I don’t want anybody to get the wrong idea about that last post. I’m still a big fan of Obama. I said as much at the Union endorsement screening (which by the way, surprise, surprise, endorsed Roger)
I heard NPR’s Saturday broadcast today tsk tsking about Obama saying he wanted to figure out who’s “ass to kick.” Commentator Simon was uncomfortable about the use of that three letter word synonym for derrière.
As Simon pointed out that’s not Obama’s style but I say big deal. The GOP commentators who seem to have prompted the crass comment are mostly “entertainers” dependent upon an income based on keeping about 15% of America happy – Fox News watchers. They demanded some emotion but the President just can’t cry as convincingly as Glen Beck. Obama’s awkward delivery of the line shows he has just what I want in a President of the United States. Rationality.
And I agree that someone’s ass ought to get kicked but I’m not sure whose ass it should be. BP, of course but there are others. According to the Rolling Stone story a lot of the criticism should go to the ex Senator of Colorado. During his term in the Senate, that was controlled by Republicans, he got in the habbit of proving that he was a good pro oil drilling, politician, no doubt to spare himself from GOP criticism. He had to watch his back side because Colorado is a fairly conservative state. He’s held that line as the Secretary of Energy prodded on by a faltering world economy dependent on cheap energy. Oh, and he has an hispanic surname – Salazar. I don’t expect Obama will kick his ass very hard.
Heck, Obama is like a target for a drunken Circus knife thrower with all the crises being dropped at his feet.
You can read the email I sent to Vic when he sent me the synopsis of the Rolling Stone piece:
Thanks Vic, I’ll take a look at the Stone piece.
These things happen. I don’t blame Bush for not paying attention to terrorists prior to 9-11. Sure there were problems but other than the Nat Security Advisor why should Bush have had a mass airline hijacking on his mind let along the crashing of jets into the Capitol or World Trade Towers?
Same with Obama. Sure the Bush team was regulation lite but why should Obama have anticipated such a royal screw up? Its not as though there weren’t other major issues for him to be concentrating on.
I suppose politics dictate that you toss a hot potato so no one should be surprised on the Republican insistence that Obama is not being emotional enough or has been too laid back. I guess he’d be more Presidential if he was frothing at the mouth about building a hundred miles of sand castles.
