President Obama goes to GOP lions' den -- and mauls the lions

*DIVA! · January 29th, 2010, 10:33 PM

President Obama traveled to a House Republican retreat in Baltimore on Friday and delivered a performance that was at once defiant, substantive and engaging. For roughly an hour and a half, Obama lectured GOP leaders and, in a protracted, nationally-televised question-and-answer session, deflected their policy critiques, corrected their misstatements and scolded them for playing petty politics. (Full video and transcript available HERE.)

White House officials told the Huffington Post they were absolutely ecstatic. MSNBC's Luke Russert, who was on the scene in Baltimore, relayed that a Republican official and other GOP aides had confided to him that allowing the "cameras to roll like that" was a "mistake."

So effective was the president that Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended.
It was the type of performance that Obama's supporters have long demanded and that his own aides have been eager to deliver. The question-and-answer session at the end wasn't initially supposed to be broadcast, but the White House pressured GOP leadership to bring the cameras in. They knew the optics it would generate, a source with knowledge of the planning relayed. Hours before the event began, Republican leaders finally relented.

What resulted was what one Democratic strategist described as "amazing theater" -- certainly for cable news. Standing on a stage, looking down at his Republican questioners, Obama assumed the role of responsible adult to the GOP children, or, at the very least, of a college professor teaching and lecturing a room full of students.

He chastised Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) for calling his economic agenda radical and poked fun at the GOP's own platform. "I am not an ideologue, I'm not," he said. "It doesn't make sense if somebody could tell me, 'You could do this cheaper and get increased results,' then I would say, 'Great.' The problem is, I couldn't find credible economists who could back up the claims that you just made."

He rebuked a questioner who insisted that the monthly deficit is higher now than Bush's annual deficit. "That's factually just not true," he said. "And you know it's not true." He lampooned Republican lawmakers seated in front of him for portraying his health care legislation as "some Bolshevik plot." He mocked Republicans for railing against the stimulus package and then showing up at "the ribbon-cuttings for some of these important projects in your communities." And he did it all while calling for "a tone of civility instead of slash and burn will be helpful."
Whether it was chutzpah, political savvy, or both, it certainly was refreshing. Reporters were thrilled with the British Parliament-style exchange between president and lawmakers. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder asked that forums like these be held monthly. The Nation's Chris Hayes suggested Obama next go before the progressive caucus. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post labeled it "the most compelling political television I've seen...maybe ever. NBC's Chuck Todd added: "The president should hold Congressional 'town halls' more often. Public needs to see this if they'll ever trust Washington again."

From the narrower vantage point of the White House, the event also made for effective politics, spurring some comparisons to the type of political engagement relished by former President Bill Clinton.

"Most people thinking about this would have thought 'ooh Obama is going into the lion's den," said Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's former press secretary. "But there was a great opportunity to jujitsu that. On one level it looked brave but on another he was the substitute teacher there, lecturing the audience.

"A lot of us have been waiting for that moment, a little more fight, a little more politics," she added. "He is in a political business and he has to pay attention to not just the substance but the politics."
Obama Goes To GOP Lions' Den -- And Mauls The Lions

**visitor42** · January 30th, 2010, 01:14 AM

He did good.

So effective was the president that Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended.

Take that Dittoheads.

**buttmunch** · January 30th, 2010, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by visitor42

He did good.

Take that Dittoheads.

I was going to grab that quote as well. Go Obama.

**Brookie** · January 30th, 2010, 08:21 AM

He was magnificent. Love that Fox cut out before it was over. It's great to have a President that thinks on his feet, keeps his head, answers calmly and logically and doesn't launch into the "'Cuz I'm the Decider" rhetoric tha we all came to expect from Bush.

**Sasha** · January 30th, 2010, 11:11 AM

The Nation's Chris Hayes suggested Obama next go before the progressive caucus.

This is what I want to see but I bet he won't do it. He'll get some truthful, pointed criticism that he cannot deflect as easily as he did the Repukes. Bring on Dennis Kucinich!

**kingcap72** · January 30th, 2010, 11:22 AM

Obama definitely slayed the lions, right after he kicked them in the balls. I was hoping the State of the Union was a turning point and it seems like it was. He continued to back the GOP into a corner on national television, while shattering their talking points. I'm starting to think Scott Brown winning may have been a blessing in disguise. It lit a fire under Obama, hopefully it'll do the same for the rest of the Dems.

I bet the GOP regrets having Obama talk them into letting television cameras into the room.

**Grimmlok** · January 30th, 2010, 11:52 AM

yeah, it takes real courage to stand up to people whose policies you're implementing.

*eyeroll*

It also takes real courage to stand up to a disorganized party of idiots, whose policies you're implementing, when said party doesn't hold any of the levels of government.

Boy howdy, thems some balls.

If you couldn't tell that was the highest level of sarcasm i could possibly muster.

**visitor42** · January 31st, 2010, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by Sasha

The Nation's Chris Hayes suggested Obama next go before the progressive caucus.

This is what I want to see but I bet he won't do it. He'll get some truthful, pointed criticism that he cannot deflect as easily as he did the Repukes. Bring on Dennis Kucinich!

The problem is that too many see Obama as a leftist ultraprogressive, and the MSM will paint Obama visiting the progressive caucus as going into friendly territory. The truth, however, is that progressives are some of Obama's harshest critics.

**buttmunch** · January 31st, 2010, 02:21 AM

I think we need to stop shooting our own. He'snot been perfect, he's been pragmatic and he's made mistakes. I have faith that he will, overall, improve the office, improve the tone of dealings in the capital, he will improve the relationships with other countries and he will improve lives in America. He will not be all things to all people because that would be impossible. He will also not be able to deliever on every single thing because he is not a dictator. But his SOTU and this little event were both great and I think he's come out swinging.

My favorite thing is him calling out the repugs for making everything they do about getting re-elected, thus removing the possibility of negotiation or wiggle room. I laughed and cheered when he said that.

**Grimmlok** · January 31st, 2010, 08:08 AM

... and yet he still gives everything away to them, concedes every point, and is obsessed with bipartisanship when it's impossible.

So wtf, how can he call them out for that when he's been a huge retard on that area?

**MontanaMama** · January 31st, 2010, 02:46 PM

I thought he did well. It was important to address specific policy differences.

Not that they had much credibility left, but the single most obvious "party of no" demonstration occurred this week. The Republicans are supposed to be about fiscal responsibility and seem to think they are getting a lot of traction on spending/deficit issues. But, this week the Senate passed "pay-go" by a 60-40 margain (which doesn't seem right, must have been 59-40. I am just constantly amazed that politicians aren't called to answer for their hypocrisy.

McCain, Three Other GOPers, Reverse Support For Pay-Go - Yahoo! News

**kingcap72** · January 31st, 2010, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by buttmunch

I think we need to stop shooting our own. He'snot been perfect, he's been pragmatic and he's made mistakes. I have faith that he will, overall, improve the office, improve the tone of dealings in the capital, he will improve the relationships with other countries and he will improve lives in America. He will not be all things to all people because that would be impossible. He will also not be able to deliever on every single thing because he is not a dictator. But his SOTU and this little event were both great and I think he's come out swinging. .

Agreed. Obama's not perfect, nor were any of the previous presidents. I voted for Clinton twice, and he did things that I loved and things that disappointed me. But I still thought he was a damn good president, and I would've happily voted for Clinton for a third term if he could've run.

I think Obama has the potential to be a GREAT president, and when I see him not living up to that potential it bugs me. And I didn't expect Obama to keep ALL of his campaign promises, since no president does. But he's kept some, and appears to be working on others. But I believe certain presidents come along at the right time in American history, be it Lincoln, FDR, Truman, JFK/LBJ, Reagan, Clinton and now Obama.

Originally Posted by buttmunch

My favorite thing is him calling out the repugs for making everything they do about getting re-elected, thus removing the possibility of negotiation or wiggle room. I laughed and cheered when he said that.

The thing that made me laugh was when he called the GOP out on voting against the stimulus, and then doing the photo ops for the projects in their states that were paid for by the stimulus.

And then after it was all over John Boehner says that Obama acknowledged that Republicans had better ideas over the last year. I was like, where the hell did he say that? Boehner's had to much spray tan.

**visitor42** · February 1st, 2010, 01:39 AM

Originally Posted by buttmunch

I think we need to stop shooting our own. He'snot been perfect, he's been pragmatic and he's made mistakes. I have faith that he will, overall, improve the office, improve the tone of dealings in the capital, he will improve the relationships with other countries and he will improve lives in America. He will not be all things to all people because that would be impossible. He will also not be able to deliever on every single thing because he is not a dictator. But his SOTU and this little event were both great and I think he's come out swinging.

My favorite thing is him calling out the repugs for making everything they do about getting re-elected, thus removing the possibility of negotiation or wiggle room. I laughed and cheered when he said that.

ITA. Thank you!