President Obama: Tea Party features 'core group' against him

[cal04]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100330/ap_on_el_ge/us_obama_tea_party

President Barack Obama says he believes the Tea Party is built around a "core group" of people who question whether he is a U.S. citizen and believe he is a socialist.

But beyond that, Obama tells NBC he recognizes the movement involves "folks who have legitimate concerns" about the national debt and whether the government is taking on too many difficult issues simultaneously.

In an interview broadcast Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, Obama said he feels "there's still going to be a group at their core that question my legitimacy." But he said he didn't want to paint Tea Party activists "in broad brushes" and he hopes to win over members who have "mainstream, legitimate concerns."



videos
Obama on 'Today' talks Afghanistan, health care, 'tea party' skeptics
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/03/obama-on-today-talks-afghanist.html?wprss=44

Exclusive: Obama goes one-on-one with Matt Lauer
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/

Obama: I’ll continue to reach out to GOP
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36096371/ns/today-white_house/

[tallahasseedem]

1. This is an...

interesting statement coming from him. I wonder where he's going to with that and if it will help "expose" them.

[Jennicut]

2. Obama just stating the obvious. Many people are angry at the govt. these days. Not all of them

concentrate heavily on the birth issue with Obama.

[Democat]

3. I often think Obama is being too nice, but in this case...

The tea party terrorists seem to be their own worst enemy, so his statement is probably fine. It paints the movement as rotten to the core, but gives those around the edges - who have not yet figured out how racist and crazy many members are - a way out.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. No, Mr. President! With all due respect, these people DO NOT have legitimate concerns.

These fools received a tax cut in their paychecks while they were screaming about being taxed.

When you ask them what they are opposing, other than the standard talking points, they cannot provide a coherent answer.

These same people remained quiet for EIGHT years! Eight long years when they saw for themselves how Bush & Co. created the debt; starting two illegal wars unpaid for; passed a prescription drug bill unpaid for.

This is about Obama being a black president.

This is about Nancy Pelosi being a woman.

This is about them being afraid of EVERYTHING!

It's not at all about "legitimate concerns" related to public policy. And it certainly was never about health care, the economy, the role of government, or any of that.

[JoePhilly]

5. yup

[Loge23]

7. I Second, uh, third!

I totally agree. The vast majority of these people are the same ones who came to the McCain campaign "town meetings" and provided us with such gems as "he's a muslim". They stand around with bullhorns shouting about taxes and holding misspelled signs with comments that are totally off of any sensible realm of commentary.
They are a fringe minority of ignoramuses, bigots, and just plain dumb individuals.
Any sensible opposing views should be recognized by Obama, certainly. But what we're seeing from even the elected Republicans is a manifestation of all of their long-held fears about race, ideology, and tolerance - along with a complete absence of any constructive ideas or suggestions on fixing the mess that they are largely responsible for creating.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. It's the modern day Southern Strategy that even Lee Atwater denounced on his death bed.

For the Republicans to sit there, feigning outrage at being called out, then playing the victim as if they, too, have suffered at the hands of the "far left" is just outright disgusting.

They want it to happen. They want people killed. Their hatred goes deep and they have absolutely no shame.

When called out, they yell 'reverse racism,' or Cantor shamelessly claims that he has been a victim of antisemetic rants when he himself never called out those tea baggers shouting that his president is like Hitler and that this is a Holocaust. He continued on, allowing the hateful rhetoric and never denouncing it, to the point that the Antidefamation League and many Jewish organizations had finally had enough.

These people are absolutely sickening!!

[rbixby]

6. Wow, the comments on that story have been teabagged!

NT

[Raine1967]

9. Kinda proving his point.... eom

[Cha]

10. Pres Obama is just talking to that

one teabagger who might have an epiphany and decide not to protest against their own best interests.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=388x20087