The Brian Sullivan Blog
  • March 9, 2009 10:38 AM EDT by Brian Sullivan

    The President Must Realize The "Socialist" Questions Are Fair

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    Yesterday the President felt the need to re-respond to a question posed to him a few days ago by a New York Times reporter about whether he is a Socialist.    The President initially dismissed the question as a joke by the reporter, but apparently felt that perhaps he needed to take it more seriously.

    Here is an except from the story today in today's Washington Times, quoting Obama as he describes the preexisting financial condition he inherited:

    "I did think it might be useful to point out that it wasn’t under me that we started buying a bunch of shares of banks. It wasn’t on my watch. And it wasn’t on my watch that we passed a massive new entitlement -– the prescription drug plan -- without a source of funding. And so I think it’s important just to note when you start hearing folks throw these words around that we’ve actually been operating in a way that has been entirely consistent with free-market principles and that some of the same folks who are throwing the word 'socialist' around can’t say the same."

    The New York Times asked, "So whose watch are we talking about here?" but Obama wouldn't name names.

    "Well, I just think it’s clear by the time we got here, there already had been an enormous infusion of taxpayer money into the financial system. And the thing I constantly try to emphasize to people if that coming in, the market was doing fine, nobody would be happier than me to stay out of it. I have more than enough to do without having to worry the financial system. The fact that we’ve had to take these extraordinary measures and intervene is not an indication of my ideological preference, but an indication of the degree to which lax regulation and extravagant risk taking has precipitated a crisis."

    The President is correct when he says many of the economic and financial problems we have now are ones that have been building for a few years.    Over the last few years it is clear that both President Bush and Congress were asleep at the regulatory switch.    Everyone - consumers, Bush, Congress - had a part in this mess.   Congress reaped the political and financial rewards of the housing boom.   Consumers were told and sold the idea that houses never go down in price so don't worry about the funny loan, you can always sell.

    But that's now history, and the President seems to be confusing American frustration over what he "inherited" than what he and his Congress are doing now.   The "socialist" line of questions has less to do with the financial bailout and more to do with the public frustration over the $787 billion dollar spending plan.    Obama continues to put the financial blame squarely on the mistakes of the past seemingly without realizing Americans are now more focused on the massive entitlement and social program spending in the stimulus plan.    A quick check of the planned spending by one state discussed on my blog this weekend - Wisconsin - makes it clear that while the it is the states and not the Federal government that will determine many of the beneficiaries of this financial largesse, federal taxpayer dollars are going to fund these programs.

    President Obama is not a Socialist.    He is merely doing what he feels is best for the country and those who voted for him and there are few checks and balances to counter it.   But the President must also realize that given the hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars being spent on social and entitlement programs that will result in little to no economic stimulus, the line of questioning in both serious and fair.   He should not take the American public skepticism lightly and should address this issue more convincingly.

Nathania

Maybe Obama doesn't officially belong to the Socialist party (right now), but he has associated with them in the past. http://www.suitablyflip.com/suitably_flip/2008/10/obama-was-a-soc.html So it's not so much a question as a statement. And let's face it, it's the American people who should have taken it more seriously during the election.

March 9, 2009 at 1:01 pm

Larry

If a child has a better life as a result of an extension of intent for such ? What does it matter the means - whether socialism or capitalism ? Ultimately ? I suppose people prefer to say- hey let's do capitalism 100% and those winners - like Buffett and Gates - will both go philanthropic. This perhaps IS the model for capitalism. I never understand when people go off on socialism/capitalism - we're all gonna be hit be some trans-neptunian asteroid anyhoo - just a matter of difference I suppose what ideal you want to hang onto before diamonds from coal in 0.1119 seconds on impact. That capitalism can be polluted BY such decadent trade tokens AS diamonds made from meteor implosions ? I guess Capitalism never added the intelligence that all known matter, including GOLD - comes from exploding stars. Perhaps the Egyptians had something with worshiping the sun. I wonder whether the Pyramids were a socialism project. I suppose it would be an honor to actually experience real - sun exploded generated GOLD from the Egyptians in hand.... just to think- which star blew up to produce THIS potential for a post barter system ?

March 9, 2009 at 12:59 pm

Mark

Obama is not doing what he feels is best for the country. He's sticking his thumb in the eye of everyone who disagrees with his radicial agenda. Why would the same big-government nonsense he was pitching during the campaign, suddenly also be the magical solution to all of our current economic problems? Remember, "never let a crisis go to waste"! He's using the economic difficulties as a cover for massive, crushing, permanent entitlements and massive government spending.

March 9, 2009 at 12:33 pm

Shawn

Was Obama not a member of congress during "their" watch, therefore he would have been part of "their" watch? Didn't Obama vote in favor of the Prescription Drug plan? The finger pointing needs to stop on both sides as both sides are equally guilty in their contributions to this economic mess. While I am not a fan of Obama, I hope his adminstration is able to get our economy back on track, but at this early stage, the lack of transparency, the campaing promises already broken (ie. transparency, pork spending and no lobbyists, etc.) and the absurd amount of taxpayers money being spent sure does make me skeptical. The whole blame game has begun to take on an almost childish feel. It's like nanny, nanny, boo, boo , we won the election so we can do it our way. Stop blaming each other and fix your mess, all of them!

March 9, 2009 at 12:30 pm

murr

If the majority of people are in favor of national health care coverage of some sensible type that actually controls costs, and if they then vote for people who pledge to enact what they want, how is that socialism? Is it only democracy if people vote to leave the control of their health to the corporations that get rich off of their suffering? Strange logic, if that is the republican position.

March 9, 2009 at 12:29 pm

crazyhorsewon

You can dress him up, but he's still what he is. Impeach now.

March 9, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Lee

Calling the Presidnt a socialist is better left to devisive souls like Rush Limbaugh. Those sorts of labels are not helpful to the discourse on the very difficult issues at hand.

March 9, 2009 at 12:19 pm

Gary Driscoll

Just because Bush was doing it does NOT mean that it was not socialistic. Obviously, with his high spending and social welfare spending programs, Bush is a socialist too.

March 9, 2009 at 11:59 am

Tony.D

This president is the worst in my life time. All he does is blame someone else for the mess. doesn't he remember he was one of the congressman who ALSO created this mess? Does he think the whole of America is as stupid as the sheep that believe every word that comes out of his mouth. He is still in constant campain mode! still always saying he wants to be bipartisan, but reminding those who offer another view that HE won. He is a BIG mistake and driving this country to Castro Chavez like goverments.

March 9, 2009 at 11:55 am

Brian Banger

Agreed. He also better stop ignoring the stock market and the destruction his policies are doing to our 401ks. There is so much anger about the Trojan horse of socialism that his stimulus package and budget bill is, as well as the losses in our 401ks since he took office. The biggest drop was the day he announced this new omnibus budget - another gigantic socialism spending bill filled with pork. It's outrageous and it is so dis-ingenious of him to try and excuse it. Every time he speaks, it's double talk and often times he contradicts what he is doing with his words. Many people will be fooled by his talk and not see the con job that his Stimulus, omnibus budget, and overall intentions are - high taxes, big government, dramatically increased government intervention in everything - essentially the loss of our American freedoms and independence by creating more people who must depened on teh governemnt by destroying our wealth. The world will be so happy, because finally the one economic powerhouse will be brought to it's knees and put on the same socialist, tax burdened, union laden playing field as them. Finally they wil be able to compete and the USA will lose. It's almost as if it's intentional, isn't it?

March 9, 2009 at 11:47 am

ronhen

There is no question. We are going socialist at a rapid pace.

March 9, 2009 at 11:45 am

Bert

I believe a whole bunch of people bought Obama's books without reading them. If they had, they would know. He is a Socialist.

March 9, 2009 at 11:42 am

about this blog

  • Brian Sullivan joined FOX Business Network (FBN) in April 2008 as an anchor. He co-anchors the 10am-12pm ET hours of the FOX Business block. Prior to joining FBN, Sullivan served as an anchor for Bloomberg Television where he hosted the programs Morning Call and In Focus.

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