Matt Taibbi: Obama Baited And Switched Us

[taught_me_patience]

Run time: 05:02 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4it-Fs8RLw   Posted on YouTube: December 02, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: December 03, 2009 By DU Member: taught_me_patience Views on DU: 11149

 

[FrenchieCat]

1. This guy must take drugs! Taibbi baited and switched on himself....

meanwhile, Obama has been quite consistent.

[midnight]

7. What are you talking about? Drugs? This guy is talking about finance....

[tonysam]

8. He was being peddled as a "progressive" or even as a "liberal,"

but Obama was neither one and never was. He has many of the same people working for him who were responsible for the economic mess we are in.

The "baiting and switching" is more like a willful ignorance by many of Obama's supporters who thought he would actually make significant changes in policy.

[swilton]

9. Obama however did run on change

One can look at Obama's speeches and find what one wants

[rollingrock]

13. Obama certainly ran as a progressive on most issues

but he doesn't rule like one.

that's the definition of bait and switch.

[liberation]

25. Well, he was being deriveratedly vage in a lot of these issues...

... people projected onto him what they wanted/needed to hear. And he most definitively ran away with it. It was nothing but the plausible deniability approach to political campaigning. No wonder the Obama die hards are trying to milk that for what it is worth.

The "not enough time" and "you want your pony" excuses have now been superseded by the "well, he never promised that..." justifications.

We will be engaged in a circular proposition for the rest of this administration: You can't blame Obama for things he did not promised, except when he breaks one of those vague promises, in which case he is doing it just because he is such a great politician that he needs to adapt to the changing scenario. Soak, rinse, and repeat.

The funny thing is that the Obama apologist seem to imply that it is not justified to criticise the president for not doing the right thing, since he did not promise to do the right thing. Such line of thought is troubling, and it seems to be the Dem equivalent of whatever deranged line of justification the 25%ers of the Bush base used to justify their folly. Dems acting like Repugs was most definitively NOT the change I had hoped to see...

[rollingrock]

32. In other words,

Obama's campaign speeches were filled with weasel words and the typical slick 'n sleazy lawyer/politician-speak designed to play on people's emotions but were deliberately vague and meaningless. That's why lawyers make for such 'good' politicians. They are real experts at fooling the masses.

[pmorlan1]

51. @liberation

The funny thing is that the Obama apologist seem to imply that it is not justified to criticise the president for not doing the right thing, since he did not promise to do the right thing. Such line of thought is troubling, and it seems to be the Dem equivalent of whatever deranged line of justification the 25%ers of the Bush base used to justify their folly. Dems acting like Repugs was most definitively NOT the change I had hoped to see...

You got that right and it's amazing to me that they are apparently incapable of seeing how closely their own behavior mirrors the same sheep mentality of the Bush supporters that they mocked when Bush was president. It's really quite stunning to see that they only view issues through a Republican vs. Democrat lens and really don't care about the actual issues. They care about WINNING a political game and are quite willing to take the opposite position of the one they once held as long as a Democratic politician is advocating for it.

[xiamiam]

53. i also have a problem with saying he campaigned on things so get over it

a lot has changed since he won the election..like the severity of the economic meltdown..that needs to be considered as a reason for changing or adapting some policy..or at least i think so..then again, im not president..just a struggling citizen

[snagglepuss]

85. Well said. nt

[Gin Blossom]

104. Very well said. n/t

[midnight]

39. I don't hear that once. But I hear that Obama's financial Architect Bob Reuben

who had a major hand in this financial crisis set up the loop holes for the Wall Street. How do you like these top 20-25 % of banksters getting a permanent bailout and congress doesn't get any oversight? Were the switch and bait aspect may come in is that this was sold as reform..... The word "progressive is used only when referring to economist Karen Cornblue.

[pscot]

122. A reuben is a sandwich

Bob Rubin. He had a major influence over Obama's financial appointments too.

[Captain Hilts]

58. Someone here told me "he's more liberal than Feingold." Honest to dog, they did. nt

[IsItJustMe]

67. Amen. Obama does have great memes though. Such as his talk about being just as concerned for main

street than for wall street. Sounded great, but when you see who he surrounded himself with, we see that actions are a hell of a louder that words.

[Echo In Light]

96. I like how Cheney crawled out to label O as a "radical" the other day

Damage Control

[Divine Discontent]

10. Yes, he disagrees with you, he MUST be on drugs!

Obama has surrounded himself with really crappy connections, as nearly all of us have discovered and understand - some choose to ignore the things like Taibbi discussed in great deal.

Obama has severely offended so many regular folk that people like you just don't get it - that he's on the verge of being a one-termer because of the things Taibbi detailed, combined with the 100 billion he wants for Afghanistan. Most Americans don't want him now, and that sucks that he has surrounded himself with such crappy people in DC. They've got the stock market rebounded thanks to billions of taxpayer's cash - what a GREAT economy - for the rich!

[bobbolink]

66. Not just being a first-termer......dragging the rest of the Dems down with him (some of whom have

done it to themselves).

I really like how the cheerleaders keep talking about "winning more seats next year, so we have a stronger majority". Talk about on drugs!

I know that I'm prepared to see a LOSS of seats.....and I hope that others are looking at the reality.

This guy has lost it big time.

[theFrankFactor]

71. Agreed! Republicans Beat Dems With Their Own Dem Dicks EVEN WITH A MINORITY!

Always have and always will. The Dems are a phony foil for the Corporatist Unitary Party. BELIEVE IT!

[Webster Green]

113. No shit!

I doubt that I will ever vote again, and coming from me, that is huge.

I've been politically active for decades. What a fucking waste of time! :banghead:

[liberation]

115. He seems to be pulling a Clinton on us, so I take Mr. Emmanuel is getting the encore performance he

always wanted. Heck, after the Dems lose both houses in 2010... I expect team obama to rehire Dick Morris's services for the 2012 polling.

To me the most fun is to be insulted by some of the die hard Obama fans, only to be told to vote Dem next election cycle or the kitten gets it. It is astounding the level of entitlement of the liberal vote by these moderate conservatives in the Dem establishment.

[Divine Discontent]

125. I am prepared to see a double digit loss in the house also, and those who

choose to cheerlead him on despite of these non-progressive moves don't seem to care about what is a progressive policy, and what is a neoconservative or status-quo policy, just as long as the way THEY perceive president Obama is left intact...

very frustrating, but some of them will start getting very nasty with the majority here, when they realize or after the votes are counted, that Obama has not been very progressive on several important issues, or pushed hard enough that we can tell, with the Congress, of course, when you're advocating centrist policies, or worse yet, centrist-right policies - you're not going to get more than half of the Dems in Congress on your side...


I wish the supporters who give him an A grade still, would wake up.

[Dragonfli]

135. I concur /nt

[Divine Discontent]

136. and it's not what you & I had hoped for when we were so happy last nov, I'm sure!

[bobbolink]

140. I doubt they will "realize" anything. They will just call us all idiots and worse....

Oh well, its only our country.

Not like its anything of importance.

:(

[dflprincess]

129. I had a call from the DSCC where they actually told me how important

it is to keep 60 seats and perhaps "grow our majority".

I told them they needed a new script because I wasn't going to fall for that line again.

[bobbolink]

141. Good for you!

I think they are hearing that a lot now.

This is all so sad, but there is nothing I can do about it, soooo...........x(

[taught_me_patience]

12. WTF? Obama ran on "change"

Taibbi is pointing out this is not "change". Robert Roubin is not change. That guy is one of the main causes of the whole financial meltdown. Taibbi has been doing an awesome job of exposing the rape of the taxpayers by the finance industry.

[dana_b]

107. a real journalist

amazing that they still exist.

[xiamiam]

15. need to take the guy off the pedestal, blinders off,..nobody is perfect.

including the president most of us voted for...Taibbi has done some of the best reporting on the financial crisis ..excellent piece in the beginning of this mess on the credit default swaps, and then goldman sachs, and now this..would you really prefer that we don't know this?

[Techn0Girl]

17. Long haired Hippy freaks!

on drugs... so it's not only right wing idiots who drink the magic Kool-Aid that makes them argue against their best interests is it?

[WyldRogue]

21. You are right, Obama has been very consistent....

...consistently forgetting the little people that helped propel him on the promise of "Change". He has made small changes and passed small legislation but on the bigger items and issues, he has been silent and barely acknowledged his support on HCR until the Bills were watered down to basically a free handout to the Insurance Industry machine.

I remember him stating that there would be 'no more back door meetings' and that the American people will be able to see what is/has/had been going on but so far, no transparency and he made back door deals with Pharma (which went against his pledge of 'no more back door deals'.

Still, I voted for him, he is my ELECTED President and I will still stand beside him to fight what is right for our country and our people but he has got to stand by me as well. So far, only WS, Pharma, Bankers, Insurance Industry, War Machines, and the Elites has Obama's undivided attention and concern.

If you can prove any different then show me good examples besides the little things I already know and hear about on Text, News and DU because it looks like to me that the bigger issues that would help us out are being put on the back burner or being completely phased out...

By the way, my 21 yr old son (stationed @ Ft. Hood) will be shipping out to Afghanistan soon (was in Iraq for 3 tours) and I have longer to worry about his safety until all of these 'wars' come to an end so we can have all of our family and friends home safe.

My second oldest son has just finished his basic in the Army and may be shipped to the Afghan Theater come the summer of '10 when he finishes the rest. How about you?

[bertman]

41. Those are some excellent comments, WyldRogue. I hope your sons both come home

to you unharmed.

[WyldRogue]

110. Thank you bertman

All I can do is hope and pray for my sons as well as other parent's sons and daughters. It does bother me that so many support going into any war when they themselves have no family or close friends headed to said wars.

[bertman]

130. As a young infantry second lieutenant saying goodbye to my parents as I was flying off

to war in Vietnam I remember my mom's tears and my dad's stoic, somber demeanor and the fact that he could hardly talk as we shook hands (we never hugged until much later in our lives, sad to say). My dad served in WWII as a navigator on a bomber so I can only imagine what may have been going through his head. On the day that I was flying out, my brother was in a hospital in Tokyo, having been wounded by a mortar round during an attack by the NVA a few days earlier . He was okay, but the dread in my parents' hearts must have been overwhelming. They were still of the impression that the war was a righteous one to "stop communism" and that their sons were doing their patriotic duty.

For me, it was a heady moment and one that was filled with that strange excitement that I was finally about to REALLY go to war instead of just playing soldier. I was so absorbed in the moment that I was oblivious to what my mom and dad must have been feeling. Fortunately I returned home safely, unscathed save for the "invisible wounds" my sister reminds me of on occasion.

Since then, in my memories I have relived those goodbyes at the airport many times. Now as a stepdad of two wonderful daughters I think I come close to comprehending the awful apprehension that my folks must have felt at that time. I can only imagine how you and others must feel as you watch your children embark on that perilous journey.

It bothers me greatly that so few of us in this nation truly understand the nature of the sacrifices we are asking our military families to make. Paying lip service to our men and women in uniform is not enough. It is time for our government to come up with solutions other than armed intervention.

You are right to be bothered by our support for wars when most of us have no family or close friends who might be fighting. That, to me, is the ultimate insult of these wars. They were started by men and women who never served, never sacrificed, and had nothing personal to lose from committing the children of others to achieve their political goals. That is a sad commentary on the state of our nation.

[dana_b]

109. great post

and I hope they both stay safe and come home to you sooner rather than later!

[tblue37]

133. I saw a memorial article yesterday in a mag at the doctor's

office. It included soldiers who hd died either in Afghanistan or Iraq during 2008.

One especially caught my eye--theman had done seven (!!!) tours in either Iraq or Afghanistan. SEVEN!

Is this "no exit" Russian Roulette. It seems that if you keep surviving, they will just keep sending you over until you finally get killed. Death is the only way out.

[liberation]

22. Did you guys lifted the bus a while back?

... there is quite the contingent under it by now: Moore, Kucinich, Feingold, Taibbi....

LOL

[girl gone mad]

47. This is all stuff we were warning about months ago..

too bad you wasted so much time with your hands over your ears. Maybe if more Obama supporters had been pushing for real financial reform and the economic changes we were promised, rather than blindly defending every single misstep and bad appointment, our situation would be much less precarious right now.

[humbled_opinion]

60. Yeah he had me at the start too...

Then I looked up and saw that Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House and realized there is no reason in the world that a progressive agenda couldn't have been pushed through, instead most of our leadership started to lurch right.

I just don't get it.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Nikki Stone1]

63. Frenchie: A PERMANENT BAIL OUT MECHANISM FOR WALL STREET--that's what he's talking about

3:28-4:01 in the video:

Taibbi says:

"The really big thing that's in these bills, that's really, really scary is that it kinda outlines a permanent bailout mechanism. The did some things to tone it down a little bit in the House version. If this survives in the way it was originally conceived, it's basically going to formalize an arrangement whereby the government is expected to bailout the top 20 to 25 largest financial companies. It will be entirely the White House to determine whether or not those companies are in trouble in the future, so there won't be any Congressional role in deciding when and when not to give a bailout."

Now if you want a permanent Wall Street vacuum cleaner sucking your wealth from you under the guise of "bailouts" then go right ahead and ignore the video.

[ooglymoogly]

65. And yet everything he has to say is true. nt

[theFrankFactor]

69. Barack Obama - Corporatist Shill and Fake Liberal - A Nation of Lowered Expectations and Dupes

[Cha]

75. They don't need no stinkin' facts..just throw out some shit

and see who laps it up.

[IrateCitizen]

82. Drink up!!!!

[dana_b]

111. throw out some shit?

wtf?! Did you even watch it? Or was the truth too hard to bear?

[liberation]

116. So where are your 'facts' to counteract the opinions expressed in the video?

[AllentownJake]

81. You are becoming a parody nt.

[Webster Green]

87. One of FrenchieCat's typical hit & run delusional fucking Kool-Aid posts.

At least someone is consistent. :puke:

[Divine Discontent]

142. I don't wanna block her, as she could post something important, but for the comments I see, it's

like she's becoming a parody of herself. These repeated posts that slam anything said about Obama's less than stellar foreign affair & civil liberty policies just being the sour grapes of druggies, idiots, and whatever other name-calling that can typed up, are becoming a bit laughable.

Oh, to defend a politician like one's own child - where does one find the strength?

[ChiciB1]

98. I Really Must Disagree With You... Matt Has Been A Big Supporter Of Most

Democratic Agendas. If anyone has read Taibbi at Rolling Stone for any length of time you might catch on that he has a liberal bent!

Besides, what he's saying is basically the truth. I've begun watching Dylan Ratigan in the morning and he's not saying anything different. And he WAS in finance for quite some time. Has Spitzer on all the time AND he really thinks Tim Geithner is a crook (my word) Ratigan calls him a Corporate Communist... which I would say is a bit worse!

So no, I don't think Taibbi is a crook, he's been doing some very good investigative work for a long time!

[fascisthunter]

100. what is it like to compromise your principles for partisan politics

how does it make you feel? Because it does the country no good being loyal to a politician who doesn't have the best interests for the average American.

[PatrynXX]

103. must be LSD

X_X

Obama has been quite consistent. Repukes have been all over the map.

[pscot]

121. I want a mulligan

This time I'll vote for Hillary.

[liberation]

138. I take Mr. Obama is not DLC enough for you then...

LOL

[pscot]

143. It's hard to imagine that Hillary could be more DLC

than President Obama is proving to be. So far, what the corporations want, the corporations seem to get. I really thought I was voting for change. Simply being "not Bush" doesn't cut it. Most of the "progressive" legislation we've seen so far originated in the Congress, and would have occurred with any generic Democrat in the Whitehouse. Mr. Obama has been most effective in his foreign policy initiatives. Domestically, not so much. Even on HCR, it is the Congress that has done the heavy lifting. The Whitehouse really hasn't done much. In fact, Mr. Obama's irrational insistence on bi-partisanship and his rather timid approach to the legislative process seems to be empowering the Republicans' obstructionism. There is one thing I'm pretty sure of. If Hillary were president, the Stupak amendment would have been aborted.

[Teaser]

2. He also stole my virginity!

He promised he loved me, dammit!

[liberation]

23. Is this the new and improved "I want a pony" meme for adult audiences?

[Mithreal]

27. Yes

[Teaser]

31. that's what I said

and boy do I regret it.

[Mithreal]

35. Keep em coming. Laughs are therapeutic.

I mean that.

[Teaser]

30. stop defending him

.

[Political Heretic]

3. How does he say that when he said this is what he was going to do during the campaign?

It was wrong then and its wrong now, but its not a bait and switch.

[NYCGirl]

4. Yeah, but "he always said he'd do this" is not nearly as sexy a title. NT

[pundaint]

11. What part of Obama's economic policies constitute Change?

Any different rules

Any pursuit of the guilty

Any more transparency

Any new ideas being pushed?

[xiamiam]

18. he never said he would appoint the same people who helped create this mess

he ran on change.remember..that we could believe in...he also ran on help for homeowners which to date has achieved zero % permanent loan modifications and 11 % temporary loan modifications..for millions upon millions of americans..that crisis has not been stopped and until that is stopped there will be no confidence...he also said he wanted to help main street but that has not been forthcoming..im waiting and hoping..i just haven't seen it yet..

[JVS]

93. He said he was going to hand the reigns of the economy to bankers? Link?

[glitch]

118. I'd like to second that request. nt

[lumpy]

5. He is right concerning the people Obama has put in positions

of power.

[tonysam]

6. Taibbi hits it on the head here.

n/t

[xiamiam]

14. Taiibi is simply one of the best...fearless as well..nt

[Mithreal]

26. I agree, he is a great journalist. What does he have to fear though?

As if the elite care whether we tell the truth about them. They don't.

[xiamiam]

29. oh my, i am still naive in many ways...sobering yet probably true..nt

[Mithreal]

34. No, the fearless comment just seemed to be overstating is all.

Another DU'er posted about the idea of calling certain acts courageous and it kind of rang true to me.

He is doing what journalists are supposed to do. Are the journalists who don't challenge power fearful? Seems more likely they are just incompetent or sold-out? There are journalists that are fearless. Taking on the banks though, I don't think that word applies. Like Bush and Cheney, the big banks could care less whether we know what they are up to.

[howmad1]

49. And that is precisely why I'm teaching my grandkids that:

Crime Pays!

[Mithreal]

50. It's only crime if you can't afford to pay for changes in the law

Best way to rob a bank is to own a bank, yep.

[snagglepuss]

86. "As if the elite care whether we tell the truth about them. They don't."

Brilliant observation.:applause:

[katty]

119. that he is - his reporting record is credible

[Techn0Girl]

16. Tabbi is one of the very few remaining investigavtive journalists America has...

and his Rolling Stone exposes are unfailingly awesome.

[underpants]

55. That is true

Taibbi is the best going, easily

[pjt7]

147. Great article

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/31234647/obamas_big_sellout/print

[mudstump]

19. Is anyone ready for REAL change?

Think Dennis Kucinich, Bernie Sanders, Russ Feingold, Alan Grayson, Peter DeFazio or Al Franken as true progressives
next time you cast your vote.

Obama was, is and has always been a conservative corporate democrat.

No different then many republicans.

[Mithreal]

24. Overreached on that last sentence.

[bertman]

42. mudstump, President Obama's Illinois Congressional record and his Senate record were

center-left corporate Democrat.

Welcome to DU.

[sabrina 1]

108. Well, they are all in elective office, so someone is ready for

them.

However, the corporatists who actually run the government would never allow any one of them to become president.

More and more I am coming to believe, that the presidency means nothing to the people. No one can even get close unless they are considered safe for the corporations. The people have nothing to say about it, so we really don't know the answer to your question. But I know this, if Bernie Sanders and Russ Feingold had been in the race, an awful lot of people would have voted for them. Which is probably why they weren't.

The only chance the people have rests with Congress imho. We have to stop being distracted by presidential races and put all that effort and donations, into candidates for Congress because it really doesn't matter, to the people anyhow, who is in the WH. But, it will matter, if there are more Feingolds, Kuciniches and Graysons in Congress.

What a rude awakening the past several years have been but it could be a good thing in the end if it motivates people to take control of who even gets to run at the local levels and for Congress.

[tomm2thumbs]

20. thanks for posting K&R

[bvar22]

28. Obama during the campaign:

See if you can count the LIES bait:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZG8Zq8V54k

[bertman]

43. bvar22, in the FIRST 1:53 I counted SIX "baits". I was so disgusted after that, that I

stopped the video.

Thank you for posting that. It should be required viewing for everyone on DU. FrenchieCat, are you reading this?

[tomm2thumbs]

45. very disappointing to see that - should be required watching at DU

thanks for posting

[jgraz]

68. Yep, the guy's definitely a master ... oh nevermind..

:hide:

[taught_me_patience]

48. Thanks for this video... disheartening... n/t.

[JusticeForAll]

72. This video made me sick!!

Since 2000, I have been a staunch Democrat with literally 1000s of workDAYS volunteering for this party and its candidates, only to be repeatedly financially screwed over and jobless during Obama's administration. Thank you for reminding me why I voted for change and how we are so not getting it. I'd be interested in seeing how this video rates if you posted it in the video forums. If you don't post it, I might...Thank you again (even though it disgusted me thoroughly)

Jeff in Phoenix

You posted:

See if you can count the LIES bait:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZG8Zq8V54k

[IrateCitizen]

79. Notice -- no comments from the Kool Aid drinkers on this.

Not that I'm surprised, mind you. It's just important to point it out.

Proof that people who want to believe in something will fall for anything. The scary part, however, is that when the "center" no longer holds -- and Obama is exhibit #1 of this right now, given what he said he would do here compared to what he has done -- people will turn to the extremes to fill the void.

[snagglepuss]

88. This really should be in a separate thread in order to get the attention

it deserves.

[nightrain]

91. thanks for posting the video. Very helpful to remember! Bait.

[dana_b]

114. who was that guy?

I want HIM for president!

[Ignis]

123. That guy must be on DRUGS!

:crazy:

[SomeGuyInEagan]

128. That's who I voted for ... not the guy in office now.

Why bother voting anymore?

[BrklynLiberal]

33. There are many of us who are deeply disappointed in the turns that this

administration has taken...on many issues.
I would never have voted for McCain, but I feel that my vote was taken under somewhat false pretenses.
The appointment of Rham Emanuel was my first clue that this might not turn out the way I thought it would.

[debbierlus]

36. I knew better, I let myself get caught up in the hope, thinking this was such a great opportunity

For real change...

He had the country at his back. I thought he might run with it.

I realized that was not the case before he even took office.

I don't trust him at ALL, anymore. If you look at his appointments and advisors, and the content of his policies. This guy is no liberal. He is farther right then even Clinton.

What a joke that he bears the liberal smear from the right.

[pmorlan1]

52. FISA vote the 1st clue for me

My first clue was his turnaround on FISA and it's gone downhill from there.

[davidwparker]

37. kick for later

I like Matt Taibbi, so this will be good.

[pjt7]

38. That's the most balanced I've ever seen Taibbi

He clearly goes behind the scene, to show how Obama went with the same investment bankers that failed in business & then robbed the common man, to bail themselves out.

Expecting them to make new banking rules & be honest, is insane.

Obama should be called out on this by every person & journalist that he talks to.

[KoKo]

40. Thanks Matt! They threw lots of other Progressive /Activists Under the Bus

while they were at it. The "CHICAGO TEAM" was the "Dream Team" not the dirty skanks you danced with to win.

[bertman]

44. Recommend highly.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[audas]

56. Obama Change ....

Escalating settlments in middle east,
Will Nuke Iran if they attack israel,
Photos can not be released under FOI (prevent repeat of Abu Grahib - which is WORSE THAN BUSH),
Permanent Troop presence in Iraq - renamed to peace keepers, police and private military,
Increased War in Afghanistan,
Escalated war on Pakistan,
Refuse to prosecute War Crimes - refused to investigate
Bailed out corrupt bankers - no investigation,
No Climate Deal,
Increased use of secret military prisons- torture.
Increased aid to Despots in Caspian basin oil deals,
Escalating military Conflict in South America - Ecuador,
Escalating military conflict Columbia,
Cash for clunkers was back room deal to send steel to china,
No jobs,
Falling Dollar,
No Public Health

THIS LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON -

Wake the FCK UP!!!

[cadaverdog]

74. You're too critical...

Hey, he found a job for Dana Perino, didn't he?

[jennied]

77. Those are some heavy words... Obama baited us... but to give up hope

entirely scares the hell out of me.

[Captain Hilts]

57. No, he didn't. He let folks do it to themselves. People projected 'liberal' onto him.

Inappropriately so. On major policy matters, he was no different than Clinton.

[humbled_opinion]

59. Obama is lurching far right

He has gone beyond centrist. In his war speech I had a hard time distinquishing him from a Neo-Conservative. The words didn't even sound right coming out of his mouth but hey he said them, words matter, actions matter. He has blood on his hands now, he continues the war profiteering and the bankrupting of the USA.

This Disaster of a Healthcare bill no Single Payer with Medicare reimbursement rates, no strong Public option that would at least force lowered costs, no it is filled with mandates not against insurance companies, not against employers, no, no, no, against the people, I get fined if I don't participate, My employer is not mandated to increase my pay in order for me to shell out the percentage that I will have to pay for a qualified plan, My employer is not mandated that he won't cut back my hours or reduce my pay in order to pay his portion of the qualified plan...This piece of crap could have been written directly by Insurance company Lobbyists and corporate conservatives and to think the Repukes don't support any of it... LOL I find myself on the political side of those I despise in this debate.

So back to Obama, he says a lot of meaninful things, most I like but when the rubber hits the road his actions so far have been seriously lacking.

[billh58]

61. It really depends on

perspective doesn't it? For some DU members on the Far-Left, anyone even slightly to the right of Kucinich is considered as being "Far-Right."

:kick:

[bread_and_roses]

83. What "far left" here? Please elaborate on your definition of "far left."

I see DUers advocating positions held my the majority of Americans, as supported by poll after poll. Americans want some form of guaranteed national health care, they support higher taxes to pay for environmental protection and a sufficient safety net, they support jobs that pay living wages and support the right of workers to organize unions without interference. They want adequate oversight on Corporations, they want fair taxation and and end to backroom deals with lobbyists. Are those "far left" positions in your world-view?

Please enlighten us as to the "far left" here. I sure don't see it.

[billh58]

95. Like many

others who bash President Obama endlessly, you have plucked the low-hanging fruit that ALL Liberal Democrats have been working toward for generations -- not just those among this latest iteration of the "me" crowd. We Liberal Democrats have also been working for full civil Rights for ALL Americans, a return of the American Labor Movement, and a host of other social issues aimed at a restoration of the American Middle Class for many years, and will continue to do so. Whether you have noticed, or not, we Liberal Democrats have been very successful at improving the collective lot of the American People for generations.

If you do not fall into the category of the "Far-Left," then you are not among those who are to the extreme left of Kucinich and the Greenies. The difference between what the "majority of Americans" support, and the tactics used by the Far Left is a matter of civility, feasibility, rationality, and patience.

Liberal Democrats who have been in this fight for many years realize that a single individual sitting in the Oval Office can not be all things to all people, and does not have the power to grant wishes. It is the Congress, and our individual elected representatives who are our doorway to the process of "representative government" -- NOT the POTUS. The POTUS represents ALL Americans -- something that the Bush family, Raygun, and Nixon never quite got around to understanding or carrying out.

There is no such thing as "instant gratification" in the the fight for social equality. It is NOT the goals of the Far Left that place them out of the mainstream of American politics, it is their impatience, their incivility, and their mean-spiritedness. But mostly it is their propensity to shoot themselves (and the Democratic Party) in the foot by being obnoxious, whiny, and ill-mannered.

[bread_and_roses]

105. teach your grandmother to scramble eggs - and you still didn't define "far left"

Unless you're a good bit older than 61, I've been at this a lot longer than you and don't need your condescending little screed about patience.

And I'm afraid your "liberal democrats" - whatever that means - have done little or anything to advance "the collective lot of the American People" since Johnson's Great Society programs - many of which have been deformed or gutted with the hearty and enthusiastic collaboration of Democrats.

As for your "impatience and incivility" you sound just like the status-quo justifiers and enablers who told women to sit down, shut up, be sweet, and beg to given our rights by our masters.

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”

Obama has done nothing but concede to power on the big ticket items of money and militarism since he's taken office. That he tinkers around the edges with a few scraps and bones for the rabble is typical of the Democratic Party. Given who he is, where he came from, and the mood of the country when he took office I had hopes for better from him than the plate scrapings of the upper 1%. Perhaps he will come to it, though we see no evidence of it from day one and his appointments of the Clintonistas and the Banksters. I suppose we can hope so, but in the meantime we shoud be in the streets demanding, not sitting back and hoping. If you want to call peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience far left go right ahead. You'll be waiting a hell of a long time for that "progress" you espouse to support.

(the original expression is, of course, "teach your grandmother to suck eggs" but it sounds vaguely obscene somehow in modern idiom)

[billh58]

124. Actually, I'm 68

and was very active in the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s, and I never advocated for anyone to "sit down, shut up and be sweet." Legitimate and reasoned protest and worthwhile causes only get positive results because rational people move them forward by increments.

If you sincerely want to blame President Obama for not meeting all of your expectations, and believe that focusing your anger at a single individual will get the job done, then by all means press on. As I mentioned before, the Civil Rights battle is a long way from being totally won, but we have made some tremendous gains in the past 40 years.

And yes, I have waited a "hell of a long time" for this progress, but I don't see "whites only" signs anymore. In my youth, I never knew even one single openly gay person, but now I, and my fellow Americans know many. American society can not be changed overnight, and one election cycle can not undo the damage done by three decades of Republican Neoconservative regression.

Again, the goals of the Far Left are no different from the goals more level-headed and patient Liberal Democrats, only the tactics and the level of vitriol are different.

I wish you peace, and look forward to the day when all of our common dreams are fulfilled. Until then, I will keep up supporting our slow but steady ground game, while some of you continue to go for the Hail Mary TD pass.

And my previous post, and this one, are not intended to be "lectures," but represent a personal opinion based on many years of trial and error -- otherwise known as experience. I was an air traffic controller (and PATCO representative) in 1981 who was fired by Raygun for standing up for my rights, so yes I have been around the block a few times.

[pscot]

127. Best post in this entire thread

Well done.

[liberation]

117. And there I was thinking Red Herring was off season, and you brought a whole school!

[jgraz]

70. You can't lurch to a spot you've always been in

Just sayin...

[humbled_opinion]

137. Well I like to think that I wasn't LIED to

because if that was the case you can't unring that bell with me. So I will believe he is lurching or being driven or drawn right vice believing that he fully intended to sell out my Hopes.

[Nikki Stone1]

62. A PERMANENT BAIL-OUT MECHANISM??!! HOLY CRAP! (3:28 into the video)

3:28-4:01 in the video:

Taibbi says:

"The really big thing that's in these bills, that's really, really scary is that it kinda outlines a permanent bailout mechanism. The did some things to tone it down a little bit in the House version. If this survives in the way it was originally conceived, it's basically going to formalize an arrangement whereby the government is expected to bailout the top 20 to 25 largest financial companies. It will be entirely the White House to determine whether or not those companies are in trouble in the future, so there won't be any Congressional role in deciding when and when not to give a bailout."

[IrateCitizen]

80. That's what Geithner has been pressing Congress to give him.

All controlled by the Treasury, no accountability to the people or their representatives in Congress -- a blank check to offload banks' risky bets on to the American taxpayer in perpetuity.

IOW, the exact OPPOSITE of what Obama said during the campaign, according to the campaign speech posted by bvar22 in an earlier reply to this thread.

[waronbanks]

64. Four letters...

FISA. It was clear then what was going on.

[earcandle]

73. Thanks for standing up and clarifying the things we need to hear.

[ej510]

76. He's also preparing us for a future war in Latin America for oil.

[Locrian]

78. great article in Rolling Stone

http://taibbi.rssoundingboard.com/matt-taibbi-on-obamas-economy

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/matt-taibbi-obamas-big-sellout-wall-street

Cant watch the video (at work) but did read the latest RS where he lays it all out. Very sad and disturbing. It's Obamas whole TEAM that is make up of these parasites. What is worse - they are NOT the guys he had on his team during the election. Those people have been banished to political siberia.

Obama has sold out. That is crystal clear. What is NOT clear to me yet is WHY?

Taibbi: Obama got elected. On the day after he got elected he put two CitiGroup executives in charge of the economic transition team, especially Froman. Two weeks later they do a gigantic bailout of CitiGroup and that very same day those same, those CitiGroup executives hired Tim Geithner to be the Treasury Secretary. It’s an absolute quid pro quo.

[snagglepuss]

89. I also wonder why he sold out and so quickly even the black caucus is

critical of how little he's done.

[walldude]

120. Count me in as another "why?".

All I can think of is Bill Hicks, he used to do a bit about how they keep presidents under control. (this is paraphrased from what I can remember) Hicks: "Once they are sworn in the new president is taken to a secret room at the CIA where he is shown the Zapruder film. Forwards backwards and in slow motion until the new president "gets it"."

[paparush]

84. Taibbi's writing rocks. He's fearless. His RS articles have drilled right into the heart of

Wall Street corruption.

[pleah]

90. K&R Sad. n/t

[balantz]

92. We the people got duped by the T.V. carnival show starring: "Superman!"

He came to save the day.

Corporate-owned T.V. showed us a hero, so it must be true!

"Hey buddy, I sure HOPE you can spare some CHANGE. I was waiting for Superman to bail me out, but he's having tea with the Queen."

[Postman]

94. Obama is the black Bill Clinton

[ShortnFiery]

97. KnR

[slipslidingaway]

99. knr - just like HC, read the Obama/Biden HC plan ...

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf

Bottom of page 5

"...Through the Exchange, any American will have the opportunity to
enroll in the new public plan or an approved private plan..."

What is being proposed is a significant change from the above plan.

[valerief]

101. Permanent bailouts for the elites. And this is a democracy how? nt

[harun]

112. Who thinks we still have a democacy? Certainly not me.

[davidwparker]

102. "keeping government out of Wall Street" - until the government needs

to bail them out.

A true believe in that Ayn Rand crap would have not bailed them out with tax-payer money, but just let the market decide (to see them out of business).

[dana_b]

106. he is just pointing out what has occurred

and the facts speak loudly (actions not words). Bravo Obama! You are a master! :puke:

[stevietheman]

126. Does anyone have an alternative financial system in mind?

If we just let all these financial institutions fail, what would be the plan for recovering from that, after years of Depression?

I realize these bailouts suck arse, but nobody ever seems to talk about actual alternative approaches for running a financial system. Instead, we get whining.

[IrateCitizen]

145. You need to get out more, then.

I realize these bailouts suck arse, but nobody ever seems to talk about actual alternative approaches for running a financial system. Instead, we get whining.

There are, literally scores upon scores of alternative approaches out there for you to find and read up on. If I could suggest one, just do a search and read up on "Mondragon cooperatives."

However, when I see you characterize any/all critical responses as "whining," it leads me to believe that you're only seeing what you want to see.

[MasonJar]

131. Matt Taibbi, as usual, tells it like it is. Bait and switch is what I'd call it.

Campaign for change, beat Hillary by indicating you are left of her and then rule right of her.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

132. yeah

imagine how Joe Biden feels.

He must have gotten one hell of a tale about change and "the reckoning".

[democracy1st]

134. great to see everyday more and more people are seeing thru the bs

[LBJDemocrat]

139. Give Obama TIME!

If we just sit back and trust him, he'll eventually do exactly what we want him to do, because he's one of us. Unlike other politicians, Obama isn't at all concerned with lining up lucrative positions and connections for himself and his family so that they're in a good place after his term(s) of office are over.


:sarcasm:

[bobbolink]

144. I had my reply all set, then I saw the emoticon at the very end.

:applause:

How many lives wasted in all that time?

That is the question.......

[polichick]

146. Obama should be ashamed of himself - protecting the status quo...

...at the expense of the people.