Partisanship, Politics, and Patriotism

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2009-01-20c
Former President George W. Bush embraces President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, after Obama’s inaugural address at the inauguration ceremony in Washington, January 20, 2009.
REUTERS/Jason Reed

Suck it up, liberals…What’s been good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Democrats have been licking Obama’s Copenhagen wounds by barking at conservatives for “cheering” the political Olympic-sized debacle as a rooting against America. Republicans are now being accused of “being unpatriotic“, because they want the president’s policies to fail.

Some of the Copenhagen criticism against conservatives has merit (I’m glad Obama suffered politically for this ill-conceived trip). Much of it is just plain warped, however, as there are also honest reasons why all Americans should be happy Chicago lost the Olympic bid to play host:

the U.S., dodged a bullet:

The common rejoinder to spiraling costs is that the Olympics make money for host cities. But the record is somewhat spottier than boosters admit. Athens and Beijing lost billions. Montreal, which hosted the games in 1976, took 30 years to pay off its loans. Los Angeles and Seoul made a tidy profit. Atlanta and Sydney broke even. It also depends on how you count: Is building a stadium factored into the cost? How about improving the subway? Expanding the housing stock? All this can leave a city with new and gleaming infrastructure — or a bunch of costly new houses no one wants to buy and stadiums no one wants to use.

Also read this from WaPo.

Chicago’s lucky it lost.

Democrats have been distorting the fierce opposition to their party’s push for healthcare reform (teabaggers and townhall protesters as uninformed scaremongers, birthers, conspiracists and racists…”the mob”…).

Democrats have been lamenting about how “Hope” and “Change” are being derailed because those “mean, racist Republicans” stand in the way as the “if he’s for it, we’re against it” Party.

Isn’t this what Democrats did to President Bush for 8 years of opposition? Personal as well as policy attacks? Distortions and smears?


2009-01-20

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel gestures prior to the inauguration ceremony, January 20, 2009.
REUTERS/Jim Young

Democrats are crying foul over the Hitler comparisons to President Obama. Where were they on this obscenity for the previous 8 years?

I agree, though: The Obama-Hitler comparisons are currently, unfair and inaccurate…

….At least Hitler got the Olympics to come to his city. (*Baddum bump!*)

When President Bush exercised, it was deemed “obsessive” and “creepy”:

the fact that Bush has an obsession with exercise that borders on the creepy.

Given the importance of his job, it is astonishing how much time Bush has to exercise.

~~~

Bush can bench press 185 pounds five times, and, before a recent knee injury, he ran three miles at a 6-minute, 45-second pace. That’s better than I could manage when I played two sports in high school. And I wasn’t holding the most powerful office on Earth. Which is sort of my point: Does the leader of the free world need to attain that level of physical achievement?

Maureen Dowd:

I like to exercise, but W. is psychopathic about it.


When President Obama exercises
, it’s a source for inspiration and admiration:

the Washington Post delivered a front-page paean to Barack Obama’s workout habits. The 1,233-word ode to O’s physical fitness read more like a Harlequin romance novel than an A-1 news article.

Sighed smitten reporter Eli Zaslow, “The sun glinted off chiseled pectorals sculpted during four weightlifting sessions each week, and a body toned by regular treadmill runs and basketball games.” Drool cup to the newsroom, stat.

Zaslow imparted us with vital information about buff Bam’s regimen: “Obama has gone to the gym for about 90 minutes a day, for at least 48 days in a row.” The Washington Post enlightened us with more gushing commentary from Obama friends and associates, who explain how, as the subtitle of Zaslow’s opus put it, “Gym Workouts Help Obama Carry the Weight of His Position.”

“Progressives” were fuming over the financial costs of President Bush’s inaugural:

In the days and weeks leading up to the event, the press has largely treated inauguration criticism as partisan and silly, making sure to give Bush backers lots of time and room to defend the unmatched pomp and circumstance.

Yet according to a mostly underreported Washington Post poll this week, a strong majority of Americans — 66 percent, including 46 percent of Republicans — would have preferred a “smaller, more subdued” inauguration, given the ongoing war in Iraq. In other words, Bush’s overblown celebration ranks as one of the few political issues that most Americans agree on — a phenomenon the press ignored.

Gee…given the huge financial crisis our country is in, did Salon also think to criticize President Obama’s lavish inaugural spending? No. But their side rallied around the defense of it.

President Bush was criticized for travel expenses to taxpayers. So then, what’s wrong with applying the same to President Obama?

Bush supposedly “ignored” his generals. And now that it’s Obama in office, it’s now okay to criticize the generals he may disagree with? To the point of arguing what uniform dress McChrystal should have worn in his 25 minute meeting with the president?

When will President Obama get criticized for not attending military funerals?

Prior to President Obama’s “unprecedented” address to the Muslim world, President Bush said much the same, yet received nowhere near the accolades, let alone fawning gushes and swoons. Instead, he was accused of launching a crusade against Muslims because “God told him to”.

Democrats mercilessly hammered Bush on spending and the ballooning deficit; but now that it’s “their guy” in the Oval Office, suddenly, like children in a candy store, it’s cool once again to cheerlead “runaway spending” (note to American voters: The answer to spending control is never NEVER to put more Democrats into office)? If the size of the government spending under 2 terms of Bush was bad, that okays Obama’s quadrupling of it in his first year of office? Whaaa-?! Ok, so we’ll spend our way out of recession– so long as it’s Obama and not Bush. Remember: Democrats are going to own this one (not that they won’t still blame Bush for it, of course).

So much of the opposition to President Bush was about partisan politics over patriotic opposition. And now that the shoe is on the other foot, liberals can know what it’s been like on the receiving end of their hyperbole, their hysteria, shrillness, and partisanly deranged opposition to all things Bush.

Welcome to being in political power. Enjoy it while it lasts.

goodluck

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The democrats take umbrage when their patriotism is questioned,but you will really have a hard time finding a patriot in their ranks. I grant you that there are not all that many in the elected Republican Party, but you still can find a few. We Conservatives will not sell our freedom for votes. The only thing is these corrupt politicians run the country and we need to get rid of them one way or the other. The corrupt elections just don’t cut it and using that way is a lost cause. If we can’t have honest elections, then revolution is the only option we have left. The attitude that “we won” so we will do whatever we want is not the American way.

Even if Republicans really, really wanted Chicago to lose the Olympic bid just so Obama would take a loss, it’s not as if now al Quaeda slaughters the IL. police and national guard as they flee the state, then takes over Chicago and imposes sharia law, and then starts building wmd with state funds. Like when liberals wanted us to lose Iraq.

I don’t feel like splicing every bit of your post, but lets just take couple of your points…

President Bush was criticized for travel expenses to taxpayers.

umm… it was in the context of his 2004 re-election campaign, and the article did speak to the use of Air Force One by Clinton and “other presidents”

“It is an advantage that Bush and other presidents before him have enjoyed. President Clinton frequently was criticized by Republicans for his record-setting use of Air Force One in the campaign season, and Bush is exceeding Clinton’s pace.”

No doubt Bush was criticized in an improper way. Anyone who said Bush and Hitler in the same sentence were lost to me. They are idiots to make such a comparison… just like those who use the same terminology about Obama.

Bush supposedly “ignored” his generals. And now that it’s Obama in office, it’s now okay to criticize the generals he may disagree with? To the point of arguing what uniform dress McChrystal should have worn in his 25 minute meeting with the president?

ummm… are you speaking about a comment in a blog as being emblematic of anything? That is the first I have heard of it… and honestly a nitsy non issue. It was interesting that the source of the comment did not even say anything except for copy and pasting Army regulations.

Who is hiding from the fact that we conservatives want Obama to fail?

Obama’s failure in Copenhagen was of his own making. Obama is a large child with childish expressions. Obama’s naivete will not imbue him with anything eloquent, upon his person or character.

Let’s make it clear here and now:

We want Obama to fail in his socialist ways and demeaning schemes for America.

We have no pity on him even though Obama is now a certifiable failure in the public eye.

We shall not only oppose but will vigorously fight his plans for unnecessary reform of our health system in any way. And, too, oppose Harry Reid for his repugnant anti-American ways.

We are as a matter of fact cheering, with well over half of the population of Chicago, the removal of that city as a candidate for further consideration for the Olympic games.

We oppose Obama’s lack of consistency, especially when it involves the lives of our beloved soldiers who are putting their lives on the line for their country — the country they love. We as Americans owe our generals and soldiers all of the support that we can give in their efforts to protect us. And, we make absolutely NO apologies for our insistence that the fight, against those who would harm us if they could, go to completion until, as Ronald Regan so aptly said, “We win, they lose.”

The patriotic thing to do, now that we have turned the lights on, is to oppose Barack Obama and any cohorts who challenge rather than uphold the Constitution they have sworn to uphold.

And, for the benefit of those who loath to hear or read it, we say, “God bless America.”

:

Don’t read to much INTO what is written; just read it for what it says. Lack of consistency refers to what Obama has said in the past in support of our troops. Now he’s taking his time rather than affording full support. There is nothing here about Obama caring.

Note that the political opposition, without even a cause, will drum up an argument from the dust off of my shoes.

@ The Word.

Obama does NOT care for our troops, unless and until they benefit HIM politically.

Name ONE warrior he or anyone in his admin has visited at a hospital, or any family of a fallen warrior. ( Bush/Cheney visited them all.)

He ignores the same military men he put into the position to advise him, unless and until they embarrass him.

Our warriors have begged him for more support, and he has yet to even give them the reasons for his doubts, or his delay.

He. Despises. Warriors. And. Their. Creed.

He, and the Dem-leadership has infact, given support to our enemies, and should be held for treason.

I was called a racist the other day… Imagine that…

Anyway, my finance guy does what he calls *Obama Proofing* your profile, I won’t go into detail but he has actually made us money while others are losing, any how, I was commenting on another blog the other day and I mentioned *Obama Proofing*…

One of the other people making comments said I was a vile racist for making that remark and using that terminology, and he was dead serious too!

It doesn’t matter WHAT any of us say, if we speak out against Obama and/or his administration, it’s not because he really sucks at being POTUS, it’s because WE are vile racists…

TexasFred <——– Vile Racist 😈

One term wonder…Thank God.

Wordsmith: Your comment #12 is well said. I could vote for Conservatives who are fair minded, even handed and stand on their convictions without going into the gutter to pander votes. Personally, I’m pi**ed about the Dali Lama thing, and folks can find plenty wrong with any administration that has ever been. Tactics…Tactics are important….Tactics tell you as much about a person or party as do their stated beliefs. I think the pallin’ around with terrorists style of campaigning has started to backfire, as I mentioned in another post earlier. When Conservatives rise up, shake off the extreem hate everything Obama does, says, and is stuff, and start becoming reasonable, engaged and offering viable solutions to the problems in the country and the world with logical reasoned approach and arguments, I guarantee the Liberals, and that includes me of late, will start to worry big time. Until then, it is the nutjobs who are defining the Conservatives, and the longer the association between the two goes on, the stronger the perceived connection will be established in the voters in Middle America’s minds.

we also need people on our side that know how to fight with words the way the democrats do it. also, in plain english so everyone can have a clear understanding of what they are saying.

in other words our side needs a hero that isn’t afraid of the mafia machine that now controls our government.

sarah palin comes to mind. whoever it will be needs to be very capable of taking care of themselves in the press and in their private lives because this mafia administration will put on one heck of a fight to stay in power.

be at the polls in 2010 for the beginning of the revolution!

“*”If we had thought about how to make a lot of money we would have chosen Chicago,” Rogge said as the body would down the Olympic movement’s XIIIth congress.

“*”Money is not what drives IOC members when it comes to choosing a host city,” he concluded.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.78eddf1f537d8956756a2a2b646264db.871&show_article=1

Is IOC president Jacques Rogge hinting that ‘Team Obama’ attempted to bribe the IOC ?
.

@ Wordsmith

I agree with Adrian S. and what Patvann said was right on. It’s not about agreeing or disagreeing with your Generals. The left can say what they want about Bush, he acted like a CinC. Dems say Bush took his time in enacting the surge, but that allegation is false. The Iraq Study Group report came out on December 6, 2006, Bush started working with DoD, Sec of State and the Joint Chiefs on December 11.
Obama is the CinC. In the end, it doesn’t matter what his Generals say, the final decision is his. But doing nothing isn’t the act of a good commander. If your current plan isn’t working, you fix it or change the plan. To maintain the status quo while your troops die as a result of your indecision is unacceptable. Either pull them out or change strategy. If he doesn’t like McChrystal’s plan, go with his own.
I don’t see any vitrol in a comment such as this at all. All Obama has to do is say, “I’ve listened to my Generals, I decided that I will pursue a different strategy,” or “I will follow the recommendations from the ground,” or “We’re pulling out.” Obama can’t make a decision. And that in and of itself shows a complete lack of regard for our troops. Plain and simple, no hatred for the messiah, just the facts.

@ mooseburger

When Conservatives rise up, shake off the extreem hate everything Obama does, says, and is stuff, and start becoming reasonable, engaged and offering viable solutions to the problems in the country and the world with logical reasoned approach and arguments, I guarantee the Liberals, and that includes me of late, will start to worry big time.

WTFever! The majority of republican a$$ clowns currently in congress don’t deserve to be there. When they held the majority under that idiot Hastert, they tried to make buddies with the left. “Let’s share power, let’s out spend the libbies, let’s be loved by the media.” Worked out pretty well for them, huh? The republicans tossed Newt under the bus to get along with the left. What did it end up getting them? Pelosi. She is 10 times more polarizing than Newt ever was, yet the left rallies around here. You have a chairman of the ways and means committee that is a blantant tax cheat, and yet the left rallies behind him.
Logical, reasoned approach and arguments? So none of the ideas offered by the right in any of healthcare or Porkulus debates were reasoned or logical? And being accused of a new holocaust on the house floor wasn’t extreme hate from the left? Nope, only the right has extreme hate.

No thanks. I’d rather keep ramming ACORN and all the other stuff down the left’s throats. Given the chance, the left would do it to us and not lose a moments rest.

I like to read about how enthusiatic some of you are about the upcoming election and that Obama is going to be a one term President. But something inside of me tells me that it is too easy. Obama wants to be the President for a long time. I don’t know how it is going to be achieved but I believe that we will not have free elections in the future. I hope I am wrong but something just ain’t right.

@ URI

It’d be a pretty good trick. It would also start a civil war. And democrats know, our military isn’t a big fan of their party.

URI: “I believe that we will not have free elections in the future.”

Oh? So you are saying the President Obama will cancel free elections in the future? That is totally crazy talk and your insinuations are provocative and damaging. Freedom loving people should denounce people like you for planting such lies to disrupt our democratic Republic.

@Blast:

For whatever reason, you have cropped part of URI’s comment:

I don’t know how it is going to be achieved but I believe that we will not have free elections in the future. I hope I am wrong but something just ain’t right.

You then remark:

So you are saying the President Obama will cancel free elections in the future? That is totally crazy talk and your insinuations are provocative and damaging. Freedom loving people should denounce people like you for planting such lies to disrupt our democratic Republic.

No, that’s not what he said and it’s not URI that is doing the “crazy talk.” Also appears that you have just planted a lie.

@ Blast

Really Blast?

<a href="Congressman John Olver, Democrate says Bush will cancel 2008 Elections

Democrat Underground claims Homeland Security Plan to cancel 2008 Elections

Harvey Wasserman and Bob Fitrakis claim Bush to cancel 2008 Elections

The left said it constantly prior to the 2008 elections. Funny, I don’t remember seeing you say anything about the planting lies to disrupt the democratic process.

I don’t think that Obama is going to act to stop elections, but it bothers me that he has a block of uncritical supporters that amounts to one third of the electorate. Hitler never had as many. A situation might develop gives him the pretext for a takeover, and I think he is arrogant enough to seize such an opportunity. Alternatively, he may do things that lead to a Seven Days in May situation. In the end, the army was the only institution in germany that could have taken Hitler down.

Blasted strikes again. You really have no clue how stoned and flat out loony you sound when you post, do you? A little Abilify or Seroquel would do you wonders.

Instead of asking what he meant, you fly out of your straight jacket and assume he meant obama would stop elections from being held…which is what people like you claimed Bush would do.

I’m sure he won’t stop elections especially since they are getting better and better at stealing them.

Oh and moosebrain, I suggest you stop projecting your issues onto Conservatives. Get your hate issues fixed before preaching to us.

Arrrg. Spam filter…

Aqua, “Funny, I don’t remember seeing you say anything about the planting lies to disrupt the democratic process.”

Funny you never asked me before. If Congressman whoever said it about Bush, I would call for evidence and if none were shown, I would say it was crazy talk.

Oh, and Aqua… why aren’t you speaking out against such comments that are actually happening right now, and in this blog?

Hardly Right “Instead of asking what he meant, you fly out of your straight jacket and assume he meant obama would stop elections from being held…which is what people like you claimed Bush would do.”

Funny… you actually made me laugh out loud with that comment. Especially the part where you totally LIE about me. I never said Bush would stop elections, and while you are flying out of your straight jacket… I will say anyone who made those claims about Bush were nuts too.

Blast, It is very hard to accept or to think the unthinkable sometimes. I am not an expert and maybe I am not alone. We are talking about about hard core lefties ideologs and people who have just gotten into power…do you think or let me refrase that..Did Castro relinquish power like the Cuban Constitution stated? Or Chavez? Why did Honduras have a Coup d’etat? He talks about a new world order. What is that supposed to mean? When I read about the background of the advisors, is atypical for America to have those people in such powerful positions.

Blast, history repeats itself and for some of us who are more experienced or perhaps cynical, certain ideas are not so far fetch. If I can think of it, why not them?. Again, I hope to be totally wrong and may all of these be only a product of my imagination.

As Limbaugh , as indeed, every true liberals has said, the history of mankind is a history of men trying to win liberty. In both the Jewish and Christians tradition, we have a liberator God. The God of Islam, is a slave master. So is the god of Marx. To Hitler, the master race was god, the “creator” of all good things. But the aim of all kings is to reduce their subjects to slavery.

@Aqua:

he could just press on with a failing strategy and double down on his first instinct or advice without giving thoughtful consideration to the lives of the troops or the true purpose of thier service. This would allow him to look like the big and strong commander while everyone else sees the error of his strategy. All he has to do is keep that up until the next administration takes over. Thats how you fight a war without having to worry about winning. It has worked before…

@ Blast

Sorry, the link was messed up. Here is the link. Congressman John Olver Believes Bush will Cancel 2008 Elections

Oh, and Aqua… why aren’t you speaking out against such comments that are actually happening right now, and in this blog?

I did in a round about way. Sorry though, after 8 years plus of hearing republicans being called everything from racists, hate-mongers, war-mongers, nazis and inbred morons, all my goodwill is spent. I have always tried to find common ground with normal democrats. I believe that those of us on the left and right that live outside the beltway are actually much closer on issues than the views espoused by the pundits of D.C. But I’m pretty much done playing nice. After my own congressman said that no censuring Joe Wilson would encourage people to take to riding the countryside in white hoods and robes, I refuse to apologize for anything, anyone says about this administration. You guys started it, deal with it.

@ Aqua, oh, that makes sense, you ask me to denounce some bad behavior and then you say “ll my goodwill is spent” and will allow what you tastily acknowledge as incorrect behavior stand… ok, that speaks volumes. I hope you refresh your goodwill and attempt to participate in an open way.

@ Blast

Dude, I expect it from the left. Just calling out the hypocrisy of the left. If one conservative says something about a liberal that 1 million liberals have said about conservatives, you guys lose your mind. As for my goodwill, I’m going to need a significant amount of goodwill deposit from the left before I go back to the way I was. Didn’t get us anything in the past except kicked and spit on. No, I’m thinking that using the lefts tactics against them is working much better. We’ll just throw a bunch of names and accusations at you guys until just one sticks and well hammer away at that. That’s what the left does to us and it seemed to work out pretty well for ’em. Think we’ll give it a shot for a while.