Obama: 'Pretty Shameful Day in Washington'

[Stuart G]

Source: CNN

CNN) – President Barack Obama lashed out Wednesday at those in the U.S. Senate who voted against a compromise proposal to expand background checks on firearms sales, saying those who defeated the legislation "decided it wasn't worth it."

He blamed the defeat of the deal on "the gun lobby and its allies," saying those against the legislation "willfully lied" about its provisions.

"All in in all, this was a pretty shameful day in Washington," he said, as families who lost loved ones in the Newtown school shooting stood around him. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in a mass shooting, also stood by his side.

He said "we can do more" to impose stricter gun laws and warned that "if this Congress refuses to listen to the American people ... the real impact is going to have to come from the voters."


Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/17/breaking-obama-reacts-to-gun-vote/

[neverforget]

1. Unfortunately, it's become all too common

[Cha]

2. The worst..

[fascisthunter]

12. their puppet posters too

... paid trolls to argue against any gun regulation whatsoever.

[DuckBurp]

13. Tonight I sent messages to my Senators (Cornyn and Cruz) ...

'Shame on you!"

[Cha]

15. thank you, DuckBurp

[awoke_in_2003]

33. Those are my assholes, too...

Unfortunately, it wont make a bit of dirrerence.

[Iliyah]

3. The politcians no longer work for the American people.

They consider us as nothing. Vote them out although they are making sure to take our right to vote as well.

[olddad56]

7. They are 'hired' to work against the best interests of the people who elected them.

[Hekate]

26. Correction: GOP politicians. 90% of the Dems voted for the bill. 90% of the Pubs did not.

Please aim carefully at your targets.

[aandegoons]

4. Almost every day is a pretty shameful day in Washington

Get the money out of it and that will change.

[broadcaster75201]

5. Talk to Harry Reid. Don't whine to us. Not our fault everything requires Super Majority NT

nt

[tblue]

20. Harry 'Keep the Filibuster' Reid?

Yeah. Talk to him. Don't come whining to me.

[awoke_in_2003]

34. Every time I think about the filibuster reform...

I get pissed. Reid is a simpering little wimp.

[R Merm]

6. does anyone have a link to who voted against the bill

[Tx4obama]

11. Below is a link to the roll call list

Here: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00097

Note: Senator Reid had to change his 'yes' vote to a 'no' vote so that he can bring the bill to the floor again in the future - it a goofy senate procedural rule.

[Kennah]

19. Here are the outliers

Republicans and Independents who voted Yea

Collins (R-ME)
King (I-ME)
Kirk (R-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Sanders (I-VT)
Toomey (R-PA)

Democrats who voted Nay

Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reid (D-NV)

[Ash_F]

28. Surprised to see McCain on there. /nt

[Kennah]

36. Could he be seriously at risk for 2016? Or just trying to preserve a legacy?

[jbp23]

8. Obama and Reid's Failure

This failure should fall on the shoulders of Harry Reid and President Obama. Harry Reid's failure to fix the 60 vote threshold and fillibuster rules have once again come home to roost. Reid's weak leadership in the senate and his viewing of the senate rules as sacrosanct have reaped nothing but democratic failures.

As for Obama, his severe lack of political skills have provided failure once again. President Obama has zero abilities when it comes to political tactics or strategy. His laziness is one of his main weaknesses. He has never taken the time to build relationships with individual lawmakers on both sides. Doing this takes time and he refuses to make the necessary time to learn how the whole process works. For example, the moment the Newtown massacre happened he immediately made a huge mistake. Instead of taking advantage of the situation and never letting a crisis got o waste what did Obama do? He asked for a study to be conducted! He appointed Biden to go on some sort of fact finding mission about gun violence. This tremendous act of incompetence gave the NRA and Republicans much needed time to gather their forces and come up with a counter attack that ended today with a victory. Instead of learning from President Johnson, on how to be a leader who can pass legislation, how to develop relationships with reps/senators, and how to be a successful domestic president he has learned nothing from past presidents and he has learned nothing from his 1st 4 yrs in office.

If Obama would of taken advantage of public outcry, all the media attention he could of rushed a bill through Congress and won the day! Just like 9/11, did Bush waste time, no he took advantage of the high emotions and rushed a bill through (which turned out to be an awful bill with many flaws)Congress. Even though the bill sucked, the point is he got it passed because he took advantage of the situation at the time. Obama just does not get it, he is lost when it comes to political strategy. He is always outflanked, out maneuvered, out negotiated, and out thought by his opponents and today is just another example of it.

[tblue]

21. We need a new Senate Majority Leader!!!

How do we do it?

[Hekate]

27. 'Scuse me? You in the right place? The president worked his ass off for this. CONGRESS...

... is the legislative branch of the government.

The president does not have a "severe lack of political skills" -- he has a severe lack of a Congress that will work with him on ANYthing.

The president is not "lazy" -- thank you so much for the right-wing meme.

In fact your entire post is full of right-wing talking points. So I ask again: are you sure you're in the right place?

[awoke_in_2003]

35. Welcome to DU...

while you can lay this on Reid and his complicity, oops I mean ineptitude, the president deserves no flack about this

[Tx4obama]

10. Obama Full Rose Garden presser VIDEO below

Senate Republicans, backed by rural-state Democrats, blocked legislation to tighten restrictions on the sale of firearms. Attempts to ban assault-style rifles and high capacity magazines also faced certain defeat in a series of showdown votes four months after the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. The background check measure commanded a majority but fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance.

President Obama spoke candidly about his frustration with the defeat of the Manchin-Toomey Amendment. Obama said that the gun lobby and its allies "willfully lied about the bill." Obama was introduced by Mark Barden, the father of Sandy Hook victim Daniel Barden.

[MotherPetrie]

14. So what are you going to do, President Obama? Appoint another useless commission?

[bobclark86]

17. Shameful, but not...

surprising... You can only brow-beat people with no shame just so much.

[DURHAM D]

18. The speech was just okay.

(1) The President should have called out Rand Paul by name re: props.

(2) He should have called out Wayne LaPierre by name.

(3) He should have explained that the NRA is controlled by gun manufacturers.

Obama is still playing nice guy.

[TomCADem]

22. Oh Please, Blaming Democrats for the Actions of Right Wingers?

Why is it that folks continue to repeat the corporate media narrative of blaming Democrats for Republican extremism. We assume that if Democrats (a) slammed on Republicans harder; (b) schmoozed Republicans; (c) called them out in campaign like attacks; (d) engaged them; or (e) try to ignore them that Republicans will see the light and pass legislation that benefits the people.

Its this narrative that Democrats, particularly President Obama, are responsible for Republican extremism that gives Republicans a free pass.

[DURHAM D]

23. Your post is completely off point.

[snooper2]

31. so you are thinking Lincoln should have flown in again to assist?

Like he did in this case?

[beerandjesus]

32. Amen

Sure, it was probably the best I've seen out of him, but still, this ought to be SO easy:

"Today, Mitch McConnell and his Republican allies stood united in support of the right of rapists, child molestors, and the criminally insane to buy high-power, high-capacity weapons without hindrance or delay. Today, Republicans fought for the principle that no mass murderer should be denied access to weapons of mass murder, and that no terrorist should be refused access to weapons of terrorism.

"Today, thanks to the actions of McConnell and his friends, convicted felons across this country will be prepared to shoot Hitler dead, should he appear in their homes or neighborhoods, and American families can sleep secure in the knowledge that the only price for their vigilance is a few score dead children every month."

etc.

[jambo101]

24. 90% of the people want stricter rules

In this case the system is not that representative of the peoples wishes if a handful of republicans can defeat the bill..

[MrSlayer]

25. Not as shameful as repealing the inside trading law.

Or as shameful as not passing the jobs act, the jobs for vets act and several other things.

But yeah, still pretty shameful. Or it would be if these sons of bitches had any shame, which they don't.

[AngryOldDem]

29. Cowards.

We need to take this country back from the NRA and their ilk. I hope people remember this in 2014.

They care more about their power than they do the general welfare of the public. Just when you think they can't sink any lower, they do.

[Myrina]

30. Yeah, funny thing, that ...

.... POTUS being outraged that DC is not listening to "what 90% of Americans want" ... you know, sorta like him not listening to the +70% of us who also want higher taxes on millionaires, expansion of Social Security & Medicare/Medicaid, Wall Street Fraud investigated & prosecuted, and the Keystone XL Pipeline stopped ...


I am so disgusted with all of it I want to vomit, then throw my pc & tv out the window.

[quadrature]

37. if this is important enough to get angry about...

why wasn't it important enough to be
addressed in late 2009 when
Democrats held the House and there
were 60 members of the Dem Senate Caucus?