Unidentified GOP Leader to Obama: "I cannot even stand to look at you"

[Brown]

According to a Facebook post by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, an unidentified Republican leader told President Barack Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you." The remark occurred during negotiations over the government shutdown.

"Many Republicans searching for something to say in defense of the disastrous shutdown strategy will say President Obama just doesn't try hard enough to communicate with Republicans," he [Durbin] wrote. "What are the chances of an honest conversation with someone who has just said something so disrespectful?"

Durbin did not offer any additional details as to who made the remark or when the meeting occurred, and a spokesman declined further comment. Representatives for House Republican leaders did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If this is true, there ought to be a clamoring for the disrespectful turd to identify himself before he gets outed. There further ought to be a report as to what the President said in response. It might be something like, "If you can't stand to look at me, allow me to show you ... the door."

 

[Alferd_Packer]

I'm surprised that they don't call him a "porch monkey" to his face.

You know they call him that in their little secret meetings.

 

[mikedenk]

I'm surprised that they don't call him a "porch monkey" to his face.

You know they call him that in their little secret meetings.

Project much?

I'm curious how far you will stretch for an excuse to spew racial slurs.

Durbin's anecdote is total BS.

 

[Upchurch]

Durbin's anecdote is total BS.

Well, it's disputed. We now have anecdotal evidence against anecdotal evidence. The onus is now on Durbin to, somehow, support his claim. Unless it was recorded, I can't imagine how that might reasonably happen.

 

[DavidJames]

Well, it's disputed. We now have anecdotal evidence against anecdotal evidence. The onus is now on Durbin to, somehow, support his claim. Unless it was recorded, I can't imagine how that might reasonably happen.

The idea is crazy, it's almost as absurd as a member of Congress yelling out "You Lie" in the middle of the State of the Union.

 

[Upchurch]

The idea is crazy, it's almost as absurd as someone yelling out "You Lie" in the middle of the State of the Union.

And what are the odds of something like that happening?


eta: I should say that the onus is on Durbin to, probably, provide his source. Assuming Durbin didn't completely fabricate the whole thing, it's entirely possible that whoever told him the story was lying.

 

[Ladewig]

I have an opinion, but I am guessing that it will be wiser to use the oft-mentioned 24-hour-delay before commenting.

 

[Brown]

The idea is crazy, it's almost as absurd as a member of Congress yelling out "You Lie" in the middle of the State of the Union.

Had the "You lie!!" incident not occurred, and had there not been some Republican leaders who routinely let insulting and thoughtless remarks spill out from their pie-holes, I would give the story little weight. I don't know whether the story is true or not. The story has, however, at least a ring of plausibility to it.

So now it's put-up-or-shut-up time for Durbin. If he really stands by his story, he's got to "out" the offender and identify the meeting in question. He's got to get others at the meeting, who may have been witnesses, to back him up.

It may be that someone will say that somebody got flustered at one of the meetings and said something like, "I can't stand it" or "I can't stand how you're not listening, Mister President," and Durbin reported the remark wrong, making it more insulting than it actually was.

 

[eeyore1954]

Respect in politics from both sides is sorely lacking. I would not be surprised if it is true and I believe the President should be treated with respect.


Almost everyone should be treated with respect.

 

[Ladewig]

Leaving aside the truth, the falsity, or the truthiness of the claim, Am I the only one surprised that the Tea Party panderers haven't all stepped forward to take credit? I am Spartacus . No, I am Spartacus. No, I am Spartacus.

 

[Ladewig]

Respect in politics from both sides is sorely lacking. I would not be surprised if it is true and I believe the President should be treated with respect.


Almost everyone should be treated with respect.

I imagine someone, somewhere, in the Republican party would reply: for over five years, he has treated our party and our country with disrespect - why should we continue to respect him when he has desecrated so much that we hold holy?

 

[ravdin]

The idea is crazy, it's almost as absurd as a member of Congress yelling out "You Lie" in the middle of the State of the Union.

Except that we have plenty of non-anecdotal evidence that this actually occurred.

 

[Upchurch]

Except that we have plenty of non-anecdotal evidence that this actually occurred.

You are correct. We have documentation of this level of Republican legislators blatant disrespect for the President in the past. I think that was David's point.

 

[ponderingturtle]

How does someone think they can refute this charge? With republican foot in mouth disorder it is reasonable to believe and with out specifics as to who and when, why should a refutation be considered valid?

I mean I would have been more suprised by the lack of knowledge that is common in the republican party that the national parks service is part of the federal government, but we still have video of a republican legislator harassing a ranger for a park being closed durring the shut down.

 

[Skepticemea]

It's a poor reputation you have when a charge such as this is so easily believed.

 

[seayakin]

Respect in politics from both sides is sorely lacking. I would not be surprised if it is true and I believe the President should be treated with respect.


Almost everyone should be treated with respect.

That I can agree with. I have personally witnessed my liberal friends use this kind of language with conservatives and have heard my conservative family use this kind of language with Obama and others. I think if we could be a fly on a while in many meetings among the parties we would hear demonization of the other.

 

[sir drinks-a-lot]

Got to love this JREF political threads. This one took all the way until post #2 until someone said "repubilcans are racist"!

 

[PGH]

It's official.

Politics have become high school.

"Ooh Dickie! Did someone really say that? Then what did you say? Oh my god, for real??"

 

[Crossbow]

Got to love this JREF political threads. This one took all the way until post #2 until someone said "repubilcans are racist"!

Well in all fairness, Republicans do have a rather poor history when it comes to their personal dealings with Obama.

Quite a few people at a McCain for President rally were chanting "Kill Him!" when the subject of Obama was raised.
Palin said that the Obama Health Care Plan would involve the formation of "death panels".
There was the Republican who called Obama a liar during a State of the Union Address.
There have been numerous Republicans who claimed that Obama was not born in the USA.

And so on.

So gosh knows what happens when these stupid, idiotic, lying Republicans have to say when they are away from the TV cameras.

 

[sir drinks-a-lot]

So gosh knows what happens when these stupid, idiotic, lying Republicans have to say when they are away from the TV cameras.

I'm sure it's nothing but racist comments.