First Henrietta Hughes, then Julio Osegueda and now Debby Smith.
President Barack Obama wanted to put a human face on his plans to overhaul health care, and a Virginia supporter did just that Wednesday. Fighting back tears, Debby Smith, 53, told Obama of her kidney cancer and her inability to obtain health insurance or hold a job.
[Sigh]
The president hugged her - she's a volunteer for his political operation - and called her "exhibit A" in an unsustainable system that is too expensive and complex for millions of Americans.
She obtained her ticket through the White House. -My Way News
Gosh, haven't we see this before? Obama will not lift a finger to help this woman.
No. What he will do is use her, to get you to convince the masses - to let him have the power to rob us, drain this country of it's resources and makes sure that everyone becomes like Debby; so we all can wait longer, receive less and die sooner.
"The president repeatedly said the current health care system is not acceptable and must be overhauled this year. He urged the audience to reject critics who say his plans are too costly or a step toward socialized medicine."
I urge Americans to reject this president who is all flash and no substance. He is tenderfoot who knows nothing but predents to master everything. These town hall encounters are choreographed and despicable and they need to stop.
Americas need to start asking how did hope and change work out for Henrietta? Did she get that house or that job? Did Julio get his benifits from McDonalds?
President Obama is writing checks this country cannot cash. Don't belive the lie. Our health and well being are on the line.
All flash and no substance yet amazingly the GOP is still too incompetent to stop his agenda.
What, do you think that the 51st thousandth time you use the word socialist people will actually care? That's what's holding you guys back? Just one more hysterical rant? Is that really the strategy?
I mean, i'd like to face a real opposition some day, but what the hell are you giving me but tired ass BS that you already lost with. If 2008 didn't teach you that it's not 1994, then what will?
Losing more seats in the senate in 2010? Losing more special elections? More GOP members getting exposed? Just when do the tactics change to something that makes me actually respect my competition? When do I get to feel I've found an intellectual match on the conservative side.
BUT BUT BUT SOCIALISM. FOH with that nonsense. Next thing i know you're going to start crying like Beck's punk ass.
Posted by: Derek | July 01, 2009 at 10:18 PM
I mean, case in point:
As far as the town halls go, they are great because they force the media to report on the townhall. It necessarily sets the narrative on ground favorable to the whitehouse. Which means media heads (that would be you James) that are always 2 steps behind the zeitgeist are necessarily arguing from the frame of reference Obama presents. You aren't just trying to attack obama you take the bait and try to portray people like Debby as stooges.
Really you should be actually dealing with Obama's plan. But you let yourself get baffled with the BS, even while you think you're being critical.
That's how easy it is to manipulate media types. You guys simply don't live in any sort of reality. It's all reaction, all punditry. Can't think those two steps ahead. And you fall into arguing on the ground Obama sets.
I mean, this is EXACTLY what happened on the stimulus. And you guys STILL fall for the same things.
Posted by: Derek | July 01, 2009 at 10:27 PM
And to break it down further, it works like this:
The mainstream media is too scared of being accused of being out of touch elitists to actually be very critical of the townhalls.
Conservative media is too shameless to even have that sort of self awareness. And for the most part you guys aren't policy guys. I mean in all reality it's not like you're going to say something mind blowing to me about a pitfall in a specific Obama healthcare policy, or godforbid actually come up with policy prescriptions yourself. Nah, you're just going to talk in platitudes and be reactive rather then proactive. So it just comes off as a bunch of crap platitudes and cynicism vs. Debby Smith and the rest of the townhall.
Losing proposition. Your empty hand doesn't solve the problems presented in the townhall and your cynicism makes you irrelevant.
It's funny to see it come together, but it's also frustrating to think that you people actually have a vote that's equal to mine.
Posted by: Derek | July 01, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Lord gnat you are your best friend. I bet the cabin has wall to wall mirrors so you can see yourself when you are talking.
Only a fool would think there is anything truthful or legitimate about these bogus town hall meetings.
Looks like Chip Reid and Helen Thomas have had enough of the bull.
Oh I hear you gnat, Helen is old and senile and Chip is stupid right?
Well I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 minute and 50 second video of both of them badgering gibby with their questions.
And the BEST part was that they actually got him to defend and respond for over 3 minutes.
In the olden days(Jan. & Feb.)this could never have happened. He would have cut them off, made a joke, all would laugh, and he would move on.
I think we will start to see more of this. The climate is right for more of those reporters to feel strength in numbers.
I don't care who starts the revolt as long as those reporters stop being intimidated and start demanding answers.
Posted by: maddypie2 | July 02, 2009 at 06:40 AM
Having read far too many of the gnat's comments of late, and listened to The One's statements of late, I understand the fascination. Both are arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, mean spirited folks who think they are superior to the normal everyday person in Wisconsin and the rest of the country.
But here is the rub. It came in the first thing gnat commented in this thread. Here is the money quote.
"All flash and no substance yet amazingly the GOP is still too incompetent to stop HIS agenda."
Mr. Obama has an agenda that is HIS agenda. It most definitely is not MY agenda. It certainly is not JTH's agenda from everything I have heard or read. It most certainly is not maddypie's or Joyce's agenda from my understanding of their position.
It is Barack Obama's agenda that certainly seems to want to FORCE me to live my life the way he wants me to, because I am just not smart enough, caring enough, charitable enough, wise enough, to do the right things.
And it seems when "folks" disagree with "the ONE", or gnat, they take it very personally as an insult to their greatness and superiority. "How DARE you challenge my superiority to you?", seems to be the question du jour.
"I know what is best for all you little people" is the pensée du jour. (thought of the day gnat).
Well BO is not that much smarter than anyone else. Rahm is not that smart either. And Barry Gibbs, oops I mean Robert, is somewhere near the level of village idiot with his smarmy talking down to everyone and their brother.
I want control of my life and my finances. I don't want to have to cut back on my lifestyle so the president can fly Air Force 1 and the accompanying Air Force jets to New York City for a dinner date with his wife.
I don't want to stop driving my automobile ninety miles to see my parents, just so Nancy Pelosi can fly a Boeing 747 to and from her home in California every weekend to see her husband.
I don't want to give up heating my home to 65 degrees in the middle of January in Wisconsin, just so Al Gore and his phony United Nations buddies can jet to Indonesia to figure out ways to buy back carbon credits by planting a tree in Brazil to make up for their self-serving interests.
We fought the Revolutionary War so that we would have these and a host of other freedoms from tyrannical despots.
Right now, Obama and the Democrats and the RINO's are behaving like morally and spiritually depraved despots who need to take care of the poor unfortunate dirty masses that surround them.
"Taxation without Representation" is once again becoming the norm of the people entrusted to power.
And that is the problem in my humble opinion.
Posted by: arnie behnke | July 02, 2009 at 07:48 AM
TYPICAL TEA BAGGER BALONEY
""Taxation without Representation" is once again becoming the norm of the people entrusted to power."
Are you claiming that you don't have an elected representitive? ...or that you've been prevented from voting? ...or that, like most tea baggers, you don't understand the meaning of the phrase "No taxation without representation"?
Posted by: Danny Inferno | July 02, 2009 at 08:05 AM
"As far as the town halls go, they are great because they force the media to report on the townhall." You're kidding, right? Unless you are 5 and believe all the garbage thrown your way, townhalls are setups to get, as you so like to refer to them "sheeple" to think and react a certain way. If townhalls are so great, how come O didn't want any debate formatted townhalls during the campaign? But, now we are to believe they are the greatest? Derek. You are not THAT gullible, and nothing you can say in response will make me think otherwise... I've read your posts here.
You are so sure 2010 & 2012 is a loser for GOP? Right. You are not. That is why you have to keep hammering that lie. It is not a given. People are getting fed up with the Dems and the supreme leader. Just wait till they experience sticker shock on prices in 2010. Not to mention the increased tax burdens they will pay, including those who earn under 250thou. They'll run to the polls to vote those chumps out of office.
As for plant Debby, O hasn't lifted a finger to help family members... why would he help a stranger?
Thanks for the post arnie. Ditto on being free to make my choices and control my life. I've had it with pols growing fat on my $$, and living like royalty.
Posted by: Joyce | July 02, 2009 at 08:11 AM
Gee I wonder why no one asked what her health status is right now. Who denied her insurance. Why she was unable to get medicaid. Has she ever had any treatment for her disease?
Oh that's right this was a bo town hall meeting. Only pre-approved questions followed by days of bo practicing his answers.
All I can say for Debbie is thank God she is 53 years old. If she was 7 years older her prescription from bo would be "take the pill."
Posted by: maddypie2 | July 02, 2009 at 09:52 AM
Its a good thing my mouth was empty during a moment at breakfast when I read a main stream media newspaper that actually reported the orchestration of O's townhalls. I almost choked! I feel bad for anyone who tries to follow the administration through the MSN. Thomas and Reid aside, do you think networks like ABC (All Barack Channel)will begin to give us both sides now?? Their only counterpoint to Obamacare Infomercial,was cancelled for coverage on M. Jackson
Posted by: Pamela Zagar | July 02, 2009 at 10:39 AM
"You're kidding, right? Unless you are 5 and believe all the garbage thrown your way, townhalls are setups to get, as you so like to refer to them "sheeple" to think and react a certain way."
Exactly. What? I'm supposed to be mad about the way the sale goes? I'm supposed to be mad that the media is stupid enough to get manipulated this easily?
The solution is rather easy. You either a) ignore it or b) actually have an answer for the same questions Obama has to face in said townhall.
You guys are too easily goaded to do A and not smart enough to do B. And B is the main part. Exposing your empty hand is the ultimate sell.
"You are so sure 2010 & 2012 is a loser for GOP?"
Wouldn't be surprised if 2010 showed the republicans gain like 5 seats in the house. But you'll probably lose at least 3-4 seats in the senate, and at that point it's kiss the game goodbye.
2012 is far out there but by any historical measure, Obama should get a second term. It's not like the competition is going to be there.
"If townhalls are so great, how come O didn't want any debate formatted townhalls during the campaign? "
If town halls are that bad for That One, when why did John Mccain get his ass kicked in the one they had?
Posted by: Derek | July 02, 2009 at 10:46 AM
One thing everyone here always needs to remember.
gnat hates anyone who he feels is stupid.
Which pretty much covers
90% of the world.
Trust me he knows how many stupid dems and libs there are.
He only clings to a few so he can make his points. But mostly it is about gnat posting link after link and sharing with us his every thought on any given subject.
And he does this non-stop
24/7 because he is delusional and thinks he is wowing us with his expertise.
The bottom line is gnat has no allegiance to anyone but gnat, but he aligns with bo so he can bath in the controversy and powder himself with the glory of the "gnat" wisdom.
Posted by: maddypie2 | July 02, 2009 at 11:05 AM
All I see is Arne yelling at kids to get off his lawn (miss matlock again?), Joyce trying to keep her delusions intact, and maddypie being maddypie.
I'd like to think i bring the wisdom that's sorely lacking here.
I also do movie reviews.
Posted by: Derek | July 02, 2009 at 12:34 PM
"I'd like to think i bring the wisdom that's sorely lacking here."
Yes derek I have already pointed out why you post here. We all know it is about you you you.
So is Friday night date night for you and the chimp. Taking in the first showing of a much anticipated movie?
By the way I figured out what the chimps name is
Little Joey B
named after that monkey in the white house.
And here is an update on info. I will be sharing with you soon. Due to the upcoming holiday my contact will not be available until Monday.
If you have any questions please contact:
maddypie2@yhoo.com
Posted by: maddypie2 | July 02, 2009 at 01:10 PM
While most of the media is in the tank for O, I think you'll find Derek they are ready to move on to a drink other than kool-aid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpI4vCMTuFQ
Not a fan, but Go Helen!
Gibbs should update his resume, I'm guessing he won't last the year. What a buffoon!
Fake townhalls and everyone knows it! They can plant all the people and questions they want...they can't plant thoughts in individuals.
Posted by: Joyce | July 02, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Your assessment of Arnie just goes to show what an immature, lousy judge of character you are, Derek.
Arnie strikes me as a real, salt of the earth sort of person. A good neighbor. Someone with a strong work ethic who understands the value of a dollar.
Someone who will not sit idly by while a Socialist dictator tells him what he can and can't do with it.
But you just see Arnie as a crabby old man. Then again, that's pretty much how you see everyone over the age of 40.
What you fail to realize is that our country was built by the "Arnies" of this world. Hard working people who just want an honest day's pay for an honest day's work, without the government breathing down their backs, watching their every move and taxing the sh*t out of them just so they can turn around and give it to some lazy lowlife who wants to coast through life doing as little work as humanly possible.
Maybe once you're being taxed up the wazoo on your "6 figure" air traffic contoller pay you'll finally get it.
Posted by: dana michelle | July 02, 2009 at 02:34 PM
"I think you'll find Derek they are ready to move on to a drink other than kool-aid"
They always want to, then what happens, they still focus on the townhall and they still have to deal with the realities of polling. The media knows the game... but they can't do anything about it. It isn't about being "in the tank" it's the fact that they have to deal with reality. They can't dismiss a public event with the president, and they damn sure can't challenge the views of the people there without looking like out of touch douchebags. The media gets played like a fiddle.
Posted by: Derek | July 02, 2009 at 02:54 PM
"Your assessment of Arnie just goes to show what an immature, lousy judge of character you are, Derek.
Arnie strikes me as a real, salt of the earth sort of person. A good neighbor. Someone with a strong work ethic who understands the value of a dollar."
it's fun to play "fill in the blanks" ...mid-life crisis, divorce, marries a teenage former student, another divorce...
Posted by: Danny Inferno | July 02, 2009 at 03:06 PM
All I see is Derek lacking reading comprehension and going off on a weak and completely off topic anti-conservative rant. Address the issue…
I think I understand why this is such an opportunity for the Obama administration. It involves the greatest level of hypocrisy and most notably from the left. For all those who came to this blog and used other media to trash Mr. Harris when he stood up and delivered the famous and eloquent "I'm begging you" statement, the left almost immediately threw out the vitriol and name-calling. The common theme was Mr. Harris was considered a prop for the Republicans and McCain. Now as the woman stands up to be embraced by Obama, this is “real,” “sincere,” or “caring.” And that is the case, because it is all those. What Debby did was very emotional and I applaud her for her courage to do so.
But…
The left falls into the same trap of hypocrisy that will end up biting them in the butt. The march to arms the left took against Mr. Harris was appalling and would be just as appalling if the right took the same stance of blasting Debby. I haven’t seem much mention from the national commentators showing the disrespect they did to Mr. Harris for his ideology with regards to this woman. If you want to call Mr. Harris a prop and mock him for his statements, that is all up to the commenter and their right to do so. But in the market place of ideas to embrace this nearly same action of Debby and then rhetorically admonish Mr. Harris, you committed the crime of political hypocrisy to the greatest degree. These are outright tactics committed by the left to discredit the other side, but when the same circumstances fall upon their own laps, they cheer it.
I don’t know if Mr. Harris agrees with my assessment nor does he need to comment on it, but I think and hope he agrees. I would offer him the chance to amend my statements to meet his personal reaction to his treatment and this woman’s treatment. I would support both of them in their quest for change in the government. I see both instances as a deal of great self-courage especially when odds are stacked against them.
As for the ignorant statements about conservatives losing some seats or whatever garbage, it takes a person with no experience or formal education in political science to suggest something of that sorts. I should really take the elitist route on this, but I am going to take the low road because I can’t believe how false and dishonest those comments are. Conservatives don’t have control of anything right now, as we can see by the paraded rhetoric of “we won, now deal with it.” 2010 will not be another referendum on conservatives. The average voter is smart enough to realize that any problems or misfortunes are on the shoulders of the liberal dominated national government. When poll after poll suggests that the policies are failing while Obama’s numbers are pretty good for him as a person, he won’t take the fall. The people in Congress will get the backend of the policy issues and lack of coherent structure. The ball is in the court of the liberal, moderate, and conservative Democrats. They have the power and if things fail, it won’t be the conservatives taking the brunt of it. I wish more people think like this though, it will make it easier to expose this extreme left elitism that is far from what moderate America really lives. Those people aren’t the overly political people who consume massive amounts of political media as some of the commenters here. These are the people who will make snap judgements and see “well democrats control this, America is worse off, why am I going to vote for the people who caused this?” Come back to reality please since I had to address the straw man again. I don’t understand why you spend so much time addressing Conservatives and their motives, when there is plenty failure on the left to be looking at. If you want to suggest the Conservative movement is weak right now, why spend so much time on it? You should be cheerleading your movements as an extreme lefty and promoting their cause instead of focusing on what you deem is a dying political theory. If Conservatism is so dead, then why worry so much about what they do? Just let them die, right? Victory, pat on the back?
There is much more to say, but I will let the conversation flourish again allowing for more comments pertaining to this topic.
Posted by: Happenstance | July 02, 2009 at 03:12 PM
"WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT ACCESS
"Your assessment of Arnie just goes to show what an immature, lousy judge of character you are, Derek.
Arnie strikes me as a real, salt of the earth sort of person. A good neighbor. Someone with a strong work ethic who understands the value of a dollar."
it's fun to play "fill in the blanks" ...mid-life crisis, divorce, marries a teenage former student, another divorce...
http://wcca.wicourts.gov/simpleCaseSearch.xsl "
What does this prove? Seriously, if you have some substantial evidence that is outside of coincidence, what are you trying to prove other than trying to tar and feather someone you disagree with?
This is pretty much a low blow and should not be tolerated. You have absolutely no credible evidence to back your statements other than you put in the name Arnie and Behnke into a court search or Google form. Largely circumstantial and hardly credible, yet you can "fill in the blanks" on weak evidence.
For all we know, the name he posts under may not even be his real name. So stop and think before you do something or say something like that. And not only did you come to conclusion, true or not, that was a teacher from Fremont, you and Derek basically laughed at his picture. How classy...You guys are real victors.
I hope James does see the two posts about the loose accusations and unsupported evidence and takes both down. You are usually pleasant when you share your views, but this is just borderline Salem Witching.
Posted by: Happenstance | July 02, 2009 at 03:23 PM
" The common theme was Mr. Harris was considered a prop for the Republicans and McCain. "
Well, i bristle at the idea of urging mccain to use a racially divisive campaign attack simply to win an election. The wright thing was played out after hillary used it to death, and I really wasn't in the mood to see mccain go down a road hillary already loss with. A road whose only purpose would have been to piss me off.
Then I laugh at the idea of socalled conservatives shuckin and jivin for John Mccain. Any alleged conservative that shilled for John Mccain last campaign is a sellout. Your convictions are as strong as a wet paperbag.
" If you want to suggest the Conservative movement is weak right now, why spend so much time on it?"
Easy prey. Sometimes just out of pure hilarity. Sometimes i want more sport though. Times like this. James T essentially willingly let's himself get worked over by Obama's townhall strategy, and never even sees it coming.
Posted by: Derek | July 02, 2009 at 03:24 PM
you know what is funny, and maybe only to a few who read comic books, which is a habit I can't seem to break. For anyone following Marvel, they had a civil war with heros fighting heros over whether the government has the right to force them to comply with government regualtions which require each to be unmasked to the government and paid by the government etc etc. Tony Stark Iron Man was on the pro registration side, while Captain America was against it. Long story short it ended when Cap gave up as he saw the public stop supporting his anti registration heroes.
After the civil war, their was an invasion by shape changing aliens, and the guy who killed the alien leader was Normon Osborne of Spider-Man fame, aka the Green Goblin.
so Osborne is now a hero to many for fighting off this alien menace and they give him control of the big anti terrorism, anti supervillain org called shield.
This brings me to my ever so long point, the advertising for the new books has heroes at the feet of traditional villains like osborne with a tag line that reads:
they won, you lost.
Posted by: LegioNofZioN | July 02, 2009 at 03:41 PM
"James T essentially willingly let's himself get worked over by Obama's townhall strategy, and never even sees it coming."
Naaa. That's not it. What works me up is people like you that think manipulation is a game.
Marxism does that to you.
Posted by: James T. | July 02, 2009 at 03:56 PM
If the sheep isn't smart enough to overcome manipulation, why is that my concern?
See, if conservatives actually had something worth sharing with the rest of the world about healthcare, they wouldn't care about this "manipulation." In theory, there is nothing stopping them from doing the same thing, or answering the townhall questions in parallel.
But we all know that theory is just that. In reality what's holding them back is that conservatives don't have anything of value to say in the first place. They don't have solutions, they don't have answers.
Call it manipulation or not, I like cutting out useless middlemen.
Posted by: Derek | July 02, 2009 at 04:06 PM
I mean, we could do it the old way which is "obama surrogate here, conservative surrogate there, the former defends, the latter attacks"
Or you have a townhall and cut through cable chatter.
Why NOT make the ground more advantageous? I have no sympathy to your side or it's desires.
Posted by: Derek | July 02, 2009 at 04:10 PM
the problem is people have been trained for the last half century to expect something from the government and only liberals and lefties can answer that question. A principled conservative or libertarian says "nothing" to that question. that used to work, but people expect much for little from their government and that is the problem. Lefties want people to accept high taxes so they can enact their plans, righties want people to expect little so they can gut the government the problem is the people want to the best of both, the best in extras for the least cost and neither platform can address this issue properly, and by both gorups trying to, well that has helped to disenfranchise entire segments of the population.
Posted by: LegioNofZioN | July 02, 2009 at 04:10 PM