Obama realizes that the Republicans will not work with him. He has always known they wouldnt.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

I know this because a man as brilliant as Obama cannot be naive. Nor can he be ignorant and unaware of history. He doesn't even have to go back very far. He could just look at what the Republicans did to Bill Clinton.

What I think (and since he became the nominee) is that when he references bipartisanship he is talking about the American People.

Now, the American people have been split by party lines on almost all issues. However i do think that Obama, with his willingly to compromise and show the American People that he can and will compromise, will bring about more political consensus amongst us.

I am none too fond that 33% of this bill is tax cuts but if this doesn't pass and the republicans filibuster, who will the American People point their finger at?

The Democrats who acted in an adult way, or the Republicans who are costing us jobs?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. 4 recs and no replies.

i will never understand gd :)

[Stevepol]

2. What can you say?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. the clintons eat babies or you're stupid or this makes sense. etc

:)

[dionysus]

10. kittens, not babies

:silly:

[cottonseed]

3. Ram it down and ask, "why aren't you working with us?".

I like the approach. The stimulus isn't such a savory example of how things can work because it pisses so many people off, but I think the approach will have a long shelf life over the next few years.

As opposed to Republican's ramming it down and telling us to like it, this approach befits the times. Plus I bet it pisses off conservatives like you wouldn't believe.

[BlooInBloo]

5. His behavior thus far is exactly in line with how he described his M.O.....

a little over a year ago....

http://www.dailykostv.com/v/000176.html

[Cha]

6. Thanks! There were those

during the primaries & general who thought Obama was being too soft or whatever but whatever he was doing.. worked.

I'm actually surprised at the fierceness of this clip! Fierceness with a smile.

[BlooInBloo]

9. rawr.

;)

[Pharaoh]

26. "Then I will Crush them.............

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[mopinko]

7. those tax cuts are for the poor and the middle class. they will help the

economy. tax cuts for the rich helps the rolls royce dealerships, and people like bernie madoff, period.
when you give money to people who live paycheck to paycheck, it gets circulated.

this is also a big part of what he promised. you could say the people have spoken on this. he won. the middle class won. promises, apparently, are now promises.
refreshing.

[Cha]

8. Excellent point you're making, Lioness..

It's the American People Obama is talking about..the rethugs flatter themselves.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. the last few speeches i heard in the campaign definitely sounded like he was consensus building

in the public. not w. republican politicians

[Cha]

14. Now that you brought it up..it

only makes sense. Thank you for getting it out here.

[alwysdrunk]

17. You seriously think the would filibister?

Right now? When every week is s a new job loss headline? When the popular new president has only been in office two weeks? I don't usually talk about "The Madate", that is a real factor to the plans of both parties. The chance of a Republican a filibuster on this bill whatever it is, is too small to even really worry about.

[DeltaLitProf]

23. The only one who would do it is David Vitter . . .

. . . because he is stupid enough, but I think the guy actually does believe he has a chance to win reelection in Louisiana. He knows that if his is the face of the filibuster of stimulus he jeopardizes his chances. So his filibuster is probably only a 30/70 proposition.

[Left Coast2020]

29. Let them go ahead and fillibuster.

Then the country will see what complete asses they really are. And they also kill all repugs chances running for any federal office--maybe local office too. Then again, it could just be repug "tough talk" because repugs love pounding their chest. I say call their bluff!

I say let them do it. Then see how pissed the people get. :grr:

[alwysdrunk]

12. They wouldn't DARE filibuster

These fuckers are REEELING. They might bark up a big storm for another week or two. but there is NO WAY they would just come out and obstruct THE Economic Recovery Package.

They're just trying to test our young, new president. Trying to see how far they can push him. Trying to see if there same old bullshit is as tired as the moderates say it is.

The bill passes either way. Obama was just demonstration to everyoone (including the Republicans), his willingness to debate, and listen to other ideas. But really, he is showing straight off the bat on the first major project, just how far he is willing to go. He's also showing how far he is not willing to go. By engaging the level of debate he did, and then ending it around and making a firm, confident decision, Right now he's setting the limits for the future. He's drawing the boundaries.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Um, what world do you live in?

Can I join?

[Marsala]

16. Seriously, they won't filibuster it

That would be political suicide. They will just vote against it and then blame Obama and the Democrats when the economy doesn't improve, or, if the stimulus works, the economy doesn't improve "enough".

[BlooInBloo]

18. So you think they won't *try* to filibuster, or they won't *succeed* in filibustering...

Just so I have a crystal-clear prediction to work with.

[backscatter712]

33. Oh, they'll filibuster. Don't think Obama's not planning for that contigency.

Though if I was a betting man, I'd bet that they'll try a filibuster, but a few moderate Senators will defect and we'll get cloture.

[frogcycle]

13. Reply

There, I replied! Feel better?

But seriously - you are of course correct. He played nice with the a-holes just to woo their constituents. Now that they told him to go piss up a rope*, he can hope that their constituents will tell them the same thing.


*I've never quite understood that expression, but I got it from my Brooklyn-born mother, who got it from her older brother who got it from friends at Erasmus Hall, so I figured you'd appreciate it. I generally prefer "go shit in your hat" because it is comprehensible. "Piss up a rope" is, well, just nutso. Of course, if it were possible to FORCE the a-holes to actually TRY it, that would be cool. Especially outdoors with gusty wind. hmmm.... now that I think of it, it IS a good expression!
Yay Brooklyn!

[The Hope Mobile]

19. How 'bout McCain sayin' that he wished Obama would've been

willing to meet with the GOP about the stimulus!?!?!? WTF???? More double speak. I just hope people don't fall for it this time.

[JDPriestly]

27. McCain said he was suspending his campaign to go to D.C.

to organize the bail-out. Obama stole his thunder. McCain was lied to David Letterman about going to D.C. immediately (he actually gave an interview to Katie Couric when he had promised to appear on Letterman if you recall). McCain forgets what is going on and acts like a fool.

[GeorgeGist]

20. Question

Do you think Obama is trying to push Republicans out of a job; so that all the people can enjoy the fruits of working class labor?

[GeorgeGist]

21. On a additional thought ...

perhaps it's obvious to Obama that Republicans are obsolete; and he's encouraging them to prove it.

[Still Sensible]

22. He's doing exactly what he should be doing

The President has been and will continue to offer an olive branch to the other side. He is asking for and willing to consider any and all good ideas--that do not include tax cuts as practiced by the GWB administration. So far they haven't come up with any.

I believe he is a little perturbed at the house democrats for some of the things that were included in their version of the bill--it has allowed legitimate, and in my view unnecessary, criticism of the package. The democrats have the votes to pass all of those measures individually and in short order once the Recovery Act is behind us.

What the President is also doing, by focusing on the middle class and by continuing to invite the GOP to the table, is solidifying the support of the quite large moderate middle--independents, more progressive republicans and what used to be called Reagan democrats. That is the group that determines our elections and the new boss is laying the groundwork to lock them up for decades (just like Reagan did in 1981). And I am hopeful that, just as Reagan corralled that middle and drug it to the right, Obama will corral that group and drag us leftward.

[jaysunb]

34. You, are wise...

as well as, " Sensible." :)

[Two Americas]

24. I agree

I have not so much objected to what he is doing there as I have to the way that some of his more zealous supporters have interpreted it - as open season on the Left and as a reason to suppress dissent.

[Radical Activist]

25. Yes. By trying

Obama was guaranteed to win politically no matter how Republicans responded. Trying again will likely produce the same results a little closer to the next election.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

28. "A man as brilliant as Obama cannot be naive. Nor can he be ignorant and unaware of history."

For heavens sake... do you actually believe that? Those assertions are the quintessence of naivete and if you believe a word of it the one unaware of history is you.

This is a prime example of the sort of servile anti-democratic primitive peasant-wannabee delusion and mass hysteria that have made DU such a pleasure.

[rhiannon55]

32. Have you read "Dreams From My Father"?

If you did you would have great respect for Obama's intellect, knowledge, and understanding of history.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

35. Since we are asking questions, are you high?

Yes, I have read Dreams from my Father. It was a well written though rather pedestrian post-literary bestseller memoir.

I have read thousands of books by thousands of authors who are very clever. I have reason to believe every one of them made gigantic mistakes in life, was hindered by prejudices and blind-spots, had uneven educations and was generally a human being with everything that entails.

So what?

As for Obama's knowledge of history... is that a joke? For God sakes, the man thought his grandfather was involved in liberating Auschwitz and repeated it any number of times through the years.

If you don't get that, Auschwitz is in Poland. No US soldier ever came within hundreds of miles of it. This is basic historical information of the sort that everyone ought to know and most do.

It's not a trivia question sort of thing. It's key datum. The significance of the fact that the holocaust took place primarily in Poland (and that we never got anywhere near Poland) is a central sort of thing to understand whether talking about the holocaust, the history of WWII or the cold war.

What on earth motivates this pitiable worship of this run-of-the-mill very intelligent, good guy? It's not like every previous figure in human history was a drooling moron.

It's a particular pathology and an ugly one. Nobody ever pumped out this blather about perfectly bright and more experienced men like Clinton and Carter.

It's a sickness.

[rhiannon55]

38. "pitiable worship..."

I was responding to your statement about Obama's "lack of awareness of the world". Where you got the idea that I worship him, I really have no idea. And it's none of your business whether or not I'm high.

You are really unnecessarily rude.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

37. yes, actually i do believe that and just because i am not an arrogant ass i am not unaware

when obama won, i knew there was plenty politically that i would disagree with him however his political brilliance and maneuvering is often understated. i think people overestimate his integrity to democratic causes and underestimate his political intelligence.

no one besides maybe a few du'ers thought that all of a sudden Republicans would cooperate.

also given that i was not raised as a peasant.. its hard for me to take on a servile attitude. i was raised amongst politicians and i understand politics. :eyes:

[Orsino]

30. Then he didn't just realize that, did he?

What his popularity has done is to drive the GOP back into its sulky, relatively silent obstructionism. House Republicans allowed this bill to pass without a filibuster, which is a measure of Obama's accomplishment. They get to grandstand a little, then their districts benefit anyway.

[backscatter712]

31. It's all part of the plan.

He's forcing the Republicans into one of two choices: Play ball with him, or be made to look like monumental douchebags in front of the entire nation.

Clearly, most of them picked choice number two.

My bet is that a few moderate Republicans will decide that their poll numbers dictate they not look like douchebags if they want to be reelected, and that they will vote for cloture.

[Grateful for Hope]

36. I think you are absolutely correct

I have seen a lot of second-guessing of Obama's strategy since after the primaries, and, in every case that I can think of, Obama's strategy was spot on.

I am personally willing to adopt a "wait and see" approach.