
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs flashed his hand at the White House press corps to jab former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Among the things he'd written in dark pen were his grocery shopping list.
"I wrote a few things down... eggs, milk and bread," Gibbs said.
This was, of course, a reference to Palin's notes she wrote on her hand during the question-and-answer portion of her address to the Tea Party Nation this weekend in Nashville.
As the reporters in the room laughed, Gibbs added, "But I crossed out bread, just so I can make pancakes for Ethan if it snows. And then I wrote down 'hope and change,' just in case I forgot."
That was another crack at Palin, who asked Obama supporters, "How's that hopey-changey thing working out for ya?"
Here's the video.
rwp
February 9, 2010 2:23 PM
Has Sarah FINALLY "jumped the shark"
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farnsworth
February 9, 2010 2:24 PM in reply to rwp
No such luck.
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benintn
February 9, 2010 2:25 PM in reply to rwp
Sarah's career is one big shark-jumping extravaganza. It's the audacity of audacity.
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rwp
February 9, 2010 2:55 PM in reply to benintn
well said I couldnt agree more..scary what she has accomplished with no brain power. However, if you ever watch CSpan and see some of those scary congressman speak I am amazed they are our leaders..
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Bar Kafka
February 9, 2010 4:25 PM in reply to rwp
Never underestimate the power of money, publicists and the will to believe that it is always better to be "right" than smart.
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bslev
February 9, 2010 4:35 PM in reply to Bar Kafka
Yo!
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Cool Blue Reason
February 9, 2010 5:08 PM in reply to rwp
Actually, if you listen to some of the callers on CSPAN, it's not all that surprising that idiots and right-wing cranks comprise a not-insignificant political constituency...
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EH
February 9, 2010 2:42 PM in reply to rwp
No, Gibbs is the one jumping the shark by giving Palin attention and thus credibility. I'd much rather they start calling her the leader of the Republican Party like they did Rush Limbaugh. That seemed to have some effect, where treating Palin like someone to banter about gives her legitimacy rather than the mocking she deserves. And no, I don't think writing a shopping list on your hand is an effective mock.
Heck, if he had real balls he's say "When Sarah Palin is President..." People would crap gold twinkies. Palin got her shark-jumping out of the way early, from now on it's just goals for her, and her goals are her weak spot.
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darkrhyme
February 9, 2010 2:48 PM in reply to EH
Ignoring pure evil does not make it go away. She should be ridiculed at every opportunity. Ridiculed and destroyed.
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mcrose68
February 9, 2010 3:54 PM in reply to darkrhyme
Oh, you liberals are so condescending toward people who repeatedly demonstrate that their reality really isn't so much reality as a wandering folksy kinda diatribe about everything thing that could be so good if you just, ya know, would stop doing all that confusing math and stuff (which can be good. . . you should study in school just don't go studyin bad liberal stuff where they say you gotta sacrifice to have . . ). Ya know the math is good if they'd just get back to basics they could be more like real Americans. .
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mjshep
February 9, 2010 9:56 PM in reply to mcrose68
You betcha. Also.
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MarinCat
February 9, 2010 4:05 PM in reply to darkrhyme
Ridiculed ceaselessly. Mocked ceaselessly. Rebutted ceaselessly. Challenged Ceaselessly.
....the second coming of the mean Reagan with tits and ass.
She brings the bitch slap politics, the the bitch slap politics response fly.
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Cal Gal
February 9, 2010 7:57 PM in reply to darkrhyme
I absolutely agree. 100 percent. Mock her, mock her, mock her.
Make her the friggin' laughing stock she deserves to be.
Sure she'll still have the same voters who thought Dim Son was doing a good job while the economy was in free fall, but the all important 'independents' will see her for what she is.
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EH
February 9, 2010 8:19 PM in reply to darkrhyme
She's not "pure evil," she's a child who uses her husband as a personal Rahm Emanuel.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
February 9, 2010 2:58 PM in reply to EH
I'm not clear on how drawing attention to her staggering stupidity is "giving her credibility."
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Schmed
February 9, 2010 3:42 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Never seemed to hurt her before. Go figure.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 5:10 PM in reply to Schmed
70% don't think she's qualified to be president, a significant increase since she first showed up.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/poll-palin-not-qualified-to-be-president-hillary-clinton-is.php
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EH
February 9, 2010 8:21 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Think of it this way: there's no such thing as bad publicity. Parasites and attention-whores like Palin thrive on the light, wherever it comes from.
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Richardxx
February 9, 2010 5:11 PM in reply to EH
Gibbs isn't giving Palin the attention. The social Republicans and the besotted media are doing that.
She's in it for the money and the celebrity and she's already gotten set up for that.
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happycozy
February 9, 2010 9:06 PM in reply to EH
Oh, yeah, that worked so well for them. Taking a line from the movie Aliens, "in case you haven't been keeping up on current events, we just got our asses kicked" this past year. I say engage Palin and remind people how stupid she is.
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stayyoungmyfriends
February 9, 2010 3:15 PM in reply to rwp
Reading from my palm, it says LOL!
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glblank
February 9, 2010 3:24 PM in reply to rwp
How many times did W jump the shark and the terminally blind not see it.
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AhTrini1
February 9, 2010 5:18 PM in reply to rwp
She jumped the shark in the same water skiing event where she tried to embarrass the president, LOL. Did you all see how she put "Hi mom" in her palm on Sunday in TX, in an effort to cover up for Saturday night blunder. This woman is such a joke!
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Sailormarlowe
February 9, 2010 6:02 PM in reply to rwp
Hey, Pudgy Bob: Write "corpseman" on your palm. We still need help with that one.
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tommyo
February 9, 2010 2:28 PM
She can never jump it for her simpleton, angry, ignorant worshippers.
But it is good to see her mocked and laughed at by The White House and the press. That is what a self-serving, phony, lying opportunist like Palin deserves as opposed to being treated as a credible politician and leader.
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hey norm
February 9, 2010 2:29 PM
She could actually make W. Look like a good President.
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 2:30 PM
This is so sad. Gibbs should use his precious air-time to present and defend the Administration's policy agenda as best he can and to respond to GOPers' talking points, not to poke fun at a politician however stupid she is, which is the job of political columnists, bloggers and political comedians.
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Jack of All Tirades
February 9, 2010 2:37 PM in reply to chrisl
Cosign. This just feeds into Sarah's "I'm a victim" and "They're afraid of me" schtick. She's best ignored.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
February 9, 2010 3:08 PM in reply to Jack of All Tirades
Right. Let's just ignore her stupidity the same way everyone ignored Dubya's stupidity. That'll work. Just as well as it did last time.
It is okay to draw attention to the fact that she is too stupid to be president. Being stupid is, in fact, something that's relevant to her qualifications as well as to whether we should give a good goddam what she says about anything. And yet no one will talk about it. Particularly in the MSM. It's like they think it would be in poor taste, like mocking someone for missing a leg or being ugly.
Okay, wait, I take that back. The MSM will go on and on and on about how someone's looks affect their presidential bid and ugly politicians are expected to mock themselves at every opportunity. And, likewise, they'll never hesitate to talk about whether someone is "too smart" to be a good president.
But the fact that this woman is agressively, dangerously stupid is out of bounds and not considered within the bounds of propriety. Just like when Dubya was running. All the people in the press corp knew he was dumb. The camera crew are the ones who nicknamed him "Shrub." Buy nary a word was uttered on air or in print.
Yeah, that not talking about W's stupidity early and often worked out great for us. Let's do that again.
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Dalinker
February 9, 2010 3:19 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Well said....as usual.
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brianm0122
February 9, 2010 3:58 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
I believ "Shrub" actually came from Molly Ivins. She was using it long before he announced for president.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
February 9, 2010 7:53 PM in reply to brianm0122
First time I heard it was when it leaked out that that's what the cameramen assigned to follow his campaign were calling him in 2000. Those guys see more than the talking hairdos do, becuase they actually have to film every speech and appearance and they don't have any need to suck up to the candidate. But if they were just picking up on something Molly said, I wouldn't be surprised.
God, I miss her and Ted Kennedy.
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rbeats
February 9, 2010 2:45 PM in reply to chrisl
Hey Gibbs can have some fun, they got health care reform passed, got a real stimulus bill passed, closed GITMO,Passed a new jobs bill with teeth, and effectively conveyed the shallowness of the GOP agenda.
Ohh wait never mind...hey look at that retard over there, weeee....
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lousgirl84
February 9, 2010 3:58 PM in reply to rbeats
Hey troll.
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And what the fuck have you accomplished in the last year except bitch and complain
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 4:00 PM in reply to lousgirl84
Hey, Lousgirl! These whiny trolls aren't worth the bother.
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Skybolt
February 9, 2010 4:27 PM in reply to lousgirl84
This is a good list. Can you post the link it's from? Unless you actually typed it just for this thread, in which case I admire and pity you.
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verite
February 9, 2010 2:46 PM in reply to chrisl
I agree and Gibbs earlier verbal trash talk directed at Howard Dean (calling him irrational) coupled with Rahm's verbal attacks of progressives, point to how damaging those around Obama are to his administration. Childish.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 2:53 PM in reply to verite
Damaging to Obama's administration? Have you ever considered that Obama considers Dean irrational and wishes the nutroots would take a flying leap?
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AJM
February 9, 2010 3:34 PM in reply to FreeRider
You mean like they did in Massachusetts?
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 3:59 PM in reply to AJM
Actually, it was the Independents in MA. The nutroots stayed home in their bathrobes posting threats on the blogs as usual.
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Forrest
February 9, 2010 2:58 PM in reply to chrisl
Give the guy a break. He talks to the press every freaking day. He spent 30 seconds mocking a clear fraud who commands FAR too much influence in today's political circus. It's not like he wasted his once-in-a-lifetime chance to address the media.
Regarding giving her some victimization ammo...if you don't realize that by now every Right Wing Christian Fundamentalist will find their own reasons to play the persecution card, you need to review your history books.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 4:02 PM in reply to Forrest
Totally agree. The press conference was more than an hour. The joke was 30 seconds and folks here are wetting themselves and screaming "he's wasting valuable time."
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mcrose68
February 9, 2010 4:03 PM in reply to Forrest
Trust me, Fox News can make up things to be victimized about. They don't need facts, their biggest "victim wimpers" are about completely made up offenses.
By taking the lead, in stead of responding to lies, you at least have some hope of driving the narrative - framing the convesation as Lakoff would have said.
If the ridicule allows you to dispense with Fox's talking points more quickly, then that's the way to go. Whatever diverts the conversation back to real issues most quickly. And sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
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greylox
February 9, 2010 3:28 PM in reply to chrisl
**Politician? I thought he was poking fun at a Fox commenter?
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lousgirl84
February 9, 2010 3:55 PM in reply to chrisl
And if they didn't calll her out you'd be bitching because they didn't.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 4:04 PM in reply to lousgirl84
So right! Every time the Republicans say something about the president or issue a press release, you have the same bed wetters here screaming "we've got to respond!" "Why aren't the Democrats on TV?" "They should be calling them out about this!"
But when they do respond, those same bedwetters say "they shouldn't respond" or "they just giving them credibility."
What a bunch of weak-kneed pussies who spend their days trashing the administration!
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happycozy
February 9, 2010 9:11 PM in reply to FreeRider
Agree with everything you said.
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mcrose68
February 9, 2010 3:57 PM in reply to chrisl
Yes, exactly. Gibbs should spend time responding to the GOP talking points. Because it would be so much more productive if we spent all our time talking about Stalin, and death panels, hating America, and birth certificates, and . . . .
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Agateman
February 9, 2010 2:32 PM
Oh lordy, what till Hannity gets ahold of this one. It should be good for at least a 15 minute tirade by the former house painter. (Oh, by the way, did you know Hannity was a house painter before he became a loudmouth. He wanted to follow in his idol's ---the house painter from Austria--- bootsteps).
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ericAZ
February 9, 2010 2:32 PM
If she had only written "Buchanan opposes war with Iran" on her hands, she might not be in the trouble she is today. She is desperately stupid. How can we use her in the 2010 election?
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roxsteady
February 9, 2010 2:35 PM
I'm glad Gibbs did that. Even the stupidest people need to be put in their place. I say, take all comers. Especially one as stupid as that hillbilly grifter!
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rwp
February 9, 2010 2:38 PM
gotta see what Steve Colbert did on this controversy last night..Absolutely brilliant!!
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lousgirl84
February 9, 2010 4:00 PM in reply to rwp
Wasn't that fabulous. He is really brilliant. Love me some Colbert
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glogrrl
February 9, 2010 2:39 PM
Google "KPOJ AM-Portland OR: The morning show is having a contest to see what you can say (in six words) she's got on her hand next. I put "Remember not to call Trig "retard".
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rwp
February 9, 2010 2:52 PM in reply to glogrrl
good one..no great one
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ohyeathatsright
February 9, 2010 3:14 PM in reply to glogrrl
Wink, Wink, Wink, Smile, You Betcha!
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docrocktex
February 9, 2010 2:41 PM
LMAO!!! This is hilarious and so feisty on the part of Gibbs. I'm sure President Obama got a chuckle out of it too.
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Cheesemoose
February 9, 2010 2:42 PM
Palin is a sideshow. You can't win by being the White Candidate anymore, and she has absolutely no support outside of rednecks. She's a shiny object the media dangles in our faces. End of story.
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Duck Stab
February 9, 2010 2:50 PM
Sometimes mockery is the best weapon against people like Palin.
Well played by Gibbs.
Who cares if it feeds into her victim persona? She's not winning anyone over to her cult these days. If anything she can only alienate people further
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AnswerFrog
February 9, 2010 2:56 PM
Nicely played.
She deserves mockery, and will surely continue to deserve all she gets.
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traitorjoe
February 9, 2010 3:01 PM
How many minutes before Palin demands the immediate resignation of Robert Gibbs?
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
February 9, 2010 7:57 PM in reply to traitorjoe
And then the Sunday immediately after, Joe will be on a Sunday show sorrowfully and reluctantly suggesting that his effectiveness has been compromised by this incident so perhaps he ought to resign after all.
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happycozy
February 9, 2010 9:14 PM in reply to traitorjoe
I predict she will reveal that she's got some learning disability and condemn Gibbs for making fun of the learning disabled.
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mike from Arlington
February 9, 2010 3:06 PM
haha. too funny
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 3:09 PM
Just to put my earlier criticism of Gibbs in perspective --- elsewhere I wrote in response to Obama's reaching out to GOPers on health care reform:
I am watching Obama's renewed interest in bipartisanship with pain.
Bipartisanship is clearly not the way out as the GOPers are a whole bunch of unrepentant Bushists. What the Dems should do --- and what they actually should also have done during the Bush era - is to copy the core tactics of the GOPers: grab the mic and argue your case as best you can, using colorful and accessible language. The major problem with the Obama administration and the Dem majorities in both legislative chambers is having focused too much of their attention and effort on finding a way out of the legislative labyrinth, thus allowing the GOPers to take over the mic and shape public opinion. When a clear majority of the American people are with you, it will be hard for the GOPers to portray otherwise and will make it unnecessary for the Bluedogs to run for the hills. Obama is Dem's greatest communicator. Yet the whole of last year he allowed himself to be occupied by so many issues (and why did he go to Africa in the midst of the health care debate anyhow?) rather than spending enough time amplifying his core policy agenda. I hope Obama will spend more time
making speeches, engaging in public debates and creating sound bites. The Dems should also have talking points and make sure national-level Dem politicians - Robert Gibbs, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi (why am I not hearing anyone other than TPM talk about the job loss chart?), Barney Frank, and the likes - stick to them and hammer them home. When you have better policies, the rest is really all about propaganda!
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Forrest
February 9, 2010 3:18 PM in reply to chrisl
I don't know...there seems to be a marked change in PR from the White House since the Massachusetts election. They seem to be more on the offensive now. I think maybe congressional Democrats haven't been as forceful with rhetoric because they expect the President to be doing it. The GOP doesn't have anyone else, so the minority leaders are the gingivitis filled mouths spewing the rotten garbage.
This is how things should have *started* with health care. From the first cry of 'death panel' Obama should have called on Republicans to have a televised discussion so he could shoot down their crap.
They played it like whatever they ended up with, they'd get it passed, so the President could stay 'above the fray'. Thank goodness he's finally getting into it.
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 3:43 PM in reply to Forrest
As I said, Obama is Dem's greatest communicator. I am surely glad that he is finally speaking up. However, it can't be just Obama talking. Dems need to be as strategic and disciplined as the GOP. When Bush was in the White House and the Dems were the minorities in both chambers, I was surprised that the Dems' voices were so muffled. A friend's explanation was that it was because the Dems were the minority. Yet look at how much the GOPers accomplished while in the desert last year! You've got to hand it to them however despicable and stupid you find them.
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jdb316
February 9, 2010 7:53 PM in reply to chrisl
You're right that Obama and Co. need to speak up more. But when you're the incumbent, you're almost always ultimately judged on what you accomplished (or screwed up). A great message and sales job is needed to sell great accomplishments. But the greatest message possible won't sell a bad track record. If the unemployment rate doesn't drop to at least where it was when Obama took office, if not a couple of points lower, and the Democrats don't pass serious health care reform, it won't matter how good of a speaker and salesman he is.
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xofJohn
February 10, 2010 9:55 PM in reply to chrisl
I agree! Democrats need to learn how to control the media message the same way the GOP has. GOP speakers are good at outrage. Democrats need to express more outrage. We need to take their positions and show (possibly through ruductio ad adsurdum) how wrongheaded they are. Just as Republicans always call providing health care to all "socialism", we need to always call cutting taxes for the wealthiest "fat-cat welfare".
Democrats need to express outrage that so-called fiscal conservatives would propose tax cuts to remedy budget deficits. If your personal expenses exceed your income do you decide that what you need to do is reduce your income? Of course not! That's outrageous! And on, and on....
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 3:10 PM
This is so sad. Gibbs should use his precious air-time to present and defend the Administration's policy agenda as best he can and to respond to GOPers' talking points, not to poke fun at a politician however stupid she is, which is the job of political columnists, bloggers and political comedians.
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lousgirl84
February 9, 2010 4:02 PM in reply to chrisl
Troll much chris??
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stayyoungmyfriends
February 9, 2010 3:16 PM
Reading from my palm, it says LOL!
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traitorjoe
February 9, 2010 3:28 PM
Making fun of the stupidity of Sarah Palin is never a waste of time. Good job Gibbs!
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Lono65
February 9, 2010 3:38 PM
For those of you who think we should ignore her, a brief history lesson.
I can only assume you don't remember 1994 all that well. At the time, we all thought that good ideas spoke for themselves and that after 8 years of Reagan and 4 years of Pappy Bush, "ordinary Americans" were too smart to vote against what was obviously in their own best interest. Newt's crew took power on a "Contract with America" and pretty successfully derailed Bill Clinton's Presidency. Maybe you don't remember 2000, when we thought that "ordinary Americans" wouldn't be fooled by a pretend cowboy and his vicious attack dogs and we let all sorts of lies take down Al Gore, allowing the dullest knife in the drawer to become President. Maybe you don't even remember 2004, when we wouldn't dignify the Swiftboaters with an answer to their ridiculous charges because "ordinary Americans' certainly wouldn't fall for such nonsense...allowing that dull knife a second term.
Fast forward to today: Have you seen how popular Bible Spice is? If you think for one minute that "ordinary Americans" can see thru her schtick, you haven't learned anything since 1994. It is incumbent upon all of us to point out the utter fucking stupidity of the Sarah Palins of this world whenever possible.
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 3:53 PM in reply to Lono65
I totally agree that we should never ignore Palin, just like we should never under-estimate the stupidity of many of our fellow Americans. This is precisely why I argue for a more aggressive use of propaganda. I just don't think Gibbs should spend the time ridiculing Palin's palms --- can leave that to comedians like Colbert. Or at least he should link Palin's palm-prompter to other stupid points (like invading Iran) that she makes. If we think that just by ridiculing her palm-prompter and everyone will be able to get the rest of her stupidity, then once again we are under-estimating how dumb many of our fellow Americans are.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 4:10 PM in reply to chrisl
Oh, STFU!!!! The entire thing took 30 seconds of an hour press conference! And he never mentioned her name. How is that "spending time"?
I swear, folks like you are beyond annoying.
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 5:00 PM in reply to FreeRider
I am all for the Dems going on the offensive. I was trying to make the larger point that the Dems need a more strategic and coordinated way of managing and communicating their policy arguments and messages. What Gibbs did --- and it was just an example --- probably made us feel good. But it really won't help shape the national discourse, which is what we desperately need. Gibbs poked fun at GOPers many times last year. How did that help us?
I am hoping a civil debate on issues and tactics. I must say I find your personal attack very annoying.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 5:07 PM in reply to chrisl
Again, STFU!! This was a 30 second joke at an hour press conference. You act as if it's a either/or situation. They can make a joke AND execute a strategy to undermine the Republicans.
You have no idea what else was said in the press briefing but you're pissing yourself over a 30 second joke as if it was the only thing that happened today.
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 5:22 PM in reply to FreeRider
I wish they did. Did they? Why don't you tell me what the rest of the press conference was about? What did the media say about it? What Obama did at the GOPers' retreat last week is a good example of what I believe the Dems should do more. And the media covered it because he made his case so well. But I honestly don't recall much else that the Dems said that was as effective.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 6:31 PM in reply to chrisl
You prove my point. The media deals in soundbites, etc. If Gibbs had stood there for 2 hours answering serious policy questions, you would have never heard a word about it. Therefore, it still would not have addressed your complaint that the WH isn't pushing Obama's ideas.
The fact that you think this joke is blocking out the president's message is absurd.
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chrisl
February 9, 2010 6:49 PM in reply to FreeRider
Good. I'm glad we are on the same page and we are just debating what works best. Just think about this: How do you think Gibb's ridiculing the palmprompter compares to Palin's use of the term "death panel"? The former made us chuckle --- hopefully that would be it. But some people might call it trivial and then we might see a whole debate about what should be the top communication person's appropriate conduct grabbing the headlines? The latter made people fear and truly worry about the consequences of a policy for themselves. My point is: it's not hard to come up with soundbites. But not every soundbite will advance our policy agenda.
In any case, I would have agreed with you had I seen Gibbs deliver policy soundbites as effectively as he ridiculed Palin.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 10:20 PM in reply to chrisl
He did! The media just doesn't report on those things because they are all about the back-and-forth. So when you're constantly being hit by the forth (Palin) you have to hit back.
Gibbs did so with all the seriousness this nimrod deserves--NONE.
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jimson
February 9, 2010 3:43 PM
How disrespectful of him to mock her like that! That kind of mockery should only be hurled at the President (as long as he's a Democrat, that is.)
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Cal Gal
February 9, 2010 8:11 PM in reply to jimson
Very good.
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zach
February 9, 2010 4:03 PM
It takes a real fucking retard to make pancakes in lieu of buying bread when you can buy bread and make freedom toast.
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rhallnj
February 9, 2010 4:24 PM
The darkness and nastiness of Palin's soul is what is so striking to me, and is what will presumably bring her to a bad end. Americans will never elect someone who projects no optimism, just resentment.
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twoviragos
February 9, 2010 4:39 PM in reply to rhallnj
When I was listening to pieces of her speech on the news last night, I was thinking to myself that Sarah Palin must have relished being the mean girl in high school; problem is, she's not in high school any more and her way of operating is just not very attractive in a grown woman. Look at the people she draws to her; I bet there's a lot of people who thought high school was the best time in their lives.
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Sailormarlowe
February 9, 2010 6:08 PM in reply to twoviragos
Now is the best time is Sensational Sarah's life. She is a media super-celebrity. She gets more publicity than the President. She elicits stronger emotions than the President does. She crowds the President out of the public discourse. What a joyride she is having. Go, Barracuda!
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Eric Spiegelman
February 9, 2010 6:19 PM
Can someone explain to me how this is not beneath the dignity of the oval office? Even the press corp groans.
For the record, I'm a Democrat who canvassed for Obama and thinks Sarah Palin reflects all the worst things about American politics.
Maybe Gibbs should write down on his hand some talking points about healthcare reform. Since he did such a good job explaining it to the people back when there was a chance of it passing.
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Powkat
February 9, 2010 6:22 PM in reply to Eric Spiegelman
It was a joke, people. Lighten up - let the other side make a big deal over ii, we should just chuckle.
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traitorjoe
February 9, 2010 6:23 PM
Palin to Teabaggers, "Would you rather have Hatred or Healthcare?"
Teaggers: "Hatred!"
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manyamile
February 9, 2010 7:15 PM
yeah ,it was lighthearted, so i can understand.
but i also think that Gibbs might let others do the 'satirizing'
Sarah Palin's meanness ,shallowness, inability to control her urge to 'get back' at everyone via mocking and insult are appalling.
Sarah operates at a junior high level.
Gibbs has a sense of humor which i often appreciate. he is undeniably witty as well as informative and spot on with the Q and A most of the time.
But ,as a representative of the White House, Gibbs should resist the urge to stoop for a laugh.
even when, regarding Palin,it is very, very difficult to do.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
February 9, 2010 8:00 PM in reply to manyamile
You do realize that cracking a few jokes and and getting a laugh out of the WH press corp at the daily briefings (called "daily" because they have them every day) is practically part of the press secretary's job description, don't you? It's the difference between having a good relationship with them and a bad one.
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Drummond
February 9, 2010 7:58 PM
Wow! I think some of us progressives really need to learn how to lighten up. It was funny. End of story.
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Duck Stab
February 9, 2010 8:40 PM in reply to Drummond
Hear, hear!
That's the biggest problems with those on the left; they never learn when to fight fire with fire.
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FDRdog
February 9, 2010 7:58 PM
It was a mistake for gibbs to make fun of palin publicly. The entire administration seems to be tone deaf about the mood of the country. Not only was it undignified for someone from the president's office to make fun of her, or anyone, but taking on a popular figure like palin in such a childish way won't improve the Dems' image among any group. They should leave the snark to Stewart, Colbert, and The Onion.
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Duck Stab
February 9, 2010 8:38 PM in reply to FDRdog
He didn't say her name once. What he did was sly, very clever and right on the mark.
Palin is only popular with her stupid frothing minions and everytime she opens her mouth, she turns more people away from her. She's got maybe 1/10 of the country behind her, that's it and that number will only shrink over time.
Thanks for your overwhelming concern though.
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FreeRider
February 9, 2010 10:23 PM in reply to FDRdog
And you should leave the advice giving to someone with balls who isn't afraid of Sarah Palin.
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branor
February 9, 2010 9:31 PM
I think Gibbs little gimmick was silly. In general, I think he's one of the weakest (i.e., least effective) White House spokespersons we've seen in a long time.
For the sake of the country and the Obama administrations, he should retire to spend more time with his family.
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Tosh
April 30, 2010 5:35 AM
So right! Every time the Republicans say something about the president or issue a press release, you have the same bed wetters here screaming "we've got to respond!" "Why aren't the Democrats on TV?" "They should be calling them out about this!"
But when they do respond, those same bedwetters say "they shouldn't respond" or "they just giving them credibility."
What a bunch of weak-kneed pussies who spend their days trashing the administration!
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