President Obama paid a visit to the Senate Republican Conference today to have a direct give-and-take on current issues like immigration, the oil spill, and financial reform. Though Obama called the meeting “a good, frank discussion on a whole range of issues,” and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was “a good exchange, a candid exchange,” some people were left more bitter than before. “The more he talked, the more he got upset,” said Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas. “He needs to take a Valium before he comes in and talks to Republicans and just calm down, and don’t take anything so seriously.”
Democrats dismissed complaints that Mr. Obama had been overly combative, noting that Republicans had demanded that he engage in the bargaining process, and then criticized him as soon as he did.
But Republicans were evidently still smarting from Mr. Obama’s chiding tone. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas even suggested that the president needed some sedation before he resumed discussions with them.
“I remember when he talked to Republicans before, and all we got was a lecture,” Mr. Roberts said. “So maybe if he would just take a Valium and calm down and come down and talk to us, it might be helpful.”
It wasn’t funny the first time.
Really. Why isn’t Obama a sedated, compliant tool for his corporate handlers like Reagan and Bush II were? Those were the days when we had national unity.
<sarcasm>
Obama is truly trapped. He can’t be an angry black man; that’s threatening. He can’t be condescending or show off his superior knowledge on a subject; that’s uppity and being a dick. All the while, many in the lefty blogosphere are calling him spineless appeaser. The Repubs are taunting him, calling him weak, teleprompter faker. They appear willing to destroy the global economy just to take him down.
I can’t imagine the strength of character that keeps him from having a nervous breakdown when he considers the almost insurmountable crises we’re facing. Maybe he’s calm because he knows we’re all going to hell in a hand basket and he’s just sitting back, fatalistically slack-jawed, at the insanity of a crumbling empire.
Personally, I’m on Alprazolam, Temazepam, heart meds to control fibrillation and thyroid meds to keep me from going into a hyper-frenzy and shootin’ some assholes!
Well maybe if the Rep’s would all stop taking Viagra they could bring their heads back to the nation’s problems.
So now their official talking points include instructions to mention Valium? WTF?
Given how measured, calm and controlled President Obama usually is, to see any sign of annoyance from him is rather remarkable — but the Republicans are deliberately pushing the limits of economic sanity here.
I’m glad the President is being tough on this, though.
Is Pat Roberts being paid a product placement fee by Roche?
No. But when he retires he’ll be on their board.
Are you sure? What do his financial disclosure statements show? Or don’t show?
It’s actually not a bad thing that Senators take umbrage from being told what to do by a President. It represents the healthy independence of the federal branches. The problem is here, where the Senator in question is himself being foolish and childish, and instead of being substantively independent is totally in thrall to an addled political “movement.”
For the record, I didn’t perceive any racial overtones in Roberts’ “Valium” comments either time. Rather, I think they were just dumb.
It’s yet another trial balloon by the wingers to see if they can trow something against the wall and it sticks.
For the most part they have lost the birther issue.
This is Angry Black Man. It won’t work, becaue Obama has been in ofice long enough for people to know that he isn’t like that.
The Repubs are on the losing end of the fight.
After the Gulf Oil Spill, the public isn’t supportive of the oil subsidy.
The Repubs standing up for the corporations and fat cats won’t go over well.
I think the Repubs have painted themselves into a corner. Good.
Moreover a bunch of people also know that Obama has been criticized for not getting angry enough.
Awww, pooah widdoo whinin’ tiddybabies.
Roberts in 2010: “He needs to take a Valium before he comes in and talks to Republicans and just calm down, and don’t take anything so seriously.” Well said, as a man who hasn’t take things seriously.
From ThinkProgress, Iraq Intelligence: