What should he be doing about it?

I am not a fan or a supporter of this President's policies, but there is little he could do about Japan that he is not already doing. He's a sports fan, so he filled out a bracket. I am busy. I have a grandchild who is supposed to make his entry into the world this week, I have to preach, visit, counsel and other things but I filled out a bracket. (Go Duke! :thumbs: )

I think when we disagree with anyone including the President, we become nit pickers. This isn't just with President Obama, it happened with Presidents Bush and Clinton.

 

We had a member of our congregation go through a terrible accident and pass away on Monday. During that time I was with the family and friends off and on during their difficult time. I'm continuing to be involved because we care for them. This is a hard time.

Monday evening after I got home from the hospital I sat down and filled out two March Madness Brackets.

So did I lack something in my pastoral care of that family? Should I have sat, motionless in my study awaiting more word from the family as they slept through the night?

RE: The President's situation, this kind of silly attack is just plain ridiculous. Do we really think that a person can't do two things at once? Do we really think the President wasn't involved in sending aid and talking with influencers? Do we really think he sat down in the Oval Office and for six hours contemplated whether or not San Diego State has a shot at the Final Four...or Ohio State?

This is the silly, underhanded foolishness that makes no sense. Do the pundits really have no better accusation or way to slander him than to do this? Come on people.

To my knowledge the President has done whatever he can to provide aid and support to Japan during this time.

 

What attacks are these?

 

I have no problem with the timing of his NCAA picks, I also have no problem with him golfing. The less he puts his hands on, the better off we all are. There are plenty of charitable orginizations that can do a much better job at dispensing private charity donations than he ever could.

 

Publicly offer aid and assistance, both financial, manpower, and technical. Publicly ask Americans to help out with donations and/or labor. And not be seen filling out his brackets or mentioning it in public.

 

I agree. (Plus more characters to make a post)

 

And then he'd be accused of spending too much money, trying to attract attention, and trying to seem more important than he is.

He is going to be criticized no matter what. I say he should fill out the bracket if he wants.

 

First of all, it isn't just Japan. The Middle East is on fire and Obama is nowhere to be found. The economy is in the tank and Obama's out playing golf. Gas is rising to near $4 a gallon and Obama, who routinely criticized President Bush for "allowing" gas prices to rise, is silent.

What, exactly, does this guy do but play golf and basketball with his buddies?

 

I feel the same way, Curtis, but I just want a little consistency from the Left.

President Bush was shamed so (and unfairly so) because he played three rounds of golf that he literally gave up golf. All we heard while he was president was "Oh, all ol' Dummy Bush does is go on vacation to that stupid ranch of his!" And yet, what does Obama ever do but go on vacation and play golf and basketball and where is anybody at all on the Left questioning his constant absence?

Although I guess we shouldn't be surprised. After all, this is a guy who abandoned his post as Senator and missed 3/4 of votes and virtually all of his committee duties in order to hit the campaign trail.

I wasn't a Bush supporter. I voted for him grudgingly because at that time, I was still of the "a vote for a third party candidate is a vote for Gore/Kerry" mindsetl, but I was never very happy with him. I guess you'd have to go all the way back to Reagan to find a president who really made my leg tingle, to borrow a line from Chris "I make Keith Olberman look almost sane" Matthews.

I didn't mind people criticizing Reagan when he deserved it and I don't think people should criticize Obama when he doesn't. But there should at least be some kind of consistent standard.

If something was wrong for Bush, then it's wrong for Obama. If something is right for Obama, then it was right for Bush.

 

Well, he also likes to take vacations. . . .

 

OIL is an international commodity and the price of crude is set by the commodity boards. Further, "our" oil is owned by international corporations, not by "us." What should Obama do? Nationalize all US oil reserves? Wouldn't that be "communistic?" Someone please post a Republican/capitalist solution.

 

OK, I think I can put it into words...

PiJ, for you to do the NCAA thing as a diversion is fine. We all need that.

But if you spend time when you should be ministering to the family talking about your picks...that would be unwise.

Obama can't seem to understand that appearances matter.

He's taking time out not just to fill out brackets...but to go on TV and discuss them? In this time, he should use every ounce of his bully pulpit to deal with the crises at hand.

 

Touche. I didn't claim he takes more than his predecessors, I just said he likes to take vacations. At least, that's all the US news media seems to report him doing along with giving speeches and playing ball.

I don't know why he's expected to take care of Japan or why his filling out a sports bracket would make a difference, though.

 

It doesn't matter what President Obama does or doesn't do. Carpro and company will attack him. If he acts, they will complain that he isn't doing the right thing; if he doesn't act, they will complain that he isn't acting. It's like having a bunch of Limbaugh clones posting on the Baptistboard.

 

Valid points, every one of them. I agree there is left-wing media hypocricsy.

 

Well done Salty!