Hypnotized

Apology Accepted
During the last election cycle, Mr. Obama and Democratic leaders condemned the conservative groups for their refusal, in some cases, to disclose their donors. Now, some of the Democratic-leaning groups will accept the charge of hypocrisy and go after that kind of money themselves. (NYT, 4/15/11)

POV
It should have been a moment of victory for Speaker John A. Boehner and fellow members of a House Republican leadership team still learning on the job as they forced through a record level of spending cuts. Instead, it felt a little like defeat. Though the House voted convincingly to end the spending fight that had brought the government to the brink of a shutdown, Democrats had to ride to the rescue to provide the winning margin as dozens of Republicans turned thumbs down. (NYT, 4/15/11)

What is more significant – as some have pointed out – is how completely the debate has changed. Thanks to the Tea party, it is now all about spending cuts instead of spending more.

The Important Stuff
"The Oval Office, I always thought I was going to have really cool phones and stuff," he said during a small fundraising event at a Chicago restaurant. "I'm like, c'mon guys, I'm the president of the United States. Where's the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn't happen." (Foxnews.com, 4/15/11)

For God’s sake, get the guy a cool phone so we don’t have to listen to him complain. And maybe he can focus instead on trying to figure out the mess that his policies have made in this country.

Apology Also Accepted
Obama is also looking to marginalize any opposition to debt ceiling votes. Both he and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have now expressed their regret for having heaped scorn on George W. Bush for small requests in the past. In an interview with ABC’s morning show, Obama called his vote against Bush in 2006 “political” and the act of a “new senator” who didn’t understand the ways of the world. (Foxnews.com, 4/15/11)

Did anyone else note this stunning admission? What gives us confidence now that Obama is not – in fact – a “new president” who doesn’t understand the ways of the world?