He’s on the cable nets explaining how “extraordinarily fair” his suggestion for a plan was, and how everyone in the country is mystified why it didn’t go anywhere. So he is demanding that the leaders of Congress show up with “an answer” on what they intend to do about the debt ceiling because “we have run out of time.”
The first press question was “What’s your plan?” And after dodging, he put the onus on Boehner, demading “What can you say yes to?”
The House, led by Speaker Boehner, already said yes to the Cut, Cap and Balance Act — which is favored by the majority of the American people.
The question isn’t what Boehner can say “yes” to. The question is what’s the president’s plan? He doesn’t have one. He just keeps scolding the House Republicans for not “being serious.”
The House Republicans put themselves on the line for the Ryan plan earlier in the year, which is very serious. They put themselves on the line for CCB, which is serious.
Obama just said “I’m willing to take the responsibility, that’s my job.” But the fact is, he hasn’t taken responsibility for anything.
I’m not sure I’ve ever had less respect for the person occupying the Oval Office than I do, watching Obama’s comments right now.
His party had total control for the first two years of his presidency, and he and the Democrats squandered that time pushing ObamaCare and running up the debt.
Now he’s scolding the Republicans because Americans’ government checks are “at risk.” They’re at risk because he has spent us so close to ruin.
Update: From the other side of the aisle, Boehner has ended talks with the president, citing irreconcilable differences on tax hikes and entitlement reform. This is apparently what prompted the president’s press conference that’s taking place now.
Update: Obama has said repeatedly that he and the Democrats have shown that they’re willing to take on the “tough stuff” while the Republicans have been stubborn. What “tough stuff” was included in the meager $2 billion in cuts that the Biden talks came up with?
Update: One of these reporters needs to ask Obama whether the Democrats will ever give in on tax hikes. That’s the sticking point here, well, that and that they’re defending entitlement spending.
Update: Obama sounds “impotent and frustrated,” says NYT reporter. When you try leading from behind, or not at all, impotence and frustration seem like they would both be very likely outcomes. Who couldn’t have seen that coming?
Only the man scolding everyone else for not being serious.
Update: Now the president is claiming that Americans, including Republicans, write letters to him full of Democrat talking points about “balancing the budget on the backs of seniors,” talking points that are about 40 years old. Does he expect anyone to believe that he really gets these letters?
Now he’s getting angrier and angrier. Are we about to see the President of the United States crack up before our eyes? All I can say is, thank goodness the markets are closed. This rant might rock them.
Update: Funniest line of the presser: Obama said “Sometimes if you wanna be a leader, you have to lead.” And then in typical Obama fashion, he walked out of the room.
Some leader. We’re seeing what happens when someone with zero executive experience gets elected to the most difficult job in the world. Barack Obama is in over his head.
To recap a bit of history, Barack Obama has been president going on three years. In that time, he has proposed one budget, which was such a fine document that the Democrat-controlled Senate shot it down 97-0. His party has failed to move on a budget for more than 800 days. Even now, they have no plan for the debt ceiling crisis. None. The only real plan has come out of the House, where it passed. The Democrat-controlled Senate killed it on a party-line vote today.
Update: Boehner will respond shortly. I might have to pop some popcorn; that might be quite a show after the president’s warm-up act.
Update: For what it’s worth, the president doesn’t have the constitutional power to order the speaker of the House to show up at his office. He’s not the school principal. Boeher could tell him to stuff it, I’m not showing up. I don’t expect him to, but he could.
Flaskback: The closest the president has come to having a plan on the debt was a speech he delivered back on April 13. Asked to score it, the Congressional Budget Office reasonably responded that it can’t score a speech.
Tell me now, who’s not serious about dealing with the debt – the president who gave a speech, or the Republicans who delivered and passed an actual plan.
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