After all the nasty remarks and accusations made by the Tea Party members, they actually have the unmitigated gall to be upset with a joke made by Obama during a speech to Democrats.  


















































































































































































After all of the mean-spirited, nasty jokes and comments made by the tea-baggers toward president Obama, apparently they're upset at him for taking a reality-based jibe at them...

Obama was addressing Democratic Party members at a fundraiser in Miami. "I've been a little amused over the last couple of days where people have been having these rallies about taxes," the president said, according to Fox News, listing numerous tax cuts. "You would think they'd be saying thank you."

According to White House communications director, Dan Pfieffer, "The reality is that federal taxes have been reduced by $173 billion this year," Pfeiffer said. "As a result, the average tax refund paid thus far has been about $3,000 per family, an increase of nearly 10 percent over last year."

According to Sheryl Stein, founding member of "The Other 95%", and anti-tea movement group, "Obama passed 25 separate tax cuts, including $300 billion in middle class tax cuts -- one of the largest in history - as part of the stimulus package. Unlike President Bush's 2001 tax cuts, which went to the wealthiest 2.2%, President Obama's tax cuts overwhelmingly benefit working and middle class families -- in fact, 95% of all Americans."

Shows Obama is really concerned with the Tea Party movement  and gives  them  street cred when he has to make a condescending remark directed at them

but the President of the United States should never lower himself to get into a pissing match with anybody.

I really hate to see President Obama when he does this.  He has a staff of people that can handle the responses. When he reacts this way, it does not reflect well on him.

Stops them ,hell Obama making snide comments keeps them going more and  gives the tea party standing  

It was just a light-hearted joke!  And really, an off-hand remark at that.  It doesn't mean that he's "concerned" with the Tea-Party movement, because despite Fox's sponsorship they're really a non-issue.

And I really don't consider it "lowering himself".. it wasn't an attack on the movement and it wasn't mean-spirited or nasty. It was a relatively light on off-handed remark; and in fact his comment has some basis in reality, seeing that he HAS lowered middle-class taxes  since being elected.

Considering all of the bullshit, nasty and vitriolic "jokes" that they've made about him, I view his remark as the height of self control, and the tea-baggers taking offense at it is nothing short of absurd.

When you look at the mountain of comments, ridiculous and unfounded accusations and "jokes" made about Obama, it really pisses me off when anyone is critical of him for occasionally acting like a human being and responding to it in some small way.

frat boy bullshit responses to criticism? Or is this reverence for the office newly found now that someone you hate is in office?

not really. when has reason, logic, and the truth ever stopped the "entertainers" like rush limbaugh (yemach shemo vezichro) and the odious talking heads sean hannity and anne coulter from spewing their vicious hate and hypocrisy?

I think that the fact more and more mainstream GOP are now beginning to distance themselves from the ignorant rantings of the tea baggers and PalinforPresident crowd is encouraging.

It won't be long before their arrogance is exposed for the Fox-fueled BULLSHIT they really are.

And that includes the Wasilla Wench. She's just fattening her wallet like any other con artist.
And the dittoheads are buying into it like the ignorant fools they are.

and this is my message to the teabaggers, the dittoheads, the Palin supporters, and especially Rupert Murdoch:

I think, in some regards, he's truly perplexed at there logic.

In fact, I think he is a very decent man. A little too arrogant at times, but a good man.  I don't agree with most of his policies and his liberal way of thinking, but I like him.

And I don't agree with all the Tea Party supporters who are jumping all over President Obama's remarks.

I just think it makes the President look very weak and very un-Presidential when he responds to this bullshit in that defensive manner.

But he didn't respond to it in a "defensive manner"... He made a light-hearted JOKE, off-hand and in passing.  I just don't see how it makes him seem very weak and un-presidential.

Do you not think that most were offended?

It may have been funny, but as he has done many times, he was mocking them. If he feels he needs to defend himself against some of the more coarse speech then he needs to single out a couple and speak specifically to or about them. If he needs to defend himself with the Tea Party movement as a whole then stick to the issues on a professional level.

But what he did was mock an entire group of CITIZENS. It only served to further polarize the right and left and diminish their standing (which of course was his goal). It does more than diminish their standing as Tea Party goers. IT DIMINISHES THEIR STANDING AS CITIZENS. This is something a President should never do. As citizens they have legal standing to complain. As President he has the right to defend himself but is shouldn't be this way. This isn't the first example of his mocking practices and I'm sure he's too arrogant to stop.

-- Modified on 4/19/2010 7:37:54 AM

the first and only time he has responded to stuff like this.  Look at how many times he has talked about Fox News and his other critics in the media.  It gives the message that he is overly sensitive to criticism.  Granted, some of the whacko criticism of him is really stupid and uncalled for but that is standard operating procedure these days when you are the President of the United States.

I really hate to see our President -- regardless of how I feel about his political beliefs -- look weak and defensive.

He needs to focus on the matters at hand and let his hand-picked "hatchet men" handle the critics.  Besides, it's always a good laugh to see that idiot Robert Gibbs trying to defend anything!!!

Sorry Pitch, but I just don't see it... it was really an off-hand remark made in front of his base.  Your Hero, G.W.B use to make many, MANY sophomoric snipes at his critics and detractors, most of which were much sharper in tone than BO's...

And also, keep in mind that his remarks had some basis in fact... Obama's created 25 seperate tax cuts and has reduced middle-class taxes over $300 Billion dollar, more than any other President has done; so he had a point - they should have thanked him.

I couldn't give a rat's ass if they thought it was funny or not... For the most part Tea Partiers couldn't care less when THEY'RE the ones making offensive remarks directed towards Obama or for that matter towards liberals in general.  They need to stop whinning, shut the fuk up and take it like men.

"Oh, woe are are we, Obama lowered middle class taxes by $300 Billion dollars and he says we should be thanking him; that BASTARD!"

As Harry Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen".

To all the Tea Party members who were offended by Obama's joke, I can only say:

-- Modified on 4/19/2010 9:33:05 PM

You really can’t see the difference in GWB making some jokes (crass or otherwise), about an individual persons, told mainly in fairly private settings sometimes overheard by press and Obama’s public statements from a podium in front of national TV cameras that are meant to demean 20% of the electorate.

I’m not worried about the “feelings” of anyone, Tea Party goers or otherwise. I’m concerned about the Presidency. One year of tax rebates is supposed to silence people that realize the truth that their children’s future is being mortgaged past the point of no return? You want your opponents to just shut the fuck up? I guess you’ve bought into Obama’s strategy because that’s exactly his plan, to shut them up and that was exactly my point. Thanks so much for helping demonstrate it for me.


-- Modified on 4/19/2010 11:20:37 PM

President Reagan was.  Anybody who has read my comments would know that.

President Bush seldom, if ever, directed any comments toward his detractors.  Shoot, even President Clinton didn't do that because he had Hillary to do his dirty work for him. LOL

$300 billion???  Well, I saved about 40 bucks -- net -- on my taxes last year due to a move by the President.   I'm sure I have given it back since or will shortly.  Shoot, I'd give more than that back if he would just stop whining about Fox News and the Tea Party -- both of which really shouldn't bother him.  Fox News actually makes President Obama stronger because it polarizes its base of followers.  And the Tea Party is made up of mostly independents and moderates who will probably dislike whoever the staunch and staid REpublican Party nominates to run against President Obama in 2012.

"And the Tea Party is made up of mostly independents and moderates"

Moderates? Really?

Since when do moderates turn out in droves to rally for moderation?

Let's see. The Tea Party wants to  

Abolish the IRS, eliminate progressive taxation, drastically reduce the power of the national government, protect the 2nd Amendment (even though it's not under attack), eliminate the Fed.

Those are not the goals of moderates!!