Sunday, December 30, 2012

President Obama's full Meet the Press interview.


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I thought that the President was pretty blunt with his answers today, and did not shy away from questions about gun control, Benghazi, Chuck Hagel, or the difficulties he faces with solving the Fiscal Cliff problem.

I thought it was a very good interview.

36 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:30 AM

    When a child is raised with religion he will be powerless to escape it in most instances. When a black child is raised he understands that he is to look up to and respect the white man, who in many instances is not worthy of such respect. This could be playing a part with Obama who lacks determination to follow through on what he inherently knows is good and right. Thre was an excuse when he needed to be reelected but there is no longer. The next few months are going to tell the stroy and frame his presidency as either great or a lost cause.

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    1. Anonymous9:41 AM

      You are truly and astonishingly clueless.

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    2. Anonymous9:54 AM

      With all due respect, you're totally off your rocker and a total idiot. Like others have pointed out, Obama was raised in a white household, but that's not even the whole story. He was raised in a white household in Hawaii, which has a diverse culture and many different ethnicities living there. There are white people, black people, Asian Americans and native Hawaiians. If there are racial tensions in HI, it's between white people and natives. Obama, as a biracial boy, didn't have to face that at all.

      PLUS -- he spent a good chunk of his childhood in Indonesia, where whiteness would not be an issued and where, reportedly, he was teased for being black, teasing that he shrugged off.

      His mom would NEVER have raised him to have this sort of attitude. NEVER EVER EVER. At a time when blacks were still fighting for voting rights, she went and married a man from Africa -- and THEN she married an Indonesian! She was an intellectual hippie who went on to get a PhD in anthropology. She raised her son to believe that race didn't matter and to ignore racism. Read his freaking memoir! There's actually an anecdote in his book about how a guy in a bar said nasty things to his dad and tried to tell him he didn't belong there...at the end of the evening, the two dudes were friends! Obama Sr. was charismatic and he won the racist over by talking to him. Obama didn't believe this story but he found out when he met his father's friend from college that it was! This was the kind of attitude that Obama was raised with, even though his father wasn't around, his mother and grandparents gave him that attitude. They told him this story for a reason!

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    3. Anonymous10:09 AM

      And aside from the general ignorance about Barack Obama's life story and background, you're an idiot and you have no idea what you're talking about. Obama is following through on what's right. He is trying to raise taxes and protect Social Security and Medicare. Everyone thinks that tying SS to the CPU is a death knell, but that's hooey. Right now, people on SS get raises in their benefits that exceed what most working Americans get. This changes that and still allows Social Security to function. The Republicans want to raise the retirement age! They want to do away with Medicare! They also, BTW, want to do away with the mortgage deduction, which would essentially lower the annual income of millions of Americans. Lots of people depend on that extra cash every year and the GOP would sell out all those Americans AND make THEM pay higher taxes AND do away with the social safety net and gut unemployment benefits all so idiots like Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump can continue to pay a lower tax rate than you do. Obama has had to face a congress that is obstinate and idiotic. Boehner actually thought that after bragging about how he had made Obama into a fool that he was going to get a sweetheart deal that Obama offered in August 2011. He actually said that! Obama's response was -- Yeah, that's off the table.

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    4. Anonymous10:34 AM

      You are so clueless and delusional, it is difficult to even know where to start. Black children are not taught anything of the sort. Do you even know any black people?. What self-serving drivel.
      President Obama has learned not to show all his cards and to keep his own counsel. Any successful black person who is not a toadying self-hater has learned that lesson.
      Wow. I mean, really, wow. You are a total idiot.

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    5. Now the president's been reelected and the oft-mentioned DECEPTION is dropped: Barack Hussein Obama has been all along--gasp!--a “Blue-Dog Democrat" (as am I). As such, he will indeed prove to be one of the greatest, most effective and successful presidents of modern times.

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    6. Anonymous11:03 AM

      What an idiot!!! Thank God we have President Obama as our president.

      He did a beautiful job in the interview as always. I thought he answered every question straight on and honestly.

      Republicans need to be voted out of office across the nation. They are nothing more than obstructionists and assholes! I detest them in Congress - especially the House! McCain, Boehner, Cantor, the guy w/no chin and others need to be displayed in Washington D.C. and so that rest of us could go there and publically riducule them. They don't work for the people that elected them - they have zero ethics and on and on. They would NEVER survive in the private sector that is for sure!

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    7. Anony 8:30 ~

      You are an idiot.

      And,you don't know very much about human nature; i believe President Obama does...

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    8. Anonymous11:15 AM

      He is not a Blue Dog. He just knows a President cannot govern from the extreme left of extreme right,

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    9. Anonymous11:40 AM

      Anon 8:30 says "When a child is raised with religion he will be powerless to escape it in most instances."

      WHOA! Stop right there. No point in going any further because you are wrong, and waffling with "most instances" won't help you. Ditching religion is actually pretty common and quite easy.

      In fact, ditching handicaps that were supposedly ingrained during childhood is common. "Rebelling", "breaking out", etc. is a well-documented thing in sociology/psychology.

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    10. Anonymous1:28 PM

      10:09 am. I just want to explain that for three years there were no increases at all in Social Security payments. None of us on Social Security complained. We have had increases in the past two years. My monthly payment increased by about $20.00 in 2012 and will increase by $16.00 in 2013. Hardly huge amounts of money. But again I would never complain. I think that Social Security is a wonderful government program. It has allowed the elderly in our country to retain some dignity as they get older and less able to do things for themselves.

      I am very proud of President Obama and I think that he has handled the situation very well. The Republicans in Congress are all lunatics: creatures of ALEC, the Koch Brothers, the NRA and Grover Norguist and worse.
      Beaglemom

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    11. Anonymous3:48 PM

      I am 10:09! thanks for the lesson. I didn't know that.

      BUT --

      It looks like the cuts to SS isn't happening anyway. Because the Dems in Congress stood firm.

      (I don't think Obama was into them anyway, imo, I think he knew that the cuts were a non-starter and he just wanted to put in on the table so Boehner and Co. could feel like they had won something. But maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better.)

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    12. Anonymous5:51 AM

      "When a black child is raised he understands that he is to look up to and respect the white man, who in many instances is not worthy of such respect."

      First off you are so full of BS it must be hard to move .You have obviously never met any black people. My children are raised to be respectful of their elders no matter what raise they are and no race is placed above any other.

      "This could be playing a part with Obama who lacks determination to follow through on what he inherently knows is good and right." Are you kidding me? You obviously haven't been paying attention or you're one of the connect four players watching the President play chess. Go home before the big kids take your lunch money.

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  2. angela9:15 AM

    Anon 8:30 . . .
    "When a black child is raised he understands that he is to look up to and respect the white man, who in many instances is not worthy of such respect."

    What the hell are you talking about? I don't mean to be a total ass, but this is not 1860 and not one damned child in my family or any other African American family I know of---and that is in the hundreds-- has been taught to respect white men because they are white. Not a damned one. They are taught to respect people who respect them. Barack Obama is my age and grew up with a whole lot of people who were not white and had power and autonomy.

    And by the way, about 95% of the atheist I know were raised with religion--including myself. I don't remember being powerless--just happy at my decision to kick off some of the oppression.

    Your comment is silly, verging on delusional by the way. But have at it.

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  3. I have a great recipe for apple pie...

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    1. Anonymous7:15 PM

      Yes, I remember the apple-pie approach. I bet no one else does, though. Good thinking.

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  4. Anonymous9:31 AM

    What drivel 8:30! Obama was brought up in a white household by a white parent and two white grandparents. If anything, he has a better understanding of white society than black.

    What a racist comment you wrote.

    I'm sure history will show that President Obama may be the best person ever in this position. I am thankful he is our president in this period of our history. No one else is so well qualified.

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    1. Anonymous10:03 AM

      Nothing to add. Well stated.

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    2. Anonymous5:44 AM

      Actually you may be surprised to find out that there is little difference between being raised in a white household and a black household ( sounds a little too much like they are not like us for my liking and I'm sorry if that is not how you meant it. The differences in culture of born and raised American blacks versus those of a different country would be the similar if his father was white and from another country but it would have made little difference but being biracial in the US he would have learned at a young age how hateful people can be and just to ignore it ,which is probably why all the hate form the right doesn't faze him. He is the perfect person to be President, a steady hand in troubled oceans is exactly hat this country needs and i find it very ironic that it is a black man who will ultimately be blamed for the destruction of the Republican party ( watching Karl Rove on election night was wicked and sad at the same time). God or Karma ( which ever or nothing) has a very funny sense of humor.

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  5. Anonymous10:48 AM

    I'm extremely disappointed that President Obama is offering chained CPI SS cuts to the Republicans, when SS does not contribute a single cent to the deficit. This will screw over those dependent on SS in order to preserve a higher tax cut limit for rich peeps. Gee, thanks, President Obama! Only NOT.

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    1. Anonymous11:58 AM

      I think you're right, there's no way SS cuts should be allowed to be part of the picture. And so even though it's small potatoes so far, it's still showing a lack of determination and weakness. Be that a part of his makeup as I suggested earlier or be it a necessary compromise to the extreme right baggers, we shall see. We shall see in that we will see if it reaps the benefits of compromise. I would strongly suggest that nothing is going to reap benefits when dealing with the nazi baggers. But above all, we shall see if Obama's presidency is a great one or not and that will be evident when he wins or loses. I can't imagine losing in this current situation of huge income inequality and rapidly rising poverty amongst the poor and middle class. Or, in other words, if the stage isn't set now for a strong president with determination to turn the tide of destruction, then it's never and America will sink further and further into poverty for the many and depravation in the form of escalated gun violence. How Obama handles the situation will prove whether or not I'm right about his lack of drive and commitment or you angry commenters are right.

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    2. Anonymous2:36 PM

      Hey, 11:58, aka 8:30, you decide how you're going to judge Obama, but please don't bother preaching to us. You're an asshole determined to get your say in. Sneaking in terms like nazi baggers when you're just her to dis Obama and his BLACKNESS!! Why you feel the need to do it on this board is beyond me. Fuck off.

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  6. I don't think Tim Russert would have interrupted President Obama as much as David Gregory did. Having said that, it was a good interview.

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    1. Anonymous11:11 AM

      I miss Tim Russert SO much.

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  7. Anonymous10:55 AM

    "You are not going to cut your way to prosperity." A great way to put it in a nutshell.

    It also helps us see why a family budget and a national one are NOT alike.

    Cutting has two problems: one of course is withholding money from people who need it (SS cut, layoffs, health care cuts, govt projects that hire people, etc.)

    BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, cutting contracts the economy, in a multiplier effect, so each of us stands to lose far more, and in ways that are hard to fix. Yes, I mean a depression. History tells us this so very clearly.

    Obama's approach is good. Let's support him.

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  8. Leland11:20 AM

    There are too damned many definitions on the tax books for INCOME! If you have a positive flow of money it's income. Period.

    Drop all the different definitions. Tax everyone at the same rates. And please, do NOT think I am pushing for a flat tax. You will note I said rateS. Plural.

    Unfortunately, THAT is a step that will NEVER get past Congress as long as the Repubes have control of one branch of Congress.

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  9. Anonymous11:21 AM

    Huffington's Post headline is that the GOP (Congress) wants cuts made to Social Security.

    No one ever states or talks about the increase, I for example, will receive as of 1/13 via SS. It will be $32 per month for a total of $384 for the year. I am retired - age 70 and thankfully saved like crazy throughout my career. I have something to fall back on. But, there are many out there that are not in the same position.

    Medicare goes up each year as does the secondary insurance you need to have 100% coverage, drug coverage insurance, food, utilities, home insurance, car insurance and on and on.

    SS is not the 'end all' folks. And, to think the GOP wants to make it so the unemployed cannot receive their checks too.

    The GOP - Congress (House) - doesn't give a shit about the folks that put them in their individual seats. McCain, Cantor, Boehner, the guy w/no chin, Ryan and on and on need to be strung up by their toes and put on display in D.C. for all of us to publically ridicule. They are a disgrace!!!! I'm so sick and tired of the bullshit they are displaying back there - all to obstruct our good President of the United States!

    Thank God, we have him and VP Biden leading this country.

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    1. Anonymous1:30 PM

      Basically Republicans have been trying to do Social Security in ever since it was set up in the 1930's. They'd like to do in Medicare and Medicaid if they could to. What horrible human beings they are.
      Beaglemom

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  10. Anonymous1:41 PM

    PS: Chained CPI is not happening so everyone shut the freak up.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/fiscal-cliff_n_2384726.html

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  11. Anonymous3:28 PM

    Anonymous8:30 AM:
    Why do I get this sneaking suspicion that you live in the South?

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  12. Anonymous8:21 PM

    So many thoughtful comments on this thread. Really enjoyed reading them. Thank you!

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  13. Anita Winecooler8:47 PM

    I think we can state without equivocation that Anonymous 8:30 is a total waste of skin and not worth trying to "educating" because they learned all they need to know from Fox News, Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, and their own "experience" in white sheets and hoods.

    David Gregory, once again, shows the world what a bad interviewer he is. I refuse to call him a journalist. What's with rushing the President and interrupting him in mid sentence?

    I'm glad Obama didn't miss a beat while skewering the GOP despite Gregory's ineptness and ignorance. That's the Obama I voted for! That's the Obama I'm supporting!
    I love how calm and composed he carried himself in this interview!

    Compare that to this link - and laugh!!

    http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/grumpiness-to-go-around-inside-capitol-85594.html

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  14. Anonymous3:36 AM

    Yep I downloaded all the old classics onto my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Victor Hugo's collection was one of the first.
    Gryphen, if you'd read the book, you would have known it is a total Debbie Downer tome.
    I don't like singing movies so I will pass on it, thanks very much.

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  15. Obama needs to address the real issue that is facing this countries problem in relation to guns and death in the US.

    Meth!

    Michael

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  16. God and our country,

    So what happens if a young person does not have a parent that gives the guidance to point a child to a relationship with God... going to church. No God in school, no God in goverment, well no God anywhere except church and if a kid never makes the effort to go their a learn about God then what. Generation after generation... a hundred or two hundred years from know humans may be totally mean without feeling or emotions at all. Seperation between church and state may be a bad idea for a nation don't you think.

    Mike

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    1. Errrr....Mike....I think you should have spent more time in SCHOOL than church. Your grammar is truly atrocious and to be honest...I stopped reading what you were babbling because you didn't MAKE SENSE.

      PS...here's a clue...EVERYBODY doesn't believe in YOUR God. Get a clue and an education.

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