An Angry Obama. Finally.

[babylonsister]

An Angry Obama. Finally.
By Joe Klein Monday, May 13, 2013

Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty Images

US President Barack Obama speaking in the Rose Garden.


During the chaotic week of the Boston bomb attacks, Barack Obama finally did something a lot of people had been waiting for: He got angry. In public. In the Rose Garden. It happened after the Senate had shamefully failed to pass a bill, favored by the overwhelming majority of Americans, requiring background checks for gun purchasers. "The gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill," he said. "They claimed that it would create some sort of Big Brother gun registry even though the bill did the opposite ... Those lies upset an intense minority of gun owners, and that in turn intimidated a lot of Senators."

Assorted Republicans were put off by Obama's passion. The conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer falsely claimed that the President had falsely claimed that the background-checks bill would have prevented the Newtown massacre. Krauthammer also said that helping the victims' families lobby for the law was "emotional blackmail." The conservative pundit and former Bush functionary Pete Wehner--who occasionally professes a desire for moderation but just can't help himself when it comes to the President--called Obama's behavior "demagoguery" and described it as a "Lear-like" rage.

To which I say, Bring it on, Mr. President. Obama's anger served a larger purpose. It was directed at the plague affecting--no, paralyzing--our public life: the ability of well-funded extremist groups to thwart the will of the overwhelming majority. This is a problem that goes well beyond the gun issue. It has infected liberal and conservative lobbying groups alike. Their constant screeching defiles the mass media and drowns out voices of sanity. Their give-no-quarter politics defines our time. The President finally reflected the public fury I often hear when I travel the country. His outburst should be a guide to other Washington politicians. It is well past time for political moderates to speak as forcefully as the snake-oil salesmen who are hijacking our democracy.


more...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2142490-1,00.html

[tosh]

1. Yes, bring it on!

[Parable Arable]

2. Interesting.

By chance chance, do you know if there is any video on his speech? Regardless of how I feel about a number of our president's policies, he's an astounding orator and his speech's are usually very enjoyable to watch.

[babylonsister]

3. Welcome to DU, Parable Arable.

This link has the text:

http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/17/president-obamas-speech-on-gun-control-bill-defeat-transcript/

and there's a video at this link:

http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-reams-senate-on-gun-control-i-see-this-as-just-round-one-2013-4

[Parable Arable]

4. Thanks

[freshwest]

6. Thanks... I see that as an icy fire. 'Round One.'

[pacalo]

11. Here's another link from ABC/Time:

http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,2309074993001_2141511,00.html

[Sunlei]

5. every speech, remark,presser, everything is right here. use the dropdown menu, "Briefing Room"

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/


http://www.whitehouse.gov/


http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[JDPriestly]

14. One problem that always surprises me is that many people, especially older people, have no

access to internet and do not know how to use it. They still get their news from the TV or right-wing radio.

Obama does not reach them.

We need a federal program to get internet access and computers to underserved communities across the nation.

Not having internet access is the equivalent of not having electricity in your home in the 1930s and 1940s. The government needs to make this more broadly available to everyone.

The internet should not be as privatized as it is. It is, after all, a government invention, I think. Am I wrong about that?

[pacalo]

7. When one side has to have everything their way, it's a good indication they've been spoiled rotten.

They need restraint, not coddling.

Mr. Krauthammer's "emotional blackmail" label is shameless, on so many levels. He's speaking of a group of heartbroken constituents who are imploring their congresspeople to do what is right for the greater good. Those families are not "lobbyists" in the greedy, selfish sense of the word; their aim is to prevent other people from having to experience their living nightmares. He's disgusting.

[L0oniX]

9. Krauthammer is a piece of shit.

[Parable Arable]

10. Amen to that

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. It's like when you say we have too many people in prison...

And a Republican screams that you are not only "soft on crime" but are going to "throw open the doors and let loose a bunch of murderers and rapists".

[wryter2000]

12. I'd like to know what liberal lobbying groups he's talking about

Good Lord, I'm sick of this crap.

[cadaverdog]

13. Ouhhhhhhh. The President is angry

Obama jumps on an issue that over ninety percent of the country agrees with to express his outrage. Courage. I voted for this man twice, but I'll be damned if I fall for his histrionics any more. Yeah, he is a great orator, but his actions belie his words. And his sinking ratings could cost the Dems in the mid-term elections, when we could have a real chance to take the House.
And that would be a real tragedy.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. His "sinking ratings" among who? You're just as dishonest as many of the president's critics.....

as most all presidents lose seats in the midterms. Don't take my word for it, Google is your friend. It doesn't necessarily point to anything they have or haven't done, it's just the way it is. This is not unique to Obama, because the last democratic president lost seats in the midterms, remember Newt Gingrich & the Repub revolt of '94? And this president's no different. With the gerrymandering that's taken place since the 2010 elections, was there really a genuine expectation that we would actually take back the House? You'll recall that in 2012, House Dems got a million more votes than the Repubs, and guess who still controls the House. Much to my dismay, gerrymandering works!

I know you guys are preemptively lining up to blame Obama, as usual, but he doesn't control who turns up to vote. Blame the voters. Dems sat on their asses in 2010, and now they're collectively pissing & moaning that Obama can't get anything done.

[Jamaal510]

19. +1

"This is not unique to Obama, because the last democratic president lost seats in the midterms, remember Newt Gingrich & the Repub revolt of '94? And this president's no different."

[JDPriestly]

18. I will be the first to criticize him when he caves, but I will also be the first to praise him when

he stands up for what is right. And this time, he is standing up for what is right.

[Recursion]

22. How does his getting angry on TV help?

I've joked that a lot of this board seems to want people who get angry on TV, but I'm worried that may actually be true.

[JDPriestly]

27. It helps because a lot of people who agree with Obama feel sure that he is with them

and on their side if they see him get angry and express that anger.

And the Republicans respect expressions of anger. They do not respect a nice guy president.

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. Spot On!

"It has infected liberal and conservative lobbying groups alike. Their constant screeching defiles the mass media and drowns out voices of sanity. Their give-no-quarter politics defines our time."

[uriel1972]

23. ummm what constant screeching liberal lobby groups do you have in mind?

You know the ones that are as vocal and prominent as Fox News and the rest of the mainstream media?

[treestar]

17. I don't know why people place such value in this

It didn't get the bill passed. Did they go, "ooh, the president's mad now" reconvene and pass the bill?

[Skittles]

20. it's an indication he will not give up?

[Recursion]

21. I gave up on this years ago. Remember DU still ignores Dean's moderate policies because...

... he gets angry on TV.

[Tarheel_Dem]

25. +1. Howard's "anger" couldn't win him the White House, not even the nomination.

[treestar]

30. It's a preference for momentary emotional satisfaction

Over a real bill.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. Bullshit. I've seen him angry plenty of times.

[quadrature]

26. unemployment is near 8%. If Obama is not angry all the time...

then he should be.

[upsidedownforklift]

28. Finally?

I don't get it, I imagine that anyone who has a drive to become president and have great power over others has incredible rage and anger issues. Why else would you want the power to order others around?

[uriel1972]

29. I'm not putting my foot into this trap...

If I start listing other reasons, others will say I'm calling the President "xxxxx". I just want to say there may be many other reasons to seek high office.

Maybe a sense of duty... maybe something not so nice... I would have no way of knowing.

[bunnies]

32. The desire for "power" means someone has rage and anger issues?

Thats quite an imagination youve got there.

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

31. The problem ..

The problem with public displays of anger by the President or other demoocrats is that it gives pleasure to Repugs and only encourages them to continue their evil policies.