July 25, 2009
[Quotes compiled by ALEX KOPPLEMAN at Salon.]
I’ve always maintained that Howie Fineman will be the first from the NEWSWEEK crew to turn on barry [Altman never] and finally report the truth. After barry’s world tour as a not even nominated candidate, Fineman came clean about barry’s refusal to go to Landstuhl (because there’s be no photo op/video payoff) and also gave insight to barry’s enormous ego.
Here’s his first installment:
Howard Fineman: I’ve been covering Barack Obama for a few years, and it’s usually crystal clear what he is up to. Not last night. This is the first time I’ve asked myself: What was THAT all about?
Even Chris Matthews was upset with barry’s performance.
An honest and perceptive comment.
Chris Cillizza: But, from his opening statement on, it was clear that part of Obama’s goal in the press conference was to directly rebut charges leveled against him and his health care plan by Republicans.
What can one possibly say about Mr Krugman that his words don’t reveal?
Paul Krugman: I found Obama’s health care presentation so impressive — so much command of the issues — that it had me worried. If I really like a politicians’ speech, isn’t that an indication that he lacks the popular touch? (A couple of points off for “incentivize” — what ever happened to “encourage”? — but never mind.) … Seriously, it’s really good to see how much he gets it.
He uses the words “long” and “Obama’s political career” in the same sentence.
Ben Smith: The appearance was striking by its absence of a move that’s long characterized Obama’s political career: When in trouble, go big. Faced with a crisis of confidence or with a political furor, he’s repeatedly shown an ability to rise above the storm, and to broaden the playing field, as when he turned a flap over his pastor into a meditation on race in America … Now, facing his hardest test as President, Obama chose to go small.
And he chose to use the race card like he has routinely done every time his polls drop.
“Actual Americans”?
Digby: Luckily, if actual Americans were listening they likely learned something tonight.
As opposed to what?
Ones who refuse to show their birth certificate or name the hospital they were born in?
And what was the real deal with that reporter “mix up”?
