God Bless Eugene Robinson

[impik]

Not only great writer, but one FREAKING sane, clear eyed and reality-based pundit in the world of Arianna Huffington and her army of concerned trolls:

Obama's months in office have been so action-packed that it's easy to forget some of the historic steps he has taken: nominating Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court. Going to Egypt and speaking directly to the Muslim world about cooperation rather than conflict. Embracing multilateralism as the template for U.S. foreign policy in the new century. Accepting the scientific consensus on climate change. Investing in "green" jobs and education reform as key engines of economic development.

And then there's health-care reform. I've been impatient with Obama's strategy of letting Congress take the lead on writing legislation, but he's brought us to the brink of truly meaningful reform much faster than anyone could have imagined a year ago. We still have some fighting to do over two words -- "public" and "option" -- but it looks like the principle that everyone is entitled to health insurance, a Democratic Party goal for at least six decades, is about to become law.

Quite a record for 287 days: All that, and a Nobel Peace Prize, too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/02/AR2009110202451.html

[tabatha]

1. I agree!

Thank you Eugene Robinson - careful balancing. Obama has been extraordinarily busy.

[countingbluecars]

2. Yes, he makes sense! n/t

[DrToast]

3. But, but Arianna Fluffington says he's struggling!

And she should know, she's got a poll for the best tits in Hollywood on her website!

[otohara]

12. Her Site Reminds Me of National Enquirer

with the stupid headlines, stupid pictures to go along with the stupid headlines.

Then there's endless clicking to access to a story.

and then there's the polls like the one you mention that makes The Fluffington Post tacky.

[JamesA1102]

13. Tried to post a link to the Robinson article on HuffPo

Of course they wouldn't approve it. The censorship on that site is outrageous.

[Cha]

18. Thanks for trying..gotta be some way to get a hold

of Eugene Robinson and let him know he's appreciated.

[NoSheep]

4. I've loved him since the first time I saw him. he's one of my heroes.

His manner, when he speaks....I just trust him completely. Wish we could make a lozenge out of it and give it to everyone. RAchel MAddow has that too.

[tblue]

5. Yep. Nice.

There's a good chance what we're witnessing right now is Obama's actual agenda. Maybe he's not holding back anything. Assuming he is doing something else, playing chess or rope-a-dope, or that he is doing anything against his will may be just our own daydream. Just a rationalization. Maybe this is really it. Maybe what we see of Obama is what we get. Maybe what we all ought try to do is take him at face value.

[impik]

6. The point is, and ER explains it beautifully

that if you take just half step back, you realize that this president has done things that no president did in decades. Whenever i read posts by people who look down at those who are satisfied with Obama, i have to wonder in what world they're living and did they really think that by January 21, the whole disaster that 8 years of Bush inflicted, will be fixed. They really didn't listen to Obama during the campaign.

[zipplewrath]

11. You might wanna look at Clinton's first 9 months

It was a wild and willy ride. Of course it all ended in alot of unexpected results, at least to progressives. We got DADT and were told to like it. We got nothing out of their healthcare proposals, except a GOP led congress. And before it was all over we got "welfare reform" and DOMA. There are reasons to be concerned about the direction Obama has headed, his negotiations with the big Pharma lobbies, the deals he's cut with them, etc. The deal he's struck with Arlen Spector. His openness to getting stuck in Afghanistan and keeping on Gates, is another "concern".

It too soon to tell, and one can find positives and negatives upon which to focus. "only time will tell" is about all anyone can say at this point.

[tblue]

14. And Goldman Sachs, which is a big finger in the eye to progressives.

And of course Obama could do something about that. He's no victim.

[vaberella]

7. When I see "supposed" Dems click disapprove on Obama's performance this year...

I have to wonder if they bloody forgot all the things he's one during his Presidency in the last 9 months. We all want more, we all have our own priorities list...however there's no way I can escape the fact (and I wonder how others have) that he's done so much for this country in bringing about change. Thank God DU does not reflect the majority.

[tblue]

15. We may not reflect the majority. But we do reflect the foot soldiers, the precinct walkers,

the phone bankers, the ones who go and schlep out of state to volunteer and who convince non-voters to get involved for the first time in their lives. That was not some 'majority' of deeply impassioned afraid-to-rock-the-boat centrists doing that hard, dirty work, going broke, jeopardizing their jobs and putting their families on hold. That was US!

[vaberella]

16. Please, don't get self-righteous with me.

No, you don't reflect them. I was one too. To ignore all he's done in lieu of what?! Of what he has yet to do and we gave him 4 years to do?! It doesn't make sense. For what he's done in 9 months, I'm impressed. He's finally given women equal pay in the workforce. It's 2009 and we had to wait until Jan/Feb of this year to get that. He's created an Urban Affairs department (when there was never one before) to address inner city crime, poverty, energy independence and efficiency. He's working to repeal DOMA and DADT and has already put laws in place through loophole giving the LBGT community a bit more wiggle room. He's ending Iraq and countless more things and you think he's done nothing?! We have people claiming he's just like Bush on this board, we have people here talking about him being a Corporatist when he's going to take out offshore accounts. There are people shouting the nonsensical because they don't have a leftist dictator---ie Bush for the left. Unlike Bush's stupidity our current President doesn't sit around twiddling his thumbs or playing with toy soldiers, he thinks things through realistically and rationally and practically---looking at the present and future for long lasting change. Change is not done at a drop of a hat or is it normally welcome. It takes time, has a hell of a fight to take place, and thinks postively in the long haul not short-run gratification.

Maybe you need a reminder of what he's done: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8730317

And this is not even the full list.

[zipplewrath]

8. One can have it both ways

This is a "glass half empty/full" situation. One can choose to see this in almost any light, at least standing anywhere on the left. When one starts with the reality that it's only been 9 months, it is easy to spin the rest. I frequently point out that he really hasn't done that much since taking office, BUT IT'S ONLY BEEN 9 MONTHS. Alternately, one can phrase that in the form of: "in the 9 months he really hasn't accomplished very much". Everything is basically still a work in progress. Health care is still incomplete and can't be judged. The speech in Cairo was nice, but the tangible benefits will be hard to see for years. Sotomayor is on the bench but hasn't written the first decision yet, or minority opinion, much less particularly voted. He got a watered down stimulus packaged passed, but the extent of its effectiveness, especially in the areas of "green" jobs and education are yet to be seen. But alternately, OF COURSE it is yet to be seen. It's only been 9 months. Heck, all the money hasn't even been spent yet. Gitmo isn't closed yet, but it's only been 9 months. We still have folks in indefinite detentions, but its only been 9 months. DADT is still throwing people out, but it's only been 9 months. Cheney et. al are still all free, but it's only been 9 months. We don't have all the transparency we might like to see, but it's improving, and it's only been 9 months. Afghan, Iraq, and bailouts? It's only been 9 months.

So the expression "only 9 months" is a fact and a convenient standard against which to measure. My only question is when does the glass become more than half empty? Replace 9 with 18, or then end of the first term. When does one start to say it's been "enough" time for any of these issues to be judged? Bush and McCain wanted decades to "judge" their wars.

[Clio the Leo]

9. I got a kick out of Arianna saying on Morning Joe today....

.... about how the GOP was foolish to "pander to its base."

I guess it all depends on who's base is being pandered to, huh?

[emulatorloo]

10. good op/ed - thanks for posting n/t

[CakeGrrl]

17. "All that, and a Nobel Peace Prize, too"

...and the haters heads explode.

Nice job, Eugene!