOP demands in the name of compromise

Rinse repeat.

I'm sorry, but we need a President with a backbone.

I see no demand for Obama to "call" Congress back into session. I see a demand that this administration stop walking into these PR disasters.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

31. What I gave you is an example of the many complaints that have been leveled at the president

in the hopes that he will being public awareness of how the Republicans are trying to destroy him. It was an *example*. Still, the bottom line is that the president doesn't control the legislative agenda, the Congress via, the Speaker, does.

If we don't like this situation, then we'll get out and vote in 2012 and get Nancy back in to the Speakership. Until then, as they say, 'dems the rules! If you don't like the rules, work to change them!

Blaming the president is too simplistic and unreasonable. Why not attack the GOP *FIRST*?!?!?!?!

[Warren Stupidity]

39. so when you stated "try again cali" you were not referring to the OP?

And you just randomly picked this thread to complain about what people are saying on other threads? OK. Sorry about my misunderstanding. I thought we were discussing what I felt was a very reasonable statement by the OP about why this concession on the speech date is dismaying to many of us.

[Wait Wut]

71. Warren has a point...

...the OP didn't "say" anything at all. Nothing we haven't heard over and over and over and over and over and over...

Now, stop trying to use the Constitution to push your factual and Constitutional agenda. :P

[lumpy]

41. Strange, I wonder how many people think Obama has been

humiliated besides a few disgruntled and negative minded DUers.

[Warren Stupidity]

43. try google news

[lumpy]

46. Yeah, we get the straight scoop on Google news...Uh huh..

x

[Warren Stupidity]

51. you do understand the concept of a news aggregator, right?

but if you prefer other news aggregators,feel free. The point is that this event is having an effect far outside of the DU sphere. I was addressing your assertion to the contrary. I think I have disproved that assertion.

[treestar]

14. Oh BULLSHIT!

Where do you get the nerve to post that? You'd think our side got NOTHING!

And what is the obsession with helping Rs out with agreeing with them on this kind of thing?????

[Safetykitten]

18. Wait, I am confused. It's no big deal, but it is a microcosm.

[lumpy]

19. The president has to have Congressional approval to speak

in the House, Boner was not agreeable to Obama speaking on that particular date. It is not a question of Obama having a backbone.

[lumpy]

32. Petty ass****** won't giveObama a break anymoreso than

the damn Teabaggin'Repubs. This is getting soooo old. The only thing the soreheads can do is gripe about the Prez; they never have anything to say otherwise.

[Warren Stupidity]

40. ass***** only has 5 *

we'd like our president to stop getting sucker punched on a regular basis. I realize that is a lot to ask, but there it is.

[lumpy]

47. I suggest getting that turd out of your pocket. "We'd "doesn't

include me and a lot of other loyal Democrats.

[Warren Stupidity]

52. yeah we get that the 'loyalists' have blinders on

it is what makes you 'loyalists' or whatever it is you like to call yourselves.

[elocs]

21. Obama picks a date that conflicts with the Republican debate like he is in their face,

then when they object he gives in and changes the date. Sure looks like a cave.

[KoKo]

36. I don't see how his staff could have made an error like that..

It does look like he intentionally picked a fight and then intentionally caved.

The Politico and even some Dem sites had criticized that between "9/11" hooplah and the Repug Debate Obama was in danger of being pre-empted in his big Jobs Speech. When I saw that Obama was requesting Congress to convene for his speech, I thought he finally was realizing he needed to get out there to get attention for his own program before the Repugs Debate and "9/11" coverage overwhelmed what he had to say.

Then he caved. I can't find another word for what he did.

[lumpy]

37. Under Constitutional rules he has no other choice but agree

to change his speech schedule. Calling it a cave is wrong. What would you have him do? Raise Hell?

[Warren Stupidity]

42. not lay himself out for a stomping?

[StarsInHerHair]

59. he should resurrect this

The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a New Deal agency implemented during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It operated from 1935 to 1943 as part of the Works Progress Administration. The NYA provided work training based on U.S. citizenship and financial need for youth between ages 16 and 25. In addition to offering courses in writing, reading, and arithmetic, the NYA operated two programs: the Works Project Program to train unemployed, out-of-school youth, and the Student Aid Program to provide work-study training for high school, college, and graduate students.

http://www.newdeal20.org/2011/08/30/national-youth-administration-48222/


that'd be Step One

[sudopod]

44. Not pick a bad time in the first place? Maybe throw that date into The Google

and see if anything interesting pops up? Eh? Too hard?

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sudopod]

50. lol, but why you mad tho? nt

[lumpy]

54. I shouldn't have anything to do with gangbangers, that's why.

x

[sudopod]

56. wut? nt

[elocs]

55. How about wait a day before changing the date?

Picking that date and then changing it so soon just makes him look, let's say, not strong.

[GeorgeGist]

25. Bipartisanshit

[blkmusclmachine]

34. Weak. From the get-go, to the final salvo:

The GOP smells weakness. It's like blood in the water. They've got the WH's number. The know they can get their way, every day of the week and twice on Sunday. This is what happens when a candidate has no clear vision. It's also what happens when you're trying to put up an act, pretending to not be one of the other guys, when in your heart you know you really are. It's so easy to "fold" to friends...

[slay]

48. Indeed

yet another time he is doing just what the republicans want. unfreakinbelievable!

[ecstatic]

57. No, the outrage surrounding this is a microcosm of just how much the fringe right and left have

jumped the shark. Outrage over everything... and I mean EVERYTHING!

[Vincardog]

60. +1 I'm sorry, but we need a President with a backbone and DEMOCRATIC principals.

[Carolina]

61. Touche

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fascisthunter]

64. K & R (nt)

[Clear Blue Sky]

65. Respect is earned, even by Presidents.

If he folds like a cheap suit for the Rethugs, why should they respect him?

[Dr Hobbitstein]

67. But he DIDN'T fold...

That's what the opposing view here is getting at. The Speaker decides when Congress reconvenes, not the President. He can make a REQUEST,
but if the Speaker rejects it, then he has to wait for them to reconvene.

Basically, for what you people wanted Obama to do, he'd have to circumvent the Constitution... Ya know, the thing we yell about Republicans shitting all
over...

[DCBob]

68. the idiotic outrage is a much bigger deal.

non-story.

[JNinWB]

69. It is really too bad that Obama is not a mind-reader!

If he were he would have known that Boehner's earlier failure to say Yes was really a No. Since no other Speaker has ever refused a Presidential request for a JS, perhaps Obama assumed that he would get the invite.

So it is Obama's fault for not reading minds. Obama could have kept the same DATE, by relocating the venue. Or, he could change the date and keep the VENUE. He decided the JC was a much better place for a Jobs' Speech that requires Congressional action.

Or, he could have just thrown a backboney tantrum.

[certainot]

70. so you're new at this politics thing, huh

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[certainot]

73. blaming obama for left's own laziness and political ineptitude

RW talk radio kicks lefty internet ass all over the place and the left has no clue. pitiful.

just keep bending over for team limbaugh, and blame obama.