WASHINGTON — He had just hung up the telephone with the devastated parents before heading in front of the cameras. Unusually emotional, President Obama declared himself “heartbroken” by the brutal murder of an American journalist, James Foley, and vowed to “be relentless” against Islamic radicals threatening to kill another American.
But as soon as the cameras went off, Mr. Obama headed to his favorite golf course on Martha’s Vineyard, where he is on vacation, seemingly able to put the savagery out of his mind. He spent the rest of the afternoon on the links even as a firestorm of criticism erupted over what many saw as a callous indifference to the slaughter he had just condemned.
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He long ago stopped worrying about what critics say, according to aides, and after the outcry over Wednesday’s game, he defied the critics by golfing again on Thursday, his eighth outing in 11 days on the island.
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...the criticism went beyond the usual political opponents. Privately, many Democrats shook their heads at what they considered a judgment error. Ezra Klein, editor in chief of the online news site Vox, who is normally sympathetic to Mr. Obama, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that “golfing today is in bad taste.”
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“As a general rule, I think that he’s right that you can’t be held hostage to the news cycle — the man deserves a bit of downtime,” said Jim Manley, a longtime Democratic strategist. “But in this particular instance, I think a lot of Democrats flinched a little bit.”
The video, Mr. Manley added, “was just so shocking that the idea that he was going to immediately run to the golf course was just a little too much for folks; it was tone-deaf.”
“The president isn't really helping himself by going on vacation. In fact, I saw that President Obama played the eighth round of golf of his vacation today. I mean, he's played so much golf, I guess he's getting pretty good, but he's still not quite at the pro level yet,” Fallon said.
He illustrated this by showing golfer Rory McIlroy teeing off with the gallery shouting “get in the hole,” and then showing Obama’s tee shot with voices yelling “get back to work” and “get back to the White House.”http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/08/22/Fallon-Mocks-Obamas-Golfing
Obama Golfing After James Foley Beheading Statement: Is The President's Vacation Tone-Deaf?
“I’m sorry, Mr. President, but your behavior [Wednesday] was not about thumbing your nose at or simply ignoring those who refuse to acknowledge that you have a right to a vacation and to some time playing a game that relaxes you. It was also not about those who refuse to appreciate that you can do your job anywhere on the planet with the same effectiveness as sitting behind your desk at the White House,” Rick Ungar, a liberal contributor to Forbes magazine, wrote. “It was, instead, about revealing a side of yourself that Americans, of all political stripes, cannot help but be troubled by -- a coldness that revealed a complete lack of understanding of the classy thing to do at a difficult moment.”http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-golfing-after-james-foley-beheading-statement-presidents-vacation-tone-deaf-1666164
With Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, sitting a few feet away, Mr. Reid complained that Senate Republicans were spitefully blocking the confirmation of dozens of Mr. Obama’s nominees to serve as ambassadors. He expected that the president would back him up and urge Mr. McConnell to relent.
“Maybe if something isn’t working, you’d say, ‘What can I do better?’ ” said Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia.."But it kind of is what it is.”
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Asked to characterize his relationship with the president, Mr. Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has often been a bridge builder in the Senate, said: “It’s fairly nonexistent. There’s not much of a relationship.”
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...some Democrats say, they have just learned to accept the president’s solitary nature and move on.
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But as soon as the cameras went off, Mr. Obama headed to his favorite golf course on Martha’s Vineyard, where he is on vacation, seemingly able to put the savagery out of his mind. He spent the rest of the afternoon on the links even as a firestorm of criticism erupted over what many saw as a callous indifference to the slaughter he had just condemned.
...
He long ago stopped worrying about what critics say, according to aides, and after the outcry over Wednesday’s game, he defied the critics by golfing again on Thursday, his eighth outing in 11 days on the island.
...
...the criticism went beyond the usual political opponents. Privately, many Democrats shook their heads at what they considered a judgment error. Ezra Klein, editor in chief of the online news site Vox, who is normally sympathetic to Mr. Obama, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that “golfing today is in bad taste.”
...
“As a general rule, I think that he’s right that you can’t be held hostage to the news cycle — the man deserves a bit of downtime,” said Jim Manley, a longtime Democratic strategist. “But in this particular instance, I think a lot of Democrats flinched a little bit.”
The video, Mr. Manley added, “was just so shocking that the idea that he was going to immediately run to the golf course was just a little too much for folks; it was tone-deaf.”
FALLON MOCKS OBAMA’S GOLFING
NBC’s “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon made fun of President Barack Obama for his golf schedule on Thursday.
NBC’s “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon made fun of President Barack Obama for his golf schedule on Thursday.
“The president isn't really helping himself by going on vacation. In fact, I saw that President Obama played the eighth round of golf of his vacation today. I mean, he's played so much golf, I guess he's getting pretty good, but he's still not quite at the pro level yet,” Fallon said.
He illustrated this by showing golfer Rory McIlroy teeing off with the gallery shouting “get in the hole,” and then showing Obama’s tee shot with voices yelling “get back to work” and “get back to the White House.”http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/08/22/Fallon-Mocks-Obamas-Golfing
Obama Golfing After James Foley Beheading Statement: Is The President's Vacation Tone-Deaf?
“I’m sorry, Mr. President, but your behavior [Wednesday] was not about thumbing your nose at or simply ignoring those who refuse to acknowledge that you have a right to a vacation and to some time playing a game that relaxes you. It was also not about those who refuse to appreciate that you can do your job anywhere on the planet with the same effectiveness as sitting behind your desk at the White House,” Rick Ungar, a liberal contributor to Forbes magazine, wrote. “It was, instead, about revealing a side of yourself that Americans, of all political stripes, cannot help but be troubled by -- a coldness that revealed a complete lack of understanding of the classy thing to do at a difficult moment.”http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-golfing-after-james-foley-beheading-statement-presidents-vacation-tone-deaf-1666164
Mr. Obama quickly dismissed the matter.
"You and Mitch work it out," Mr. Obama said coolly, cutting off any discussion.
Mr. Reid seethed quietly for the rest of the meeting...After his return to the Capitol that afternoon, Mr. Reid told other senators and his staff members that he was astonished by how disengaged the president seemed.
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Grumbling by lawmakers about a president is nothing unusual. But what is striking now is the way prominent Democrats’ views of Mr. Obama’s shortcomings are spilling out into public, and how resigned many seem that the relationship will never improve. In private meetings, Mr. Reid’s chief of staff, David Krone, has voiced regular dismay to lawmakers and top aides about White House operations and competency across a range of issues, according to several Democrats on Capitol Hill.
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Grumbling by lawmakers about a president is nothing unusual. But what is striking now is the way prominent Democrats’ views of Mr. Obama’s shortcomings are spilling out into public, and how resigned many seem that the relationship will never improve. In private meetings, Mr. Reid’s chief of staff, David Krone, has voiced regular dismay to lawmakers and top aides about White House operations and competency across a range of issues, according to several Democrats on Capitol Hill.
“Maybe if something isn’t working, you’d say, ‘What can I do better?’ ” said Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia.."But it kind of is what it is.”
...
Asked to characterize his relationship with the president, Mr. Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has often been a bridge builder in the Senate, said: “It’s fairly nonexistent. There’s not much of a relationship.”
...
...some Democrats say, they have just learned to accept the president’s solitary nature and move on.
...
If there was an opportunity amid the Washington paralysis for Mr. Obama to build relationships, it might have been during his frequent golf games. But only twice in more than 180 rounds has the president invited members of Congress to play with him, and only one Democratic official — Senator Mark Udall of Colorado — has joined a presidential foursome.
