The news that is not White House approved...
Report Card
President Obama recently sat down for a hard-hitting interview with his pal Oprah Winfrey, and during their conversation, he was asked this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: What grade would you give yourself for this year?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: A good, solid B-plus.
WINFREY: A B-plus.
OBAMA: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Really, Mister President? Don't you think that's a little generous?
Now sure, you may have impressed the Nobel Peace Prize committee, but according to the latest presidential approval poll, the American people aren't as easily fooled. So I thought I would give you a report card on how you've performed so far:
• Job creation: Clearly that's a capital F. Just take a look at the double-digit unemployment rate
• Afghanistan: We all remember back in school the importance of taking advice and listening. Well, your decision to only give General McChrystal three-quarters of the troops that he has asked for gives you an F in that department
• Keeping your word: The list of your broken campaign promises continues to grow, so you get an F for failing to keep your word
• Teleprompter reading: Believe it or not, there is some good news. An A-plus for your unparalleled ability to read from a teleprompter
Congratulations, Mr. President.
Land of Confusion
The president's economic team isn't exactly making the grade either. In separate television appearances Sunday, both Larry Summers and Christina Romer directly contradicted one another. The confusion was over whether or not the administration believes the recession is over.
Let's see what the chair of the council of economic advisers had to say:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID GREGORY, HOST, "MEET THE PRESS": So in your mind this recession is not over?
CHRISTINA ROMER, CHAIRWOMAN, COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS: Of course not. You know, for the people on Main Street and throughout this country, they are still suffering. The unemployment rate is still 10 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Pretty clear that she does not think the recession has ended.
But does Larry Summers agree? Take a look:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE H. SUMMERS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: Today everybody agrees that the recession is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Pretty embarrassing.
You know, the president's advisers may want to compare notes before their next TV interviews.
Rx for Disaster
The health care bill being bounced around in the Senate right now is in fact a recipe for a universal nightmare. The president has repeatedly said that one of the principle goals of health care reform is to decrease the cost of health care, but the Senate bill is a monumental failure in that regard. A new government report issued by the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services concludes that the Senate bill will increase health care costs in the U.S. by $234 billion.
I don't know how President Obama squares that with his commitment to reduce costs, but I have a feeling he's not too troubled. Consistency has never been his forte.
Do As I Say…
The Meltdown is brought to you by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg has been praised by many for his ambitious environmental agenda, including his call for all New Yorkers to paint their rooftops white in order to reduce global warming. So it's somewhat ironic that as The New York Times notes, he's one of the biggest polluters in public office.
The mayor owns not just a helicopter to shuttle him to and fro, but also two of Falcon 900 jets. In fact, the mayor took off for Copenhagen in one of those Monday. On that flight alone he will release about 37 times more carbon dioxide than if he flew commercial.
The mayor is happy to call on you to go out of your way to save the environment, just don't expect him to change his habits.
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