I laughed audibly for more than a few minutes over this. I love the Constitution, don't you?!
Boehner 2, Obama 0
Such is the scorecard after their latest skirmish, when Mr. Obama, former professor of Constitutional Law, ignored the basic concept of three separate and equal branches of government and demanded to give an address before a joint session of Congress. Speaker Boehner, former tavern-owner and night-school graduate of the University of Cincinnati, refused permission and forced the president to slink away with his tail between his legs.
Not surprisingly, the liberal media was outraged by Speaker Boehner's upholding of a very basic Constitutional provision. The New York Times could barely hide it's disdain:
Any hopes that a kinder, gentler bipartisan Washington would surface once Congress returns after Labor Day were summarily dashed on Wednesday when President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner clashed over, of all things, the date and time of the president’s much-awaited speech to the nation about his proposal to increase jobs and fix the economy.
In a surreal volley of letters, each released to the news media as soon as it was sent, Mr. Boehner rejected a request from the president to address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday at 8 p.m. — the same night that a Republican presidential debate is scheduled.
In an extraordinary turn, the House speaker fired back his own letter to the president saying, in a word, no. Might the president be able to reschedule for the following night, Sept. 8?
For several hours, the day turned into a very public game of chicken.
By late Wednesday night, though, the White House issued a statement saying that because Mr. Obama “is focused on the urgent need to create jobs and grow our economy,” he “welcomes the opportunity to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, Sept. 8.”
Liberal commentator Cenk Uygur was nearly apoplectic, writing (spelling isn't changed):
President Obama has now changed the day of his address to Congress to accommodate the Republicans. They were having a GOP presidential debate on the original date he picked. So, Boehner told him to move his speech. He is the president for Christ's sake. Of course, they should have accommodated him, not the other way around. But as usual, President Obama bowed.
So, this leads to the eternal question of whether Obama is just weak or if he is a brilliant strategist who has been playing rope-a-dope all along. I am so silly that I still had hope. My hope this morning was that Obama was laying a trap for the Republicans. He picks a day for his speech that is the same as the GOP debate. Then if Boehner says he won't let him give the speech on that day, he seems so petty and harsh.
That way, either the president gives his big speech on jobs and bigfoots the Republican contenders or the Republicans look disrespectful and petulant for turning down the president. Well, if you're playing rope-a-dope, that's not a bad manuever. But it turns out that's not what he was doing at all. He just stumbled into this problem and then stumbled out when he let Boehner dictate when he could and could not have his speech. That looks so sad.
You see, if you're playing rope-a-dope, at some point you have to actually swing. When your opponent has worn himself out knocking you around the ring -- you counter-attack. But that counter-attack is never coming. We're holding our collective breath in vain.
In other words, Liberals can't decide whether Obama is a brilliant strategist by caving to Boehner's demands or if he might actually be as weak as Conservatives have been saying from the beginning. Either way, Speaker Boehner has done a masterful job of exposing Obama's lack of savvy and leadership experience. Yet another round goes to the Speaker.
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Washington, D.C. 20003-4303
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