Obama idiocy watch July 8

Since a president is ultimately responsible for his (or her, someday) administration, this occasional look at Preznit Kumbaya screwing the pooch will include gaffes, politicizations and other actions by top department staffers, as well as the Preznit and WH staff.

First, I've already, along with many others, criticized the free trade deal with South Korea as actually being a backdoor free trade deal with China. But, as the L.A. Times notes, Obama insisting that such deals need to be passed to address the ongoing recession that isn't technically officially one reeks of "small ball." It also reeks of the technocratic approach to governing that neolibs in general and Preznit Kumbaya in particular seem to embrace.

Related to that, speaking for the wingnut division of the MSM the WaPost's Jennifer Rubin called Obama's Rose Garden speech on the economy a string of one-liners. She's right, but only from the angle of the likes of a Paul Krugman, whom she of course dissed.

But, will Obama learn from comment like this that his infatuation with a wedding with the GOP is one based on unrequited infatuation, with an ever-increasing "dowry"? No, and not so much because he's clueless but because he wants to pay that high dowry. (Obamiacs, OTOH, remain clueless on the fact that Beloved Leader actually wants that price.)

Second, Team Obama appears determined to continue the War on Drugs to BushCo's full extent. Exemplifying that is a federal claim that marijuana has more medicinal value. Really? Didn't Kumbaya talk about evidence-based medicine in part of his national health care insurance bill?

The ruling is the DEA's, on marijuana activists' claim to get the "schedule" of marijuana changed; the feds currently have it in the same "schedule" of dangerousness as heroin.

The decision comes almost nine years after medical marijuana supporters asked the government to reclassify cannabis to take into account a growing body of worldwide research that shows its effectiveness in treating certain diseases, such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.

Advocates for the medical use of the drug criticized the ruling but were elated that the Obama administration had finally acted, which allows them to appeal to the federal courts, where they believe they can get a fairer hearing. The decision to deny the request was made by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and comes less than two months after advocates asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to force the administration to respond to their petition. ...

Joe Elford, the chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access and the lead counsel on the recently filed lawsuit. said he was not surprised by the decision, which comes just after the Obama administration announced it would not tolerate large-scale commercial marijuana cultivation. “It is clearly motivated by a political decision that is anti-marijuana,” he said.

Oh, clearly it's political. Obama is assuming that libs will believe they have no choice, and will be so afraid of the GOP candidate that they'll still vote for him rather than staying home or voting Green.

Well, we need more people to prove him wrong.

Meanwhile, let's see Obamiacs defend this one.

And, speaking of Obamiacs, the Preznit sure gets his share of sycophantic laughter, as NYMag documents. Since Obama doesn't actually seem to have that good of a sense of humor himself, he probably doesn't get that the laughter is all sycophantic.

Speaking of possible Obamiacs, Eli at FireDogLake wonders if Obama is almost as bad as Bush. But, don't hold your breath over him or anybody else there stepping outside the two-party box.

Meanwhile, the NYT has a story about Democratic operatives trailing GOP candidates with the latest in video flipcams, the better to catch them in gaffes. All we need now is the Green Party to do the same with Obama.