Legal Commentary

Obama Mocks Progressives At Conn. DNC Fundraiser

By Jeralyn

The White House has released the transcript of President Obama's remarks at a Greenwich, CT DNC fundraiser. Among his comments, this one is causing ire among progressives on Twitter today:

....Democrats, just congenitally, tend to get -- to see the glass as half empty. (Laughter.) If we get an historic health care bill passed -- oh, well, the public option wasn’t there. If you get the financial reform bill passed -- then, well, I don't know about this particularly derivatives rule, I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with that. And gosh, we haven’t yet brought about world peace and -- (laughter.) I thought that was going to happen quicker. (Laughter.) You know who you are.

Is the White House sending a message in releasing the transcript? What is it? Shouldn't Obama be encouraging progressives to feel included in the Democratic party and get out and vote, rather than belittling their concerns? Or, does he believe they'll come out to vote against Republicans no matter how they're treated by their own, so there's little downside?

Here's Glenn Greenwald and Jane Hamsher's take yesterday on the speech.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 18, 2010 (boomark / email).