Obama and Biden Disappoint, and Blitzer is an Idiot

[liberalmike27]

I'm not sure if anyone saw the ridiculous, public on air scorning of Hilary Rosen by Wolf Blitzer yesterday. It was one of the most disgusting things I ever saw, where Wolf basically told her to apologize, which she said she'd done already. Then he said "I still didn't hear you apologize, now look into the camera and say you are sorry (little girl, at least in tone)." Man that pissed me off.

But what might have been more irritating is the way Obama, and Biden, and other democrats ran from the issue. It could've been fantastic for their campaign, had they handled it right. But they ran away like the spineless, weaklings they are. Why not just clarify, say "Yea, her words might have sounded indelicate, but really, do YOU, anyone listening have the choice of staying at home? She does. She's been rich from birth, and the majority of you don't have that right." That's all she was saying. But they ran like scared little boys who'd broken the neighbor's window.

I apologize to you Rosen, as you've got more cajones than any of the democrats, to say what is real. And you know what? From all the democrats I've heard calling in to shows, and commenting on blogs, the actual people are with you, not CNN, or the executive branch cowards. We understand it isn't even a choice most people, most families, most women have available to them.

[movonne]

1. your right on...thanks

[lunatica]

2. This is all about the women's vote and it being an election year

This is an issue that every single politician running for election or re-election has to jump in on. They're all going after the women's vote this year.

It's politics all the time right now. All. The. Time.

Rosen isn't running for anything, but if she were she would have had what she says vetted by the experts handling her campaign. There was absolutely nothing wrong with what she said, and normally it would have not been overly noticed, but election years are never, ever, under any circumstances normal. That is, unless totally insane over the top lying and rhetoric is normal.

You should take everything you hear and see with a good dose of salt right now and until the elections are over. Everything politicians say right now is a sales pitch.

[seabeyond]

3. and maybe SAHMs, like myself, thought obama and biden handled it well, and would have been bothered

if they had addressed it like you do. and maybe we felt that they were owning the conversation intead of acting like spineless little boys, like we feel romney did with rush when calling the 24 yr old a slut.

i didnt see the wolfe situation, but it sounds like a piece of shit. as far as i am concerned hillary apologized. enough said. move on. this was probably cause of what aselrod said about her being a cnn employee not obama employee.

[tularetom]

4. Sad but true

Obama to some extent has to appear statesmanlike and above the fray but there are surrogates within the administration that could have made an attempt at backing up what Rosen said. The fact that nobody did tells me that they are either intimidated by the fake outrage or totally unaware that it's fake.

There is simply no words to describe the total uselessness of Wolf Blitzer. A stupid scared little twerp who is in way over his head doesn't even begin to cut it.

[PassingFair]

5. I agree 100%...Hey! Democrats! Women are not CHILDREN....

The "divide" between "traditional homemakers" and "career women"
DOES NOT EXIST.

WE BRIDGED IT IN THE 60'S AND 70'S.

Women and MEN today make HARD CHOICES, based on individual situations,
on whether it makes sense to pursue paid work or provide care,
free of charge, to infants, toddlers, school children and/or ailing
parents or other family members.

We don't need PANDERING from our own party!

Don't blow hot air up our skirts!

Opportunity MISSED.

[Beacool]

20. They wouldn't recognize one of those if it slapped them in the butt.

I'm soooo tired of politics. Most of them will say anything to get elected or reelected. They will pander to anyone to get a vote.

As much as I don't agree with his politics, I'll give governor Christie credit for one thing, he tells it like he sees it and lets the chips fall where they may. Why can't we have more people on our side like that? I rather have a politician look at me in the eye and tell me that he/she believes in X, Y, Z. That if I want to vote for him/her that's great and if I don't that's fine too, but that they will stick to their position. I respect that in a person much more than the constant pandering done by all sides.

[tabasco]

24. Don't let the door hit ya' on the ass

now that you've switched parties.

[Beacool]

26. What are you talking about???????

[Whisp]

37. Christie's such an honest guy

straight shooter he is. Obama should be more like Christie.
or maybe more like straight shooter Bill who stared us all in the face and lied for a fricken year.

[WeekendWarrior]

6. Oh, Please...

What world do you live in? Only in some ideological fantasyland could they have supported Rosen on this. She made a political gaffe of the highest magnitude and she's paying for it. Unlike Republicans, Democrats actually criticize and distance themselves from those who make gaffes.

In the real world of politics, this is a necessary evil. I know it's nice to believe in a certain ideology and I know that morally and ethically you're correct, but in the dirty world of politics—especially considering the ugly mood this country is in—they're playing the game the way it has to be played.

This isn't about cajones, it's about political survival in a world where EVERYTHING is blown out of proportion.

Oh, and Blitzer's a tool. Who gives a shit what he does?

[Marr]

7. They would never think to respond that way, because they're all swimming in wealth.

The politicians are rich. Their advisors are rich. Everyone they talk to all day and on the weekend and during their vacations (which we don't even get anymore) are rich.

[Honeycombe8]

8. You are spot on, Mike. I didn't see this, but I know that tone of voice you mention....

Thanks for pointing out that Rosen is the only one with the cajones to mention the obvious about Romney asking his privileged wife what the concerns of American women are. That's llike me asking a WalMart cashier what the concerns of billionaire American women are.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. You expect professional politicians to defend someone who dares to point out the obvious?

Why, they might lose the ultra-rich votes....not to mention the bribes..er..campaign contributions.

[bigtree]

13. yeah

paid commentators for CNN have sooooo much more integrity than our public servants.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Our public "servants" are paid by us and need to be held to account.

Right now they're more focused on holding on to their jobs/paychecks than "serving" the public.

[bigtree]

22. it's ridiculous on its face

. . . to assume that everyone who runs for office is less sincere and intent about their public duty than a paid pundit on CNN.

It's like assuming that criticizing them from an internet board gives you more virtue.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. If they're all that sincere and intense about their "service" why do we need to pay them?

And, why do they vote themselves pay raises for doing something they're so sincere and intense about? But, you may be right. I'm sure there are prostitutes who are sincere and intense about their work too.

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians.  Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn’t be wise." Mark Twain

[bigtree]

28. to compete with that monument to virtue

. . . that is CNN.

[AtomicKitten]

10. I disagree. There was no point in feeding the faux outrage.

HRosen herself admitted her statement was inartfully worded and apologized. Done. There was no point arguing over something she didn't say which was the direction this conversation would continue to go. Obama and Biden were not weak in their response, they were smart not to fall into the nonstop looping of HRosen's statement. Stephen Colbert illustrated that brilliantly by dropping a backbeat on the statement and getting his groove thing on ...
here: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/entertainment/television/NATL-Stephen-Colbert-Dances-to-Hilary-Rosen-Remix-147289415.html

[whathehell]

11. How dare he?....If I were Hilary Rosen I might say:

Hey Wolf...Look down at your dick and go fuck yourself".

Not on the air, of course

Maybe OFF air.

I hope she QUITS in protest.

[bigtree]

12. no one made her apologize

. . . she likely did it to save her job at CNN; much more so than she was 'forced' or anything by Democrats or the WH. It's her own craven need to be a paid commentator that motivated her to fold on her earlier statement.

She doesn't speak for the President (on anything), she speaks for herself. She was actually responding to her employer, not the President.

[PassingFair]

21. Please, most of our Dem "talking heads" were apologizing for her too.

The talking points were disseminated.

And I'm sure she was told to, at least, re-word her statements.

[whathehell]

30. You mean her "craven" need to save her job?..How very shameful.

And btw, she never claimed to speak for the president...If anything

was "craven" it was the president's apology.

[bigtree]

31. she's sucking up to her bosses on CNN, not capitulating to the WH

. . . made all the more obvious by Blitzer's badgering. All of the contorting to make her look like some victim who was beat down by the President . . . funny that you have to repudiate HER own apology to do so. Funny that you have to demean her and make her look like some weakling to make your point.

[whathehell]

32. You've TOTALLY misinterpreted my post, which I thought was rather clear.

I'm NOT "demeaning" Hilary Rosen, I AGREE with her!

Unlike the prez and some other dems, I didn't think she had anything to apolgize FOR.

Hint: it's often wise to read posts without negative preconceptions about the posters

[bigtree]

33. ha! I read your post correctly.

. . . now read mine again.

Rosen would have to be some spineless wimp to roll over for the President and apologize when she didn't really mean it; rolling over to keep her job on CNN is more likely. That's what I don't understand about the posts trying to make it look like she was forced to apologize by the President. She changed her tune on a dime, but I'm unclear just what pull the WH is supposed to have on her which trumps her salary from CNN.

[whathehell]

34. Ha!..No you didn't read it correctly...Now you read it again.

BTW, I never said, nor inferred, that the president in any way "forced" her to apologize.

[bigtree]

35. alright, you're probably correct

I'm behaving like a raving idiot. Apologies and cheers.

[whathehell]

36. Thank you, Sir...

Most on this site, myself included, have behaved badly at times,

but as you may have noted, DU, for all it's fine points,

is not a bastion of humility.

That being the case, few of us are gracious enough to apologize,

You are one of those few, and so I commend you!

Cheers!

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. The spineless weaklings are just doing what they always do when

someone like Rosen stands up and speaks the truth about repugs.

[aikoaiko]

15. I just don't care enough about Hillary "former RIAA CEO and BP consultant" Rosen

to care if anyone holds her to the fire. She tried to be edgy, it backfired, and now Mittens is making hay.

She doesn't have to work for or appear on CNN if she doesn't like the way she is treated for her mistake.

[indykatie1955]

17. Reasonable Folks Understood What Rosen Meant

Rosen is a mother too and she could have phrased her comments better in my opinion understanding that raising children is a job after all. The question for Ann Romney is what the hell has she been doing for work since her 5 sons reached adulthood. One would assume not much since raising her family was her chosen lifework, unlike the vast majority of women who have to raise their children AND work outside the home. We're winning if this is all the republicans have to feign faux outrage over.

[rusty fender]

18. Hillary Rosen is a smug one-percenter who looks down

on all of us in the 99 percentile. She obviously disdains any woman who chose full-time motherhood over motherhood and a career. Her opinion is not worth the time of day. She is also one of those elitists in the GLBLT community who is fine with gay civil rights progressing in inches rather than in leaps and bounds.

I wouldn't be at all disappointed if she loses her role as a TV pundit.

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. You mean Americans Elect Hilary Rosen? Seeing the phony outrage by the "activists"....

I'm more sure than ever that the Prez & VP handled this perfectly. They don't have the responsibility to co-sign and/or explain every ridiculous or inartfully worded statement coming from every Democrat who makes a fool of themselves in the media. The M$M can't wait to pounce on the WH everytime there's a racial incident, or some moron supporter says or does something idiotic in public.

Considering that Hilary, herself, has apologized for the comments, she knew she had stepped in it bigtime, and the resulting fallout was predictable. The problem, as I see it, is that political junkies and activists care much more about "the fight" than they care about the folks they claim to be "fighting for". It was a stupid statement, and Hilary has no one to blame for it, but herself.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden are not radio shock jocks or angry partisan bloggers. They have to maintain some semblance of dignity for the offices they hold, not just for the Democratic party and its "activists", but for the entire country. By coming out as they did on behalf of stay at home Moms, they probably took some of the sting out of a potentially damaging statement by a CNN employee, who is in no way affiliated with the Obama Campaign.

Get over yourself.

[emulatorloo]

27. Well put, thank you.

[Raine]

23. TOTALLY agree, what Blitzer did was bad BUT what "our" side did

was even more disgusting the way they threw Rosen under the bus and ran over her is disgraceful. No Democrat should ever do that to another Democrat, you don't see the repukes doing that to each other.

[Tarheel_Dem]

29. "you don't see the repukes doing that to each other." Are you serious?

Take a look at GD, and get back to us about "No Democrat should ever do that to another Democrat". This place should be renamed "Anti-Obama Underground". I would provide links, but that may be a TOS, but you certainly don't have to look far. Actually, this thread is a prime example of it. There are so called "progressive" websites, blogs, teevee & radio personalities devoted to ripping this "Democratic" administration to shreds at every turn.

So, can you give us a list of which Dems are off limits, and those who aren't? I'm assuming Ms. Rosen is on the protected list?