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Obama fires back: No teleprompter, he knew his talking points

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | January 30, 2010 at 07:12 am

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Quote

"If you were to listen to the debate and, frankly, how some of you went after this bill, you'd think that this thing was some Bolshevik plot," Obama told the GOP issues retreat after unveiling a proposal for $33 billion in small-business tax incentives.

New York Daily News

President slams GOP for lack of civility, obstructionist agenda

On a Balitmore ballroom floor, President Barack Obama fired back at Obstructionist GOP members.

As though suddenly recalling that he was hailed by scholars as "the Fourth Turning candidate" - in reference to the prophetic political analysis of the masters, Howe and Strauss - Obama looked and sounded more like the charismatic orator of the pre-election days. Even gay bloggers were impressed: Some welcoming back "the real Barack" and redeclaring their love for him on websites.

Without use of tele-prompters, and speaking from his center, Obama railed at Republican lack of civility, oppositional neurosis, and socialist name-calling.

If one has not made the error - and it is an error - of viewing Obama as some annex to the Clinton era and some Nancy Pelosi leashed poodle elite , but views him from the ascension perspective, as Howe and Strauss did, of the archetypal leader (with all his flaws) who is preordained by the political process (malevolent as it may be), then one can see that he is correct in his assertions.

House Republican leaders had tried to score political points by inviting Obama to their lair. Problem was, he showed up.
"You've given yourselves very little room to work in a bipartisan fashion because what you've been telling your constituents is, this guy is doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America," Obama said, his face appearing to tighten in anger.

An hour-long question-and-answer session after Obama's short speech provided plenty of dramatic, forced bipartisanship - and some of the most contentious public exchanges of his presidency.

"A lot of you have gone to appear at ribbon-cuttings for the same projects that you voted against," Obama needled, using last year's $787 billion stimulus package to land a stinging blow.

On the other side, Republicans countered by asking biting questions, sometimes in the form of long statements. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) drew blood and left Obama without a good explanation on a well-known health care topic.

"When you stood up before the American people multiple times and said you would broadcast the health care debates on C-SPAN, you didn't," Chaffetz said. "I think a lot of Americans were disappointed."

Asked if he'd back across-the-board tax cuts like President John F. Kennedy, Obama said he would study the budget-busting idea.

"I may not agree to a tax cut for Warren Buffett," he demurred. "You may be calling for an across-the-board tax cut for the banking industry right now. I may not agree to that."

Conservative Georgia Rep. Tom Price, head of the Republican Study Committee, gave Obama props for his political skill and for owning up to not negotiating all of health reform on C-SPAN, calling it his "only moment of humility."