Schieffer: McChrystal Insulted the Office of the Presidency

There's been a lot of disrespect of the office of the president lately. The right wing of the republican party and the tea party have been trying to undermine the office of the presidency since Obama took office.

Independents Want Brown to Work With Democrats

Bob Schieffer has a good commentary this week. People are tired of the partisanship. It's a means to nowhere, nothing, status quo. Why can't our leaders act like adults?

John McCain wants to start over on healthcare. Dick Durbin says that's already been tried:

Republicans Playing More Stalling Games

What a bunch of self-serving twits--the whole lot of them, the democrats and the republicans:

Bob Schieffer Calls Palin an Amusement

Yesterday David Brooks called Sarah Palin a joke. Bob Schieffer says she's an attraction, a celebrity, but has no future in politics. Thank you. Be sure to tivo Oprah today to catch Palin on her book tour.

Congress Wants Obama Out on the Limb

Obama has made 27 speeches on health care and there's even a website dedicated to health reform, yet 67% of Americans have no clue about what's in the health reform bills. No comment. Bob Schieffer says Congress wants to know Obama is out on the limb with them.

Will the speech work?

On Conan O'Brien, John McCain seemed to suggest that he was at least interested in what Obama has to say. But then again, he said that on a late night talk show. John Boehner has already poo poohed the speech. Health reform is effectively in the hands of the democrats. Obama has to say whether he's in or out on a public option. David Axelrod isn't saying. But right now, there isn't enough support among democrats for a government insurance option.

It's Beer Day

I wish Obama had added Lucia Whalen to the guest list for the beer summit at the White House tonight at 6 pm. Whalen, the caller, was hurt, perhaps the most. She was trying to do the right thing but her words were distorted. Bob Schieffer points out the biggest lesson is that in prickly situations, people should bite their tongue. I don't know if anyone's ready to learn anything about improving relations among the races, or stopping racial profiling. I think what we've learned is that there is a lot of racism out there and it's perpetuated in our media:

No apologies are expected to be made. Isn't that nice. Working class whites now dislike Obama even more.

Police officer Justin Barrett inserted himself into the debate by making a fool of himself and proving that SOME cops aren't worthy of a badge:

Forget About Republicans Time to Mock Democrats

Just a few thoughts on the democrats. Spineless. Inefficient, despite having all the power. Disgusting. Complaining instead of working. Whining about deadlines. Relying on Obama to be a one-man show. Minding their political futures. Pathetic. Ick.

Schieffer: Obama's Done So Much

Bob Schieffer's got it right. Obama's done a lot in his first 100 days. Just read this blog backward.

Schieffer: Obama Really Loves Bo

Upside to Down Economy: Trash is Down

My hope is that as the result of this downturn, we become an economy that depends less on buying things and more on creating and inventing products, technologies and services that other countries want. We buy way more from other countries than they buy from us.

My hope is we learn to live better with fewer possessions.

An economy that depends on people buying things--often with money that we don't even have--is not sustainable and it's vapid in the moral or spiritual sense. We've also spent too much time worshipping money makers as if they were gods. That's where Jon Stewart struck a nerve.

It's good to hear the story about a person who starts with nothing and ends up a billionaire but there are other stories out there that are as worthy but don't get as much press coverage because it's not tied to the dollar bill.

Without a doubt, Obama's team is on the right track in wanting to create a sustainable economy for the long haul, not just the short term, which is what the impatients can't stand and the republicans are exploiting. People want their fix now.

But, hey, Bob Schieffer has some good news-- people are buying less so trash at the landfills is down.

Washington Unplugged March 13

Obama's Gives 52 Speeches In First 50 Days

Politico: Mark Knoller of CBS News, the most trusted name in White House stats, generously shares with Playbook readers his remarkable tale of the tape for President Obama's first 50 days:

--Speeches: 52
--Visits to Camp David - 2 (all or part of 4 days)
--Visits Home to Chicago -1 (all or part of 4 days)
--Nights Away from the White House – 7
--Meetings with Foreign Leaders – 4
--Foreign Trips - 1 (Canada day trip)
--States Visited – 9
--News Conferences – 3
--Flights on Marine One – 24
--Flights on Air Force One – 20
--Nights out (dinner, theater, etc): 9

See a timeline of Obama's first 50 days, day by day. 

Bob Schieffer gives a realistic first 50 account:

Michelle Obama's first 50

Shaun Donovan on Face the Nation

Governors State Woes on Face the Nation

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels boasts that he doesn't need to use the stimulus money to fill the holes. He's going to save it for rainier days. I'd bet the people of Indiana would beg to differ with him.
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland says Honda has asked him to help save the auto industry for the sake of all the industry support jobs.

Democratic governors support stimulus. Republican governors are split:

Washington Unplugged Feb. 20

On Bob Schieffer's weekly web show, Michelle Muccio, "rebel economist," (what's up with that?) offers her alternative stimulus - let everyone keep their payroll taxes. But as Schieffer points out, those taxes go to social security and Medicare. 

Muccio, a libertarian, responds that there is plenty of waste to be found in the government to offset the taxes. That's likely true and I think Obama intends to find some, but cleaning up the waste in various governmental programs isn't going to happen over night. 

What's weird to me is that people are still chattering about the stimulus when it's a done deal. 

Schieffer's Washington Unplugged With Olympia Snow Feb. 6

This is Bob Schieffer's new web program. His guest is Olympia Snowe, one of the moderate republicans working hard on the stimulus.

AP's New Week in Pictures Video

Two new web programs popped up this week, Bob Schieffer's Washington Unplugged and Week in Pictures, where AP's David Ake gives behind the photos details.

Schieffer: Daschle's On the Rocks

I get the idea that Tom Daschle isn't just about unpaid taxes, that he has an entire career behind and ahead of him, but why, when the light is shone, do these politicians have problems paying their taxes? Here's an update. NYT reports that Daschle knew about his tax problem but didn't report it to Obama's transition team until after his appointment. That alone --a lack of transparency -- disqualifies him. Bye Bye Daschle.

President Obama’s choice for health secretary, Tom Daschle, was aware as early as last June that he might have to pay back taxes for the use of a car and driver provided by a private equity firm, but did not inform the Obama transition team until weeks after Mr. Obama named him to the health secretary’s post, senior administration officials said Saturday.

Bob Schieffer's New Washington Unplugged Web Show

In this episode, Sen. Richard Shelby says some republicans will "jump ship" and vote on the stimulus. He won't vote for it unless it's completely revised and that's what he told Obama. Do republicans even realize their stale same old policies are irrelevant, over?
Schieffer also talks to Bill Burton, deputy press secretary, about the Super Bowl at the White House. Members of congress and their families are invited.

Bob Schieffer's Words of Wisdom Video

Respect not weapons.