POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

PriO!rities

I'm starting to wonder if the President understands the meaning of the word. But like his grasp of actual history facts, perhaps vocabulary wasn't a subject he embraced at Harvard; or maybe it's just the usual progressive fungibility of meaning that our pal Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom has written about over the years.

Mr. Obama has said for some time that his administration is focusing laser-like on jobs and the economy, but their lastest push on immigration, certainly in response to the recent Arizona immigration law but also as part of a larger mid-term electoral calculus, has many members of his own party scratching their heads in puzzlement.

In a private meeting with White House officials this weekend, Democratic governors voiced deep anxiety about the Obama administration’s suit against Arizona’s new immigration law, worrying that it could cost a vulnerable Democratic Party in the fall elections.

At the Democrats’ meeting on Saturday, some governors bemoaned the timing of the Justice Department lawsuit, according to two governors who spoke anonymously because the discussion was private.

“Universally the governors are saying, ‘We’ve got to talk about jobs,’ ” Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat, said in an interview. “And all of a sudden we have immigration going on.”

He added, “It is such a toxic subject, such an important time for Democrats.”

Indeed.  I would remind the Governor that it is also both a toxic subject and an important time for America as well.

Then there's the ongoing disaster in the Gulf, which is at least as serious, or arguably worse, than Katrina.  In September 2005, just a few weeks after the initial disaster, most of the media was obsessing over how the Booooooooooosh! administration "blew it".  But today, months after the seriousness of the spill has become apparent the silence of the legacy media is deafening.

In fact, just like his declaration of a "hard pivot" to, and laser like focus on, jobs and the economy has reached it's expiration date, so too has Obama's promise that his administration will "not rest" until the disaster is dealt with.

Under pressure to get the leak stopped, Obama said: "We will not rest until this well is shut, the environment is repaired and the cleanup is complete."

That was on May 26th.  And, as Cap'n Ed notes, this past weekend President Kickazz enjoyed his 9th or 10th day of not-rest at the golf course.  And soon, he'll be enjoying some non-rest in Maine.  I guess the Gulf coast resorts that he encouraged us all to patronize are all booked up, or, you know, what is good for thee, is not for me .

 But in-between now and the start of his vacation, I'm sure he'll be working tirelessly on the nation's business.  That is, if he's not busy shooting hoops with LeBron James.  But who knows, maybe Mr. James has a good strategy for dealing with the leaking well head, I mean, he did live in Cleveland, and perhaps he studied engineering in college.  Oh, wait...

By the way, this would be the same Mr. James who recently left Cleveland for more pastel pastures of Miami; an kerfuffle that I've been loathe to address for a variety of reasons, chief among which is tremendous indifference.  But, race-baiter exraordinaire Jesse Jackson has no such compunction.  He called out the Cavaliers owner, who public expressed his personal sense of betrayed loyalty, for exhibiting a slaveholder's mentality:

Jesse Jackson criticized Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert on Sunday, saying Gilbert sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave" and that the owner's comments after the free-agent forward decided to join the Miami Heat put the player in danger.

In danger of what? A higher tax bracket? Memo to Jesse the J; slaves didn't get multi-year contracts that most likely will involve tens of millions of dollars, and they certainly didn't get a choice of venue.  Maybe though, when shooting some hoops with the President who never rests, he can get O! or his boy Holder to do him a solid, and deal with that Gilbert.  Who knows, his remarks may have bordered on, gasp, "hate speech", or perhaps the IRS might need to look more deeply into his last few years returns.  After all, according to the Chicago rules, everything is fair game.

But, maybe I'm just being hard on the Present-dent.  I mean, there's no chance that the progressively inclined media would be employing a double standard; treating his recreational pursuits a necessary breaks for "recharging" and "blowing off steam" as opposed to the blatant "goldbricking" of Mr. Boooooooooooosh!

To his credit, Captain Kickazz did dispatch a TOP! specialist to the Guld coast this week:

First lady Michelle Obama on Monday will make her first trip to the Gulf Coast since the BP oil spill by visiting Panama City Beach, Fla., aides said today.

So what if he's on the links, he's got Michelle down there to "strongarm" that well into submission.  Why, she'll probably be able to stop that nasty ol'  leak simply by threatening to take it to a show; the gun show !

After her speech to residents, that is, probably assuring them that Barack "won't rest" until the situation is resolved.  But we may never actually hear about the entire visit until, and unless, there is an "official" White House press release;

She will deliver a speech to area residents after being briefed by officials and local leaders, aides said. The briefing largely will be closed to the press. [emphasis-ed.]

Because of the Transparency !

Now watch this drive...