Now Congress is a bunch of “shameful” liars, according to President Barack Obama because the Senate didn’t vote for a slew of gun control amendments he demanded. In his remarks about the Senate gun bill’s demise, Obama took his hypocrisy and insults to new heights, revealing an arrogance of power we haven’t seen since President Richard Nixon’s Watergate.
Never mind that some Democrat Senators voted against the expanded background check proposed by Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Joe Manchin (D-W.VA), Obama lambasted Republicans. “90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea,” said Obama. He added, “the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill.”
No, not the National Rifle Association (NRA), Republicans and Democrats told the American people they didn’t think this sprawling bill with all its amendments would do anything to prevent gun violence.
“Would it have prevented the most recent acts of gun violence? In all likelihood, no,” said Senator John McCain, even though he supported the Manchin-Toomey amendment for expanded background checks at gun shows and other commercial sales.
Who do you think Obama is referring to when he uses the word “allies” of the gun lobby? Republicans. Throughout his remarks, Obama castigated and insulted both Republicans and Congress, as if he was running an empire and they were his subjects.
“So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington.”
“But we can do more if Congress gets its act together.“
Seriously? Does Obama think insulting Congress, which makes up a third of government, is the best way to accomplish immigration reform and come to an agreement with Republicans on the government’s budget? In his gun outrage, Obama kissed his second term goodbye.
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Obama might have more luck with Congress if he treated them like an equal partner rather than lecturing members like children how bad they are or telling them what to do as though they were pupils to his will. Equally disturbing was the president accusing the gun lobby and its allies of “spreading untruths about this legislation” and being “better financed.” What a crock! When things don’t go Obama’s way, suddenly the definition of the democratic process is changed.
If anyone spread untruths about a piece of legislation, it was Obama, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid about Obamacare. They lied how much it would cost. And the American people had no idea what was in the over 2,000 pages of the bill because as then-Speaker Pelosi said in 2010, “we have to pass the bill to see what’s in it.”
As for Obama accusing the NRA of being better financed then Democrats that’s disingenuous also. Obama founded Organizing for Action, which he claims is a non-profit but looks and smells just like a Super PAC replete with a donate button. Perhaps it’s time for Obama to do some truth telling and stop thinking Americans are stupid.
But the biggest slap in the face Obama gave to anyone in his White House gun rant was to black America. Everyone recalls the tragic story of Hadiya Pendleton being gunned down in Chicago January 29th, days after performing at Obama’s 2013 inaugural. The city of Chicago, from which Obama hails and represented as a U.S. Senator, is plagued by gun violence, specifically black on black gun violence.
Yet, Obama never mentioned Hadiya in his remarks or the grim statistics of blacks killing and being killed by guns at a higher rate than whites. He uttered the word Chicago once. But Obama referred to the tragedy of Newtown and Gabby Giffords. Obama invited parents of the 20 slain kids of Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut to fly on Air Force One but never offered Hadiya’s parents a flight.
The fact is the Senate bill never had a chance. It was so larded down with amendments and emotions intended to grab headlines that it fell under its own weight. This president truly thinks he’s special because he’s the first black president (and may be our last) and Congress must bow to his will. He’s got a lot of learning to do.
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