Barack Obama tries to be a reasonable, mature, respectful, inclusive leader. Good for him. It's worth the effort, and Obama's big victory in November -- as well and his continued high approval ratings -- show that the U.S. is clearly hungry for a President with such qualities.
The dark side of being someone even-tempered and magnanimous is that petty fools with unsolved emotional baggage will decide that YOU owe them an extra-super-duper big helping of ass-kissing. And if they don't get it, they will scream, cry, and stomp their feet.
Case in point below:
Mayor: Obama should apologize for Vegas trips quip
By OSKAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer AP - Wednesday, February 11
LAS VEGAS - Sin City's mayor wants President Barack Obama to apologize for saying companies shouldn't visit Las Vegas on the taxpayer's dime.
Oscar Goodman spoke after a regular scheduled meeting with tourism officials where he expressed concern that federal lawmakers might be discouraging travel to the city.
"What's a better place, as I say, than for them to come here," Goodman told KLAS-TV. "And to change their mind and to go someplace else and to cancel and at the suggestion of the president of the United States that's outrageous."
No Mayor Goodman, that's not "outrageous." What's outrageous is you having an embarrassing public hissy fit over a very wise, very general point that President Obama was making -- that corporations receiving taxpayer money should not be using it to buy themselves luxury. Not when so many taxpayers are struggling with much more basic economic problems, such as keeping their families fed.
Obama also mentioned the Super Bowl and luxury jets, not just trips to Vegas. He was referring to actual abuses of the txpayer money that had already come to light. It was a specific reference.
In fact, here's Obama's exact words:
"You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime."
Is that SO damned hard to understand, Mayor Goodman? Or are you so ready to play victim that you can't get the big picture?
OF COURSE President Obama was not saying that people shouldn't go to Las Vegas at all, you drama queen. Grow up. But I'll tell you what -- idiocy like your demand for apology sure make me want to avoid Las Vegas and its numbskull mayor as all costs. Nice P.R., you dope.
Good God.