Review of Presidential Press Conference

Some random thoughts on the president's well scripted fake news event:

1."Q Mr. President, a majority of Americans disapprove of your handling of Social Security, rising gas prices and the economy. Are you frustrated by that and by the fact that you’re having trouble gaining traction on your agenda in a Republican-controlled Congress?

THE PRESIDENT: Look, we’re asking people to do things that haven’t been done for 20 years. We haven’t addressed the Social Security problem since 1983. We haven’t had an energy strategy in our country for decades. And so I’m not surprised that some are balking at doing hard work. But I have a duty as the President to define problems facing our nation and to call upon people to act. And we’re just really getting started in the process"

Did the presdent just say Americans balk at hard work? Are you kidding me? What about our American work ethic? Apparently, he doesn't believe in that anymore.

And what's the about the presdient 'defining' problems? Does he mean 'create' problems? What if the problems he defines aren't real problems but fake problems created to divide and control people while he and his cronies loot the American people social security trust fund? hmm. How about 'recognizing' some problems like the looming deficit, the crisis he created in Iraq? I guess its better to keep us focused on his defined problems or we might actually expect him to do something to solve our very real problems.

2."You asked about Social Security. For the past 60 days, I’ve traveled our country making it clear to people we have a problem. "

Good thing we didn't have a terrorist attack during his 60 day tour or he would have a lot of explaining to do.

3. "I’ve also spent time assuring seniors they’ll get their check."

Screw everyone else.

4. "Polls? You know, if a President tries to govern based upon polls, you’re kind of like a dog chasing your tail."

Funny how one of his only press conferences occurred right after polls showed that no one believe him anymore.

5. "Some would like to see judges legislate from the bench. That’s not my view of the proper role of a judge."

Not legislate from the bench? Where would they legislate from? The parking lot? What is your view of the proper role of a judge if not to legislate from the bench? Is he to use something other than American law to adjudicate? It is clear to me that mr bush was being totally disingenuous in his response. If he doesn't feel that American judges should use American law from which to parse out fair and equitable judgement, then it can be rightfully assumed that he feels another standard should be used. And since he will be the first to tell you that 'faith' plays a big role in his decisions, I think its safe to assume that he feels that judges should be making 'faith-based' decisions.

4. "THE PRESIDENT: John, actually I said in my opening statement that the best way to affect the current price of gasoline is to encourage producing nations to put more crude oil on the market."

How about if oil and gas companies, who have been raking in record profits pass some of that savings on to the consumer? Is that too much to ask?

5. "Gas is—can only be transported by ship, though, when you liquefy it, when you put it in solid form."

I'm no scientist, but as I recall from my high school, freshman science class, there are only three form of matter: gas, liquid and solid. When you liquefy something, wouldn't you be turning it into a liquid form not a solid form? And he attended college, where again?

6. "Q So am I reading correctly that the energy bill would not have had an effect on today’s high gasoline—
THE PRESIDENT: Well, it would have 10 years ago. That’s exactly what I’ve been saying to the American people

When all else fails, blame Clinton.

7. (this is quote is about social security) "You see, it’s possible if nothing gets done that the payroll taxes will go up to some 18 percent. Imagine that for your children and grandchildren, living in a society where payroll taxes are up at 18 percent."

Imagine what they're going to have to pay to fund the tax cut for the wealthy?

8. "Q Mr. President, you’ve made No Child Left Behind a big part of your education agenda. The nation’s largest teachers union has filed suit against it, saying it’s woefully inadequately funded. What’s your response to that? And do you think that No Child Left Behind is working?"

"Yes, I think it’s working. And the reason why I think it’s working is because we’re measuring, and the measurement is showing progress toward teaching people how to read and write and add and subtract.

...

And some people don’t like to measure. But if you don’t measure, how do you know whether or not you’ve got a problem in a classroom?"

Ok, its not that teachers don't like to measure progress, its that YOU DIDN'T FULLY FUND YOUR OWN PROGRAM. That's the real problem. If teachers are constrained by budgetary issues, how can they be expected to do their jobs. Again...another example of how shrub doesn't feel that Americans are up to the task. Perhaps if he actually funded education so that teachers could do more than teach abc's and 123's Bill Gates wouldn't be chomping at the bit to bring in foreign workers to do high end jobs.