I dunno about "unpresidential", but he's said something we can agree with. WNOK, Columbia stopped playing Kanye Monday after a flood of calls, essentially saying, "Why are we still listening to this jerk? Anybody can rap to a good beat."

You can understand why Obama let his guard down. The "reporter" was NBC's John Harwood. He's on CNBC all the time and spent the last 2 years on his knees as Obama's personal Fluffer.

He does sound like whiny bitch though. "Come on guys, cut the President some slack"... What an inspiring leader.

Give me audio of Dick Cheney telling W that the NY Times reporter is an Asshole any day,

1. Why is the president making time for MTV?

2. Did Boosh ever say anything about Britney?

I'm with Crid-why was he even aware of this? Are there no other pressing issues to take his time and attention? Hmmm, Kim Jong or the MTV awards-tough presidential choice.

"he chose poorly"

Not an Obama fan.

Not sure why he commented.

However, Hhis comment seems appropriatte in regard to Mr. West's recent behavior

Actually, it's one of the few things Obama has said recently that I totally agree with. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, he's welcome to say it on the record. Celebrity culture in America needs to be taken down a few notches, and it would help if more national leaders would call out celebs on their bad behavior.

Celebrity culture in America needs to be taken down a few notches, and it would help if more national leaders would call out celebs on their bad behavior.

That should also work the other way:

Political culture in America needs to be taken down a few notches, and it would help if more celebrities would call out politicians (both sides of the aisle) on their bad behavior.

Now you folks are being silly.

He's President, he's not a king, and he's not dead.

He's a youngish African American and between his own musical tastes and those of his wife and kids, there is no reason for him not to be aware of West.

He's a parent and a human and if asked about Kanye West, there is no reason not to give an answer. Does it affect stock prices? National Security?

No, there may be nothing off the record, but a) who cares about this really, and b) if you want to see more transparency from our leaders it may be best not to crawl up their ass for everything they say.

Your Obama Derangement Syndrome is showing.

The interesting thing about this is that the guy who tweeted it actually later announced that the tweet had been a mistake because he hadn't been aware of an off the record agreement between two other parties. Now picture the same reporter if it had been GWB in this position.

it may be best not to crawl up their ass for everything they say. Your Obama Derangement Syndrome is showing.

Your speed at leaping to conclusions is showing. I don't have a problem with Obama calling West a jackass. But, a few people have e-mailed me about this and I was interested in finding out what people here think.

"Political culture in America needs to be taken down a few notches, and it would help if more celebrities would call out politicians (both sides of the aisle) on their bad behavior."

You were in the country during the last president's term, weren't you? I've never seen celebrities be MORE politically active.

Since this has been one of the top stories on the major news site for the past several days, and he has young girls, it doesn't suprise me that the president is aware of it. I do feel like he should've known better than to assume anything mentioned to a reporter is off the record. I also feel like he's right (Kanye West IS a jackass, and HE CAN'T SING), and I hope he doesn't retract what he said or apologize.

I concur with Jerry. I'll add if presidents aren't supposed to "waste" time listening to music, why are muscians always performing at the White House and why is it treated like an honor? I suggest they're on call 24/7 but not at work 24/7. That's a human impossibility.

Unpresidential? Well, yes, of course it was.

Was he to be expected to be Presidential at that exact moment? No.

Apparently he was just having a conversation with the reporters, either before or after an "Official" meeting with them. While everyone needs to be somewhat circumspect of the things they say when they are around others, and the President even more so, because of the greater visibility and potential for things to be misinterpreted and taken out of context, there are still times to relax the guard a little.

I wish presidents weren't bothered with MTV

Seriously, they used to call Clinton the first Boomer president, this is our first VJ president.

What's next? The Tamagotchi president? Will Iran have settled down by then?

Was it unpresidential of Obama to call Kanye a jackass?

No. Kanye is a jackass, and Obama was right to characterize him that way.

All things considered, if Obama is going to slip up and forget he's talking to reporters, I'm glad it's over something this meaningless and not something that actually matters.

First thing that big eared a-hole has uttered that I can agree with

ahw, Berkimer did say "both sides of the aisle", and with that condition added, I agree with his point. Although I don't know if it would help.

Your Obama Derangement Syndrome is showing.

Posted by: jerry at September 16, 2009 8:30 AM
-------------------------------------
@ Jerry- Maybe he should comment about Hulk Hogan's divorce, Courtney Kardashian's pregnancy, Patrick Swayze death etc...

But! What I'd really like to see him comment on is??? ACORN!!! You know the group he has associated with for years and helped him get elected. I'd really like to see him talk PUBLICLY about them.

Just for those of us with "Obama Derangement Syndrome."

You were in the country during the last president's term, weren't you? I've never seen celebrities be MORE politically active.

Yes, actually, and most celebrities were out for B's ass, and any other republican when they screwed up. Not so much with democrats. No hard data on this, but I would venture that 99% of celebrities endorse the left.

All politicians need a quick kick in the ass to remind them that they work for US, not special interest groups. Politics should NOT be a career, but a term limited part time job.

This little episode, shows me O's inexperience, and his naivete and trust in the media. They may support you, but they are sharks who will tear you down in a heartbeat if it will improve thier readership.

David M.,

The MSM is ignoring that, so there aren't going to be many questions asked. Charlie Gibson was on the "Don & Roma" show here in chicago yesterday, and when asked about the ACORN issue, he said he had no idea what they were talking about. They will do as much to keep the O seperated from it as possible.

momof4,

Nice indiana jones reference.

Crid and Mom, get a grip. Seriously. Why is he even aware of this? Uh, because he's human and we elected him to serve as president, not prisoner, spending every waking moment doing the Presidential thing.

He's got a wife, two daughters and a mother-in-law living with him. Even if he didn't actually watch the MTV awards, chances are, someone in his household did.

Anyway, I don't remember Crid's outrage at President Bush spending the first seven of his nine months on vacation, talking to cows and explaining to reporters the differences between his two dogs, going fly fishing, hitting the links. And we all know how his vacation came to an end, don't we?

When your manu[factu]red outrage includes the time Bush spent golfing, clearing brush, talking to cows, fly-fishing, discussing the habits of his dogs ("It's good that Barney routs them out of their rooting." Hilarious...) etc., I'd be happy to hear your indignation that Obama might be aware of what transpired over...what? A two-hour awards show?

Seriously, folks. If you're upset that Obama actually knows what Kanye West did...as if it were somehow possible to avoid knowing this, you'd be calling for Bush's head on a pikestaff. And since you're not...well, draw your own conclusions. Bush was an indolent loafer, extraordinaire. He made Bill Clinton look like a workaholic.

Of course, if Obama hadn't heard anything about West, we'd be talking about how out of touch he is with the American people.

Is it just me or do any of the rest of you find it odd that Obama seems to ALWAYS be on the air about something. This seems very "third world" to me.

With tongue partially in cheek, are we getting closer & closer to this???

Given the President's age, my guess is that Patrick Swayze's death actually did bum him out. Bummed me out.

RIP Patrick Swayze. RIP Jennifer Grey's nose.

I'm with Crid-why was he even aware of this?

Because unless you live in a media vacuum you had heard of this. You fucking people will drum up any reason possible to think Obama's not doing right. He called a jackass a jackass. I suspect that if he didn't comment on it, you'd criticize him because he didn't call out the other nigger.

Whatever, you're a violent little man. Violent, and little.

> I don't remember Crid's outrage
> at President Bush spending the
> first seven

Actually there have been a few comments about it over the years, though most concentrated on the ranch time while our nation was at war.

It means so much to me that you were concerned with my opinion about that matter, Patty.

Whatever, you're a violent little man. Violent, and little.

LOL, whaever. You're close-minded, old, and probably balding and paunchy to boot. Let the ad-hominems fly!

Well, at least we know he can't be a racist!

Crid sobs:

It means so much to me that you were concerned with my opinion about that matter, Patty.

Your feigned indifference to my opinions, Mark, would be much more convincing if you didn't feel the need to refer to me by a woman's name.

And yet again, we're subjected to Mark's rampant bigotry...Is there something wrong with being a woman? I'm curious as to why you think I should be offended by this.

Being called a woman is not an insult; merely a factual error. Rather like calling me a horse. Or you a horse's ass. Oh, wait...

Verbal incontinence.

Funny that Obama knew about Kayne's drunken stupidity at the VMA's but wasn't aware of almost two million people marching around in his backyard the day before...

Dear Irish-named person: You're in a very, very big hurry to find fault with me tonight. What will you do when your congestive, furious little episode is concluded? It's like I said about Maureen Dowd the other day... Once you've reflexively ascribed the worst possible motives to distant strangers on the flimsiest imaginable evidence ("refer to me by a woman's name") with your best articulation, where do you go?

Good luck out there!

If Obama felt that he needed to get involved in the college professors arrest on the national stage (Unfortunately his name escapes me right now) surely he has some words about the ACORN corruption???

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

The correct answer would have been "no comment."

The President of the United States (whomever he, or someday, she, is) has for some time been and continues to be the most powerful person ever to have walked this earth. The Commander in Chief of the greatest arsenal of weapons ever assembled. (This is why there have been plenty of female prime ministers but as yet no female President of the United States - the prime minister job does not automatically make you boss of the military. It is a big jump for some people).

In any case, I know my President is a real person who eats breakfast and after a long day reveals his insecurities to his wife late at night, but I don't want to hear about it. He should talk a lot... less.

Make the big decisions and step away, that's what you get paid for.

If he'd said "no comment," people would have accused him of condoning what Kanye West did.

Maybe, just maybe, he knew about it because Beyonce was at the center of the controversy -- and he's clearly a fan. His and Michelle's first dance was to her.

Yeesh, the guy's human. Someone asked him a question. It's not like he called a press conference.

I will never be confused for an Obama defender. But I think faulting him for knowing about and commenting privately on this issue is piling on.

We like to think of our presidents eschewing the frivolities of what passes for modern culture and sagely pondering policy 24/7. But that's a recipe for a mental breakdown. Presidents need hobbies. Bush 43 and Reagan had their ranches. Bush 41 had his horseshoes and his boat. Clinton had his bimbos. All of them except Reagan played golf.

The fact that a man with two pre-teen / teenaged daughters was aware of West's outburst at the VMA (and may even have been watching the show) is not an indication he was lax in performing his presidential duties.

Letting Nancy Pelosi write "his" legislation and dictate "his" agenda on the other hand....

And I'm in agreement with ak. Obama should talk a lot ... less.

His asides too often reveal him to be a man of moderate intelligence rather than the deep thinker his handlers want us to think he is.

Obama is accustomed to being a community organizer and small-time politician. He needs to make the leap to being the chief executive. Chief executives has less freedom to speak their minds because their every utterance can be taken as an indication of their policy direction. Witness the furor over Reagan's "we begin bombing in five minutes" joke.

Obama's comments on the Gates arrest were knee-jerk and, made at an official press conference, were by that context a statement of policy rather than a private opinion.

> The correct answer would have
> been "no comment."

It's not a huge deal. But after the thing where he said the Cambridge cop had acted "stupidly", we begin to wonder if Obama truly understands the nature and utility of the bully pulpit.

Anybuddy remember that time Clinton got all mouthy about Calvin Klein clothing ads? 1995: "Even President Bill Clinton criticized the creepy ads that showed teenagers posing for a leering photographer who made suggestive comments about their bodies and urged the boys to rip off their shirts."

I remember the video of Clinton earning applause from a roomful of rubes at some public event (close paraphrase): 'As the father of a teenager, I was offended by those ads, Mr. Klein!'

(Off course, this was many months before was caught putting his pooky-pook into the winky-wink of a profoundly subordinate woman, not his wife, not half his age.)

"...though most concentrated on the ranch time while our nation was at war."

Nit: Congress has the express Constitutional duty of declaring war, and they have not done so - a symptom of the general American desire to have "other people" take care of problems. Why should I do anything other than stick a ribbon on my car to support the troops?

So, it's NOT "war" - it's Goldstein at work (Orwell ref). But properly declaring war means your Congressthing must put down the page and intern and quit clucking about the President, who has been conducting operations per the War Powers Act, designed for the purpose of holding Congress harmless.

Of course, whatever this President wants overseas is A-OK with Congress, even though when it was the exact same thing the previous fellow was doing it was a horrible crime.

Feebie writes:

Funny that Obama knew about Kayne's drunken stupidity at the VMA's but wasn't aware of almost two million people marching around in his backyard the day before...

2 million??? No. 60-75 thousand. I'll thank you not to circulate lies about the protest rally organized by everyone's favorite bipolar...er, sorry, bipartisan...talk show host, Glenn Beck.

(Bipolar joke courtesy of John Stewart.)

Crid sobs:

Dear Irish-named person: You're in a very, very big hurry to find fault with me tonight. What will you do when your congestive, furious little episode is concluded? It's like I said about Maureen Dowd the other day... Once you've reflexively ascribed the worst possible motives to distant strangers on the flimsiest imaginable evidence ("refer to me by a woman's name") with your best articulation, where do you go?

Good luck out there!

Au contraire, your defensiveness has kicked into overdrive. I say that foaming and spitting about the fact that the President actually knows what Kanye West did at the VMA music awards is quite beyond petty and ridiculous and the claws came out.

You could have merely admitted that expecting the president to be totally unaware of what went on at the VMA music awards is a little unrealistic, but instead, you decided to have a hissy.

As for the worst possible motives...Mark, I've followed your stuff on this blog for years, and I've come to the conclusion that the list of people you don't hate would be considerably shorter than the people you do hate. Or perhaps not...people Mark doesn't hate: Mark; people Mark hates: everyone else.

Your attacks on people are typically based on what they are, not who they are, such as veteran reporter Helen Thomas...anyone else remembered Mark's endearing "shriveled loon" comment? I don't suppose you could confine your criticism to what she has to say, or what she did, rather than a definitive slur about her age, huh?

Of course not. Finding fault with a person's words or actions is so much more difficult and involves much more thought that simply dismissing them with some broad, insulting generalization about which category of people they happen to belong to.

But I'm flattered to know that you think I'm finding fault rather quickly. Since your method is so much more efficient than mine, I'll take recognition of my speed as a grand compliment.

Crid writes:

It's not a huge deal. But after the thing where he said the Cambridge cop had acted "stupidly", we begin to wonder if Obama truly understands the nature and utility of the bully pulpit.

He should, considering he's been attending the services of Jeremiah Wright for twenty years. While not nearly on the grand scale of the White House, Wright certainly has his own unassailable forum.

If Obama felt that he needed to get involved in the college professors arrest on the national stage (Unfortunately his name escapes me right now) surely he has some words about the ACORN corruption???

Um, the professor was a friend. And he was asked about it during a nationally broadcast press conference.

What is the ACORN corruption you wish him to speak to?

Patrick, this has been going on for FIVE YEARS. Every fifty days or so, you show up to say how I've purposefully reached through the anonymous ether of the internet to personally wound your throbbing heart.

But I'm not the bullies who beat you up in second grade to steal your milk money. I'm not the drunken stepfather who stole your mother's love. It's true that I don't care about your feelings... But I shouldn't have to, because you're a grown man.

What is the ACORN corruption you wish him to speak to?

Guerilla documentarians posed as a pimp and hooker at several ACORN offices across the country looking for advice on buying a house to turn it into a house of ill repute.

They were given advice on lying to qualify for a loan, dealing with the underage girls that were to be brought from overseas to work at the house, and hiding the income. Not one ACORN employee expressed outrage or called the police.

ACORN is screaming "entrapment" and claiming the tapes were doctored.

2 million??? No. 60-75 thousand.

I thought the park police estimated the size of the crowd to be in the hundreds of thousands.

There is no official estimate of the crowd because the media was absent. However, there is one picture and analysis (I need to find this link) that gives a pretty good count. Estimates are somewhere between 900,000 and 1.5M.

I'm often guilty of getting a excited when "rubes" come out to vocalize the crap they've been eating over many years, but it certainly was not 60-70K. Not by a long shot.

But I really don't think it was the point, Patrick. The point was, there was a shitload of people there on Saturday and the White House claims to have been unaware of it. Looks pretty silly when someone can comment on the VMA's and not a rather large protest taking place right in the El P's backyard.

> Looks pretty silly when someone can
> comment on the VMA's and not a
> rather large protest taking place
> right in the El P's backyard.

Word. Next time someone complains that people are too concerned with Paris Hilton.....

Basically, a lot of people..

And who's Paris Hilton?

Paris Hilton? Why, she's only one of the most famous celebrities in the world, and I like her very much!

First, she's pretty! She's a skinny little young woman, a blonde. She wears fun clothes... Except when she doesn't, because she likes sex.

Second, she's filthy stinkin' rich, and that's great.

Third, she's super famous. So when you take her to dinner (and sometimes she'll let you drive her Mclaren through the magic curve of Sunset Boulevard),
you're almost certain to get a good table. So there's that.

Fourth, she likes to party-hearty!

So Paris Hilton is one fabulous, high-performance individual. But some people don't like her... And those people are called "haters".

They're the kind of people who would say snotty things about Kanye, too!

Crid's funny.

Glad I asked. Wouldn't want to be a "hater".

Don't hate, Feebie!

Not one ACORN employee expressed outrage or called the police.

I read somewhere that the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Philly ACORN office did eject the disguised film-makers and file a police report.

Crid foams:

Patrick, this has been going on for FIVE YEARS. Every fifty days or so, you show up to say how I've purposefully reached through the anonymous ether of the internet to personally wound your throbbing heart.

But I'm not the bullies who beat you up in second grade to steal your milk money. I'm not the drunken stepfather who stole your mother's love. It's true that I don't care about your feelings... But I shouldn't have to, because you're a grown man.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with my feelings. And where you're concerned, they're quite out of reach.

It has to do with your inability to separate a person's conduct or beliefs from your preconceived ideas. Much as you would love to pretend that this is some deep-seated issue I have, the fact remains that your prose is adequate but your sentiments are neanderthal.

Not about me. Much as you would like to pretend it is. I don't have a step-father, and never did, drunken or otherwise. And I never had milk money stolen from me. Sorry that disappoints you. But either way, you'll have to try harder. Whether it is to see individuals as individuals and not as categories, or whether it's to find some other incident in my personal life that will get you through the day without having to realize that you're your own worst problem.

Feebie writes:

There is no official estimate of the crowd because the media was absent. However, there is one picture and analysis (I need to find this link) that gives a pretty good count. Estimates are somewhere between 900,000 and 1.5M.

The DC Fire Department, who has had some experience with crowds in Washington says 60-70K.

There have been numerous attempts, however, to prove the inflated claims of conservative nonentity Michele Malkin. But the attempts have led to embarrassing displays of dishonesty, easily exposed.

For instance, the supporters have circulated a photo with sprawling crowds that reached as far back as the Washington Monument. Problem, however, is that it was easily exposed as not of the D.C. protest crowd, but that the photo had to have been over five years old, due to the absence of certain buildings that have been constructed since then which were absent in the photo.

This one, for instance, was taken of 1997 Promise Keepers rally, but that didn't stop the Right Wing liars from claiming it was their protest.

If Obama felt that he needed to get involved in the college professors arrest on the national stage (Unfortunately his name escapes me right now) surely he has some words about the ACORN corruption???

Um, the professor was a friend. And he was asked about it during a nationally broadcast press conference.

What is the ACORN corruption you wish him to speak to?

Posted by: Whatever at September 17, 2009 7:01 AM
===================
Whatever- lets not be selective about our memory here. Remember the big sit down Obama had at the whitehouse with the police officer and the professor??? Remember how the incident was in the national news everyday for a week???
As for the ACORN corruption I want him to talk about? Are you kidding???
-------------------
What is the ACORN corruption you wish him to speak to?

Guerilla documentarians posed as a pimp and hooker at several ACORN offices across the country looking for advice on buying a house to turn it into a house of ill repute.

They were given advice on lying to qualify for a loan, dealing with the underage girls that were to be brought from overseas to work at the house, and hiding the income. Not one ACORN employee expressed outrage or called the police.
Conan answered this. Thanks Conan.

"The DC Fire Department, who has had some experience with crowds in Washington says 60-70K."

This was later refuted as an "unofficial number". Look it up...PAT-RICK.

> I don't have a step-father, and
> never did, drunken or otherwise.
> And I never had milk money stolen
> from me.

Then GROW UP, Patrick

Interesting viewpoint on the crowd size:

http://freestudents.blogspot.com/2009/09/when-politics-determines-crowd-size.html

Crid writes:

Then GROW UP, Patrick

Practice what you preach, Mark. I come to this blog and I see the ridiculous idea that Obama should have no clue about what Kanye West did, as if he should have no personal life or time with his family at all, and that every waking moment should be spend doing the presidential.

As far as I'm concerned that idea is laughable. No president ever promised to give up all semblance of a personal life, and nowhere in his job description does it say he has to do so.

You're bothered by the fact that he knows what goes on at the VMA music awards. I think that's positively laughable and I told you get a grip, and you have a tantrum about it!

CRID, GET A GRIP ABOUT BEING TOLD TO GET A GRIP! (Because I suspect with your rampant hysteria, you're going to hear it alot. And not necessarily from me, either. So, I would recommend you get used to it, drama queen.)

> I told you get a grip

No, you inappropriately accused me of mocking your sexuality. From your earliest comments on this blog right through your ironic blindness to the matters under discussion in this stack, your infantile fear of personal slights has been offered as a substitute for principled clarity.

Nobody's buying. You're Maureen Down without the footwear... Hurt feelings is all you got.

Crid sobs:

No, you inappropriately accused me of mocking your sexuality. From your earliest comments on this blog right through your ironic blindness to the matters under discussion in this stack, your infantile fear of personal slights has been offered as a substitute for principled clarity.

Nobody's buying. You're Maureen Down without the footwear... Hurt feelings is all you got.

Oh, brother. You've openly expressed your contempt for gay people, then you refer to me as "Patty." "Why, how dare he suggest I mock his sexuality!"

Especially since you had no response whatsoever to my pointed suggestion that you're being absolutely ridiculous in your outrage over Obama's actually knowing what transpired over a two-hour awards show.

"Snuffle, snuffle...Well, I don't care WHAT you think, PATTY!"

Great response, Mark. Nothing of substance (so what else is new?) and a personal insult.

Project much? Contrary to what you allege about me, hurt feelings is all YOU'VE got.

Your response to an accusation of childishness is compelling. Are we about done here?

Crid writes:

Your response to an accusation of childishness is compelling. Are we about done here?

Whatever you like. I'm quite satisfied I made my case. You are well beyond ridiculous when you suggest that Obama has absolutely no business knowing what went on at the VMA Music Awards, and even moreso when you're called on it.