Politics: I?m the Derider

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Politics I'm the Derider President Obama uses his final first-term press conference to browbeat the new Congress. By David Weigel Posted Monday, Jan 14, 2013, at 11:10 PM ET At the tail end of Monday's press conference, the last one of Barack Obama's first term, a reporter figured out how to trip up the president. Jackie Calmes of the New York Times followed up a string of questions about the debt limit by asking whether the president needed to do more socializing. This theme has weighed heavily on the minds of Washington reporters who study Robert Caro's LBJ bios and notice when back-slap-happy Joe Biden swoops in and conjures a fiscal deal. The president struggled to answer. He would pause whenever he wanted to mention, without naming, one of his enemies. "I think there are a lot of Republicans at this point [most of the Class of 2010] that feel that given how much energy has been devoted in some of the media that's preferred by Republican constituencies to demonize me [Fox News, talk radio], that it doesn't look real good, socializing with me." He was ready with evidence. "Charlie Crist, down in Florida, I think, testifies to that," said the president. "And a lot of folks think, 'Well, if we look like we're being too cooperative or too chummy, that might cause problems. That might be an excuse to get a challenge from someone in a primary.' " Obama couldn't have earned less sympathy from Republicans if he'd snuffed out cigarettes in their lattes. To them, Crist is a callow greasy-pole climber who enabled Barack Obama's $873 billion stimulus spending ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate I'm the Derider The Great Herbalife War of 2013 The Ordeal of Jack and Evelyn	Advertisement
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