Politics Update

President Barack Obama in Michigan today..

"The problem isn't that we don't have answers, the problem is folks are playing political games"

And a few minutes later on calling back Congress from vacation to work on the economy (something echoed by Newt Gingrich in tonight's GOP debate)..

"the last thing we need is Congress spending more time arguing in DC"

Yes, because that would require leadership. He explains that he prefers them home and listening to 'the people' because presumably he thinks they'll all tell him to raise taxes on the rich and pass all of Obama's zillion plans that would have been creating massive growth right now if only Pelosi would have passed them in 2010, er wait, if only the Tea Party wasn't there. Actually he didn't exactly blame the Tea Party but he left the strong impression they were to blame (divided government) for most of the recent problems. He had the good sense not to compare them to terrorists, or even violent extremists, like his sidekick.

That's why he's on the bus tour, so he can spin what 'the people' tell him, which we all know will magically line up with everything on MyBarackObama dot com. In reality he'll hear the same things on the road as the Congress hears at their offices in DC--that the right is fed up with spending and doesn't want tax cuts; and the left is fed up with our Republic and wants forced quasi-socialism to maintain entitlements, and doing so requires the destruction of people who create most of the jobs--those evil rich.

By the way, he's not the first president to set himself up against Congress--almost all of them do it to one level or another, although it seems Obama has a unique disdain for them. Maybe it's his background. Several times he's referred to our "messy democracy" while mentioning that totalitarian governments don't have such impediments. He always clarifies it, but there's that one small voice that says 'if only'. This super congress seems one step closer to a concentration of power unintended in the constitution and the wise old sage will be looking down from Mt Olympus and telling them what to do, so maybe that's an 'almost there' for him.

But it was the negative tone that stood out. Applause was raucous at times, but a lot was polite. They weren't going wild on his bullet points (sorry for the anti-Tuscon metaphor) as in the past. Americans like sunny optimistic presidents, especially during hard times, and the constant furling eyebrow, scolding blamey tone left him looking defeated and vulnerable.

That means the generic GOP challenger is still in good shape. But in looking at the actual GOP candidates in tonight's debate it's not clear whether any of them could keep up with his BS in campaign mode and take him down, economy or not, sunny skies or not. We'll see what happens when Perry gets in, or maybe that mystery candidate (not named Trump), but this current crop is probably not going to cut it. Not even Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul!