Who wouldn't have laughed at Steve Kroft's absurd question?
March 23, 2009 11:47 am ET by Eric Boehlert
The Noise Machine jumped on Obama's 60 Minutes interview and the fact that CBS's Steve Kroft at one point asked Obama if he was "punch drunk." Kroft was concerned Obama was laughing too much at his very serious questions about the economy. Obama assured him it was just gallows humor.
The president was actually just being polite--he was laughing because the premise of one of Kroft's questions was so dumb. It was about the AIG bonus scandal [emphasis added].
KROFT: There is a perception right now, at least in New York, which is where I live and work.
OBAMA: Right.
KROFT: That, um, people feel they thought that you were going to be supportive. And now I think there are a lot of people say, "Look, we're not going to be able to keep our best people. They're not going to stay and work here for $250,000 a year when they can go work for a hedge fund, if they can find one that's still working.
Obama chuckled at the idea that angry executives on The Street who had their pay capped would bolt and go find jobs at hedge funds. He laughed because it's funny.
Hedge funds closures last year totaled $84 billion in worth, and more than 1,400 hedge funds were liquidated in 2008. So yeah, it's pretty funny to think that disgruntled bankers are going to parachute into new hedge funds jobs.
Agreed, Eric. But once again the majority of the points made by Obama will be drowned out by the TMZ style of coverage of FNC, CNN, Politico and MSNBC. Stick to the simple things, right? Like Obama's bowling stinks and he thinks it's Special Olympics.
Leave it to the MSM establishment to talk condescendingly to the prez because he is young, inexperienced and non-threatening.
The MSM would NEVER have said such a thing to Bush W or Cheney.
Speaking of TMZ style of "journalism"; O'Racist et al stalked one of the young ladies over at Think Progress and even linked Think Progress to MMFA and Soros
Their obsession with Soros is just weird. Seriously, they are demonizing some character that most Americans, including the Left, could care less about. He's never on T.V., doesn't have a radio show, doesn't write a column, yet according to the radical right he's the master of the universe. No wonder the right is a minority.
Newt2012,
well, the name pretty much covers it. I noticed that you simply used the word "tool" and didn't mention truth or facts. Well done! Stick to name calling and avoid truth and facts at all costs. That's where your party excels. I'm sure they're proud of you.
Chuckled? I laughed out loud when I heard that question. Obama is far nicer than I would have been. Obama went on the say that people in New York in that career position might want to get out of town once in awhile and see how the rest of us live where $250,000 is completely out of reach, and even $75,000 is practically a pipe dream.
The press is the elite here, earning hundreds of thousands to millions a year to report and they ask questions like these. Uh, how much do a married couple of college professors earn again?
I feel the same way. Obama said in a campaign interview back in 2007, which the blogger Jed Lewison recently flagged, that he doesn't let people push him around: "I don't like people trying to take advantage of that [outreach]. This is why actually if you watch my political interactions. I am always best as a counter-puncher. You know, somebody comes at me I will knock them out. If not, I will try to understand their point of view and that actually serves me well. I give people the benefit of the doubt; I try to understand their point of view -- if I perceive that they try to take advantage of that then I will crush them."
Okay, great, let's have at it. The Republican party in Congress took all his bipartisan overtures and spat in his face. They told their contituents bluntly that politics is more important than recovery and the media responded by throwing them a party. Rush Limbaugh ha said many times, without any hint of irony, that he definitely hopes Obama fails.
So it is clear that Rupubs are rich and selfish enough, or sufficiently misguided by hypocritical religious dogma, that they are happy to elect people to starve the lower class, block all progressive policy and cater to conservative exploitation. Why does Obama even want to reach out to these people? The Dems won the election and hold the majorities. Let's govern like it.
I say Obama must push the liberal agenda and let the Senate filibuster. Point out their true nature and work on the few moderate republican senators needed and ignore the rest. Let's help the people get well again, financially, physically and emotionally. The reign of Bush terror is ended, let's get to work!
I agree MK...
He needs to go off once in a while and chew on some corporate Kroft ass.
Obama has gotten after the media on occasion, but I don't know if he fully understands the forces against him.