Bystander in Chief

At a recent press conference, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was upset (video embedded below) that Obama didn't swoop in and save the supercommittee from itself, bemoaning "a president who's a bystander in the Oval Office."

I was angry this weekend, listening to the spin coming out of the administration, about the failure of the supercommittee, and that the president knew it was doomed for failure, so he didn't get involved. Well then what the hell are we paying you for? It's doomed for failure so I'm not getting involved? Well, what have you been doing, exactly?

He's the one in Washington, and he's got to get something done here, and it's not good enough just to say, 'Well, I'll get it done after the election.'

Frustration at a Congress that hasn't passed a budget in almost three years is understandable. So are complaints against Obama for putting off difficult political decisions until after the election, as he did with the Keystone XL Pipeline. Still, it's hard to get behind Christie asking Obama to save us from a supercommittee failure that doesn't make much difference (but was probably still the best possible outcome), or demanding more from Obama on budget issues at all.

Maybe Christie is simply parroting GOP rhetoric against the do-nothing president. Meanwhile, the left is gearing up against the do-nothing Congress. We should be so lucky.

From the December 2011 issue, Editor in Chief Matt Welch on do-something punditry.

More Reason on the supercommittee here, here, and here.

H/T to The Hill.

 

Comments

[Tim]

Is Christie Patrick? I thought of him more as a Mr. Krabs kinda guy. Obama is Squidward.

[Drake]

Christie has to battle it out with a Democratic legislature to produce a budget every year. Obama, Reid, and Pelosi punted every year - even when they had no meaningful opposition. Now they don't bother trying because they lost the House.

Pathetic, the House should refuse to ever pass another continuing resolution until there is a budget.

[jtuf]

+ 1 to Drake.

[wareagle]

and Obama is counting on people being too stupid that a "do-nothing Congress" includes a Senate run by Harry Reid. Then again, the Dems would be nowhere if not for a good chunk of the electorate being ate up with stupid.

[Colonel_Angus]

So does anyone else think unfiltered wheats are a good brau for the end times? Wheats are pretty much my shit these days.

[John]

I love unfiltered wheats. If they are well made, usually German, you can drink them by the gallon and never get a hangover.

[rather]

Is there something wrong that the 2012 election is best analyzed through an episode of Spongebob Squarepants?

[Jerry Falwell]

Which one is Teletubby gay?

[Tim]

You remind me of the squirrel.

[tarran]

Ahem. No office space reference?

I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything I thought it would be.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

"What would you do if you became President"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I would relax...I would sit on my ass all day. I would do nothing."

"Aw, hell, you don't need to become President to do nothing, man. Look at my cousin. He's an OWSer, don't do shit."

[John]

+100

[John]

"I'll tell you what I'll do, if I were President man--Two chicks at the same time."

"That's it? If you were President, that's what you'd do, two chicks at the same time?"

"Damn straight, man. I've always wanted to do that. I figure if I were President, I could hook that up. Chicks dig guys with power."

"Well not all chicks?."

"Well, the type that double up on a guy like me do."

[Colonel_Angus]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

I didn't even see that last bit coming. Good jokes end with gold like that. I'm going to write it down.

[hazeeran]

bwahahaha

[jtuf]

This is the same Christie who kept putting off medical marijuana for New Jersey patients, because he was afraid of Obama sending in the feds.

[MP]

behind Christie asking Obama to save us from a supercommittee failure

That's not what he's asking. I don't think there's an expectation in Christie's statements that if Obama was involved, it would have been fixed. But it is the President's place to be involved. That involvement may still lead to the same endgame, but sitting on the sidelines because your team sucks and you don't want to be tagged as a loser (hey, I didn't play, so it was those guys who are the real losers!) still makes you a loser.

[Tulpa]

sitting on the sidelines because your team sucks and you don't want to be tagged as a loser (hey, I didn't play, so it was those guys who are the real losers!) still makes you a loser.

You're making the principled non-voters feel bad.

[Dick Fitzwell]

Christie might be able to shed a few pounds if he would stop holding press conferences in the kitchen.

[Colonel_Angus]

Also gold.

[wareagle]

the supercommittee was a sham, set up for failure and everyone knows it. Oh sure; some will pretend that it was a bona fide effort, but they rely on either ignorance or apathy. For going on three years now, Obama has been a guy who wants to be president without having to do any of the actual work. It's why he's been in campaign mode for the past few months; it's all he knows.

[Brett L]

The hardest part about doing nothing is knowing when I'm finished. More seriously, if I were a Republican candidate, I'd pledge that I'm not signing any legislation before a budget hits my desk. Not even the Save Cute Puppies from Evil Terrorist Pederasts bill. And make sure that the Congressional leaders in my party understood that I meant it. Line up all the softballs for after the budget. And since I'm dreaming, I'll dream big, and say that I'd veto the first budget just to get their attention unless it was projected to spend less than last year's revenue.

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe Christie is simply parroting GOP rhetoric against the do-nothing president.

If only we had a president who had the courtesy to do nothing, America would be a nicer place.

[johneasy]

IF ONLY WE HAD A PRESIDENT THAT BELIEVED IT THE COUNTRY HE REPRESENTS.!

[Drake]

Uh?