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Isn't it a bit hypocritical to lecture your political opponents to stop playing politics when you're in the midst of doing that very thing? There were a couple lines in President Obama's job speech last week that just stuck out like a sore thumb.
First, the admonition:
"Stop the political circus," an animated Obama told a joint session of Congress in a nationally televised speech. Over and over he implored lawmakers to "pass this jobs bill."
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"The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities. The question tonight is whether we'll meet ours," Obama said. "The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy."
But then, in the same account, covering the same speech, the irony:
Politics shadowed every element of Obama's speech. He appealed to people watching on TV to lobby lawmakers to act. He did the same thing before his speech in an email to campaign supporters, bringing howls of hypocrisy from Republicans who wondered why Obama was telling them to put party above country.
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"I know some of you have sworn oaths to never raise any taxes on anyone for as long as you live," Obama said, a reference to the conservative tea party influence on many House Republicans. "Now is not the time to carve out an exception and raise-middle class taxes, which is why you should pass this bill right away."
So how exactly do you expect to be credible when you lecture people to stop with the politics, when you take cheap political shots at the Tea Party, level political accusations attempting to sway the American people against your opponents, and email your campaign supporters essentially telling them just moments before the speech, "Watch this, guys!?"
Here's the recipe: one part ignorance, twelve parts arrogance, and throw in a dash of double standard just to make it spicy. America is gagging on Chef Obama's bitterly partisan cooking.
