Obama, on Presidential Economic-Policy Commissions: "That's Washington-speak for 'we'll get back to you later.'"

I heard parts of this clip on a pretty good NPR story this morning about the history of presidential commissions, and thought it worth highlighting on the YouTubes:

Thanks to Meredith Bragg for the technical competence.

As I am re-discovering through reading this book, Obama said many things during September and October 2008, when the election hung in the balance, that in retrospect turn out to be pretty laughable. Depending on your sense of humor, etc.

Comments

[wylie]

that in retrospect turn out to be pretty laughable

Too soon. I'm sure when its 2135, we'll all be able to look back and have a good laugh. Well, our childrens' childrens' children will have a good laugh.

[Mike M.]

Seriously. While I wish I could laugh at what's happening to my country, there's nothing about it whatsoever that I find the least bit funny.

[libertytexan]

Speak for yourself, I'll be laughing from inside my Barbobot

[mr simple]

Mine has the strength of ten gorillas.

[Tiger Bot Hesh]

You're not the boss of me!

[Aresen]

I now realize that when Obama was talking about "change", he was referring to the money in people's pockets.

[Joshua]

He thinks that when a rich person gets change for $100, they should only get back $45.

[grrizzly]

That's what John Derbyshire said in, I believe, January 2008.

[jester]

"to study the potential creation of a national museum of the American Latino."

Now that is a thorny issue of great importance. Worthy of a commission, for sure.

[jester]

'Possible locations for the Museum in Washington, DC and its environs'

Sure to create thousands of green jobs in Washington. Interesting. Surely economic stimulus.

[bigbigslacker]

Jobs that can't be outsourced, except maybe to Mexico.

[jester]

Surely if the museum is worth its salt, there will be a Western Union by the souvenir shops.

[Steak]

Even Santa Claus turned out for that one.

[hutch]

i read the comments solely to make sure someone pointed that out. thank you.

[?]

That video is a joke without a punchline.

[Buck Farack]

yo, fuck Obama.

[Hobie Hanson]

He's just transitioned from campaigning to governing. Libertarians presuming to criticize him for how he takes that step is like the Cubs manager complaining about the way the teams in the World Series use their bullpen.

[SugarFree]

Don't be his porn.

[Joshua]

Trust me, NOBODY wants me to be their porn.

[mr simple]

But that's got to be the worst analagy I've heard all month. It fails on so many levels.

[bigbigslacker]

I'm with HH. Since he hasn't transitioned to governing yet, it isn't appropriate to start calling him out on some imagined difference between the promises, which have had to be tweeked a few times during this extensive campaign, and reality.

[Hobie's Porn]

"He's just transitioned from campaigning to governing." Umm... I think he was supposed to finish the transition up around January 19, 2009. Better late than never, right? He is the "right" guy, so it's cool if it takes him an extra 18 months, right?

[America=Cubs?]

Nice to see that you compare America with its most serially loser major sports team. (No offense intended to Cubs fans. Some of my teams are not too far from that)

[Tulpa]

Actually that would be the Pirates, who've had 17 (soon 18) consecutive losing seasons. The Cubs have had plenty of winning seasons since '08, they just haven't won a championship.

[The Tone]

Obama's stimulus, bailouts and the like have stopped the economy from getting even worse. Many respected economists have said that unemployment would probably be around 20% if it weren't for Obama's efforts.

Since none of you libertards could do a better job, it's time to get out of the way and let the man do his job.

[Joshua]

Many respected economists can suck a dick too. Doesn't mean I'm gonna let'em suck mine.

[anti Max]

"Many respected economists ..." like Krugman?

"it's time to get out of the way and let the man do his job."

Yeah, he hasn't been able to do much because libertarians have stood in the way.

[The Tone]

Yes, like Krugman. How many Nobel Prizes have you won?

[Henry Kissingers Ghost]

I won one.

[Barack Obama]

Me too.

[Al Gore]

Don't forget me!

[koblinsk]

Krugman is many? I know of 200 respected economists (a few personally) who petitioned Obama not to enact many of the economic policies he has.

[Joey]

President Obama may have said and made a lot of laughable promises, but at the very least, he's gotten health care reform through: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/04/06/"the-law-of-the-land"-obama's-new-health-care-reform-law-sets-off-a-variety-of-responses/

Change came, just in bits and pieces.

[The Tone]

AMEN TO THAT!!

This health care bill will most certainly lower costs, ensure more access to doctors, bring down the deficit and most importantly, not lead to any type of rationing. It certainly hasn't in Massachusetts.

Change indeed. God couldn't have brought more swift change himself.

[koblinsk]

Please tell me you're being sarcastic? Healthcare cost is ALREADY starting to skyrocket after that bill. The deficit is continuing to grow massively, AND rationing is already being discussed by many a public health officials.

[Tulpa]

You don't know how good that makes us feel here at H&R.

[kinnath]

The Europeans hated Bush cause he kept galavanting about the globe starting little wars. They wet themselves with glee when this sauve and sophisticated Obama fella beat the walking cadaver known as McCain.

The Europeans are having a major "oh shit" moment, now that Obama is in the process of destroying the US economy, the European economy, and the global economy.

[J]

A few European leaders, perhaps, but the masses in Europe probably haven't even noticed.

[kinnath]

The first cracks in the dike.

[J]

Let's hope so.

It seems a lot of Europeans I have met would welcome their own economic peril if it meant the destruction of the US economy. But maybe they are in the minority there.

[kinnath]

Greece seems to have caught a lot of people's attention.

[J]

It's true. Obama has always seemed to be trying to impress Europeans more than Americans, if they turn on him, what does he have?

[Barry]

And if I was president (was the president)
The minute congress call my name (was the president)
I'd say "who do,
Who do you think you're fooling? (who do you think you're fooling)

I've got the presidential seal (was the president)
I'm up on the presidential podium
My mama loves me
She loves me
She get down on her knees and hug me
Like she loves me like a rock
She rocks me like the rock of ages
And loves me

[The Gobbler]

He'll always have Cairo.

[CrackertyAssCracker]

This isnt the Kagan thread man.

[rac]

For many of us, it has been a "no shit" moment. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

[hmm]

The magical properties of the unicorn pee wear off after 1 year and have diminishing returns no matter how much you bath in it after that.

[Atanarjuat]

What ever happened to "Hackwatch"?

[Tulpa]

It's probably been overwhelmed with hackery. They should start a "nonhack watch" which would have to deal with much less material.

[CatoTheElder]

But he needs a commission to know whose ass to kick.

And whose throat to keep his jackboot on.

[The Special One]

I almost bought that book that Welch references, but I saw the Andrea Mitchell endorsement on amazon and that's normally a categorical deal-killer.