Rand Paul took the rare and risky measure of filibustering in an effort to illicit an answer from the Administration on a critical stray from the Constitution – drone strikes on American citizens in America. In a show of solidarity with Paul’s historically lengthy (almost 9 hours), and audacious move, twelve Republican Senators went to dinner with President Obama. Alright, so there may be another term more appropriate than “solidarity” to describe their exit stage left – still, surely they must have wished him well while out dining and pretending to be negotiating spending cuts with Obama. Or, perhaps they were more inclined to demonstrate solidarity with Obama than with Paul.
What were they really doing? The media is painting a rosy picture of this momentous dinner and sells it as proof of effort from the President, and evidence of how far he is willing to go to make a deal and be accommodating, or reasonable. Adulation from the Washington Post is typical, “The GOP’s tax orthodoxy remains too strong, and the fear of conservative primary challenges too fresh, for a bit of outreach to wildly change the odds. But at least the president will have done everything he can, and everyone — including many Republicans — will know it.”
Obama goes to dinner with 12 Republicans and this is going to accomplish the goal of an agreement on real spending cuts? Not a chance.
Lindsey Graham SC
Bob Corker TN
Kelly Ayotte NH
John McCain AZ
Richard Burr NC
Saxby Chambliss GA
Dan Coates IN
Mike Johanns NE
Pat Toomey PA
Tom Coburn OK
Ron Johnson WI
John Hoeven ND, and Barack Obama, WH,
. . . . all collectively accomplished exactly what?
- A crowd does NOT negotiate anything.
- A meaningful negotiation is held between two or three, not a baker’s dozen and its entourage.
- Over dinner that baker’s dozen might as well be a throng treating itself to a pointless Party on the taxpayer’s dime.
- A dozen Republicans showing up for dinner shows pandering, not reasonableness in negotiating.
- A dozen Republicans showing up for dinner gifts the tax-and-spend President the photo op he needs.
- A dozen Republicans showing up for dinner lets Obama off the hook and out of the corner he’s in, providing him fodder for more tales he can then tell to the media which is more than willing to applaud.
Does anyone really believe this dinner will lift gridlock and move Obama from his ideological stance? . . . . Well, other than the media? It seems more and more of the public is disbelieving.
Dinners are used for stimulating or promoting familiarity. These 12 don’t know who Obama is yet? Four years and this bunch is still not clear? Serious and meaningful negotiations are done in a boardroom in private, or in a cave in the hills, but not over a lavish dinner with a parade of limousines and security agent Escalades putting on a very public exhibition of extravagance.
ABC views this particular performance as marking a new approach for Obama. Really? How insightful is that? Some hard negotiations are mandatory, not just necessary, to bring spending under control. We shall not hold breaths for fear of turning blue on the outcome of this new outreach.
A constituent of the vast baby boomer generation with a career which has been fortunate to know the ponderous corporate worlds, as well as the intimately pressurized, and invigorating entrepreneurial domains of high tech and venture capital, I have harvested my share of mistakes meandering through corridors of enterprise from Silicon Valley, to London and endless, colourful, sometimes praetorian points in between. The voyage has provided an abundance of fodder for a pen yielding to an inquisitive keyboard, a foraging mind, and a passionate spirit.
Whether political or business or social or economic or personal, is it not all political? It is a privilege to write, and an even greater privilege to be read by anyone, and sometimes with the wind at my back the writing may occasionally be legible. I do not write to invite scorn, nor to invite respect, but if I get really lucky the writing can stimulate thinking. I also write for the very selfish purpose of animating my own processes, and engaging the best of what life offers. Above all, whether biting fire or swatting shadows, I am grateful to be gifted the freedom to write and publish whatever flows down to the keyboard. To all those who enabled this freedom, and to all those standing guard to preserve it, I am indebted.
After McCain’s remarks regarding the Rand Paul Filibuster, I am convinced John needs to retire. As MacCarther said maybe John should fade away and take Graham with him.
@Old Guy: #1,
McCain may well have been ‘covering’ and rationalizing his lack of support for a critical question – mark another one up for John. His mistakes have been an embarrassment for a very long time.
@Old Guy: I totally agree, there’s a bunch of Republicans that really need to go… NOW!
Here is one self-made individual’s perspective on the President which the 12 Republicans had such a fruitful dinner with (taken from the current Vanity Fair article on Roger Ailes, the head of Fox News), . . . .
That says a great deal of the man in the Oval Office so many seem to readily worship without question.
@James Raider: Like the pied friggin’ piper… probably ain’t a better liar in the land, and that scares the crap out of me.
@Scott in Oklahoma: @Scott in Oklahoma: #5,
With someone like that in the seat of such power, your feelings are justified.
One the things I just don’t get is that even if I agreed with some of the policies of a narcissistic liar, I couldn’t ever see myself able to support him, let alone vote for him.
Should it not be generally obvious that such an individual is dangerous?
@James Raider: Well James, if you go over and look at the responses I got last week from my “sad conclusion” post, apparently a few people are okay with any and everything Obama does. I don’t get it, don’t imagine I ever will either.
@Scott in Oklahoma: As far as lying goes he is just a typical moo-slime — deceiving to advance their cause — withness all goings on in middle east and north africa – last 2-1/2 years..
@Scott in Oklahoma: That is because at that limit of liberalism — it has crossed from mental disorder into insanity.
“Solidarity” is a progressive term–may explain why authors I read never seem clear on the concept.
One leader meeting with 12 others. Reminds me of another meeting a long time ago.
Does anyone else have a problem with our government officials always seeming to meet in very expensive places for very expensive meals, that WE THE PEOPLE are paying for? Isn’t there a proper size room in any of the Federal buildings where they could meet for free and have some pizza delivered?
Did these 12 republicans think that meeting with obama this way would help, or were they there for the free meal?
OT
I keep hearing pundits talk about BHO being concerned about his Legacy now that he is in his second term. And how BHO does not want to do anything to tarnish that Legacy. My opinion is BHO doesn’t give a rats xxx about his Legacy, he is doing what he indended and that is destroy the USA.
IF Obama’s intent was to divide and thus try to destroy the Republican Party, he certainly seems successful….on the surface.
Look how it led to the rancor between the old Republicans vs the Rand ones.
Sen. Rand did not even bring up the dinner.
But dinner goers began defending their attendance that very evening.
Later Rand Paul was asked to comment on the dinner goers and their comments, so he did.
Then the dinner goers dug in their heels ….. against Paul and for Obama!
We’ll see how the GOP weathers this storm.
The dinner was a perfect euphemism for the future. The new guard takes a stand: the old guard (RHINOs) meet with the president.
If Republicans are going to change direction of the country, they need to realize the stupidity of operating as hand maidens for Liberalism. In effect, having a two party system for appearances and for RHINOs to have prestigious jobs with all the perks and graft, including the opportunity for nepotism. Thus they serve an ever growing oligarchy, pretending to be the opposition who covertly knows how their bread is buttered.
The country and the Constitution become lost in the shuffle, position, power, and money become the driving forces; until, you have a man who stands alone to challenge the system and the corruption. The reaction from the old guard is scorn, how dare he rock their luxury liner. They like their cushy life.
It is up to we the people, or at least those of a conservative mind set, to stand behind Paul and his meek tentative supporters or continue following the RINOs down the trail to perdition.
Skooks Kinda reminds me of prosecution vs defense lawyers in a courtroom scene. Fighting each other tooth and nail—-6pm they’re in the bar enjoying drinks and slapping each other on the back.
Hold on–90% of these Congressmen are—wait—-LAWYERS
@Smorgasbord:
Did these 12 republicans think that meeting with obama this way would help, or were they there for the free meal?
@James Raider: Fox is KING of cable, but during prime time news hour Fox News gets about 10% of American TVs Fox has its niche viewers who love it most Americans laugh at it.
@john: Are you trying to make a point and failing? Or are you just throwing out a comment for the sake of throwing out a comment?
@Nan G: IMO — the republicans have been destroying themselves — sucking on the hind tit of the NWO.
John(17): I don’t understand what the point is that you are trying to make.
Please explain it using the data from here:
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/03/05/cable-news-ratings-for-saturday-sunday-march-2-3-2013/171906/
Skookum(14): I think I would have said “metaphor”, or just “perfect example”.
(Other) Old Guy(12): “ My opinion is BHO doesn’t give a rats xxx about his Legacy, he is doing what he indended and that is destroy the USA. ,”
He is doing what his controllers (Ayers, Soros, others) have told him to do
Scott(18): you posted while I was prepping (20)–I’m glad I am not the only one to see that.
McCain has thrown down the gauntlet.
Asked to identify who he was referring to, McCain replied:
Mccain and Graham are obviously worried over the damage to the party by Paul’s filibuster.
Paul replied in a radio interview with Huckabee:
@john: #17,
Thank you.
This comment is exactly the essence and nature of the lack of insight which I am referring to above when I refer to, “the man in the Oval Office so many seem to readily worship without question.”
@Skookum: #22,
As the ‘results’ of this fast becoming infamous dinner surface, it is becoming more and more of an embarrassment.
@Skookum: McCain and Graham both need to walk off into the sunset, their time is passed. They no longer appear to care a whit about the direction we’re headed, only about their own power. The disrespect they have displayed for the ones with the balls to stand up is disappointing at best, they (McCain, Graham and others) no longer serve with honor in my eyes.
Graham made a comment about Paul’s commentary being foolish and unrealistic, does he think Fast & Furious, Benghazi, Libya, Egypt and the other “accomplishments” of Obama’s administration were okay?
Dinner with Obama, a parable
Dinner with Obama, a parable
Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I had worked hard all my life to build it… I live in a free country.. There’s nothing that the government can do to me if I’ve broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.
I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.
The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.
“Sorry about that,” said the President. “Andrew is very hungry.”
“I don’t appreciate…” I began, but as I looked into the calm eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. “Of course,” I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.
“And his brother Eric is very thirsty.” said the President.
I didn’t say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along.
I don’t want to seem unkind. My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.
“Eric’s children are also quite hungry.”
Suddenly, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.
“And their grandmother can’t stand for long.”
I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President.
“Their grandfather doesn’t like the cold.”
I wanted to shout- that was my coat! But again, I looked at the cool placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone.
I contained myself and went to a phone on an elegant side table to ask my wife to come get me.
I learned shortly my wife had been thrown out of our home, my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, and my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished.
Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn’t moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.
He quietly said, “Andrew’s whole family has made bad financial decisions. They have not planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a sub-prime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do.”
My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I stared at the small gray circles on the tablecloth… water drops were all that was left.
“By the way,” He added, “I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I’m firing you as head of your business. I’ll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There’s a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can’t come to you for jobs groveling like beggars.”
I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his Crème Brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.
Why was I punished?
How had I allowed it to be taken?
What game had I played and lost?
What had I done wrong?
As if answering my unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his cool, empty, eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.
“You should have stopped me at the dinner roll,” he said.
@dscott: I’m afraid the dinner roll was his Illinois State Senate seat…
@retire05: As mentioned your allies include CodePink,lefties Leahy,Markely and SOCIALIST Bernie Sanders.Libs Boxer and Lautenburg abstained. Strange bedfellows.
btw You said 7 and listed 8
dscott#26 I enjoyed that
@Richard Wheeler:
I listed Johanns as voting “aye”. My mistake. Johanns voted “nay.” Nevermind, Collins, Murkowski, Hatch, Kirk and Rubio picked up the slack by five men who still have mantained some honor.
And as I said, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. But never fear, the only reason CodePinko objects to the drone thing is because they don’t want to wind up on the SPLC hit list.
@retire05: @retire05: So lets add SPLC to YOUR allies. You got CodePink,SOCIALIST Bernie Sanders,Far lefties Leahy and Markely. Even Barbara Boxer refrained from voting for Brennan. Your Bedfellows
Those like yourself who deride McCain and Graham and favor Paul. Be careful. Commander Mac USN and Colonel Graham USAF are two of our staunchest advocates for the military and a strong defense.
Is Rand another PaulBot isolationist –tree/apple? You want him in your bed as well?
I do remember you’re no friend of his dad.
Semper Fi
@Richard Wheeler:
Even left wingers can see that drone attacks on U.S. citizens on U.S. soil is just inherently wrong. Unfortunately, you seem to think that even is a policy is wrong, you must hold on to the party line. Most Americans don’t feel that way and understand the difference between an issue being Constitutional or unconstitutional. Shame you have such little respect for that document you took an oath to uphold and defend.
I have a bedfellow, no fellows. Not into kinky stuff like liberals.
So what? Do you think the honor a person gains while in service continues no matter what they do? I think John Kerry is the most dispicable human on earth (well, except for maybe his buddy, Jane Fonda) and he was in the Navy. Graham is a JAG officer. Thought you didn’t like lawyers.
Why do you keep referring to bed? Is that a distant memory for you since you have been emasculated? No, Rand is really not like his father. But had you done your research, you would know that. Rand, unlike Ron, who changed over the years from the man who was my representative and whose campaign I worked for years ago, has decended into senility. The Ron Paul that I turned my back on was the one who wrote such disgusting letters that were sent out to Republicans in my district.
I also don’t subscribe to blood liable.
Rand Paul did what needed to be done. Now John McCain is set out to destroy any remaining honor he might have managed to hold on to (which was little). Lindsay Graham is a total jerk who is simply looking for a camera.
@Richard Wheeler: The fact that they had military service doesn’t exempt them from critisism for their actions today. Neither Graham nor McCain are showing anything but disrespect for Sen. Paul, who is NOT a clone of his father.
dscott
you had me so angry, I was speechless, thinking ,
how much more can one person take, before shooting,
you remind me of the innocent GEORGE ZIMMERMAN STILL AT THE POINT WHEN THE WAITER TAKE THE CHAIR OUT, AND THERE IS NOT A DAM THING HE CAN DO BUT WAIT,
WHAT A VICIOUS JOKE, HE GOT BECAUSE THE BLACKS THOUGHT HE WAS RACIST,
WHEN HE HAD SAVE A BLACK MAN AGAINST THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AIMING AT PUT HIM IN PRISON.
YOU FAIL TO OFFER A CHUNK OF MONEY TO THE PRESIDENT,
DIDN’T YOU SEE THAT’S WHAT HE WAS WAITING FOR,
@retire05: Haven’t you ever heard the expression “Politics make strange bedfellows?”Kinky?? You are one uptight old biddy aren’t you? Nan understood,
My dad was Navy JAG. There’s good and bad lawyers like any profession.
You can knock Mac and Graham personally and question their honor and patriotism if you like. Shows what an old fool you really are. “Mac has little remaining honor” Who the hell are you to say that. You ever serve? You ever been tortured? What the hell have you EVER done for this great country?
BTW Rand Paul is very much like Ron –wants to cut the military budget and size, pull back many overseas bases and has mentioned his total disconnect from neo-cons
Obviously this is the reason Mac and Graham did not support him yesterday.
Semper Fi
@Old Guy: #12
Different times I have asked people to imagine that the white house and congress have been infiltrated, and to imagine what the ones in congress and the white house would do to destroy the USA from within. Compare those ideas to what is going on today, and they are a match.
@retire05: #16
And people wonder why I don’t belong to ANY party. I want a party that will give me a candidate I can vote FOR, instead of having to vote AGAINST the others.
@john: #17
Those who want the FREEdoms of the US Constitution watch Fox News. Those who want the FREEstuff watch the others.
@Richard Wheeler:
Certainly. So what?
You just can’t help yourself, can you?
Ah, well then, that explains it, doesn’t it?
Yep. A right guaranteed me by the First Amendment. I would remind you that honorable military service doesn’t always mean that the person remains honorable. Benedict Arnold was a hero at one time. How did that work out?
You certainly seem fond of namecalling, Richard. Let’s see, just in this post you have called me a “old biddy” and a “fool.”
Rand is much different than his father. You have been told that by more than me, yet you want to ignore that fact. Do I agree with Rand, and others, that we stop providing military protection to countries whose borders should be protected by them? Hell yes; WWII ended 68 years ago. Isn’t it time those European nations start providing their own security?
No, they did it because someone else was in front of a camera instead of them. Both need to retire. And take Karl Rove with them to the retirement home.
@Larry Sheldon: #20
Never confuse a liberal with facts. They don’t know what to do with them.
Fox News ALWAYS has the top rated news shows. I don’t keep track of ratings, but from what I read, they almost always have the top 10 slots for news type shows, and most of the slots bellow that.
At least Fox News calls the USA the republic that it is. Have you ever wondered why the propaganda media calls the USA a democracy, when it isn’t?
@retire05: Lets be clear. Are you saying John McCain is a traitor a “Benedict Arnold”
For the record I called you an old(73) fool. This after your emasculated comment in #31.
Seems we had a fragile truce for a couple of days lol
Gotten a little tejus –I’m out.
@Scott in Oklahoma: #25
#25
There are different questionable organizations that politicians belong to. Does anyone know where there is a list of the politicians and the KNOWN organizations they belong to? It would be interesting how their affiliation with certain organizations compares to their vote. Do the members of a certain organization tend to vote the same?
WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO HELP THE FBI MEN KEPT PRISONER
IN IRAN FOR 6 YEARS, WTF HIS NAME IS BOB LEVINSON
YES 6 YEARS,
WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT, CAN HE WORK?
CAN HE DO HIS JOB?
WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS?
THAT IRAN IS GETTING TOO ARROGANT, THEY HAVE A CHRISTIAN MEN INNOCENT
IN PRISON FOR 8 YEARS, HOW ABOUT A COUPLE OF DRONES TO IRAN WHEN THEY DESERVE IT,
GET HIM OUT OF THERE, WE WANT OUR FBI MAN BACK AND OUR CHRISTIAN MAN BACK WITH HIS FAMILY AT ONCE, AMAGADINE MOVE IT OR ELSE. WE’LL GET YOU FOR NOT DOING IT
@Smorgasbord: Smorg, if that list exists, I would think it would be very well protected. I would guess that members of a given organization would tend to voe pretty close to the same way.
@Richard Wheeler:
No, what I’m saying, that you seem to clueless to comprehend, is that heroism during war time is no guarantee that the hero will remain honorable. John McCain parlayed his status as POW into a political career. I have no problem with that. But then he set out to be a “maverick” going against the grain of his fellow Republicans. No bill ever submitted to Congress showed the lengths to which McCain was willing to go to seal his legacy of maverick as the last Shamnesy Bill he co-authored with Ted (Let’m drown) Kennedy.
Now, where I come from a maverick is not a good thing. It is a steer that is out of control, leads other cattle astray, and the only thing to do with it is to put it down and have it for dinner. McCain needs to be put out the pasture where he can roam around talking to himself and not leading others astray.
Now you will defend McCain, and his sissy boy sidekick, Graham, because they agree with your political POV. For no other reason. But make no mistake; their disagreement with Rand Paul has NOTHING to do with policies, it has everything to do with camera face time. No Republican has been given a public platform more than John McCain, yet he is never satisfied. If the nation isn’t talking about him, he has to do something to change that. Same with Graham.
Now Graham is making the excuse that he voted for Brennan because of Rand Paul’s filibuster. What horsehockey. Graham spouted off how he would never cave to vote for Brennan, and would block that vote, until he got ALL the answers on Benghazi. Yet it seems he was bought off for a simple dinner. He can’t blame his vote on Paul, but he will try. And you will buy it because you want to.
taken from your post #34
Don’t bother trying to add “dishonest” to your resume. It’s already there.
@Scott in Oklahoma: #44
This is why I would like to know who belongs to what.
@retire05:
Wow. It’s brazenly hypocritical, to say the least, for you to call someone “dishonest” (particularly someone who isn’t). Would you like to take a walk down memory lane? Let me clear a few hours from my schedule, so I can compile all the blatant lies you have on record.
TOM
get lost
@dscott: #26,
Damn if that doesn’t resonate with the Ailes story noted in my comment above in #4.
@ilovebeeswarzone: #48,
Now THAT’s funny.