The President's Most Important Meeting at APEC Is Not With An Asian Country Nor Does It Deal With the Economy

Posted by: Laughin__ALL_The_Way and RobertM – I don’t live overseas, but work with international dealers. They are very frank about the US and it’s involvement in the global recession. It’s not complimentary.

But none of them consider President Obama “a sad joke” or are “amused by his speaking manner” – maybe I work with in a less concentrated pool of conservatives, but most of my international colleagues are greatly relieved the Cowboy is out of office.

However, maybe there’s another reason for the different read. I’ve seen repeated posts on this site by people pretending to be someone they are not.

I presume it’s to build false support for their earlier posts, usually critical of President Obama with petty comments about his appearance or stupidity. After 8 years of listening to Europeans and Asians remark about GW Bush, this is strange to me indeed.

"At this particular moment in history, it seems that the Republicans are far more likely than the Democrats to resist the coming unprecedented intrusions, and so I support them."

"At this particular moment in history"? Adulthood comes with facing the truth. The Republicans are almost always more likely to resist your so called 'intrusions', which we less derisively call reform in the public's best interests, and fight instead for the interests of big business. And while I'd like to take credit for inventing the term 'Corporate America' your claim to be unfamiliar with it plainly shows you would like to obscure this relationship and say government by either party is the same. I've seen enough blatant pandering to big business by the Republicans to know otherwise.

A plan to slash more than $500 billion from future Medicare spending -- one of the biggest sources of funding for President Obama's proposed overhaul of the nation's health-care system -- would sharply reduce benefits for some senior citizens and could jeopardize access to care for millions of others, according to a government evaluation released Saturday.

The report, requested by House Republicans, found that Medicare cuts contained in the health package approved by the House on Nov. 7 are likely to prove so costly to hospitals and nursing homes that they could stop taking Medicare altogether.

"The interview is called 'Does health-care reform do enough on cost control?'"

I know of no economist (except perhaps former Enron advisor Paul Krugman) who believes this measure will control costs at all.

But the important thing to remember is that this issue has long since stopped being about healthcare or costs. It is now simply a matter of "can we get a bill passed?"

Everyone knows now that most of what the Dems and Obama are saying about it is untrue and intended to deceive.

"There is the additional differentiation between whether the government is controlled by Republicans or Democrats. When the Republicans are in control there is basically only one choice since in that case large corporations are actually running the government."

A common bit of yokel mythology. Adulthood begins with the realization that it matters very little which party is "in control" (when the White House and congress are split, which party would that be?). The malignant intrusion of government into private lives marches on under either party.

At this particular moment in history, it seems that the Republicans are far more likely than the Democrats to resist the coming unprecedented intrusions, and so I support them. By my unalloyed skepticism about the ability of the government to do good does not change.

All the jealous conservatives commenting on this site....jealous of the president's popularity and jealous of how the president is working to solving issues the past president did not tackle.

Good job Obama keep working and fighting....may god keep you in his light.

An excise tax on high-priced insurance policies might violate President Obama's pledge to not raise taxes on the middle class, House Democratic Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Wednesday night. ''I do not want to see anything jeopardize the president's promise not to raise taxes on the middle-class,'' Clyburn told MSNBC. ''And that could very well get us there.''

tierra: No kidding.......he has high numbers over seas.....since they hate America and want it to fail....I wonder why they feel that why??? 3 more years of this president there will be no more America..........Just land of the illegal......legalized....and land of overwelming poverty.

I'll be sure and pinch the NATO troops I work with the next time I see them, just to see if they're "real" or "imagined."

Meanwhile, when do YOU think Obama is going to make his first REAL decision - and no, deciding what color suit to wear doesn't count.

Posted by: RobertM | Nov 15, 2009 2:20:27 AM

I find exactly the opposite - people are SO glad Bush and Cheney and the Republicans are gone (they considered them basically cretins and hypocrites) - and very impressed with both Obama and America for electing him.

"the stupidity of our President"

Posted by: Laughin__ALL_The_Way | Nov 15, 2009 2:32:45 AM

President Obama's overseas numbers are extraordinary positive. 'Confidence in Obama' ratings are also very high.

Perhaps you're having a stupid conversation with yourself about how stupid the President is . . . that would explain the stupidity.

RobertM - I concur. I too am an American living abroad (Europe). I wish I had a nickel for every conversation I've had with local nationals on the stupidity of our President.

They are particularly amused at his speaking manner - he always looks like he's watching a tennis match, looking left, looking right, never looking center.

They're also wondering why he hasn't made a decision since he's been in office - they're focusing on their OWN involvement in Afghanistan, and since their OWN leaders are waiting for our "leader" to make a decision, he's making THEIR leaders look foolish too.

We usually finish the conversation in full agreement - November of 2010 will result in another shift in power in the US, and Obama is finished in 2012. We then laugh, shake hands, and say "If we can make it to 2012..."

As an American who is living overseas, I am constantly reminded how much a sad joke Obama is.
No amount of spin by the NYT and IHT hides that from people here who just laugh and shake their heads!!

I wonder if Dmitry Medvedev will have his own teleprompter, or will Obama share his?

The Democrats and present administration have already caused great damage to this country thus far. Reliable sources have informed me of one of our major oil companies in the U.S. will be announcing a major lay off within the next couple months and will be focusing on completing their move overseas. This will be devastating to the employees and the economy. So I quess we will become more dependent on foreign oil even more.

Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Nov 14, 2009 6:58:47 PM

Re Samuelson, I chuckled at his disclaimer at the end, something to the effect of "of course I could be totally wrong." I'm paraphrasing.

More interesting to me was David Leonhardt's article this week "Falling Far Short of Reform" in which he addresses cost and names six big issues to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, as well as Ezra Klein's interview with John Gruber (a well-respected MIT economist if we're quoting economists--"In 2006, he received the American Society of Health Economists Inaugural Medal for the best health economist in the nation aged 40 and under. He's unabashedly pro-reform, but he's from the camp of reformers that worry incessantly about the economics of the plan."). The interview is called "Does health-care reform do enough on cost control?"

"It is idle nonsense to talk about putting one's faith in "corporate America" (what does that term mean?) as opposed to the central government, as if those were the only two choices."

You're right. There is the additional differentiation between whether the government is controlled by Republicans or Democrats. When the Republicans are in control there is basically only one choice since in that case large corporations are actually running the government.

From the CMS report:

"Medicare would be cut by 'more than one-half trillion dollars ($571 billion), ... possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries,' according to the report, and smaller companies would be 'inclined to terminate their existing coverage.'"

It doesn't matter at all to Pelosi, Reid or Obama. This has long since ceased being a debate over anyone's actual healthcare, and even less a question of costs. It is simply a question of whether they can get a bill passed, and as we have seen, there is no deceit to which they won't resort to do it.

It is idle nonsense to talk about putting one's faith in "corporate America" (what does that term mean?) as opposed to the central government, as if those were the only two choices. To the extent that the choice has any meaning at all, it should be recalled that the corporate entities involved in the recent financial collapse operated entirely according to the incentives established for them by the government. But next time, of course, the government will get it right, just as they will with healthcare. Sure.

"The unshakeable faith that some Americans continue to repose in the federal government is a phenomenon not to be explained by reason."

If you want to argue about misplaced faith, I don't see it as reasonable to expect us to put our faith in corporate America when it's been shown time and again that they can't be trusted to operate in the public's best interests. Part of the reason that this healthcare initiative has gotten as far as it has is more and more Americans who are happy with their healthcare, because they have never had to draw serious claims, are hearing true stories of abuse from people who have. Merely the fact that health insurance companies invest millions to figure out ways to drop costly policies should be evidence enough for anybody that they can't be trusted to protect the sick.