1.) Give ’em hell, Barry — President Barack Obama has made good on his campaign promise to bring Red America and Blue America together. Indeed, the two sides have now come to a consensus: Obama stinks. And now he’s promising a bipartisan effort to win re-election by complaining about those who disagree with him. TheDC’s Neil Munro reports: “President Barack Obama used a taxpayer-funded Monday bus trip to Cannon Falls, Minn., to repeat his now common claim that Republicans put their party ahead of the nation’s interest during the July dispute over the federal debt ceiling. ‘Some in Congress would rather see their opponents lose than America win … we can’t have patience with that kind of behavior anymore,’ Obama told a crowd estimated at 500 supporters. ‘He’s accusing his opponents of being unpatriotic, and at some point the next step is [accusing them of] being traitorous,’ Michael Franc, vice president for government studies at the Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Caller Monday afternoon. ‘If Michele Bachmann had said “If you disagree with me, you’re unpatriotic,” [Democrats] would be calling it a loyalty oath or a religious test,’ Franc said.” But as usual, Obama thinks he knows what he’s doing. TheDC’s Matthew Boyle: “President Barack Obama is eyeing a 2012 campaign modeled on President Harry Truman’s successful 1948 re-election campaign against Congress. First, however, the White House will send to Capitol Hill an assortment of ‘economy-boosting’ legislation in a package that may include a major overhaul of the tax code. ‘I’ll be putting forward, when they come back in September, a very specific plan to boost the economy, to create jobs, and to control our deficit,’ Obama told a friendly audience at a Decorah, Minnesota campaign-event on Monday. ‘My attitude is, get it done … [but] if they don’t get it done, then we’ll be running against a Congress that’s not doing anything for the American people, and the choice will be very stark and will be very clear… My hope is that Congress is willing to take up tax reform,’ he said. ‘So far they’ve said that they’re willing to do it, but so far we haven’t seen a lot of energy on the part of some folks in actually delivering on tax reform,’ he added. The potential success of Obama’s proposed strategy is unclear.” No kidding. Hang tight, America: Obama will have some specific ideas for you real soon, but in the meantime just keep blaming the Republicans for everything. He certainly has an unusual process for political success. Step 1: Demonize opponents. Step 2: Give in to their wishes. Step 3: Whine about getting beat. Step 4: Repeat. Can he keep it going all the way until Election Day? Obama 2012: Four More Years of Teabaggers Prevailing.
2.) Scary tea-rrorists strike again — As if Obama doesn’t have enough to worry about, he was confronted yesterday by another group of enemies: people who remember things he’d prefer they didn’t. As Sean Hannity reported last night (hat tip to Hot Air): “This just in from Iowa: President Obama got in a heated debate, back and forth, with a Tea Party activist demanding to know at a townhall whether or not Vice President Biden had called members of the Tea Party ‘terrorists’ during the debt-ceiling debate.” To paraphrase Obama’s response: “Nuh-uh, nuh-uh, I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you!” You have to sympathize with the guy. It’s kinda tough to keep playing The Adult in the Room when you have to make excuses for your own team’s childish behavior. Besides, who told these peasants they could talk back to their betters? Just because Obama is on a listening tour doesn’t mean he wants to listen. Take note, teabaggers: When Obama said Americans should debate opponents and “get in their faces,” he didn’t mean his face.
3.) Is Obamacare Obamaconstitutional? — At least Obama can bask in the one true unalloyed success of his presidency: Obamacare. Or perhaps not. TheDC’s C.J. Ciaramella reports: “Supreme Court watchers are expecting a showdown over Obamacare in the wake of a court decision striking down a key portion of the health care law. The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Friday the individual mandate in the health care law is unconstitutional. The decision conflicts with another circuit court’s ruling. Many now believe the dueling court rulings have set the stage for a significant Supreme Court case on Congress’ authority to regulate commerce. ‘Now that there’s a split among the circuits, it just about ensures it’s going to the Supreme Court,’ said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law and a constitutional scholar.” Is it constitutional to force people to buy something? Well, yeah. What are you, some sort of racist?
4.) Ron Paul gets Krauthammered — Set phasers to Whine, Ronulans. If you think your guy has a chance in the Neutral Zone of ever becoming president, Charles Krauthammer says you’ve been spending a little too much time on the Holodeck. TheDC’s Jeff Poor reports: “Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s victory in Saturday’s straw poll in Ames, Iowa has earned her a lot of media attention for her 2012 presidential bid. But nipping at her heels only 152 votes behind was Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has gotten little-to-no attention from the media for his feat on Saturday. And although one might think attention is deserved for Paul, according to Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, Paul is being ignored for one reason: He doesn’t stand a chance… ‘Ron Paul is not going to be president of the United States,’ Krauthammer said. ‘We’re not a libertarian country. It’s a very important strain of conservative thought but it’s not the dominant one.'” But hey, anything’s possible. If you wake up tomorrow and Obama’s wearing a goatee and a glittery golden sash around his waist, maybe in that universe Ron Paul will have a shot.
5.) Elvis eulogized — Any Elvis fan worth a fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich knows what today is. FoxNews.com: “Elvis Presley fans are flocking to Memphis to prepare to honor the 34-year-anniversary of the death of the ‘King of Rock ‘n Roll’ Tuesday. Every year, thousands of people arrive in Memphis from around the world to remember Elvis’ death as part of ‘Elvis Week,’ which includes a candlelight vigil at the late singer’s home, known as Graceland. But while the event doesn’t take place until Tuesday, Aug. 16, by Monday morning, lines were already beginning to form.” The King died far too young. Not only were we deprived of decades of great music, but if he’d lived maybe he could’ve straightened out Lisa Marie. Michael Jackson? Really?
6.) Today’s words of wisdom from Alec Baldwin’s Twitter feed — “To the list of remarkable things about Ryan Gosling’s acting (truthful, raw) add charming, funny in CRAZY, STUPID LOVE.”
VIDEO: Candidate Rick Perry’s inaugural 2012 video
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