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totus teleprompteritus

The readers at No Quarter are just cracking me up! They keep posting links to the funniest web sites, and videos, so I thought I should round them up and do a post.

I believe the jokes about Obama and his teleprompter officially began with Rush calling Obama TOTUS. From there, the internet has gone wild. We have an official Presidential seal for TOTUS. After all, Obama had his own presidential seal before he was even the nominee. Of course his TOTUS should have one!


h/t Flopping Aces for the Seal

Then, Fred Berfle posted a link to Obama's Teleprompter blog. Yes, TOTUS created his own blog. Barack Obama's Teleprompter's Blog

Obama's Teleprompter even has his own Facebook page. I'm a facebook friend.

*I'm Fed Up* posted this hilarious video of Obama and his Binky:



Followed by this special message from Obama's teleprompter:



Then we discovered that Obama bought his teleprompter a new swing set.


And there are plenty of funnies out there...

The Portable teleprompter -


The Teeny tiny portable teleprompter -


On the road with the TOTUS -


There are tons of cartoons online making fun of Obama's dependency on TOTUS, here are just a few -






Obama better get off the teleprompter quick! He runs the risk of being turned into a laughing stock...

and think of how much more fun we would have!

punch drunk...? i'll have what he's having!

Last night Obama appeared on 60 Minutes, and I think he confused his interview with another appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Obama seemed to think everything was funny.

So much so that Steve Kroft said, "You’re sitting here. And you’re laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, ‘I mean, he’s sitting there just making jokes about money?’ How do you deal with — I mean: explain … Are you punch-drunk?”

I think the better question would have been, "dude, are you stoned?".

The last time I've seen someone giggle that much, with eyes that droopy, it was the 80's and boys, brownies and bong hits were involved.

Kroft, who spent 90 minutes with Obama, says the president was “very, very relaxed”.

Yea *giggle* I bet he was.

Here is a segment from Morning Joe, with Donny Deutsch discussing the interview. At the 1:28 mark, Willy plays a clip of Obama's laugh-a-thon. Donny is a little hopped up on kool-aid here, so be warned, it is a bit of a tingle fest. Joe Sco is pretty funny, though.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama responded to Kroft, "No, no. There’s gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day."

Gallows humor is a real life saver sometimes - many people, like firemen, policemen, and doctors use laughter as an (critical) outlet to deal with traumatic situations.
But, I question whether, during a national interview, in the middle of an economic crisis, it's the right time and place to go on a giggle fest.

It doesn't really instill confidence...does it?

What are we supposed to think? The President is so traumatized and stressed out, he can't stop laughing? We're so fucked, as a nation, he can't stop giggling? What...is he laughing all the way to the bank?!

Laughing on Jay Leno? Ok. 60 Minutes? Not so much.

Can you imagine if Kroft said, "I understand you want to make finance entertaining, but it's not a fucking game". (Do you think Stewart would have said that to Obama?)

(Maybe Obama should have gone to the Gridiron Dinner...there were chuckles galore, there.)

i'd like to teach the world to sing~

President Obama released a special video message for all those celebrating Nowruz. Translated "New Day," Nowruz marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the New Year for millions in Iran and other communities around the world.

This year, the President wanted to send a special message to the people and government of Iran on Nowruz, acknowledging the strain in our relations over the last few decades. "But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together," he says.



Partial transcript:

"I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nowruz is just one part of your great and celebrated culture. Over many centuries your art, your music, literature and innovation have made the world a better and more beautiful place.

Here in the United States our own communities have been enhanced by the contributions of Iranian Americans. We know that you are a great civilization, and your accomplishments have earned the respect of the United States and the world.

For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together. Indeed, you will be celebrating your New Year in much the same way that we Americans mark our holidays -- by gathering with friends and family, exchanging gifts and stories, and looking to the future with a renewed sense of hope.

Within these celebrations lies the promise of a new day, the promise of opportunity for our children, security for our families, progress for our communities, and peace between nations. Those are shared hopes, those are common dreams.

So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's leaders....

With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise of a new beginning."

How did Iran respond?

"We welcome the wish of the president of the United States to put away past differences," Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Mr Ahmadinejad's press advisor was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

"But the way to do that is not by Iran forgetting the previous hostile and aggressive attitude of the United States. The American administration has to recognise its past mistakes and repair them as a way to put away the differences."

He said Iran would not forget the role the US played when Mohammad Mossadeq, the former prime minister, was overthrown in a coup in 1953. Nor would it forget the 1988 shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane by a US warship in which all 290 people aboard were killed.

He added that Tehran would also remember America’s support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the sanctions it levied against Iran and its support for Iran’s main militant opposition group, the People’s Mujahideen of Iran.

"But this attitude of the United States did not weaken us and now the Islamic Republic of Iran is very strong in the world," he said. "The only source of instability in the region is the American military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan."

And:

In an almost simultaneous announcement, from Iran's energy minister, Parviz Fattah, said that the country would "finish and operate" its controversial Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant by the end of the year.

"Iran has chosen a direction for achieving peaceful nuclear energy. We have mainly reached this aim," he said at the World Water Forum in Istanbul.

"Exactly 20 days from now we will have another celebration for celebrating the achievements we have gained for peaceful nuclear energy. You will hear about the news," he said.

"Iran will finish and operate the Bushehr nuclear plant by the end of this year."

Iran's supreme leader rebuffed President Barack Obama's latest outreach on Saturday, saying Tehran was still waiting to see concrete changes in U.S. policy.

In his most direct assessment of Obama and prospects for better ties, Khamenei said there will be no change between the two countries unless the American president puts an end to U.S. hostility toward Iran and brings ''real changes'' in foreign policy.

''They chant the slogan of change but no change is seen in practice. We haven't seen any change,'' Khamenei said in a speech before a crowd of tens of thousands in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad.

Khamenei asked how Obama could congratulate Iranians on the new year and accuse the country of supporting terrorism and seeking nuclear weapons in the same message.

Khamenei said there has been no change even in Obama's language compared to that of his predecessor.

''He (Obama) insulted the Islamic Republic of Iran from the first day. If you are right that change has come, where is that change? What is the sign of that change? Make it clear for us what has changed.''

Maybe they're Pepsi drinkers?

You can view the real video message here. I was just having a little fun.

obama hypocrisy watch

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

March 16, Tapper went after Gibbs on what the Obama admin knew, and when they knew it.

“TAPPER: You guys first found about these bonuses last week?

GIBBS: I think that’s true, based on what I read in the newspaper.”

March 17, Tapper reported that WH officials knew about the bonuses two weeks ago.

“It wasn’t until Thursday, March 5, 2009, administration sources told ABC News, that officials of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York informed officials of the Treasury Department of the full extent of the $165 million in bonuses pending for the controversial Financial Products Subsidiary.

This was three days after the Obama administration had already announced a new commitment of an additional $30 billion for AIG.”

And March 16, Tapper reported: White House Says It's Confident It Knows What Happened to Previous AIG Billions

“From White House press secretary Robert Gibbs’ briefing two weeks ago, when $30 billion in additional funds were announced for AIG. AIG had at this point designated $165 million in retention bonuses for officers of the Financial Products subsidiary, as well as an additional $121.5 million in executive bonuses.”

Salon.com reports that the WH is trying to make Dodd the fall guy. FOX just reported, "Dodd’s original amendment did not include that exemption, and the Connecticut Senator denied inserting the provision.

“I can't point a finger at someone who was responsible for putting those dates in,” Dodd told FOX. “I can tell you this much, when my language left the senate, it did not include it. When it came back, it did.”

“Because of negotiations with the Treasury Department and the bill Conferees, several modifications were made,” Dodd Spokesperson Kate Szostak in a response to FOX Business.

There is a lot of finger pointing, covering up, and faux outrage being thrown around. But one thing seems obvious. This is yet another instance, where Dodd and Obama were top recipients of donations from companies that caused major financial problems for America. Coincidence?



So, what's a new President to do, when he finds himself in hot water, and completely in over his head, facing dropping poll numbers, and a growing number of outraged Americans?

Appear on Jay Leno, of course.

Don't miss these NQ stories that cover the AIG mess:
AIG Contracts a Brain Freeze
White House Panics at the Mob Marching on AIG
Just The Facts, Barack
Top Ten Reasons Obama is Appearing on Jay Leno

obama: the fundamentals of the economy are sound...

At the end of last summer, John McCain stated, "The fundamentals of the economy are strong."



"You know," said McCain, "there's been tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall Street and it is -- people are frightened by these events. Our economy, I think, still the fundamentals of our economy are strong. But these are very, very difficult time. And I promise you, we will never put America in this position again. We will clean up Wall Street. We will reform government."

Obama jumped al over these comments, and mocked him repeatedly. And was assisted by his little liberal media girlfriends, like here, here and here.

Sen. Barack Obama seized on McCain's assessment of the health of the economy, blasting the Republican for being "disturbingly out of touch" with the reality that everyday Americans face.

"I just think he doesn't know," Obama said in Grand Junction, Colo. "He doesn't get what's happening between the mountain in Sedona where he lives and the corridors of Washington where he works.... Why else would he say, today, of all days -- just a few hours ago -- that the fundamentals of the economy are still strong? Senator -- what economy are you talking about?"



Those comments pretty much lost the election for McCain. Obama and his cheering squad turned McCain and Palin into a joke, making McCain appear too out of touch, and senile to grasp the realities facing every day Americans.

So, what did Obama do once he won the election? He scared the bejeezus out of Americans, and robbed them blind. List compliled from Flopping Aces:

“Americans know that our economic recovery will take years — not months.”
- Jan 31.

“I will tell you in terms of what is alarming right now is how fast the economy has been deteriorating…It keeps me up at night and it gets me up.”
- Feb 3.

“If we do not move swiftly to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, an economy that is already in crisis will be faced with catastrophe.” -
Feb 5.

“If we drag our feet and fail to act, this crisis will turn into a catastrophe. We’ll continue to get devastating job reports like today’s month after month, year after year.”
- Feb 6.

“And our nation will sink into a crisis that at some point we may be unable to reverse.”
- Feb 9.

“…this is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill recession. We are going through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.”
- Feb 9.

“My administration inherited a deficit of over $1 trillion, but because we also inherited the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression…Those are deficits that could turn a crisis into a catastrophe.”
- Feb 9.

“And the fact of the matter is, is that we are in not just an ordinary recession.”
- Feb 10

“…the greatest economic crisis we’ve seen in decades.”
- Feb 20.

“We are in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression…”
- Oct 7.

Obama used fear to pass the biggest Generational Theft Act in history.

Obama then came out and said, the national crisis is "not as bad as we think it is". The checks haven't even be cashed, hell, written yet, and the economy is not so bad? Why the hell are we spending trillions of dollars, then?

So once the *stimulus package* is passed, and Obama and Pelosi got all the earmarks, and tasty pork they wanted, what does Obama's top economic advisor say this week?

The fundamentals of the economy are sound.

"But on Sunday, that optimistic message came from economic adviser Christina Romer. When asked during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" if the fundamentals of the economy were sound, she replied: "Of course they are sound."

"The fundamentals are sound in the sense that the American workers are sound, we have a good capital stock, we have good technology," she said. "We know that - that temporarily we're in a mess, right? We've seen huge job loss, we've seen very large falls in GDP. So certainly in the short run we're in a - in a bad situation."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And President Obama speaking yesterday:

After meeting with Paul A. Volcker, one of his top economic advisers, Mr. Obama said, “There are a lot of individual families who are experiencing incredible pain and hardship right now.”

“But if we are keeping focused on all the fundamentally sound aspects of our economy,” he added, “all the outstanding companies, workers, all the innovation and dynamism in this economy, then we’re going to get through this. And I’m very confident about that.”

The Times wrote:

Mr. Obama actually came close to using the same language that helped doom the campaign of his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, who was hammered by Democrats last year for declaring that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” Recognizing the danger in appearing too upbeat, however, the president and his advisers were careful to warn that recovery could take a long time.

Yes, they don't want to appear too upbeat, they do have their sights on yet another Porkulus Spending Bill.

So, when McCain called the fundamentals strong, he was a senile old idiot, who didn't know how many houses he owned, he was completely out of touch. But, after Obama scares the crap out of everyone, and gets away with a two trillion dollar multi-generational theft act, the economy is fundamentally sound?

Remember during the debates, when Obama was asked what he would have to give up, in order to save the economy? He didn't say he would give up anything. And, he hasn't, has he? He just keeps borrowing, and printing, more money.

Obama really needs to stop complaining that he *inherited* this mess. First of all, he bought this mess. He paid close to a billion dollars for this mess. Secondly, he helped create this mess. He voted, or didn't bother to show up, for every vote in the Senate, that involved money, including funding the Iraq War, and stimulus packages, that I could find. He helped to create the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mess, and was one of their biggest recipients of cash. Remember when Barney Frank called the fundamentals of FM/FM fundamentally sound? That should have been mocked! Where was the media on that one? And Obama was closely involved with ACORN, even representing them in a lawsuit.

Obama did NOT inherit this mess. He helped create it. And what he didn't create, he manipulated to further his agenda, to the tune of almost two trillion dollars.

Rahm Emanuele wasn't kidding when they said, "never let a serious crisis go to waste."

(If you haven't read this article yet, The Sky is Falling, please do so: "Imagine a child falls down a well. Now imagine I offer to lend the parents my ladder to save her, but only if they promise to paint my house. Would you applaud me for not letting a crisis go to waste? Or would you think I'm a jerk, for want of a harsher word not printable in this space?")

Obama managed to convince people he didn't vote for the Iraq Resolution, and then convinced everyone we were in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Now he is trying to convince everyone he *inherited* this mess.

He is the biggest Bernie Madoff bamboozler, ever.

can he walk and chew gum?

"It was September 2008 when then-Sen. Barack Obama, making light of Sen. John McCain's suspension of his campaign to deal with the economic crisis, said that, as his campaign put it, a president should be able to "walk and chew gum at the same time" But with the now-president taking on issue after issue after issue, some critics and members of the media are wondering if this president thinks he can walk and chew gum and ride a bike and juggle and read a magazine and play with his daughters and take a nap at the same time." ~Tapper


Click for video.

Obama does indeed have a lot on his plate. According to the White House, Mr Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest. Obama is so concerned with domestic issues, that he had little time for foreign matters. (so, does that mean he can't walk, and chew gum at the same time?)

"Sources close to the White House say Mr Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest."

"Allies of Mr Obama say his weary appearance in the Oval Office with Mr Brown illustrates the strain he is now under, and the president's surprise at the sheer volume of business that crosses his desk."

"The one real serious flaw I see in Barack Obama is that he thinks he can manage all this," the well-known figure told a Washington official, who spoke to this newspaper. "He's underestimating the flood of things that will hit his desk." A Democratic strategist, who is friends with several senior White House aides, revealed that the president has regularly appeared worn out and drawn during evening work sessions with senior staff in the West Wing and has been forced to make decisions more quickly than he is comfortable."

"People say he looks tired more often than they're used to," the strategist said. "He's still calm, but there have been flashes of irritation when he thinks he's being pushed to make a decision sooner than he wants to make it. He looks like he needs a cigarette."

Hillary, after Obama complained how tough their abc news debate had been, tried to warn him (and the voters) about the pressures of the job.

"Having been inside the White House, I know the pressures inside the White House, I know how hard it is every single day," Clinton said. "When the going gets tough you can't run away. Being asked tough questions in a debate is nothing like the pressures you face inside the White House."

Heck, even George Bush said, "...that Sen. Hillary Clinton's experience as first lady has prepared her to handle the "pressure" of a presidential race and the White House." "No question, there is no question that Sen. Clinton understands pressure better than any of the candidates, you know, in the race," the president said at an interview with ABC News

"When the going gets tough you can't run away. And it's going to be tough going to deal with these hard problems; getting out of Iraq in the right way, turning the economy around, getting universal health care, ending our dependence on foreign oil. The special interests are going to be a lot tougher than 90 minutes of questions from two journalists and we need a president who is going to be up there fighting everyday for the American people and not complain about how much pressure there is, and how hard the questions are."

I think we all remember how Obama responded to Hillary.



Perhaps he should have spent a little more time thinking about what she said, and about all the pressures of the White House, instead of acting so flippant and juvenile?

This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone though. Obama was already showing his fatigue back in May 2007. It wasn't much later that reports were surfacing that Obama was bored.

"There are going to be times when I get tired," he told the crowd. "There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes." The admission on Tuesday night was refreshingly honest. But it has fuelled fears among Obama supporters that the man hailed as a new John F Kennedy might not have the stamina needed to survive a campaign of unprecedented intensity.

Aides to Mrs Clinton believe that they might have identified Mr Obama's Achilles heel and that he will make more serious mistakes as the pressure builds. "Hillary has enormous self-discipline," said a Democratic official who supports the New York senator.

"She has been through nasty, gruelling national campaigns with Bill and she has a laser-like focus. It's all very well being the candidate of hope and a fresh face but you have to be able to perform day in, day out and deliver - not just during the campaign but in the White House. Obama has never had a really tough election race in his life. He's cruised into the Senate and it's becoming apparent he might not have what it takes for the big time. Let's face it, running at age 45 was always going to be a risk."

Perhaps Obama can get some suggestions from McCain, about how to maintain a grueling schedule, and not be over come by exhaustion?

One suggestion might be to cut out all the late night (taxpayer funded) partying.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Obama's First 100 Days - Privileged Executive

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