Comedy Gold: Flashback--Newbie Senator Obama on Governing

Listening to the newbie Senator Obama pontificate about how Republicans "ought" to be governing is pure comedy gold.

Obama: "My understanding of the Senate is is that you need 60 votes to get something to happen, which means the Democrats and Republicans have to ask the question, do we have, uh, the will to move an American agenda forward, not a Democratic or Republican agenda forward. . . .


"The bottom line is that our health care plans are similar; the bottom line is, who can get it done. Who can build a movement for change? This is an area where we're going to have to have a 60% majority in the Senate and the House in order to actually get a bill to my desk. We're gonna have to have a majority in order to get a bill to my desk. That is not just a fifty plus one majority. . . .


"You've got to break out of, what I call, sort of, the fifty plus one pattern of presidential politics. Maybe you eke out a victory of fifty plus one. Then you can't govern. You know, you get an Air Force One, I mean there are a lot of nice perks, but you can't, you can't deliver on health care. We're not going to pass universal health care with a fifty plus one strategy. . . .


"Those big ticket items, big ticket, fixing our health care system. You know, one of the arguments that sometimes I get with my fellow progressives [whew--that's interesting--FELLOW progressives], um, and, and, some of these have flashed up in the blog communities on occasion, is this notion that we should function, uh, sort of like Karl Rove, where we identify our core base, we throw 'em red meat, we get a fifty plus one, uh, victory. See, Karl Rove doesn't need a broad consensus, because he doesn't believe in government. If we want to transform the country though, that requires a s-uh-s-uh-sizeable majority."

Th-tha-that's All, Folks!



h/t to breitbart.tv

Update. From HotAir's Allahpundit. Too good not to pass on. Allah points out that yesterday in his HealthCare pep talk in front of a roomful of physicians (again--like October's Rose Garden meeting where the White House handed out white coats so that everyone would "look like" doctors), there was one word that Obama never uttered: reconciliation.

Missing from this passage, just as its missing from the entire speech? The word “reconciliation.” As you’ll see below, via Greg Hengler, The One’s affecting righteous rage to intimidate Democratic fencesitters but the fact is he can’t even muster the balls to call this procedural travesty by its name. That’s not surprising, as reconciliation actually polls worse than ObamaCare itself, but it does underscore what a pure, sweet fraud his professions of innocence about the politics are. He understands the consequences perfectly well — as does Mitch McConnell — which is why the takeaway line here is “I know it’s right.” That’s the signal to Blue Dogs to vote for the greater good and let the political chips fall where they may. It’s a kamikaze mission, in other words, ordered by yet another prominent Democrat whose own ass conveniently isn’t on the line in November. Amazing how bold he and Pelosi are in asking centrists to ignore their constituents and volunteer for an operation they themselves don’t have to take part in. Chickenhawks!

Update #2. According to the Weekly Standard's Matthew Continetti, Obama's speech in front of the physicians about health care on Wednesday was the 35th time Obama has delivered major remarks on his HealthCrap bill.