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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEzra Klein: If Obama went Bulworth, here’s what he’d say
If Obama went Bulworth, heres what hed say
By Ezra Klein, Published: May 16, 2013 at 3:36 pmE-mail the writer
The New York Times reported Thursday that President Obama frequently fantasizes to close aides about going Bulworth, a reference to the 1998 movie in which Sen. Jay Bulworth, played by Warren Beatty, drops all pretense and begins saying exactly what he thinks. So I asked a number of ex-Obama aides and political consultants what the president would say if he went Bulworth. This post is based on what the people who have heard Obama vent about Washington believe hed like to say in public, but cant. That said, this is the Internet so, er, let me be clear: This is a work of fiction. Informed fiction, but fiction nevertheless.
Q: Thank you, Mr. President. At this point, though, can the American people actually trust their government? Theres a sense that these issues might just be the tip of the iceberg.
OBAMA: {Long pause.} Are you kidding me?
No, the American people cant trust their government. They cant trust their media either, I might add. But thats not because of a couple of I.R.S. agents out in Cincinnati. We can fix the Cincinnati office. Let me be clear: Were already fixing the Cincinnati office. This problem was solved a year ago. The guy who solved it just got fired anyway because you all wanted to see some blood on the walls and Im just political enough to give it to you.
Look, the reason the American people cant trust their government is here in Washington. Right now sequestration is cutting unemployment checks by 10 or 11 percent. Do you hear anyone talking about that? Or doing anything about it? No. You hear Republicans aides telling Politico, anonymously, that the speaker is quote obsessed with Benghazi. You know, I dont think most of the Republicans screaming about Benghazi could find Libya on a map. I dont think 10 of them knew our ambassadors name. And, let me be clear, Speaker Boehner certainly wasnt obsessed with giving us the money we asked for to keep the embassys safe.
But now hes obsessed with Benghazi. And not even Benghazi. The Benghazi talking points. Are you kidding me? Hes not obsessed with global warming or unemployment or rebuilding our infrastructure. And now that theres conflict, all of you are obsessed with Benghazi talking points too, and meanwhile, were cutting the National Institutes of Health and were cutting too deep into the military and were making life harder for the unemployed and were doing nothing to keep this planet in good shape for our kids.
Look, this is why the American people cant trust their government. Because this town is obsessed with conflict and political advantage and not with real problems. We worry about the wrong things so much that we dont even have time to talk to the American people or each other about the right things. And thats not the I.R.S.s fault.
more...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/16/if-obama-went-bulworth-heres-what-hed-say/
silverweb
(16,402 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)Doesn't that just say it all?
David Zephyr
(22,785 posts)Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Give me this, just this one thing
Cha
(297,029 posts)Somebody in the WH will read that.
thanks babylonsistah
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)I don't know sometimes.
But it sure is right.
That said, because Obama likes Ezra Klein's writing so much, I'm glad that this thought was posted by him.
sheshe2
(83,710 posts)tavalon
(27,985 posts)kentuck
(111,069 posts)But that's been a problem. He doesn't like to fight but in cases like these scandals, he has no choice. It's either his ass or their ass. He's fighting for his life.
But when he doesn't fight, this type of crap builds up and comes down on his head all at once.
I like the way he has been fighting back the last couple of days.
russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)DirtyDawg
(802 posts)...forward to the Administration official, being grilled by some lame-ass Republican member of some lame-ass House Committee, doin a Howard Hughes, blasting the questioner for his/her idiocy and just lame-assedness, slamming their hands on the table as they push their chair away and proclaiming, 'Congressman, I've had enough of this damned nonsense, and as far as I'm concerned, you can just kiss my ass...goodbye!'
spanone
(135,810 posts)summerschild
(725 posts)Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)Something like that would change the entire political landscape heading into 2014. His defenders will be here soon telling us how they are glad he's too dignified for that.
babylonsister
(171,049 posts)no doubt this Prez feels that way.
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)except for the part about "cutting too deep into the military." 'Cause that would be a lie.
Hah.
progressoid
(49,961 posts)Bulworth did more than just blame the GOP, DC, and the media. He accepted the blame for his abandonment of liberalism too.
Ezra glaringly ignores that part.