Obama: To Get Debt Deal In 2nd Term, ‘I’ll Wash John Boehner’s Car, I’ll Walk Mitch McConnell’s Dog’

[trailmonkee]

audio via soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/smerconishshow/michael-smerconish-interviews

President Barack Obama sat down with Philadelphia-based radio host Michael Smerconish on Friday to discuss his reelection effort and his plans for his second term in office. Obama promised that he would do whatever it takes to reach an accommodation with Congressional Republicans, including washing House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) car and walking Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) dog.

President Obama said that one of his first goals in a second term is to try to strike a deal with Congress to address America’s growing debt. The president said that he would pursue both spending cuts and increasing tax revenues to accomplish this goal.

“Will you make the first move,” Smerconish asked. “Will you go to Capitol Hill?”

“I’ll go to Capitol Hill, I’ll wash John Boehner’s car, I’ll walk Mitch McConnell’s dog,” Obama said. “I’ll do whatever is required to get this done.”

http://www.mediaite.com/online/obama-to-get-debt-deal-in-2nd-term-ill-wash-john-boehners-car-ill-walk-mitch-mcconnells-dog/

[JDPriestly]

1. I haven't voted yet, and that makes me question whether to vote.

I rely on Social Security for my income. Sure, I saved what I could, but I don't receive any income from my savings.

Obama will sell out on Social Security, and that will be the end of the Democratic Party.

Social Security is what the Democratic Party stands for, what it promises. And if it compromises on Social Security, it has no reason to exist. The compromise on labor has already been made. Social Security is the last bastion of hope for the poor and needy.

[liberalmuse]

6. Really?

This statement on a radio show makes you question whether or not to vote?

[roguevalley]

12. there has been talk in washington that he will cut social security and dems wrote a letter asking

him to come on board as not doing it. This remark gives me the willies too. I wouldn't run over McConnell's dog with Boener's car.

[kenny blankenship]

42. Now we know what's really important to him, don't we?

Cutting our safety net programs: Social Security and Medicare in exchange for Republicans considering him a trusted domestic, like part of the family.

[dionysus]

13. lol... really. like you needed any excuse to type that.

if only smoove johnny were here tosave us all...

[Rosco T.]

22. Then enjoy President RMoney totally wiping your Social Security away.... n/m

[rudycantfail]

25. If the leader of the Dems cuts SS that makes you feel better?

It makes me want to break things.

[Whisp]

40. wish we all had that crystal ball you possess.

has Jane Hamsher been poking her ugly ass into the topic again and stirring up shit again?

Obama getting too much positive press lately? I notice when that happens this old, moldly dirt of lies comes up pretty consistently.

[demwing]

50. Fuck that

Jane Hamsher is ugly? Even if she were, what in the hell does that have to do with ANYTHING?

[Whisp]

52. she has an ugly devious lieing soul kindred to the Romneys, if you ask me.

and she's the first one to cry Panic, Obama is going to Take Away All Your Good Stuff. SS and Medicare are one of her favourite nose rings to pull on, on her loyal followers.

[rudycantfail]

62. Like most progressives, I have a clue.

[kenny blankenship]

38. So you're saying Senate Democrats would go along with that?

You have even less remaining faith in the degenerate terminal phase Democratic Party than I do.

[DeschutesRiver]

53. SS doesn't contribute to the deficit so there is no reason Obama would "sell it out"

I've listened carefully to everything he or his campaign has said about SS, and while he is being cautious with his words, he is nonetheless clear as a bell that there is no need to "sellout" social security.

Which is one of my big reasons I already voted for Obama.

And if I am wrong, I know in my heart that should Obama decide to "mess" with SS, I and thousands of others who depend upon it can protest such a thing, and Obama would always have an open mind about whatever he might do. Where did you ever get the idea that citizens always get exactly what they want without having to lift a finger? Things don't work that way. Never have, not with either party.

Romney doesn't have an open mind. And besides, unlike Obama, he has promised to ditch both ss and medicare for seniors. He absolutely means it and plans to move forward to eliminate it once elected. He has promised to do so.

If you are wrong at all about the idea that Obama "will sellout social security" (and there is enough out there if you google it to show you that you may indeed be wrong), then if Romney is elected and ss vanishes, you will always know that your abstinence from voting for certain caused social security to vanish.

That is what not voting and allowing Romney to win will create for certain. If you care, fight for it. If you don't fight for it by doing nothing more than at least casting a vote for Obama so that the rest of us can fight IF necessary, then you really do not care about this issue. Which is okay by me, but you should own it. There were people who fought just so that you could have the right to vote. Some of them didn't get exactly what they wanted. A whole bunch of them died just trying.

Most of them probably couldn't fathom how a person could say they care about the outcome of, say, social security, yet be unwilling to do something as safe as filling out a ballot to give them a possibility of attaining what they want.

[Autumn]

2. I don't want you doing any of that shit for those sorry ass fuckers

joking or otherwise. Every time you reach out to them they slap you. Stop it.

[IL Lib]

16. +1 n/t

[WorseBeforeBetter]

21. It makes him sound subservient to those two fuckers.

WHY does he do this shit? This ranks up there with the "please like me" meeting with Republican leaders a couple of years ago.

Fine, Obama, wash cars and walk dogs, just DON'T FUCKING CUT SOCIAL SECURITY OR MEDICARE!

[Whisp]

41. he is showing his willingness to do anything he must to move forward

and get things done. He is leaving his ego behind and thinking of everyone not himself.

I don't think most people are used to this kind of willingness to risk one own ego for the good of something bigger. It's chest beating braying that is supposed to be the answer to all - and it isn't.

I don't find him being subservient at all - I find him to be serious about trying to get some important stuff done and to show everyone that he is Willing to Do Anything to achieve this. That is not a bad message at all to me.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

44. There's a happy medium between offering to perform menial chores...

for the opposition party and "chest beating braying." You just know there's some fucking Teabagger out there joking about him shining the white man's shoes and it makes me sick.

There's a perception among many that he's weak, an appeaser, and one who doesn't stand for anything, and this remark only reinforces it. Many on DU refuse to believe it, but it's out there. I just spent time in MD/PA/DC/VA/WV with middle-of-the-roaders and hardcore liberals and they all registered the same complaint. I don't want him to be "Willing to Do Anything" -- I want him to shed that image and FIGHT to preserve Social Security and Medicare (no cuts OR slashes). If I'm wrong I'll admit it, but I don't think I am. We'll see.

[Whisp]

45. the baggers will joke about anything, anyway.

we should not allow them any power at all and worrying about what those cretinous assholes will do or say, gives them power.

fuck 'em all into obscurity.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

49. Of course they will, but why provide the fodder? (n/t)

[SomethingFishy]

57. Except that he tried this and the Republicans

voted down everything from Health Care for 1st responders to job programs for Vets. They have no interest whatsoever in "working with" Obama on anything. Including things that should be blindly non-partisan.

He'll never get any co-operation from the other side, all the compromises will have to be made by the Dems and that is B-A-D bad.

[Whisp]

60. I'm not in the mood to accept Bellyaching About Obama.

And how everyone and their goldfish knows better than him.

[SomethingFishy]

64. ?? Funny I thought I was complaining about Republicans..

But hey whatever floats your boat. If you think when Obama tries to reach out to Republicans they will welcome him with open arms this time then you haven't been paying attention to these racist scumbags.

They will HURT ANYONE THEY CAN as long as it has the result of making Obama look bad.

But hey, maybe they'll have a change of heart....

[DefenseLawyer]

3. Who in the fuck does he think statements like that are going to appeal to?

The "debt deal" is a load of republican horseshit.

[byeya]

33. By law, I believe, Social Security cannot add to the debt. So, the only mention of

Social Security should be how to strengthen it and make it a real public pension program.

Good grief; what was that statement of his supposed to mean?

[kenny blankenship]

39. Republicans.

Obama knows he does not have to do anything as President or say anything as a candidate to appeal to Democratic voters. They've brainwashed themselves into abject submission. He could eat kittens on live TV, and they would continue to bleat that he's the lesser evil. So at this point with the ovine Democratic constituencies dutifully reporting to the abattoir, he's running as the Republican candidate vs. Romney.

This "Nixon" is going to China, folks!

You've been warned about this many times, and he's not shy about signaling it even before election day. He'll be setting out with your vote as his boarding pass. Congratulations.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

59. "This "Nixon" is going to China, folks!"

I shouldn't laugh, but *ain't* that the fucking truth.

[Mponti]

4. Good grief, Mr. President.

[renate]

5. I think that's funny

It shows who's serious about addressing problems and who's just posturing.

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. Oh come on ...

DUers. I thought we have already resolved the "Gotta Look and Sound Tough" B.S.!

[tarheelsunc]

8. Uhhh, you're the President, you should make them do those things for YOU.

[LisaL]

10. Obviously he was joking.

[treestar]

37. The Presidency is no more powerful than Congress is.

They are two equal branches.

And the Senate is all powerful with the filibuster rule. It gives Congress the edge.

In fact Congress does have an edge in that it is the one true representative body and has the budget power.

It's my pet peeve that people insist that the President "runs the country" or is somehow more powerful than Congress or the judiciary simply because he is one man. The Presidency is not meant to be all powerful - the FF didn't want a king in that position. it is no higher than the powers of Congress.

[maxsolomon]

9. The kind of thing you need to say to Smerconish just before election day.

Bipartisanship is a delusion.

Obama should offer to twist their nuts off - that's what's required to get this done.

[msongs]

11. maybe he should wait til he is reelected (if he is) before caving in yet again. doh!

[dionysus]

14. i'll be celebrating how sad you are when he *is* re-elected. nt

[okieinpain]

15. I don't think he was talking to the base

I believe he was speaking to the so-called undecided voter. You guys do know that is one of the repugs and msm talking points is that Washington is too divided and that maybe things would be different if there were a new president.

Besides if repugs can let lying ass Romney say anything why can't we play the same game.

[Enrique]

17. this will give him a mandate if he wins

to wash Boehner's car and walk Mitch's dog.

[bluestate10]

18. Lighten up, it was a joke.

I am sure that secretly, the President is hoping for a big democratic wave in both the House and Senate.

[bluestate10]

19. Oh well, the usual suspects posting Obama hate, all because of a joke. nt

[Enrique]

20. you might be right

Obama might not be saying that he will literally do chores for those GOP leaders.

[Marr]

34. What do you mean, "a joke"?

Are you under the impression that people think he's actually going to walk dogs and wash cars? Of course that part was a joke. It doesn't change the sentiment.

[BlueMan Votes]

23. my...how steppin' fetchit of him.

what is he thinking?

[Poll_Blind]

24. Actually listening to this quote, I am reminded of a quote by Bob Herbet:

"There is always some excuse, some reason for not bringing all of the president's energy and resources to the fight."

Always some excuse.

That's been true for almost three years now and it's chilling. I have no reasonable explanation for a good chunk of his behavior from either a Left-wing viewpoint or from the viewpoint of the campaign promises he made when running for the Presidency in 2008.

I simply, for the most part, do not understand his choices or why he made them. Since the winter of 2009 this whole presidency has been, and this is putting it in the kindest possibly way, difficult to interpret.

I am praying that we can get him re-elected and get a majority in the House and Senate because we damned-well need it.

For months and months now, the president has been pushing an absurd thesis in interviews that his election to a second term will cause a de facto rift in the Republican party, breaking their will continue to obstruct progress. I cannot believe how anyone here, anyone who has actually followed politics seriously, can believe that absurdity.

If we don't get a majority in the House and keep our lead in the Senate, after his re-election there is going to be some serious car-washing and dog-walking and, my worst fear, little else.

PB

[WorseBeforeBetter]

26. His biggest mistake was not letting the Bush tax cuts expire...

when they were automatically scheduled to expire. He might "excuse" himself out of the White House, but we'll know in 7 days...

[jollyreaper2112]

27. right

That's it exactly. Anyone paying attention knew that the Obama presidency would see a reprise of what the Republican did against Clinton but juiced up by the fact that there's some uppity ethnic sitting in a white man's seat, froth, froth, froth. The GOPigs were going to be shitting themselves with fury.

I could see taking a month or three to be sweetly bipartisan and setting himself up for cold rebuffs, fodder for the reelection ads. "Obama tried to play nice. He tried to reach across the aisle. They spat in his face. That's when he put on his dick-stomping boots and told them how it's gonna be. Then he proceeded to stomp on their dicks until he got shit done." 2010 could have been a major sweep if he had productive things to show for it.

And if he was going to face stonewalling anyway? Then don't come out with watered down, recycled Republican plans. Go all-out Teddy R. Bend the law to the breaking point to get shit down. Breathe fire down their necks. Use the bully pulpit to show the nation just what tremendous assholes they are.

Instead we get weak tea and compromise. I'm voting for the motherfucker and expect to be as disgusted with him in the second term as I was in the first. I want leadership, not supine concession to the political terrorists running the other party. I want a president who will say he has no friends across the aisle, they're anti-American sellouts and traitors and he wouldn't piss down their throat if their guts were on fire. The only concession he'll give them is letting them survive if they get with the program, otherwise he will destroy them personally, financially, and politically. I want war. This is as tepid as store-brand salsa, as weak as American beer.

[yodermon]

30. "I want leadership, not supine concession to the political terrorists running the other party"

love this quote, that sums it up jollyreaper

[The Magistrate]

28. If He Had Said, Sir, 'I'll Kill McConnel's Dog, I'll Burn Boehner's Car, Whatever It Takes...'

I would feel a bit better about future prospects, and whether he had learned the right lessons from the last few years....

[hifiguy]

29. Indeed. There is no reason to kowtow to those

unspeakable shitweasels. Why does the POTUS feel compelled to say something this stoopid? He's a very smart man but he has yet to learn that you don't start making concessions before the negotiations commence.

[newspeak]

46. well, some of the undecided knuckledraggers would like that

it'd remind them of their hero, little boots. remember the big pharma giveaway-screw the sick, elderly bill. at that time their were still some old repugs who had some decency, who would not vote for the sociopathic greed bill. but the neocons threatened, coerced their own party members to screw the people. of course, i'm sure by now, the repug wacko party has weeded out all of the reasonable repugs.

you know, you can only negotiate with greedy, heartless, sociopaths so much until it becomes too damaging to the country and the people.

[Enrique]

65. we still have Reid and Pelosi

Nancy can take care of the dog, Harry gets the car.

[JVS]

66. That would be the greatest political statement ever!

[GoneOffShore]

31. If there is any justice McConnell and the Boner won't be in positions where

they will matter.

[jollyreaper2112]

32. deep sigh

People keep reelecting them. I think that Obama's first critical mistake was not instituting war crime investigations against the Bush cabal. His second big mistake was not siccing the DOJ against the Republican electioneering crimes. His third big mistake was not attacking their corporate money base. His fourth big mistake was not sending the IRS after the rest of the tax cheats.

I think the realpolitik answer is that doing all of these things would shit where he eats. Obama's earned his way into the 1% club and he wouldn't be welcome in it if he actually acted like he had a mandate for reform. You'll note that Clinton is nice and chummy with the 1% crowd, especially after helping push through shit like NAFTA and the repeal of Glass-Steagall. He's still welcome in the club and was palling around with GHWB.

[GoneOffShore]

61. The 1% club?

Oh..... OK.

[jsr]

35. Is he going to buy a lawnmower from Boehner again?

WTF.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

36. It's a joke gang

Frankly, I'd like to see him nail their testicles to a large tree, but he's not going to say that.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

48. He could say it, but not in those words.

It's just not President Cool Breeze's style.

[libdem4life]

43. Kudos to the Obama team ... brilliant !!!!

First of all...leading as if he already has reelection. Way to acknowledge the juvenile nature and put the names of the Republican Congressional naysayers and blockers out there without "slamming" them. Nothing they can say back, other than to make fun of what he said, which they can't. Also, a little nudge for the Blue Dogs.

And the timing with Sandy, equally brilliant. Christie just shut down the Republican hate fest, at least for a few days, and this ALL makes Benghazi just what it is...petty partisan politics.

[neverforget]

47. Saying this to the guy who said "Our goal is to make Obama a 1 term president"

"walk Mitch McConnell's dog"? That will be perceived as a statement of weakness and not how you negotiate.

[JackRiddler]

54. Me thinks the House election is the most important one.

[SomethingFishy]

58. +1 We aren't getting anywhere unless we have

majorities in the House and Senate. When Obama wins again instead of wanting to make him a "one term President" they'll want to make sure that "history sees that Obama ruined America", or some such crap.

We need to steamroll over these motherfuckers.

[CheapShotArtist]

55. Clever joke, but when you're stuck

dealing with political terrorists, there really isn't shit else for the president to do except try to give them some of what they want. This is what happens when Democrats don't show up to the polls, though. It's as if many people from our side forget there are midterm elections in addition to presidential elections.

[Skidmore]

56. Someone one MSNBC pointed out that McConnell doesn't own a dog and

Boehner gets driven around in a car from the House carpool. Lighten up.

[RedCloud]

63. Just kick them in their balls.