Once again, Obama takes the low road

The crisis had passed. It was a moment for the President to reach out, to heal wounds, to build bridges. A confident and magnanimous leader, one with abundant experience as a chief executive officer, would use the moment to try to create an atmosphere of reconciliation and cooperation.

But, not Obama. Once again he could not restrain himself from attacking his opponents. Assuming his most haughty demeanor and punctuating his speech with lengthy pauses intended to convey his utter contempt for those he was speaking about, the President said:

The folks who pushed for the shutdown and threatened default, claimed their actions were needed to get American back on the right track, to make sure we're strong. But, probably nothing has done more damage [hyperbole?] to America's credibility in the world, our standing with other countries, than the spectacle we have seen these past several weeks. It's encouraged our enemies, it's emboldened our competitors, and it's depressed our friends who look to us for steady leadership.

Mr President, what is damaging American credibility in the world and our standing with other countries, what is encouraging our enemies and emboldening our competitors is the fact that Federal spending is completely out of control. Soon America will be buried under a mountain of debt that we will have no hope of repaying and that will cripple our country. And when Tea Party Republicans take a principled stand to oppose this reckless behavior, they are greeted by you with nothing but intransigence and attack. This is hardly the right way to kick off the next round of negotiations.

I have already written (here and here) about how President Obama never seems to be able to deliver a speech without taking the low road and attacking Republicans in the most petty, divisive, and mean-spirited way. Today's press conference was just the latest example.