Obama Will Do Nothing On Gun Violence

Progressives, pay no mind to President Barack Obama's speech in Newtown. Obama will not push for new gun laws. The best indication of this is Press Sec. Jay Carney's unwillingness to commit President Obama to any gun control legislation.

During his daily briefing Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney avoided one question after another about the types of legislative proposals the president could support, what kind of timeline he wants to take action within and whether he truly plans to make the issue of gun violence a priority, despite the fact that in four years -- and four shooting massacres later -- the only related bill Obama has signed actually expanded gun laws.

"I don't have a specific agenda to announce to you today," Carney said when asked how Obama plans to translate his Sunday speech into action. "No single piece of legislation, no single action will fully address the problem."

Obama's religion is the Church of Centrist. In Obama's worldview, Fox News is equal to he New York Times. Obama mocked progressives to Sen. Bernie Sanders. The more progressives push for gun control the more agitated Obama will be. Obama ignored progressives in his first term. Obama doesn't need progressives now that he won a se one term.

Another problem is the Republican House. It doesn't matter how many school children die Elected Republicans fear the NRA more than they fear a dangerous individual getting his hands on an AR-15 assault rifle. Obama's lack of passion for gun control will only make it easier for Republicans to ignore the issue.

Less Than Straight Talk From Jay Carney

The Washington Blade rightly asks how how can President Barack Obama be against both Proposition 8, and still be against gay marriage. Before Prop 8 was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Prop 8 banned gays and lesbians from marrying. Obama should be a supporter of Prop 8. Yet, President Obama campaigned against Prop 8. The correspondent for the Blade questioned Carney on this inconsistency.

Washington Blade: I just want to follow up on the Prop 8 ruling. Back in 2008, candidate Obama came out against Proposition 8 when it was on the ballot, calling it “unnecessary.” I’m just wondering if the president shares the belief that the measure is also unconstitutional.

Carney: Well, again, I’m not going to comment on litigation particularly as here where we are not party to it, but the president’s positions on these issues writ large are well known, and he’s long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples. But I don’t have anything more for you on that.

Blade: I want to follow up really quickly on that, though. You said the president opposes “divisive and discriminatory” efforts against same-sex couples, but the effort here — the issue in question is marriage, so isn’t it inconsistent for the president to not support same-sex marriage and also to be against such measures?

Carney: Well, I don’t have any update for you on that particular issue in regards to the president’s views. I can tell you that divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits is something this president has long opposed. And I think that’s an important point to make. These are proactive and deliberate efforts to deny benefits and to be discriminatory.

Obama is a constitutional scholar. Granted, Obama is lousy in his interpretations of the Constitution. Obama supports warrantless wiretapping and drone strikes against U.S. citizens. So much for due process. The question is simple. Does Obama believe Prop 8 is unconstitutional. A yes or no answer would suffice. Obama does not even have the moral courage to provide a one word answer. Sad.

Side note: Carney is a worse press secretary than Robert Gibbs. I didn't think that was possible. Why Obama thought having a press secretary with no charisma and an inability to bullshit would be an asset is beyond me.

Wingnut of the Day

Next time the Right-wing media cries about liberal media bias, remember Les Kinsolving of World Net Daily asking White House Press Secretary Jay Carney the repeal of DADT legalizes bestiality. This is the utter conspiracy nonsense that WWD thrives in. Remember that this web site contends that President Barack Obama is not an American citizen. Jake Tapper and other members of the media are literally laughing at the stupidity of the question.

[MR. CARNEY]: Let’s go to the back. Lester.

Kinsolving: Oh, my goodness.

MR. CARNEY: Can you believe it? (Laughter.) I’m in the holiday spirit.

Kinsolving: In the holiday spirit. The family research –

MR. CARNEY: Is everyone okay? (Laughter.)

Kinsolving: The Family Research Council and CNS News both reported a 93-to-7 U.S. Senate vote to approve a defense authorization bill that, quote, “includes a provision which not only repeals the military law on sodomy, but also repeals the military ban on sex with animals, or bestiality.” Does the Commander-in-Chief approve or disapprove of bestiality in our armed forces?

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have any comment on — I don’t have any comment on that.
Let me go to another question.

Kinsolving: Does the President believe this will be approved by all animal support groups, such as –

MR. CARNEY: Let’s get to something more serious. Yes, Jake.

Jake Tapper: You sure you don’t want to ask Lester another question? Give him another opportunity? (Laughter.)

MR. CARNEY: I’ve learned my lesson, Jake. (Laughter.)

Tapper: Just one –

MR. CARNEY: Lester, I think we’ll — we’ll let everybody get a chance here. Go ahead, Jake.

Tapper: Are you sure you don’t want to take any more questions on bestiality? (Laughter.) You don’t want to comment on that?

To show just how ridiculous Kinsolving is, here is video of him asking former Press Sec. Robert Gibbs a birther question.

Obama Always Supported Entitlement Cuts

The Obamabots are creating the bogus meme that President Barck Obama did not offer entitlement cuts to the Republicans. Obama has been public about doing just this.

Obama's Twitter townhall.

What we need to do is to have a balanced approach where everything is on the table. We need to reduce corporate loopholes. We need to reduce discretionary spending on programs that aren’t working. We need to reduce defense spending. Everything has -- we need to look at entitlements, and we have to say, how do we protect and preserve Medicare and Social Security for not just this generation but also future generations. And that’s going to require some modifications, even as we maintain its basic structure.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that Obama wants to talk to Republicans about Social Security cuts. Even though Social Security is currently running a surplus. Carney admitted that Social Security has nothing to do with the federal debt.

"When you talk about deficit reduction, dealing with the issues that have been before us in these negotiations for these many weeks, Social Security is not a factor. But it also remains true, as he made clear in the State of the Union, that he is willing to, and thinks it's important, to talk about the long-term strength of Social Security," Carney told reporters Thursday.

I question if Obama even has a position on Social Security. On October 30, 2007, Obama said Social Security was fine.

"I absolutely agree that Social Security is not in crisis."

Obama flip-flopped on Nov. 6, 2007.

"You know, Senator Clinton says that she's concerned about Social Security but is not willing to say how she would solve the Social Security crisis, then I think voters aren't going to feel real confident that this is a priority for her."

In a week's time, Obama view of Social Security went from solvent to in crisis. Obama's shifting positions only makes sense when viewed as political opportunism. Obama ran an ad attacking opponent John McCain for alleged cuts to Medicare. Obama is now pushing for cost of living Medicare cuts. That should help people during an economic dowturn.

Obama plans on giving Republicans the cuts they want for entitlement and then declaring bipartisan victory.

Triangulation Man: How Obama Avoids Passing His Agenda

Tas wrote a post about how President Barack Obama avoids trying to forward a progressive agenda.

Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of Obama and much of my criticism would be viewed under the light of me being a member of the "Professional Left". I don't think Obama is a fighter, and he doesn't have the vision to use the bully pulpit provided to him by the Presidential Office to change the job description of that office; as well as public opinion.

Pollster Nate Silver wrote on Twitter that Obama avoids policy fights when public opinion is on his side.

Dodd-Frank is a good example of something where WH had public opinion on its side but exerted little effort.

It is unfair to compare gay marriage to the public's sour mood of Wall Street. What is perplexing is that Obama wanted to do the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell after the midterm elections. There would not have been enough votes to defeat the filibuster. Fortunately, LGBT and progressive groups kept pressure on Obama. The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Don't was not cited as the reason why Democrats lost seats in Congress. Obama's strategic instincts on politics and policy turned out to be horrible.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo passed gay marriage by going after what Republicans care about most - campaign contribution. Money always trumps policy for the Republicans.

But the donors in the room — the billionaire Paul Singer, whose son is gay, joined by the hedge fund managers Cliff Asness and Daniel Loeb — had the influence and the money to insulate nervous senators from conservative backlash if they supported the marriage measure. And they were inclined to see the issue as one of personal freedom, consistent with their more libertarian views.

Within days, the wealthy Republicans sent back word: They were on board. Each of them cut six-figure checks to the lobbying campaign that eventually totaled more than $1 million.

Triangulation isn't an excuse to not govern. If Obama's big dream as a child was to have more Americans buy private health insurance then he should have become an insurance company CEO. In Obama's defense, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Eric Cantor have no interest in Obama passing any kind of legislative agenda. However, when Michael Steele defeats Obama's hand-picked DNC chairman Tim Kaine and McConnell is out messaging a speaker of Obama's skills then it is fair to point out there is a problem. When Obama does go on the attack, like he did against Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, his opponents fold like lawn chairs.

Update: Press Secretary Jay Carney tells the White House press corp. that Obama will not defend DOMA because he believes it is unconstitutional. Carney will not say if Obama supports gay marriage. Does the White House their position the President won't publicly support marriage that should be legally allowed under the 14th amendment. The White House position is a mess and will get attacked from all sides next year.

Q On another topic, last week the President spoke about gay marriage when he was in New York and he said that -- talked about how this has been the province of the state and that's the -- referring to what was happening in the debate in New York, he said that's the power of democracy at work. Does that mean that he also respects the outcome of democracy at work in California where voters rejected the idea of gay marriage?

MR. CARNEY: Well, I think as you saw in the decision we announced that we would no longer -- this administration would no longer be participants defending the Defense of Marriage Act because we do not believe it's constitutional, that it's precisely because of his belief that this was a matter that needs to be decided by the states. So without commenting on a particular other state, I think he was making that clear with regard to the action in New York.

Q Okay, but --

MR. CARNEY: But I'm not going to put words in his mouth applying to another state. I mean, you can analyze that, but -- because I haven't heard him say that. But obviously the DOMA decision -- what he said in New York was about his belief, our belief, that this is a matter that states should decide.

Q And the central argument in the challenge to Proposition 8 by supporters of same-sex marriage rights is that this isn't something that should be decided state by states, in fact, that there are federal rights involved. So would he reject --

MR. CARNEY: Well, the President very strongly supports equal rights and he's -- we've been -- he's made that clear as well, and he said it again in New York at the event that you're discussing. So I'm not going to --

Q But I'm referring to the --

MR. CARNEY: I don't really have a lot I can say about Proposition 8 with regards to what the President said last week. You know, I don't -- I'm not willing to go to what the President didn't discuss. I can talk about what he did discuss.

Quote of the Day

"What I know is what his position was during the campaign and what it is now. He was very clear about it. He was very clear in the campaign. He's very clear about the fact that his position is evolving. I don't have anything to add to that."

Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary.

This is what triangulation produces. Mumbled nonsense that is incoherent policy and pleases no one on the Left or the Right. Bill Clinton didn't win in 1996 because Dick Morris was a political genius. If anything, Morris almost sank the campaign with his odd behavior that sucked morale out of Clinton's political team. Morris also had an escort scandal that came out during the 1996 Democratic National Convention. Clinton won because the economy was on the rebound and Bob Dole was a horrible candidate. This position doesn't make Obama look centrist. It makes Obama look too weak to take a position. Weakness is not a trait voters look for in presidential candidates.

Joel Award: Barack Obama

It is time to give out the Joel Award. The award goes any celebrity, pundit, blogger or politician that purposely contradicts himself or herself.

On the campaign trail in 2007, Barack Obama said he would march with union members if their collective bargaining rights were threatened.

“And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I’ll will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner.”

During his trip to Wisconsin, Obama said he wasn't paying attention to what is going on. Obama also said all sides had to make "some adjustments to new fiscal realities."

Read more »