Obama's team of zombies....By David Sirota

[Joanne98]

Even under the new president, Washington is the same one-party town it always has been -- controlled not by Democrats or Republicans, but by thieves.

By David Sirota

Feb. 7, 2009 | Only weeks ago, the political world was buzzing about a "team of rivals." America was told that finally, after years of yes men running the government, we were getting a president who would follow Abraham Lincoln’s lead, fill his administration with varying viewpoints, and glean empirically sound policy from the clash of ideas. Little did we know that "team of rivals" was what George Orwell calls "newspeak": an empty slogan "claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts."

Obama's national security team, for instance, includes not a single Iraq war opponent. The president has not only retained George W. Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates, but also 150 other Bush Pentagon appointees. The only "rivalry" is between those who back increasing the already bloated defense budget by an absurd amount and those who aim to boost it by a ludicrous amount.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/02/07/sirota/index.html

[Political Heretic]

1. Meanwhile, Obama signs another pro-labor exective order

While you all keep posting articles about how horrible the resumes of the Presidents staff are, I'll keep posting about actual policy and what is or isn't actually getting done.

For a team of horrible, evil, right wingers in disguise, the administrations first couple weeks in office have seen some great policy - order to close gitmo, four pro labor executive orders, some of the major, plus a public statement from the president that declared labor to be part of the future and solution for the american economy - a statement like we haven't heard from a sitting president in decades. The ending of the global gag rule, the enactment of new rules regulating lobbyists, the passage of SCHIP and the introduction of the most expansive progressive spending bill our lifetime (though the bill is now under assault in the senate)...

Basically, I really don't care who the "zombies" are - when it leads to policy like this.

[burythehatchet]

2. and while you treat liberals as your enemy we will point out that the

nibbling around the edges of policy will have one major accomplishment: satisfying those who believe that all we need to do is fine tune our economic system. So you keep posting those stories, I post those as well.

[Political Heretic]

4. I'm not really sure where in my post I treated liberals as the enemy...

nor do I feel like the things that have been done in the last couple of weeks are "nibbling around the edges of policy"

[shrike]

10. A friend of mine has been lobbying this past week in Washington

He's president of one of the region's unions. He told me before he left that labor leaders were descending upon the Capitol en masse. "We worked our asses off for this guy," he said, (meaning Obama), "And we're going to hold their feet to the fire." (meaning his administration.)

I'll be interested to hear what he says when he gets back. I doubt they're getting everything they asked for, but I'm anxious to find out if he's returning happy or unhappy.

If he's unhappy, he'll tell me; he doesn't mince words.

[inna]

17. Political Heretic, could you please kindly link to...

... Obama's four pro-labor executive orders?

somehow i missed that completely, and none of them came up in my search.

Obama's executive orders: http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/executive_orders/


any links/pointers will be much appreciated.

[Political Heretic]

20. You betcha:

Okay actually... I guess I don't have a web link for this anymore... if you believe that I "made it up" that's your call I guess :)

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has issued an executive order backing the use of union labor for large-scale federal construction projects.

The order encourages federal agencies to have construction contractors enter project labor agreements. Those agreements require contractors to negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and benefits and abide by collective bargaining agreements.

Obama's order restores a Clinton administration rule that was rescinded by President George W. Bush.

It is the fourth union-friendly executive order that Obama has signed since he's been in office.

Previous to this, there was this:

Obama announces creation of middle-class task force, takes executive action on labor rights

By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama signed a series of executive orders Friday that he said should "level the playing field" for labor unions in their struggles with management.

Obama also used the occasion at the White House to announce formally a new White House task force on the problems of middle-class Americans. He named Vice President Joe Biden as its chairman.

Union officials say the new orders by Obama will undo Bush administration policies that favored employers over workers. The orders will:

-Require federal contractors to offer jobs to current workers when contracts change.

-Reverse a Bush administration order requiring federal contractors to post notice that workers can limit financial support of unions serving as their exclusive bargaining representatives.

-Prevent federal contractors from being reimbursed for expenses meant to influence workers deciding whether to form a union and engage in collective bargaining.

"We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests," Obama said during a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

"I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, it's part of the solution," he said. "You cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement."

Signing the executive orders was Obama's second overture to organized labor in as many days. On Thursday, he signed the first bill of his presidency, giving workers more time to sue for wage discrimination.

"It's a new day for workers," said James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who attended the ceremony with other union leaders. "We finally have a White House that is dedicated to working with us to rebuild our middle class. Hope for the American Dream is being restored."

Of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families, Obama said, "We're not forgetting the poor. They are going to be front and center, because they, too, share our American Dream."

He said his administration wants to make sure low-income people "get a piece" of the American pie "if they're willing to work for it."

"With this task force, we have a single, highly visible group with one single goal: to raise the living standards of the people who are the backbone of this country," Biden said.

Obama set several goals for the task force, including expanding opportunities for education and training; improving the work-family balance; restoring labor standards, including workplace safety; and protecting retirement security.

The president and vice president said the task force will include the secretaries of commerce, education, labor, and health and human services because those Cabinet departments have the most influence on the well-being of the middle class. It also will include White House advisers on the economy, the budget and domestic policy.

Biden pledged that the task force will conduct its business in the open, and announced a Web site, http://www.astrongmiddleclass.gov , for the public to get information. He also announced that the panel's first meeting will be Feb. 27 in Philadelphia and will focus on environmental or "green jobs."


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_LABOR?SITE=KPHX&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-01-30-12-43-58

[4_TN_TITANS]

24. Well said, Political Heretic...

I'm far from thrilled with many of the appointments myself, but it's been an impressive three week start to the presidency. I've never witnessed a president moving as quickly as Obama, I for one can certainly see the 'change'. The zombies may be present and useful for their knowledge of the system, but they aren't controlling the agenda - that's clear enough.

[burythehatchet]

3. YOU report to the media center immediately and watch a photo op of

the Pres and First Lady talking to some 2nd grade kids. You have obviously lost your Hope and Change you can believe in.

[choie]

5. Sirota is absolutely right

One can't call Gates, Lawrence Summers and Rahm Emmanuel agents of change. The time to do something different is now. These people represent the failed policies that have brought us to where the United States is today. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

[Political Heretic]

6. Except for the fact that the policy we've seen from this admin so far hasn't been the same.

In fact, it has gone well against the failed policy of the last 30 years.

I'm not sure how to explain it with all these same-old players behind the scenes. But in a couple weeks we already have four executive orders boosting organized labor, plus a strong statement of commitment to labor like no other president as made in the last thirty years. And we have the largest and most progressive social spending package to come through congress in my entire lifetime. Granted it is being attacked in the Senate, and I'm worried about the final product. But as of now, it is the biggest progressive spending bill since I've been alive.

These things represent real change to me and address the issues that my family and my community face.

The real question about all of these behind the scenes players is will they prevent Obama from keeping this up? We'll see.

[emulatorloo]

9. Pretty easy to explain

"I'm not sure how to explain it with all these same-old players behind the scenes. But in a couple weeks we already have four executive orders boosting organized labor, plus a strong statement of commitment to labor like no other president as made in the last thirty years."

Because the "same old players" are working for Obama and doing what he want them to do, not what they want to do.

It seem like a pretty simple concept, but lots of folks seem to have trouble with it.

I think these choices have been very pragmatic (and that is a good thing) -- get people in who know how to get things done, and then tell them what you want done.

[maryf]

7. Insanity is doing the same things over and over, hear, hear, nt

[bvar22]

18. The "Change Team" !!!

A bunch of De-Regulating, Free Trading, Centrist Re-treads.
:woohoo:

[Political Heretic]

21. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story I guess...

...so far policy isn't living up to YOUR hype.

[olegramps]

8. Democrats must paint the Republicans as enemies of the working class!

They should take a page out of the Rovian Manual and smear every Republican in the Senate and House who have opposed the Stimulus Legislation as enemies of the working class men and women of our nation.

Democrats should stand up in congress and make this charge just as Bush administration used the charge that those who didn't support the war were unpatriotic. Tell the American people that the WEALTHY Republican's opposition is solely predicated on their determination to destroy the Middle Class and force the working classes into servitude. It must be emphasized that this the sole reason that they are attempting to sabotage the recovery. This the time for a broad sided attack on the Republicans who are dominating the media at the present. Buy time on TV if necessary and go directly to the American people with a scathing denunciation of the Republicans as enemies of the Republic. This experiment in bipartisanship crap has been a total failure. It is time for the Democrats to grow some balls.

[readmoreoften]

14. They don't need to be "Rovian". All they need to do is tell the truth.

It's not a smear to say Republicans are the enemy of the working class. Republicans ARE the enemy of the working class. Just sayin' :shrug:

[glitch]

19. IOW, anti-Rovian

anti-Rovian: defined as "to tell the truth".

[Still Sensible]

11. What crap, any idiot that says

nothing has changed has some incredibly misguided projections or is just pissed because his/her pet issues haven't been dealt with yet. In less than three weeks the administration has already had some significant accomplishments. Admittedly there have been a few missteps. But, from what I can see the President has so far done what he said he would do in the campaign. Some people will obviously want to argue President Obama's appointments indefinitely.

Specifically Sirota misses that the President has done, with appointments at Defense and State, pretty much what he HAD TO do. Keeping Gates was important to avoid starting off his administration with a completely adversarial relationship with the military. HE is the change agent in the mix and he has already begun policy changes relative to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has already suspended the trials at Guantanamo and ordered a plan to close the prison there. What part of the last 19 days looks just like the prior administration?

All I can say is Sirota must have been paying zero attention during the campaign or projecting a candidate that was not running. If he keeps writing tripe like this he'll lose his credibility.

[RandySF]

12. Evien if Obama did everything he wished for

Sirota would still need to find something wrong in order to keep himself in a spotlight.

[Politicalboi]

13. He should have opponents of the war

But as far as getting things done in his cabinet I see nothing wrong with getting people who know what to do under these circumstances. Lincoln didn't have the fucked up economy that we have. I know he talked about rivals but this past week we all see how his rivals are going to act. He should replace Gates and the rest of the Bush yes men I agree with that. But unless the Repubes are willing to acknowledge that the Dems won then let Obama pick who he wants. If he's re-elected in 2012 I would hope then he can start with new young people who are smart and have different views.

[wuvuj]

15. Check the Obama Meter?

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

[inna]

16. thanks a lot for the link to the Obama meter, it's great! nt

[Skittles]

22. for 20 days that is pretty good

[Political Heretic]

25. Agreed! Just had to post that cause we like never agree lol

:party:

[OneBlueSky]

23. "the White House's economic team -- a squad of corporate lackeys disguised as public servants" . . .

right on the button . . . the economic team that Obama has assembled is precisely what this country does NOT need at this point in time . . . the kinds of economic crises we're facing require nothing less than radical, systemic change -- something none of these people are inclined toward, or even know anything about . . .

desperate times call for desperate measures, not more or the same . . . Obama should be listening to the Paul Krugmans and Josepth Stigletzs of the world, not to this "squad of corporate lackeys disguised as public servents" . . . the more time he wastes dicking around the edges of the problems with this bunch, the harder it will be to find and implement some real solutions after the dicking around fails miserably -- which it will . . .