CNBC is rebroadcasting this morning’s economic-themed town hall event it hosted for President Obama.
It begins at 5:00 pm EDT.
You can Live Blog here as you watch the rebroadcast or watch the clips below and comment on them.
Obama: GOP Must Accept Blame
Obama: The Threat of Iran
Obama: On the Housing Market
Obama: Is Wall Street the President’s ‘Pinata’?
Obama: How to Deal with the Tea Party?
Obama: How to End Deficit Spending
Obama: Denying Tax Cuts to the Wealth
Obama on Accusations That He Bashes Business
Three days late, but I must get something in.
First, the “tired of defending you” woman was a Republican plant. Dig a little into history and you’ll see that Donald Segretti specialised in planting a few undercover Republican operatives amongst the Democratic faithful at various meetings/events, even in the early Seventies, in order to provide a humiliating moment – if not for a candidate, then for the various followers.
She’s a CFO of a Wall Street non-profit company, has her kids in private schools and her husband in work. Is she hurting? I’d say no. Well, the top student of Segretti was a college senior named Rove, and this reeks of him. Take an African American Republican, higher tranche executive, slot her on the front row of a Wall Street/CNBC town hall and – hey presto – you’ve got your humiliating moment.
Obama’s been making the circuit these past few weeks, and making his points well that he’s working for the middle class. Bill Clinton’s been following him and has his back. And what else? Whoreanna Skank Fuckington’s been making a book tour amongst the little people, ostensibly telling them how the middle classes could get through the difficult times without depending on the government (sounds a lot like Poppy Bush’s trickledown to me), and also telling these people that the President is NOT for the middle classes. And Jane Hamsher’s on HP with a foul-mouthed rant telling Progressives not to vote. Sorry, but anyone who allies themselves with Grover Norquist or who spends their vacation tree-hugging Newt Gingrich doesn’t qualify as a Progressive or anywhere near the Left. These people are underminers.
As for Howard Fineman, how rich! Chris Matthews was the ONLY MSNBC host who refused consistently, after Tim Russert’s death to ask Huffington on his show. (Russert had banned her from both NBC and MSNBC, remember?) The minute Fineman starts sucking at her tit, she’s on Chris’s show. I’ll bet she forbade Fineman to appear unless MOMMY went along. Fineman is a tool. Ever since the first Oval Office speech, he’s been rank. When Obama sacked McChrystal, I was beginning to wonder if I were on the same planet, his interpretation of the President’s Rose Garden speech was 180 degrees different from mine.
These people not only tell their viewers what to think, they tell them what to SEE in news clips. Are people really that stupid? I think they are, on both the Right and the Left. I’m beginning to hope that Obama doesn’t run in 2012, and then maybe these asswipes on the Left and the Right will get exactly the government they deserve.
As usual, I arrived at the station after the train was pulling away from the platform, and haven’t seen the whole of the President’s Town Hall Q&A event. What I did see however was impressive. I always come away with the feeling that this man can think and make sense on his feet, that is what puzzles me when I think of the American voters loss of commitment to see this through, and continue to support reforms which in the future will improve life for millions, including themselves.
In a matter of a year and 8 months, there are people willing to give up their dreams of a better life because it’s not happening fast enough, what did they expect when America was left trashed and bleeding on the side of the road?
Did they expect Obama to don a red body suit and cape or wear a top hat, wield a magic stick, and pull white rabbits out of a hat?
If they did then they are living in a delusional world of make believe. I didn’t hear the man promise them any instant fixes or a miracle either, in fact he asked for their help in understanding just how difficult his job as the “fixer” was going to be, and they agreed.
I’m often told that the core factor of democracy is in the disagreements within a party about certain issues, ok, but when the alternative to a majority making decisions that affect and better the futures of the whole population is at stake, who in their right minds would let the party that destroyed America, gain the upper hand?
Being impatient is sadly a human condition for many, but going backwards to something that was a bone of contention for the majority of Americans, is like shooting yourself in the foot. When someone claims that their favourite colour is pink, you don’t wake up the next morning saying that your favourite colour is orange. I think that many voters need a reality check to open their eyes to what has already blocked the way to so many proposed reforms and bills being discussed or even considered by the tactics of the Repub and their interest groups. Many Dem Senators and Reps need a sharp kick in the pants, they need to do the job they were elected to do, that is if they and the voting public can remember what those jobs, that seemed so important just 20 months ago, actually were/are.
Watching the enthusiasm of the Dem voters drop way below the Repubs is distressing, and also depressing to watch. For me living in a place where I am unable to vote, where the choices are limited to this crook or that crook, I would be honoured to cast my vote at every election, knowing that this was my right as a citizen, and that it could in some small way make a profound difference in my life, the lives of family and friends, and others in need.
There is no quick fix for what has been allowed to deteriorate in America, I hope that those voters who have spun off the rails, will reconsider, and vote with their conscience, otherwise they really have no right to complain about anything in the future.
What is this headline of
Working backwards from the choice of quotes yields the intent of the one quoting.
It is to AH’s and HP’s economic interest to have Dems in conflict with Obama (more conflict means more traffic).
a. It is a fiduciary responsibility of a corporation to make the highest profit possible. They can be successfully sued by shareholders for not doing so.
b. There is no fiduciary responsibility for a corporation to provide accurate or honest reporting on political or social matters.
c. A corporation whose business is providing reports on political and social matters must serve their fiduciary responsibilities over all others.
AdLib, I am troubled with your answer, not that I completely disagree.
I am troubled to think that all major news has no self pride and it is all about the money. I don’t know if I can or choose to be the cynic of my youth but, it does seem almost blatantly obvious when the reporting was so….unimaginative, so rote.
Even during eye witness reports there are differences of their impression of a auto accident/mugging/ bank robbery, but somehow 95% of the headlines read regarding the first person asking the first question. Did all those reporting rush to the nearest phone booth yelling “get me re-write” after the first question like an old black an white movie?
I watched the town hall, twice, and while I agree that the first questioner’s question was powerful, there were more questions and some important replies.
Oh, my gawd, do now,again (after ‘my’ war) become a cynic or just a naive old fart?
I don’t think it’s really “cynical” of you to recognize cynicism in others, bito. The fact is the fact: news is not what it used to be, and opportunism and greed now fuel it no less so than any other aspect of media. Just as we’ve gone from Sinatra to Britney, we’ve gone from Murrow to Beck.
WTS, nice to be awake at the same time as you (lunch break?).
Your post from the other day was very thoughtful, but…. … 😉
When my folks went to the movies with their they watched the newsreel, THEN the cartoons. I grew up with the news being seperate from entertainment also. Was it the “truth”? Hell no, but I never heard someone say are you going to the “Huntly-Brinkly Rally for Restoring Honor” in Washington?” either. Yet, I have an ex-shock-jock holding such a rally, people thinking that he knows “The Knowledge,The Truth, The History” and he he is being broadcast on a “news” station?
Are the cartoons now the news, the news the cartoon?
I have no problem pointing out cynics, I worry about becoming one (again).
(Always enjoy/appreciate you posts and comments. Best to you)
hi bito,
yes, lunch break. Nice to hear back from you. And I like your comment – very much in line with my way of thinking. First and foremost, I believe that entertainment should not occupy as big a place as it does in so many peoples’ lives. Secondly, I believe that there are nevertheless good and bad forms of entertainment. Listening to Mozart is “better” than watching gossipy TV shows that dumb viewers down. But the best thing of all is to mostly unplug, I feel. Our own minds deserve more attention than either Mozart’s or Christine O’Donnel’s.
WTS,
Enough said?
Remember the old days, when networks used to be independent companies which saw the news as a public service, a fair price for getting the use of the public’s airwaves whether or not they made a profit?
I don’t think we should have any expectations that a corporately owned media business feels any commitment to honestly and fully informing the public over profits but, in their pursuit of appealing to viewership/readership, the people they employ may work to provide that.
For example, MSNBC has no reservation about giving shows to such propaganda tools as Morning Joe and Ratigan while also employing KO and Rachel.
MSNBC saw a market for Progressive viewers and brought on Progressive hosts. They also want to pursue the Conservative demographic and hire hosts to serve them. These are business decisions though. If ratings tanked on any of their hosts, I can’t imagine that they’d stick with them.
So, there are those who have journalistic integrity out there but not necessarily because that was a requirement to the corporation that hired them.
I find it interesting the Howard Fineman is joining HP, I wonder how he will deal with the sensationalist and sometimes dishonest headlines over there.
Howard Fineman’s line about HuffPo getting to be as big as the NY Times made me laugh. How, Howard? Paid staff? Paid reporters? Paid foreign news desks?
HP “rip and reads”, writes a sensationalistic or misleading (or both) headline and posts it.
Does HP even have any paid reporters?
Actually, I think Fineman doesn’t have many choices, with Newsweek being sold. There are many quality journalists out of work (and growing) and few job opportunities. Personally, when I heard Fineman rationalizing it, I winced at how forced his “embrace” of it was. I don’t think he’s thrilled about this, it is a comedown from being a star at Newsweek.
HP does have an investigative fund but I don’t know that they pay many people to post on their site…and what they pay is a fraction of what journalists would have been paid at papers or magazines.
Did anyone catch the line that President Obama said in response to the Auto Bailout Topic?
I think it was something like…
“The folks that were against Helping out the Auto Companies were some of the same people
that were betting on them to fail”
Is anyone talking about that? Or have more info?
I can just imagine the group of hedge fund biggies
having their appetite whetted for the major auto company fail
and then having their mega payday thwarted by President Obama!
Isn’t that about the time that much of the anti-Obama rhetoric began to heat up?
Hmmmm ???
Patsy, good catch. I do believe that it was when he was explaining about everybody involved had to “get a haircut” including the large debt holders….”and they really didn’t like that they had to get a haircut too.”
Is that what you are thinking?
You have a very good point that close to then the big “Obama hates us” from the Chamber of (BIG)Commerce started.
Hey Bito,
I was thinking more along the lines of those hedge fund managers that bet on a company to fail. Maybe their big kill in profit was interrupted?
Hello, Patsy, I did a quick search for a transcript without much luck. But your logic on them having to take a loss and the bad-mouthing starting is good. I do have it recorded, and I will listen for it later.
Bravo! Mr. President.
My favorite part, Where is AH on this one?
Just like FDR being called a socialist and killing free enterprise/capitalism. Do they not realize that they both SAVED them?
TB: I want a balanced budget right now, or else!!!
Obama: list the cuts of 3.7 trillion dollars.
TB: Don’t bother me with details
She probably agrees that Obama is vilifying big biz, including her hedge fund buddies.
Headline Guessing Game!
Which of the below sites are Right Wing or Left Wing:
Townhall.com: “I’m Exhausted of Defending You”
Huffington Post: MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICAN: I’M ‘EXHAUSTED OF DEFENDING YOU’
TPM: Obama: If You Think We Can Cut Taxes For The Rich You Can’t Add
AdLib, When the Huffer was on Tweety today, from an hour town hall, that was the point she brought up. She is such a fraud.
One bloody question out of an hour, one person’s view, that will still vote Dem!
It is the best Obama attack line when not accompanied with a response so of course AH and HP would spotlight the same line that a rabid RW site like Townhall.com would.
I think it is hard to argue now that AH belongs to any party other than the Opportunists Party and is laughing at the Progressives on her site all the way to the bank.
If you just noticed that line was said @ 9 minutes in to the town hall. Is that all of it that AH watched before she wrote her headline?
I missed the live event, but thanks to Patsy, I did get to catch most of the first replay. The section about the Hedge fund guy and letting the Bush tax cuts expire has a bunch of blogs on the left buzzing.
Hello!!! The average family income is close to 50,000 dollars and you crying about maybe paying a couple of hundred dollars on your 300,000 bucks???