What's with dhimmedia?

A (relatively) hardball question from CBS News reporter Chip Reid at this morning's press conference:

 “The latest CBS News poll showed that only 24 percent of Americans said that you should raise the debt limit to avoid an economic catastrophe," said Reid. "There’s still 69 percent who oppose raising the debt limit. So, is it the problem that you and others have failed to convince the American people that we have a crisis here and how are you going to change that?”

 

 

 

Obama responded: “Let me distinguish between professional politicians and the public at large. You know, the public is not paying close attention to the ins and outs of how a Treasury auction goes. They shouldn’t. They’re worrying about their family, they’re worrying about their jobs. They’re worrying about their neighborhood. They have got a lot of other things on their plate. We’re paid to worry about it.”

 

In terms all you bitter clingers can understand? 

"We might as well do it now," he said. "Pull off the band aid. Eat our peas."

 

What a duck.

Comments

[Mannie Sherberg]

Our boy-wonder president is not only a "duck," Yael -- he is also a devoted student of that great Hebrew classic, Pirke Avot -- The Ethics of the Fathers. Indeed, he is such an enthusiastic student of this masterwork that he quoted one of its authors -- not once but twice! -- in today's press conference. I was nothing less than flabbergasted to hear this flabbergasting man intone Hillel's immortal line: "V'eem lo achshav ahmahtay." Of course, he didn't intone it in Hebrew because, knowing that few if any of his auditors were familiar with Hebrew, he chose not to embarrass them and to translate into English instead: "If not now, when?" This means that while he is not our nation's first bilingual president, The One is almost surely the first who can extemporaneously translate from Hebrew into English, a feat for which he is to be saluted. I am both amazed and humbled by the breadth of this man's learning and the magnitude of his mind. Now that he has mastered mishnaic Hebrew, I understand he is going to begin the study of economics.

[Rick Richman]

It actually was a shortened version of the original rabbinic concept of "the fierce urgency of the if not now when?" -- which I believe was the first attempt to raise temple dues during a recession by telling congregants they didn't need the money and should eat their peas.

[Mannie Sherberg]

Thank you, Dr. Richman. It's always a pleasure to have a specialist on the inter-testamentary period enter the discussion -- especially a specialist schooled in the arcana of Second Temple finance... Seriously, Rick, I think Obama may rue the day he made the eat-your-peas crack. I don't know if it was ad-libbed or rehearsed -- but I think it was a bad idea. It came across -- at least to my ear -- as a paternalistic talking-down to the American people. I suspect not too many folks are going to be receptive to a "shut up and take your medicine" message -- certainly not from this high-living hedonistic president.

[Tom Glennon]

In the interest of full disclosure, I don't like peas or broccoli. However, I do like the green money in my wallet (which is depreciating even as I type). Perhaps we would not need to raise the debt limit if we had our 780 billion dollar "shovel ready" porkulus money back.

[Rick Richman]

Mannie -- I agree with you about the peas crack. To me, it seemed like Adam Sandler dressed up as the Jolly Green Giant, calmly expressing the subtleties of public finance, and then suddenly blurting out "I’m Crazy Green-Peas Man, Now Gimme Some Money."

[Yael]

About the peas crack, I would add only that at least it wasn't arugula. again. // And my own full disclosure: I agree with Tom, in that the green stuff that I care about right now is the green money that Obama's hocus pocus has made disappear. I hope the next magician in the Oval Office can make it reappear. I miss my country and I want it back.