The Presidential Democratic Values Apology Tour

No. It didn’t take place in Saudi Arabia.  It took place on Capitol Hill.  It’s proof to me of an alternate universe there.

Ed Henry just said that it’s true that President Obama apologized for failing to be bipartisan and promised to work harder to find common ground.

There was a Republican presser with a follow up column at WAPO today by John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.  Both were a joke.  They don’t want to work with their Democratic colleagues.  They want a one term Democratic president and damn any Democrat that believes any differently after they’ve said it over and over again.

Here’s  Johnny!!  (and Closet Case Mitchie too!)

The day after the election, President Obama seemed to acknowledge that a change in course is needed when he conceded that “the overwhelming message” he heard from the voters was “we want you to focus completely on jobs and the economy.”

Despite what some Democrats in Congress have suggested, voters did not signal they wanted more cooperation on the Democrats’ big-government policies that most Americans oppose. On the contrary, they want both parties to work together on policies that will help create the conditions for private-sector job growth. They want us to stop the spending binge, cut the deficit and send a clear message on taxes and regulations so small businesses can start hiring again.

We can work together and accomplish these things, but the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress first will have to prioritize. It’s time to choose struggling middle-class families and small businesses over the demands of the liberal base. It’s time to get serious.

What isn’t clear about this?  They’ve said what they want and that’s all that they want.  There’s no sign of cooperation here unless it’s you do what we say.  Which is frankly kind’ve weird given we’ve gotten so much Republican-style policy through Capitol Hill without them.

What’s the President apologizing for?  Gee, I know you mugged me, next time I’ll be sure to carry more cash and less credit,  I’m so sorry.

The CSM seems to think that having them all in the same room is about as much bipartisanship as you’re going to get from this crew.  I see more hippy bashing in my crystal ball.

Still, despite all the talk of a fresh start, Obama acknowledged the elephant in the room – what he called “the current hyper-partisan climate.”

“There are always those who argue that the best strategy is simply to try to defeat your opposition, instead of working with them,” the president said.

He needed look no further than McConnell to see someone whose stated goal is to make sure Obama does not win a second term. And in a Washington Post opinion piece published Tuesday by McConnell and Boehner, the rhetoric seemed distinctly McConnell-esque.

The column – titled “Where we and Democrats can work together” – called on the White House and Democratic leaders to “prioritize.”

“It’s time to choose struggling middle-class families and small businesses over the demands of the liberal base,” the GOP leaders wrote. “It’s time to get serious.”

Okay, let’s just start from the assumption that it’s not just the liberal base that doesn’t want their social security and Medicare privatized or shut down.  Let’s also assume that most of us ARE concerned about jobs and not tax cuts. What exactly do they think the demands of the liberal base are?   Giving unemployed people their unemployment checks? I haven’t seen any decent demands coming out of the liberal base in forever!  No demand to shut GITMO.  No demand to get out of Afghanistan.  No demand to stop giving preferential treatment to banks.  No demand to not put American citizens on hit lists.  No demand to hold Cheney and Dubya accountable for breaking the Geneva Convention.  What frigging demands?  We can’t even protect a Woman’s  right to choose over Insurance companies’  rights to extraordinary profits!  DADT should’ve been gone by now and Pay Equity should’ve passed.  What FRIGGING demands?

Yet, if you read reports from the PBS Newshour, POTUS is “Encouraged”.  (Videos of pressers from this link)

Encouraged about what?  Giving multimillionaires tax cuts?  Implementing Allan Simpson’s plans to send seniors to homeless shelters?  Maybe, it’s their desire to tank START?

What fresh hell is this?

Notable tweets from the un-notable Ed Henry CNN on the “Slurpee summit”

edhenrycnn Ed Henry

(oldest to newest)

President striking conciliatory tone, saying he’s committed to “common ground” on taxes — a phrase Boehner used several times

Breaking news: Senior admin official tells CNN the President did tell Repubs behind closed doors he failed to reach out enough in 1st 2 yrs

Senior official tells CNN President told Repubs “he had to do better and the President is ready to do his part” in the days to work together

Senior admin official is confirming account from Republicans that Potus acknowledged “he had not reached out enough” in words of Cantor