Another! Crisis! (Nevermind…)

By Joe Klein | @JoeKleinTIME | January 15, 2009 | +

It was only this morning that the newspapers and cable news networks were erupting–and the conservative bloggers smarming oodles of schadenfreude–over Barack Obama’s impending first legislative defeat. TARP funds–the big bank bailout–would never pass the Senate. He’d have to begin his presidency with a veto. Oh dear.

But, uh, TARP passed this afternoon. And Geithner is, clearly, going to be confirmed. And Bill Richardson has slipped, barely noticed, into the mists of history. I mean, if Obama keeps on having crises like these, he should breeze through the next four, no, eight years. He won’t, of course. He’ll hit turbulence. But, given their recent track record, I wouldn’t bet against my colleagues missing the real crisis when it comes.

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Matt

Obama can’t lose even when the media starts salivating over scandals,like they did over Geithner, and the potential for Capitol Hill turmoil, like they did with TARP. The media turned on him and he still got through it.

http://www.political-buzz.com/
ilikechips

hahaha Joe, you are stupider than you are fatter. Ovecourse the scandals will dissapear quickly or not even be covered.. The Obama loving media will run interference for him or not cover the scandals at all. Was this post a joke!
Dee in Columbia MD

Your colleagues seem to have an inability to learn from their mistakes. I often to refer to their behavior as child like but I realize now that is an assessment that is unfair to children who do have the ability to learn from their errors. We are living in very serious times and the public has little patience for those they see as not helpful. We don’t want the media to be cheer leaders that’s not their job but we expect that they will focus on serious matter and stop trying to entertain themselves by inundating us with the latest gossip and gamesmanship. Well if they want to become increasingly irrelevant this is the way to go…
ilikechips

This is hilarious..oh the hypocrisy of the media..Bush inaguration too extravagant in tough times 05..AP in o9..Obama spend baby spend.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-noyes/2009/01/14/ap-slammed-bush-s-extravagant-inaugural-05-now-it-s-spend-baby-spend

and they wonder why print media is declining.
ilikechips

Shame on TIME for this.. This is truly hilarious..

KT- since you are the only blogger that responds..I’d love to hear how this can happen at an ‘ objective’ publication like TIME.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/01/15/time-skips-holder-controversy-implied-ashcroft-was-unfit-2001-cover-stor
Dee in Columbia MD

Please ilikechips. I know you right wingers have issue but Ashcroft put a dress on a statue — okay.
gysgt213

Dee-At 3. Thank you. As usual Joe a main villager, can’t grasp that all we want is honest reporting and objective opinion. We can’t get it and the real news and commentary suffers.
sqr1

Joe Klein,
.
The GOP is obviously desperate to find something — anything! — with which to throw Obama off track. And Obama, to some credit, is largely sidestepping the faux scandals.
.
But just as Bush came to regret the originally successful “Mission Accomplished” photo op, Obama may come to regret his TARP win.
.
A side note. Can anyone explain to me why a President vetoing legislation is viewed in such a negative light? I would think that Presidents would relish the power to strike down bad legislation. How does it reflect badly on them to do so?
kattest123

I swear, kneepadded Louis XIV courtiers are spinning right now over Joe Klein spoiling the name of obequious sycophantic hacks.
.
Compare what Joe Klein would tell you about Bill Richardson to what I tell you here. There’s an excellent chance you didn’t know he was shilling for a pan governmental organization even as he was running for president. There’s an excellent chance you never heard his ethnic solidarity comment. And, that’s because of hacks like Joe Klein.
Cliff

hahaha Joe, you are stupider than you are fatter
.
And that says pretty much all we need to know about ilikechips.
Cliff

Actually, wait. The double periods, the reference to Newsbusters – these bear the stench of jimmyjamz, retard extraordinaire.
.
(That means I think you’re a gigantic retard, ilikechips.)
chrisnbama

I’m not so sure I would blame the journalists much. I think memes or narratives take root, then they feed off each other. It’s sort of a pack mentality driven by the relentless 24/7 news cycle.

Reflective journalism unencumbered by concerns about the “bottom line” is rare. Only those who have a measure of financial independence can practice it.
chrisnbama

And just a question, how does one create paragraph breaks on this blog?
http://www.inworldstudios.com jayackroyd

One inserts a single character on a line. Embarrassing, isn’t it?
.
I’ve been saying, since November, that the Republicans are going to find a great deal more difficult holding the caucus in the Senate with only a two vote filibuster margin and a Democrat in the White House. And several Senators quite vulnerable in 2010. The backwards looking media sees the obstructionism of the last Senate and expects the “filibuster” to continue to be effective. Not so easy with only 41 votes, and no veto threat..
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And that assumes Reid continues to be ineffectual, and not hard-nosed. If he acts on everything the way he acted to cover his butt on FISA, the Republicans will be powerless.
53_3

Cliff:
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I didn’t know that Joe Klein was fat!
onlystandstoreason1

Chris Matthews has vowed to do everything he can to make sure Obama’s administration receives only the most lavish of praises. This pretty much sums up what all the other “newsmen” are doing. Aside from getting down on their knees and allowing Barack to hump their mouths, I’m not sure the media could much more to help this incoming administration.
pirate wench (demwoman)

Yarrgh!
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I be shocked – SHOCKED, I tell ye, mateys – tha’ followin’ bein’ full “blow” on board wi’ 8 long years o’ givin’ th’ republican administration o’ barnacle-brained screw worms free port from bein’ held to any sort o’ account, th’ brine suckin’ righty trolls here be makin’ such a hypocritical-like squall o’er a bit o’ optimisim an’ fair play in a wee attempt t’ not make rogue waves out o’ a bit o’ sea foam.
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There be idjits!
middlegirl

David Gregory was on the Daily Show last night talking about how the press will hold Obama’s feet to the fire just like Bush. What a lightweight! Yeah, really held Bush accountable for Iraq, Katrina, DOJ, Guantanemo, etc, etc. Obama will be under a much finer microscope than Bush, rest assured of that. Fortunately, we have some serious voices in the blogosphere to counterbalance the villagers who are ready at every turn with their pitch forks. Present company excluded, Joe. Wish you did interact with the commenters like Karen does. With the exception of ilikechips, I appreciate the civility of the comments on this site.
dumdedumdum

The newspapers and pundits can’t get any traction for their scary forecasts of phony conflicts within the govt and the transition — THAT’S the crisis!!
http://www.inworldstudios.com jayackroyd

pirate woman:
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A book for you and any young ones you know:
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Uncle Pirate
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Illustrations by editorial cartoonist Tony Auth.
gas28man

They didn’t call him “no-drama Obama” for nothing. We learned a lot about him in the campaign. Remembering that seems to be the hard part.
FlownOver

The “crisis” we can expect will have nothing to do with reality. It’ll be the convergence of greed-motivated right wingers making unfounded accusations and bored, lazy reporters willing to make something out of nothing. Sooner or later one of these efforts will take hold, and both groups will keep trying until it does. The alternative would be principled Republican opposition based on policy disagreements and conscientious, substantive reporting based on fact … yeah, like that’s gonna happen.
shepherdwong

“I wouldn’t bet against my colleagues missing the real crisis when it comes.”
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Won’t be betting against snow this winter either I suppose.
pirate wench (demwoman)

jayackroyd – Avast – I be thankin’ ye fer th’ excellent book recommendation – I’ll be orderin’ a copy fer meself, and an extra fer th’ blessed time in th’ future when one o’ me own pirate progeny be providin’ th’ wee cargo tha’ be transformin’ me own wench self inta pirate yiya (that be grandmother, fer all ye non-greek-type lubbers), th’ good lord willin’ an’ all tha’ .