Call this a lowering of expectations by a figurehead of the mainstream media.
Newsweek editor Jon Meacham spoke candidly about his expectations for President-elect Barack Obama at an appearance promoting his latest book about former President Andrew Jackson, "American Lion," at the Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 7.
Meacham was asked to draw a comparison between Jackson and Obama on foreign policy, but told the audience he had doubts has to whether or not Obama was going to live up to the expectations many on the left had, especially when it came to the so-called past misdeeds of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
"I'm serious - I'm not sure how much of all this awful, terrible stuff that Bush and Cheney did he's [Obama] really going to undo," Meacham said. "I don't mean in policy terms, but in terms of the means of power. History tells us that things look a lot differently when you're on that side of the desk."
However, he did suggest that these "terrible abuses" could give Obama and future presidents the opportunity to "strike a blow for liberty."
"You know, suddenly - what was a terrible abuse in one era is a weapon by which a noble president shall strike a blow for liberty and the next," Meacham added.
Meacham once said the media weren't biased ideologically, but biased toward conflict. The difference between the two in this case must be in the eye of the beholder based on his assessment of the Bush/Cheney era compared to his expectations for Obama.
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He's right
January 8, 2009 - 13:28 ET by Smoking HotThe time to get something undone was while Bush/Cheney were still in control. For a varietly of reasons, mostly falling under the CYA banner, the 110th Congress did essentially nothing. Now the abdication of power ceded by Congress to the executive branch will carry over into this new administration. We're not the better for it.
Now the abdication of power
January 8, 2009 - 13:58 ET by Dan The Man 2Now the abdication of power ceded by Congress to the executive branch will carry over into this new administration. We're not the better for it.
Are you even familiar with the Constitution and the powers granted to the different branches? What powers have been ceeded to the excutive branch from the Legislative? How does this match up with any historical data? There is and always be a push and pull between the 3 branches of government. Personally I believe the judical branch needs to be trimmed back as it is the worst as of now.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
Dan, You have to understand
January 8, 2009 - 14:16 ET by Hunter12Dan, You have to understand what Smokin' is actually saying here. Liberals really like the fact that we haven't been attacked in eight years, just as much as Conservatives do. His postulate that Obama can't undo what President Bush and VP Cheney have done, is really just a way of saying that all of Obama's positions are probably going to change now that he can actually get a glimpse at what has been done to keep us safe. "Barack, feel free to waterboard away. We can always blame it on some Bush holdover."
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
More or less, yeah
January 8, 2009 - 14:56 ET by Smoking HotI never trusted Obama to be principled enough to stand with what I think are solid arguments against unwarranted domestic spying and torture, for example. I expect national security concerns will continue to trump personal liberty concerns, and indeed all else, in the Obama administration. His capitulation on the FISA legislation, during the campaign I might add, will be the first of many examples.
We have shifted from electing a President who answers to Congress and the people to electing a Commander-in-Chief who answers to no one while in pursuit of national security. I wasn't comfortable with that under Bush. I'm no more at ease with it under Obama.
What Does Make You Comfortable, Smoking Hot?
January 8, 2009 - 16:21 ET by rammingspeedWould you be comfortable under a pile of rubble somewhere in America, courtesy of terrorist activity?
The president has the obligation to take exceptional measures if necessary to protect the lives of American citizens. He/she must go to the same extreme, and one step beyond, when it comes to stopping people from killing us.
I absolutely cannot understand why people don't understand that. Only the war on terror deniers and Bush haters (one and the same) have a problem with this truth.
Where does it end?
January 8, 2009 - 17:41 ET by Smoking HotSuppose President Obama was to say:
"My fellow Americans, in response to unprecedented threats to our nation, my national security team has advised me to cancel the election of 2012. I have instead decided to postpone it indefinitely. I assure you I do not take this step without careful deliberation fully aware of the consequences. The threat of terror is real, and I am taking this step to provide our intelligence community time to indentify the root of these threats so that not a single American will ever wonder why their president didn't do more to protect their loved ones from the grave and gathering threat that even now threatens to do us unspeakable harm.
Please continue to monitor your neighbors, families, friends, acquaintences. Your reporting enables our DIA (Domestic Intelligence Agency) officers to more swiftly respond to the threats from the enemies in our midst.
Be assured, I will not back down from this threat, and I carry the resolve of the American people to never back down from evil with me.
God bless America."
He's protecting our nation, right? A Commander-in-Chief's gotta do what a Comander-in-Chief's gotta do. Is that good enough for you? Think maybe Congress ought to step in there or something? No?
"...unwarranted domestic
January 8, 2009 - 17:56 ET by R D Helm"...unwarranted domestic spying."
Which dark orifice did you pull that out of? Monitoring INTERNATIONAL phone calls and communications involvong those with possible terrorist connections is not "domestic spying."
What Billy Joe Bob Bubba and his lackey Al Gore were proposing to do back in the 1990s WAS domestic spying. Funny how you BDS afflicted types always manage to CONVENIENTLY OVERLOOK THAT.
Has it even remotely occurred to you that one of the reasons that PEBO has begun backing away from his (profoundly ignorant) campaign promises to capitulate to our enemies is that he has now had numerous intelligence briefings under his belt, and thus probably has far more of an understanding of the true dangers we face as a nation than you are able to even begin to fathom?
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -Because enough is enough.
International spying is not my concern
January 8, 2009 - 18:29 ET by Smoking HotDomestic spying.
I don't care who's plan it is/was, Democrat or Republican. The oath of office states obligates the officeholder to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution." Last I checked the Fourth Amendment was still part of that document.
"Now the abdication of
January 8, 2009 - 16:28 ET by R D Helm"Now the abdication of power ceded by Congress to the executive branch..."
This liberal lie is becoming tiresome.
Exactly what "powers" did congress cede to the executive branch in the last eight years?
I submit that you cannot name even one.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -Because enough is enough.
Oversight
January 8, 2009 - 17:45 ET by Smoking HotWho's supposed to check the president when he oversteps his bounds into illegality? Congress.
Instead the president gets a wide bearth to do whatever he deems fit, particularly with regard to the WOT. Legal or not. Hard to say what the limits are because I can't think of a single case where Congress held firm to a no, you can't do that. Supreme Court, yes. Congress, no.
All I can say is....
January 8, 2009 - 13:30 ET by tim_gallantHuh?
This is utterly incoherent, at best. The logical conclusion that follows from Meacham's actual argument is that Obama is going to normalize the abuses of power under Bush. Doesn't that mean that things are going to get worse?
http://www.changeint...
Newsweek and Meacham
January 8, 2009 - 13:38 ET by east tennessee johnIn 2004 Newsweek editor Evan Thomas said the Msm was worth 15% points to Kerry. Now Meacham, whose rag never bothered to ask the President-elect, in their issue, " What He Believes," about black liberation theology, its racial anger or its Marxists social and economic worldview, now says the second comer can't undo the abuses of the evil Bush/Cheney Administration. What are the odds Newsweek is boarding the same ship as the NYT?
Does Meacham mean that
January 8, 2009 - 13:32 ET by ConservativeRexDoes Meacham mean that Obami won't undo the "awful, terrible stuff" that Bush/Chaney did like keep us from being attacked again by insane mooslims?
I for one, wouldn't bet on it. We're in for a helluva four years. It's comforting to know that, at least the miltary is not in a swoon over Obami.
Isn't This Rich?
January 8, 2009 - 14:04 ET by BourbeauThis is Meachams way of telling the public not to expect the MSM to hold Obama accountable for his pre-election commitments. They'll go out of their way to lower the electorate's expectations and find reasons why The One has to back track on those promises, especially involving Defense and National Security. Of course, they're so enraged over those abuses by Bush and Cheney. that just happened to keep the country safe for the past seven years, they might not be able to hold their tongues should the folks at Justice, State, Defense and CIA not unravel the mess fast enough. Grab the popcorn, Obama, Clinton, and Panetta are all over this - the country and the world's ills will be resolved promptly, now that the evil Bush is gone, and the US will regain it's regal stature in the eyes of the liberals and those trusted allies in western Europe.
Maybe I'm confused but does
January 8, 2009 - 14:21 ET by katiejane"You know, suddenly - what was a terrible abuse in one era is a weapon by which a noble president shall strike a blow for liberty and the next," Meacham added
mean that when Obama does the same "horrible misdeeds" Pres Bush & VP Cheney are reviled for doing, it will be honorable? Unbelievable.
It is bullhockey like this that is going to send me into fullblown ODS or make my head a permanent ficture in the toilet.
If "Pimp Walker" is smart
January 8, 2009 - 14:42 ET by Roscoe MendagoIf "Pimp Walker" is smart he will adopt all of the Bush administration policies on how to deal with terrorism...He can only do worse, alas, the Status-Quo my be hard to continue.
Also, Karl Rove wrote a column in the WSJ and of course it will be ignored or ripped. Rove gives a short history of the housing finance meltdown......Maybe some in congress should be in jail!!
http://online.wsj.co...
We're doomed!!
Newsweek Transitional Team
January 8, 2009 - 15:03 ET by GoodieMeacham is heading up the Newsweek Transitional Team to the Street. He is packing his office and adviseing Time Magazine to do the same, bye bye NYT, Newsweek and Time.....
o's Last Day 1-20-2013
I cancelled Obamaweek
January 8, 2009 - 15:43 ET by StarAZAfter decades as a reader, I 86ed Newsweek a month ago. I can't remember which picture of Junior with a halo did it, but one of them. (They give you your money back.)
If obama is 1/2 as smart as
January 8, 2009 - 16:49 ET by pitter43If obama is 1/2 as smart as he thinks he is, he'll leave most of President Bush's policies where they are. They've kept us alive for a long time. I don't expect obama to do that. 1/2 as smart as he thinks he is would be 10 times smarter than Einstein.
"You know, suddenly - what
January 8, 2009 - 18:11 ET by motherbelt"You know, suddenly - what was a terrible abuse in one era is a weapon
by which a noble president shall strike a blow for liberty and the
next," Meacham added.
See? It's all a matter of which President is doing it. If Obama continues the same powers, it will be OK, because he is NOBLE and will do it to strike a blow for liberty!!
I seriously can't take much more of this, and he's not even inaugurated yet!
I seriously can't take much
January 8, 2009 - 18:29 ET by bigtimerI seriously can't take much more of this, and he's not even inaugurated yet!
You aren't alone mb...
I have finally reached the point I sometimes cannot read all the tripe from these critters that continually spew their fawning leftist blather.
Enough already.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
That's why I haven't been
January 8, 2009 - 18:40 ET by motherbeltThat's why I haven't been commenting very much the past few days. I honestly don't even know what to say sometimes. I've been on her more today, and my head's about to explode.
mb... Ditto. I thought
January 8, 2009 - 18:49 ET by bigtimermb...
Ditto.
I thought about clicking this on early this morning my time when O was going to give his socialist BS today and commenting, just could not do it, it gets just too depressing, disgusting.
It's going to be a long four years....and lord knows, the msm isn't going to be any better, they are becoming even blatantly worse IMHO.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Yes there is a bias toward
January 8, 2009 - 18:30 ET by eaglewingz08Yes there is a bias toward conflict in the press, the press brings out its swords and bias and conflict against any republican officeholder (but especially conservative ones), but are neutered or leg humpers to liberals especially but democrats in general. Indeed, towards republicans the press is on such a conflict mode that it will manufacture crises and conflicts just to push their 'non existent' agenda and bias.
No, Obama is too busy jump
January 8, 2009 - 18:35 ET by kgNo, Obama is too busy jump starting his own "Awful, Terrible Stuff" and he hasn't even been sworn in yet.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"