Outstanding Article: "What happens when Obama acts alone. Dammit!"

[berni_mccoy]

From blackwaterdog at Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/1/20/827356/-What-happens-when-Obama-acts-alone.-Dammit!

What happens when Obama acts alone. Dammit!

In some ways, i'm a bit relieved. All the super majority did was to make Joe Lieberman king and cripple Barack Obama. Sure, Obama made his fare share of mistakes - As he is human facing massive shit-storm. But the big picture, the narrative, the atmosphere and perception that brought last night's nightmare - That's all due to a terrible political system, a terrible media, and especially due to a terrible Democratic Party, divided and disloyal. Andrew Sullivan wrote last week: "I hate what the Democrats did to Obama", and i couldn't agree more. Because when Obama just do things by himself, this is the result:

blackwaterdog's diary :: ::

"BY FAR THE BEST FIRST YEAR ON THE ENVIROMENT OF ANY PRESIDENT IN HISTORY"

This week marks the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama's inauguration. The economy, war and health care are dominating discussions about what he has or hasn't accomplished.

Yet with little notice from the public, Obama has been steadily rewriting a major area of American policy — the environment — from global warming to gas mileage rules, logging to endangered species...

...After methodically reversing many of the Bush administration's environmental policies, with little help from Congress, Obama is drawing criticism from Republican and industry leaders...

"This is by far the best first year on the environment of any president in history, including Teddy Roosevelt" said Carl Pope, national executive director of the Sierra Club, in San Francisco. "Most presidents have done their best environmental work late in their term. This is a very, very strong opening."

The list of what he has done (http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14218053?nclick_check=1) impressed every expert, as they acknowledge that it all got lost in the reality of the economy. But here's the thing:

Most of the changes have come through executive branch rules, rather than laws passed by Congress. As a result, they could be overturned by future presidents.

So Obama did it alone and it may not stick, because HUGE majority in congress is still not enough. And it's not like the corporations are going to go away quietly:

...snip...

Really? Who will give him this credit?

Progressives? Progressives made the environment a top priority during the campaign, but now they couldn't care less. They're so in love with the idea of using Right Wing talking points to "move the Overton Window", that they can't even see how they push the best vehicle they had in the White House in 45 years, out of the freaking Overton window.

Or maybe the public? Yea, sure, the public. The people of Massachusetts (!) gave Ted Kennedy's seat to a nude model teabagger. The public is stupid.

History. Only history will give this president credit. And historians will spend a lot of time and words on researching how the same country that elected such quality president during one of its worst periods - could give him barely 8 months to fix 8 years of catastrophe, and killed him after less than a year.

[hisownpetard]

1. First Rec. Thanks for posting! eom

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. "History. Only history will give this president credit."

And, there it is!

Where might Americans have heard this idea before? Smirky Bush liked that phrase as well. Look where that got us. In fact, I would offer that taking a shot at what historians may or may not say about a President is a recipe for DISASTER for the American public living right now.

[DevonRex]

3. That last line is DU to a tee. And it makes me so angry I could spit. nt

[Hello_Kitty]

5. Right the All Powerful DU with its massive ability to kill bills and lose special elections.

:eyes:

[DevonRex]

7. .

*spit*

[blondeatlast]

4. Enthusiastic k/r. nt

[bigtree]

6. I don't believe the president

. . . thinks progressive critics are 'killing' his presidency. I'd have to laugh if he said that.

[Hello_Kitty]

8. Everything is the fault of the dirty fucking hippies on the internet.

Everything.

[krabigirl]

9. I agree. His record on the environment has been great.

Sadly, so many people don't give a rat's ass about the environment.