What Gets The President Fired Up?

By: Mark Knoller
Topics: White House

(AP)

More often than not, President Obama tries to appear above the political fray in his public pronouncements. He wants to be seen as presidential and not a partisan combatant.

But at a campaign fund-raiser Thursday evening for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, Mr. Obama shed the cloak of bipartisanship and fired a verbal barrage at Republican critics and opponents of his economic policies. Without naming names, he portrayed them as hypocrites with selective memories.

"That bank crisis didn't happen on my watch," he declared, sounding fed up with criticism of his big-money programs to ease the recession and give the economy a boost.

"I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to just get out of the way so we can clean up the mess!"

There was political fire in his rhetoric, and his speech pattern recalled the cadence of his most forceful campaign speeches last year.

It raised the question, as I did today with spokesman Robert Gibbs: of just what or who is getting under the president's skin so as to draw that hellfire verbiage?

"Mark, I think the president just gets fired up at these events," said Gibbs, slightly amused by the question. "You know...it's liberating to get outside of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I guess."

How liberating could it be? President Obama was only 9 miles from the White House in McLean, Virginia.

"You'd be surprised at how liberating it can be to just get outside the complex," replied Gibbs.

Picking up on the president's rhetorical target, Gibbs said Mr. Obama "gets free advice every day from people that took the bus and rode it into the ditch." Again, no names. But there's no question Gibbs and the president are talking about Republicans on whose watch the financial markets nearly collapsed but who are now critical of the Administration's handling of the economy.

"I think the President gets fired up," said Gibbs for the second time.

Now you know.

(CBS)

Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/markknoller.

Mark Knoller
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent.
Follow on Twitter »

88 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 88 Comments


by johndevinejr August 11, 2009 10:54 AM EDT: by the_majesty August 7, 2009 8:38 PM EDT
The economy was doing just fine until the Obama democrats gain power in 2007

I see you are on your meds and wearing a tinfoil hat. Appropriate.; Reply to this comment


by velma179 August 9, 2009 8:30 PM EDT: It is very obvious that President Obama was referring to those in CONGRESS that had no problem spending money like it grew on trees in the past (this, by the way includes both Republicans and Democrats) and now are deciding to diss him for what he's had to do.

He wants them to stop talking about what's wrong and start DOING something that's right.

His comment had no logical inference to those among the American people who want to voice dissent. In other words, posters he wasn't talking to you or me.

*****
All of you who just plain don't like it that the election last November didn't go your way.... no matter what Obama does, you are going to seek to discredit it and him and all of us that support him. That's so sad.

It is a proven fact that people who are happy with a situation rarely comment on it -- people who are unhappy with it are the ones who feel the need to voice their gripes.

Thus, it seems like there is a lot of dissent and disagreement among the American people regarding the job Obama is doing.

Now, don't go off on polls... they are to serve as reference ( OPINION POLLS )not as fact. I say that whether the numbers agree with my opinion or not, by the way. I really just don't put a lot of faith in them.

But, back on point -- Perception and reality. The perception has been carefully manipulated to seem like LOTS of people EVERYWHERE are mad as hey and not going to take it anymore. The reality is that this group of "protesters" is representative of the minority.

The majority is quietly acting behind the scenes to assure the very things we asked for and got by winning the election (the ONLY POLL that counts, folks... the one with ballots) are going forward.

We also have a new desire to speak ourselves, our gripe being how so many of you have been manipulated by misinformation from money changers and snake oil salesmen types -- playing on fear and stoking anger, so that you act against your own best interest and play into theirs.

You don't agree with me... fine -- again your right here in our beloved country.

But let's see what happens...

God bless America.; Reply to this comment


by lildickens58 August 9, 2009 8:24 PM EDT: Read Glenn Becks Common Sense. Even though I am a conservative neither the Dems or Repubs are conservative. Look at the numbers reported in this book we should cannot and will not be able to afford any more programs no matter what side suggests a solution.

Vote everyone out and start new. relinquish control that you think you get from government. It is not the solution to our problem. we are the solution to our problem.; Reply to this comment


by woeisme1 August 9, 2009 6:03 PM EDT: ALRIGHT OBAMA! Hypocrits with selective memory...that's putting it mildly. Thank God we have a president who tells it like it is. There's the proof that Obama is not the liar that the neo-fascist, republican extremists have claimed he is.

This is a priceless article.

We are so glad to have Obama as president.; Reply to this comment

by wogerwabbit August 9, 2009 1:17 PM EDT

It seems fairly inevitable that someone is going to get killed fairly soon as a direct result of the hateful, racist and parnoid rhetoric of the right wing scream machine. Although they'd like us to think otherwise, these cretins are just a very tiny and noisy percentage of our fellow Americans who would rather see America destroyed than accept a black man as president. Their weak minded hysteria has been fueled and encouraged by their propaganda ministers like Beck, Limgaugh and the rest of the bottom feeders who spew their hate and fear on a daily basis.

For the republican party to condone this shameful behavior and not speak out forcefully against it, is a true testament to their depravity and desperation... they can't win elections so they foment revolution. This is certainly not the republican party I belonged to for so long... back then they were the reasonable adults in the room and the democrats were the unruly brats... it seems the roles have changed.

Reply to this comment


by drsuz August 9, 2009 3:41 PM EDT: by wogerwabbit August 9, 2009 1:17 PM EDT
For the republican party to condone this shameful behavior and not speak out forcefully against it, is a true testament to their depravity and desperation...

Now show proof where the GOP condones this behavior and I will show you proof where they donot.


by actornaught August 9, 2009 3:54 PM EDT: John McCain effectively tamped down less dramatic craziness. The 'pubs should've been doing at the same, but actually more, to keep the dialog legitimate. They know their lobbyists are putting these people up to it. Their inaction is inexcusable, since people are being physically attacked and getting death threats.

Where is a republican voice of reason?

See all 4 Replies

by fcs25 August 9, 2009 12:34 PM EDT

What seems to get under his collar is anyone that disagrees with his political philosophy.He can not debate,he shouts like a typical democratic liberal and starts to use emotional hype and spin,just like the Clinton's.If he keeps on his current course of progressive liberalism he will be a one termer and Congress will turn republican again in the 2010 elections.It can't happen soon enough,the American public has already tired of the democrats and their socialism.

Reply to this comment


by actornaught August 9, 2009 12:46 PM EDT: And what's the chances you're one of the posters that, last year, flat insisted BHO would never be president. You're favorite entertainers tell you this stuff to make you feel better, and get you to buy from their advertisers.

Can't debate? Shouts? That must be in your dreams.

I love these prognostications from the utterly self-absorbed...


by pubsrtoast August 9, 2009 12:48 PM EDT: You mean like the debates where McCain got so mad he referred to Obama as "that one"? I have not seen any of what you seem to be projecting on Obama, but I am seeing that at all levels of the conservative movement from the pundits all the way down to the AstroTurfed mobs that are trying to sabotage the townhalls while making death threats to elected officials.


by pubsrtoast August 9, 2009 12:26 PM EDT: by xlib August 9, 2009 8:43 AM EDT

I don't recall Bush setting up an email so that we can snitch on each other.

You must have been changing your underwear wen the below was brought to light.

(CBS) In the aftermath of Sept. 11, President Bush laid groundwork for "Operation TIPS", a program which would organize a volunteer army of citizen lookouts to report "suspicious" activities to the federal government.

Under "Operation TIPS", transportation workers, utility crews and letter carriers could sign up to snoop on members of their communities. Attorney General Ashcroft argued such vigilance could thwart terrorists, CBS News Correspondent Bob Orr reports.; Reply to this comment

by Benton09 August 9, 2009 10:59 AM EDT

Oh Woe are We the Repubie Party....We're not in charge anymore like God intended. How do we take it? It's just not right (wing). Let's b*tch and moan and listen to right wing fascists on our radio and watch ClusterFox and we'll feel better. We'll yell and scream at Town Meetings because we're not getting our way. Oh Woe are We!
****!

Reply to this comment


by drsuz August 9, 2009 3:38 PM EDT: Are you that Dense?? It is not just the Republicians but also the Democrats who are now standing up and letting their voices against it be heard. Or is it you just have selected hearing?

by rocketjl August 9, 2009 10:22 AM EDT

Good Grief. You don't understand 'doodiley squat' about being an American? It does not matter which party you belong to. It seems that when one becomes a politician and is part of the government, they automatically go brain-dead and say anything my political party says must be right. No more crap from the President about his watch, we know he has us on a path going down hill. Talk about all the bad things that happened with bad presidents in the past and don't asked what party they belonged to.

Reply to this comment


by actornaught August 9, 2009 12:04 PM EDT: What "downhill"? Unemployment rate is already lower. Stock Market is higher than when he took office, rising steadily since March. Tax revenues are way down, but they've been plummeting since '05, and the current fall started last September.

You're obviously one of those people that don't realize the "Death Panel" is based on republican contribution to the healthcare bill.

What "downhill"?


by drsuz August 9, 2009 3:35 PM EDT: actornaught..
Wow, unemloyment went down point one tenth..Come on people, lets celebrate!!! NOT....
The only time the Stock Market goes UP is when 'projected earnings' from what, three prior showed a jump yet the cureent projected earnings are in the toilet?
Tax Revenues down? Then why am I getting taxed more this year than I did last year?

Hey, if they want a healthcare bill, fine..They have THREE MORE YEARS to sit down and get one straight that will benefit ALL the American people. Tell me, if they want their healthcare bill, then WHY would they still need Medicare/Medicaid since every American would be covered under Obamacare? Why would States then need a State ran health care program since every American will be covered under Obamacare? Why are not our Politicans explaining that? If this Obamacare will be so good for our country, then why are the Politicians excluding themselves from the program? When Obama's term is up, that means "HE" then will be covered under it right?

by iam4honesty August 9, 2009 9:41 AM EDT

specialty8 and xlib,

YOU GUYS LOST!!

No one is listening to your kind anymore!

Time for you to just shut up and sit down and let the grownups go about fixing the mess you're party made.

It's one he11 of a mess, and it's going to take a lot of work to clean it up.

So, just be quiet!

Reply to this comment


by keystonebull August 9, 2009 10:25 AM EDT: We will fix it next election. We will vote this fruitcake out of office and vote a good man in as our President. He needs to get out of the kitchen, he is
proving he can't take the heat. Not smart enough either.


by drsuz August 9, 2009 3:27 PM EDT: by keystonebull August 9, 2009 10:25 AM EDT
We will fix it next election. We will vote this fruitcake out of office and vote a good man in as our President. He needs to get out of the kitchen, he is
proving he can't take the heat. Not smart enough either.

You forgot, we have 2010 to contend with and unless some are still trying to get off the bus or train, think as to WHY do they want his bill pushed through so fast? For in 2010 the tide will change, the Bill will be in place.