Quite a few bloggers out there have commented on the "lameness" of the DNC response from Pelosi and Reid last night after the President's SOU speech. Today, my fav talk radio personality, Michael Medved commented that the two had sort of a dazed look on their faces. Here is what James Taranto of Opinionjournal.com had to say of Pelosi and Reid's post-speech response:
Reid and Pelosi do not, to say the least, present an attractive face to America. As our friend Rich Miniter observed, Reid looked like a doctor who refuses to administer painkillers. As for Pelosi--who is known mostly for being more charming than Barbara Boxer--she stiffly stared at the camera with a deer-in-the-headlights look.
Over all, the tag-team Democratic response had about as much fizzle as a can of soda that's been sitting out all day. To be fair, most seem to think, myself included, that the whole tradition of a post-SOU speech response is a bad idea anyway.
So, why the dazed look on Pelosi and Reid's faces? Personally, I think it has to do with the fact that Democrats are as flummoxed by President Bush as Republicans were by President Clinton. Regardless, you would think that, at the very least, the DNC would have bothered to post the statements made by Reid and Pelosi on their website. There is a response from Terry McAuliffe, but whoever posted his response did not even spell McAuliffe's name correctly!
I've been asking this question often for the past couple of years, but I need to ask it again... What in the hell is going on with the DNC?
But lets get back to this flummoxed thing.
DNC leaders have taken President Bush on time-and-again, certain of their inevitable victory, only to wind up on the ropes, wondering how they got there. It reminds me of a movie I saw just recently, "Miracle," with Kurt Russell. The movie is, of course, the cinematic portrayal of the historic victory of the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympic Games. Kurt Russell brilliantly plays the part of legendary coach Herb Brooks, who was able to devise a strategy which allowed his team to dominate nearly every rival team during the olympics and, ultimately, unseat the world-champion Soviets in dramatic fashion before going on to defeat Finland and winning the gold medal in the final round.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
Reid and Pelosi reminded me of two aging school marms who suddenly found out that they have to teach sex ed to 5th graders.
And what they can't grasp, because to accept this fact would be to declare their party irrelevant, is that the American people - including most Democrats - just want the government to give as much of our money back as possible and leave us the hell alone. And this is true at every economic level and in every age group.
Dave
2 - Maurice
If I had known that Bush would do something about SS I would have voted for him. Let's hope he is even partially successful.
3 - RJ
Who did you vote for, Maurice?
4 - Eric Berlin
The level of gloating nowadays about how great and high and mighty the GOP is... interesting.
Things have a way of swinging back and forth is what I'm getting at.
What's interesting is how little of this pervasive snideness has to do with bettering people's lives, improving our security, etc. So what if Reid and Pelosi looked dazed in their reaction? What does that have to do with anything? They're minority leaders in Congress, and that's it.
Enjoy the guffaws/ride while it lasts, says I.
Eric Berlin
Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash
5 - Maurice
I didn't vote. First one I've skipped since 1980. I'm not a party guy. I vote according to how close the candidates attitudes reflect my beliefs. This year neither did.