Obama "heckled his heckler."

[kpete]

On Tuesday, according to a White House pool report, POTUS (President of the United States) Obama "heckled his heckler."

Speaking to a larger crowd and this time from teleprompters, Obama was in the middle of, as he called it, a trip down memory lane about the economy, when a man yelled out: "Move faster on 'don't ask, don't tell.'"

"It's good to see ya," Obama said to the man as the crowd started to boo, and the man continued to shout something your pooler couldn't hear amid all the noise

"I have to say, you know what? I saw this guy down in LA," Obama said. (POTUS was also heckled about DADT at the last Boxer fundraiser he headlined in Los Angeles.)

"Two points I want to make," Obama said of the heckler, "he really should like buy a ticket to, if he wants to demonstrate, buy a ticket to a guy who doesn't support his point of view."

The other point, Obama said, "is maybe he didn't read the newspapers because we are working with congress as we speak to roll back 'don't ask, don't tell.'"

POTUS further dinged the man: "I actually think he does read the newspapers because he wasn't as - his heart wasn't in it - he said 'Do it faster.' C'mon man..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/25/obama-heckles-his-heckler_n_589730.html

[Robb]

1. Uh, Mr. President,

Do it faster.

[QC]

2. If only he were so willing to talk back to Republicans, BP, right wing assholes. etc.

But no, such regressive forces as those get only endless accommodation.

[eleny]

6. +1!

[AndyA]

7. +2. n/m

[NorthCarolina]

8. Because he doesn't consider the Republicans to be

fucking retarded lefties.

[racaulk]

10. This!!!

Thank you! :thumbsup:

[derby378]

18. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

:bounce:

[Duncan Grant]

31. Hear! Hear!

:thumbsup:

[donco6]

34. What? No compromise?

Phooey.

[Lorien]

35. Yep. Attacks are reserved for "the Left" which, according to team Obama loyalists

are no longer welcome in the party. Team Obama, I have news for you: IF YOU AREN"T ON THE "LEFT" THEN YOU'RE A CONSERVATIVE. Why? Because politics in this Country have been pushed so far to the extreme Right that the "center" is now the Right, and the Right is now bugfuck crazy whackadoodle fascist.

[phleshdef]

52. He has been talking back aggressively to Republicans for MONTHS now.

He has went onto their turf more than a few times now and taken on the whole lot of em. He has been trashing their policy of opposition constantly in recent speeches. Why the fuck isn't anyone around here capable of more than a 1 day short term memory?

[treestar]

54. He did at the meeting he went to

DU was all about that day where he went in to the Republicans and gave them a talking to.

[readmoreoften]

56. I remember when he joked about Prop 8 activists as well. "What are those people out there for?"

He's such a smarmy asshole.

[readmoreoften]

57. +3

[harun]

61. +4

[Cherchez la Femme]

71. +4, again

:sigh:

[butterfly77]

69. He did at the meeting yesterday..

and they didn't like it..

[Dream Girl]

92. Wah!!

[Name removed]

100. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Raine]

102. He only talks back to the people who put him into office

you know, us fucking liberal retards. :mad:

edit: spelling

[JI7]

103. he did , we saw it at that thing where republican congress members questioned him

[arcadian]

3. I'd really like to know if the heckler was being escorted out

by police at the time Obama made these statements. If so, it's "in your face" and very inappropriate.

[peace13]

5. You crack me up!

I guess Obama is the only one who has to follow the rules. Yes, he must offer the utmost of consideration to this man even though the President of the Unites States was offered none. Go figure. I doubt the DADT fellow was removed from the venue. You are thinking of *.

[muffin1]

9. Obama has been given 'consideration' for a year and half now.

We are sick and tired of being discriminated against. The fierce advocate needs to come out forcefully on the side of equality.
Teh gays were with him throughout the campaign and election. My best friend is gay, and I saw him advocate for Obama with the utmost enthusiasm - even though my friend told me that deep down, he doubted Obama would follow through because of his religious side. Still, my friend 'HOPED' for 'CHANGE', and we both did our level best to get him elected. The protester likely did the same. We all did our part. It's time for President Obama to do the same.

[kevinbgoode]

17. Thank you very much. Only in America would the President

who campaigned on this repeal, be so willing to inexplicably continue to allow gay and lesbian American citizens to be subjected to such second-class treatment. This is not rocket science. If this military can allow felons, gang members, and looney tune evangelicals who openly attempt to hijack the armed forces for their religious agenda on the grounds that they are able-bodied citizens, there is no excuse for discharging those gay and lesbian heroes and heroines who have served this country with admiration.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whathehell]

30. Maybe you could send that pithy metaphor to Whitehouse.gov

Although I wouldn't recommend it.:eyes:

[Frances]

11. So DUers think they would have a better chance of

getting rid of DADT if McCain/Palin were in the White House???!!!!

[LeftyMom]

14. They didn't win. Obama's responsible for his own behavior.

Stop using them as excuses.

[Enrique]

16. would Obama be president without support from gays? n/t

[donco6]

20. Oh yeah. Gosh, haven't heard that one . . . TODAY. n/t

[racaulk]

22. Which DUers are saying that? Links, please.

:eyes:

[closeupready]

23. That comeback is so tired.

:eyes:

[QC]

24. I wish the Central Committee would send you the new talking points.

That one is so very, very 2009.

[ima_sinnic]

25. McCain/Palin were "fierce advocates" of gay rights and repealing DADT?

I did not know that!

[uponit7771]

26. YES!!!

[cherokeeprogressive]

33. This swayback nag is waaaay overdue for the glue factory.

I'd say at this point in time that if performance is any indicator, "they" would have had the same chance either way.

[frylock]

37. the automated mcain/palin response has gotten as tired as the righties obsession with clinton..

get some new material already.

[treestar]

55. Many do not wish to deal with that reality

As you can see from the answers!

Stick your fingers in your ears and hum!

The Republicans are irrelevant and powerless. As if.

[frylock]

70. that's not reality..

it's some made-up bullshit scenario conjured up whenever obama meets with a bit of criticism. here's the reality; obama won, not palin/mccain. teh gays voted for obama, not palin/mccain. obama claimed to be a FIERCE ADVOCATE for gay rights, not palin/mccain.

[tekisui]

78. No, what a dumbass, tired stupid shit argument.

[Bluebear]

93. +

[walldude]

83. Palin and McCain are NOT IN THE WHITE HOUSE

We worked hard, and donated to make sure they didn't get in so we could get DADT repealed. But no they have to STUDY it and pretend that they give a shit. It's a crock, a ploy to move any action on this issue to after the elections, when they can say that it's too soon after the election and make more excuses until they can use the 2012 election as an excuse.

You want to use McCain and Palin as your standard for a decent President? Good fucking luck with that one...

[muffin1]

84. !

:applause:

[Frances]

87. You sound like the people who voted for Nader

instead of Gore because Gore wasn't pure enough.

I have yet to meet a Nader voter who concedes that he made a mistake about Gore.

[Bluebear]

94. You should be embarrassed in this thread, really you should be.

[Jamastiene]

91. Yawn.

When are they going to reprogram y'all with new catch phrases? That one is sooo last year.

[Starry Messenger]

12. It's not a "point of view"

It's justice.

[closeupready]

13. This guy is such an amateur.

:rofl:

[Enrique]

19. actually he's Kip Williams

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/25/obama-heckles-his-heckler_n_589730.html

UPDATE: A spokesperson for GetEQUAL, which describes itself as "new, national direct action lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization," claims that the heckler was Kip Williams, one of the group's co-founders. GetEQUAL is affiliated with Lt. Dan Choi, a prominent figure in the movement to repeal DADT and noted recently for chaining himself to a fence outside the White House.

[closeupready]

21. Not unless Obama changed his name to Kip Williams.

EDIT Oh, I see - you thought I was saying the heckler was an amateur.

No, Obama is the amateur here, not behaving as a president should. Presidents who are worthy of esteem do not mudwrestle.

[tranche]

42. He made it to president. You sit in front of a computer alone and reply to OPs all day.

He's doing pretty good.

[muffin1]

46. He 'made it to president'

with the help of millions of gay citizens and their supporters. Too bad we believed him.

And how the hell do you know what the poster you just replied to does all day?

[closeupready]

48. Okay, fine, some honesty here: because we were engaged and I called the wedding off!

Okay, happy now, everyone? :rofl:

[muffin1]

49. !

Dodged a bullet there...:rofl:

[tranche]

50. Well, too bad you "believed in him" indeed. Too bad you didn't realize...

he was also helped into office by millions of rednecks and those that probably don't look to kindly on the gay. You don't see a balancing act here? You think flipping off an equally powerful voting block, calling them all bigots, and saying FU I'm doing this myself (outside of congress, the courts, and the military) won't get him a one way ticket out of office? To be replaced by those who don't just not give a shit, but use not giving a shit as something to campaign on. It looks like he's making progress on the repeal of DADT, and from what I understand that's the crown jewel.

[cherokeeprogressive]

62. Wow. A balancing act huh? Balancing the bigot vote against civil rights for gays... that's rich.

Some refreshing honesty there, I'll give you that.

[tranche]

65. Spare me the dramatics. It's tiring.

[muffin1]

72. What's tiring

is homophobia on a democratic site.

[tranche]

76. I don't understand. Are you sharing accounts with this guy?

Also, let me get this straight... You throwing around the great "homophobia" -- is this directed at me?

[muffin1]

80. Yes. I am directing that word at you, and every other apologist on this board.

If you are fighting against gay people - who want nothing more than equal rights- then you are a homophobe.

They should not have to 'be quieter' or 'respect President Obama'. No one here would expect that of black people fighting for equal rights, and I don't see why gay people should have to act any differently. If you do, then please share.

[tranche]

90. You've worked yourself into quite a little froth. I'll just leave it there.

[muffin1]

73. The bigot vote???

During the Civil Rights era, would you have told those black protesters to quit being so uppity and think about the bigot vote?

[tranche]

77. Listen sunshine. DADT is going to get repealed.

And in the process the Republican party and the "bigot vote" won't be taking over anytime soon. Everybody wins. And another thing, the Civil Rights era is not your little plaything to toy around with on message boards.

[muffin1]

79. First, my name is not 'sunshine'.

Second, we've heard DADT is going to be repealed for a year and a half (or more, if you count the months Obama was promising to end it on the campaign trail), and yet, it's still being enforced.

And third...

WTF do you mean when you say the Civil Rights era is not my little plaything? You are allowed to act as though equal rights for gay people is something to triangulate on - on a message board, no less, but I mention the fight that black people have had to wage, and somehow I've gone over the line? Please elaborate.

[closeupready]

47. Hubris, you know what that is?

You must, since you seem to subscribe to it as a "pretty good" guiding spirit of living.

[closeupready]

51. Oh, I see, you're from San Francisco, of COURSE you know what hubris is.

It's a San Francisco residency requirement. :sarcasm: (with apologies to all my San Francisco friends who are actually quite libertine in contrast to some here)

[tranche]

64. Did you just reply to yourself?

I don't see the hubris in my comment.

[closeupready]

66. I'm done with you.

n/t

[Enrique]

15. maybe the heckler DID read the newspapers

and didn't believe a word he read. Maybe he's heard it all before.

[joeybee12]

29. Yeah, and he understood that Obama is trying his hardest NOT

to repeal DADT...pretty fucking obvious now.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. Awesome

:thumbsup:

[muffin1]

28. Indeed.

I'm so proud that the most powerful man in the world mocked someone who has waited his entire life for equality. I'm sure Obama was more than happy to have this person vote and/or campaign for him while he was running for President. Now that he's won? Shut the fuck up, and get to the back of the bus.

Yes, awesome indeed.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. Oh puhleese.

Stop trying to pretend the heckler is the victim here.

[muffin1]

36. The protester IS the victim.

No pretending is necessary.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

38. Pff, the dick's just another Joe "you lie" Wilson.

Fuck that piece of shit.

[muffin1]

45. Sure!

Joe Wilson is a right-wing politician trying to fool his stupid constituents into believing that health care reform is not good for them.

This protester is a citizen that only wants the same rights that every other citizen in this country enjoys.

Sure - they are exactly the same.

[Nye Bevan]

53. Seems that the protestor struck a bit of a nerve here.

I have never heard Obama be anything less than eloquent on subjects like health care, the environment, and the war. But someone presses him a little bit on gay rights and he suddenly morphs into a stammering and incoherent George W Bush. I would like to think that Obama knows in his heart that his position is indefensible, which is why he had so much trouble defending it here.

[muffin1]

81. +1

Obama is a chess master on everything except equal rights. A huge majority in this country supports repealing DADT - including repubs.
The generals approve. We have the biggest majority in the House and Senate than we've ever enjoyed in years.

It's ridiculous. We still have DADT (and DOMA and ENDA), because Obama is not even trying to end them. The best report I've seen says he's letting Congress deal with DADT 'QUIETLY'. Why on earth QUIETLY?

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. How Presidential.

[Teka]

40. I am quickly reaching the point where I want the 2012 elections to be TODAY

So I can vote for a REAL DEMOCRAT - not the crappy Obama version.

[muffin1]

82. Isn't that sad?

I was once so happy to vote for him, that 2008 couldn't come quickly enough.

Now, 2012 can come quickly enough, because I want to vote against him.

[frylock]

41. weak sauce..

"Two points I want to make," Obama said of the heckler, "he really should like buy a ticket to, if he wants to demonstrate, buy a ticket to a guy who doesn't support his point of view."

hunh?!!

[Nye Bevan]

43. Obama could have suspended the implementation of DADT on the *first day*

of his presidency, with the stroke of a pen. But I guess he was worried about losing some votes from homophobic bigots. Which I guess is why he has also taken a stand against gay marriage rights.

I generally like Obama; I am glad that he is president and not McCain and I will vote for him in 2012 come what may, but there is no getting away from the fact that his record on gay rights is an absolute disgrace. And the DUers who try to defend him on this are just embarrassing themselves.

[IronLionZion]

44. VIDEO:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/05/25/obama.heckler.dadt.repeal.cnn

[phleshdef]

58. I watched the video. The guy was being rude as fuck and Obama was being respectful in his response.

He didn't "George Allen" the guy or anything. Do people expect ANYONE to stand there and take being shouted down while they are trying to give a speech? What the hell?

[readmoreoften]

60. Does anyone think they should be used in a war zone and told they'll be expelled

without benefits after they're no longer useful to Team America? If Obama didn't want gay Iraq and Afghanistan veterans demanding rights, he should've stood up and fought the Republicans and been the "fierce advocate" he claimed he was.

[phleshdef]

63. Fight Republicans my ass, we have Democrats who aren't getting in line on this.

All that aside, following the President around with the intent of heckling him in the middle of him talking about a completely unrelated issue isn't doing much to make you look like a reasoned supporter for your cause.

[muffin1]

86. Right...

Be reasonable. Shhhsh. Don't be so uppity. Be respectful.

:puke:

[readmoreoften]

88. Oh, I'm sorry. Was he not challenging his oppression politely enough? If he's a polite boy will

Obama actually stop exploiting him?

There are families who are separated from knowing whether their loves ones are dead or alive because of this policy. There are soldiers whose bosses have their dishonorable discharge papers on their desks even though they're being sent into battle. There are MANY lesbian troops raped and blackmailed to protect their families. And Obama does the bare minimum to not completely look like an adversary.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. And Obama is going to have to deal with some squeaking if he continues this "cowardly lion" routine.

[Jamastiene]

95. We should all gather rose petals to throw at him in support.

He put that uppity gay in its place like a real man. Whatta man. All he needs is a cowboy hat and some spurs on his boots and we'd think he was the reincarnation of the late great Gipper.

*rose petals and confetti everywhere for putting that uppity gay in its place* Bravo, President Obama!

:sarcasm:


In reality, :puke:
We are supposed to be willing to die for our country and STFU about who we really are...or else! Fuck that. I'm glad I never joined the military. I'd rather live on my feet than die on my knees for a country that hates me.

[readmoreoften]

59. If he was really a "fierce advocate" he'd sympathize with this man. "I know. I'm working hard to get

this legislation passed. But I'm just facing so much opposition. I'm with you. Let's get this done!" Right? That would be charisma. But instead he tries to make our demands for EQUAL TREATMENT WHILE AT WAR a joke.

[KonaKane]

67. So because he's not moving as fast as you want him to..

and maybe pursuing avenues you do not know about to get the job done, you condemn him.

Brilliant.

[readmoreoften]

89. Oh, he's not doing shit. Give us a break. People are being raped and exploited because of his

cowardice. He hasn't taken a single principled stand since he got into office. He's caved to the right on every issue, but you think he's "fighting" for us behind closed doors now. You've got a screw loose if you think he's doing anything but CYA.

[KonaKane]

104. You sound like a child

Who doesn't get his treat fast enough so he stomps his feet and holds his breath.

Here's a newsflash for you - things arent so easy as they seem. EVen with his faults he is worlds better than the guy who came before him...or did you so easily forget ?

[QC]

106. If you really care about the president, you should stop so ineptly "defending" him.

Face it, telling people who are denied the rights of full citizens that they are being childish is a special kind of ugly for which any decent person can only feel contempt.

You should try to be more like your idol, who is, whatever his faults, intelligent and gentlemanly.

[Bluebear]

74. +++

[muffin1]

75. +1,000,000

And that sounds a lot like the person who occupied the WH from 2000-2008. We didn't like it then - what makes it more palatable when Obama does it, I wonder.

[walldude]

85. Give that man a cigar!!!

They are going to piddle over sexual orientation of soldiers while fighting a 3 front war. Yeah it's a hell of a plan...

Then the audience joins in with their "Yes We Can" chant. Well apparently we can't. If we could then that dude wouldn't need to be yelling for his rights.

[Dank Nugs]

68. Governments that govern least, govern best.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men/women are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these rights are: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Let's check out the definitions:

inalienable
–adjective
not alienable; not transferable to another or capable of being repudiated: inalienable rights.


lib·er·ty
–noun,plural-ties.
1.
freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
2.
freedom from external or foreign rule; independence.
3.
freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
4.
freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint: The prisoner soon regained his liberty.
5.
permission granted to a sailor, esp. in the navy, to go ashore.
6.
freedom or right to frequent or use a place: The visitors were given the liberty of the city.
7.
unwarranted or impertinent freedom in action or speech, or a form or instance of it: to take liberties.
8.
a female figure personifying freedom from despotism.
—Idiom
9.
at liberty,
a.
free from captivity or restraint.
b.
unemployed; out of work.
c.
free to do or be as specified: You are at liberty to leave at any time during the meeting.

Government has power at the consent of The People. They do not need to govern or legislate in that regard, since any infringement upon a person's liberty for any arbitrary basis, is anti-american.

Government that governs least, governs best.

[Political Tiger]

96. "and this time from teleprompters"

When an article starts out with petty right-wing talking points, I don't know whether I should bother reading further or not. Probably not.

[Name removed]

97. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

98. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ruggerson]

101. Didn't Verna tell us that? n/t

[bullwinkle428]

99. Too bad the protestor wasn't Joe the Plumber - Obama would have

been more than willing to engage him in a respectful conversation if that was the case.

[closeupready]

105. Remember GHWB saying, "I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

I forget the context, and most here probably can't stand him, but even THAT was beneath a president.

That is, a president doesn't dignify a heckler with a direct response. He ignores him.

But that's all a little to subtle to expect Obama to get.