Saturday, November 10, 2012
The 1:30 a.m. Phone Call
In a sign that absolutely nothing has changed since Monday, Nov. 5, Republican congressional leaders refused to take the President's phone call immediately following his victory speech Tuesday night.
On account of they were asleep.
What, did the top dogs of the House and the Senate not bother to stay up and watch returns on the biggest political evening of the year? Did they not listen to Romney's concession speech minutes earlier? Did they fall sleep like carefree naifs just moments after suffering crushing losses in two of the three branches of government? (Losses that cost their side billions of dollars.) Did they lie in their beds pretending to be asleep, like so many eight-year-olds before them. Did they fake snore? Did they drink themselves to sleep? People want to know.
And if Boehner and McConnell were asleep (they weren't), do they make it a habit to empower their staff to tell the President of the United States to call back later, when it's more convenient?
/ring ring
/ring ring
Staffer: "John Boehner's office."
Voice: "Please hold for the President."
Staffer: "The who now? Is this a prank?"
Voice:
Voice:
Voice: "I said, please hold for the President. Of the United States."
Staffer:
Voice: "This is the White House. Please hold for t--"
Staffer: "Let me check."
Voice: "Let what"
Staffer: "Can you hold?"
Voice:
Voice:
Voice: "I'm sorry. Please hold fo--"
Staffer: "I checked, and he looks sort of asleep. Do you mind trying again in the morning? Maybe between 10:30 and 11?"
Voice:
Voice: "Hi John, this is President Obama."
Staffer: oh crap "Uh... Ah... Hey..."
POTUS: "Mr. Speaker? Are you all right?"
Staffer: "Mr., um, President, this is Deputy Deputy Communications Director McFrothy. How, how's it, how's it going?"
POTUS:
POTUS: "Pretty good. Had a good day, so far. If a bit long. Look, your boss, McFrothy. I'd like to speak to him."
McFrothy: "Mr. President, sir, he's not available."
POTUS: "Say again?"
McFrothy: "He's not awake, sir. I don't know if I should..."
POTUS: "Look -- ah, never mind."
/dial tone
McFrothy: "Hello?"
I get that the phone calls were made in the dead of night, at 1:30 a.m. I was asleep at that time myself! (Sleeping like a baby, I might add. I did add!) But it's the freakin' President of the United States of America on the line. That means something.
That used to mean something.
The total lack of respect shown for the office of the President is stunning. Classless, too. Sadly, the behavior was predictable. Get ready for more of the same, I guess, from the spoiled children that "run" the Republican Party.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yup. More of the same. It takes some pretty big brass to not take a call from the president. The Republicans still pretend that Obama's not a legitimate president. That kind of arrogance and denial of the truth is what cost them this year's election. And it looks to be their downfall the next time around as well. The best part of all this is that the Republicans are screwed any way you slice it. They HAVE to pass immigration reform this time around just to stop the hemorrhaging of Latino support. But Obama will of course get the credit for any immigration reform bill he signs into law. The Republicans simply missed the boat on this issue, and it will cost them the Latino vote, maybe forever.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on the immigration reform. You can't lose the Latino vote by 44 points and remain a viable party -- not with that segment of the population growing. "Forever" might be a but of hyperbole :) considering that nothing is forever in American politics: segregationist D's in the 1950's and 60's, millionaire tax rates well north of 50 percent, no women's suffrage until the 20th century, etc.
ReplyDelete