by Mark Silva
The college kids - okay, men and women - trying to sleep in this morning along Woodlawn Avenue on the South Side of Chicago were rudely awakened by the bullhorns of police calling on everyone to get outside and clear their cars from the street.
A motorcade was coming and going - President Barack Obama, at home for the weekend, was playing basketball with friends at the University of Chicago Lab School that his own kids had attended before moving to Washington. And later today, off to a friend's house to watch the NBA (AP photo by Lawrence Jackson.)
This isn't Crawford anymore.
Now, when the president goes home for the weekend, there is no brush to clear any more and none of the privacy of a remote Texas ranch. No more foreign leaders or the defense secretary arriving by helicopter without anyone outside noticing.
There is the city, no longer second - dinner on the town (Table 52 photo below by Terrence Antonio James, Tribune) basketball on the campus, and a traffic-stopping motorcade every time the commander in chief comes and goes.
And this president will be getting out of Washington a lot, the White House says - not at the pace of last week's four states in four days, but perhaps at least once a week. This week, it's Denver and Phoenix, for the stimulus bill signing and housing crisis strategy announcement.
It's "not about campaigning against Washington,'' Obama adviser David Axelrod said this morning on FOX News Sunday, "but part of his job is to stay is touch with the American people. And the White House can be a very suffocating place if you don't get out and talk to people...
"It's the reason the president wanted to keep his BlackBerry,'' Axelrod said. "It's the reason the president reads every day a sampling of letters that he receives and responds to them. He is determined to keep in touch with the American people who sent him here to do this job. And I think that you can't say that that is separate from doing the job; that is part of doing the job -- going out and meeting with the American people.''
Comments
Hey Super-Dave Axelrod... answer some real questions-
When you withdrew your support for Blago's 2004 gubernatorial campaign over serious "concerns" you had... why did Barack and Rahm not see the same things, then continue to consult for Blago... and even campaign for him aggressively?
And can you please explain why Barack said he "never" spoke with Blago re. the open senate seat... when three news outlets and yourself on Fox News... all said he did on November 5th, the day after he won the presidential election?
Perhaps you could shed some light on what Blago's aides ment (as heard on the FBI tapes) when they said "Obama has to suck-it-up for a couple years"... did that mean temporarily refrain from influence-peddling and bribing, Chicago-style? Because that's what it sounds like to us plebes...
We are also quite curious to hear how Blago's staff heard that Obama would, at first, "only offer appreciation"- as also heard on the FBI tapes... and then, later, could offer Patti Blagojevich seats on corporate BOD's for up to $150K/yr... in exchange for Barack's pal Valerie Jarrett getting the senate seat.
Who did they talk to David... Emanuel? A little bird?
How about answering some of these legitimate questions... instead of spinning it all for Obama, changing your story on his orders, and participating in a cover-up... that would be a crime in and of itself, wouldn't it?
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/2008/12/illinois-institute-of-kleptocracy.html
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | February 15, 2009 6:28 PM
President Obama and the Dems are driving the Republicans insane but the Republicans are also doing their part in damaging themselves by playing along. It's almost to easy.
The Republicans control the corporate media, so every single time there's an issue (any issue) over anything between the Dems and the Republicans, the Republicans instantly run around to all of the corporate media outlets and do their usual screaming, hair on fire, petulant child act, meanwhile Obama and the Dems just sit back and let them punch themselves out and then they go out and make their case directly to the American people and certain targeted media outlets (thank you Pres Obama).
America is sick and tired of the right-wing Rovian noise machine.
Posted by: jccullen | February 15, 2009 6:57 PM
Why don't you tell us all about Iran-Contra, Reaganite Republican? Plenty of crimes committed there.
Posted by: mort | February 15, 2009 7:41 PM
I love reading the incoherent diaassociated comments made the drones like jc's there.
As if crybabies and wanna-be tyrants like him/her know what most people are thinking..
Posted by: Vince P | February 15, 2009 8:08 PM
I'm not sure if the stimulus will help that much in the current economic environment. Economies go through cycles and recession is part of the cycle. I read a good article on the history of cycles at, I think,
http://www.recessioninfocenter.com
Posted by: Jeff | February 15, 2009 8:14 PM
Redundant Jeff; boring, Jeff....www.gatesisarepublican.com.
Posted by: Flo | February 15, 2009 8:57 PM
yes there raygunite......please tell us about the faulty intell that led to the Iraq disaster? How about the outing of a CIA? How about torture.....wiretaps...shredding the constitution......I've got your Blago right here!!!!!!!!
Posted by: bill r. | February 15, 2009 10:46 PM
yes there raygunite......please tell us about the faulty intell that led to the Iraq disaster? How about the outing of a CIA? How about torture.....wiretaps...shredding the constitution......I've got your Blago right here!!!!!!!!
Posted by: bill r. | February 15, 2009 10:46 PM
bill r. Haven't posted here for a while, but i see you still post with the intelligence of a fifth grader. The so called faulty intel. was given to Mr. Bush by the Dem. appointed Geo. Tenet "Mr. President this is a slam dunk" when questioned by Mr. Bush to it's veracity. I know it's very upsetting to you defeatist minded libs that we finally got our arms around it By the way, you male democrats have slaughtered about 125,000 Americans on our streets in that same time frame, and not a peep out of you morons on the left.
The non CIA agent Ms. Plame (Vanity Fair Photo Shoot) was outed by Mr Armitadge and not prosecuted, but I'm sure you already know that.
The torture,wire taps etc., etc., etc., was ok'd by many Dems. in congress and i see still kept in place by the empty suit Messiah ( It must be serious business to keep ii in place)
Finally, the Feds.have 21 hours of recording with Emanuel and Blago. Gee ! I wonder what they were talking about? You can bet Blago. will bring a bucket full of "crap"when he goes to trial. Emanuel will end up making Karl Rove look like a Cub Scout when this all shakes out. Nice try bill, now you can go back to your Nitendo games, i hope your better at that than posting the crap lies on this blog.
Posted by: Don B. | February 16, 2009 9:09 AM
"calling on everyone to get outside and clear their cars from the street."
And to where, exactly, in parking-challenged Hyde Park, were they supposed to move them?
Posted by: jlp | February 16, 2009 11:27 AM
So, what did this little weekend of dinner and basketball cost the American taxpayers in this time of financial crisis?
Posted by: Danforth | February 16, 2009 1:23 PM
So, what did this little weekend of dinner and basketball cost the American taxpayers in this time of financial crisis?
Posted by: Danforth | February 16, 2009 1:23 PM
About the same amount that President McCain would have spent. I'm pretty sure that if Obama stayed in the WH and lived on bread, water and vitams for the next four years, the effect on our budgetary problems would be...imperceptible.
Keep talking, Republicants. Always great to see what you folks have at the tops of your tiny, petty and empty heads.
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Posted by: sally | February 16, 2009 10:03 PM