◼ Dem. Congressman: ‘Floored Me’ to See Obama Shoot Pool Rather than Visit Border - Andrew Johnson/National Review
At least one Democratic congressman is “very very upset” with the idea that President Obama was shooting in Denver with Colorado governor John Hickenlooper today rather than visiting the southwestern border.◼ Dem. Rep. Rips Obama: 'Aloof,' 'Bizarre,' and 'Detached' - Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard
“When I saw that, it just really floored me,” said Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, who has been quite vocal in his criticism of the administration’s handling of the issue. “If he’s saying he’s too busy to go down to the border, but you have time to drink a beer, play pool, the optics and the appearance just mean he’s not paying attention to this humanitarian crisis.”
"He's so close to the border. And let me say this: when I saw, and I hate to use the word bizarre, but under the circumstances, when he is shown playing pool in Colorado, drinking a beer, and he can't even go 242 miles to the Texas border, and plus, if he doesn't want to go down to the border, there's the Air Force Base where HHS is holding some of the young kids from the border. He could at least make that trip to San Antonio, but again, border community leaders wants to see him down there on the border, and I think the optics and the substance of it is that he should show up at the border," said Cuellar.◼ MSNBC: Why Was Obama Shooting Pool and Drinking Beer? - Washington Free Beacon
◼ Andrea Mitchell’s crisis of confidence in Obama - HotAir
In a display of contempt for the press, his party, and anyone else demanding Obama observe good “optics” by visiting the border, the president allowed himself to be filmed last night enjoying a beer and playing billiards with Colorado’s Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper....◼ White House warns: Stop criticizing... - National Review
Minutes later, Mitchell invited Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, on her program to defend the president. It was brutal.
“With all due respect, the reality on the ground is that the administration did not stay ahead of this,” Mitchell observed. “The impression – the reality is – that the White House has been slow to react.” She noted that “optics” is a stand-in phrase synonymous with leadership, and implied that Obama had declined to display any.
“Leadership does involve showing the concern,” Mitchell later added after playing a portion of Cuellar’s veritable denunciation of Obama.
“So far, the politics aren’t working and the substance isn’t working,” she concluded. “Somebody’s got to revisit this.”
◼ Feds using tax dollars to buy Monopoly games, toys for illegals... - Washington Times
◼ PHOTOS: Crossers Wearing 'Obama Shoes'... - Daily Caller
◼ Flying migrants back home 'would be 99.5% cheaper'... - Ernest Istook/Washington Times
We taxpayers are expected to house, feed, clothe and care for almost 30,000 illegal aliens for a full year, according to the White House’s official request. That’s a small city.◼ Ted Cruz Sends Map With Directions From Fundraisers To Border Towns... - CBS Houston
Instead, we could fly all of them home for one-half of 1 percent of the $3.8 billion that President Obama proposes we spend. That’s a savings of 99.5 percent!
...Most of his proposal is to pay living expenses. At the unofficial reported cost of $250 per person per day, President Barack Obama is proposing we spend $1.8 billion “to provide appropriate care for unaccompanied children.” That works out to 19,726 minors for a year. (The official term for them, written into federal statute, is “undocumented alien children.” Not undocumented immigrants, migrants or refugees. Those other terms are efforts at propaganda.)
In addition, Obama wants another $879 million “for detention and removal of apprehended undocumented adults traveling with children,” and “alternatives to detention programs” for these adults. He blends “removal” with “detention” to make it impossible to determine how many removals are planned.
If the money is all for detention, then the $250 per person reveals the plan is to house 9,632 adults for a year at taxpayers’ expense.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has joined Texas Gov. Rick Perry in calling on President Barack Obama to visit the Mexican border personally, with Cruz sending Obama actual directions to the border from the president’s planned fundraiser stops in Austin and Dallas.
Cruz took to Twitter to invite Obama to take a look at the border itself amid a growing immigration crisis along the southern border with Mexico.
“If President Obama wants to have a real border meeting with @GovernorPerry, here are a couple suggested detours,” Cruz tweeted on Tuesday....
The maps show driving routes from Austin to the border town of Laredo (235 miles, 3 hours) and Dallas to border town McAllen (506 miles, 7 hours and 29 minutes).
Perry also took to Twitter last week to invite President Obama to the border.
“@BarackObama: While in TX next week, I invite you to tour the border with me to see firsthand what is happening there. CC: @WhiteHouse,” tweeted Perry.
