Thursday, September 10, 2009

He Wore A Red Tie: A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

By Writer X

Someone woke up Joe Biden with a cattle prod, Nancy Pelosi’s dress was red enough to burn a human retina, and Michelle didn’t go sleeveless. And, oh yeah, the President’s tie was red with thin gold stripes.

In between it all, the President of the United States gave another speech about health care. Unfortunately, it was long on passion and short on details. The teleprompter did not malfunction. Been there, done that.

Even worse than the lack of details in tonight’s speech, I hated the glad handing most of all. You know what I mean. That part right before the President’s speech where everyone’s shaking hands and kissing each other like they’re getting ready to film a geriatric Spring Break video. Gross. Couldn’t we just cut to the chase? I’d rather watch a television test pattern. It didn’t help that we had to see Sheila Jackson Lee and her hot pink shawl.

And if the President said it once during his health care speech, he said it three times: “If you like your health insurance and your doctor, you won’t have to give it up.” Sounds good. Unfortunately I don’t believe him for one millisecond and repeating it ad nauseam doesn’t make it any better. Maybe it was because the camera kept scanning over Charlie Rangel, the biggest crook in Congress. Or maybe it was because after Rangel, the camera kept scanning over Hillary Clinton. Did someone just goose her? Her maniacal smile is always so disconcerting.

Naturally, the President had to make at least one reference as to how he saved the country from financial ruin with the January Stimulus Package. Unfortunately, Mr. President, most people aren’t feeling that great about the economy and the unemployment rate keeps climbing. At least that was one moment during the speech when John Kerry looked like he had a pulse. Meanwhile, Biden always looked ready to take a nap while Pelosi looked like she needed to clean her teeth.

Regarding the health care speech, during the entire 48-minute speech, I didn’t hear one thing that I hadn’t heard before. In fact, I heard more of a conviction to have a public option than ever before. That bothered me, especially with few or any details about how to pay for a plan that would cover everybody and would entail massive government takeover.

The President talked at great length about lowering costs and greater competition and yet not once did he talk about reducing regulations so that people could buy health care insurance much like they buy car or home insurance: from anyone, from anywhere, and purchase whatever coverages they desired. That, unfortunately, is still a pipe dream.

The President said that taxpayers wouldn’t subsidize the public option. To that, I say, hooey. The taxpayers subsidize everything. Why would health care be any different?

The President also talked about the desire to work together with Democrats and Republicans to discuss alternative options. He said his “door is always open.” To that I say, bring it on! What’s stopping you?

The President did not talk substantively for one second about how this wonderful health care coverage would be funded. He did say, however, that not one dime of Medicaid or Medicare would be used to fund health care. To that I say, how? Both programs are in the red.

Finally, the President (predictably) brought up Ted Kennedy and his moral clarity and “large heartedness.” It was hard not to vomit. That was, in my opinion, the lowest point of the speech, even though Joe Biden wiped away a tear and Nancy Pelosi’s lip visibly trembled.

All in all, it was a pretty speech with few details. Not a huge surprise. At least my martinis were tasty.

24 comments:

AndrewPrice said...

Writer X, Thanks for the play by play. You've provided an excellent service for all of our viewers who either refused to watch or who start vomitting uncontrollably the minute they saw Pelosi good Hillary.

Were you actually able to hear the speech over the cheering of the journalist section? I understand Chris Matthews tries to throw his "briefs" to Obama twice, and the Capital Hill police had to tazer the whole NBC crew?

I take it in the end, Obama did nothing to sway your opinion about his plans?

StanH said...

“You’re a better man than me Charlie Brown.” WriterX, from your overview I’m glad I missed the blessed event, yuk! It’s already started the accolades from all of Barry’s sycophants, contact your representatives, regular and often.

AndrewPrice said...

Stan, I've got an article for later today fact checking his speech. Just wait until you see the whoppers he included!

Writer X said...

Andrew, you're welcome. Having a pitcher of martinis softened the blow. I didn't see any of the news crews; the cameras were too busy panning over the usual fawning suspects: Rangel, Lee, Schumer, Clinton, even Kerry. Kerry looked like he had just pulled an all-nighter.

Stan, I don't think the speech changed any minds. It only fired up his base and distanced those (like me) from him that much further. A small part of me hoped to hear something new. It was, in the end, more of the same. Just with a different tie.

CrispyRice said...

Yup, thanks for the overview! I don't think I could've made it even with a pitcher of martinis, LOL. Sounds like I didn't miss anything unexpected other than the "YOU LIE" outburst, heh heh. Gotta write a thank-you to that congressman.

Writer X said...

CrispyRice, yes, someone (later learned that it was Joe Wilson) jumped up and said "You Lie!" although it wasn't really audible on TV. Predictably, Nancy glared at him like a schoolmarm and Joe Biden looked like he swallowed a potato chip. I remember much worse when President Bush delivered his speeches and yet the Congress acted like those outbursts were perfectly fine. The Dems have short memories.

StanH said...

On contacting your representatives. I haven’t been able to get an e-mail through so there is a lot of activity, I hope it’s our guys.

Writer X said...

Stan, I've had the same problem trying to email Harry Mitchell. I'll keep trying.

AndrewPrice said...

We can only hope that the right people are flooding the Congress.

X, I remember the Democrats doing worse as well. But "that's different, Obama has good intentions." Frankly, I'd like to see the Republicans start to take a page from the British parliment and become vocal -- plus adopting the arguing style.

Writer X said...

Andrew, what's worse is that the Repubs have spent more time apologizing for Wilson than discussing some of the many half-truths and outright lies in his healthcare speech. Typical.

AndrewPrice said...

X, I know. They need to learn how the game of politics works. They should have used his statement to go on the offensive. Idiots.

StanH said...

Yeah, did everyone witness the Maverick (McCain) immediately being the first Republican fool to demand an apology instantly allowing the MSM to shift from the subject at hand. Republicans in there constant quest for approval from the press fall into the same traps, again and again, pitiful.

AndrewPrice said...

I didn't see it, but I would have been surprised if it hadn't happened. The guys lives for opportunities to attack his own side.

Unknown said...

WriterX: Woodstock on the Potomac will leave an even bigger mess than the original. Yeah, the concert was fun, but the cleanup afterwards will cost us a fortune.

Does anybody know who the brave soul in the front rows with the "What Plan?" sign was? Next to Joe Wilson shouting "you lie," he was my favorite performer.

DCAlleyKat said...

He and his speech reminded me of the clean your carpet for free salesmen that come to the door and won't go away...finally you just shake your head no, laugh, and close the door! And the next time they knock, you ignore. He called, they came, he spoke, they laughed, he keeps speaking, they keep laughing, and more doors shut.

BevfromNYC said...

One thing I have learned in my years of watching these speeches, is watch them on C-SPAN. You don't have to suffer the stupidity of any newscaster telling you what you are going to hear, what you are hearing, and what you have just heard.

Well, that or Writer X's Martini Plan...

Unknown said...

Bev: You forgot one. When the Chosen One slips, there's "and here's what you thought you heard, but actually didn't--let me explain . . . ."

patti said...

i told husband that i couldn't tolerate barry's voice last evening. i read instead. sonofagun, i sorry to have missed joe.

YOU LIE!

oh man...makes my day.

Writer X said...

LawHawk, I only very briefly saw the man carrying the "What Plan?" sign in his lap. The television camera didn't dwell on him. I'm pretty sure it wasn't The Maverick. ;-) Joe Wilson shouting "You Lie!" was probably the only excitement of the entire night.

DC, the speech mostly certainly did have that infomercial feel. I kept waiting for him to shout "Health premiums for only 19.95, but you must act now...!"

Tennessee Jed said...

Writer X - what a great writer you are. I really enjoyed this piece. Unfortunately, it sounds as if the speech itself is pretty much exactly what we knew it would be; long on rhetoric and short on details or substance.

My wife watched. She is more kind hearted than I am and not nearly as politically passionate. She has never been impressed by Obama as a speaker, but found him to be as animated as she has ever heard him. Unfortunately, for Obama (assuming my wife's reaction is anything close to typical) she also felt that his promises to add all of the new insureds while reducing overall costs to Americans sounded so obviously like a pipe dream, nobody in their right mind would believe him. I found that to be an interesting take, as well.

Writer X said...

Jed, thank you, kind sir. :-)

It was a very desperate sounding speech--not very inspiring. It was the speech of a man fighting for his political life. His voice grates on my nerves, too, and after 48 minutes, I was definitely pushed to my limit.

Unknown said...

WriterX: And just before the end, he says: "But wait--there's more!"

Writer X said...

LawHawk, maybe at the State of the Union speech he can give away some ginsu knives.

Unknown said...

WriterX: He only gives out ginsu knives to Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats, along with the tech manual entitled "The Hara Kiri and Seppuku Handbook."

Post a Comment