Bob Woodward of The Washington Post said if there is a “downturn or a collapse” resulting from the failure of CR or debt ceiling negotiations it will be on President Obama’s “head” Monday on Morning Joe.
Woodward noted he respected President Obama’s objection to negotiating on the debt ceiling, but criticized the administration for failing to initiate any dialogue that could result in a deal on funding the government.
“It’s on the president’s head, he’s got to lead, he’s got to talk” Woodward said:
BOB WOODWARD: Can I enter in here just for a moment because I think it’s a good question. And there is something the president could be doing. He said he will not negotiate on the debt ceiling. A reasonable position. “I will not be blackmailed” he said. But he should be talking. They should be meeting, discussing this, because as I think Steve Ratner showed earlier, the American economy is at stake and the president, if there is a downturn or a collapse or whatever could happen here that’s bad, it’s going to be on his head. The history books are going to say, we had an economic calamity in the Presidency of Barack Obama. Speaker Boehner, indeed, is playing a role on this. Go back to the Great Depression in the 1930s. I’ll bet no one can name who was the speaker of the House at the time. Henry Thomas Rainey. He’s not in the history book it’s on the president’s head. He’s got to lead. He’s got to talk. And the absence of discussion here, I think, is baffling element.
Video at the link
Bob Woodward has the long view of presidential history.
He’s been a watcher and reporter on presidents and how they act and what that leads to for decades.
Obama is no leader.
In fact he shuts the door to talking.
He’s off to Asia.
Every previous president sat down and talked with his loyal opposition until a deal was reached.
Not Obama.
Yesterday the Republicans had a ”gun to their heads.”
Today Republicans are ”extorting” the government.
Republicans are being name-called.
Not the civility Dems were demanding when Palin put out little targets on a map where Dem seats were in play.
Guns, extorting, Orwellian, and so on out of the mouths of Dems, even just now Obama’s mouthpiece, Jay Carney.