Cheers to President Obama for answering "Tara's" question in a presidential, direct manner

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Obama took the Washington debate Monday to a Midwest setting of everyday Americans, sought to build support for a massive infusion of government spending.

The popular president got at least one biting question during a candid question question-and-answer session, when a woman who identified herself as Tara took Obama to task for some of the tax lapses of his high-level nominees.

"You've come to our county and asked us to trust you, but those that you have appointed to your Cabinet are not trustworthy and can't handle their own budget and taxes," she said. Others in the town-hall session booed her, but Obama interjected: "No, no, this is a legitimate question."

Obama said he has taken responsibility for the perception that some people shouldn't have to play by the same rules as everyone else. Two nominees, including Tom Daschle, who was in line to be secretary of Health and Human Services, withdrew from consideration after revelations of delinquent taxes.

But he added that the mistakes were honest ones and said: "If you're not going to appoint anybody who's ever made a mistake in your life, then you're not going to have anybody taking your jobs."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/09/obama-pushing-stimulus-pl_n_165158.html

[Parche]

1. why does she blame Obama

for other peoples lapses in tax paying

i think everyone in the US has not paid their fair share

[Cha]

11. 'Cause she listens to

rushsnout & fear and unbalanced.

[Barack_America]

15. She also asked Obama about Hannity.

So yes, your assessment is correct.

[Still Sensible]

17. He handled it very well

but to ask "why does she blame Obama?" is pretty easy to answer. First, he already took responsibility last week. Second, her question was implicitly questioning his judgment, which I think is legitimate. But, he gave the perfect, honest answer. In his answer, he was implying that "...you should trust me because when I screw up I admit it and correct it." IMO

[liberal N proud]

2. He is not afraid to take anyone question

I saw him handle tough questions in the campaign just as easily. Smooth

[Diane R]

3. What??? They let real citizens into the townhall, and not hand-picked lemmings????

[firedupdem]

4. I'm glad he pointed out that he has appointed 100's of people

but people focus on the one's that have issues.

What's up with the "mean" Obama pictures! LOL.

Scary angry black man coming to get ya!

[ellacott]

6. Wow, I didn't pay attention to that picture until you said something

That is not a picture of him listening to Tara's question. He took her questions at the beginning and she was to the left side. Maybe they are trying to frame it as the angry black man.

[firedupdem]

9. My son actually emailed me today and asked that question...he's

noticed the pics lately seem to catch him looking a bit angry. I hadn't noticed it until I clicked on this thread...now I'm thinking he may have a point.

:shrug:

It could be we're more sensitive to that kind of stuff...I'll wait and see if I actually start seeing more pics like this.

[Cha]

18. Actually, it would be weird if

Obama were always smiling..I think it's good to have different facial expressions. And, these are hard times for many many.

[ellacott]

24. Your son is very perceptive

I believe that people who didn't watch the townhall meeting would be unaware that the picture shown is not him listening the question asked by Tara.

I'll wait and see also. You're right, it could be that we are more sensitive to stuff like this.

[butterfly77]

26. I've noticed that too but..

He knows more now since he has taken office and he is tired of the politics being played. He knows what the people sent him there to do but the media and the cons are still playing the same old games.He is also trying to get use to the loss of privacy. That is how I see it.

[tblue37]

27. See, I don't think that expression looks angry--to me it looks

as though he is focused intently on what someone is saying and thinking carefully about it.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. It's the photo that Huffington Post posted in the article...

...so I don't know. They do. I don't.

:shrug:

[firedupdem]

16. I know...I wasn't specifically asking you...just making a statement. n/t

[Schema Thing]

28. No, it's a good picture.

[Cha]

14. Nah, Even Stern Obama is

soothing.

[firedupdem]

19. always...to me at least.

;)

[lunatica]

21. He looks like he's trying to peer past the glaring lights

And he also looks like he's listening to the question.

[Ediacara]

5. "You've come to our county and asked us to trust you"

Uh.... what? I think she might be one of those "Obama's secretly an Indonesian Arab Muslim from not America" crowd....

[nc4bo]

8. Umm.....yea really. Then again not surprising.

Didn't someone in another DU thread say she listened to Hannity?

No surprises there.

[EraOfResponsibility]

13. You know she is, because she asked about Obama dissing Sean Hannity

so you KNOW she's from that crowd...

[Laelth]

22. In all fairness ...

The transcript says "county" and not "country." Not that this woman isn't a Rushbot. She may be, but the President did come to her county and, presumably, he's not from that county.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Ediacara]

25. Oh gosh it does huh

To which I ask, who uses county with that kind of connotation?

[Laelth]

33. I didn't hear the question being asked. I can't tell whether it's a typo or not.

:dem:

-Laelth

[treestar]

23. As if her Indiana county was someplace not in the US

Or some special county worthy of more consideration than the other zillion counties in the US.

[nc4bo]

32. Maybe she's one of the 44% that voted for O

but going by the tone of her voice, the question she asked and her reference to a right-wing blowhard dillweed, I doubt it.

Mccain won Elkhart 55% to 44%.

I guess to Tara, President Obama might as well have been from another country not *just* outside the county :rofl:

[treestar]

34. And Obama went right in there

Something the Shrub would never have done! He'd have stayed in the Pro America parts of the country! :rofl:

[jwirr]

7. In other words "if you have never made a mistake in your life" cast

the first stone.

[Cha]

12. Great logical reply,

Prez.

[FirstLight]

20. When & where did this happen? link to video?

I wanna SEE my President too! Nothing good On CNN MSNBC ro either of the Cspan channels...did I miss this?

thanks for any info you have

[Thrill]

29. This was the town hall earlier

Its on CSPAN's website

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-R-15266

[WI_DEM]

30. And also, Tara, it was Bush who brought us to where we are today with this economic mess.

[terisan]

31. Geithner and Daschle's actions were not "honest mistakes." nt