Steele Rips Obama For Making Chicago Olympics Push

[Dave]

>>This is a gym-dandy criticism of Obama...
>>It all makes so much sense to make this criticism (That's sarcasm)
>>

Steele Rips Obama For Making Chicago Olympics Push
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_302903.html

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele criticized President Obama on Tuesday for traveling to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago as a host site for the 2016 Olympics.

Steele said that sending Michele Obama, which was the White House's original plan, would have sufficed. "I think the First Lady would have been and should have been the lead here," said the RNC Chair. "Let her go and sell Chicago. But the goal should be creating not job opportunities seven years from now but job opportunities today. And I think that what the president is doing is not necessarily helpful and doesn't, in my view instill the confidence in the American people that the focus is there on jobs, wealth creation and moving us beyond a recession to prosperity."

Steele accused the president of leaving Congress directionless on health care. "This administration has been pushing like hound dogs on getting a health care bill passed pronto," he said. "And if it is that important, Mr. President, then stay at home and get it done. But don't then push the members of Congress to blindly go about this process, not reading legislation, not putting legislation up on the Internet for the American people to read, not giving the kind of I think leadership that is necessary to get your health care bill done."

Steele refused to call the president's decision a "mistake," saying such a description was "in the eye of the beholder." But, he added: "I think at a time of war, at a time of recession, at a time where Americans have expressed rather significantly their concerned and frustrations over the course of spring and summer about health care, about the economy, about a host of domestic issues and even international issues, I think that this trip, while nice, is not necessary for the president."

Attacking Obama's last-minute decision to fly to Copenhagen in person is suddenly a popular refrain from Obama's GOP critics. Sen. Kip Bond (R-Mo.) also accused Obama of neglecting his presidential duties by focusing his time on Chicago's Olympics bid; to which White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, replied: "What does Sen. Bond have against the Olympics coming to America?"

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_302903.html

[Misha999]

If the prez can bring Olympic $$$$$$$ to Chicago I'm all for it. Although a trip to Rio would be fun too.
M

[sag111]

I to feel this trip is wrong because we have so many more importiant things he needs to be doing.The middle east is about to blow up and our country is going down the tubes and he isent addressing Afghanisyan like he should.According to the comander in Afghanistan oboma has only talked to him once in the last four mounths.I think this sends the wrong message to the war he is fighting and shows our enemies we are not taking things of the world seriously.

[Dave]

Let's see - TODAY, Obama neglected Afghanistan... How much truth can that statement hold? Like maybe a teaspoon?

There are schedules of these things,
http://www.politico.com/politico44/index.html?refresh=1
you know and we can read president's meetings schedule for Today (Tuesday and Wednesday -- 29th and 30th of September).

At 11:30 am today, Obama and Biden met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also attends.
At 4:30 pm today, Obama and Biden met with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Last week he attended the G-20 with the leaders of most of the world.
That means sometime after that meeting he will leave for Copenhagen and that will be a redeye trip.
At 9:30 am tomorrow Obama will be back in the white house at a presidential daily briefing.
At 3:00 pm tomorrow, Obama meets with his national security team on Afghanistan. Biden will attend.

Why that surely must be neglect, at least one meeting a day on Afghanistan.

So what do you want of Obama? Not to leave the country? Afghanistan was not neglected for the Olympics. Don'tcha think? (As Queen Sarah of Alaska says). I can post a continuing schedule on Presidential considerations of Afghanistan if you would like it?

[Ernie of Maine]

Whow 4hr out of The President's schedule my word. What are we comeing to. A nohter Repulican smokescreen anything to get on the newsErnie

[Dave]

Wow 4hr out of The President's schedule my word. What are we coming to. Another Republican smokescreen anything to get on the news Ernie

I'm not sure what side you are on. All I really know is that this is criticism for criticism's sake. Obama does "A", they criticize him for not doing "B"... Obama does "B", they criticize him for not doing "A"...

It's like a rubber room of criticism.

[Riverwind]

And all of you forgot one thing, Air Force One.

This is the flying white house, it goes with him when ever he travels. He the President is never far from his office where ever he is anywhere in the world, he takes his office with him.

This is a non issue, Steel is wrong again, Sag my friend this president is more engaged than any president we have had in the last 40 years.

Dose anybody here understand the term direct reports?

As for meeting or talking to his generals in the field, that is not his job. That is the job of the Sec of Defense who is Gates a REPUBLICAN.

Next Steel and the GOP will complain that he took lunch at 11:30 and not at 12 like everybody else.

Give me a f n break.

River

[jemagirl]

I believe attacking the President over little stuff like this is unpatriotic.

If the republicans want to attack his healthcare plans then they should come up with their own. That would be OK. That would be the right thing to do. Unfortunately the response has been silly and unproductive name calling: You lie!, Death Panels, Obama Care. Sadly this does nothing to help Americans make an intelligent decision about what we want from our government.

I thought this silliness had reached it's peak with Republicans criticizing the Presidents speech to school kids, but I guess I was wrong.

Will the GOP ever show some leadership and step up to the plate with some constructive ideas, or will this silly sniping over non-issues continue into the next election cycle?

We really do have some serious issues to deal with, and complaining about the President taking a trip to Denmark is counterproductive.

[Slammr]

I to feel this trip is wrong because we have so many more importiant things he needs to be doing.The middle east is about to blow up and our country is going down the tubes and he isent addressing Afghanisyan like he should.According to the comander in Afghanistan oboma has only talked to him once in the last four mounths.I think this sends the wrong message to the war he is fighting and shows our enemies we are not taking things of the world seriously.

One of yours and other Republicans' complaint is that he's trying to do too much with health care, the economic stimulus, etc.

You should be happy that he's doing something as innocuous as trying to get the Olympic games brought to Chicago. For a few hours, he's not doing those things you don't want him to do, anyway. It gives you a few hours to come up with something else to complain about.

I have no doubt that the Republicans will, or that you will parrot them here.

[Misha999]

Close your eyes for just a minute.

Now imagine an eight month old McCain / Palin administration against the backdrop of the issues that have surfaced in these last eight months.

Go on. Close 'em. Ain't pretty is it?
M

[Riverwind]

OH the horror of it all. That would be a true nightmare.

River

[sag111]

All I can say is if this was a republican doing this you all would be fighting mad and you all know it.

[Dave]

All I can say is if this was a republican doing this you all would be fighting mad and you all know it.

Oh wait, didn't GW Bush go and sit in the Olympics in Beijing for four days? Did anyone make a fuss at that? He was in {shudder} COMMUNIST CHINA for four days. It's a wonder he wasn't brainwashed by the commie reds.

Didn't GW Bush slap the very cute and adorable butt of a female volleyball player? No one complained about that.

Isn't one of Mitt Romney's big qualifications running the Olympics in Salt Lake City and making them a success...

Gee, Obama takes the redeye to get the Olympics in his hometown and you keep ragging on him like some dog that just shit on your new living room carpet.

[Slammr]

All I can say is if this was a republican doing this you all would be fighting mad and you all know it.

Bush attended the 2008 Olympics right before the economic meltdown, while we were involved in two wars. He spent a few days there. I don't remember your saying anything about that; nor do I remember any Republicans or Democrats complaining about it at the time.

Not that I think, had he stayed home, it would have made any difference. Cheney was running things, anyway.

[sag111]

See you are still complaining about bush.