The Anchoress
“Civility is not a sign of weakness” declares President Obama. Well, we know that. When President Bush was civil to his opposition, some of us knew that did not mean he was weak.
Actually, though, his lecturing on civility might carry more weight if the same president saying this did not use the same language to describe Republicans as he uses for terrorists:
“Obama used the same language toward Republicans as he did toward extremists in the Muslim world in his inaugural address. Of Republicans on Wednesday, he said, ‘We extend a hand and get a fist in return.’ In his inaugural address, he said the United States ‘will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.’”
By the way, that line has been scrubbed from the report. When Hot Air linked to it yesterday, it was there. Now it is not, and the AP report reads, instead:
Obama’s new bipartisanship – cooperative offers laced with criticism- was on display. When he recounted the expensive steps Democrats took to halt a deeper recession, he said, “We led.” The suggestion was that Republicans did not.
The president said he meant it when he told House Republicans that he wants to work with them. Then he sharply added: “We’ll call them out when they say they want to work with us, and we extend a hand and get a fist in return.”
Quite toned down, no? I imagine the original report, (still being quoted here and there, for now) which reminds us just how incredibly uncivil President Obama has been toward half the country for the past year, contrasts too starkly with today’s jolly rhetoric, which is setting the tone for Obama’s national charm re-offensive, (hey, I’m a nice guy, let me remind you why you loved me, and how stupid you are!). Someone at the White House does a very good job of jumping on the press to change (or even pull) those pieces they don’t like. And the press seems happy to comply. Although, in reading the new text, it does seem to me the writer did not wish to wholly submit.
“Remaking” America.
I’m sorry, this president really has lost my trust, and will have to do more than throw words around -just words that can mean anything, anymore – before he will regain it. Mr. President, please stop talking, please stop the perpetual campaign you derided in your own SOTU speech last week and do something real to help create some damn jobs, please?
UPDATE – Darn it – I thought I had found this “down the memory hole” moment first. Turns out Moe Lane was WAY ahead of me. That’s what I get for not checking first with Instapundit before starting my workday! :-)
Meanwhile, Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark
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