Obama Smacks Congress Hard on Its Work Ethic, Despite His Own Vacations, Golfing, Spending, & Hypocrisy (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on July 1, 2011
Chug, chug, chug, chug... Pres. Obama socializing in an Irish pub, downing a Guinness in May 2011
Do as I preach, not as I do, you slackers.
It’s only been five weeks or so since we saw POTUS Barack Obama kibitzing with Irish locals and chugging down a Guinness beer in an Irish pub.
This week, FLOTUS Michelle Obama has returned from her half-a-million-dollar-plus, taxpayer-funded “goodwill, fat cakes, and safari trip” to South Africa (which included chatting and dining with Oprah Winfrey at Michelle’s posh hotel, although FLOTUS was snubbed by a South African leader) — just in time for the family’s mini-vacation at Camp David over the Fourth of July weekend.
After recuperating from that (and throw in umpteen more taxpayer-funded Obama/Democrat fundraisers and perhaps another mini-vacation), the First Family will be headed off for their third trip to Martha’s Vineyard for another full-blown vacation in August, at a $20-million estate at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark.
By the time that vacation rolls around, the president will have broken his current record of 76 rounds of golf while in office and maybe get his daughter’s age correct after her birthday. No telling if Bo, the First Dog, will get his own private plane again for the trip.
Outside the sorely out-of-touch Beltway, one of several recent polls reveals that 60 percent of Americans have had to scale back or eliminate vacation plans because of the horrific economy, high unemployment, record number of job losses, and other desperate times for American families. It’s worse than last year’s cringeworthy, Democrat-labeled “Recovery Summer” that never happened.
In the video below, Vacationer-in-Chief Obama declares that he’s amused, and lectures Congress on its “work ethic.” He smacks them about “leadership.” And “being there.” And “working hard.”
Fore!
Gateway Pundit summarizes the video and Obama’s hypocrisy:
While audio of Obama’s self-righteous words is playing, images of Obama playing ping pong, drinking beer, playing golf etc. are flashed on the screen. It points out that Obama has played 76 rounds of golf during his 2+ years in the White House, taken 48 days of vacation, and held 149 fundraisers.
More commentary on the video from Hot Air — Ed Morrissey also points out that the video can be trimmed a bit to air on national TV during golfing events:
Jim Geraghty calls this the “Chuck Norris of party committee created web videos,” and it’s difficult to disagree. The NRSC simply puts together Barack Obama’s words on leadership from his press conference and matches them with visual evidence that refutes his claim that “I’ve been here” while the budget crisis continues. He’s been everywhere but “here,” and the graphic that shows 149 fundraisers is especially damaging.
[...]
That will leave a mark, I think, and not just because it shows Obama as being more than a little hypocritical in his “leaders lead” scolding.
From New York Times, White House Sees Date for Budget Deal or Bust:
WASHINGTON — The White House believes it must strike a budget deal with Congress by July 22 to avoid a risk of defaulting on the national debt, Democratic officials briefed on the negotiations said Thursday, as Senate leaders canceled a recess next week to try to break the deadlock with Republicans.
The July 22 date looms large, the officials said, because it will take lawmakers at least a week to draft a bill and get it through two houses before Aug. 2. That is the day when, officials say, the government will reach its debt ceiling and no longer be able to borrow what it needs to keep operating and repay existing debt.
President Obama challenged Republicans on Wednesday to accept higher taxes as part of any package to reduce the deficit, a challenge that House Speaker John A. Boehner swiftly rejected.
Another compilation of Obama lecturing on spending less, saving more — all talk, no action.
From NewsBusters, NBC: Republicans ‘Strike Back’ at Obama and ‘Made it Unusually Personal’:
While NBC’s Today on Thursday characterized President Obama’s attacks on congressional Republicans as “feisty,” on Friday, correspondent Kelly O’Donnell appeared on the broadcast and declared that “Republicans made it unusually personal” in responding to the White House criticism.
Despite the President’s claim in his Wednesday press conference that his daughters worked harder than GOP members of Congress, O’Donnell focused on Republican mudslinging: “The summer heat must really be getting to them around here with more than the usual frustration in both parties over the debt limit showdown and more personal comments directed to the President from Republicans.”
O’Donnell noted that “Republicans were so irked, Kansas Senator Pat Roberts suggested the President needed a pill.” A sound bite followed from Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, who suggested the President should “just take a Valium and calm down.”
While mentioning that Obama had left Washington to attend campaign fundraiser in Philadelphia, O’Donnell skeptically added: “Republicans complained that the President had quote, ‘lectured them’ to cancel events.”
From Robert Laurie at Big Government, Obama Is ‘Amused’ — America, Not So Much:
Before taking questions during yesterday’s press conference, Barack Obama issued a rambling statement that ran the left wing gamut from class warfare to an implied lament that taxes are too low. For the most part, it came across as a tedious tour through the failed Democrat’s playbook. The only time the President seemed truly engaged was when he used his daughters’ superb scholastic abilities to scold Congress for not taking decisive action on the debt limit crisis.
“You know, Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time,” the President told the press corps. “Malia is 13 and Sasha is 10. It is impressive. They don’t wait until the night before. They’re not pulling all-nighters. They’re 13 and 10. You know, Congress can do the same thing. If you know you’ve got to do something, just do it.”
Yes, according to the President, if only the members of congress could move as fast as a pair of 10 and 13 year old girls, they’d be able to fix the mess he’s created.
Laurie neglected to mention that Obama botched his daughter’s age. Twice. Malia is 12, not 13.
Laurie continues…
However, if the President is to be believed, they have no intention of doing so. Congress is just too busy taking vacations. Obama lashed out at this practice, claiming that while Senators and Representatives have been in and out of town, vacationing and partying like latter day F. Scott Fitzgeralds, he’s been left alone in Washington, doing all the work.
“They’re in one week. They’re out one week,” Obama scolded. “And then they’re saying Obama’s got to step in – you need to be here, I’ve been here, I’ve been doing Afghanistan, bin Laden, and the Greek crisis. You stay here.”
Really?
A president who’s played more golf in two years that most can squeeze into eight is taking the anti-vacation moral high ground?
Is this the same Barack Obama who, in 2009 and 2010 enjoyed frighteningly expensive Martha’s Vineyard vacations? Is this the same Barack Obama that is currently planning a third such excursion? Didn’t we all watch with rapt attention as the President and first family took multiple vacations to Hawaii, one of which he reluctantly interrupted to deal with a pesky terrorist attack over metro Detroit?
Wasn’t this the man who once used the hundred thousand dollar per hour Air Force One to whisk his wife away for a Broadway dream date?
His “bin Laden” comment is especially dishonest. He had to be dragged off the golf course to give the go-ahead, to be briefed before airing his announcement of bin Laden’s death. He had very little to do with the Navy SEALs takedown of Osama — even Joe Biden knew about it before Obama did.
I wrote this last week:
With 9.1 percent unemployment, the economy teetering on the edge of another Great Depression, the housing market in an ominous black hole, food prices skyrocketing, and tourist attractions and state parks having to raise their prices or cut back on services, it’s little wonder that fewer Americans have the spare cash to travel on vacation. Only 38 percent of American adults recently polled plan to take a summer vacation this year, compared to 55 percent in 2006.
Our clueless, spendthrift 'Country Club President' loves to lecture others on 'working hard'
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