Amanpour Pushes Back When Guest Says Obama Isn't Ideologically Flexible
By Noel Sheppard | September 04, 2011 | 13:46
It appears one should never say in Christiane Amanpour's presence Barack Obama isn't ideologically flexible.
When former Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin did so on ABC's "This Week" Sunday, the host pushed back, "Do you think that’s true that he hasn’t shown flexibility since he's, he’s sort of come completely to the Republican tenor of the debate?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, HOST: Well Doug, can he be bold for the very reasons that, that Paul just suggested? It's not possible.
DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN, FORMER DIRECTOR CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE: Well, the question is can he show some ideological flexibility, which he has not shown so far. He showed a little late this week by rolling back a very expensive rule…
AMANPOUR: Do you think that’s true that he hasn’t shown flexibility since he's, he’s sort of come completely to the Republican tenor of the debate?
He's come completely to the Republican tenor of the debate? Really?
So he's suddenly against any additional government spending and instead wants signficant cuts while taxes are also reduced?
As Holtz-Eakin pointed out, that's hardly the case:
HOLTZ-EAKIN: But what we've seen is again and again, the same playbook, which is, we want to focus on near-term stimulus. And if you look at measures, like the budget deficit, if the economy’s at full employment, that's still rising in 2011. That playbook's been in place and it's not working. It didn’t work in the '60s and '70s when we tried again and again to use stimulus to fine-tune the economy.
So he needs to go to a different playbook which says we have to have a fundamental change toward a growth philosophy. We need to have some permanent changes, like a lower corporate rate, tax-free repatriations for our business community. And he actually does have to show some respect for the business community. He needs small, medium and large businesses not to be the target of sort of class warfare rhetoric, but to be the focus of his policies.
Yeah - the likelihood of Mr. Ideologically Inflexible doing that is higher than Amanpour voting for a Republican in the upcoming elections.
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Comments
Watching Paul Krugman's eyes - mannerisms . .
Submitted by Gary Hall on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 1:55pm.
Watching (from 0:50 to 0:56 mark) Paul Krugman's eyes - mannerisms - as Holtz-Eakin is laying it out, is almost as fun as hearing what Maureen Dowd had to say (your earlier post).
(;~> gary
I noticed that
Submitted by Dave81 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:52pm.
I was going to make that comment too! It looked like he wanted to jump in and say "Well, *awkward laughter* let's not be too hasty! *more awkward laughter*"
Amanpour's expression the whole time is also amusing. Typical liberal journalism (redundant?). Ask someone a question and then get defensive/irritated when he doesn't answer it the way you would.
Gary
Submitted by rockyracoon on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 3:50pm.
The look on Krugman's face and in his eyes IS priceless.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
every day Krugman goes into
Submitted by jkwtrading on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 5:02pm.
every day Krugman goes into conscription fits is a good day for America. soon his eyes will bulge like a bugs
Conscription Fits
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 5:53pm.
Sorry, but I just can't help it: Krugman's conscription fit was probably brought on by a draft.
Krugman
Submitted by Scott Trent on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 7:32pm.
Krugman is in absolute shock when this guy is speaking. He`s saying just the exact opposite of what Krugman was saying a few minutes earlier. Dear Ruler. Please stop spending. You`re only making things worse. Citizen.
Did you mean...
Submitted by BBallleaper on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 8:30pm.
a conniption fit????????????
conscription: "compulsory
Submitted by amyshulk on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 7:36am.
conscription: "compulsory enrollment of persons especially for military service" And krugman wants to conscript the "rich" to keep the "poor" poor by taking from one to give to the other through BIG gov't.
Ronald Reagan
He's like an owl.
Submitted by GregE on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 7:57pm.
He's like an owl.
Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.
Liberal Heads Exploding Everywhere...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:00pm.
...even they can't defend Brack Insane Oblamer any longer...
Obama IS flexible. He ranges
Submitted by rbosque on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:10pm.
Obama IS flexible.
He ranges from Marx to Mao.
What Obama has shown....
Submitted by zenman1661 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:15pm.
isn't flexibility, but what happens to an inexperienced liberal politician with far left notions who faces strong realistic opposition. He has no choice but to cave to superior arguments.
Agree.
Submitted by Anon150 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 5:43pm.
And the definition of 'hell' for a liberal is: Being in a position of power with no one else's money to spend.
It's no wonder President Puttz is a little cranky.
I still don't get why the hard left is so upset with Obama
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:36pm.
I mean, the guy is serving up on a silver platter the exact Amerika they have been pining for for a hundred years, and he is very close to making things irreversible.
They should all be falling at his feet and singing his praises by now.
-Dave
Amanapour`s Comment should have been
Submitted by NVRAT on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:46pm.
You are right "Obama is Incompetent" as everyone knows. But, we have got to stick to the Democratic Play Book. I`m sorry.
Compromise, like Obamacare?
Submitted by deerjerkydave on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 3:15pm.
Compromise, like Obamacare? Not one Republican voted for the final product.
------------------------
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State Governments are numerous and indefinite. -James MadisonThe first two years of
Submitted by Bodini on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 5:58pm.
the Marxist Democrats reign didn't even allow the Republicans to sit at the table much less compromise! All the back-door deals were Chicago Gangster Politics at its worst!
Holy smokes!
Submitted by dnlchisholm on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 5:53pm.
The following blog post is super juicy. It looks like they are going to start fighting back. http://mittromneycentral.com/2011/09/04/misguided-freedomworks-protests-... It's about time somebody took on these counter-productive ignoramuses!
If FreedomWorks gets their way, President Obama is going to get re-elected... Can't we all just allow the candidates speak and let people decide for themselves!
LOL Romney is going to go
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 8:37pm.
LOL Romney is going to go down in flames. He does not have teh TEA party ideals in his best interests
One person's flexibility is another person's hypocrisy.......
Submitted by big.league.slider on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 6:07pm.
Occasionally, in his short lackluster political career, Obama has actually sounded like a bona fide member of the Tea Party. Consider his speech before the Senate on March 20, 2006:
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
Who knows, maybe some prankster just hacked his teleprompter that day.
Obanma to show he is flexible
Submitted by Robersire on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 6:43pm.
an undisclosed source says Obama will raid the Union pensions if elected in 2012. There isn't much room left under the bus
What I'm wondering is what kept
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 8:38pm.
krudman quiet? Was he drugged or threatened? I mean the way he sat there with is hands folded as if to force him to control himself and those furtive glances, priceless.
What a moron he is with his failed keynesian nonsense.
amapour needs to return ....
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 8:44pm.
.... to her arab country and take her camels with her. AMERICA is no place for cnn international!
We Now Know
Submitted by Avitar on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 9:25pm.
She Can't Handle The Truth.
I wonder what her reaction will be when he breaks completely.
I don't think Obama.....
Submitted by GregE on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 10:12pm.
.......is flexible at all. America, on the other hand, is being forced to be extremely flexible, bending over grabbing it's collective ankles as this cool, smiling thug has his way.
Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.
W T F !??!
Submitted by DoktorFranken on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 1:40am.
What The F is this Hosebag talking about? I know that what I am now going to say is going to sound very sexist, but I don't think so in her case:
Who in the hell did she have to blow to get a job?
Neal and Bob
Submitted by Boray on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 11:48am.
She didn't have to pull a Monica Lewinski to get her job. She is anti-American, and pro-ameriKa which qualifies her for any job at ABC. But it was terrrific watching her squirm in her own crap as Doug served up the truth.
"sort of completely"
Submitted by almostacowboy77 on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 7:09am.
So, Dear Leader has "sort of completely" come around has he? Well, I guess he has. In a "sort of conservative" way too, maybe? And you, Christine, are "sort of intelligent". But, I'm not sure what sort that might be.
He's definitely become less
Submitted by wiwf on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 9:18am.
He's definitely become less left-leaning than what he ran on in '08.
How so,
Submitted by Boudin on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 9:24am.
Other then physical impossibilities?
Christiane's sour puss
Submitted by Boray on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 11:44am.
I saw the exchange and I wish more would do what Doug did. Amanpour probably had to change her shorts when he got done. As to the Rat, when he was twitchin'.
You can't spell Krugman without MUG
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 2:27pm.
When aliens attack
they know Krugman
has their back.
Under his robes
he's controlled
by anal probes.
'I wasted time, now doth time waste me.' --- William Shakespeare