Obama Spokesman Chastises "Professional Left"

[Pangloss]

On Tuesday "The Hill" (a newspaper that reports on political events in Washington) posted an interview with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who took the opportunity to blast what he called the "professional left".

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/113431-white-house-unloads-on-professional-left

 

“I hear these people saying he’s like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested,” Gibbs said. “I mean, it’s crazy.”

 

The press secretary dismissed the “professional left” in terms very similar to those used by their opponents on the ideological right, saying, “They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon. That’s not reality.”

 

Of those who complain that Obama caved to centrists on issues such as healthcare reform, Gibbs said: “They wouldn’t be satisfied if Dennis Kucinich was president.”

 

Gibbs took a tremendous amount of flak over this, but it's the truth. The situation is no different from what we saw under George W. Bush, with the right wing upset because of bipartisan efforts even though moderates were abandoning the GOP in droves because they thought he was too far to the right.

 

IMO it's centrists win elections. Not partisans. The best THEY can do is pout at home and cause the opposition to win.

 

What do you all think?

 

Couple articles looking at the reaction today and Gibbs' response:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20013389-503544.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i-Lypz8M2ebUXWtYScVGX3btdy9wD9HHNJF80

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/white-house-press-secretary-robert-gibbs-back-harsh/story?id=11378661

[ParanoiA]

Well the comparison to GWB is valid, philosophically. Both administrations are expansive and for the same reasons - security at the expense of liberty. One was focused on terrorism, the other on economy. They each took a valid conflict or fear and exploited it for increases in power. They may actually believe it, however.

 

But I'm sure the "professional left" has their own reasons for the comparison, no doubt far more rhetorical than substative. Maybe they're thinking since the democrats own both houses, with that precious 60 seat majority in the senate, that all of Obama's and the liberal's wet dreams should have become a reality. Certainly not compromise after compromise. I think we all know better than that, and I'm not sure why they don't.

 

Compromise is for politicians. That's what they do. We don't. We are charged with airing our demands, they are charged with negotiating the demands of over 300 million voices. While we don't compromise what we demand, and we don't stop demanding simply because efforts have been made, we also should recognize that their job is to listen to ALL of their constituents, not just you or me. They are to represent portions of the public - portions that measure in the millions - not just the loudest crybabies on the block.

 

I would probably argue that the executive should be more insulated from popular demands, and that we've perverted the office with expectations of popular representation as if the president is really just the de facto 3rd Tier of our representative legislature.

 

In terms of liberal policies, Obama has been terrific. He's done a fabulous job of persecuting the republican agenda and growing support in his own. Our republic is not designed to be efficient and sweeping. It's designed to be inclusive and incremental. Obama seems to understand this, and takes his victories as he should. He's doing great work for those people.

 

 

And I don't know if I'm just suddenly paying more attention or what, but it sure seems like Gibbs and Obama both, are not afraid to disparage the irrationality of segments of society and the media. It's one thing I really like about this administration. I've seen Obama make fun of the sensationalist, flip-flop, kooky nature of media and spin and mocking the silliness of it all and while I know he participates in it, as any politician does, it sure is refreshing to see it. Give 'em hell man!