Two weeks ago the head of the "most transparent administration ever" (perhaps to the NSA?), president Obama, told the common American [5]to "not be cynical" and have hope. Today, speaking appropriately in an ornate theater in Kansas City, he had a message for republicans: "Stop being mad all the time. Stop. Stop. Stop just hatin’ all the time."
Reuters has more [6]:
"They're not happy that I'm president, but that's OK. Come on!" he said, gesturing as if to welcome lawmakers to a table.
"I've only got a couple of years left, come on, let's get some work done. Then you can be mad at the next president," he said, chuckling.
This is taking place hours after it was reported [7]that Obama, in a clear challenge to republicans, was preparing to announce a plan to deport fewer illegal immigrants, even as one of the biggest immigration scandals in recent years has emerged as the relentless influx of illegal immigrant of Central American children into southern states, something even Obama has acknowledged is becoming a problem [8].
So why the attempt to fire up a confrontation with the GOP?
Obama has been delivering variations of the fiery stump speech all summer as he tours the country trying to motivate Democrats - and wealthy donors - to get involved in November's congressional elections.
His aim is to energize Democratic voters ahead of the elections in hopes of stopping Republicans from gaining control of the Senate, which would, when joined with a Republican hold on the House, could make it extremely difficult for him to pursue his agenda in his last two years in office.
One could almost accuse Obama - the most unpopular president since World War II [9]- of taunting republicans to commence the impeachment proceedings that some of his adversaries have floated in recent weeks, in order to get democrats to "rally around the flag" ahead of the crucial mid-term elections.
What one certainly can't accuse the president of, is taking responsibility. As AP reported earlier, in the endless feud over Obamacare, the latest scapegoat for the disastrous rollout of the website has been found.
BREAKING: AP Sources: Nonpartisan investigation finds management failure led to http://t.co/36AvJ2kcCB [10] problems.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 30, 2014 [11]
And speaking of government, and thus capital misallocation and inefficiency, the GAO also reported that the administration has spent roughly $840 million on HealthCare.gov, including more than $150 million just in cost overruns for the version that failed so badly when it launched last year.
But as noted above, blame managers, not the president. From National Journal [12]: "The Government Accountability Office says cost overruns went hand-in-hand with the management failures that led to the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov and the 36 state insurance exchanges it serves.
GAO's report, prepared for a Thursday Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, details a long series of management, oversight and contracting problems that plagued the entire process, from risky contracting practices in 2011 through the botched launch last October.... the GAO says similar problems could arise again without structural changes in the way the government manages its contracts and spending.
Remember: whatever you do, don't be cynical.
