So came the clustermuck of Wednesday’s press conference on the Iran deal in which President Obama had to answer questions from people who don’t do facts or nuance.
First, ABC’s Jonathan Karl (of the fake Benghazi emails) set it up by asking POTUS if it gives him pause that x,y, and z (all Republican talking points) have complained about the Iran Deal, as if somehow the best thinking would happen if only Obama would let his critics, who have yet to come up with an actual alternative, drive the foreign policy bus. (No thanks, said the voters in 2012, we’ll stick with Obama.)
Then, topping Karl’s attempt at inserting Republican talking points as if they were actual legit ideas and not just trolling, Major Garrett (Chief White House Correspondent with CBS News and Correspondent at Large with the National Journal) framed the most insulting and nonsensical question.
Video:
https://youtu.be/7WB9R6DrysI
Garrett puffed himself up and began his editorial, “As you well know, there are four Americans in Iran, three held on trumped up charges according to your administration, one whereabouts unknown. Can you tell the country, Sir, why you are content with all of the fanfare around this deal, to leave the conscience of this nation, the strength of this nation unaccounted for, in relation to these four Americans. Last week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said under no circumstances should there be any relief for Iran in terms of ballistic missiles or conventional weapons. It is perceived that that was a last minute capitulation in these negotiations.”
Because there is nothing conservatives like more than pretending someone other than President Obama is president. But if a Republican is president, why, he’s the “decider” and they wouldn’t tolerate an alleged journalist trying to elevate the Joint Chiefs of Staff above POTUS.
“In the Pentagon view, you’ve left the Joint Chiefs of Staff hung out to dry,” Major Garrett challenged.
President Obama lowered the boom, “I gotta give you credit, Major, for how you craft those questions.” President Obama revealed a sardonic smile that said you are really quite an idiot, but I am too much of a scholar and a gentleman to use such a base term. So…
“First of all, the notion that I am ‘content’,” and on this point, POTUS’ face took on the warning signs easily spotted by those of us who are not confused by his calm temperament, “as I ‘celebrate’ with American citizens languishing in Iranian jails, Major, that’s nonsense.”
Yes, nonsense it is, but Fox-flavored, Republican nonsense- the kind our media loves to swim in.
President Obama continued, “You should know better. I’ve met with the families of some of those folks. Nobody’s content. Our diplomats and our teams are working diligently to try to get them out.”
And there we have the proof that this President is no lame duck and he is indeed fed up with the morons running the asylum. No, your cheap, insulting and inaccurate talking point (meant as a way to distract from the actual debate around the Iran deal and the idea that many world leaders back it) isn’t going to derail needed debate on the Iran deal. President Obama repeatedly said that robust debate was necessary and was part of democracy — you know, the way smart people do, because they can handle an actual debate. But false framing and trolling are not legitimate points.
The President is sick of it and he’s not going to put up with it anymore, and more and more it seems the country is tired of it, too. If the country wanted a bumper sticker President, they wouldn’t have voted for President Obama, who discussed the Iran deal in deep detail and nuance. Obama’s grasp of the issues contrasts starkly with the circus fest going on over in the Republican camp, where not one single Republican running for president can articulate as well on this issue, and some are just absolutely terrifying in their obvious stupidity.
That’s nonsense, and y’all should know better. POTUS OUT.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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