Matthew S, in a previous post talking about a photo of President Obama with his feet up on the oval office desk, offered up, as some sort of equivalency, a number of images of other presidents with their feet up on the historical Resolute desk. One photo – horrors! – was of our 40th President eating breakfast on that piece of history. David K.M. Klaus also commented that, in the aftermath of the display of these photos, he is surprised that I “haven’t personally acknowledged that this is common human behavior for a stressed executive trying to relax.”
Points taken, if that were all there were to this.
(ALERT...I am not going to make nice in the following paragraphs. If you are hoping for consensus and happy/happy/joy/joy and rainbows and lollipops and “Why can’t we all just get along?? *sob*”, close your browser now and be on your merry way).
MY point I was trying to make has to do with the totality of the disdain for the job and the absolute galactic underestimation this Obama crew has for this whole Presidential gig. Yes, President Bush has had his feet up on the desk…yes, President Ford has had his feet up on the desk…yes, there are photos of President Nixon with his feet up on the desk…hell…I’ve had my feet up on MY desk. We won’t get into what President Clinton did with that desk – I think we all know where that story goes (Hat tip to SJ Bill for mentioning that in the comments).
President Obama’s image of his feet up on the Resolute Desk is simply an image that speaks volumes. It is an image that reflects the mindset of an administration that thinks little of and cares little for the history and aura that exists in that office and around that desk. It is not only a severe lack of attention to detail – every new administration will go through these learning curves – but it is a continued and almost methodological lack of attention to detail that screams out “We do not care what you people think! We will do things *our* way!”. It is a disdain that is highlighted by and shares the limelight with:
the returning of the Churchill bust…
giving the Queen an IPOD full of….Obama’s speeches…
giving the Dalai Lama cufflinks (They go well with his robes)…
And while we’re on the Lama, how about that classy exit Obama made the Dalai do after the meeting? Yes, those are trash bags around – I guess going out the front door vice the back door might have offended the Chinese…
A set of DVDs to British Prime Minister Brown that won’t play on British systems…
Hiring a Tax Cheat to run the Internal Revenue Service…
Its plunging this nation into more debt and faster than anyone else in the history of mankind. 
Other headlines?
“The government racked up a record-high monthly budget deficit of $220.9 billion in February, the Treasury Department announced today.”
“The government ended the 2009 fiscal year with a record $1.4 trillion shortfall. The Obama administration has forecast a $1.56 trillion deficit for this year.”
“President Obama’s proposed budget would add more than $9.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, congressional budget analysts said Friday.”
This is “good stewardship” of the nation?
It is his “Apology” tour right after he took office. It is the death of “American Exceptionalism” – and if *you* don’t think you are exceptional as an American in this world, that is *your* problem.
Shall we talk about the collective Democrats? The latest Massa saga? Rangel? Holder and his Justice Dep’t attorneys general who defended accused terrorists who are now making policy on those same accused terrorists? Dodd? Pelosi’s “drain the swamp”? The most ethical congress in history? Reid? Stark? Cornhusker Kickback? Louisiana Purchase? GatorAid? Reconciliation? The Slaughter Solution? Some leadership.
I could go on and on and on. I don’t think anyone (well, anyone *reasonable*) can argue the fact that this President has squandered electoral capital and national good will faster than any other chief executive in history. Latest approval rating is at 43% – it took President Bush 6 years to get there – Obama did it in 14 months.
Its the totality of the thing. Its taking everything into account. Its taking a close look at how this administration is run – indeed, a reflection of the person at the top. It is looking at what the priorities are, the “Never let a crisis go to waste” approach to governing. The “Community Organizer”. When President Obama puts his feet up on the desk made from wood of the ship HMS Resolute, it isn’t “just like all the others”. When he is surrounded by the likes of Emmanuel and Axlerod, it isn’t merely a “stress reliever”. It is a physical example of his disdain for this nation. After he goes around the world saying “America is not special”, when he emphasized the death of “American Exceptionalism” with the attitude that “Everyone is exceptional!”, when he puts his feet up on the desk, he shows he really, really believes that.
MatthewS and David K.M. and John and Nan and anyone else, I understand your desire to try and make this out to be just another “feet up on the desk” image. Fine. If that is how you look at this thing, knock yourself out. You can do that.
I do not agree. In the least. At all. If there IS a death of American Exceptionalism in this world, it is because we have an administration that no longer believes it is special to be an American. It doesn’t believe we are (or ever were, most likely) that “shining city on a hill”, as the breakfast-eating-on-the-desk 40th President called it. Its funny…Churchill said one of the inherent virtues of socialism is the “…equal sharing of misery.” President Obama seems to give faith and body to that belief .
Bull.
Matthew S // Mar 11, 2010 at 11:49 am
Ah now Pinch, that is much better context. I understand where you are coming from much better now. I still think it is just a guy caught in a relaxation moment, however you’re post here very much clears up the meaning behind the first post.
I actually put that Dalai Lama story on my facebook when it happened. Not too surprisingly, nobody commented on it.
J. Carmichael // Mar 11, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Hear Hear!!!!
Parrothead Jeff // Mar 11, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Pinch, you may not have continued the picture a day bit, but you’ve got the stamina to continue to deal with the likes of this when I’m about ready to just pitch it all over the fantail, so to speak.
Keep up the great work, Sir!
MissBirdlegs in AL // Mar 11, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Amen & Amen, Pinch! The BS just continues to get deeper every day with some new revelation. I saw the picture as just a symptom, too.
Kevin // Mar 12, 2010 at 12:13 am
I take him at his word from his election night speech. The part about “remaking this nation.”
Remaking the nation will be a lot easier once it is broken. It is his intent to break the bank. I think he knows exactly what he is doing.
Born to a communist/socialist. Reared and influenced by a communist/socialist. In college he was attracted by and hung out with communists/socialists. Became friends with a terrorist. Organized the community with socialists. Its all he knows.
Stan // Mar 12, 2010 at 9:43 am
I did not vote for him I just hope the people that did have opened there eyes. Good work Pinch I just love to read your Blog and the Tomcat pictures are great.
Anna Puma // Mar 13, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Spot on Pinch. Feet on such a historical desk shows disrespect.
And add to the list that Eric Holder ‘forgot’ to reveal to the Senate during confirmation hearings that he added his signature to a brief that went to the US Supreme Court arguing against how the Bush Administration handled Jose Padilla.
The stench just keeps getting worse.
FbL // Mar 15, 2010 at 11:20 am
Great cri de couer (or however you spell it), Pinch.
David K. M. Klaus // Apr 4, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Personally, I myself would never put my feet up on that desk because I know what it’s made of, and how high was the cost and I have too much respect for the men who served on her. But that’s me.
I guess if you want to read everything negative into what Mr. Obama has done (including his gift faux pas), then one could see it as part of a syndrome as you do.
One could make a similar syndrome case for Mr. Bush, who walked away from his ANG committment as a 2nd Lieutenant, never finishing his tour, then years later, with no further military experience, started a war by ordering an invasion of a country on the other side of the planet, using the U. S. military for personal revenge against a man who reportedly once plotted to have his father killed. He would appear to have a lack of respect for what the desk means, too.
I don’t entirely agree with your perspective, but I understand how you arrived at it. I certainly don’t expect you to agree with my perspective, but I would hope you could see how I arrived at it.
I think we can both agree that for anyone to put their feet on the Resolution Desk, executive habits regardless, is completely inappropriate.
David K. M. Klaus // Apr 4, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Excuse my mistake, I meant the Resolute Desk, not Resolution.
Pinch // Apr 5, 2010 at 10:51 pm
David,
If you are going to try and step up to the Bush Derangement Syndrome plate and take a swing, I’d appreciate it if you would bring something more than 6 or 8 year old disproven Democratic talking points that ended up getting a whole bunch of people at CBS fired and kicked out on their keister.
If you had stopped by with some well thought out, cogent and logical accusations, things might have been different. Say…if you had left some comments about how STUPID Dubya was because he had traded Sammy Sosa , you would have been on more solid ground than what you did bring.
Go back to your “Bush Lied! Billions Died!” chants and your “Bush Eats Babies” signs and your Bushitler references. I’m trying to be civil here and maintain a positive attitude, but I grow weary of stupid people who keep bringing up old, discredited and false accusations and lack the intellectual rigor and mental firepower to separate the truth wheat from the lying chaff. You were tolerable, David, until you started the national guard BS and the war of revenge crap.
Go find Dan Rather’s or Mary Mapes’ blog and leave some comments there. I’m sure they would appreciate them and will be much more accommodating..
David K. M. Klaus // Apr 6, 2010 at 7:43 am
I have never chanted that. I have never carried a sign like that. I have addressed you politely for the respect I have for you and your service. Please don’t put words in my mouth I haven’t said or attitudes on me I do not hold.
I do believe that the Iraq war was started using lies to the Congress and the American people as justification. I do believe that Bush never finished his Air National Guard service.
I do believe that someone who never rose beyond the most junior flight officer rank on a part-time basis was unqualified to prosecute a war regardless of the need for it. Would you give command of a carrier to a JFO with only a few weeks of experience in a fighter which performed poorly when new (the F-102) and was now outdated by two generations of new aircraft?
Regardless, we agree on a lot, and where we do disagree, can we not address each other respectfully, sir?