Van Jones, Sherrod forced out. Alan Simpson...he gets to stay.

[madfloridian]

A big round of applause to this blogger for telling it like it is.

Shirley Sherrod was fired, Van Jones was forced out... but Alan Simpson gets to stay

Proving that its critics were correct in asserting that it has a double standard, the White House yesterday declined to take action in response to former Senator Alan Simpson's offensive comments about female seniors. President Obama's deputy communications director Jennifer Psaki told reporters: “Alan Simpson has apologized and while we regret and do not condone his comments, we accept his apology and he will continue to serve.”

Let me see if I have this straight. When an individual targeted for takedown by the Republican Noise Machine gets slimed and taken out of context by the likes of the blowhards at Fixed Noise Channel, senior administration officials unceremoniously abandon the individual in question and send him or her packing without thinking twice about it.

But when a former Republican senator appointed by the President to serve on a task force working on an issue of great importance to the country shoots his mouth off, they let it slide. What gives? What's up with that?

The IOKIYAR rule strikes again.

And the blogger is right on this as well.

Tapping Simpson was a mistake to begin with. He has previously referred to seniors as "greedy geezers" and rambled on at length about how he can't stand people who want to protect Social Security for future generations:

"Let me tell you, everything that Bush and Clinton or Obama have suggested with regard to Social Security doesn't affect anyone over sixty, and who are the people howling and bitching the most? The people over sixty. This makes no sense. You've got to scrub out the equation the AARP, the Committee for the Preservation of Social Security and Medicare, the Gray Panthers, the Pink Panther, the whatever. Those people are lying... They don't care a whit about their grandchildren...not a whit."

And the other co-chair is not exactly loving Social Security either. He was Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff in the late 90s, and he made a deal about Social Security with Newt Gingrich of all people.

The other co-chair of Obama's debt commission made Social Security pact with Gingrich

In the evening of Oct. 28, 1997, House Speaker Newt Gingrich headed to the White House to meet with President Bill Clinton, ostensibly to hammer out final details of the 1998 budget. In reality, Gingrich and Clinton were putting finishing touches on a deal to create a centrist political coalition to fix long-term problems facing Social Security and Medicare.

..."While there were dozens of reform plans circulating around Washington, ranging from minor tinkering to radical overhaul, there was a growing consensus around "middle ground'' proposals that combined some structural changes in the retirement age with some form of private accounts. There were also hopeful signs that the public was ready for a serious discussion about Social Security reform. An August 1997 survey by Clinton pollster Mark Penn found that 73 percent of Democratic voters favored some form of privatization, and support was especially strong among younger workers. Independent polls also showed that many young people believed that without significant change the programs would not be able to provide for them in their old age.

..."The exact details would have been worked out later, but the broad outlines were clear. Gingrich was willing to give up the tax cut for a proposal that included private investment in Social Security. "The balanced budget bill was Act I,'' Gingrich reflected. "This was Act II.'' Instinctively, both men still wondered whether the other was setting a trap in preparation for the upcoming elections. Would Clinton leak word that Gingrich was once again trying to tamper with Social Security and Medicare, reinforcing his image as hostile to the old and poor? Would Gingrich tell reporters that the president was ready to accept the centerpiece of Republican proposals for Social Security: privately funded accounts?

The two co-chairs of the commission are scary in themselves. They are enough to give us fears about where this commission is headed.

[QC]

1. Simpson is too useful to discard.

Who else can play the villain in this cheap little melodrama even half so well?

[joeybee12]

2. Who's the asshole who unrecced this?

Clearly, the commission is stacked.

[Enrique]

8. maybe Alan Simpson is a DUer

:shrug:

[jgraz]

13. DU is just a cow with 161,842 tits

:hide:

[Raineyb]

10. Well I reced to counter.

The article is right on.

A deficit reduction commission which goes right for Social Security without considering our ridiculously bloated pentagon budget is a scam. They're not interested in reducing the deficit, or fixing the budget problems they were only interested in finding ways to further rip off the American public vis a vis Social Security.

It's a sham!

[dflprincess]

44. The fact they're using "deficit reduction" as the excuse to cut Social Security is the biggest scam

of all.

SS has nothing to do with the deficit & cutting it is not going to fix anything.

[Doctor_J]

3. The president is afraid of Hate Radio and Fox "News"

and much more so than those who voted for him

[leeroysphitz]

5. He isn't afraid. He isn't naive. He isn't stupid. He is complicit. n/t

[Doctor_J]

7. If he were complicit, he would not be the target of hate radio, Fox "News",

Big Media, the teabaggers, and Big Business.

Edit: NOT

[leeroysphitz]

11. That doesn't make any sense.

I think you mean he WOULDN'T be the target of the right but they are trying to mobilize their own base by calling him a socialist since before he took office and as we all know that he isn't even liberal, he is a self-identified centrist. The right knows this about him as well. So why do they call him a socialist? To apply what right-ward pressure on the admin that they can, but surprise surprise they didn't need to apply all that much pressure after all, did they?

[Doctor_J]

12. Yes, I meant NOT the target

Fixed now. But if he were part of the system, they wouldn't be threatening him every day, would they? Issa has already said that if the repukes take the house this fall, impeachment is a foregone conclusion. I believe all of this appeasement by Obama is just that - trying to make nice with them hoping they will toss some crumbs his way

[Phlem]

21. I'm thinking the "Right" isn't "playing" Obama

or Vice Versa.

I'm thinking the "Right" is dominated by corporate greed and they will stop at nothing but absolute power and control. Why it almost sounds like you might be suggesting there might be some bipartisan gamesmanship going on. The "Right" is out for blood, all or nothing, period. No games, attack constantly 24/7 until they are in power. They have bottomless resources from their rich benefactors, and this game is set to go on endlessly until the people of this country are living in poverty.

Yes they attack him and threaten every day, whether he is part of the "system" or not! If they don't continue, they will lose the momentum and advantage they have now, with the state of our union, and the 3rd world conditions popping up and getting more numerous, kinda like the plague. Gotta keep that ball rolling.

Greed, Greed, Greed.......24/7 forever.

Don't under estimate them.

-p

PS. I hate to bring up the chess analogy, more importantly because I really suck at chess, but I win games not with special moves but being continually on the offense and keeping my opponent of his feet by keeping at least a couple of his/her pieces under constant attack.

[ooglymoogly]

26. So that justifies destroying the Democratic party?

That would be about as low as a man, even a politician can go. On par with selling out democrats in the name of pragmatism. It would be the height of idiocy for any president to believe the republicans will throw him a few crumbs.

If in fact he is facing impeachment; when and if the pugs steal another election; Which I believe he is; He needs to fortify his democratic base and gain their support, a thing that seemingly and totally escapes him; He is doing just the opposite....If given the slightest chance, and at the slightest weakness, the Pugs will crucify him no matter what he does. Even if he grants every wish they ever had a wet dream about; which is exactly what he has been doing from the moment he was sworn into office.

Naah; That dog won't hunt. Not by a long shot. There are only two possibilities here, from the overwhelming evidence of what in fact is happening;

He is monumentally stupid, or he is complicit in the downfall of the Democrats and their principles of protecting the folks of this country from the over reach of corporations; Which I believe is the crux to this entire ball of wax.

The fact that Rahm, his point man openly recruits pugs to run as Dem's, while pulling the rug from Democrats should give you a clue.

Another scenario that meshes with the second;

He miscalculated, thinking the pugs would fall in love with him for giving them the store and the Democratic seal; A stupidity, not unlike trying to hand feed an angry black mamba. It was a gambol that his base would love him no matter what; No matter how many times he stabbed them in the back to crawl on bended knee to the pugs; Folks whose god is money, whose philosophy he is quite at home with and whom he desperately wants to be accepted into as an equal.

In any case

He has gamboled and lost; Overestimating the kindness of the strangers he lusts after. I do believe, no matter what happens, he has secured a place in the bigger picture, the power structure pulling the strings, the folks that think pugs are idiots that will fall for anything and that Democrats are easy pushovers and will act like Charley Brown, trustingly running down the track to engage the football in Lucie's hand. Over and over ad infinitum. The news here is that we are all being played to the benefit of a very few people at the top who have only one thing to fear. The people of this country banning together and organizing under the principle of a democratic party true to its people. A possibility that could easily destroy them; A possibility they are making sure does not ever happen again; With many backups in place; Packing the government and all its arms, with Dinos and pugs being main.

[certainot]

41. are you a new voter? just started paying attention? you have any clue

what's been happening the last 20 years? anyone who thinks obama, a black man, could go into the white house and do anything he wants is an idiot. really stupid.

especially while the left allows 1000 radio stations to scream threats and lies all day long with no one getting in their face.

you'd really have to be stupid to think any dem president could go into a post bush govt polluted with fundy generals and a justice dept and corporate armies and do whatever they want while the limbaughs and hannitys, the real leaders of the right, get a free speech free ride from those who pledged to get dem backs.

forget democracy until the left fixes that problem cause until then the left will be playing politics without a front line. dem politicians can't be expected to stick their necks out until the right's most important weapon is at least recognized.

[ooglymoogly]

43. Yah, just fell off the turnip truck;

Too bored and tired of the simpleton Dino talking points to even debate them. You and I will never convince the other of anything. So just go on believing what you are told to believe. And keep right on posting those excuses for each and every failure, every capitulation, every Simpson appointment and every transgression on the constitution and the American people; That; Just by accident; Are Always to the benefit of corporate America.

By the way, what is the Dino excuse or talking point for Simpson?

Overwhelm us with your depth and profundity of knowledge.

[certainot]

47. i'm glad you asked

simpson is different than van jones and acorn and sherrod and before them clinton and gore and kerry and on and on.

simpson is a republican and they get different media treatment. they are generally immune to fact checking and correction because truth was established on 1000 radio stations reaching a crowd nearly the size of the one that voted for obama every week. their corruption and bigotry or even just their quirks or clothing selection might get attention once in a while but the radio is on their side. for example for three or four weeks before the president commented on the mosque the radio in every state was pounding it but it wasn't till obama mentioned it that the rest of the media reported that the pres had taken the issue national. it wasn't fox either. first limbaugh then hannity and then the local talkers in every state put their spin on the daily list of talking points. if they want simpson to go he wouldn' t have a chance. their audiences would scream into the phones and faxes and emails like they would a town hall and they'd be screaming 2+2=3. and they screamed let's go to iraq and deregulate wall street and trickle down rules. the only good thing about it is its just about destroyed the GOP. the party of lincoln became the party of limbaugh. unfortunately we have also lost a lot of time on dealing with global warming.

[ooglymoogly]

54. So thats an excuse; Fear? Cowardice? Take your crayons and go practice your lower case letters.

That's an indictment far greater than any I have made. But consistent with Dino talking points; Made the more duplicitous by double entendre.

[certainot]

56. democracy won't work if

americans ignore when their reps are threatened and lied about. the right set up soapboxes on every corner to scream your mother is a whore and your father is a thief all day long and the left sticks their fingers in their ears and walks by because it hurts their heads. those are the cowards and fools. in a real democracy reps shouldn't have to worry about organized threats to their families, they shouldn't have to worry about small plane flights and carrying weapons, if their constituents get off their asses and get their backs by at least knowing what the paid loudmouths are saying, and preferably getting off their lazy asses and picketing those radio stations and complaining to their sponsors.

[ooglymoogly]

57. While you have your head around some of the tools that are

being used to destroy the Democratic party; Mainly to destroy Democratic principles, further parced to what is most dangerous to "pugs"; Its intrinsic pledge to protect the people against corporate overreach; A pledge that could execute each and every one of them complicit in bank and war crimes; Or put them in prison forever; For treason and war crimes; A Pandora's box of calumnies against the constitution and the people it protects.

Prosecution of these admitted and well documented criminals would have brought those who have put in place the treacheries of which you speak; To their knees; To become totally unelectable and powerless. And would have put the complicit media on scare alert for its own complicity; And the electric Christians who are no more than pugs in drag.

To heal this country, exposing the treasonous treachery of pugs and the intent of their clear and documented design.

Even though these prosecutions are demanded by constitutional law and world law, and demanded by the American people and the incredulous people of the world; Why is prosecution not taking place. How can "we are looking forward" suffice for such heinous and well documented war crimes. This is the most unforgivable crime of all; Making us all complicit in these heinous crimes.

Why would a Democrat make transgressions on the constitution or rubber stamp those of the previous administration?

Why would a Democrat appoint Rahm, a DLC Dino, recruiting Pugs to run as Dems while pulling the rug from Democrats, as his number one.

Why would a Democrat appoint a soulless pug like Simpson to a commission pretending to have legal power over SS.

You have discovered some of the most dangerous modus operandi, but you have no clue why it has continued to flourish under "0" and go unchallenged or even rubber stamped; Illegal spying being one, now protected by (unlawful) law passed by congress; Unconstitutional and criminal as that is.

You have no clue why the impossible keeps happening in a Democratic congress and WH.

Sherlock Holmes was made to say, "Nothing is ever as it seems" and "Eliminate the impossible and you are close to the answer" or something to that effect.

The evidence points to one answer and you are not even close to the enigma that is the Dino and Republican party; Shills of a cabal; Now owning and in complete control of the Democratic seal for the vital illusion of bipartisanship; To rubber stamp unacceptable and treasonous legislation.

It is we who must put "0" under the microscope to understand his every move....Something I have been doing since his first appointments and transgressions against the constitution; The evidence, so obvious and in plain sight; Ain't pretty, and it isn't that easily explained away by simpleton excuses.

Who's only relevancy is that, on the face of it, they are excuses.

[certainot]

58. like i said

the right controls the media and much of it because the left ignores their most important media tool- the radio.

cover ups are a big part of our history. with the bush moles in the justice dept and with the screamers getting their giant free megaphone, fundy generals all over the military, and corporate power as it is, expecting superobama, as many new voters and new political participants, have, is not reasonable.

until the radio is fixed democracy doesn't work and the GOP will be enabled to keep obstructing everything. when their friends get away with taking senators down in planes (wellstone), etc., and anyone who suggests it was other than an accident is called a conspiracist, it becomes easy to intimidate dems. like i said until dems get their reps backs by ending the right's free speech free ride don't expect them to stick their necks out and do much more than regular politics.

[dflprincess]

45. He hasn't lost anything

For his complicity in helping to destroy the working & middle classes, he will be well rewarded. Just as Clinton has been.

[ooglymoogly]

55. Yes, I agree, and I did say that in my post;

For that is pretty much the only explanation for such blatant duplicity; Though descending to such treachery is the loss of his soul and any honor he might have had, or proof of that loss, perhaps too long ago.

[bertman]

32. Doctor_J, of course they would be attacking him and threatening him

every day just as they now are. It's the way you keep the masses stirred up. How else could Glen Beckerhead get so many fucking idiots to show up and support him for something as scurrilous as his dog and pony show in D.C.?

The constant choreographed struggle between the imaginary socialist/liberal/bleeding heart Left wing would continue unabated even if the Democrats elected Joe Lieberman as President.

[ooglymoogly]

23. Exactly. The evidence is just too overwhelming for any other

explanation other than profound stupidity.

[Enthusiast]

27. I have got to agree.

Unless Rahm is keeping Obama in a cardboard box and limiting what he hears and sees, the President is complicit.

[Jakes Progress]

33. I don't think he's smart enough to be complicit.

[certainot]

40. you must be a fucking genius

[Jakes Progress]

49. Thank you. I'm glad you noticed.

But I'm really good at things besides fucking also.

[certainot]

39. he has to play politics and because the left ignores talk radio , which

does the heavy lifting for everything the right does, it gives the obstructionists a free speech free ride. it allows the think tanks /GOP to attack their candidates and causes all day long the left has to play politics without a front line. to evaluate obama and the dems while ignoring the right's most important weapon is ridiculous and it goes on ad nauseum. until some organized effort is made by the 'left' to protest those 1000 radio stations and complain to and boycott their local sponsors the left shouldn't expect obama or any other dem to stick their neck out. the whole mosque idiocy is an example of a molehill made into a mountain because of their coordinated uncontested radio repetition- no other medium could do that, and they have been doing it for 20 years because the left puts it's fingers in it's ears and turns the dial to music.

[Carolina]

50. exactly

Though I think he's worse than complicit because he created this commission and he stacked the participants.

[Dinger]

51. If The President Keeps Up this Shit He WILL Be A One-Termer, Period (nt)

[VMI Dem]

4. Were your expectations any different?

[asdjrocky]

6. Nothing surprises me anymore. nt

[Poboy]

9. k r

[Bozita]

14. K&R. bigtime!

[jgraz]

15. Let's not kid ourselves. Tapping Alan Simpson was in no way a mistake.

He's exactly the person our President wanted in that position.

[femrap]

19. You know what.....

it isn't the president that wanted him in that position, it was Blankfein and his other Wall Street buddies.

Those Rich White Boyz are calling the shots.

Prez just does what he was paid for to do.

[Blue_Tires]

16. k+r

[bvar22]

17. THis is WHY Obama NEEDS Simpson & The Commission:

1) Saturate the Media with the meme that something MUST be done to "Reduce the Deficit" or there will be a catastrophe, and strongly imply that Social Security is one of the BIG causes for the deficit.

2)Remove Pentagon/Military Spending from any discussion of cuts,
and insist that anyone who even talks about cuts to Military Spending are crazy, drug addled extremists.

3)Give all the "Centrist Democrats" involved plenty of time to get out public statements that they support Social Security, and would never vote to reduce benefits.

4)Form a "Independent Secret Commission" to design a "Comprehensive Package" of ways to Reduce the Deficit. This package will be lengthy and complicated, and it WILL contain reductions to Social Security benefits. The package will also contain a few crumbs that ARE good for the economy. These crumbs will be minor in scale compared to the structural changes to Social Security.

This "Commission Recommendations" and will also contain some scam that opens the door for Wall Street to have access to Social Security funds. For cover, the package will also contain some easily avoidable "regulations" that will appear to restrict how Wall Street can use the Social Security Funds, but these "regulations" are NOT there to actually REGULATE; they are there to provide cover.


5)The Marketing and Message Control will be Up and Running when the contents of the package is revealed. The Media will be saturated with pieces that highlight and overemphasize the few good crumbs, and catastrophizing the effects of not passing "The Comprehensive Package".
(SEE: TARP)


6)The Progressive Caucus opposition WILL be marginalized (again), and the full force of the White House, the DLC, DNC, and their Corporate Marketing & Messaging apparatus will be used to brand any "Democratic" opposition as "traitors", "with the Republicans", "against Wall Street Regulation", "against the American People", "against Saving Social Security" or "Opposed to Saving our Children".
There will be a saturation of anecdotal testimony highlighting how certain crumbs will "Save our Family", therefore the whole package MUST pass.
The Mighty Wurlitzer will be turned UP to FULL BLAST.
Any and ALL opposition from The Left WILL be Shouted Down and Demonized.
(SEE: HCR)

7)The Republican Party will play their assigned part in the Kabuki, and oppose the whole thing as "Big Government Takeover". It doesn't matter that their position makes no sense. It only matters that they oppose it so the illusion of a difference is maintained.

8)This "Commission Recommendations" will be brought to Congress to be voted on as a "complete comprehensive package", Up or Down vote, during the panic immediately following the Democratic Losses in November 2010.
No honest debate will be allowed.
No discussion of amending the package or deleting some elements will be allowed.
Democrats will NOT be "voting to cut Social Security".
They will be voting FOR "Saving the Economy", or "Protecting our Children (from the deficit)".

9) The Complete Comprehensive Package of Commission Recommendations WILL pass with a Party Line vote, or one or two Republican defectors if necessary to maintain the illusion of a Hard Fight.
No Democrat will have to admit that they voted to Cut Social Security.
Instead, they voted FOR a Reform Package that Saved the Economy.


10) The politicians will flock to the cameras with statements like this:

"I am on record as supporting Social Security, and of course I would have liked to NOT cut benefits, but we had to do something."

"This is "historic" reform legislation, look at all the good (crumbs) we got!"

"We couldn't let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good."

"This is the best we could do under the circumstances because we didn't have the votes.

"This is a Step Forward."

"Today, we saved our children from a crushing deficit."

"We needed to get something done NOW. We will Fix it Later.

Sound familiar?
It should.

If you think I'm a little over the top in my assessment,
take a look at Chris Van Hollen's (weasel, MD) performance when asked a direct question on cutting Social Security:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wHr3nMG6Y4

Again,
No Democrat will be voting to "Cut Social Security".
They WILL be voting FOR "Comprehensive Reform that "Saves our Children."

THAT is WHY this diabolical Commission and "The Comprehensive Package" is so necessary.
Don't be fooled again.

They are coming.
"By their works you will know them."

[madfloridian]

18. Good post. I did see Van Hollen's interview and how he lacked an answer.

It was a real sidestep.

[seafan]

20. You have exactly described what is about to happen with Social Security, bvar.

This is a rerun of the TARP bailout in September, 2008. Must. Be. Done. NOW. Or. Else. Bush. Paulson. Bernanke. Geithner. Goldman Sachs Vampire Squid. Election imminent.


Only now, it is the Fall of Obama and his hand-picked Deficit Commission taking us for fools.

[molly77]

22. Is Obama in control of his administration

He was a politically astute campaigner. Seems like all of his appointments are exactly the same as the Clinton's would be if hill had won.Now everything that comes out of the WH seems almost designed to make democrats mad and insure that he won't be reelected.

Got a real chill when Sally Quinn was quoted as saying that Joe Biden and hill should trade jobs. If hill were VP , obama would have to hire a LOT of food tasters.Remember during the primaries when all the cable pundits were saying that hill was the inevitable winner...while videos of obama's rallies showed hundreds and even thousands. ...hill would be shown walking around diners shaking hands.Methinks she is more acceptable to the military industrial complex and Wall Street. It was bill who signed the Gramm Leach bill which repealed Glass-Stegall....which led to the financial mess we are in today...NAFTA which has a lot to do with our unemployment although it's repeal is rarely mentioned as a solution.

[ooglymoogly]

24. Excellent analysis and right on the money.

needs to be a stand alone post.

[cjbgreen]

25. And don't forget that great educational leader, hero of big business, Arne Duncan

He inspires, motivates, and overwhelms all who meet him with his passionate support for the people in the trenches and who clearly cares (more than we'll ever know) for making sure teachers have the resources to teach children from poverty.

[LWolf]

28. Deja Vu.

And I believe you are correct. :(

[truth2power]

29. This is excellent, bvar. Deserves its own thread. n/t

[bvar22]

38. Thanks.

I posted this as an OP on Aug 18th.

Please see post #37
:hi:

[truth2power]

52. I missed that OP somehow, but I've copied this. Unfortunately, you're correct

in how this will play out. Already happened with HCD (health care DEform).

I don't know what we are going to do. They are all bought and paid for, including Obama.

[CrispyQ]

30. I believe your crystal ball is working perfectly.

That is exactly how it will go down.

[grahamhgreen]

36. PLEASE! re-post this as an OP - needs to be at the top of the front page!!!! (let us know) nt

[bvar22]

37. I posted this as an OP on Aug 18th.

IIRC, it got over 100 recs.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8969793

AFIC, this is Public Domain material, and I would be gratified to see it gain as wide an exposure as possible.

Please feel free to copy and post this anywhere you please.
Attribution is not necessary.
I wouldn't even be bothered if you wish to claim it.
Feel free to make any editorial changes or additions, or use any part of it you wish in any thread or OP of your choosing at any site you wish.


I'm upgrading it and posting it pertinent threads, and may repost it as an OP next week if someone else doesn't do it first.

I will be more than happy to eat my words if something like this does NOT happen, but History and Democratic Party Performance over the last 20 years are MY friends.

--bvar22
A mainstream FDR Democrat,
now a member of the "Fucking Retard" wing of the Democratic Party

[grahamhgreen]

46. Thanks. I will digg, stumble, reddit, etc your OP, and any future ones.

[cascadiance]

31. It has been this since day one of his administration, literally. Remember Rick Warren?

[Jakes Progress]

34. Let's see. Keep the ageist, racist old rich white guy.

And fire the dedicated, compassionate, hard working black woman.

How would this have been different under mccain? Oh, yeah. All the DU'ers giving the administration a pass on this would be up in arms protesting. republicans don't have a lock on hypocrisy.

[grahamhgreen]

35. "When they show you who they are - believe them" - Randi Rhodes

[russspeakeasy]

42. Simpson is just one of the President's really stupid picks.

Dear Mr. President.....this time around you will have to earn
my vote...

[florida08]

48. Bill Maher once said

the democrats have moved right and the right have moved into the mental hospital

While funny on it's face there's some hard truth to it. Democratic leadership is playing a dangerous game of pandering to Corporate America with the help of blue dogs and the GOP while simultaneously trying to hold the liberals. They're trying to take CA away from the pugs to somewhat at our expense. It's why we get watered down legislation. The republicans know this and why they're in a frenzy to ramp up the rhetoric...even to the point that they're vocalizing opposing anything for the middle-class. Suggesting they will do even more than democrats for them.

This is the fight we're in. Ooglymoogly and bvr have it right. It's the play book they're using. While it sounds like a Rove strategy to under-mind the hold the GOP have had in CA it's pissing off the liberal base and left leaning independents. Obama is a skilled speaker and knows our heart. I don't think he is intentionally trying to play us, however he's letting his administration run too far off the leash in order to achieve the strategy. It's why we get people like Alan Simpson. It's why we're angry including myself.

When you talk out of both sides of your mouth you confuse both sides and risk losing both. Wall Street has already announced they're funding republicans over democrats. Democratic voters are losing trust and the far right minority are holding rallies. Make no mistake they are a minority in America. They want to change that perception. To make it appear they're mainstream. There will many far right-wing rallies this year. Will America fall for it? I hope not but Obama's supporters are angry and confused. Not sure a rallying speech will be enough this time. The strategy is hurting true liberal democrats, the base and good legislation.

If the economy tanks again, and it's not looking good, the strategy will bite them so hard on the ass they won't recover. Just like they didn't after Clinton. If the pugs get in they will spend the rest of Obama's time destroying the democrats. Obama needs to wake up and smell the coffee. This is a fight for democracy..not CA. The middle-class outnumbers them even though they out-finance us. If we don't get Elizabeth Warren for the CPA I believe that will be the last straw for Obama supporters. I'm not taking away what he's accomplished. Many good things we would have never seen from GOP. I know health care and finance legislation were not as tough as we wanted but you know we would have nothing under the right side.

Obama thinks he working on a compromise for both, but what's happening is he is sacrificing the ideology of both at the alter of mediocrity. It's why centrism doesn't work. What does dark have in common with light?..to quote a scriptural verse..and the GOP is not the GOP of our grandfathers. They want complete autonomy and they're going for it. They can be marginalized, but Obama better start talking to suffering America and those whose compassion supports them and damn quick and stay there till after November. We can lose some seats but we won't if starts hammering the message he won with and puts actions behind them. America is a moderate country but after Bush it became left leaning and rightfully so. We as a whole want to end the corporate oligarchy.

[WhiteTara]

53. You seem surprised. But before the inauguration

Rick Warren was vehemently opposed by the left (over half the country) and he stayed. Of course, Alan Simpson will stay. President Obama doesn't care about us.