REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

The latest incivility

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 06:48
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Friday, June 15, 2012 1:47 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

President Barack Obama's angry response to a reporter who interrupted his Rose Garden remarks Friday was the latest salvo in what some political experts see as an era of incivility.

Neil Munro, a White House correspondent for the Washington-based website The Daily Caller, asked the president about his administration's dramatic policy shift on immigration while the president was in the middle of delivering prepared remarks.

"Excuse me, sir. It's not time for questions, sir," Obama fired back. "Not while I'm speaking."

Munro later told CNN's Brianna Keilar, "I have to ask the questions you all won't ask," referring to the reporters gathered who regularly cover the White House.

Which of course means he "has" to interrupt the President to do so.
Quote:

It starts from the Superiority Syndrome: People acting as if they’re more important than a U.S. President — when they clearly are not. To fingers in the face. To people questioning his already established and proven citizenship.

The incidents of disrespect towards President Obama continue.

When people criticize Administration policy, that’s just politics. But several incidents directed at this President appear to find new lows. Of course, people can disagree with the President. But, why can’t people respect the Office of the Presidency?

The very public nature of disrespect towards President Obama is noteworthy. Did Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) have to conduct business with the President in front of reporters? Wasn’t there a better time and place? Would a visiting leader from a foreign country be greeted with a finger in his face by a Governor? If not, why would it happen to the leader of our own country? Could a hockey goalie have executed a quiet no-show for a White House invitation honoring his team? See Facebook for the answer on that one.

It wasn’t the end of the world when Speaker John Boehner refused the President’s date to speak to a joint session on jobs in September 2011. And yes, the White House picked that date to steal attention from a GOP debate. But like so many moments of disrespect towards the 44th President: No one can find another example in American history where a U.S. President requested a date to address Congress and was refused. Can anyone find another incident like the Brewer one? That the list below can even be compiled is telling.

1. The birther fiasco (2009-2011). No evidence. No proof. No documentation. But the story traveled on for years. Yes, Hawaii is part of the United States of America.

2. “You lie” (Sept. 2009). That any individual — no less a member of Congress watching a U.S. President during a joint session on live national television — is so lacking in self control that this moment was made possible is incredible — even in an age of incivility. Remember this happened only nine months into Obama’s presidency and is another “we can’t remember that ever happening ever before” moment. Close your eyes and pretend Rep. Maxine Waters was Wilson doing this to President Bush and image the reaction.

3. Signs of the Tea Party (July 2010) and Naked Racism (April 2011). Anyone remember California GOP official Marilyn Davenport’s racist e-mail? Did she ever resign for that? I remember all the criticism of the NAACP – particularly from Black Republicans — for their “Tea Party resolution” of 2010. Where was that indignation regarding what can be viewed in this video? Click here.

4. Donald “unchecked ego” Trump inflames birther fiasco, media assists (April 2011). The mouth of Donald Trump is a powerful thing when joined with a 24-hour cable news cycle desperate for viewers. That news organizations invited Trump on the air unchallenged with zero proof of what he was saying speaks volumes on the state of journalism. That Trump was completely comfortable demanding that a U.S. President “show him his papers” displays a superiority complex that exists among those who can’t accept someone they view as “lesser” in a position of power over them.

4. Deadbeat dad and probable one-termer thinks his presence before the President actually matters and needs to tell everyone (Sept 2011). The disrespect isn’t that probable one term Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) wouldn’t attend the President’s Sept. 8 speech. The disrespect is that Rep. Walsh actually believed that everyone knowing he wasn’t attending was important. That he needed to announce he would not attend on national television, as if anyone cared, was yet another delusional superiority episode. That proudly showing public disrespect towards the President is a winning strategy in some political circles reveals a lot.

5. Newt Gingrich’s “Kenyan anti-colonial behavior” comment (Sept 2010). Even Washington Post columnist and conservative thinker George Will slammed this attempt to define the President as “foreign.” Never mind the facts: President Obama wasn’t reared by his father in Kenya with whom he spent only a month of his 50 years on this earth. The strategy to define the President as a “foreign” or “alien” being was started by Sarah Palin in 2008.

6. One of the underlying premises of disrespect towards the President is that he can be ordered around and dictated to like he’s Tipi the laundry boy. The presumption that a U.S. President can be ordered around is a new phenomenon that appears to have gotten underway around January 2009. From big mouth Congressmen to millionaires with nothing to do, you name it — they all inherently believe they can order President Obama around. At least Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an actual leader of something

7. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer puts her finger in the President’s face (January 2012). The photo speaks for itself. Of course there are strong political disagreements between President Obama and Gov. Brewer. But is it just possible there was a better time and place for this conversation? Brewer said she felt “a little threatened” by President Obama. Please.

8. GOP House, prompted by Tea Party — refuses to raise debt ceiling (Aug 2011). Sounds like this was just hardball politics right? Let’s review the facts: The debt ceiling had been raised 69 times since 1962 without incident. Seven times during Bush II and 18 times during Reagan. Suddenly, with President Obama, a shiny new precedent is set with regard to raising the debt ceiling. Another never before seen incident is born.

9. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Publicly Announces His Top Political Priority (Dec 2010). McConnell wants the President out of office? No news there, but, wait, there’s more to it. “Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term,” Sen. McConnell told the Heritage Foundation. Of course the Senate Republican Leader doesn’t want the President to be re-elected. But what’s with the public announcement? In July 2010 McConnell acknowledged his single most important political goal: President Obama being a one-term President. Again: In public and on national television.

10. Speaker Boehner refuses speech date request (September 2011). No it is not the end of the world. Of course, the White House intentionally wanted to step on a GOP debate that same night. But, this is yet another first in American history. Once again, no one can find another instance where a President of the United States requested a date to address Congress and was refused.



Yup, there's been lots of disrespect aimed at Presidents practically forever. But these rise to new heights, in my opion, and it's distressing to watch it continue. We'll have to see how the next Prez is treated to see if it's just hatred of Obama or the new "tone" in America. JMHO

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Friday, June 15, 2012 1:59 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Hello,

In the case of this particular incident with the reporter, I don't feel it is a particularly uncivil action.

It is the role of the fourth estate to question our politicians, not merely to stand as mute receptacles for public statements. Most particularly this is true when these public statements are not followed by prepared space for questioning. I may not enjoy the agenda of this pressman, but I firmly back his right to ask questions.

--Anthony


Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Friday, June 15, 2012 2:07 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


It's probably more than just hatred for Obama Niki. It's complete disrespect for the man, to the point that people will heckle the "most powerful man in the world" as if he were a no-name amateur at the local "chuckle hut".

At least nobody threw a shoe at his face though, right?



This won't be the first time Obama is interrupted, and actually I believe it will become the norm from here on out. 3 1/2 years later he's still repeating his old meaningless speeches word for word, and none of those words matter.

He knows that. That's why he's giving amnesty to illegals as an Executive Order today. He also knows that once Congress takes control of that situation, it will be overturned in a second, just as the Obamacare will be when we get the Supreme Court decision, and after those decisions he'll have two powerful anti-Romney weapons.

Right now, the NUMBER 1 issue in this country is the lack of jobs and the still-shitty economy. The Obama administration knows that there is no way to bullshit their way out of the hole they've dug for themselves, so we're going to see an unprecedented effort from the Executive Branch to rally every single minority group who will listen and this will be the first ever Presidential election which is decided by the end result of class, race and sexuality warfare.

So much for uniting the people and the new era of hope and bipartisanship...


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Friday, June 15, 2012 2:10 PM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT


Gotta suggest that it's not much different from what Sam Donaldson used to do to Reagan. 'Cept that Sam used to yell at him while he was getting on helicopters, when RR couldn't possibly hear him.

And that RR, by then, wouldn't answer any question for any of the press, at any time or occasion.

Not much difference, but not the same as NO difference at all.

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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:05 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


The guy who hurled a shoe at Obama was not an American and it was not IN America. The day we expect other countries' citizens to respect our leader is the day we delude ourselves. As to this incident:
Quote:

The journalist who sparked a ruckus inside the Beltway and on Twitter by interrupting President Barack Obama's formal remarks on immigration wants the world to know it was all a big misunderstanding. The Daily Caller's Neil Munro implausibly claims that he never meant to cut off the president and thought he was finished speaking.

"I timed the question believing the president was closing his remarks, because naturally I have no intention of interrupting the President of the United States,"

But reporters near Munro during the outburst said, well, not so much to the whole "didn't mean to interrupt" the president thing. Many took to Twitter to share their doubts."I was two people over from Neil Munro. No one thought the president was wrapping up. I give that statement a great big Cow Pie Award," Brianna Keilar of CNN said on Twitter.

"I was standing right behind Munro in the Rose Garden," said Todd Zwillich, Washington correspondent for The Takeaway from Public Radio International, on Twitter. "Idea he 'mistimed' his questions isn't credible. He purposely interrupted."

"Munro told other reporters after Obama's statement, 'I'm asking questions. Because you people won't,'" Zwillich tweeted.

The official White House transcript of the event records that, after a visibly irritated Obama told Munro "Excuse me, sir. It's not time for questions, sir," the journalist replied: "No, you have to take questions."

"Not while I'm speaking," the president replied.

At the end of his remarks, Obama directed some of his remarks to Munro, who ultimately had the last word — or at least the last unanswered shouted question: "What about American workers who are unemployed while you import foreigners?"

Munro breached a longstanding — but unwritten — rule among White House correspondents: Don't interrupt the president's formal remarks. It is common for White House aides to tell reporters that there will be no questions at a given public event. And it is routine for those reporters to ignore that admonition and call out a question anyway, though always after the president is finished speaking. Presidents typically overlook those queries, smile, wave, and repeat "thank you" before leaving or they let their aides try to sheep-dog the press away.

Reporters don't blink when hecklers interrupt the president at campaign events, which tend to be rowdier, or cut him off in a debate setting, when the moderator's job is often to impose discipline. And press conference exchanges can get testy. Formal events, though, traditionally invite more decorum. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/reporter-interrupted-obama-thought-
finished-220343830.html
WAS a formal Rose Garden announcement. This wasn't just a reporter doing his job. He remarks make it patently obvious that he was virtually heckling the President. Anthony, do you REALLY believe his interrupting Obama would bring about an answer to whatever he was asking (and if it was the above question, it's not even a QUESTION, obviously, it's heckling)? There was no reason whatsoever for the interruption--the reporter isn't stupid, he knows full well hollering out a question like that wouldn't get an answer, he did it for show.

As to Presidents responding to questions,
Quote:

Opportunities to question the president are not that frequent. At this point in his presidency, Obama has had 72 total press conferences, including 31 by himself (without, for example, another world leader present), according to statistics compiled by Martha Joynt Kumar, a presidency scholar at Towson University. At a comparable point in his presidency, George W. Bush had had 79 total press conferences, 14 of those solo.
So how come nobody felt the need to interrupt Bush, since they've had about the same nuber of press conferences, and Obama has faced the press alone more often?

He seems to be more willing to answer questions from interviewers than many:
Quote:

Obama prefers interviews: At the end of March, he had conducted 441. At similar points in their presidencies, George W. Bush had sat for 144, Clinton 178, George H. W. Bush 222, and Reagan 185.
So why the need to heckle him? And the Daily Caller knew that's exactly what he did...note their choice of wording: "The Daily Caller's publisher, Neil Patel: Munro 'in no way meant to heckle the President of the United States.'"

We know why, and it has nothing to do with the fourth estate and Presidents. I Googled; there's no story of any reporter ever interrupting Bush. It's just obviously okay to behave more disrespectfully toward Obama...and I think I know the reason why. Take the first Black man to achieve the Presidency, toss in a cup of an entire Congressional party colluding to bring him down THE VERY DAY HE'S INAUGURATED, add a heaping spoonful of right-wing politicians constantly talking about him being the "other" (and disrespecting him themselves), garnish with blatant disrespect almost daily from the FauxNews "professionals", and garnish with periodic Malkin/Bachmann/Limbaugh-type idiocy, and voila! A President unworthy of respecting...and it never mattered one whit what he did or didn't DO or SAY. It works for them, period.


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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:13 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


So do your "Romney, President of Caucasiastan" or "Romney's first 100 days in office" threads fit anywhere in the "Latest Incivility" list?

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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:20 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:
So how come nobody felt the need to interrupt Bush, since they've had about the same nuber of press conferences, and Obama has faced the press alone more often?



I know you won't agree with this Niki, but even though I hated bush as much as I hate Obama, GWB commanded respect. Obama is a wounded Beta Male in way over his head. A Junior politician with no military or financial background. He would have probably been Mayor of Chicago by now, and been very successful at that, but he chose the presidency as his job. And now he's proven to us all how bad he's failed at it.

I hated GWB, more than anything, because I was scared of him. I'd be lying if I didn't say that even though Obama is weak I'm not afraid of him, but really... he's the text-book definition of a lame duck. Viagra and Mitt Romney should team up and make a commercial against Barack and impotence.... really... it's that bad now....

Outside of the "true believers", Obama is a tragic clown....

I have shit to lose now, so I'm not going to be the guy.... but how many others out there just don't give a shit and have nothing to lose?

Although he shouldn't have seen any jail time, I'm sure he was kept in a cell for a "cooling off period", but really, what else is there to lose for guys like that if they have no money? I predict that there will now be thousands of disgruntled people crawling out of the woodwork to disrupt Obama's speeches henceforth and eventually he'll only make non-Romney-debate speeches only within the safe confines of his cushy Oval Office the few months he can call them his own.




I agree Niki... it's tragic what happened today.....

Even GWB or Nixon didn't get disrespected like that.


George Carlin did once at a show I was at.....

If Obama could speak at all "off the cuff", maybe he would have saved himself a huge embarassment and you'd all be posting something different today....




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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:27 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:

there's no story of any reporter ever interrupting Bush.


http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread62107/pg1


Hello,

I wish more people had interrupted Bush, particularly those who serve the U.S. people.

I hear a lot about the President as the most powerful man in the world, a man owed the respect of his station.

President Obama is a public employee, and we give him his power.

I have always felt that it was audacious of the Presidents of this country to treat the press as their receptacles. Worse still for the press to be satisfied with that. For it to be understood and accepted that he will make statements and eschew questions about those statements is preposterous to me. Such encounters between the President and newspapermen are thus reduced to pantomime.

If the President wants to release written or pre-recorded statements, safe from the probing of the press, he has that ability. If he wants to use his representatives to speak for him, insulating him from the press, he has that ability. If he chooses to stand in front of human beings whose job it is to extract answers from him, he should expect them to do so. And so should we.

--Anthony



Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:28 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:

GWB commanded respect.


Hello,

What nonsense. I hope you are deep in your weekly allotment of 100 beers to make such a statement.

--Anthony



Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:30 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Oh, Geezer, that is a TRULY pathetic effort! For one thing, everyone makes fun of politicians and Presidents, that's a time-honored tradition which has nothing to do with someone being deliberately disrespectful TO THE PRESIDENT'S FACE. It shocks me that you don't know the difference. Pundits, politicians, stand-up comedians, late-night hosts, EVERYONE takes punches at politicians, most especially at Presidents! How you can compare the two (especially as one came from a COMEDY SHOW) astonishes me. You must truly be desperate for a comeback. My opinion of you just keeps going further and further down...I actually have more respect for Raptor at this point, as we've agreed on a few things and both love animals!

...wow...


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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:43 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by ANTHONYT:
Quote:

GWB commanded respect.


Hello,

What nonsense. I hope you are deep in your weekly allotment of 100 beers to make such a statement.

--Anthony



Et Tu.... Brute...?

This wasn't a tow-the-line endorsement of that monster, Anthony. It was a factual statement that I was actually afraid of the man and his administration.

Before Obama was in, I made no compromises telling everyone I knew he was the worst president we've ever had.

I'm sure that people in Germany felt the same way towards Hitler.....

That's Obama's saving grace. He's passed so much bullshit under his watch that people lauded, and even though he's a lame duck now, the damage is done.

All I'm saying is that as a man, he doesn't scare me. He doesn't demand respect. He is nobody and would be lucky to lick the shit off my heel if he wasn't in politics and wearing that nice suit and tie.

The only scary things about Obama are his intelligence and his influence, which somehow still manages to make an impact even though he's the worst president we've ever had and even Jimmy Carter could knock him over by blowing hard on him.



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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:50 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Good gawd, Anthony, you surprise me too. Politics IS pantomime, where did you ever get the idea otherwise? Politicians/candidates/Senators/Congressmen/Presidents ALL set stages for this or that, press conferences and announcement functions are exactly that and have been in all MY lifetime. Real answers are gotten elsewhere, and all reporters know that. During the Bush Administration, the press virtually WAS his "receptical", you gotta know that--it's been shown over and over again how the White House released stuff and the press printed it virtually word for word (aside from FauxNews, of course, who DID release it word for word).

Tell me something: If all reporters behaved like thsi guy and shouted questions at any President while they're trying to make an ANNOUNCEMENT, what do you think would happen? Sure, politicians are SUPPOSED to be accountable, but they're not, virtually none of them are, and everyone knows it. There's no way people interrupting and hollering at a President or anyone ELSE is going to get a civil answer. he knew that, they knew that, I know that and you SHOULD know that by now. If some kind of decorum wasn't achieved, nobody would ever stand up to say anything. Why does this guy have some kind of special exemption to do so?

There's what SHOULD BE and what IS. If we don't work within the framework of what IS, chaos ensues. We can try to achieve what should be by cornering someone in an interview they agree to do (which is tricky, but has been done), dig--you know, investigate, like journalists used to do?--and find out the answers for themslves, or the press can ask questions when they're given the ability to do so. This interruption, like the other things I listed, was done for a specific purpose, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with getting an answer to his question, he was perfectly aware of that. I'm surprised you're not.

I understand the purity of your thinking sometimes--not a negative, you've struck me as a very..."theoretically pure" is the closest I can come. I mean someone who sees what should be and wants that to happen, and gives no quarter. But the fact is that if we don't live within the covenant of what IS, we get nowhere. There are societal understandings in everything we do every day, and when we break them, it stands out. If we want notoriety, or attention, for whatever reason, we do something to stand out, as this guy did. But if we ALL did such things, there would be nothing but chaos.

So, within the societal construct of press and Presidents, the press shows at least a certain amount of respect...sometimes minimal, but those who cross the line are remembered and if they cross it too obviously, aren't invited back. Or worse. I don't think anyone would have done that to Bush because people DID fear him, and the character of those who did his bidding reflected the danger...he went to lengths to silence opposition from the people that Obama has not (yet) gone to.

So which is better: Living within the constructs of societal understanding and getting to ask your question eventually, or standing out and not being called on in future (or not even being allowed in with the press)? If you think about it, that shows obviously that this guy wasn't really looking for an answer to his question (does anyone even know what the question was?); he was making a statement. For no good purpose.

Six, I have nothing to say to you...you're "out there" again and your verbiage is pretty crazy. Your hatred of Obama is SO over the top hateful and so illogical, there is just no communication possible on that subject. Not to mention that I can't even make out what you're trying to say in the section after "tragic clown". If you're positing that the journalist in question was taken away somewhere, wow, that's PN territory--obviously he was not.


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Friday, June 15, 2012 3:55 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

If you think about it, that shows obviously that this guy wasn't really looking for an answer to his question (does anyone even know what the question was?); he was making a statement. For no good purpose.


He was asking if his policies stood for the greater good of working people.

Right after Obama said they stood for simply just "good".

Don't deflect this as a question that doesn't deserved to be answered Niki. However it was asked, it should be answered.

The only reason he couldn't answer it is because he failed to fix our economy "A" and he's not JFK "B". He's a great tele-prompter speaker, but today was a great example of how flustered he gets when somebody heckles him off-script.

Seriously... it was like watching the most embarrassing moments of SNL over 35 years all rolled into one.

Expect a lot more of that before November.....

He'll look like a blubbering idiot with all the YouTube retrospective cuts by then


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Friday, June 15, 2012 4:03 PM

CHRISISALL


Personally speaking, 'respect' is out the window.
GW is a treasonous fool. Obama is a coward (though much more intelligent & well meaning).
We're all just folk, and the 'elite' are just dopes trying to get along.
Education means virtually nothing without proper life-experience context, and nearly NONE of us have it in its entirety.


Chrisisall, wearing a frilly Mal thing on his head, and ready to shoot unarmed, full-body armoured Operatives

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Friday, June 15, 2012 4:03 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

Seriously... it was like watching the most embarrassing moments of SNL over 35 years all rolled into one.
Wow...you really ARE "out there" in over-the-top land! It was that big a deal to you? Wow...

ANY question becomes irrelevant when that method is employed. Of course the question is a valid one, that's beside the point. The way he asked it guaranteed it would get no answer and he knew that. It's not deflecting to say that, for example, if a bunch of people asked a valid question of virtually ANY politician or President by interrupting his speaking, he would have stopped to politely answer their question! A few have, in small venues or campaign stops, but very few. I maintain: He didn't ask the question, however valid it might be, to get an answer. Period.

Enuff already, I'm off to dinner.


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Friday, June 15, 2012 4:03 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:

I understand the purity of your thinking sometimes--not a negative, you've struck me as a very..."theoretically pure" is the closest I can come. I mean someone who sees what should be and wants that to happen, and gives no quarter. But the fact is that if we don't live within the covenant of what IS, we get nowhere. There are societal understandings in everything we do every day, and when we break them, it stands out. If we want notoriety, or attention, for whatever reason, we do something to stand out, as this guy did. But if we ALL did such things, there would be nothing but chaos.


Hello,

This statement is remarkable coming from a 99% protester. Don't you wish we ALL did something to stand out, and create some of the chaos needed to invoke change? Don't you wish there were 20 million people at those protests instead of 20 thousand or 2 thousand or 2 hundred?

Well, perhaps I do have a 'theoretical purity' as you put it, which does not accommodate the reality of things. But I am not anxious to follow the old Japanese maxim of hammering down the stake that stands out.

Quote:

So which is better: Living within the constructs of societal understanding and getting to ask your question eventually, or standing out and not being called on in future (or not even being allowed in with the press)?


He wouldn't be the first pressman to push his luck and get blacklisted by the administration. I seem to recall the former admin was famous for doing that.

And such a response to the press is its own kind of Presidential statement.

Don't get me wrong. I abhor this particular pressman's aim- which is clearly to report with a slant, to oppose this change to our regrettable immigration policy. But I defend his right to do what he did: To demand an answer to a question, and not be satisfied to let our representative retreat in a well-rehearsed pantomime.

--Anthony






Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Friday, June 15, 2012 4:07 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:

This wasn't a tow-the-line endorsement of that monster, Anthony. It was a factual statement that I was actually afraid of the man and his administration.


Hello,

I do not equate fear with respect. Perhaps I am Machiavellian.

I didn't see much respect of GWB during his presidency, and to say he commanded respect is to say something I never observed.

--Anthony






Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Friday, June 15, 2012 4:13 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:
Quote:

Seriously... it was like watching the most embarrassing moments of SNL over 35 years all rolled into one.
Wow...you really ARE "out there" in over-the-top land! It was that big a deal to you? Wow...

ANY question becomes irrelevant when that method is employed. Of course the question is a valid one, that's beside the point. The way he asked it guaranteed it would get no answer and he knew that. It's not deflecting to say that, for example, if a bunch of people asked a valid question of virtually ANY politician or President by interrupting his speaking, he would have stopped to politely answer their question! A few have, in small venues or campaign stops, but very few. I maintain: He didn't ask the question, however valid it might be, to get an answer. Period.

Enuff already, I'm off to dinner.

]

What method is that Niki? Spontaneity?

Why should we expect anything less of our "commander and chiefs" to be able to do "improv" better than "Who's Line is it Anyway?"



Enough about how he is so afraid to say ANYTHING off prompter without his "advisors" approving it.....

He's NOT an Alpha Male. Barack Obama is a Beta Male.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he swallowed his wife's strapon and took it up his ass behind closed doors (And no matter how true this may be, I'm protected legally for saying this as a parody, before you haters try anything).

Barack is Jimmy Carter's Bitch

I'm glad Jimmy is still alive, because as much as a bitch as he was and still may be, there is some "behind the scenes" Carter mentality going on here that lets him know he wasn't the weakest link in his lifetime.



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Friday, June 15, 2012 4:43 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Hello,

And now Jack has illustrated what incivility looks like in print.

--Anthony



Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Friday, June 15, 2012 6:47 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

I know you won't agree with this Niki, but even though I hated bush as much as I hate Obama, GWB commanded respect. Obama is a wounded Beta Male in way over his head. A Junior politician with no military or financial background. He would have probably been Mayor of Chicago by now, and been very successful at that, but he chose the presidency as his job. And now he's proven to us all how bad he's failed at it.




Your ignorance is boundless, Jack. What was GWB's political experience? What was his military or financial background?

His experience in politics was as governor of Texas. That means that he was tied with the governor of North Dakota in terms of how much power and influence he wielded - tied for 49th in the nation in terms of least power!

He wasn't the most powerful governor in the nation, in other words. Hell, he wasn't the most powerful politician in Texas. Because of the way Reconstruction was forced upon Texas, and governors were assigned by Washington D.C., the legislature took it upon themselves to castrate the office, putting all the real power in two offices within the state: Lieutenant Governor and Railroad Commissioner. Seriously, Railroad Commissioner. Why is that post so powerful? Well, that's the guy who decides what moves in Texas, how it moves, where it goes, and when, and how much. What kind of things? Well, cattle for one. But more importantly, OIL. Bush was an oilman once, allegedly. He was one of the few who went to Midland during the oil boom and went broke doing it. That takes a special talent.

Military background? Hardly. He was part of a Champagne Company in the Guard, virtually guaranteed to never see service, and Shrub couldn't even complete that light duty!

Financial background? Well, his dad had to bail out his brother Neil's savings and loan with billions of taxpayer dollars... Hey, that's kind of a family tradition of bailing out banks, isn't it?

If you say he commanded respect, you're a dolt. He commanded nothing but ridicule.



"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero


"I've not watched the video either, or am incapable of intellectually dealing with the substance of this thread, so I'll instead act like a juvenile and claim victory..." - Rappy

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Saturday, June 16, 2012 2:20 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up


Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:
For one thing, everyone makes fun of politicians and Presidents, that's a time-honored tradition which has nothing to do with someone being deliberately disrespectful TO THE PRESIDENT'S FACE.



Then you'll remove all the stuff above where someone is not being DELIBERATELY DISRESPECTFUL TO THE PRESIDENT'S FACE, perhaps?

Actually, in this age of instant communication and media, you'd think that insult would be insult, whether in person or spread all over by electronic means. More people hear Bill Maher, for example, insult Bush or Romney than ever heard this reporter interupt Pres. Obama. Guess that including TV and the internet in your definition of "disrespectful" would leave you with nothing to post.


ETA:

And just out of curiosity, if you met Gov. Romney, would you be polite to him, or insult him as you regularly do here? EIther way, you'd either be a hypocrite, or incivil.

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Saturday, June 16, 2012 3:32 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!



Right question, but completely the wrong time.

Let the man speak. This sort of interruption has no place in that setting.




" We're all just folk. " - Mal

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

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Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:40 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Athony: Yup. But then, is RWED the place one looks for civility?

Mike, thanks for clarifying those things. Saved me the trouble. I read a loooong article about Bush's questionable "service", wasn't surprised but found it sadly amusing...like just about everything having to do with the man himself.

Geezer, you're sure a dog with a bone, ain'tcha? Yup, only Whatshisname (I forget)--the "you lie" guy--and Brewer did it to his face. It was an article showing examples...not what we're talking about.

Raptor, my point exactly, and far more succinctly than I explained it. I was gonna respond with a thumbs-up icon, but knowing how much you hate my emoticons, I'll just say "Thumbs up, Raptor". (We really have to stop doing this!)


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Saturday, June 16, 2012 5:50 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:
For one thing, everyone makes fun of politicians and Presidents, that's a time-honored tradition which has nothing to do with someone being deliberately disrespectful TO THE PRESIDENT'S FACE.



Then you'll remove all the stuff above where someone is not being DELIBERATELY DISRESPECTFUL TO THE PRESIDENT'S FACE, perhaps?

Actually, in this age of instant communication and media, you'd think that insult would be insult, whether in person or spread all over by electronic means. More people hear Bill Maher, for example, insult Bush or Romney than ever heard this reporter interupt Pres. Obama. Guess that including TV and the internet in your definition of "disrespectful" would leave you with nothing to post.



And would leave FauxNews with nothing to report...


Quote:


ETA:

And just out of curiosity, if you met Gov. Romney, would you be polite to him, or insult him as you regularly do here? EIther way, you'd either be a hypocrite, or incivil.



So you're saying Niki would be just like you, then?



"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero


"I've not watched the video either, or am incapable of intellectually dealing with the substance of this thread, so I'll instead act like a juvenile and claim victory..." - Rappy

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Saturday, June 16, 2012 10:52 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


First off, when have I called Romney any names? I might have, certainly, but I don't recall any. I have spoken about his consistent lying, but only mentioned the big ones which have been proven patently false. You might be lumping me in with others in what you perceive...or not. As far as I'm concerned, I don't KNOW the man; his politics amaze and disgust me, but I've got nothing against him personally.

Secondly, if I met Gov. Romney, of course I would be polite. I would distance myself and leave asap, because I don't respect him any more than I respected McCain when he pandered, but I'm not the kind of person who lets loose on people, especially people I don't know. There's nothing "hypocritical" about civility...if everyone never censored themselves to be civil to those with whom they might disagree, again, it would be chaos. Just because you apparently don't feel the need to be civil doesn't speak for everyone else. I've never heckled a politician, and I've been to my fair share of political events, including one for whoever that woman was who ran against Boxer last time around.

Which was an interesting experience to observe. We trickled in a bit at a time with our signs to stand out front in protest, talking quietly among ourselves. About a half hour before she arrived, righties began coming with THEIR signs. They stood across from us, and before very long they were hollering stuff at us. Only one person responded, and we advised them not to; it only fuels the fire, and it makes us look as bad as them. None of the rest of us spoke up, we just politely protested, despite the others trying to engage us in arguments.

Back to the subject at hand. Here's someone who sees it for what it was:
Quote:

A reporter from a right-wing media outlet heckled President Obama -- not once, but twice -- on Friday as he was unveiling a new immigration policy. If this shocks you, you haven't been paying attention. This is simply the latest page from the right's playbook to delegitimize Barack Obama's presidency.

Some may dismiss it as an isolated incident, but it's not. It goes much deeper. Believe me, I know hecklers -- I'm a stand-up comedian. If someone heckles me once, it can be a mistake: too many drinks, overcome by emotion, etc. But when you heckle twice, you have an agenda.

Neil Munro, the Irish born reporter who heckled President Obama, was not just from some random publication. He works for The Daily Caller, a right-wing website whose editor-in-chief is the bow-tie wearing Tucker Carlson. (You may recall Carlson as the guy who famously sparred with — and was taken down by -- Jon Stewart on CNN years ago.)

Munro's first heckle occurred while President Obama was in midsentence, with Munro yelling out: "Why do you favor foreigners over Americans?" Obama responded: "Excuse me, sir, but it's not time for questions." Munro countered: "Are you going to take questions?"

To which the president answered: "Not while I'm speaking."

Later, Munro again interrupted the president in midstatement. Obama kept his cool; he simply finished his statement. If I had been president, I would have deported Munro back to his country of origin.

A quick perusal of Munro's Twitter feed reveals he does not hide his contempt for President Obama. His tweets range from claims that Obama is using NASCAR and country music to attract "white non-college voters," to slams of Michelle Obama, to allegations that Obama is racially discriminating against blacks in his White House hiring practices.

But this is all not about Munro -- he is just a small cog in the right's campaign to diminish the legitimacy of Obama's presidency. I'm not talking about people disagreeing with policies. I mean specifically the campaign to paint Barack Obama as less than American -- as an "other"--as someone whose presidency is not entitled to the same respect as that of the presidents who came before him.

This crusade began in the days before Barack Obama was even sworn in as president. Back then, Rush Limbaugh, the radio host and self-described "entertainer," announced on his show that he hoped Obama would fail as president. Obama had not even made his first decision as president.

The campaign has continued with the right's birther movement contending that Obama was not born in the United States and hence should not be president. Some, like evangelical leader Franklin Graham, have suggested that Obama is a Muslim (he is a Christian), which to many on the right would mean he's not a "real" American.

We have seen Republican Rep. Joe Wilson yell out at President Obama, "You lie" while Obama addressed a joint session of Congress in 2009. Can anyone remember the last time a U.S. president was called a liar in a joint session of Congress? I can't.

Then there was Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, who last July called on President Obama to "quit lying" in regards to the debt ceiling debate. Can anyone remember something like this with previous presidents? I can't either. And, of course, there's Donald Trump, not only periodically renewing the "birther" fabrication, but also demanding to see President Obama's college grades, implying he doesn't think Obama is intellectually qualified to be president.

So you see, Munro is just doing his tiny part. And no doubt some on the right will exalt him for his "courage." His boss, Tucker Carlson, defended him by saying that no one was upset when then-ABC reporter Sam Donaldson heckled President Reagan. But Fox News' Chris Wallace recalled today that when he was a White House correspondent with Donaldson during the Reagan administration, no one ever heckled the president.

So, yet another lie. But the truth doesn't matter to the far right. It's not about policy or what is good for the United States of America. It's about delegitimizing President Obama for political gain.

In the coming months, as we get closer to Election Day, you may see many more of these kinds of attacks. While they may disgust you, they should never surprise you. It's all in the playbook. http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/15/opinion/obeidallah-heckle-obama/index.ht
ml?hpt=hp_bn7
about sums it up. It WASN'T a "legitimate question" being asked by a journalist, he DIDN'T think Obama had finished speaking, and he obviously DID have an agenda. Nothing new there.


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Saturday, June 16, 2012 5:10 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

I know you won't agree with this Niki, but even though I hated bush as much as I hate Obama, GWB commanded respect. Obama is a wounded Beta Male in way over his head. A Junior politician with no military or financial background. He would have probably been Mayor of Chicago by now, and been very successful at that, but he chose the presidency as his job. And now he's proven to us all how bad he's failed at it.




Your ignorance is boundless, Jack. What was GWB's political experience? What was his military or financial background?

His experience in politics was as governor of Texas. That means that he was tied with the governor of North Dakota in terms of how much power and influence he wielded - tied for 49th in the nation in terms of least power!

He wasn't the most powerful governor in the nation, in other words. Hell, he wasn't the most powerful politician in Texas. Because of the way Reconstruction was forced upon Texas, and governors were assigned by Washington D.C., the legislature took it upon themselves to castrate the office, putting all the real power in two offices within the state: Lieutenant Governor and Railroad Commissioner. Seriously, Railroad Commissioner. Why is that post so powerful? Well, that's the guy who decides what moves in Texas, how it moves, where it goes, and when, and how much. What kind of things? Well, cattle for one. But more importantly, OIL. Bush was an oilman once, allegedly. He was one of the few who went to Midland during the oil boom and went broke doing it. That takes a special talent.

Military background? Hardly. He was part of a Champagne Company in the Guard, virtually guaranteed to never see service, and Shrub couldn't even complete that light duty!

Financial background? Well, his dad had to bail out his brother Neil's savings and loan with billions of taxpayer dollars... Hey, that's kind of a family tradition of bailing out banks, isn't it?

If you say he commanded respect, you're a dolt. He commanded nothing but ridicule.



You misunderstand me Kwick...

Being the biggest Anti-GWB guy here during his administration, I agree with a lot of what you said.

Sure... as in the other thread we've been posting in, it wasn't what he knew, but who he knew.

To me though, his "act" of stupidity was the scariest thing about him of all. So many of the Unconstitutional powers that Obama has furthered while in office he has GWB to thank for, such as the HUGE BALLS to throw out Administrative Orders like they were Twitter Posts.

Come July, we're going to see that the Supreme Court rightly deemed the Obama Care act unconstitutional.

When Congress gets their hands on his new Amnesty AO, it will also be shot down.

He knew that going into the Amnesty act he's supporting. He knew it would NEVER be made a law.

It was a pre-emptive move to say before the elections that he supported the Latino community and that if they vote Republican they have at least 4 more years of white people hating on them in the future.

I think it's pretty convenient how the Obama Care act wasn't before the Supreme Court last year, or the year before, or Obama's first year in office as well.... it just happens to get shot down 4 months before the re-election... Just in time to revitalize a lot of disenfranchised people who are looking for any handouts they can get.

The only thing that scares me more about Obama than Bush Jr, or should I say the Obama Administratioin, is that they've got timing and tele-prompting down to a science.

So much for Hope and Change. So much for Unity and Bi-Partisanship...

The fact is jobs are worse now than they ever were before and he had 3 1/2 years to fix it. He can't run the same campaign he did last time. Now he will be bending over for any minority vote he can. I bet he will also start programs to relieve college students of their debts and do the same for people who are underwater on their houses.... meanwhile, people like me who have no debt and did right will be paying increased taxes and food and gas prices to subsidize the mistakes of others under his watch.






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Sunday, June 17, 2012 8:13 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht


I'm somewhere between Niki and Anthony. I agree with Niki that there's a difference between to-your-face disrespect and political blogging etc. But I agree with Anthony that a reporter technically does have the freedom to ask a question, of whatever content if its relevent to what's going on.

I assume you're my pal until you let me know otherwise.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya.

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Monday, June 18, 2012 4:42 AM

CAVETROLL


I wonder where all this questioning of civility will lead? Is this the first step towards censorship? I mean, if you advocate silencing criticisms of Obama by Fox News, doesn't that mean you have to tolerate Bill Maher and his ilk being silenced? How likely is it that the mainstream media would allow someone who thinks as they do to be muzzled?

To a leader, incivility demonstrates the base aspect of the critic. It is a negative light cast on their attacker. The weak will bemoan the attack. The strong will counter-attack.


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Monday, June 18, 2012 5:10 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


For one thing, I don't think anyone is advocating anything, much less censorship. For me at least, I'm decrying it and expressing my opinion, and my dismay that so many will believe the bullshit propaganda. I've noticed that the Obama camp has come out more this time around to clarify/call out some of the lies, the not doing of which has pissed me off throughout his Presidency. It's about fucking time! You can't STOP incivility, but you can call it out, and sociologically it's interesting to look for its roots (for me), at best counter it or change it (if that were even possible). But I'm certainly not advocating censorship of any kind, nor do I think anyone else is, either.

In essence, the administration (and to a lesser extent, Obama himself) ARE counter-attacking to a degree, which is the best I could hope for.

By the way, there is no comparison between Maher and FauxNews: FauxNews PUTS ITSELF FORWARD AS NEWS; that's the last thing Maher would ever do, or any of the other pundits who have done this shit. For FoxNoise to consistently claim they are "fair and balanced" and are reporting news is one of the things that pisses me off the most. It has helped to degrade the entire concept of journalism for many Americans.


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Monday, June 18, 2012 5:14 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:


I wonder where all this questioning of civility will lead? Is this the first step towards censorship?



Hello,

I don't think telling people to be more polite is quite the same as censorship, unless you put a gun behind the request.

Now, if some political entity was to ban someone from speaking, THAT would be censorship.

Otherwise I think you are dealing with mere social pressure, which is how cultures define norms.

Niki and I feel differently about this issue but I don't think she's advocating censorship.

--Anthony




Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Monday, June 18, 2012 6:31 AM

CAVETROLL


Well, about that censorship...

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/18/tech/web/google-transparency-report/inde
x.html?hpt=hp_t1


Quote:


...In the last half of 2011, U.S. agencies asked Google to remove 6,192 individual pieces of content from its search results, blog posts or archives of online videos, according to the report. That's up 718% compared with the 757 such items that U.S. agencies asked Google to remove in the six months prior.
Fighting the great firewall
Overall, Google received 187 requests from United States law enforcement agencies and courts to remove content from its Web properties from July to December, up 103% from the 92 requests the Mountain View, California, company received in the previous reporting period.
In one incident cited in the report, a U.S. law enforcement agency asked Google to take down a blog that "allegedly defamed a law enforcement official in a personal capacity." The company did not comply with that request.
In another, a separate law enforcement group asked Google to take down 1,400 YouTube videos (Google owns YouTube) because of "alleged harassment."...


Chilling that the US government, or various organs thereof, thinks that it can directly censor free speech. The internet is a force multiplier. If the government is prohibited from stopping someone from standing on a soapbox in a public park and speaking their piece, then it stands to reason that they are prohibited from stopping someone from doing the same on the internet. The limiting factor is no longer the time of day or the power of the individual's voice. The internet allows someone in Miami to criticize and someone in Anchorage to hear that criticism. Whether or not they agree is up to the content and validity of the criticism.

The gun is implied because it is the government. Don't believe me? Try not paying taxes and see how that works out for you.

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Monday, June 18, 2012 6:46 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:

The gun is implied because it is the government.


Hello,

Yes, but Niki never suggested having the government censor anyone. Nor am I aware of her suggesting censorship at all.

Quote:

Chilling that the US government, or various organs thereof, thinks that it can directly censor free speech.


It is chilling. But of course, once it was made clear that corporations are protected from following illegal orders issued by government organs, this sort of thing was inevitable. When we forgave the illegal wiretapping, we opened a door.

--Anthony





Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Monday, June 18, 2012 9:09 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Quote:

Originally posted by RionaEire:
I'm somewhere between Niki and Anthony. I agree with Niki that there's a difference between to-your-face disrespect and political blogging etc. But I agree with Anthony that a reporter technically does have the freedom to ask a question, of whatever content if its relevent to what's going on.

I assume you're my pal until you let me know otherwise.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya.




From those who were there, the issue of whether the reporter asking the question MAY have thought the Pres was done talking, and was simply trying to ask his question first , before Obama turned heel and started walking away w/ out taking questions is one possible out.

And it's been also brought up that, as this President feels it's fine to change the rules and start doing things against the rule of law, it also stands to reason that reporters may feel perfectly fine in changing some unwritten rules themselves, by interrupting the President to ask a valid question.



" We're all just folk. " - Mal

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

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Monday, June 18, 2012 10:09 AM

BYTEMITE


I hate and disrespect all politicians equally. But I also dislike goldfish poop reporters, and corrupt corporate cronyism, and sneaky lying warmongers.

In short, screw all of it and screw all of them. None of these people are worth wasting your time on, and none of them are going to make anyone's life better but their own.

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Monday, June 18, 2012 10:42 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important


Quote:

Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
I hate and disrespect all politicians equally. But I also dislike goldfish poop reporters, and corrupt corporate cronyism, and sneaky lying warmongers.

In short, screw all of it and screw all of them. None of these people are worth wasting your time on, and none of them are going to make anyone's life better but their own.



Hello,

Well... that's probably true.

--Anthony



Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012 6:48 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Heard something last night which made me look up what actually happened. Turns out it was pretty straightforward and obvious. In the video, Obama says "it is the right thing to do", then looks down at his notes as Munro hollered out his question "“Why do you favor foreigners over American workers?” Obama was quite civil, responding "Excuse me, sir, it's not time for questions, sir". Munro hollers out "No, you have to take questions". Obama holds up his hand and say "Not while I'm speaking". He also ANSWERED Munro's question later on by saying "and the answer to YOUR question, sir, and the next time I prefer you let me finish my statements before you ask that question, is this is the right thing to do for the American people", and Munro hollered back "“Is it the right thing for American workers [with] high unemployment?". Obama comes back with "I didn't ask for an argument, I'm answering your question". Munro hits him again and Obama says "It is the right thing for the American people and here's why". Munro went right on hollering while he was talking ("with "What about American workers who are unemployed while you employ foreigners?"), then supposedly "Munro then "identified himself as an immigrant, and walked off." He's apparently an Irish immigrant who says he was a "war bride". Interesting question, given he's an immigrant himself, and has a "job" (if you can call it that)--what American's job did HE take, one might ask.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2012/06/15/bts-obama-dream-r
emarks.cnn


It's pretty obvious from the phrasing of what he asked what his intent was. We (and everyone else) have been arguing about whether he was right to interrupt the President with a "valid" question, etc., but having discovered what the question(s) were and how they were phrased, and having watched the video, I'm definitely of the conclusion that this was an intentional act of disrespect and an effort to get attention (which it did, lots and lots!).
Quote:

No White House reporter believes that Munro thought the President was finished speaking four minutes into his remarks, and that cowardly attempt to save his day-pass doesn’t explain his subsequent interruptions. The stunt was obviously premeditated, and probably sanctioned, if not thought up by, Tucker Carlson

If we all just decided to yell out a question whenever we felt strongly about it, the President would never get through a single set of remarks, as evidenced by the post-press conference free-for-alls that Munro cites in his defense. This isn’t just a White House protocol, it’s part of being a professional reporter. See how long you’d stay on the Romney bus doing that. If you want to be some kind of heckling ambush reporter, that’s fine, but then you need to find your own way within earshot of the President. Good luck with that. http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-fundamental-problem-with-daily-call
ers-neil-munro-heckling-president-obama
/

It's easy to see where it comes from: "The reporter, who was wearing a temporary press badge, was identified as Neil Munro from the conservative website the Daily Caller."

You can see on CNN's video that Munro went right on talking OVER Obama the second time. This was no "reporter" asking a "valid question", it was a set-up and got Munro a gig on FauxNews to pretend he didn't "intend" to interrupt the President, and some publicity for Daily Caller.

The pertinent question about the interruption is that it IS protocol for a reason; if everyone did it, it would be chaos. Nobody is going to get an answer to that sort of question, and Munro knew it. Just wanted to share what my own digging found out about the incident. End of story, as far as I'm concerned.



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