deeply concerned that righty bloggers may not be worshipful enough.
Related, the White House Press Secretary’s response to the NYT article that argued Bush poured gasoline on the mortgage fire (adding to the list of his terrible crimes arson, which they’d almost overlooked before he got out of office, you see):
The Times’ ‘reporting’ in this story amounted to finding selected quotes to support a story the reporters fully intended to write from the onset, while disregarding anything that didn’t fit their point of view. To prove the point, when they filed their story, NYT reporters were completely unfamiliar with the President’s prime time address to the nation where he laid out in detail all of the causes of the housing and financial crises. For example, the President highlighted a factor that economists agree on: that the most significant factor leading to the housing crisis was cheap money flowing into the U.S. from the rest of the world, so that there was no natural restraint on flush lenders to push loans on Americans in risky ways. This flow of funds into the U.S. was unprecedented. And because it was unprecedented, the conditions it created presented unprecedented questions for policymakers.
In his address the President also explained in detail the failure of financial institutions to perform normal and necessary due diligence in creating, buying and selling new financial products — a problem that almost no one saw as it was happening.
That the NYT ignored such an important economic speech to the American people and the complex causes of the crises is gross negligence.
The Times story frequently repeats a charge by the Administration’s critics: a ‘laissez faire’ attitude toward regulation. We make no apology for understanding the concept of regulatory balance. That is, regulation should be stringent enough to protect the greater public good and safety but not overly strong so that it unnecessarily inhibits innovation, creativity and productivity gains that are the sole source of increasing Americans’ standards of living. But while repeating this charge, the reporters gave glancing attention to the fact that it was this Administration that pushed for strengthened regulation and oversight, greater transparency, and housing reform.
The story also gives kid glove treatment to Congress. While the Administration was pushing for more transparent lending rules and strengthening oversight and supervision of Fannie and Freddie, Congress for years blocked attempts at stronger regulation and blocked reform of the Federal Housing Administration. Democratic leaders brazenly encouraged Fannie and Freddie to loosen lending standards and instead encouraged the housing GSEs to play a larger and larger role in the housing market — even while explicitly acknowledging the rising risks. And while the story notes the political contributions of some banks to Republicans, it neglects that political contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac overwhelmingly supported Democratic officials — in particular the chairmen of the banking committees. In fact, even in the midst of what by then was a housing crisis, it took Congress nearly a full year to pass specific legislation called for by the President in the summer of 2007, especially legislation to reform oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
But golf is still seen as an aristocratic sport. And finding an angle on this Obama round is too easy: Look! The president is playing golf! While the economy is in the toilet. And people are being laid off. How could he??
I predict record levels of projection in the next four years, enough so that I will be selling Projection Offset Credits to try to save the political climate.
And he isn’t President yet, child, try to restrain yourself.
Unlike the leftist screechbots, I understand that the President is always on duty. There are no “vacations” in that job.
Tactical Preemptive Whine.
Strategeralism.
When Bush played golf, he was demonstrating what an elitist he is. When O! plays golf, he’s demonstrating the cultural boundaries that have been broken by him and Tiger Woods.
Besides, the left’s been so busy salivating over Obama playing basketball (just like my HOMIES) … pay no attention to the man driving the golf cart!
#3 – I think you have it.
Carin@4
I think you’ve pretty much hit the proverbial nail on the head…
This is all part of laying the groundwork for the meme that eeeeeevil Boooooooosh! trashed the economy soooooo bad that regardless of the lightworkers skills and intent, well, it’s might just take 3 or 4 terms to work our way back outta this mess…And, it’s handy for assailing the term limits argument also…
I can’t wail for Herr Olbermann’s special Komment where he goes off on O! for driving while the economy burns, like he went off on Boooooosh! for golfing while soldiers were suffering in Iraq…
Come to think of it, there might have been some fighting men suffering in Afghanistan while O! was contemplating the use of the 3 wood or the mashie-niblick-THE HORROR!
We can only hope that the suffering ones were AQ and Taliban!
Oh, and the Gawker piece…That writer is clearly a putz, and has been worshipping at the Obama shrine way too long already…
But how about some of the commentary; clearly rhodes scholars, all…
It’s odd but I’m inclined to like the guy a little better now that I know he plays golf. I didn’t think he did, you see. And I’m always suspicious of people who don’t or won’t play golf.
An awful lot of those sorts I’ve met have either 1) a self-asserted superior air because they “know” (not having tried) it’s a stupid game chasing a little white ball or 2) have tried to play but (due to their own failings) hate a game I love and think the most accessible yet hardest to master of the games I’m familiar with.
Sdferr,
You know what Churchill said; “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into a even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”
the guy was pretty observant…
Torment, in other words. Exactly says I. Promulgated by Knoxians and Calvinists.
I just want to spend my time doing other stuff, sdferr. It’s expensive and time-consuming. That’s not to say others can’t do it and have fun; I’m all for that. I feel the same way about skiing.
It’s the obligatory “It’s all Bush’s fault” excuse for the next four years. Expect Bush to be indicted for embezzlement when they find that the Social Security trust fund is all IOUs.
On a brighter note, the MSM is imploding as fewer and fewer of us are willing to pay for lies.
If I’m not mistaken, Presidents get an automatic membership at Burning Tree Country Club at the intersection of the Beltway and River Road out toward Potomac. No photogs allowed and surrounded by deep woodland. So they’ll only have to stop the helicopters and that shouldn’t be too hard with Secret Service powers.
Let him golf. He’ll either lie about how bad he is or cheat. Either way, all will be revealed.
……cargo shorts. harumph.
Besides, Oprah gets in at least 36 holes a day.
..
..
Of course, those are doughnut holes.
Clinton got in more holes than that, alp.
n awful lot of those sorts I’ve met have either 1) a self-asserted superior air because they “know†(not having tried) it’s a stupid game chasing a little white ball or 2) have tried to play but (due to their own failings) hate a game I love and think the most accessible yet hardest to master of the games I’m familiar with.
I’m not really a big fan of golf, but my parents made me play it as a child. Every Monday morning, my grandparents country club had a kid league. Many of the kids were WAY better than me. Mostly I was just relieved when they didn’t make me do THAT anymore.
As an adult, I may enjoy it if I had the time to pick it up again. But, with kids … a round of golf is a big chunk of “me” time. Especially if I intended to play it enough to improve my game.
I’m a occasional hack, by no means a dedicated golfer. But you have to love a sport that involves a beer cart.
sdferr, I openly admit I am not man enough for the self-inflicted humiliation that is golf. Besides, I have enough stories of ways I’ve been ruined with disasters of my own creation, or have done everything right and still failed miserably.
I find myself a tad surprised and don’t understand why what I wrote is taken to imply that everyone should play golf? Probably because what I wrote wasn’t clear and didn’t capture my intent very well. My fail.
I don’t think the game is for everyone, though trying it a couple of times doesn’t take a great deal of time and isn’t all that expensive.
But people bad mouthing the game without any knowledge or experience of it is, in my experience, a very common phenomenon. And so also is bad mouthing with a bit of knowledge while leaving out the personal inadequacy/frustration bits. Hence my professed suspicions. Doesn’t mean I think the game a necessity for everyone. My apologies for the poor expression.
The irony meter pegged and broke the gauge. Gawker issues a warning of right wing commentators criticizing Obama for doing the very same thing that lefty commentators frothed over during the years Bushian.
Irony: The other white meat!
I’m waiting to hear from the definitive African American opinion on golf.
What say you Charles Barkley?
I thought the NYT Bush hit piece was funnier than their McCain-Isenman hit piece, but what do I know. I thought they saved the satire for other sections.
And Memeorandum comes up empty on the subject. There is a reason for this.
Having seen Sir Charles play golf the answer is:
&#$%&*%*&#$%!
Of the two sports the Scots invented, golf is by far the more civilized, moreso than tossing telephone poles downrange.
The NYT is to reporting as Charles Barkley is to golf.
It’s hilariously hideous and there are a few who simply cannot look away.
Do any of you guys who play golf for fun think that the “elitist” or “aristocratic” tag on it is anything but bullshit?
Barkley’s swing reminds me of a grand mal seizure.
SdFerr:
Having been to several Union Sanctioned golf outings, yes. I once saw two guys get into a knock down drag out on a green over the number of strokes one guy was trying to declare. At the same function one group of guys tied their gloriously drunk and passed out buddy to the front of the golf cart and drove him around the course, deer carcass like.
Yeah, snooty and elitist it was.
Powerline posted an address by Peter Wallison yesterday that speaks to the origins of the financial meltdown. He gets most of it I think, with the possible exception of the capital gains tax advantages pointed out by Russ Roberts.
Golf is knucklehed sport.
Onnly knuckleheds pley golf.
I enjoy the occassional Nasau bet. As long as a few cold ones are included.
Like Carin, I wish I had the time for golf, especially since it would take quite a bit to get back into doing it in any decent way. My dad, 80, is a dedicated golfer — nothing interfers with his Tuesday game … not even the July 29th earthquake; he was on the Diamond Bar golf course at the time, practically on top of the epicenter of the quake. Golfers just picked themselves up and continued.
It is one sport in which age is not as big a factor as in other sports. One doesn’t see a senior tour in football.
Does golf on the pc count?
This is from the New York Times owned and operated by the Democratic National Party (DNC). They represent the Public Relations Department of the DNC. All problems must be blamed on Mr. Bush or the Republican party prior to arrival of “The One”. The One can not be held responsible for any error in any government at any time (rather easy since he has never done anything). The lack of integrety and creditabilty is of this paper, the DNC or “The One” is not to be questioned.
a problem that almost no one saw as it was happening
Just Paul Krugman and hundreds of lefty bloggers.
At least we now know what to carve on the American “conservative” movement’s tombstone.
Yes, literally “hundreds of lefty bloggers”. So, are these bloggers now filthy rich by getting into commodities early?
cite?
a problem that almost no one saw as it was happening
golf?
My 7 year old asked for golf clubs with pink grips for Christmas. Daddy could not have been any prouder.
I am right with you, sdferr.
And BJ is spot on, Barkley is a grand mal siezure in realtime. Just watching him swing a club will make your handicap go up 3 strokes.
I believe that Will Rogers said something like ‘nothing in America has made more liars of more men than golf, with the exception of the income tax.’
And was it H.L. Mencken that said “I could never vote for a man guilty of golf”?
It didn’t occur to me until after I left the office this morning, but what is really odd to me is that no one knew he played golf until now. I thought he was a b-baller, all street and shit? What’s up with that?
Obama is the Carlton character from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Tryin’ to benefit from some of that Tiger Woods goodwill for himself…
Tiger is among the best; O! hopes that folks will transfer that to him…
But Tiger is a much better dresser on the course than O!…
No, but I think it was Mencken who defined golf as “the best way to spoil a two hour walk.”
Nothing like the symbolism of carving a backward B to mark the headstones of where they lay.
LOL SBP!
Has anyone tried artificial fairways, or even greens? You know, less maintenance, water, Gaia-offending pesticides, etc….?
There was a par 3 course I tried once that had a kind of astro turf green. It was like trying to stick a golf ball on a billiard table.
Combine golf and billiards.
Oh, wait–that’s bocce ball.
[…] GAWKER OBAMA WORSHIPPER deeply concerned that righty bloggers may not be worshipful enough …. […]
Apparently a Barry Obama worked for Gawker at some point.. Hmmmm
http://www.addresses.com/results.php?ReportType=34&qf=Barry&qi=0&qk=10&qn=Obama&MoreInfoResult=1&RecID=0