Oct 28 2010

The Charm- Offensive?

As you’ve no doubt read by now, yesterday Obama was interviewed by 5 “Progressive” bloggers- BarbinMD (Daily Kos), Atrios (Eschaton), Joe Sudbay (Americablog), John Amato (Crooks and Liars), and Oliver Willis (Umm… his blog is eponymous).

They weren’t allowed to record the session independently so there is only the official White House transcript.

HuffPo headilines it- Obama Deflects Tough Questions From Progressive Bloggers.  I’d call it Weasel Words.  An illustrative exchange with Atrios–

Mine is an easy question. Will you rule out raising the retirement age to 70?

THE PRESIDENT: We are awaiting a report from the deficit commission, or deficit reduction commission, so I have been adamant about not prejudging their work until we get it.

But I think you can look at the statements that I’ve made in the past, including when I was campaigning for the presidency, that Social Security is something that can be fixed with some modest modifications that don’t impose hardships on beneficiaries who are counting on it.

And so the example that I used during the campaign was an increase in the payroll tax, not an increase — let me scratch that. Not an increase in the payroll tax but an increase in the income level at which it is excluded.

And so what I’ve been clear about is, is that I’ve got a set of preferences, but I want the commission to go ahead and do its work. When it issues its report, I’m not automatically going to assume that it’s the right way to do things. I’ll study it and examine it and see what makes sense.

But I’ve said in the past, I’ll say here now, it doesn’t strike me that a steep hike in the retirement age is in fact the best way to fix Social Security.

But you’ll probably want to read the whole thing and make up your own mind.

Also Obama was on Jon Stewart last night, took up the whole half hour.  A snip from that interview-

We have done things that some folks don’t even know about.

What have you done that we don’t know about?  Are you planning a surprise party for us, filled with jobs and health care?

Part 1

Parts 2 & 3 below the fold.

Part 2

Part 3

rustymancuso581

10 comments

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  1. We report, you decide.

  2. I would have loved to hear some questions coming from McJoan.

    I love the personalities the White House transcripts gives to the bloggers. Just to show their importance in Obama’s eyes their names have all become “Q.”  

  3. Offensive.

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