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Gibbs Clarifies: Kumbaya

Sam Stein has Gibbs saying the following:

[W]e should all, me included, stop fighting each other and arguing about our differences on certain policies, and instead work together to make sure everyone knows what is at stake because we've come too far to turn back now.

Kumbaya!

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  • Display: Sort:
    Ha. Choke chain yanked hard. (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:55:13 AM EST


    You think someone got out of bed (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:01:15 AM EST
    this morning and yelled, "Plug the damn hole!"?

    Parent
    But who? Not Axelrod, as he says (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:03:40 AM EST
    similar stuff all the time.

    Parent
    And Rahm says it anonymously (none / 0) (#13)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:07:04 AM EST
    from a high level.

    Parent
    Get the marshmallows and hot dogs! (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by jbindc on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:56:35 AM EST
    We're gonna have a campfire!

    I do not want s'more (5.00 / 3) (#3)
    by Cream City on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:57:50 AM EST
    of Gibbs, though.  However, a weenie roast would be apt.

    Parent
    Put a fork in Obama (5.00 / 4) (#6)
    by Dadler on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:59:29 AM EST
    If this act is still being played...he is done.

    Again, this administration acts as if these annoying policy "arguments" do not represent the difference between good policy and bad. They don't even seem to CARE about policy as much as being polite while getting reamed.

    Not sure if they actually get this part. (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:01:18 AM EST
    Again, this administration acts as if these annoying policy "arguments" do not represent the difference between good policy and bad.


    Parent
    From the linked post: (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:17:49 AM EST
    "There are two big problems with Gibbs outburst - policy and politics," added Robert Borosage, head of Campaign for America's Future. "In policy, the left got it right. The president is hurting because his reforms were not bold enough... On politics, the enthusiasm gap comes less from forced compromises than from political malpractice. The destructive health care waltz with Baucus and the supposed moderate Republicans... the White House's infatuation with taxing union health care benefits; the White House's unwillingness from day one to pound on the failed conservative policies that drove us off the cliff... Part of that malpractice, arguably, was on the left as well - as significant energy was devoted to the sausage making of the Congress, and too little resources and energy went towards independent mobilization. There was and is no reason for the ersatz Tea Party right to capture the populist voice."


    Parent
    Not that the Left didn't point out (5.00 / 2) (#17)
    by scribe on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:43:27 AM EST
    CONTEMPORANEOUSLY, every step of the way how Barack and his team were malpracticing the country and selling out both their base and their re-election chances.

    Talking about the sausage-making being too consuming is a diversion  - the Left talked about the sausage-making because every step of the process the Left was fighting for their ideals and objectives and pointing out how, time after time, Obama and his crew were proudly serving their corporate masters instead of beating them down as they should have.

    And it's not like it wasn't pointed out in advance - on this site and elsewhere - that the Rethuglican strategy would be to make the country as ungovernable as possible (see, e.g., Tea Party) and pound relentlessly on every racist note in their dog-whistle symphony.

    But, hey, we're just "f'g retards", in the words of the President's hand-picked chief of staff (whom he had to sweet-talk into the job, remember).  Frankly, this WH can go Cheney themselves.

    Parent

    I wish my Party (none / 0) (#24)
    by NYShooter on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 06:16:28 PM EST
    Would never again mention "Left" or "Right."  Those words are instant stalemate. Issues aren't Left or Right, they're Smart or Dumb.

    Let's use the correct words and maybe a little bit of the polarization might dissipate.

    Every poll shows that, when framed the right way, most voters will pick the "Smart" choice, i.e. liberal.

    It's the word that scares them.


    Parent

    This is a fascinating comment. (none / 0) (#26)
    by Cream City on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:54:06 PM EST
    Thank you.

    Parent
    I do believe, that (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Peter G on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:09:37 PM EST
    this song -- "Too Late," by the Cornelius Brothers with Sister Rose -- is the reference being made.  "I believe, I believe, I believe I'm falling in love."  Sweet soul music, 1972.

    Greenwald's having the same reaction (5.00 / 5) (#20)
    by Anne on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:14:19 PM EST
    a lot of us are - his post today was just smoking with anger:

    So, to recap:  (1) The Professional Left are totally irrelevant losers who speak for absolutely nobody, and certainly nobody in Real America who matters; but (2) they're ruining everything for the White House!!!  And:  if you criticize the President, it's only because you're such a rabid extremist that you harbor a secret desire to eliminate the Pentagon -- that's how anti-American you are!  You're such a Far Left extremist that Dennis Kucinich isn't far enough Left for you, you subversive, drug-using hippies!  You're so far to the Left that you want to turn the U.S. into Canada.  As David Frum put it today:  "More proof of my longtime thesis, Repub pols fear the GOP base; Dem pols hate the Dem base."

    [snip]

    Perhaps one day the White House can work itself up to express this sort of sputtering rage against the Right, or the Wall Street thieves who destroyed the American economy, or the permanent factions that control Washington.  Until then, we'll have to satisfy ourselves with White House explanations that the Real Culprits are not (of course) them, but the Professional Left, that is simultaneously totally irrelevant and ruining everything.  I'll give credit to Gibbs for putting his name on this outburst:  these are usually the things they say anonymously and then deny afterward on the record that it's what they think.

    I'm starting to think Gibbs might be wanting to spend more time with his family...oh, what am I thinking?  The administration never gets rid of people who enjoy sticking it to the left.

    Much nicer version of (4.67 / 3) (#7)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:59:31 AM EST
    don't air your disapproval of the administrations policies. Sit down, shut up and clap harder. Oh, and BTW send money, volunteer your time and vote Democratic even if you disapprove of the policies.

    Does this sound at all familiar? (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:02:36 AM EST
    How could we go wrong? (5.00 / 4) (#15)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:13:55 AM EST
    The stakes in this November's elections are higher than ever, and the Democratic Party is making a historic investment to help elect strong allies of the President who will work to keep our country moving forward.

    With strong allies like Lincoln, Nelson, Baucus, Conrad, McCaskill, Webb, and Lieberman, I will sleep soundly knowing that the "people's" interests will be protected.

    After all the SCOTUS has stated that corporations have the same rights as people, so it is understandable that Congress will protect their rights above all else.

    Parent

    Whew...back to artful :) (none / 0) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:59:13 AM EST


    He could just quote Rodney King (none / 0) (#11)
    by republicratitarian on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:02:54 AM EST
    "Can't we all just get along?"

    :)

    Greenwald has a new candidate (none / 0) (#14)
    by robotalk on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:07:10 AM EST
    for his irony contest.

    Gibbs (none / 0) (#19)
    by Warren Terrer on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:11:29 PM EST
    needs to be fired. Nothing less.

    what's the lifespan (none / 0) (#21)
    by CST on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:19:32 PM EST
    of an average press secretary in office?

    It feels like Bush went through a number of them in 8 years.  Gibbs's time has gotta be up soon...

    Parent

    clarification (none / 0) (#22)
    by CST on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:20:11 PM EST
    I'm not suggesting he die.  Just that maybe it's time for him to move on to something else.

    Parent
    Unfortunately, looks & personality matter (none / 0) (#25)
    by NYShooter on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 06:23:46 PM EST
    Prior Presidents have had press secretaries, and chiefs of staff that were likeable, and photogenic. And by some sort of "transference, it helps the President. When you flash Gibbs, Axelrod, Emmanuel, Summers in your mind, what's your gut reaction?

    Yeah, thought so, mine to.


    Parent

    OK, OK, you (none / 0) (#23)
    by KeysDan on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 04:27:59 PM EST
    professional lefties get Elizabeth Warren, and we call it even. Now will you stop your whining so we can all get back to courting Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham. Love, sort of, Gibby.