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Political Hay
Obama's Tea-Leaf Readers
It's been a week since several hundred thousand Americans met in some 750 cities at TEA ("Taxed Enough Already") parties to protest high taxes and government spending. One group sent a million tea bags to the White House. The self-styled "mainstream" media had studiously avoided covering the phenomenon in advance and, led by the New York Times, belittled it afterward. They were joined by the Obama Administration and its acolytes as being only the ventings of disgruntled conservatives.
These all tended to say that the TEA parties were the brainchildren of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or the Fox News Channel. In fact, the tea party idea was first mentioned by a commentator on CNN, followed by a mid-February TEA party in Orlando, Florida, that drew some four thousand participants.
Oddly, the Obama Administration, which quickly dismissed the events as trivial and inconsequential, kept right on doing so nearly a week later. If something were inconsequential wouldn't they comment, then drop it? Instead, Last Sunday, as a guest on a TV public affairs program, Obama advisor David Axelrod said, "The thing that bewilders me is this president just cut taxes for 95 percent of the American people. So I think the tea bags should be directed elsewhere because he certainly understands the burden that people face."
This mantra was repeated by others. It belies the fact that the "tax cut" referred to amounts to an average $8-a-week reduction in Social Security taxes deducted from paychecks (and does not relieve those workers from the tax liability at year's end). And, for those who pay no income tax, it is in the form of checks called "rebates." If you don't pay taxes there is nothing to rebate. What they amount to are transfers from Americans who pay taxes to those who don't, a.k.a. welfare.
Axelrod's hyperbolic defense of Obama's policy was widely covered on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, President Obama, at the opening of a cabinet meeting, allowed tape recorders to keep rolling after the obligatory group photo, so that he could trumpet "savings" being effected by his appointees. One of these was the "news" that the Department of Homeland Security would save $62 million over the next 10 years by engaging in bulk purchases of supplies. One wonders why they hadn't been doing that all along. The other savings were, accordingly, also minor against the backdrop of record deficits and a $7.6 trillion federal budget.
The Obama recitation, combined with the continuous criticism of the TEA parties by his tribunes, tells us that the White House has been reading its internal polls and finding that the TEA parties were a much more worrisome demonstration of public dissatisfaction than it wants the public to know.
Despite Obama's cool exterior and occasionally soaring rhetoric, he is not immune from making mistakes. The jolly handshake with Hugo Chavez is one; the budget and deficit are two very large ones.
Comments
Leave a Comment
Appleby| 4.22.09 @ 7:10AM
Until the great unwashed get the idea that the people are angry are the ones paying the bills and doing all the work -- and we will let them know this by not doing the above -- they will continue to act as if it is our *moral obligation* to make sure they suffer no consequences for anything they do. We in Kanukistan are watching the CAW insist that, with one week to go until the ultimatum Fiat has given Chrysler to cut their wages by $19 per hour or close down, that this is *non-negotiable* and they are intransigent. This is like watching a train go onto that bridge over the River Kwai, but with the people on board looking straight at the guy with both hands on the plunger and saying *Nothing is going to happen! Keep your seats!* They are right in one way: it is not a negotiation. It is an ultimatim. Adapt or die.
Right now the leadership are saying We Choose Neither. Well, boys, then the choice will be made for you. Get ready to jump.
Pingback| 4.22.09 @ 7:26AM
Obama’s Tea-Leaf Readers links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Deborah D| 4.22.09 @ 7:59AM
This is what happens when Chicago politics comes to D.C. Chicago is its own little world...they ignore the hard-working down-staters who pay their bills.
I think to people in the public sector who have always made their money off the backs of those in the private sector ... it's hard for them to really understand individualism and hard work for hard work's sake. All they know is "pay for play," bribery and you scratch my back...
Americans don't want these folks in their faces day in and day out. They don't want them in their pockets and pocketbooks. Americans don't want to be "ruled." And, the leftists in the government don't want to face that.
Joe G| 4.22.09 @ 8:09AM
More teaparties are scheduled - http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95657
Becky| 4.22.09 @ 8:16AM
According to "The American" magazine, we are on the end of a 70 year cycle, the beginning of the Fourth American Republic's wheels are in motion.
Interesting read.
Anthony| 4.22.09 @ 9:04AM
Chief hack of propaganda for The Obama, David Axelrod, knows they have the pressure cooker on high and it could blow soon. It's a dicy situation for The One, which is why Benito Napolitano has her sights on us conservatives. Axelrod and Co. are counting on the leg tinglers in the MSM to keep conservatives in their box, unfrotunately for them, it won't work. Obama will fail spectacularly and so will his house of socialist cards. P.S. Happy Earth Day; but do watch out for the ice floes in the Hudson River.
Deborah D| 4.22.09 @ 9:09AM
You know, it makes me wonder...if they're making such a hash of it here at home and have no idea why...how big of a hash are they making abroad? And will they know why? Just wondering.
izzi| 4.22.09 @ 10:14AM
I think it was very nice that Obama shook hands with Chavez, just because Chavez disliked Bush, the thief that stole votes and appointed himself president, does not mean Chavez is bad. Think again....
Pingback| 4.22.09 @ 10:15AM
Topics about Bags » Obama’s Tea-Leaf Readers links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
mark in wv| 4.22.09 @ 10:17AM
Great piece, I think you hit the nail on the head. Methinks Team Obama doth protest WAY too much.
Jack| 4.22.09 @ 11:31AM
If Dear Leader thinks the citizens are angry, wait until he enacts "global warming" legislation regulating CO2 and utility bills for everybody double. The screaming will be louder than when gas hit $4 a gallon. I can't wait.
Scott| 4.22.09 @ 11:56AM
kudos to Becky above....that American mag piece is a dazzler.
yeah, we didn't have Soros funding our grassroots movement: I'd worry about that fact alone.
Pat| 4.22.09 @ 12:48PM
OK, what did the TEA parties actually change, what do you see different now? Isn't it more likely folks got a few things off their chests, vented some anger and then went home for a brew and a night in front of the tube?
This is just another "conservative" formula piece attacking Obama and could have easily been written by a computer program accessing a database loaded with stock phrases. The media supports and defends Obama according to this town crier. Really? Ya think? The mainstream media's role is to run to the end of their chains and snarl at anyone who dares criticize Obama; they did that during the campaign and haven't stopped doing it since. Conversely, they unashamedly hump the leg of any Obama supporter who is important, well-known and worth being quoted. Everyone knows this, it's old news and the constant re-discovery of this "situation" is very boring.
Conservatives are searching for psychological comfort in all the wrong places. Face it, we're outnumbered. Americans like the idea of getting money from the govt. in return for no effort on their part, at least enough voters liked that idea to elect Obama. And no, they weren't deceived, they knew, both deep down and on the surface, perfectly well what Obama was saying and intending to do if elected.
There's no point making excuses for them or their beliefs either. They like your money, they don't like you - or your family. True, they're Americans, but they're not exactly like you, only with slightly misguided political notions - they'll shake you down for your last nickel and then step over you to chase down their next victim. They're not innocent and misled or victims of real smart liberals. Time to drop the illusions and focus on economic martial arts. Time to stop preaching to the choir like this author did and print something useful we can use.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.22.09 @ 1:10PM
Good article. Now is the time to increase the criticism of BO and his stinking policies as GM goes belly up, Chrysler is headed for the grave and 600,000 + Americans lose their jobs every month thanks to BO and the Democrat Congress.
Those who pooh pooh the tea parties and this type of article are either outright BO "fecal eaters" or so-called conservatives who did so much damage to our cause over the last 4 years.
Time to rev up the eat on the worst President and leader of a democracy in human history -- Barack Obama.
Bob| 4.22.09 @ 1:39PM
Excellent article.
Saying they don't understand because they gave a tax cut to 95% is dishonest and dishonorable.
What they did with the payola bill was to give every American $ 400 and saddle them with a debt of $ 2,700.
If I got a cash advance on my credit card for$ 400 and was told I then owed $ 2,700, I would call my card company a loan shark! And, ACORN would be picketing the place.
tonypal| 4.22.09 @ 1:55PM
Izzi:
Time to grow up pal. Apart from your childish nonsense about Bush stealing votes, you do know that just last month Chavez called Obama an ignoramus. You did know that, right? Come to think of it, maybe Chavez does know a thing or two.
tonypal| 4.22.09 @ 1:57PM
Bob:
Maybe I'm giddy with excitement over Earth Day, but I actually agree with and appreciate your post. I'm sure we'll be back to normal service tomorrow, but for now, well done.
Pingback| 4.22.09 @ 2:26PM
The American Spectator : Obama's Tea-Leaf Readers : PlanetTalk.net - Learn the truth links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
CH| 4.22.09 @ 3:04PM
Liberals call Bush a vote thief while their ACORN steals numerous elections. The party that registers the voters--Micky Mouse, Donald Duck, etc. Morons.
Ed| 4.22.09 @ 3:05PM
Pat,
"OK, what did the TEA parties actually change".
I don't think anyone expected anything to change within a week.
bill carson| 4.22.09 @ 3:08PM
The problem is that the public is totally disinterested in hearing anything negative about the worst president in the history of this country. Until the voters realize that Obama is going to screw them on taxes, they will continue to believe in all the lies told by Obama's henchmen
curious| 4.22.09 @ 3:32PM
Obama deep-seeded need to be liked and to "make nice" with even the bad boys of the world, makes me think he was bullied as a child. Wanting to be liked rather than being respected, generally leads to others walking all over you. Man up, Mr. President.
Liberty or Death| 4.22.09 @ 3:51PM
Bill Carson~
I agree. The Magnificent One is too BIG to fail in the eyes of his faithful. The only way to see Napoleon's true size, was to get him off his big horse. Like the masterful brush of Delacroix, the media have made Obama into some kind of cult-worship, icon.
To wade through all of the lies coming from this administration, it's going to take a serious set of galoshes. Nay! A scuba suit, to swim through the s@#t swamp descending upon us.
Obamatrons have serious beer goggles on. We need to find a way to sober them up, and fast. Reason and logic, obviously, are not enough.
As an added caveat: The pending calamity [which we all know will eventually happen, because of his idiotic policies and indecision] needs to be undeniably owned by Obama-- none of this, "Uh, um... I'm just trying to stop the bleeding... um, er, ah, because, um, er, uh.... I inherited X (insert present crisis) from the Bush administration... er, um, um, uh."
We know how the liberals love that one.
Liberty or Death| 4.22.09 @ 4:05PM
Izzi,
Gore stole votes from Bush when the absentee and military votes weren't counted, you dimwit.
Next time, do a little research buddy. Ok?
Pingback| 4.22.09 @ 5:05PM
Got Tea? Round 2 - Tea Party Day July 4th! « Jim Blazsik links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Osamas Pajamas| 4.22.09 @ 5:25PM
The plain and simple truth is that we are governed by no-good lying, thieving b*stards with guns and jails and a media near-monopoly which is in cahoots with the Democrat party. Watch out at American Spectator, recall that the Clintonists already took a big bite out of you, some years ago.
Warrior| 4.22.09 @ 6:12PM
Mr. Hannaford:
I would argue that Conservatives play right into the Obama poker hand. In true poker, you don't need the best cards to win. Obama has been making mistakes for years. He simply deflects and moves on with a complicit media complex and a democrat following that has adopted the ends justify the means. Funny how the Obama reality show has been shut down since the his special olympics "joke" and punch drunk question on 60 Minutes. They realized that even a complicit media cannot protect him from himself all the time. The Republicans sit and say nothing, vote no, offer no conservative solution and allow the left to give them the title of the "party of no."
You can't fight enemy of this type with passive resistance. Napolitano, Feinstein, Frank, etc. and so forth are the epitome of corruption. As our articulate only with a telepromter president so proudly explained, if they bring a knife to the fight, I'm bringing a gun. If they bring the gun, the right needs look for the tactical nukes. It would also help if some true conservatives with a modicum of personality would surface and offer a different direction.
The only saving grace is here is that they are over reaching and will self-implode after causing untold amounts of damage. But I'm sure the explanation will begin and end with Bush/Cheney.
Donald Sammis| 4.22.09 @ 8:25PM
Of course nothing changed on 16 April. Ground swell movements take weeks, months to evolve and become a tidal wave. I suggest we continue the movement (4 July anyone?) and crash on the shore on Nov 2010
Todd| 4.22.09 @ 10:06PM
There is no way that post from Bob is from the insufferable arrogant jerk who pretends to be a fiscal conservative tonypal. It was way too short, made perfect sense and did not insult us for being anti-intellectual. He did get a good beatdown from Jeffrey Lord yesterday so I think he might be licking his wounds.
MT| 4.22.09 @ 10:27PM
I don't know, Todd. I think the troll 'Bob' is MIA. Usually he enjoys those smack downs.
Daisy| 4.22.09 @ 10:28PM
Insufferable!
Rexall| 4.23.09 @ 12:23AM
Good points Pat. I too share your pessimisim in regards to recovering the republic from the obomacrats. Conservaties are outnumbered by the masses of grifters sucking at the goverenment teat and the situation grows grimmer with each pronouncment from the seat of all wisdom, Washington . Hordes of illegal and legal immigrants assail our shores looking for a piece of the american pie before it disapears down the gullet of insatiable gimmites. These immigrants wiill be herded to the polls by the good shepherds of ACORN to vote for the democrats.
The immigrant voting block added to racial vote, the labor union vote, the gimmmie vote, enviorenmental loonie vote and various other screw america groups
cast a long shadow over the probabilites of a recovery of the republic by electoral means.
Add to this foul concotion above the very real posibilty of a rigged 2010 census which could result in the gerrymandering of congressional districts to suit the obamacrats and hope is a scarce commodity.
Sea World| 4.23.09 @ 3:11AM
We really have to stop our whining. I'm getting sick of us! Why don't we just shut up and grow a collective pair?
Pingback| 4.23.09 @ 7:27AM
Greened to Death links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
D.Higgins| 4.23.09 @ 5:42PM
"A democracy cannot survive as a permanent form of government. It can last only until its citizens discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority (who vote) will vote for the candidates promising the greatest benefits from the public purse, with the result that a democracy will always collapse from loose fiscal policies, always followed by a dictatorship." Not my words, but this is, I'm afraid, what America is going to face.
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