White House 'satisfied' with its response to Gulf disaster

*
Team Obama has responded to Sarah Palin's criticism via Twitter of White House chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's false claim that Texas Congressman Joe Barton's apology -- since retracted -- to BP's Chairman reflects GOP party philosophy:

Asked to respond to Palin, White House spokesman Bill Burton noted that some Republicans have defended Barton's comments about the $20 billion claims fund Obama negotiated with BP for victims of the Gulf Coast oil spill.

"We're satisfied that we're doing everything we can to take care of the folks in the Gulf region," Burton added, "and if she doesn't want to own Congressman Barton's comments, that doesn't surprise me."

The problem with Deputy Press Secretary Burton's comment is that while the Obama Administration may be "satisfied" that it is doing all it can to deal with the impact of the worst environmental disaster in the nation's history, most Americans are not at all satisfied with Team Obama's efforts.

Even a poll released Tuesday by CBS News and the NY Times, which oversampled Democrats in comparison to Republicans (by 432 to 302, after being weighted), found that a majority of Americans feel that the president's response was too slow (61 percent) and a plurality (47 percent) believe that he has no clear plan to deal with the crisis in the gulf.

- JP

Sarahcuda tweets: 'Rahm u lie'

*
From Alex Pappas at The DC:

Sarah Palin called White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel a liar on Twitter today, saying his comments on ABC’s “This Week” make him shallow, narrow-minded, political and irresponsible.

"This Week" host Jake Tapper reports on his Political Punch blog:

Emanuel made the case that Barton’s remarks were no mistake. “That’s not a political gaffe, those are prepared remarks. That is a philosophy. That is an approach to what they see. They see the aggrieved party here as BP, not the fishermen,” Emanuel told me during my exclusive This Week interview.

Emanuel said Barton and Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul, who recently called the President’s criticism of BP “un-American,” are a reflection of the Republican Party’s governing philosophy. “They think that the government’s the problem,” Emanuel said. “And I think what Joe Barton did was remind the American people, in case they forgot, how the Republicans would govern.”

In response to Emanuel's claims, Gov. Palin tweeted Sunday afternoon:

RahmEmanuel= as shallow/narrowminded/political/irresponsible as they come,to falsely claim Barton's BP comment is "GOP philosophy"Rahm,u lie

Barton retracted his “apology” to BP last week amid an uproar from members of both political parties.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 3, 2010)

*
Lori Calabrese:

"Since Palin's Facebook note, it's been reported that Emanuel has apologized to the Special Olympics chairman and CEO Tim Shriver, but without Palin bringing the comment to light, is it something that would have been swept under the rug?"

- JP

Rahm Apologizes in the Wake of Sarah's Criticism

*
Sarah Palin has forced an apology out of President Obam'a foul-mouthed chief White House goon, Rahm Emanuel. Jeff Zeleny at the NY Times' "The Caucus" blog has the story:

Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, apologized for using the word “retarded” to describe liberals at a closed-door meeting last year.

Mr. Emanuel expressed his regret to Tim Shriver, the chief executive officer of the Special Olympics, last week after the remark was reported in an article by The Wall Street Journal about growing liberal angst at the chief of staff.

The apology comes as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called on President Obama to fire Mr. Emanuel. In a statement on her Facebook page, Ms. Palin described the comments as a “sick and offensive tactic.”

Sarah 1, Rahm Zero.

- JP

Sarah Palin: Is Rahm Emanuel Capable of Decency?

*
On her Facebook Notes page tonight, Sarah Palin called recent tactics of Rahm Emanuel "sick and offensive":

Are You Capable of Decency, Rahm Emanuel?

The newly-released mind-boggling, record-smashing $3,400,000,000,000 federal budget invites plenty of opportunity to debate the merits of incurring more and more debt that will drown the next generation of Americans. Never has it been possible to spend your way out of debt. So... let the debate begin.

Included in the debate process will be opportunities for our president to deliberate internally the wisdom of this debt explosion, along with other economic, military and social issues facing our country. Our president will discuss these important issues with Democrat leaders and those within his inner circle. I would ask the president to show decency in this process by eliminating one member of that inner circle, Mr. Rahm Emanuel, and not allow Rahm’s continued indecent tactics to cloud efforts. Yes, Rahm is known for his caustic, crude references about those with whom he disagrees, but his recent tirade against participants in a strategy session was such a strong slap in many American faces that our president is doing himself a disservice by seeming to condone Rahm’s recent sick and offensive tactic.

The Obama Administration’s Chief of Staff scolded participants, calling them, “F---ing retarded,” according to several participants, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Just as we’d be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the “N-word” or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities – and the people who love them – is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking.

A patriot in North Andover, Massachusetts, notified me of Rahm’s “retarded” slam. I join this gentleman, who is the father of a beautiful child born with Down Syndrome, in asking why the Special Olympics, National Down Syndrome Society and other groups condemning Rahm’s degrading scolding have been completely ignored by the White House. No comment from his boss, the president?

As my friend in North Andover says, “This isn’t about politics; it’s about decency. I am not speaking as a political figure but as a parent and as an everyday American wanting my child to grow up in a country free from mindless prejudice and discrimination, free from gratuitous insults of people who are ostensibly smart enough to know better... Have you no sense of decency, sir?”

Mr. President, you can do better, and our country deserves better.

- Sarah Palin

The Wall Street Journal article Gov. Palin referred to is here.

- JP

Quote of the Day (July 9, 2009)

*
Meg Stapleton:

"I just hope to God Rahm Emanuel isn't using taxpayer money to come after Alaska."

- JP