Okay, they are trying to bully the entire country, so this may not seem like such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But, it’s a symptom of a much larger problem in the halls of Congress. Plus, it’s still really jerky, Better Than You ™  behavior. It’s also incredibly stupid ; the Hill cops are meant to protect them. From The Hill:

Capitol Hill cops decry bullying staff members

U.S. Capitol Police officers say they need more backing from their leaders to stop congressional staffers who insist on bypassing metal detectors when entering the Capitol with lawmakers.

Several officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Hill that without a written directive of the policy, they’re left to face bullying staffers and intimidating lawmakers who have been known to file complaints against the officers. The staffers have accused them of discourteous treatment after being stopped and directed to the magnetometers.

Wow. They file complaints against Hill police for doing their jobs because they feel that they are too important and above complying with the rules? I suppose we should be glad that they all don’t physically hit Hill police, like the ever classy Rep. Cynthia McKinney did.

Read More →

H/T to this tweet by Ben Domenech for alerting me to it.

A while back I did a post on the “Beer Summit” highlighting Obama’s lack of concern for those around him. The picture from Ben Domenech’s tweet reminded me of that. Take a look at it:

The man comforting the child is Harold Ford, a man who unsuccessfully sought Bill Frist’s old Senate seat in Tennessee back in 2006 (he lost to Bob Corker, for the record), and he’s trying to primary Hillary Clinton’s replacement in New York, Kirsten Gillibrand.

Obama, meanwhile, is minding his own business in the background looking off into the distance somewhere seemingly unaware of what’s happening in front of him.

Looking at that picture, I couldn’t help but think about how President Bush might have reacted in this situation, and how different the two men are.

So, then, how would Bush have reacted? There is ample evidence from which to judge. Perhaps most notable is this one image:

Says the Cincinnati Enquirer:

In a moment largely unnoticed by the throngs of people in Lebanon waiting for autographs from the president of the United States, George W. Bush stopped to hold a teenager’s head close to his heart.

Lynn Faulkner, his daughter, Ashley, and their neighbor, Linda Prince, eagerly waited to shake the president’s hand Tuesday at the Golden Lamb Inn. He worked the line at a steady campaign pace, smiling, nodding and signing autographs until Prince spoke:

“This girl lost her mom in the World Trade Center on 9-11.”

Bush stopped and turned back.

“He changed from being the leader of the free world to being a father, a husband and a man,” Faulkner said. “He looked right at her and said, ‘How are you doing?’ He reached out with his hand and pulled her into his chest.”

Faulkner snapped one frame with his camera.

“I could hear her say, ‘I’m OK,’ ” he said. “That’s more emotion than she has shown in 21/2 years. Then he said, ‘I can see you have a father who loves you very much.’ ”

“And I said, ‘I do, Mr. President, but I miss her mother every day.’ It was a special moment.”

Ron Boat has this picture posted on his Facebook and had this to say as the caption:

From Ron Boat: In contrast to our current insensitive, politically opportunistic pres, people i know who know Bushs 41 & 43 say the family is truly caring and concerned. Even the Friday of Ft. Hood, Pres and Mrs Bush secretly went to the hospital to see the wounded and INSISTED that the press not know or tell anyone. Only the week after did the word leak out they went to show their concern. What a difference a year makes. I needed to add this: From Valerie Geibel-Wells “I am from the area (this was at a rally in Lebanon, OH) and know this family. Her mother was lost in 9.11 and was a wonderful humanitarian. They never found her remains and the girl was devastated - this was honest compassion from the leader of the free world who as he walked by her someone yelled to him “she lost her mother in the Trade Centers… See More” and he stopped and turned around and came back and hugged this girl for what seemed an eternity - something we don’t get now. He is true to America and never put us down.” Thanks Valerie. (Thanks for posting this Ron!)

Looking at these pictures, with the one of Sgt. Crowley I discussed earlier, and comparing them, I can only come to the conclusion that he just doesn’t care.

It’s not a conclusion I want to make about the leader of the free world, but it’s what I see when I look at these pictures.

He. Just. Doesn’t. Care.

EDIT: I’d like to point out that even Bill Clinton, Obama’s most recent Democratic predecessor didn’t have such a tin ear. He wouldn’t have been so uncaring, and he certainly wouldn’t have let such a moment slip past him. After all, remember he feels your pain.

So, let it sink in…

He. Just. Doesn’t. Care.

This diary was originally posted here at my blog Jake Speaks.

The arrogance of our president is just stunning.

Marion Berry apparently ripped Barack Obama apart in the latest edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Read the whole thing, it’s truly mesmerizing and tells you all you need to know about our commander in chief. History started anew with his presidency, except for the recession which is, of course, Bush’s fault. Same goes for the war and the environment. But when it comes to the institution of the presidency, toss everything out because Barack Obama is here. Now he’s extending this doctrine to the rest of the political world; he’s here so everything will be different.

But as we all know in our truly reality based-community, everything that’s old is new again and the pendulum will inevitably swing. And it’s swinging high and hard right at the throat of the Democratic party. Apparently, however, our president doesn’t see it that way. While Berry expressed concern that the rank and file were being exposed to too many controversial votes, Obama told them that his Messianic visage would solve everything.

“I’ve been doing that with this White House, and they just don’t seem to give it any credibility at all,” Berry said. “They just kept telling us how good it was going to be. The president himself, when that was brought up in one group, said, ‘Well, the big difference here and in ’94 was you’ve got me.’ We’re going to see how much difference that makes now.”

Berry, is of course, absolutely right when he says that the country and his party will soon see how much of a difference Obama’s rapidly weaking clout and public image will provide. But frankly, he’s not optimistic:

‘I began to preach last January that we had already seen this movie and we didn’t want to see it again because we know how it comes out… I just began to have flashbacks to 1993 and ’94. No one that was here in ’94, or at the day after the election felt like. It certainly wasn’t a good feeling.”

No it’s not a good feeling indeed for the Democrat rank and file that have been forced to swallow tough votes time and again while getting nothing in return. And that should make our side feel quite inspired indeed.