The Moment Is Beer

Sometimes the Associated Press pulls out one of those leads that just says it all. From Ben Feller’s story just moved on the wire about the Obama/Gates/Crowley Bud Light/Red Stripe/Blue Moon moment:

Offering cold beer and careful words, President Barack Obama is trying to bury a political distraction and show the nation how conversation can help ease racial conflict. Just don’t expect to hear much Thursday evening: The moment billed as teachable won’t be that reachable for the masses.

It’s still too early to say what will happen, but the whole orchestration calls to mind the wise observation of Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner: “No matter what happens to America, she will always rebound—with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.”

More to come after 6 p.m.

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  • deconstructiva

    Michael, will you be there?

    …but beer? To really calm everyone down, stronger medicine is needed. If you’re going to be there, Michael, how about bringing some Stoli and shot glasses with you? Think of the headlines from “TIME reporter resolves Gates conflict with shots”….

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    The key to working out differences over a beer of course is that there aren’t too many. If they start doing shots…….

  • rustyreturns

    One man’s “photo-op” is another man’s way of continuing the disguise of the great Hoodini of Presidents. Barack “The Insane” Obama, continues his racial rants, only now it is on the White House lawn drinking Bud Light. George Washington is spinning like a top in his grave.
    .
    How many Americans who voted for this complete IDIOT is still proud of their vote they cast last November, now?
    .
    People who voted for this un-tested, un-qualified self-professed Community Organizer for President should be ashamed to even say they voted for him.
    .
    I said it then, and I’ll say it now. “Rev Wright / Obama ’08, WRONG for America!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    Can we please switch the topic back to health care so Rusty can go back to seeming sane?

  • Friar Tuck

    On balance, I get more entertainment out of Rusty when he just lets his freak flag fly.
    .
    The proud refusal to update year-old RNC talking points is comedy gold all by itself.

  • deconstructiva

    rusty, that’s “Houdini”, no “Hoodini”(?) unless you’re implying some double entendre I won’t go into…and George Washington was a regular drinker: madeira and other wines, plus beer. I don’t think GW did shots, alas. Shots will help tonight, though.

  • FlownOver

    OK, let’s see – how many for McCain/Palin? Hands?

    C’mon, people – fess up! Somebody must have voted for them!

  • hotbbq

    There aren’t strong enough words to describe your uselessness.

  • Paul-no not that one

    “How many Americans who voted for this complete IDIOT is still proud of their vote they cast last November, now?”

    indeed, indeed. How many is still proud?

  • queencersei

    George Washington drank beer after battle and Thomas Jefferson brewed it at Monticello. So if sharing a brewski is good enough for our founders it should be good enough for Rusty.

  • fhmadvocat

    What’s wrong, Rusty? Are you too good to have a brewski with the Prez?

  • queencersei

    Other notable Presidential beer drinkers include:

    John Adams who drank beer for breakfast
    Martin Van Buren who reportably had a heavy drinking problem
    Franklin Pierce was an alcoholic
    Ulysses Grant was also thought to be an alcoholic
    Grover Cleaveland enjoyed beer
    George W. Bush was also known to abuse alcohol, at least in his younger years

  • Friar Tuck

    Warren Harding got so drunk during a Friday night poker game with members of his “Kitchen Cabinet” that he gambled (and lost) a beautiful tea-pot under a golden dome to Albert W. Fall.

    OK, I made that one up.

  • http://www.simonvinkenoog.nl/beeld/Yogi%20-%20Annelies%20Rigter.jpg yogi

    How dare you make fun of our great president Harding, no one would ever accept this type of mockery of such alcoholics democrats like the likes of FDR who was usually so drunk he couldn’t even walk straight! Media bias, GRAAA!!!

  • dunedweller

    If they have pretzels with their beer at least Obama won’t choke on one. He’ll have the beer to wash it down with, after all.

  • deconstructiva

    Obama is serving USA-made pretzels such as Synder’s of Hanover or others, yes?

  • sacredh

    deconstructiva,

    Think about this headline.
    A bottle of Jack Daniels and TIME’s Amy Sullivan were passed around at the White House this afternoon.

  • deconstructiva

    …if only….pondering *sigh*…….
    …and if so, a lot must going down over there.

  • mjshep

    on the White House lawn drinking Bud Light. George Washington is spinning like a top in his grave.

    You’re right.

    Old George would have been aghast. From what I hear he preferred a nice ale.

  • deconstructiva

    Actually sacredh, I realize that we need not worry. All of the swampwomen are women of good taste. Media criticism is unfair since they bring issues to the fore, play on words aside.

  • sacredh

    I believe you’re right. I’ve tried everything I can though to get Amy to respond to us. I’d even appreciate a STFU from her. Especially that.

    I really do enjoy your posts deconstructiva. They’re warped enough to make me wish that I’d have thought of some of them first.

  • deconstructiva

    Thanks, and you write hilarious posts, double thanks. We need lots of humor here. I’m an open page in trying to make Amy, KT, and JNS laugh. Between us we might win over Amy yet. Maybe right now though, she’s staring at the screen and clenching fist, muttering, “…must…control…fist…of…death…”

  • http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=15910 Stephen Colbert in the Zeitgeist – August 1, 2009 :: No Fact Zone

    [...] The Moment is Beer – Time magazine’s Swampland blog [...]

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