It Ain't working

[Scruffy1]

I rarely post on DU even though I read it everyday and have to give some credit to some of the best there is who constantly inform and entertain me with their posts. I have watched the attitude shift with the massive fail of the Obama administration. I say massive fail because the core of our problems as a nation have not been addressed to the degree necessary for a better society. It seems like the best we can hope for is to be a little better off off economically and socially.
Having just returned from the Gulf of Mexico, NOLA, Mississippi, and East Saint Louis I can see the changes and failures of over 40 years. The ninth ward is still almost deserted with search signs on the empty houses and East St. Louis is a ghost town. In my own city of Minneapolis youth and minority unemployment is at record highs. It reminds me of 1968 when the ghettos went up in smoke and the promises were made for jobs. It is clear to me that the government of the US and the capitalist masters have no intention of living up to their social contract. The basic deal has always been that the masters of the universe have been able to rape, pillage and plunder as long as they provided decent jobs for the majority of the people or at least enough to stop the rioting.
Only in America would the slight improvement of health care insurance, giving people who already have jobs some money to buy a house or car could be considered a great improvements. Are our expectations that low?
The basic non-negotiable demands for all progressive should be simple. A job for everyone that wants one and health care for all. Anything less is nothing at all.
Do not get the idea that I am blaming Barack Obama for this fail. He just has to take what he can get and go around to the side door. The bankers and corporations get the first pick.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. K&R

Succinct.

[Newsjock]

2. I disagree

It's working exactly as planned. And that's even more depressing.

[elzenmahn]

56. Read "The Shock Doctrine"...

...there's a reason for what is happening now - a quasi-religious adherence to Friedmanism by what George Carlin called the "Real Owners" of this country.

[RKP5637]

115. +1, n/t

[davidwparker]

120. +1

[keep_it_real]

3. "Are our expectations that low?"

Unfortunately, kinda, sorta, yes. People feel powerless to change the system the masters have in place or there would have been a national strike long ago.

[DeSwiss]

4. K&R - No it's not.

"The main feature of capitalism is the seductive assertion that you can get something for nothing in this world. That you can manufacture wealth through money manipulation, and that it is OK to steal and hold captive the people's medium of exchange, then charge them out the ass for access. That you can do so with a clear conscience. Which you can, if you are the kind of sleazy prick who has inherited or stolen enough wealth to get into the game. Even so, to keep a rigged game going, you must keep the suckers believing they can, and eventually will, benefit from the game."

~ http://www.joebageant.com/">Joe Bageant

[postulater]

10. Good quote. Bageant. I'll check him out later.

Thanks.

[DeSwiss]

101. You're welcome. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

33. Great quote!

That was better than a cup of coffee this morning, thanks DeSwiss!

[DeSwiss]

102. You're welcome. {Joe's cup is too strong for most} ;-) n/t

[tucsonlib]

104. Here's Another - Short and Sweet

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."

-- James Kenneth Galbraith

[ooglymoogly]

61. Excellent. nt

[DeSwiss]

103. Indeed he is..... n/t

[RKP5637]

116. +1, n/t

[RKP5637]

5. Well said. Sad, but true. I have a lot of trepidation about the future, because I

see the same failed economic system patched, ban-aided and anesthetized to a certain extent, but the core problems remain. Obama inherited a horrible situation and changing the momentum of a failed greedy economic system might be more than even the president can do. It's easier to take something down like the Bush years, but much harder IMO to build a system back up. Additionally, IMO, this failed economy started with Reagen.

[FedUp_Queer]

93. I can't but wonder...

I've read this meme that Obama "inherited a horrible situation..." That's unmistakably true. However, the next statement where you say: "changing the momentum of a failed greedy economic system..." Please tell me where Obama has even tried to change momentum of anything. Here's what I see:

1) The same people who caused the problem (Geithner and the gang) are the ones Obama tapped to be his "economic team.'

2) Tens of billions to Afghanistan, how much to rebuild our infrastructure and put people to work? Some, but not nearly enough.

3) Literally trillions to banks (no, not TARP), none of which they have repaid. (Before anyone gets their panties in an uproar, here is what I mean: The Federal Reserve is lending the "big banks" trillions INTEREST FREE at the discount window which they are trading in their proprietary accounts and getting rich OFF OUR MONEY. Where is Obama exposing this and speaking out against it?

4) Unemployment benefits running out (the 99-ers). Not enough money here...gotta be "deficit neutral" gotta be "paid for." That's fine, but where is the "deficit neutral" and "paid for" talk about vomiting, puking money for Afghanistan?

4) I won't mention that gross violations of civil liberties he's continuing and exacerbating and making worse than under Bush because this is an economic discussion.

Really, please...someone...ANYONE show us where he's even trying to "change[] the momentum..."

[RKP5637]

98. I reread what I posted. I don't think I said "he was changing the momentum of a failed greedy

economic system..." ???

You listed the same as I see it to date.

[FedUp_Queer]

141. I think I misunderstood you.

When you wrote this: " Obama inherited a horrible situation and changing the momentum of a failed greedy economic system might be more than even the president can do."

I read that as your belief that he was actually trying. My apologies for reading into your statement.

[RKP5637]

142. Hi, yep, I thought that might have been what happened. Thanks for

your reply!:)

[FedUp_Queer]

143. You are very welcome.

It's the least I owed you. Too much snark on here among friends (I'm guilty of waaaay too much of it myself.)

[truedelphi]

109. + My Household. n/t

[inna]

6. kr, and i wish you posted more often... and used paragraph breaks, too! :)

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. The solution is simple enough

When you have the worst economy since 1932, then you better respond like the guy in 1933 did.

Obama had the opportunity and a MANDATE FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE to be another FDR. That is what this country needed and still needs.

Instead, he went the Clinton retread DLC route. And this country will NEVER recover using those worthless Repuke economic policies. No matter what shiny wrapper and false "reform" label they put on them.

[northofdenali]

26. Bingo.

Even with the major - and I do mean MAJOR - OPEC-based recession, Carter invented CETA and it worked.

If we don't start another huge jobs program like that one, or the FDR programs we are sunk. I know. I've been "downsized" again for the second time in a year. Granted, I'll get unemployment. But the max unemployment here pays exactly 1/5 of what my paycheck did.

SO long house! It was good knowing ya. :(

[Warren Stupidity]

65. someday we will have the rec reply feature

[Ignis]

77. No kidding on the mandate.

Shrub "winning" the election because the SCOTUS put him in power? Not a mandate.
Obama winning the election by a landslide? That's a mandate.

Please spend some of that political capital, Mr. President. The country needs it.

[leveymg]

114. X 100,000

[Myrina]

79. +100

Thank you.

[RKP5637]

117. He missed the boat IMO. n/t

[MadMaddie]

8. If things were as simple as just making it happen we would live

in a perfect country.

The government was thoroughly broken by *GW Bush, smashed to smitherines. It took 30 years of Republican led Congresses led by Newt and others, and then 8 years of *GW Bush to break the government. Every government organization has been tainted with idiots whose sole purpose was to destroy it so it didn't function.

Yet, all I see as of late are people that expected all of the travesties, all of the corruption and the rebuilding of the government so it can function get completed and fixed in 18 months.

In that 18 months he has gotten us 2 left of center Supreme Court Justices which is critical.

Many expect miracles of one man but why are the many not hammering the Senate and spineless Harry Reid, remember there are 3 Branches of government and we have over 300 bills stopped at the Senate's door because of the Republicans. If Harry Reid wins he better put forth that the Filibuster days are over when the new session begins.

Many blame him for the lack of jobs, does he directly hire Americans? No Corporations do, and it's a fact that they are sitting on profits and not hiring people. The large banks are not lending money to small businesses......how is that President Obama's fault?

Maybe if we direct our anger toward the right targets and not a convenient target maybe we will see the additional changes we want to see.

President Obama has accomplished more than any other president in the last 30 years yet many conveniently overlook those accomplishments.

Quitters never win and winners never quit...remember that saying.....I am not quitting in my support of President Obama, I am not going to cry in my milk when things aren't going my way. That's life, we will win some and we will lose some. But we keep moving forward and in that process we don't destroy each other, we support each other.

Note: I think we all need to Vote in November and gain more Senate seats so we can get some things done.

[EFerrari]

11. The lack of jobs is squarely at Obama's door

because he has not made it a priority to use his influence to get jobs created. Whether by federal program or any other way. Yes, he is at fault for that.

[Enthusiast]

49. No way.

I have been very critical of Obama but the jobless problem is not his. 30 years of de-industrialization and globalization have caused this.

[Kermitt Gribble]

67. He wants more free trade agreements.

He didn't start the problem, but he is continuing the failed policies of those that did.

[Enthusiast]

78. On more free trade agreements

he is dead wrong. And THAT sucks.

[sabrina 1]

106. It would help to eliminate the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy though.

I'm hoping he gets that done at least ...

[Enthusiast]

119. Me too.

The Republican heads will explode. And that will be fun.

[izquierdista]

13. The answer hidden in the middle...

"The large banks are not lending money to small businesses......how is that President Obama's fault?"

If you don't see it as Obama's fault, then you have admitted that he has no power over the large banks. That in itself tells you who is running the country and who is there for appearances.

[glitch]

40. Every state needs to follow North Dakota's example on that one.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-brown/escape-from-pottersville_b_409813.html?view=print
Ellen Brown
snip:

A New Vision for a New Decade

A state-owned bank has enormous advantages over smaller private institutions: states own huge amounts of capital (cash, investments, buildings, land, parks and other infrastructure), and they can think farther ahead than their quarterly profit statements, allowing them to take long-term risks. Their asset bases are not marred by oversized salaries and bonuses, they have no shareholders expecting a sizable cut, and they have not marred their books with bad derivatives bets, unmarketable collateralized debt obligations and mark-to-market accounting problems.

The BND is set up as a dba: "the State of North Dakota doing business as the Bank of North Dakota." Technically, that makes the capital of the state the capital of the bank. The BND's return on equity is about 25 percent. It pays a hefty dividend to the state, projected at over $60 million in 2009. In the last decade, the BND has turned back a third of a billion dollars to the state's general fund, offsetting taxes.

By law, the state and all its agencies must deposit their funds in the bank, which pays a competitive interest rate to the state treasurer. The bank also accepts funds from other depositors. These copious deposits can then be used to plow money back into the state in the form of loans.

Although the BND operates mainly as a "bankers' bank," other publicly-owned banks, including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, have successfully engaged in direct commercial lending as well. This has proven to be a win-win for both the borrowers and the government. The public bank model also offers exciting possibilities for refinancing the state's own debts and funding infrastructure nearly interest-free. For a fuller discussion, see "Cut Wall Street Out! How States Can Finance Their Own Recovery."

[quakerboy]

86. Who is in the best possible position to see the true state of things?

I would say that that is President Obama. And while I want more done, I understand that he is not all powerful and cannot instantly accomplish fixing everything.

What I do expect of him, though, is honesty and leadership. If he is lacking the power to do something, because the banks hold that power, I expect him to find out how they hold that power and tell the nation, to lead us in solving that problem. Tell me which senators are standing in the way at the behest of the banks. I will vote them out. Tell me how the government is being subverted, and which elected officials are complicit. Tell me what you need to do your job, and I will do whatever I can to get it to you.

On the other hand, tell me that we need free trade, that we must have am insurance mandate, that we need yet more war funding and less privacy. Or better yet, don't tell me anything, just wait for the other side to make a big protest about anything you propose, then work out a half measure that you can maybe get voted through in the back halls of congress. And see what happens.

[RaleighNCDUer]

113. So why doesn't he undercut the power of the bank and make

loans available directly from the government?

Take business away from the banks and see how quickly they fall in line.

THAT is what he COULD do.

[MadMaddie]

123. I agree with you but how does he force the banks to lend money

without appearing to try (trying to look at this through the tainted lenses of Repugs)and take over and run the banks? There is no easy answer, maybe taking away FDIC backing of funds may be a way of doing it. Hurt them by helping them lose customers. They are gambling with the consumers money so why should it be insured? That is a possibility.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. I can understand not being able to fix everything instantly--I CANNOT understand

or approve of moving in the wrong direction on nearly every issue.

The American public has been snookered by a man who carefully revealed little of his actual attitudes or policies while running around the country acting as if he were Robert Kennedy, only without the actual passion and specific proposals.

[tomp]

36. succinctly correct. nt

[savalez]

63. In your opinion. I disagree.

If you feel "snookered" maybe you heard what you wanted to hear when he was campaigning. I always thought of him as a centrist with left leanings. But that's my opinion.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

83. I thought of him as a big question mark

and I never saw any "left leanings," just pretend-leftist gestures.

I was expecting a centrist. I got a center-rightist.

[bvar22]

88. I listened.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-15-2010/respect-my-authoritah

[laughingliberal]

99. Guessing that won't happen again.

I'll be ignoring any left leaning rhetoric and chalk it up to campaign mode next time around.

[tomp]

107. she said "the american public" was snookered.

i found obama charismatic. there is no denying speechifying prowess. and, i, like most people, would welcome REAL change. what i got was politics as usual, i.e., fuck the left. however, i knew with certainty that he was full of shit when he embraced colin powell, and therefore did not expect change as advertised.

[sabrina 1]

111. These are a few of the things I heard and wanted to hear:

'No mandated insurance'
'No Offshore drilling'
'No Commissions to deal with the deficit'
'Gitmo will be closed'
'The Rule of law will be restored'

Just a few of things I listened for and heard.

What I and others obviously never asked was 'who will be in your cabinet'?

I assumed that if Democrats won control of all three branches of government that would mean that the people had rejected Republican ideas.

So I never expected to see Republicans rescued from the political abyss they were cast into and placed in positions of power.

People like Gates, Bernanke, Alan Simpson, Pete Peterson, Judd Gregg eg. Or Goldman Sachs alumni who caused the financial problems to begin with appointed to high positions on a Democratic Presidents economic team. People like Geithner eg.

I did not expect to see Rahm Emmanuel who was a Clinton third way advocate, placed in such an important position, nor did I expect that this president would be seeking the advice of Republicans on Social Security eg, like Lindsey Graham.

I know we should never assume anything, but I did assume that we would have Democrats in all those positions. I did not expect a Dem. president to promote Republicans the people made clear they did not want in power, into his inner circle while shutting the door on people who actually have good ideas like James Galbraith or Paul Krugman or Robert Reich or any number of respected economists who have the country's not Wall St.'s best interests in mind.

I could go on, but even though many had reservations about some of his views, we looked at what he DID actually take positions on and supported him based on those.

So stop the 'you must have imagined you heard what you wanted to hear'. It is insulting and untrue and does nothing to solve anything as untruths rarely do.

It is not what he 'can't do' because of Republican obstructionism, it is the direction in which he has gone willingly, such as lifting the ban on Offshore drilling, which he was proven to be so wrong about in the end, that bothers people and has caused an erosion of trust that 'change' will ever happen under this administration.

[Dragonfli]

130. Very well put, I could have written the same thing just not nearly as well

I certainly believe as you do on all points.

[RKP5637]

118. Exactly!!! I feel duped!!! n/t

[LawnKorn]

50. +1

We have to look at the accomplishments of President Obama in the context of time and the integral influence of Republican policies.

Some posters here on DU are remarkably quick to start complaining when they didn't get that really big present they expected for Christmas.

It is all about long term victory -vs- short term gain.

[savalez]

62. Exactly MadMaddie!

"President Obama has accomplished more than any other president in the last 30 years yet many conveniently overlook those accomplishments."

He has done this in the face of the most ferocious RePubTard obstructionism too.

We need to get more seats this November. Then we will see more "change". We need to do what we did in '08 - band together and kick ass.

[midnight]

9. I was in Minneapolis last weekend. I was walking down Grand with

left over food from the Local and this man walked right up to me and asked if he could have my food. I gave him everything. We have got to end this. Hungry people, homeless people, or people being left behind via medical reform. We can do better than this.

[Scruffy1]

19. That really bothers me

When I first came to Minneapolis over forty years ago no one went hungry here and everyone could find work if they wanted. The Democratic Farmer-Labor Party was still run by Humphrey. We were proud of our state and now its just been a race to the bottom. We got an 800 million dollar ball park for a billionaire and I dodge potholes to get to my job. At least I have a job and can help out a few, but after two years of fighting foreclosures and watching politicians scurry like rats when confronted with the banksters, I realize its going to take a lot more than getting arrested a few timers to get anything done for the people.

[liberal N proud]

12. How do threads like this get so many recommendations?

On a site dedicated to supporting Democrats?

[Lost4words]

14. because its the truth! But some how you dont see it!

things going that well for you???

[Mimosa]

17. Many of us are in trouble and the President and Congress did not help us

A major jobs program and single payer or expanded Medicare would have kept many people from slipping deeper into financial desperation.But no real effort was made to help us. After the election programs to help people could have been promoted and people were ready for something new.

The D.U. members who support the status quo are probably financially secure. They don't wake up feeling extreme anxiety every day, tearing at their hair, worrying about trying to pay $900 a month health insurance premiums or whether they should drop health insurance. They don't worry whether they'll be able to hang on to their homes, hoping that they can just try to maintain until things get better.

And billions go out every month for the wars in the Middle East. When our people come home -IF our people are brought home- what are they going to do for jobs? Has that been addressed?

[Lost4words]

21. I agree with you 100%

:hi:

[RKP5637]

34. +1, n/t

[laughingliberal]

54. I think you hit the nail on the head. Those who support the status quo administration are doing fine

There is not the sense of alarm those of us who have lost and are losing everything feel. They are free to participate in the football game aspect of the issues and accuse those who are in dire straights waiting for the WH and Democrats in Congress to step up of wanting a pony. Well, if a 'pony' is knowing my husband and I can eat daily, sleep indoors, see a doctor, and feel reassured we won't starve in our old age, then, yeah, we want a pony.

[Gecko6400]

59. I got taken

to task yesterday by stating I didn't believe everything President Obama was saying about the new Health Care bill and how seniors were now better off was truthful.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4495334&mesg_id=4495334

[havocmom]

15. Because some of us Democrats STILL think the party should support the people

and not just expect the people to support them with no loyalty returned.

Sorry, but the party needs to stop taking the base for granted and pissing on the principles we hold dear. WE are the party, not the pols who have become so insulated they do not see the reality of America the OP so well illustrated.

Sorry, if illustrations of the realities of life in America hurts, perhaps it's time to address reality! The party needs to show some values instead of kissing fat cat ass and shitting on others.

[Scruffy1]

18. I've been a democrat for over forty tears.

But this ain't my fathers democratic party when it is run by corporate multimillionaires. More liek another branch of the Republicans.

[RKP5637]

35. Same feelings here too!!! n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. I support the policies that Democrats CLAIM to stand for

not the party apparatus or every individual politician with a "D" after his name.

[MannyGoldstein]

43. it's a site dedicated to supporting Democratic principles

Unfortunately, sometimes that's a much different things that supporting Democrats.

[asdjrocky]

69. It's those pesky people who support truth.

And I'm one of them, K&R!

[socialist_n_TN]

70. Because it's also a site dedicated to supporting

PROGRESSIVES and that's not always the same thing as Democrats.

[inna]

135. do yourself and your country a favor and rent a couple of Michael Moore movies

[NanceGreggs]

16. Congratulations!!!

You managed to include all of the usual talking points in one, easy-to-read OP!!!

Call NOW!!! Operators are standing by!!!

[Lost4words]

22. and your position is exactly WHAT!?

what a worthless post you drop here. You rise up from a rock kick up some sand with no real point at all.

"Save like never before" same old shit!

[tabasco]

32. What a cesspool DU has become.

40+ recs for this garbage.

[kelly1mm]

131. It is at 130+ recs now. Does that make you rethink your position? nt

[Jakes Progress]

41. As opposed to your rambling

OP's that spend a superfluity of verbiage to say the same trite thing over and over "All praise to the dreamy president. Damn all non-praisers." See you could be concise too. But you would still be ignoring reality and the plight of those who are left with hopes dashed and of the best opportunity in a generation squandered.

Did you read the OP? Or did you just assume it was a bash on Obama from a quick scan. He talks about the epic fail of the capitalist system. You post only demonstrates your fail. Next time read the OP you want to respond to. It is the decent thing to do.

[MissDeeds]

44. Well said n/t

[bvar22]

84. +1

SOP

[flyarm]

108. +1 exactly!! Tag team has arrived with empty Nonsense and rhetoric!!

they never read a damn thing..they justshow up in threads, with talking points attached!

[Bluenorthwest]

51. So just a slam without content

No point at all, no argument.

[LawnKorn]

20. President Obama's Administration has done what?

President Obama has done a few things:

Passed comprehensive Health Care for the first time ever
Passed comprehensive Financial Reform
Successfully had confirmed two Supreme Court Justices on the first round
Prevented the worst economic crisis in the last 80 years from turning into the worst Depression ever
Convinced British Petroleum to make good on its commitments in the Gulf - without an argument

And yet he fails because of the actions of Republican administrations over the last 40 years?

I seems to me that President Obama is correcting the core problems given to us by Ronald Reagan and idiot son Bush.

[Lost4words]

23. rose colored glasses, take them off!

[LawnKorn]

25. I refuse to join the hate Obama crew

This is the Democratic Underground. We will succeed by defeating conservatism on all fronts, not by trashing our own leaders.

Plus, you don't get to tell me what to do.

[tomp]

39. wow, you don't see any conservatism in obama!

you're not wearing rose colored glasses. you're blind.

[LawnKorn]

47. I see a savvy leader who is building victories through the art of political compromise

Very few mortal men could turn back a 40 year tsunami of Republican influence in less than two years.

Winning against the Republicans will have to be a group effort, no single person is going win the day. We certainly are not going to win by punishing our leaders because they fail to achieve 100% top billing as the definition of a liberal / progressive.

[tomp]

105. so, no, you don't see his conservatism...

...yet you want to fight conservatism "on all fronts". good luck eith that.

he is not savvy enough, by the way, to lead me. he is losing the left, jettisoning the left, BECAUSE HE IS CONSERVATIVE! he, like virtually every dem president since roosevelt (and i have questions about roosevelt), would rather take votes from the right than satisfy the left.

you present the usual conservative dem logic (i.e, none), nothing more. totally unconvincing.

[Raineyb]

48. All fronts would include those in the Democratic party.

Or is it only okay to argue against Conservatism when when the conservative in question has a R after his or her name?

[Warren Stupidity]

66. if (disappointment != hate) reply(fail). nt

[Lost4words]

24. dupe

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. Oh?

President Obama has done a few things:


Passed comprehensive Health Care for the first time ever

Whoopee-doo. Being forced to buy overpriced, inadequate insurance without any guarantees of care is not "reform." The word you were looking for is Comprehensive Corporate Welfare for the Insurance and Pharmaceutical Companies." There is nothing in this bill to guarantee care, nothing to prevent medical bankruptcies, nothing to place the burden of proof on the insurance companies when they deny claims. Rarely has so much effort been put into so little.

Passed comprehensive Financial Reform

Without doing a damn thing about a problem that is really crippling average Americans--high credit card interest rates. It's all esoteric otherwise. Bring back the usury laws.

Successfully had confirmed two Supreme Court Justices on the first round

Two boring centrists, no one to balance out the right-wing sharks.

Prevented the worst economic crisis in the last 80 years from turning into the worst Depression ever

It ain't over yet. The tactic worked in the sense that stock prices are back up. But people are still losing their jobs, businesses are still going bankrupt. Have you SEEN all the empty storefronts?

Convinced British Petroleum to make good on its commitments in the Gulf - without an argument
Claiming that 75% of the oil has "evaporated" is not "making good."

Meanwhile, how about some laws that the corporations didn't help write? How about Obama telling the corporations and the military-industrial complex how things are going to be rather than asking them what they are willing to do? How about rallying the nationwide corps of election volunteers to promote laws and regulations that actually help ordinary people?

That's what a LEADER would have done.

[RKP5637]

37. Well said!!! n/t

[Carolina]

38. excellent post!

[LawnKorn]

45. President Obama has had two years to counter 40 plus years of entrenched assault on America

Think of the contrast of our victories at the Federal level against what we would be seeing with a McCain administration.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

82. Sad to say, I think McCain initiatives would be in the same general direction

as Obamas--i.e. doing everything possible for the military-industrial complex and the major corporations while pretending to care about the little people.

Obama's initiatives have been, at best, center-right, not left. If McCain would have been a "3 o'clock," Obama has been at "1 o'clock." Same direction, just a matter of intensity.

"The other guys suck worse" is not a strong argument.

[Greyhound]

137. Just once in a while I'd like to read one of these defenses without the defender resorting to

"it could have been so much worse". That you even have to use this as a defense of your position proves you are defending mediocrity, at best.

[kath]

52. Wow. Great post, LL.

you said it much better than I could have.

[October]

53. Excellent post.

I'm not anti-Obama by any means -- but I am tired of lowering the bar on expectations, especially when the right-wing pushed the conservative envelope further than I thought possible during GW's reign.

[rusty fender]

58. Exactly!

:fistbump: :applause:

[area51]

60. +1 (n/t)

[Warren Stupidity]

68. hint to self: always read entire post BEFORE replying!

you almost got me.

[ooglymoogly]

75. Excellent....and a leader sworn under oath to protect, would not

illegally abrogate any part of the constitution in a grab for an obscene need to spy on the American people; Or claim an unconstitutional right to assassinate anyone he designates; Or reinflate a sunsetted and unconstitutional Patriot Act, to name just a few of the problems of the arguments of the cheerleading squad.

The lame argument that he was handed too many problems to be truly effective is hogwash, when speaking of a true leader; He has the world at his fingertips.

In any "deal", he makes in backrooms, he begins by announcing in body and sign language, he will sellout the interests of the people for a pug vote or just a scolding and a pat on the head.

None of these are the workings of a leader, unless that leader is not a leader and is, in fact, working against the interests of the people and for the corporations; A suspicion reinforced by simply looking at reality and beyond the propaganda.

Mainstreet, we the people, have fallen off a cliff, while all remaining safety nets or paid for insurances are being diabolically whittled away in yet more back room deals, with the intention of a final coup de gras; A complete theft, by handing the paid premiums, ($4 trillion of our money) over to a crooked wall st, while corporations and their CEO's are already swimming in so much ill gotten loot and ever increasing government largess and protections from prosecution at our expense that they are drowning in them;

Handing over our money to these corporations, in backroom deals under Orwellian names, akin to "Bill for blah blah blah to help the People", pretending to address a real and desperate problem that is decimating the middle classes and poor; And ever so faintly "helps" a few, but with the caveat of an exorbitant extortion; But mainly and in fact is a boondoggle for the corporations they are pretending to regulate; All with a corporate "MSM" gala and hoopla of propaganda, glibly shouting what a wonderful thing it is;

opening the vaults of our treasury to 'politician rewarding' corporate thugs, through the Crooks Clearing House and Money launderer, the Federal Re$erve, in every sneaky and underhanded way possible that does not leave a trace.

And the coup de gras of all propaganda;

"Most of the oil has evaporated in the gulf"! "Disappeared"!

EXONERATING BP of its humongous debt to we The People and prosecution for crimes committed; That debt diminishing as fast as this administration+BP's propaganda is telling us it is;

"This disastrous catastrophe is, oh so magically, evaporating".

Move along folks, nothing left to see here'; Poof, it is gone; At the touch of a fairy wand and the magic of propaganda and our intrepid, bought and paid for "msm".

Its all good, "we are moving forward" doncha know, as the pile under the rug just gets bigger and bigger.

Excuses, propagandist legislation, and selectively upholding of the law, does not, a good leader make; To put it kindly.



Adverti$ment; Shares in the Brooklyn bridge $100...get em while they're hot.

Plea$e $end money to 16OO Pensilvonia ave., or to the offices of the GOP, the Bluedog$, The DLC or individually to each and every DINO's who is stopping good government in its tracks for you the votor. An equal $hare opportunity.

[Steely_Dan]

139. Bravo!

Well stated.

[bvar22]

87. Well Done...K&R Post #30 by Lydia Leftcoast.

Razor sharp deconstruction of the "Centrist" Talking Points.
:patriot:

[nashville_brook]

122. shit howdy. that about covers it.

:fistbump:

[Desertrose]

127. You nailed it, Lydia.

"Meanwhile, how about some laws that the corporations didn't help write? How about Obama telling the corporations and the military-industrial complex how things are going to be rather than asking them what they are willing to do? How about rallying the nationwide corps of election volunteers to promote laws and regulations that actually help ordinary people?

That's what a LEADER would have done."

[Raster]

132. Brava!!!

:kick:

[Dinger]

134. Lydia, That Totally Deserves It's Own Thread

Excellent, excellent post!:headbang:

[laughingliberal]

136. +10,000 nt

:yourock:

[walldude]

81. Funny, the OP made it a point to say they don't blame Obama...

So why did you feel the need to defend him? Seems to me the OP made some rounds and was reporting what he saw. And a number of people took it to mean he was bashing Obama. Lighten up.

[sendero]

29. Sorry..

... but I DO blame Obama. If I had seen him lift a finger to get anything important done, I'd feel different.

Based on his own actions and rhetoric, he is just all right with a health care reform that accomplishes almost nothing, and a finance reform bill that is like all of the best accessories for a Harley without the Harley (Glass-Stegall).

Obama is a compromiser. If you strike a compromise between two points neither of which are good, you wind up with just better than the worst.

That is what we've got.

[raccoon]

31. Well said, and rec'd! nt

[Jakes Progress]

42. K&R Well thought out and well expressed.

[MissDeeds]

46. K&R

You've touched on critical issues that need to be addressed. I hope you'll post more often.

[laughingliberal]

55. K & R nt

[Enthusiast]

57. I think most of our problems

stem from firmly entrenched corporate influence. The Democrats, and especially President Obama, should focus on removing the influence of money in elections. But there has been no real effort in that direction. Why is that? Even some Republicans recognize there is too much corporate influence in the political process. But they are Republican voters that don't hold public office.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

64. Stopped reading at "the massive fail of the Obama administration".

When I want to read such things I'll go troll FreeRepublic.

[asdjrocky]

71. If you don't see the problem, then there's no problem?

You've just perfectly illustrated why we're in this hole as a country.

[Dr.Phool]

73. I guess he stopped reading too early.

[asdjrocky]

74. The equivalent of putting your fingers in your ears and singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. nt

[Name removed]

140. Deleted message

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

[Overseas]

72. Well said. Especially about the Democratic Team.

I'm not blaming President Obama. I'm saying "Where was the whole Democratic team?"-- banding together before his inauguration to decide to stick together as a block and pick one very important basic compassionate benefit for the American people and push it through-- Medicare for All?

The Democratic Team has the difficult job. They needed to band together against the generous corporate campaign donations (bribes) or well-funded right-wing PR machines to get anything done.

The GOP had the easy job-- stick up for the multinational corporations that own our government.

I've been trying to understand and accept the very great power of the multinationals, that it could prevent my Democrats from pushing through solid Medicare for All, even after the Bush Crash, with millions being foreclosed from their homes (evicted) and bankrupted by privatized medical insurance.

I thought perhaps they could have agreed to pick one critical issue to push through, come what may, knowing the GOP would slam them no matter how mild the changes they advocated. The president would be vilified as a socialist no matter what he did, so I'm so sorry my Democrats didn't strategize as a block to defy corporate power on that one issue-- "Our people are desperate after the Bush Crash-- now is the time for Medicare for All. If the people get national health security, they can better endure the tough economic recovery years ahead."

So even as I've been heartbroken that my 21st Century FDR push didn't happen, I am also needing to acknowledge that we needed a really solid Democratic block with the courage to put the people ahead of the corporate donors and lobbyists. The multinational corporations have overpowered my democrats many times before.

I am glad to see Democrats like Al Franken and Alan Grayson step forward on our behalf. I will be doing my best to support progressive democrats and remind people of the Republican healthcare plan-- don't get sick. Social security-- beg for charity-- let the rich decide who is worthy.

[bkozumplik]

76. paid bloggers exist

Theres posters out here who are getting paid for their posts. Its a taboo subject on a lot of sites, but there it is.
Keep that in mind when reading lists of posts.

[tridim]

80. Be sure to clean up when y'all are done masterbating.

Thank you.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

91. Be sure to post again when you have something to answer serious substantive

concerns about the sufferings of real people with besides snark.

[tridim]

94. The point of my post is dead serious.

Think about it.

[Raster]

96. Lick it off.

[maryf]

85. A job for everyone that wants one and health care for all.

copy that...

[bvar22]

89. Now WHERE have I heard that before?

Oh Yes.
THIS is what DEMOCRATS used to sound like!

"In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

*The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

*The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

*The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

*The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

*The right of every family to a decent home;

*The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

*The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

*The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.--FDR

Now THATS what I'm talking about,
and THAT is where my money and support will go.

[maryf]

97. "For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace..."

That's one reason why they keep pushing the "homeland security" thing; they want us to feel insecure, they don't want a lasting peace...they want eternal war; it makes money and protects their interests!

sorry for the non sequiter...

[bobburgster]

90. Blame it all on Obamas....why not...

the MSM and Repubs. do.

U

[Lydia Leftcoast]

92. I feel sorry for some of the younger posters in this thread

They can't remember a time when Democrats didn't make up lame excuses for inaction but ACTED. I mean, really, a thirty-year-old remembers no Dem presidents except Clinton and Obama. How sad is that?

LBJ compromised on little things to accomplish big things. Obama is compromising on big things to accomplish little things.

[laughingliberal]

100. Yep. And many spout the philosophies of Reagan not knowing the source of their beliefs. nt

[truedelphi]

110. Going through a collection of books yesterday

I found a book printed in the sixties, with articles culled from the Best of the best
of Life Magazine.

One of the interesting sections I read:

Young reporter queried the President: "Are you a capitalist?"

FDR: "No."

"Then, are you a Socialist?"

FDR: "No."

"Then, just what are you?"

FDR "I am A Democrat."

Can you imagine any of them, from Hillary to Barack, and back out again to Di Fi, saying that they are not a capitalist?

[JJ]

95. Hey Scruffy1, please

put this on a piece of paper, and mail it to President Obama. I'd like permission to do so as well, print it off and mail it to the White House, and paraphrase it to send to my Senators, and rep. (I'm lucky, one of my Senators is Sherrod Brown)

[Javaman]

112. "don't let the enemy of the good, be the perfect'...

As I have written before, If only that above statement were true. what was have we now is: don't let the enemy of mediocre, be the good.

[Cherchez la Femme]

121. Decisions, decisions

To Rec, Un, or not at all?

The only thing I strongly disagree with Scruffy dear is 'Obama is not at fault'

Please! He is a Corporatist of the first water!
And truthfully, even if he wasn't, where does the buck stop?
I mean, I almost gagged when I heard 'he didn't want to make the gulf spill 'his problem'! Is that not U.S. territory & is he not the President for cripe's sake?!
Would we have let Bush get away with saying something like that??

Of course not.

I won't rec or unrec as I don't like to rain on anyone's parade (figure of speech you understand, you post isn't a 'parade')

Yet I'm sooo tired of all these excuses when there ARE NONE

[november3rd]

124. This tax cut/deficit reduction talk is hypocrisy

The first line on the deficit cutting budget has to be defense. We spend half our money on it. Nothing could be more of a waste.

The second line is the Bush tax cuts and the estate tax. Return government revenues to their NORMAL, pre-2nd Republican Depression level.

End of discussion.

[Jenny_92808]

125. It is a long fight to get out of this hole...

GET OUT AND VOTE DEMOCRAT THIS NOVEMBER EVERYONE!

[PatrynXX]

129. in the case of blanch lincoln that might be problematic

beware of the conservadems

[PatrynXX]

128. deficit reduction crap is total bullshit

really get annoyed about Republicans talking about it. Say can we play the interview with Cheney where he says we need to have a deficit in order to run the country?? X_X

Republicans have little to stand on for another decade.


This is again where the hope comes in. Say we lose the senate and perhaps some of the house. Now we can air out this tea party shit (hey I love cold tea. wasting alot of fucking tea...)and see if we can control things with tea. Of course they can't and dems and Obama would when big in 2012. He'd be a shoo in. Like Regan Vs Mondale. (I was uh 9 yrs old but rooted for him with mom back then. But what state besides MN voted for him? At least he couldn't see russia from his house. (yeah neither can Palin, but from her state she can. Mondale can't) and that whole thing was pointless because Russia is hardly the enemy. Heck can't even see the Kremlin at the moment. :(

Haven't seen a picture of a bucket brigade since the movie Silverado.... Sometimes I get the idea in my head with many of us out of work would it be cost effective for non military folk to be paid to help out with fires and stuff around the world. Although Afghanistan is a bit risky. More like helping people in Pakistan and the floods things like that. Just pay some of us unemployed , stay at a hotel or some apartment and help out. (the old "See the world" motto of the old military) Just idea's one thinks about with bad things going on around the world....... and we have republicans being idiots about deficits they created and wanted and now changed their mind.... Thought I'd heard it all until they voted against a tax cut.

[PatrynXX]

126. Why is it some who voted for Obama expected a miracle?

I didn't. Took 8 years at least for Bush and the Republicans to ruin the economy.. Like losing weight. It's easier to gain than lose the pounds. It'll probably take 16 years to correct the problems Bush created. (or his Boss Dick fucking Chainsy )

I'll add the original Hope I thought of when I voted for Obama... was the Andy Duphrane (sp) method. Took him 20 years to dig his way out of Shawshank. So 19 months after he's in he took alot of shit pounding from all sorts of crappy people. Did he give up? Alot of Dems are more like Red. "Hope will get you killed in here"

Say you wanna know what hope is, watch Shawshank Redemption on blu ray with your stereo cranked up and then you know what were up against. Hope doesn't die, like some Republicans want us to think.

I've hoped to get a beagle for 2 1/2 years. only thing that keeps me going. Depression messes things up, you have to latch on to something or you might as well find a noose.

and screw it I'll stick it in here for someone to figure it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YInN9mc9vXA

[wial]

133. there's a lot of hope in the new generation

that gets it about climate change, and Obama has done a lot already to repair the damage to the educational system done by a generation of fundamentalists and neoliberals. It might not happen in our lifetimes, but change will come, and Obama will have helped.

Some of the problems we face now just can't be addressed by political means, which require too much compromise. In particular, climate change is of catastrophic proportions not experienced on this planet for millions of years. The volcano 74,000 years ago that reduced the human population to 5,000 was bad, and the volcano in 535 AD that wrecked the ancient world and led to the dark ages was bad too -- but this will be worse. If unchecked, it could even be worse than the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, and be rivaled only by the methane hydrate meltdown that wiped out 95% of life on Earth 250 million years ago, after the asteroid hit Antarctica causing antipodal resonance opening up a whole section of Siberia-to-be (now known as the Siberian Traps), pushing the thermometer up 5 degrees -- enough to trigger the methane hydrates and cause runaway positive feedback greenhouse conditions and a planet turned into a desert.

It's that bad. The methane hydrates in the Arctic are melting now, around Spitsbergen for instance.

This is not a time for band aids like cap and trade. It's time for a united effort on the part of all humanity to save ourselves and our dear planet. That can't happen unless science gets a very powerful voice in government it does not now have, and it can't happen via political horse trading.

However, Obama is trying to get the next generation trained in science again, and that might save us, or some of us anyway. So you've got to give him that.

[Steely_Dan]

138. There was a time...

when we united for a single cause...like going to the moon.

Where is that same commitment when it comes to the environment?

-PLA