GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, who proposed the Republican budget plan and sat in the audience as President Obama attacked it, was quick to criticize the tone of the president’s speech Wednesday, calling him a “campaigner-in-chief.”
Saying the “excessively partisan” speech seemed to “pour on the campaign rhetoric,” the Wisconsin Republican criticized Obama for failing to show leadership.
“We’re looking for bipartisan solutions, not partisan rhetoric,” Ryan said. “Exploiting people’s emotions of fear, envy and anxiety is not hope, it’s not change — it’s partisanship. We don’t need partisanship.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed similar disappointment, accusing Obama of playing the blame game. “The President dedicated a significant portion of his speech today looking elsewhere for a culprit,” McConnell said.
But it was Obama’s 2008 presidential rival, Sen. John McCain, who came to his former foe’s defense for clearly having reelection on his mind.
“The president has announced he’s running for reelection. Certainly there were elements of the campaign in [the speech], but I can’t be critical of him,” he said. “For every president that is up for reelection, politics do play a role in the things they tell the American people. It is what it is.”
The President offers no hint of a plan — as even the Atlantic recognized — but McCain is willing to give Obama a pass, even if it means suggesting that the reaction from conservatives and baffled Republicans finally waking up is, well, a tad overblown. Which, were you to listen to some “conservatives,” is precisely the right tack to take against an historic president. Lest you lose an election by even more.
Seriously. The party we back ran this guy for President. Why would we think they’d be willing to take a stand on anything of importance to conservatives and classical liberals?
I remember when Obama, during the stupid “bipartisan” health care debate, repeated the “I won” crap to Senator McCain. On live TV.
It was incredibly mean spirited and gauche. The rhetorical equivalent of a glove across the face.
McCain just laughed it off at the time.
Now this.
McCain is starting to remind me an abused housewife.
He’s such a nice guy. A truly good man.
Dangit. Pablo beat me to it.
Really, Carin, isn’t he exactlt the kind of guy you can work with? Whenever you need someone to reach
aroundacross the aisle, Maverick is your huckleberry.John Sidney looks at his daughter and realizes it might actually be a good thing if America sinks.
Seems like a idiotic thing to say. I wonder if some context is missing. “I can’t be critical of him” sounds like maybe it was in the context of a specific question that was baiting him to criticize Obama’s partisanship. Then they would hang him on that.
Not to stick up for McCain. He does seem to be a squish, as Steyn would put it. But I am suspicious of quotes these days…
John Sidney looks at his daughter and realizes it’s already too late for her, and for the Republic.
Really, Carin, isn’t he exactlt the kind of guy you can work with? Whenever you need someone to reach
aroundacross the aisle, Maverick is yourhuckleberrydingleberry. FIFYSome more circumstance to add to my pile of evidence which suggests John McCain actually voted for Barack Obama.
I’m not joking – I increasingly suspect McCain’s quest to win the nomination, and then intentionally throw it, was the egomaniac’s revenge on republican voters over Boooosh.
Between the two of us we could do a webcomic, The Book of John Sidney — assuming we find somebody who can draw.
Man, McMav doesn’t know how, or when, to STFU…
Or is he hoping the gang of six needs a seventh. He must be getting senile, or something, to give ObaMao cover; when the entire point of the speech was to “serve” Ryan.
In barbershops across the nation, people are wildly exclaiming, “OOOOOH, Obama done served that muthaf@*cker Ryan!”
I wonder if you’re not right Entropy. He was really pissed the party would not get behind his choice of Lieberman for VP.
McCain thinks he’s setting a good example. He believes (still!) if he treats Obama with pronounced respect, the next Republican president will receive the same. He doesn’t see the Trojan Horse has been hauled into the country, opened, and we are experiencing the conquering of America by her enemies. Right now, today.
Paul Revere, McCain ain’t…
The British are honorable men who mean us no harm!
The British are honorable men who mean us no harm!
1 if by land, 2 if bearing gifts of tea and a sconce.
The guy does make a good POW though, ya gotta give him that!