I have a question for fellow DUers ... why did Team Obama pick

[akbacchus_BC]

that putz Gregg. He has no personality and I am not into conspiracy theories but he seems to be a Rethug who was leading the current administration on and then said no. Good riddance that he did not accept.

[Triana]

1. didn/t harry f*cking reid pick gregg? n/t

[akbacchus_BC]

3. Triana, did not know that Harry Reid picked him! That's news!

[napi21]

2. No idea if it's true, but apparently Gregg asked to be considered..

I believe Obama wants to regenerate bipartisanship in Washington, and I suspect he said OK to Gregg's request. I still think pressure from his fellow Pubs and the census being moved to the exzecutive branch turned him off, and he said I'm out of here.

[vaberella]

5. You konw I heard Reid was pushing him. But then I hear it was Gregg...so I don't know. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Politically speaking, Team Obama is still wet behind the ears

They still think that they can "reach across the aisle" without getting kicked in the groin, even after seeing what had happened during the last 16 friggin' years.

[Clio the Leo]

7. You might want to phone him up then....

..... because he spent all day long saying he's going to keep reaching across the aisle. His resolve seems to be even stronger than before.

[Art_from_Ark]

9. Trying the old "kill 'em with kindness" approach?

For some people it might work-- but for these creeps, it just gives them a chance to look for weakness.

Perhaps the old "keep friends close, and enemies closer" approach works for mafia dons, but I don't think it's such good advice for such high-level politicians.

[Jane Austin]

11. Obama doesn't put anything at risk that he can't afford to lose.

The President is more patient than most people.

[Art_from_Ark]

13. The President is a political neophyte

Sorry, but that's the way it is. He has only been on the national stage for a few years, and I don't think he really knows just what it is he's up against. The Republicans have been beating up on the Democrats since the Carter era, and they're not about to let up now. You can be patient with bullies, but in the egregious cases, there comes a point where you really have to put your foot down. Most of these political bullies don't respect "nicey-nicey". They're just looking for ways to exploit Obama's weaknesses and turn them to their advantage in the next election cycles. Same thing happened to Carter and Clinton. Carter didn't know what hit him. Clinton tried to play ball with these creeps. It didn't work out for either of them.

[Jennicut]

14. Ever think he might be trying to kill them with kindness because he wants to show their true colors?

The Rethugs are easily led into the trap that Obama is naive, etc. I don't buy it. Obama is staying classy and above it all while the toddlers whine at his feet.

[Art_from_Ark]

15. I've thought about that

But I have also been an adult since the Carter era and I have seen how they trashed Carter, and came out of that smelling like a rose and we got stuck with Reagan and bu$h 1 for 12 years. And then they trashed Clinton, and while he got 8 years, after that we got an even worse disaster in bu$h 2.

For all his faults, Lyndon Johnson knew that you had to twist arms to get things done.

[akbacchus_BC]

20. Oh please Jenny, President Obama is bending fucking over backwards

to please the rethugs. Don't you see something wrong with that picture? What is wrong with this President? I love him too, wish we could clone him but he is being too fucking bipartisan and the rethugs are going to crucify him. No more fucking rethugs in his administration and Amen to that!

[Jennicut]

26. Well, I think he learned his lesson. He tried and there is no

way to get blood from a stone. They are impossible to work with and its time to move on.

[Jane Austin]

17. Sez You.

:)

[Art_from_Ark]

18. Sez me

after watching two other smart and able Presidents get trashed by the Republican war machine.

[Jane Austin]

24. Betcha Obama was watching, too! . . . . . . . . . n/t

[Bluerthanblue]

28. ha!

I'll stand with you in that bet.:hi:

There's a wisdom that goes beyond tit for tat- and a value in not accepting the status quo and falling back on the familar lament of "we tried before, it doesn't work". Pres. Obama is no fool.

Change is coming. If not, we'd all be doomed.

[Art_from_Ark]

30. Obama might be "no fool"

but he's certainly having a very embarrassing time trying to fill the position at Commerce. And his Treasury Secretary has already pissed off the Chinese and is getting anything but rave reviews for his bailout package.

[Bluerthanblue]

33. if there is any embarrasment being felt, it should be

placed where it belongs- on Gregg and Richardson- It should be an embarassment to us as a nation that we either don't have candidates for offices who don't have personal issues that make them unfit- or that we have unrealistic expectations for those in power-
As for Gregg, he alone should be embarassed. He either made a very foolish decision, or he doesn't have the integrety to stand up for what he believes in- either way, it was not Obama that backed out- it was Gregg.

And concerning the Chinese and the bailout package- I'd be willing to bet that no matter WHAT we do, people are going to complain- and get pissed off. It's a mess that isn't gonna be be cleaned up easily. We need to do what is right and necessary for America first- while measuring our impact other countries. Just as China's undervalued $ has impacted us, and contributed to the global mess we are All in today.

:hi:

[akbacchus_BC]

19. You know, you are so right. Why the hell the Dems are trying to be

no nice and am frigging cheesed of that President Obama still playing nicey nicey. When the fuck will he learn. Choose a rethug who eventually played him! He should wake the fuck up and stop this bipartisan crap! Enough is enough.

Pretty soon he is gonna visit Canada and our dictator does not want him to meet with the opposition. Do you really think he will go against Harper? I am so pissed off right now and I am sorry to feel that way!

[Art_from_Ark]

23. Yeah, really

I think it was not a particularly recommendable move to offer the position to a foaming-at-the-mouth Repub, although who knows, maybe they just wanted him (Judd) out of the Senate?

As for Harper, is he still PM? I would have thought that he would be on his way out by now. Or is he going to stick around a few more years, like Mulroney did?

[akbacchus_BC]

34. I am really glad he declined the nomination. Yes, Harper is

still our PM, we had elections last year and he thought his party would win by a large majority but he didn't. Then the Liberals and the NDP were try to unite to overthrow Harper but that did not happen.

Deon, who is the leader of the Liberals, had to step down and Michael Ignatieef is now the leader and claims to have close ties to some of the high ranking people in President's Obama Cabinet. Ignatieef is Canadian but worked for many years in the US and was a lecturer at Harvard.

Your elections are so very different from Canada's.

[Bluerthanblue]

27. it ain't over yet- it's the repubs who are gonna end up nutless

in this.

I'm sure of it. And as for not reaching across the aisle because it hasn't worked before, maybe it hasn't worked because no one had the balls to really DO it- or quit at the earliest opportunity.

If we don't learn to work together in this f-$ked up country of ours, we're going to end up destroying not only ourselves, but the entire world.

That doesn't mean compromising on core issues, it does mean realizing that we are all in this together and if we fail, we ALL will suffer. IMO

If this is an example of being 'wet behind the ears' then it a damn good thing to be- better young and fresh than old and rotting.

:hi:

[Art_from_Ark]

31. Were you around during the Carter era?

Carter tried to be accommodating, and he was screwed seven ways to Sunday because of it. Clinton also made more than a passing effort to accommodate the Repubs, and he was also screwed for it. On the other hand, Lyndon Johnson knew the right thing to do was get the Civil Rights Act passed, and he didn't waste his time trying to play nicey-nicey with the racists from both parties who stood in his way.

[Bluerthanblue]

32. I cast my first vote for president for Jas. E. Carter-

and despite what was done to him, what HE did- and the way he conducted himself is something I have great admiration for.
Lyndon Johnson didn't get the civil rights act passed without a fair amount of help from some republicans- and having to work AGAINST some in our party. So, using your excellent example, we should focus more on the goals, and less on the 'party' affiliation?

I admire and respect both Johnson and Carter- And I have faith in Pres. Obama's wisdom and ability to lead us well.

:hi:

[Clio the Leo]

6. lol, you do realize that the ability to entertain a crowd is not high on the list...

.... of qualifcations right?

I mean, Barack's got that one covered. ;)

[akbacchus_BC]

8. I know, and Gregg has no personality!

[napi21]

12. But it gets him public support and THAT IS very important!

Even the minority Pubs can be crushed by that.

[akbacchus_BC]

22. It is not the crowd that matters, the primaries are over, this is about

rebuilding America and the world is looking up to him. He was great tonight on TV but he has to stop this bi-partisan shit and get on with what is important for Americans. That Gregg asshole was a useless pic. I am just as happy as you are about President Obama, please clone him and send him to Canada but he needs to wake up and realize that the rethugs are going to undermine him just like they did to President Bill Clinton. Why the hell the Dems don't fight back? Bush, Chenney, Rove, etc. all those motherfuckers should be tried for war crimes!

[Clio the Leo]

25. lol, how did you manage to see him on TV last night and not realize...

... he is CLEARLY not gonna stop "this bipartisan shit" any time soon. What did you think the theme of his message was if it wasn't to continue to work across the aisle?

[The Brethren]

10. I have no bloody clue.

But I'm glad to hear he's withdrawing.


Stimulus Plan ("American Recovery and Reinvestment Act") full text: Orig. House version -- http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryBill01-15-09.pdf Senate version -- http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_02_02_The_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009.pdf Spreadsheet of Senate compromise -- http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_02_08_UPDATED_Appropriations_Provisions_of_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act.pdf?CFID=4043629&CFTOKEN=40573040 Text of Senate compromise version of fiscal stimulus legislation -- http://readthestimulus.org/amdth1.pdf

[KharmaTrain]

16. Maybe Cause That's What He Campaigned On...

His game has been what he calls "post-partisan"...a way to deflect the right wing hate machine and put the repugnicans in a box. The fools bit.

Obama's not naive...he knew the poisonous atmosphere out there and by reaching out, this solidified his popularity among many moderates...that middle 10-20% that determine elections. While his popularity numbers stay in the upper 60's, the repugnicans are in the 20's.

There's the old saying of hold your loved ones close and your enemies closer. He included repugnicans that shows he's reaching across and they GOOP is spitting on that hand. Fools! In their vain hopes of holding on to their eroding party, they're ceding the middle to President Obama.

Put away the tin foil...Gregg was a poor pick that Obama thought he could work with and also give the party a leg up on winning that seat in 2010. Gregg proved today that once you're bought, you stay bought. He just couldn't take the bait...and my bets are he got a lot of pressure from his "friends". We'll see in a couple years if he ends up on some large corporate board...his payoff.

The other day, I heard Ray LaHood...one of the other GOOPers in the cabinet. He was the guy during the Clinton impeachment that held the gavel in the House and was Denny Hastert's BFF...but listening to him sell the stimulus package, he sounded like a lifelong Democrat. He's one that didn't stay bought.

Cheers...

[akbacchus_BC]

21. I understand your points, but from day one, the rethugs have been

hammering President Obama. Don't you think it is about time he leaves those assholes behind and move on? What is with this Gregg appointment, how far is he willing to reach across the aisle? This is becoming boring! This is frigging useless, ignore the rethugs and get on with the job!

[Bluerthanblue]

29. they can keep hammering away- it isn't

going to get them anywhere in the end.

They will be assimilated.

"America has two great dominant strands of political thought - conservatism, which, at its very best, draws lines that should not be crossed; and progressivism, which, at its very best, breaks down barriers that should never have been erected." -- Bill Clinton, Dedication of the Clinton Presidential Library, November 2004

[Honeycombe8]

35. I don't know. That didn't make sense at all to me. They OBVIOUSLY would have idealogical

differences.