Barack Obama's Night Out

The Pool's crack at the end that the blogosphere would get the vapors over this is a classic illustration of the bizarre world view that dominates teh Village. Of course Obama should talk to people on the right. Good ideas can come from anywhere. George Will's suggestion that a condition for accepting bailout money should be that salaries be capped in the recipient organizations at the top federal salary level is an example.
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Who wrote the pool report, KT?

Yep.
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Nice amplification of my point.

I am shocked, shocked they would pal around with anyone palling around with terrorists.

I am just surprised Kristol's head didn't explode and the Kraut didn't start spewing over everyone.
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Oh nooz, the lefty librul crashed the party.

K Teezie
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Im channeling texte
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Now you know Bill Ayers got the first dinner party with the thoroughly unqualified blah blah blah

I'm curious what thoughts you all have about the difficulties Obama seems to be having with Congressional Democrats over the remainder of the TARP money.
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In fact, Obama seems to have developed a well thought out strategy for cultivating Republicans in Washington, and looks like he's dropped the ball on cultivating Democrats. I don't know if that's true, or if he knows better than to try to herd cats.
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I'm not happy with the Senate Democrats giving Obama a harder time over the second half of TARP than they gave Bush over the first half (though of course I want us to be able to say where the money went).

kathy, I do find it interesting that the dems want to hold Obama accountable. It would be better had they acted the same way with Bush, but Congress should always hold presidents accountable.
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sgw, K-Tum, et al, the Daily Show had a hilarious bit about teevee pundits the other day that seems to fit with sgw's comment: "I am just surprised Kristol's head didn't explode and the Kraut didn't start spewing over everyone."
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=215338&title=Pundit-School

Check with Glenn Greenwald, but isn't dining with Charles Krauthammer torture?

As for the pool report, I am not surprised that Obama did this, and doubt it is that interesting outside the beltway cocktail circuit. What will be interesting is how the various RW pundits - who generally show less class than Obama on a bad day - write and speak about this event.

Was this meeting to hash out some sort of peace deal? Maybe Obama promises to not lurch to the left if the conservative cognoscenti refrain from bashing his plans? It's weak, I know. But why else would PEBO find himself in a roomful of right wing commentators?

http://www.political-buzz.com/

The NYT is reporting that the senior official in the Bush administration responsible for convening military commissions had determined that a Gitmo detainee had been tortured. The official Susan Crawford told Bob Woodward that since his treatment rose to the level of torture she decided she could not refer his case for trial.
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Now what we apparently have is a man who is extremely dangerous who can not be tried and can not be released. All because failed to follow the law.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/us/14gitmo.html?_r=1

kathy
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Notice the people who are voicing opposition to releasing the TARP funds are also some of the people who were closest to Obama during the election. I am not saying its the case but it appears to me that the Dems are employing a wise strategy of showing opposition so as not to be seen as a rubber stamp all the while knowing he is going to get the votes for the money. There is no way he doesn't get the TARP funds whether by Congressional vote or veto.

This is where a historical perspective comes in handy. This is what Democrats do. They lay down for the GOP afraid if they stand up they will get stuffed in their lockers. Meanwhile they seem go find their fight only when dealing with fellow Dems who they know won't hit back hard enough to really hurt. Trust me Obama has expected this and I suspect the dinner last night is part of the plan of bringing Dems back down to earth.

I'm not sure a "muscle hijacker" is actually an extremely dangerous man. In any case, the only action possible is to release him. The question is how long it will take Obama to recognize this. The sooner the better, in my view, because the wingnuts will go crazy.
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As with other issues he is facing, there are multiple interrelated factors here. He can't credibly renounce torture and restore the rule of law and also keep these people captive, uncharged. But releasing them is going to be painted, even by people who strongly objected to their treatment, as letting dangerous people out who are determined and able to kill Americans.
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The challenge is going to involve making it clear that the results--release of all the detained people in Guantanamo, even ones putatively guilty--stem from Bush's literal war crimes. In a climate where Tweety has guests debate under what circumstances torture by Americans (but nobody else) is okay, this is a serious challenge.

Best line from wvng's link to the dailyshow
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on Ann Coulter
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"That guy's got great hair"

Of course the pool reporter's cluelessness about bloggers is telling. But then again the idea of Charles Krauthammer getting the opportunity to bend the PE's ear with the notion that the only good Gazan is a dead Gazan does grate a little bit.

TPM had the best headline for this story: Obama Meets Unconditionally With George Will, Bill Kristol, David Brooks

Would he do that, Paul? I don't think so. I expect the dinner to have been very cordial, and nearly free of policy discussion. it wouldn't be polite to browbeat the incoming President.

jay
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You know good and hell well the wingers don't have any manners. But I doubt Obama was having any of it. Here is the great part about going to the meeting, now no matter what Kristol and Kraut say Obama can always point out "Well I went to meet with those guys but they weren't interested in bringing the country together". You for damm sure won't see Kristol nor Kraut at some liberal/progressive function. So who comes out of this dinner with more credibility with the average American? I think you already know the answer. So what happens now when he says the country needs big government spending because its the right thing to do and those two ass hats rail against him?
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He is killing them with diplomacy and they have no idea what to do about it.

Oh they certainly do have manners. There people aren't the cretins you see in the freeper comment threads. They're wealthy, sophisticated, cosmopolitan people.

gunny: Now what we apparently have is a man who is extremely dangerous who can not be tried and can not be released. All because failed to follow the law. I would suspect everyone incarcerated at Guantanamo, including the many who had done nothing to justify incarceration, became either extremely dangerous, or empty shells, due to their treatment.
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OT, not sure if this made it into Joe's Hillary Hearing thread, but worth hearing again even if it did, digby on Vitter challenging Hillary's ethics: Whenever I see some little diaper wearing toady like David Vitter get all filled with righteous indignation about conflict of interest and setting precedents I just have to laugh.

I bet the Nazis came up. The Nazis are always coming up with those guys.

Freepers have decided Rush must have attended.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2164271/posts