The NBC News team of Brian Williams, Chuck Todd and Keith Olbermann were all enamored with President Barack Obama's explanation that “it took us a couple of days” to express outrage over the AIG bonuses “because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.” But on CNN, Bill Bennett undermined Obama's spin. Just after Obama's news conference ended at 8:57 PM EDT on Tuesday night, MSNBC anchor Olbermann quoted Obama's “I like to know what I talk about before I speak” line and then exclaimed it reflected “a new policy among politicians of every party and throughout American history!”
On the broadcast NBC network, Brian Williams proposed to Chuck Todd at the White House: “Chuck you'll agree the sharpest moment was when asked more than once why did it take you a while to come out and reveal these AIG bonuses? The President said it took a couple of days 'because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.'” Todd agreed: “I'd actually say that was a theme throughout this entire press conference” as Obama wanted to show “that he is making incremental progress. He even said it at the end: Persistence.”
A few minutes later on CNN, however, analyst Bill Bennett, the MRC's Rich Noyes noticed, was less enthralled with Obama's explanation in response to the follow-up from CNN's Ed Henry:
The President said something that wasn't true in response. He said, well, I wanted, I wanted to wait a couple days until I knew what I was talking about. When he responded on that he didn't know what he was talking about. He said we've got to find some way to stop these bonuses. He and Geithner -- this administration -- had set up those bonuses.
The Williams-Todd exchange on NBC just before 9 PM EDT:
WILLIAMS: Chuck, one of the questioners of the President, Chuck you'll agree the sharpest moment was when asked more than once why did it take you a while to come out and reveal these AIG bonuses? The President said it took a couple of days "because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak."TODD: I'd actually say that was a theme throughout this entire press conference, which was he wanted to show a couple of things thematically. Number one is that he is making incremental progress. He even said it at the end: Persistence. And he started, like you noted Brian, that he had somewhat of a closing statement but he wanted to say, you know, look, it is steady progress that we're making doing persistent things. So thematically that was it. Another big one is that the budget is part of the economic crisis. Very interesting choice of words.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center




















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AIG is just filibuster, noise to drown out the TEA PARTIES
March 24, 2009 - 22:07 ET by upcountrywaterAIG...those EVIL bonusussuss = 0.1% of the $190 billion, spewed into a black hole.
President Barack Obama's explanation that “it took us a couple of days”
to express outrage over the AIG bonuses “because I like to know what
I'm talking about before I speak.”
Well hell OAF a lie lasts FOREVER.
P.R.I.N.T. Money 30 sec YT
ucw... Hang tight for
March 24, 2009 - 22:17 ET by Clear thinkerucw...
Hang tight for just a minute.
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
Sorry about that. I wanted
March 24, 2009 - 22:24 ET by Clear thinkerSorry about that. I wanted to respond to you, but I did not want you to leave before I got a chance to write out my response.
AIG is absolutley, 100% a distraction. Only a liberal would think otherwise. What got my blood boiling today was when Bernanke made a comment (I will do the best that I can from memory)... We (the Government via AIG) sent Billions of dollars to banks in France, Germany, Great Britain, etc, because we felt obligated. Unfortunately, there are many foriegn banks from some of those very same countries, that owe us Billions of dollars. We were told last week that we (the USA)will never see that money.
My head exploded when I heard that. It took almost 2 hours to clean brain matter from my keyboard!
Teleprompters Unite!
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
Ct,The Chinese have a saying, "may you live in interesting times
March 24, 2009 - 22:56 ET by upcountrywaterIt's not a blessing it's a curse. Oh wait we now owe them $ 2 TRILLION BUCKS..
HURRY ,HURRY What's the conversion rate to the Chinese Yuan's?
The world wanted $$$ now it's YYY's
Feels like I'm in a new LOST tv show...
P.R.I.N.T. Money 30 sec YT
The President said
March 24, 2009 - 22:10 ET by MidAmericaThe President said something that wasn't true in response. He said, well, I wanted, I wanted to wait a couple days until I knew what I was talking about.
Translation: He wanted to see which way the political winds were blowing. In other words, a follower not a leader.
Plus he needed time for backroom investigations to see who among the democrats had dirty hands in the bonus fiasco so that a strategy could be formulated. So to distract the country from seeing the obvious connection to the democrats the plan was decided that congressional democrats would mount their soap boxes and bray their righteous indignation and haul the CEO of AIG and submit him to a public humiliation and then send busloads of community orginizer thugs to the homes of private citizens who had committed no crime.
Two days?
March 24, 2009 - 23:37 ET by KC MulvilleIt took him two days?
What was the holdup? Was the teleprompter that hard to load?
The King of no content
March 24, 2009 - 22:21 ET by just passing byI still want to know what he is talking about.
"Lead, follow or get out of the way!"
LOL
March 25, 2009 - 03:31 ET by Anniee451LOL
"...But on CNN, Bill Bennett undermined Obama's spin..."
March 24, 2009 - 22:22 ET by CTThat's nice, but what did he say? You left us hanging without a quote.
Hrrmm
March 24, 2009 - 22:28 ET by sithkhanDoes he like to read the legislation before he proposes it or signs it?
ZING that was perfect!
March 24, 2009 - 22:36 ET by dark_dsZING that was perfect!
"America is on the Short Bus to Socialism"
“I like to know what I
March 24, 2009 - 22:29 ET by Clear thinker“I like to know what I talk about before I speak”
Obama changed policy tonight when he said that. Or maybe he's just lying?!
Teleprompters Unite!
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
I noticed O-B ask if a
March 24, 2009 - 22:34 ET by mattmI noticed O-B ask if a specific reporter was present at the news conference... Why would he do that unless he knew what she was going to ask? I wonder if his handlers pre-approved every question.
i.e. see any interview in
March 24, 2009 - 23:02 ET by MANstreammediai.e. see any interview in which he has no teleprompter (we should never let this evidence of dear leaders humanity rest). Maybe someday US papers will report (as is done of Kim Il Jong in North Korean papers) that Obama gets 5 hole in ones everytime he golfs.
Holes in one...
March 25, 2009 - 09:05 ET by Pilgrim1949....yeah, on the same hole, no less, with the same ball and the same single swing of the club! Will Barakacles never cease!?
I wonder if The Obamessiah's teleprompter has been given the requisite lythe, frisky little I-macs (see Youtube) so that it is now behaving itself and allowing our Kubuki-master-in-chief to stay on script.
Justs goes to prove an old insult, about a certain person being of small caliber but immense bore!
So Obama is saying he actually put thought into
March 24, 2009 - 22:34 ET by dark_dsSo Obama is saying he actually put thought into sending that dumb video to Iran. He is deluded if he thinks that people who want to usher in the coming of the the Islamic Messiah actually will take his effort as anything but a sign of weakness ....laughable and scary
"America is on the Short Bus to Socialism"
What Obama is really saying
March 24, 2009 - 22:38 ET by celatorWhat Obama is really saying is that he has to ask his masters how he should respond to events. That takes a little time. So there.
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded
Celator--great points!
March 25, 2009 - 09:00 ET by ThalpyCelator--great points! The President's performances vary in quality depending on the input he gets from his band of handlers.
On his Youth Corps-- Zeal and testosterone mixed with blind allegiance sounds like "disaffected youths" and burning cars coming soon to a city near you. The only difference might be demographic; we don't have the youth bulges present in France and most of Europe.
Thalpy...exactly! We just
March 25, 2009 - 15:34 ET by celatorThalpy...exactly! We just have to look around the world and see what is happening when political interests agitate the unaffected youth.
That even happened in ancient Rome 20-100 AD. It's an old technique used by those who want to bring down a government. Get the young guys worked up, get them drunk and give them a target.
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded
Sometimes
March 24, 2009 - 22:41 ET by Joe CamelSometimes it takes a day or two for your head to clear after a long evening or weekend of "sniffing" powder. Not that his head is ever clear, but..look at this man's eyes..his eyes give him away..always read the eyes of an individual.
Re clearing your head
March 25, 2009 - 00:05 ET by slickwillie2001I noticed also that he seemed clear-headed tonight, no more giggles. It makes me even more curious as to what he was on for the Sixty Minutes interview.
Cool Barry.
March 25, 2009 - 00:12 ET by mizflame98Well, a shot of Haldol would usually cure the giggles.
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
I could have sworn I saw
March 24, 2009 - 22:42 ET by d1carterI could have sworn I saw cartoon hearts bubbling up out of Brian Williams and Chuck Todd's heads...
TOTUS
March 24, 2009 - 22:47 ET by easygoerThe glass panels that normally would be on either side of Teleprompter Obama are now being hidden as he reads from a large screen
conveniently hidden from the TV viewers. Looks like that criticism
about his reliance on the teleprompter has hit home.
When I watched the press
March 25, 2009 - 05:58 ET by winston smithWhen I watched the press "conference" on FOX News, the teleprompter...er....ah.....excuse me, the 60 in. high-def, flat screen tv prompeter which was sitting beside the reporters there in the press pool -- was shown during his speech. Don't know if the other news outlets allowed their audiences to see such a thing. Don't know how many reporters were excluded from the press conference to make room for this "teleprompter"
Obama may like to know what
March 24, 2009 - 22:50 ET by ckc1227Obama may like to know what he's talking about before opening his mouth, but it's obviously not a requirement.
Busted!
March 24, 2009 - 23:14 ET by mizflame98Obama was caught cheating on HAL 9000 with SAL_9000
"Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head." - Francois Guisot
“because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak.”
March 24, 2009 - 23:15 ET by PrairieSkyYeah...That would be a refreshing change, wouldn't it?? He should try it sometime.
Obama's GOT to be kidding...
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
Uhbama said...
March 24, 2009 - 23:16 ET by Andante"...“I like to know what I talk about before I speak”
oook, we're still waiting and oh, btw, regarding what you said tonight...zzzzzzzzz
-------------------------------------
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson
Know what he's talking about
March 25, 2009 - 03:12 ET by bknownstToo bad he didn't know what he was talking about when he said,
"I've been to 57 states so far"
"thousands of people died during hurricane Katrina"
"the country that invented the automobile can't stop making them"
"Geitner didn't write the AIG bailout"
"there will be no lobbyists in my administration"
"I will eliminate all earmarks"
etc.
Sometimes it is difficult
March 25, 2009 - 06:46 ET by snaggletoothieSometimes it is difficult to be here among people who don't understand the truly astonishing thing that is happening among us. Since matter first existed nothing as magnificent as Barack Obama has existed. Never in all of those eons. Never! We are blessed to live in such wondrous times. Since the stupid little founding of America nothing of note ever happened in the Western hemisphere until a few years ago some masters of thought and communication conceived and created MSNBC. The caring and unselfish opinionators of MSNBC taught us how to truly hate the Bushhitler. They began to free America from its Republican slavemasters. After this miracle any one could have died happy knowing that something of value was finally operating in America. But, marvel of marvels and wonder of wonders this was just a beginning. For it has been revealed that MSNBC came only to prepare the way and make us ready for the great Barack. MSNBC had to come and make us worthy. Only they could teach us how to truly and perfectly hate Republicans. The slow. smirking, seemingly fallacious and often petty burn of this hate was necessary to prepare us inwardly for Obama. To the low and unworthy what Chris and Keith did often seemed frivolous, shabby and envious. But what can decent people say to fools who think honesty and truth are still possible, And, truly, some people will never be able to appreciate the importance of well developed pectoral muscles and endlessly cunning and devious BS. We are living in the golden age of America, yet some want to focus on little things like ethics, clean elections and the free enterprise system. Barack lives among us and some big babies want to also be free. We have the Light of Chicago to lead us but there are some swollen egos who presume to tell him where to take us. His prophets Keith, Chris, Chuck, George, Harry, Matt and Katie will tell you all you need to know. So shut up already.
Great post Snag.. feeling
March 25, 2009 - 07:28 ET by rimskyGreat post Snag.. feeling a little better now?
So, it took two full days for Obama to track down George Soros?
March 25, 2009 - 11:08 ET by R D HelmMaybe his blackberry malfunctioned or something.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
What's next?
March 25, 2009 - 11:39 ET by dugbyYes, it's about time we have fine upstanding national domestic security forces like the Hitl . . . Obama Youth or the Brown Shirts to keep the rabble in line
boy howdy over and outy
Persistence
March 25, 2009 - 12:09 ET by misterbee241Well, that's what got him into the White House. It certainly wasnt any qualifications on his part. That and the persistence of the lap dog media.
"I dont need to read a newspaper to know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber."
Walter Brennan, The Colonel, Meet John Doe, 1941