“The Food is Safe, Your Excellency”
Apparently the POTUS recently attended lunch with Senate Republicans. However, he passed on eating lunch himself.
The reason? According to Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the President couldn’t eat because his “taster” was not there.
“He looked longingly at it,” Collins continued. “He honestly did look longingly at it, but apparently he has to have essentially a taster, and I pointed out to him that we were all tasters for him, that if the food had been poisoned all of us would have keeled over so, but he did look longingly at it and he remarked that we have far better food than the Democrats do, and I said that was because I was hosting.”
Geez. And people called the Nixon Administration an “Imperial Presidency”.
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Reality Check, Who knows
anonymous (50): true – and irrelevant.
How many times did Reagan, Bush (both), or Clinton refuse to eat at a meal hosted by foreign or domestic government officials specifically because he did not bring his “taster” with him? I do not know of a single such instance. If you have documentation of one, please enlighten me.
This incident shows either abysmally poor planning by the POTUS and/or his staff or willingness to insult people while claiming at the same time to want to “work with them”. The former raises questions of competence and judgement; the latter, of character and honesty.
It is one thing to refuse food prepared under the control of a foreign entity which has little or no supervision by US interests. It is something else entirely to refuse food at a planned function (we were given to believe that it was his idea, weren’t we?) on US soil. It is simply rude, ungracious, and a few other negative things. I don;t frankkky care who it is.
No one will try to kill Obama while Biden is vice president
@52: In terms of overall sentiment you have a point, but the Brits weren’t any more likely to poison Bush than the Republican congressmen (or, more accurately, the dining staff in the Senate chamber) were going to poison Obama.
This also assumes he actually refused the food, rather than simply having had plans with his wife for dinner, or not being hungry, or having sampled things beforehand, or having had an upset stomach, or countless other possibilities. I personally don’t know how much good a ‘taster’ would do in certain circumstances since it’s quite clearly something a would-be attacker would suspect and consequently would choose something slow-acting and tasteless. With countless other real concerns going on, worrying about whether the President has a taster check certain meals -something all recent Presidents have done- is silly, and splitting hairs about which President would check which meals is ridiculous.
#54 Anonymous: if the POTUS had plans for supper, or was not hungry, his personal secretary would have contacted the Senate Dining staff and made that information available. Protocol in DC, and among all the world’s elite, is quite something – seating arrangements, the flowers used for decorative bouquets, and such errata speak of respect or disrespect for one’s family or guests.
There is also the symbolism in simply refusing to eat. There is an old saying: eat the King’s salt, accept the King’s orders. By refusing to eatwith people whom he has spent most of his adult life opposing, the POTUS symbolically demonstrates his independence from Republicans/Congress, and indicates he will not join them in the governing of America.
This is not on par with giving Queen Elizabeth of the UK an iPod with the complete collection of Obama’s speeches on her birthday back in 2009, or having the Dalai Lama slip out the back door, between the sacks of trash, after a ceremonial meeting with Obama.
This is just petty. But Obama is a petty man.
Sorry, AF1 can’t lift off to Martha’s Vineyard, because the primary pilot is unavailable for whatever reason….baloney, you better believe there are numerous top of the line Grade A backups in place who can drive AF1 on a moments notice. Lack of a food taster is so lame. He’s the goddamn POTUS…the most powerful man in the world. This means there is never a lack of a food taster – ever. Barry is being a world class liberal ideologue prick, who only wants to crush the GOP no matter what the cost. Screw him, he’s hallucinating if he thinks the Dems will seize control of the House in 2014.
@51- Bullshit, as usual. The focus of this article, the focus of ALL articles dealing with Barack Obama and security is always “Who does this uppity negro think he is?”. That’s the reason why he used the term “Your excellency” that’s the reason why he used the term “Imperial Presidency”. He’s not complaining that they didn’t bring a second taster, he’s complaining that there was a taster there AT ALL.
So yes the fact that St. Reagan, Clinton, and both Bushes used food tasters is completely relevant. In fact if you want to talk about “your highness” George W. Bush’s food taster didn’t just insure against poison, he also made sure that the mushrooms weren’t cooked in wine.
Security of our President USED to be something that was non-political. It used to be that Presidents could go on vacations, golf outings etc. and BOTH parties would accept that these things cost money and that it’s a worthwhile expense in order to spare the world another assassination.
@55- If you want to look at petty, take a look in the mirror, Dave-O. He gave the queen an I-pod filled with images and videos of her 2007 visit. The Dalai Lama was not escorted out the “Back door” he left through the Palm Room Doors because he was on his way to meet reporters and that was the closest exit.
Sippy…going on golf outings and vacations is ALL this fucker does.
“…it’s a worthwhile expense in order to spare the world another assassination.” Let’s put that to a vote, shall we?
It never fails. Guess who drops in to remind us that there is something more important than how the occupier in chief behaves!
What does the man’s ethnicity have to do with anything, sippy? You keep telling us that it does but have yet to explain how or why. We get that you are invested in something here which apparently precludes your explaining it. My guess would be that you don’t understand it yourself so I really don’t expect you to be able to articulate it to others.
Here’s a clue: You have tunnel vision, sippy! You simply cannot observe anything beyond what you wish you were seeing and have lied to yourself so long that you see your vision in spite of the reality before you. That is called prejudice. You demonstrate it every time you post something here.
@58- No, it’s not. His vacation days are FAR less than Ws and his golf outings are (pun intended) on par for other Presidents:
http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/235844/deconstructing-the-5-most-ridiculous-myths-about-barack-obama
Plus he’s gotten a tremendous amount done. You might not like what he’s gotten done, but he’s certainly the most accomplished President since Johnson. So this idea that he’s lazy or shiftless is your stereotype asserting itself. It’s not based on fact.
@60- Actually WE did put it to a vote, you sick fuck, and he kicked your ass, TWICE.
@61- I already explained it. It has to do with the fact that no one had a problem with normal presidential security UNTIL the president happened to be a black man. No one used golf outings and vacations to make a case for a President being “lazy” and good for nothing until the President happened to be a black man. No one made the argument about security being a waste until that security happened to go for a black man. The blinders are worn by you as you fail to see the double standard.
Well, Sippy the Pinhead finally arrives – wearing his race-colored glasses.
And for your benefit, Sippy: the “glasses” reference is a pun referencing the term “rose-colored glasses” – as in how your perception of world is distorted by the lens through which you choose to view it. It’s not a reference to skin tone. Since you consistently see racism where none exists, I though I’d best spell that out for you.
Which stereotype is that…the one where he’s fucking lazy? Or the one where he can’t make a fucking decision to save his life? Or anyone elses, for that matter…think Benghazi.
Uh…sippy…your butt-buddy Michael Moore sure tried to get a hell of a lot of mileage out of accusing Bush…and seems like four-plus years in, you can’t let it go.
Then again, it’s not like Obama can run on his record. Probably why he and his sycophants in the MSM avoided any mention about his (lack of) record at all costs.
@65- Well, your credibility was shot to hell when you tried to pretend that this article is about the Obama team being supposedly incompetant. The tone and title of the article all say that this President thinks he’s “all that”. And yes, the tone and purpose of this article is to say that black Presidents deserve less protection then white ones. Deny it all you want, but it’s plain as day for those who aren’t wearing racist-apologist glasses.
Stay classy, Sippy. Tossing the race card will always get you a glass of water somewhere.
Sippy: the article’s title is intentionally sardonic, dipstick. And it’s also completely race-neutral.
As for competence . . . the fact that this happened at all clearly shows either incompetence or dishonesty. Competent and honest administrations plan ahead to prevent such gaffes and don’t intentionally go out of their way to offend those with whom they publicly claim trying to work.
Obviously both concepts (sardonicism and race-neutral criticism of your “infallible hero”) are beyond your comprehension.
There is surely a race problem in this country, and it is fomented by lowlife, lackluster types who couldn’t make it if they couldn’t find race. The race problem lies squarely on the backs of the Democrats and their race puppeteers ala Jesse the Hack Jackson, Al Sharpton, and on down through the democrats to the very bottom where we find Insipid.
“Race Colored Glasses”; Hondo, that is a Gem, and so appropriate with this turkey.
@66 & 67- You REALLY want to go there? Fine, let’s go there. There were 11 embassy attacks under George W. Bush, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people and STILL the Democrats let the politics stop at the waters’ edge. How bout Saint Reagan? Remember Lebanon? How he failed to up the security after the first terrorist attack that killed over 40 people allowing a second terrorist attack that killed over 240 Marines? If you REALLY want to get into competence in protecting our embassies and officials I’m ready to go there. I just don’t think you’re going to like the results.
@70- I KNOW it’s sardonic, you moron. It’s also racist. You act as if the two are mutually exclusive. The article is calling him an uppity negro. The fact that he’s doing it with a smile doesn’t make it less racist.
“Uppity Negro”? Where, besides in your addled mind? I even went to the trouble of re-opening the link and re-reading it. NOWHERE does it either say or suggest, “Uppity Negro” you racist asshole. It is sorry asses like you who cause the Negro community so much grief. Get a life, dope.
And yes, I denigrate you, as there is nothing complimentary that I can come up with for you.
In the years that I have been reading here at TAH, I have seen some really different “screen names”, but Insipid’s is by far the most accurate of all:
in·sip·id
/in?sipid/
Adjective
Lacking flavor: “insipid coffee”.
Lacking vigor or interest: “insipid, shallow books”.
Synonyms
tasteless – vapid – flat – flavourless – flavorless
Actually, Sippy – you’re the one who’s bringing up race. You simply can’t stand the fact that someone might actually have a valid criticism of your “beloved hero”. You’re reacting by attacking the messenger through making an obviously absurd accusation.
The article doesn’t mention race. What the article does is point out that the behavior here is more akin to that expected of Justinian the Great of Byzantium (or perhaps Theodora) than something you’d expect from the President of the United States. Take off those race-colored glasses you wear for a few seconds and that would be obvious.
I’m not holding my breath waiting, though. You’ve been telling yourself that absurd lie – e.g., “conservative = racist” – for so long that you believe it. Further, being objective here could cause you to question the infallibility of your “dear leader”.
Oh, and I don’t for a minute believe you realized the title was intentionally sardonic before I pointed that fact out to you. In fact, I’m guessing you’d be hard-pressed to explain the distinction between sardonic and satiric without looking both up – and might need it explained to you even then.
Sippy, the race hustler is back again? I thought he’d still be on his knees, crying that Obama couldn’t be elected Pope.
Now I hear that he sent the Vice Moron to Rome as our representative? Oy vey!
I have no problem with ANY President having an official taster, and an extensive security detail.
I do find it a (minor) transgression that he can’t plan for that taster to be at a scheduled event, and that he is so paranoid that he won’t eat the food prepared for him by his fellow politicians’ staff. Hell, any Secret Service agent could have tasted it for him.
I also find it a (major) transgression that he is abusing the taxpayers money on so many vacations and golf outtings, in a time of fiscal austerity. Before he cuts Tuition Assistance for Troops, he should cut back on fuel costs for his own (and family’s) vacations. Before he calls for cutting the Guard/Reserve’s monthly paychecks to be cut, he should have ordered his SecDef to stop spending 40k/weekend to fly home every weekend.
Sippy-boy, did you even make it to the fifth grade before you dropped out of school to go draw welfare? A mentally retarded one-eyed baboon on LSD has better comprehension skills than you do!
Yes, sippy–bring up terrorist attacks on our embassies. Please. I’m fucking begging you.
I have my own food taster. He is black.
http://valorguardians.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Mikey-the-Large-and-In-Charge-Cat-e-mail-view.jpg
He has his own opinion of spiffy. It has to do with unpleasant smells.
You guys can’t criticize anything the President does because he happens to be half black.
signed: Insipid
Splinky: I’m a cat. I’m black. I’m cool. You’re not.
You do realize that this “News Network” is part of the problem. Just like a lot of media it cherry picks information. What it doesn’t tell you is that the last 4 white presidents have also had food tasters. It is amazing what you can find out in 30 sec when you google something. Lets be a party of educated facts and not empty banter.
Ryan: you need to re-read the article and its references, amigo. The point isn’t that the last 5 to serve as POTUS have had a “taster”. Neither is their skin color.
The point is that this POTUS and/or his administration is either incompetent (can’t plan to get required staff where they need to be to support the POTUS), completely oblivious/don’t care (don’t realize/don’t care how stupid they look), or are being deliberately mendacious (claim to want to work with GOP leadership, then intentionally go out of the way to insult them). None of these three options are acceptable.
As I said above: this behavior is something you’d expect from Justinian the Great or his wife Theodora of Byzantium. It’s not something you expect to see from the POTUS – regardless of his ancestry.
You know, Hondo, planned insults usually don’t work out very well.
Neither does paranoia.
You just have to decide which one looks worse.
I haven’t seen anything this weird since Claudius ate the mushrooms his wife had poisoned — and he knew she poisoned them.
Why in hell do the liberals insist that we have a black president? He is no more black than he is white. Nappy hair and caramel skintone do not a black person make. He was raised by his white momma, as a white kid. It was his handlers who made him out to be a black person.
America has yet to have a black president. Myself and my conservative friends, (who don’t see race behind every damned bush), would welcome a black president, provided that his skin color did not elect him. Herman Cain and Dr. Ben Carson come to mind.
Barack Hussein Obama IS NOT BLACK!