As noted earlier, I had the opportunity to attend much of the GOP Retreat in Baltimore today. I interviewed several Members about the session with President Obama, and I interviewed Congressman Pete Sessions about the upcoming midterm elections. Here they are, unedited:
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Retire Nancy Pelosi.....
NeoKong (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 1:37AM EST (link)That’s a hell of goal.
It can’t happen soon enough.
There is something just so fundamentally wrong with that woman having so much power.
Let’s roll.
Follow me on Twitter.
No, fire Nancy Pelosi
Scope (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 5:42PM EST (link)and make her go pick grapes.
You know the first thing that strikes me in watching these?
IronDioPriest (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:26AM EST (link)It’s the fact that old, traditional media is truly on it’s way to the graveyard.
When a blogger with a video camera and a microphone can garner the detailed attention of several committee chairs, and disseminate their message in total, in one place, my, how things have changed. The alphabet channels couldn’t compete with that if they wanted to. More and more people are turning to where they can get the news directly, and RedState is an excellent place for that.
Oh…. and Issa? He needs to get a clue.
“If we finally fail in this great and glorious contest, it will be by bewildering ourselves in groping for the middle way.”
-John Adams, 1776
Join in the conservative forum discussion at “It’s About Liberty”: http://www.itsaboutliberty.com
Striking...
MetaCosm (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 4:12AM EST (link)It is a sea-change isn’t it… with cheap, hand-held HD video recorders with mic in (for stereo mics) and the computing power to quickly render and get those videos online… and army of people recording and posting video will be impossible to compete with for sheer volume of content.
Better mics and steadier hands(gorilla stand) and the differences between the alphabet networks and the bloggers in video / audio quality becomes a wash… add in the fact that youtube now has real HD… and many channels aren’t HD, and the bloggers might well have the quality edge soon.
~ MetaCosm
consensus of the intellectuals
burgerkang Saturday, January 30th at 7:30AM EST (link)It’s interesting, that the “consensus” of the economists about the stimulus that Obama talks about is very similar to the “consensus” of the scientists about global warming.
BK, I was thinking the same thing. - n/t
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 8:22AM EST (link).
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
Welcome to RS.
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 8:25AM EST (link)Read your profile after I read your post and commented.
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
and it's always "unexpectedly", isn't it?
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 12:35PM EST (link)–this month, unemployment “unexpectedly” went up.
–another “unexpectedly” cold winter
Yeah those guys are pips, aren’t they? And they’re as much scientist as I am Notre Dame fan.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
Yeah, well, let me be perfectly clear that it's unprecedented as well. -nt-
eburke (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:02PM EST (link)“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Am I the only one on RS that thinks that Paul
blaze422 (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 8:04AM EST (link)Ryan is presidential timber? I solicited opinions several months ago and was met with crickets chirping.
Paul Ryan 2016
tjexcite (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 10:53AM EST (link)not 2012 unless needed. At the rate Obama is going, a ham sandwich with a R can win or a any D with the guts to offer a challenge. Ryan has many years to try as he is still very young in age (just turned 40) and politic terms.
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all
Brett Baer's Friday Flash Panel
mriggio (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 11:11AM EST (link)also mentioned Ryan’s presidential potential, as an “out of the box” far-out prediction, as I recall. I think it was Steve Hayes, but might have been the Hammer, I slept since then….
mriggio
SMSgt, USAF (Ret)
Precinct Committeeman (R)
Tazewell County, Illinois
Save the
CheerleaderParty, save the World! (Heroes, ed.)Is it just me?
bigalsouth (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 8:04AM EST (link)Or does anyone else have a problem with the nomenclature “GOP Retreat”?
How about GOP ATTACK CONFERENCE. Come on Republicans, you have the momentum, Attack! Attack! Attack!
Educate, vent, discuss conservative issues at
http://itsaboutliberty.com
uh, yeah
redryder Saturday, January 30th at 11:30AM EST (link)Near panic attack when I saw it.
BigAl, you've already been there, and said that.
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 11:35AM EST (link)Micro dittos to ya.
http://www.redstate.com/brianfaughnan/2010/01/29/the-house-gop-retreat/#comment-9323
To be fair and balanced, I’ll repeat something I said earlier as well.
Lose the exclamation points. — Now!
http://www.redstate.com/dan_perrin/2010/01/30/sen-hatch-warns-of-outright-war-if-the-dems-try-reconciliation/#comment-7136
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
Yes dear.
bigalsouth (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 1:34PM EST (link)Just “attack attack attack” didn’t have that snippy-ness I was lookin for.
Educate, vent, discuss conservative issues at
http://itsaboutliberty.com
Dude, can *you* read?
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:20PM EST (link)PLEASE!
It’s NOT A RETREAT! It’s a CONFERENCE.
And take off your caps-lock while your at it. I know you didn’t like the use of the word “retreat,” but what did you think of the rest of Brian’s diary?
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
I could not be so diplomatic
RedBeard Saturday, January 30th at 8:54AM EST (link)If I were to describe Obama’s performance at the Republican gathering, the words would be:
Defensive
Petulant
Childish
Ego-centric
Angry
Un-presidential
Obama reminds me of the kings and queens of old who struggled to hold absolute power in the face of opposition from their privy councils and parliaments. He is seemingly convinced that he is blessed with the divine right to rule, and therefore gets furious when anything or anyone gets in his way.
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
Red Beard- I saw the same
Scope (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:15PM EST (link)When he was talking about when they were all over there (in Washington), doing nothing but worrying about their poll numbers, did you notice the face scratch with the middle finger. That was not a mistake.
I also cringed when he said “You guys don’t have alot of room to negotiate with me.” Why did he agree to meet with them then?
He knew he was on camera, his team requested the cameras. It didn’t stop him form making very frustrated and childish faces when any of the Republicans asked him questions.
When one of the Republicans mentioned that the Republicans have come up with their own bills, and that they have been ignored, he made some idiotic remark about them claiming to have a healthcare bill that they claimed did not raise costs. He asked,” how can you come up with a bill, that covers 30 million more people, and say that it wouldn’t cost anything.” So, by saying that, he was saying that he is lying himself. He claims that 30 million more people will be covered, but, the legislation proposed would lower the deficit.
I really like Jason Chafetz, but, he was on fox this morning saying that it was a very productive meeting, that he wants to have more of them, and that he really wants to work with the Democrats on crafting legislation. It seemed that he fell under Obama’s spell yesterday.
The only thing gained by the Republicans in inviting Obama to the meeting, is Obama is on tape lecturing the Republicans, and, showing that this was just another photo op for him. He didn’t budge an inch.
ps- Obama's attitude at the Republican Retreat
Scope (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:20PM EST (link)mirrored his comment in the SOTU address when he talked about the Debt Commission (or whatever it was called) that he wanted set up, but was not passed in Congress. He very arrogantly then stated that that was OK, he will just do it by executive order. He seems to forget that it was a bipartisan vote, as the Republicans could not have voted it down by themselves.
If I had been at the conference...
RedBeard Saturday, January 30th at 4:02PM EST (link)…I would have stood up and said the following to Mr. Obama:
“Mr. President, have you ever read your job description? By that I mean the one in the Constitution. Your job is to administer the law and act as Commander-in-Chief, to make treaties, and to nominate judges and ambassadors and such, the latter two powers only with consent from the Senate. Nowhere in your official job decription is there anything calling for you to legislate anything. That, Sir, is the exclusive power granted to Congress.
We will listen to your opinion, but will not be bullied by someone who over-reaches his authority and presumes to set himself up as some sort of super-legislator, or even, as it appears at times, a would-be monarch.
My advice to you, Sir, is to spend your time learning how to be a better C-i-C and a better executive. A start would be for you to read the Constitution, a document with which you seem wholely unfamiliar.
Thank you for coming. We will call upon you if we desire further input from you.”
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
Amen RedBeard- And I would have been the first to stand an applaud your speech
Scope (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 5:12PM EST (link)and then we would have been sitting across from each other in the paddy wagon on our way to the gulag.
Obama took bodyblows all day on that
skicougar (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 9:35AM EST (link)and he should have. He, his staff and the democrats in congress have been flat out mistating to the extreme or lying in some cases what the GOP has done the past year.
Hopefully, today Obama gets his just desserts. He meets with Bush Sr. today.
If I were Bush Sr., I’d pop him and tell him to lay off my son, act like a man and do the job that you asked for. Unfortunately, the Bushes are much more civilized than I am.
Eat ‘em up Houston Cougars !
skicougar- Don't forget that Bush Sr.
Scope (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:23PM EST (link)has always been a little to cozy with the Democrats, particularly Clinton. There was also an article recently that claimed that Bush Jr. said he always talked with Clinton.
from rep. Ryan
skicougar (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 9:51AM EST (link)in case you missed it. very important IMO
paraphrasing-
the president’s spending bills have resulted in an “84%” raise in spending from the treasury.
84% ?
and the results in jobs are ?
next time a democrat is defending Obama, you should throw that number from Ryan at them.
Eat ‘em up Houston Cougars !
These guys are the FIREWALL
redryder Saturday, January 30th at 11:27AM EST (link)that have kept the Trojan Horse from getting it s viruses through Congress this year. The Progressives have the Media, they have the leadership and majoirty in House and Senate, they have permeated the White House and are attacking every institution that has made this country great and strong and the Hope of freedom loving people everywhere.
These guys are not just the party of NO. They are the FIREWALL!
Great work, Brian
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 12:37PM EST (link)Very nice, and you got some of the biggest guns on camera. Also, as somebody alluded to above, we didn’t get this kind of candor even from the FNC coverage.
Here I was afraid that these Repubs were too trusting, and from these interviews I find quite the contrary. They’re on their game, just like we need them.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
I am a huge fan of Tom Price
muffin Saturday, January 30th at 1:02PM EST (link)and I wish he were my congressman. Remember this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewafPV2brQA
Fortitudine vincimus – By endurance we conquer
1 dominates 140
samhouston Saturday, January 30th at 2:21PM EST (link)The President’s appearance at the House GOP retreat yesterday was the most enthralling televised event I’ve seen in politics in a long time (so it’s no wonder faux news gutlessly cut away from it halfway in).
The House Repubs, especially Mike Pence deserve a great deal of credit for inviting the POTUS and for agreeing to have the cameras there. The televised exchange was good for the country.
Seeing the President single-handedly clean the collective clock of the House Repub delegation with his ready command of the facts and his superior ability to speak cogently has truly re-energized his supporters.
I hope they do this again soon…if the Repubs have the cojones (though at least one told Luke Russert off-record that this was a bad idea because the Prez dominated them for the whole nation to see…except faux viewers of course).
samhouston- You have just earned the outloud belly laugh of the day
Scope (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:43PM EST (link)I suppose you especially liked the part where Obama descended from the heavens on a cloud, and then walked on water to get to the meeting. I hate to tell you this though, the Republicans cleaned Obama’s clock. He showed himself to the nation, once again, just how much of a complete fool he is. You just can’t shine sh!t.
Scope - You go ahead and stick to that assessment...
samhouston Saturday, January 30th at 3:02PM EST (link)..meanwhile people of ideological bents who actually saw the whole thing and have a sense of reality can come to the more sensible conclusion.
This is exactly what the POTUS’s supporters needed. It is the most energizing event since election night 08.
It is also good for the country for events like this to take place regularly. I doubt though that the Repubs will have the guts to do something like this again in front of the cameras – even if it is 100+ to 1 – after the way they got owned.
Does your mother know you're down in the basement doing that?
Achance (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:07PM EST (link)Another of Comrade Obama’s useful idiots chiming in. ‘Course, he does need the young and the mindless to survive, doesn’t he?
In Vino Veritas
ROFL, Art! -nt-
eburke (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:18PM EST (link)“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
G'bye
Neil Stevens (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:09PM EST (link)Fascist shills not welcome.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
But the dreamland which he inhabits *was* entertaining....
eburke (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:15PM EST (link)well, at least it was until ‘certain people’ got rid of him.
Kill joy.
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
I'm hoping Neil keeps SamHouston around
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:12PM EST (link)at least for another hour or so.
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
Too late, Neil's got an itchy trigger finger today! nt
Achance (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:13PM EST (link)In Vino Veritas
Then why is his trigger finger not killing him yet
Richard Mullins (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:23PM EST (link)All Neil has done so far has been to white his comments out. No killing yet. I think Neil is getting too soft hearted today. I’m sure I’m going to find out what kind of puff-ball he is in August. Oh well.
Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
No he's gone
Neil Stevens (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:25PM EST (link)I’ve reported to the powers that be that this 15 minute caching of user pages is a bad idea, but we’ll see.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
I take it back, the killing was a timebomb. -nt-
Richard Mullins (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:27PM EST (link)Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
Oh, well. I tried.
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:14PM EST (link)nt
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
Not a chance...
Neil Stevens (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:15PM EST (link)…Not when I just got robbed in a round of Mario Kart.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
So, can we get a "Mario Kart" tracking sheet going here
eburke (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:16PM EST (link)so that we know those times at which we need to be especially polite and nice?
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Temporary thing
Neil Stevens (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:19PM EST (link)Having played in one of the RS Editors and Alumni games recently, I decided to try to unlock the last stuff I had to unlock. I’m down to Dry Bowser (working on it now) and Rosalina (actually renting Mario Galaxy from GameFly to get it).
Once I get the (one?) star I have left for Dry Bowser I’ll be done, done, done.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Wow... speaking of "single-hadedly"
randy streu (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:59PM EST (link)I’m thinking that’s how this glowing lovefest was typed.
Blogging also at
SLC Republitarian
The Minority Report
randy streu
samhouston Saturday, January 30th at 3:05PM EST (link)I must admit that’s a good one. Nicely done. I’m not the only one who sees it this way though.
Are you for real or are you joking?
Richard Mullins (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:03PM EST (link)Also, are you by chance the Democrats nominee for a Texas Supreme court office in 2008? I want to know. BTW, the President did badly when came to speaking with the GOP at their retreat. Even watching CNN could tell me that. It really seemed that he wasn’t at his A Game and he was fumbling all the way. I hope we can get more of his fumbling of speech in the coming months. Getting out his environment hurts him.
Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
Yeah, it really sucks for BO when the TOTUS is in the shop for repairs. -nt-
eburke (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:13PM EST (link)“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Eburke, that is funny!
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:16PM EST (link)Love the repair shop angle.
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
Ummm...you're kidding, right?
eburke (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:05PM EST (link)*Please* tell me you were just being sarcastic.
Otherwise, my loving concern for your health compels me to remind you that typing with one hand can lead to blindness.
Just tryin’ to help.
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
During the campaign (pre-presidency) I hoped Obama would keep his promise
SoFiMil (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 3:08PM EST (link)and do town hall debates with McCain. The “Orator” wisely didn’t, because even now he knows he as POTUS is nothing without TOTUS.
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com
So we have lots of up and comers....like
gracie (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:41PM EST (link)Paul Ryan and Pence. I also happen to think Boby Jindal is one of the most capable people in America. So much more so than last year’s speech showed him to be. But who is ready Now? 2012?
We need someone who is kick ass or we won’t hold onto it long enough to fix this mess. Ideas?
Be patient. Work the grass roots. It's still 2010, not 2011.
acat (Diary) Saturday, January 30th at 2:59PM EST (link)Yes, the Repub candidates for POTUS in 2012 are starting their exploration. So what? There’s no need to embrace one yet – that’s like getting married in high school – it’s right for some, but not for most.
The most important things now are to support the best 2010 candidates we can find in *every* race (remember Massachusetts hadn’t been contested in years…) and get conservatives into the ground level (precinct-men or equivalent) of the GOP so, when “the party” makes a decision, it’s the right one.
Any leaders who try to emerge will be immediately landed on by the media. So what? We don’t need leaders to know what to stand for. The longer we deny the raving leftists a target, the less time they’ll have to react to our eventual leader. This is a Good Thing.
Calm down and be patient.
Mew
——

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost”. –Tolkein