Blogs and Stories
Obama's Strange Trip
Pete Souza / The White House
Afghanistan is teetering. Unemployment’s sky high. And health-care reform’s in trouble. So why not fly to Copenhagen? Bush strategist Nicolle Wallace on the risks of the president’s road trip.
I love the Olympics. And I love the idea of an American city—any American city—being awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics. I also happen to believe that the president of the United States is always the president—no matter where he is. He does not need to be holed up in the Oval Office to do his job, so I don’t buy the argument that President Obama will be skipping out on his day job by traveling to Copenhagen.
But there are big risks for Obama in making the trip—and they have nothing to do with not winning the bid. The president seems to have forgotten the lessons that he helped teach an entire generation of political observers and operatives: Words matter, and so do appearances. President Obama will subject himself to three potentially damaging lines of attack when he boards the plane to Copenhagen. First, that he appears out of touch and absent at a moment of great domestic and international significance; second, that his priorities are parochial; and third, that he is disingenuous for reversing a statement made days ago that he could not make the trip because it would interfere with his health-care campaign.
In ordinary times, it would be charming for a president to tag along on the Michelle and Oprah tour, but these are not ordinary times.
Obama faces the most important national-security decision of his presidency in Afghanistan. And with many Americans still out of work and anxious about the economy, he’s pushing a massive overhaul of the way we all receive our health care. Logistically speaking, President Obama can study the assessment from General McChrystal on the plane or reach General Petraeus or Admiral Mullen or Secretary Gates by phone if he has questions. But Democrats and Republicans—and the vast majority of Americans—feel our efforts in Afghanistan are at a crossroads. While many Democrats like to point to mistakes made by the previous administration, Obama is the only commander in chief this nation has right now, and his trip leaves him conspicuously absent at a vital moment. As Senator John McCain said this week, “Time is not on our side, so we need a decision pretty quickly.” Senator McCain may not have prevailed in his campaign against Barack Obama last year, but his views on national security are respected by many, and Obama looks disconnected from this discussion by traveling to Copenhagen this week.
• Big Fat Story: The Agony of the OlympicsMany Americans feel anxious about the expansion of federal authority since Obama took office—an anxiety that fuels further concern about his plans to increase the government’s role in health care. The country is broke, financially, and the public can see that Obama’s numbers don’t add up. Even a sixth grader can look at the massive stimulus package, the auto bailout, countless bank bailouts, cap and trade legislation and the projected costs of the Democrats’ health-care reforms and conclude that we’re spending money we don’t have. McCain calls it generational theft. Obama would be better served traveling to Las Vegas and trying to stimulate the tourism and convention economy he helped tank than flying to Denmark to try to win the Olympics.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
Outfoxing Obama
Nicolle Wallace served as a senior adviser to the McCain-Palin campaign from May to November 2008. She served President George W. Bush as an assistant to the president and director of communications for the White House, as well as communications director for President Bush's 2004 campaign.
What Dubya Can Teach Obama
Nicolle Wallace served as a senior adviser to the McCain-Palin campaign from May to November 2008. She served President George W. Bush as an assistant to the president and director of communications for the White House, as well as communications director for President Bush's 2004 campaign.
The Dignity of George W. Bush
Nicolle Wallace served as a senior adviser to the McCain-Palin campaign from May to November 2008. She served President George W. Bush as an assistant to the president and director of communications for the White House, as well as communications director for President Bush's 2004 campaign.
She was the senior adviser to the McCain-Palin campaign. That went well...
But seriously, what's with all the hating? The games would generate $22.5 billion in new economic activity and create 315,000 jobs (source: http://www.chicago2016.org/Portals/0/Press_Releases/Chicago%202016%20Econom ic%20Impact%20Analysis.PDF)
The just hate because they CAN. Had President Obama not tried to get the Olympics for OUR COUNTRY, they would accuse him of hating America. They are 5-year old babies pretending to be thinking adults.
Agree. I can hear the ranting now about how Obama could have gotten the Olympics -- and jobs for the midwest -- if only he had gone to Copenhagen. Damned if he does; damned if he doesn't.
Kind of like the way you HATED Bush. It goes both ways... Take a look in the mirror before you start throwing your hate around.
The left hates the right, the right hates the left. Yada yada yada.
At this point I would love to see a Libertarian win ANY kind of
office, whether it's in The House, Senate, Governorship,
just to shake things up, and perhaps bridge the gap
between such hostile opposing views, and perhaps
loosen the stranglehold that Republicrats and Democans have
on Washington.
motrbotr: Kind of like the way you HATED Bush. It goes both ways... Take a look in the mirror before you start throwing your hate around.
------------------------------
I didn't HATE Bush. Nor would I have had ANY problems with him working on getting the Olympics for OUR COUNTRY. That's the job of the president. Just like the President of Brazil, the PM of Japan, and the King of Spain are all doing right now in making the same trip to campaign for their OWN countries.
Got nothing to do with hating anyone, just with hating hypocrisy. Michelle flew over on a plane, her husband flew over on a second plane --- for a 45 minute meeting - and from the same people we hear about "carbon footprints". Puleeees!
Michelle and her husband want to fight for social justice and to help the underprivileged - how does lining the pockets of their rich Chicago friends with olympic quantities of cash further this goal? They gonna have em give it all to charity ? All the proceeds should go in a pot to finance their health care reform.
Funny, I haven't heard either Obama discuss carbon footprints much. Those rich friends will create jobs for lots of people. Oh My God, they took two, count 'em two planes.
You are snit picking.
Ms. Wallace, I thought you were somewhat reasonable when you were working for our previous president. But maybe I was mistaken. You have chosen to join the ugly sirens of the ultra right wing sycophnats of what is left of the Republican Party. I have no problem with you having policy disagreements with our curent president but please reflect on the fact that the Olympics is one of the few events that do not divide the people of the world and they are not policy items for you to comment on. Instead may be you can use your energy and vast experience in advocating for the betterment of our country and its citizens in taking up issues such as health care reform, education, jobs etc. The election is over and your policies were soundly repudiated by the American People.
I like how we're being lectured by someone whose boss took for an entire month each summer in Crawford. In fact he was on vacation when he received warning that "Al Qaeda determined to attack US" and when Katrina hit. No one with any connection to Bush and Co. should be lecturing this White House about anything.
Just because your president was too stupid to walk and chew gum at the same time, doesn't mean everyone is.
1) Watch Glenn Beck and then shut up!
2) At the loss of a thousand jobs/day since Obarfa (Obama) has been in office, it's a shame your hard earned tax dollars are paying for it, and Americans can't even afford to go. FYI,Next they want us to buy Federal license plates along with state too..He wants your $$$$. Where are the environmentalist now??? Is communist controlling GREEN enough?
3) Poor unsuspecting foreign tourists can't safely walk down the streets in Chicago...Obama's buddy, slum lord Valerie Jerett will profit nicely, I am sure the Obama's get a cut. Can't you see our tax dollars generate 3 Trillion dollars/year! What a business, and going communist makes us the slaves...
4) Is this land of the Russian home of the communist Czars, or still land the free?
5) FYI --Obama Admin. is trying to push for paying of student loans..GREAT! Oh wait a minute, we have to take the courses they tell us to...Oh is this like RUSSIA?
6) If you are an objective critical thinker, watch "educate or eliminate" on you tube, notice any coincidences? Wake up.
Thanks for explaining what you meant by "Obarfa," pal. "Watch Glenn Beck." You betcha.
My guess you are a white male maybe as young as in your 30's who drives around all day listening to fright wing radio. Please reword (4). If I were you I wouldn't worry about (5). Tell us what courses to take, what drivel.
Don't be silly! Who on earth are you listening to and shouldn't you think through some of this drivel?
You think Chicago is going to make money other than the kickbacks to the Chicago dems????? Step away from the table and put the drugs down.... 0bama's buddies told him to get his ass to Copenhagen to get them their cash ot else.
The only olympics in recent history to actually make money was Utah 2000 run by Mitt Romney - remember that when you vote in 2012.
That is such a spurious lie I almost choked up my coffee. IOn NPR this morning the following quote states, "There has never been an Olympic Games that has made a profit," says Robert Barney, director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Western Ontario."
...pretty much shows that you got your incorrect info over on Cluster Fox.
The Salt Lake City, Utah Winter Olympics were in 2000, mjprocko? Really?
Mind explaining why anyone here should trust anything else you say?
The opposition is always trying to inflame public opinion by turning non-issues into the stuff major of political debate. Niccolle Wallace is using the same old game book with which she screwed the McCain/Palin campaign. It's not about the substance of government its culture circus. Work up the emotions, create a controversy about nothing. The extreme right just constantly wants to hit you in the face with phony "wake-up" calls. Oh, and then when you tell them you need a bandage for your wounds they tell you the government can't afford it.
You have no idea how much money if any would be made. Money has been lost at most of these things & just think of how much in taxes Obama is going to expect us to pay to build things. I doubt the temporary jobs it will create will be short term & the unions would be the biggest beneficiary of all of this.
Hackedy hack hack. Hack.
Well, leave it to the Republicans: They do no like job creation. Also, economics is not their strongest skill.
Doesn't seem to be Obama's either.
What a clever retort: fact-based, impartial, driving to a clear point that is not personal. You are quite the role model for posters.
Wait and see, the economy is rebounding, but I know what you guys will say, you will claim it was inevitable even though your folks destroyed the economy.
There are only two categories of economics that play into the consciousness of Republican right-wingers: Americans who are affluent are the winners, all the rest are losers in the game of social Darwinism.
In the American melting pot the cream rises to the top and everything else sinks to the bottom as one giant compost heap. The teeming mush at the bottom of the barrel is recycled as the top 1% see fit.
dailyplanet, you cut right to the point again (something Nicole Wallace refrains from on a daily basis). The question is, when will the "bottom 95(99)%" rise up and start attacking the ultra-wealthy class (as history proves time and time again)?
Given the rising angst in the rhetoric, it won't be long before we see such a class war - within 20 years or less, unless real change occurs. It may already have started with the death of the poor KY census taker. However, IF we can give Obama time, his choices may yet work, with the added benefit of returning some civility to the discourse.
So a note to all the haters on both sides - shut the hell up you imbeciles! Obama has more class, style and intelligence than anyone on the Right (and only Clinton rivals on the Left). Let's not forget Bush the Crook stole from the poor (and the Middle Class) to enable his 'Oiligarch' friends at Halliburton & Exxon/Mobil. If I were Barack, I'd assign a special prosecutor to look into that magilla, but he's savvy enough to know that opening THAT can of worms might lead to his assassination, so he's letting it alone to focus on the other problems.
It's time WE ALL find some common ground and start working towards the social good, not the selfish materialism of Wall Street. To bitch about a short junket to try to pay back his Chicago supporters is typical Republican pettiness. It's the least he can do, and can obviously work on other issues during the trip over. But this Republican idiocy is the best they can do, because they have NO moral ground, NO justifiable character attacks, NO attacks on his intellectual capacity, so they are stuck with their own stupidity. From Boehner to Graham, are these the kind of churlish men you want leading our country? I prefer the smart guy who keeps his cool.
It will be temporary jobs for only unions in which the unions would be the biggest beneficiarys. It is the Democrats that gave away so much tarp money & wants to continue on keeping the American people down & wanting to increase taxes after 600million have lost their jobs. They want to force health care on people that don't want it & want to imprison them if they do not buy it. They want to force to cap & trade on us which will cost millions more their jobs, & will cost us more money to pay for electricity. They want to keep throwing all these higher price changes on us & higher taxes & no one hardly has a job. If you think this makes sense then you need to go to a mental institution because they have suceeded in brain washing you.
ZOMG what will we do when 600 Million Americans lose their jobs!?!?!!?? 600 MILLION!!
Hold me...? The warmth of your statistical genius gives me hope.
Oh Goddess, they will force health CARE on people who do not want it. I can just see you yelling, "leave me along, I can set my own dam n leg."
No one is or will force anything on you despite what Rush and Glenn say.
We had two wars, katrina and the crash of the economy. Yet your boss Bush spent most of his presidency on vacation. President Obama takes 24 hours to support OUR COUNTRY's bid for the Olympics in order to generate jobs and you OBJECT?? Someone from your home planet is currently looking for you.
Ditto.
He never stays in the White House. He is always traveling, campaigning, doesn't know how to take care of the country. He just thinks he is so great that he thinks all he has to do is talk.
LIES, LIES, and more LIES.
Aren't you guys SUPPOSED to be the party of "morals". God is going to strike you down if you keep on lying like you do!
um, i think you are confusing an ability to speak coherently with a belief that that is all one must do.
ewe7777 Don't speak for the President. You probably couldn't translate what he thinks.
This is ridiculous! The election is over! Stop over-analyzing every little non-thing! Feeble little minds!
Here's a thought that will keep the idiots up all night: If Obama drinks his coffee black is he a racist? Hmmmm....
Oh, wait, here's a crazy-@ss idea, TRY COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION OR TWO OR THREE.
The GOP has become a bunch of clucking old biddies.
Yes, the election is over! But nobody has told Obama. That is why he cannot govern, he just wants to force socialism programs down our throats & run around wasting fuel to continue giving campaign speeches.
what's all this obama bashing for?
The Afghan question, the american healthcare overhaul, world economic slow down, even iran's nuclear build-up and many more issues, as pressing as they are will not be solved in one day. These problems have been there for many years, even before Obama came to power, so then how will a day or two trip to Copenhagen jeopardise their solution? What is the real reason for all the supposed urgency now?
If President Obama is the magic pill that can solve all these problems in the time it takes to get to Copenhagen then, i say let him have a week so we can all leave in a better world.
And should America forgo the Olympics because of the problems in the world? America is already bleeding much, a little cash from the rest of the World and over 300k new jobs for Americans due to Olynpics is not a bad idea. America deserves it.
I say bring the Olymics to Chicago.
Nicolle Wallace will say "anything" to advance the Republican agenda, no matter how obtuse, no matter how false. This article is evidence of that truth. Her argument that lumps Michael Moore and the recently discovered congressman with cojones into the kook category, signals the beginning of the GOP attempt to delegitimize Congressman Grayson. Watch for an all out effort from the Republican talking heads in coming days.
Ditto what the previous commenters have said. Why even bother to print the opinion of a Bush and McCain apologist and supporter? You know it will only be sour grapes complaining and will contain a ridiculous number of incorrect assumptions and broad generalizations.
Let's hear something positive and creative from Republicans and other conservatives for a change -- I'm sure they can come up with something as soon as they let go of their devastation over their big political loss. Let's go, guys!
What a unique idea...a Republican having an original idea
unbelievable:
whatever pres. obama does is wrong, according to present and "former" republican strategists & commentators.
he's working his tail off on the major issues confronting the u.s.a.; nearly all of which--would it be impolite to remind the
right-wing bloviators?--are left-over messes from his predecessor's administration.
so, he goes to copenhagen to help sell an american city as an olympic venue--still "work" but, at least, a nice change of scene from the "you lie" chorus in d.c. and, this should be
questioned by someone who worked for george w. bush, the president who set the major league record for "most vacation days" taken during an eight-year term?
What a bitch. This is crazy. Of course it's ok for him to go, like traveling overseas means he is out of touch. I bet there is at least one cell phone on Air Force 1. The Olympics would be a huge job creator. Dah
I am VERY opposed to most of the policies that President Obama has come up with. Schemes are more like it. But I can see no reason other than how it might look, as to why he should not go to help get the Olympics (although I believe it is baked in that Chicago will get them). A President must do all he can to help, and in this case bring jobs. heck this will create more jobs than his entire stimulus plan.
The stimulus plan involves nearly $900 billion and has created and will create far more jobs than bringing the Olympics to Chicago. It is estimated that if that occurs, it will generate $22 billion in jobs and services for the Chicago area.
The stimulus has only dispensed a small portion of the $900 billion, because it takes time to plan before undertaking the many projects it will support.
Your facts are wrong not only in the short run, by but a wide margin in the long run.
Thank you for renewing my hope that we still can work together to solve our problems, if we would just deal with each other in a respectful manner. Would that our leaders in DC would follow your example
"Schemes"? Why can't you speak less partisan-speak and call them "programs"? Like the Cash for Clunkers program that the GOP doesn't want to talk about because it successfully stimulated auto sales? Like the Stimulus Package that SAVED jobs of police, firefighters and teachers and started infrastructure projects in every state?
You want a turnaround of a worldwide recession in a heartbeat? Sorry, but it took 8 years to grind us into the ground. Read the Census Bureau stats on the decline of our economy during the Bush era. It takes a long time to declines and a longer time to recoup: http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/09/closing_the_book_on_the_bush_legacy .php This will likely be a "U-shaped recession so buckle up and do something positive instead of carping.
Next we'll be hearing from an "inside" source on Air Force One that Obama has been taking to many bathroom breaks when he should be attending to the business of the nation instead of catering to his bodily functions.
LOL!
I guess Ms. Wallace has one standard for a Democratic president who takes one day out of his schedule to push for the Olympic Games to come to the city of Chicago, and produce thousands of new jobs, and another standard for Bushboy, a Republican president, who spent four days as a buffoonish spectator at the Olympic games in Beijing, China last year, while we had two wars going on and a collapsing economy.
Republican hypocrisy is like space, it's neverending.
They're hypocrites, but they are masters at manipulating whatever they do so it somehow redeems them and makes those that criticize them look intolerant and in the wrong. Their tactics demonstrates key elements of propaganda where if you can make people believe anything YOU want them to believe...you've won.
They are beyond hypocrites - they are total tools.
And I heard they no longer call it the White House. GOP cowards like Boehner, Graham, Lewis, etc., have been telling a racist joke behind closed doors:
Where does Barack Obama live? In The Black House.
Those are your peeps on the Right, Nicole. Making the cracker crowd proud, eh?
How Republican's manage to get up in front of millions of people and be such big hypocrites simply amazes me. I have watched them they never bat a eyelash either with the outlandish lies and unmitigated hypocrisy involved in their mendaciousness. It's just another day of belly-aching about some imagined wrong Obama is doing for them. Most of them come off as being to arrogant to see the hypocrisy in their never ending whining. I honestly think they believe most American's are to stupid to see through their deceit.
It's Topsy Turvy World folks! What used to be normal for any President to do, is now cause for outrage when it comes to Obama. The only way I would have a problem with this trip is if all those problems could have only been solved on that one day.
Obama tanked the tourism industry? The public option is dead? What's next, Nicolle? Will the Senator from Arizona tell us the fundamentals of our economy are strong? I bet if Obama stayed home you'd give him crap for just letting Air Force One sit there and rust. So, in short, you got nothing. Michael Steele has a Loser's Club t-shirt for you.
Because Bush taking off nearly a week last summer to go sit in the stands and watch the Olympics when the economy was teetering on the brink of collapse is TOTALLY different! Hey Nicole, take W's nuts out of your mouth long enough to realize that you're a hypocrite. I guess you're just not used to a President that can multi-task. Nicole Wallace has about as much credibility as Carrie "opposite marriage" Prejean, without the smoking hot body.
OK, OK, You don't have to get ugly and disgusting. I think Ms. Wallace's arguments are bogus but she expressed them as dispassionately as any Republican I've read lately, and I give her some credit for that.
When you belittle a real life female by comparing her body to a plastic-enhanced beauty queen, it just erases any political statement you try to make.
Knock it off.
Did the author select the picture of the President looking out the plane window? If, not, I am sure she wished she would have. Figures.
Note retrieved from the desk of Nicolle Wallace: "Why is Obama spending so much time looking out the window of a plane?
Note to self: Write piece on Obama's excessive day-dreaming.
This article was very disappointing to me. I thought Ms. Wallace was one of the brighter women in the Republican party. Why would she compound on John Boehner's ill advised comment which opened the discussion to the number of weeks spent at Crawford or the previous President's "butt slapping" during his four days at the Olympics? The best way for the Republican party to get back in power is to allow the country to forget Bush, Cheney, and Rove. We have enough of a reminder when we get our 401 K statements.
Miss.Wallace your talking points are "NOT" yours,But of the typical re-publican clanging chime of the same sound,the wind chime makes,when,the wind moves it,"your disconnect " from reality has me confused.Did'nt you just come off a hard fought campaign, and, you should, know that ,under the Bush and Cheney regime, there was more expansion of federal authority than any other president in our histroy, how many federal agencys where created under there regime,"thats" what I thought,Miss. Wallace you re-publicans continue to spread your disinformation,or, shall I ,say wage your, propaganda war on us americans, "You" Miss.Wallace, need to search your heart and say would christ spread lies or" truth" you christian conservatives have lost your way,like lost sheep looking for its shepherd,You have been Bushwashed, and for John and Cindy MCcain there "SELL OUTS" they sold off a great peice of american histroy to foreigners Anheuser-Bush and your country first strategy was a false statement,Miss.Wallace your a re-publican strategist you need to think your strategy,"YOU" have your mind don't you,or are still Bushwashed the Karl Rove days are over and so is your strategy if you don't change it.....!
Why is his trip so strange, Wallace? Other heads of state are showing up to defend their country as an Olympic candidate? Chicago is his city. Obama can speak to that and demonstrate his love of city rather than staying home...and being criticized by you for not having done enough.
The financial rewards for Chicago in tough unemployment times is huge. I find this childish to be critical of every step Obama takes. I want my president to fight for any economic plus for my country.
Nicole, are you still here?
Yes, bigpat, rush is over at TDB sorority house, and Nicolle and her windswept hair have pledged. She's still here, and she's still a Republican hack.
windswept hair...awesome
Whats with the people of this country?Apparrently they have bad taste or the glitter of some of these candidates blinds them.The last four presidents have been absolout duds.Personaly I think this country can do better.
Sarah Palin needs a clothes buyer now that she's making big bucks reading cliches before foreign audiences. Daily Beast to Nicole: apply!
Yeah Nicole, maybe Obama could just fly over Copenhagen in Air Force One like it was a ravaged New Orleans and he was coming back from another break at the ranch. Didn't you work for the guy who did that?
That is why the photo of President Obama looking out the plane window a la Bush re NO is included with the article. Someone is getting their digs in, yet again.
I'm a lifelong Republican--but how much more can any loyal Republican take from our spokespeople and not throw in the towel from the sheer fear of being lumped in with this incomprehensible gang of knuckleheads led by Steele, Boehner, and now this incredibly inane Nicole Wallace? I give...hello independents!
Thank you.
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