David Broder right about something....

[HardWorkingDem]

Here's a paragraph from a recent David Broder column.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/03/AR2010110303626.html

"Somewhere along the way, Obama lost sight of his campaign pledge to enlist Republican ideas and votes. Maybe they were never there to be had, but he never truly tested it. And the deeper he became enmeshed in the Democratic politics of Capitol Hill, the less incentive there was for any Republican to contribute to his success."


I think many people are missing a huge point in this paragraph and how Broder is right about something......this line is very important...

"Obama lost sight of his campaign pledge to enlist Republican ideas and votes. Maybe they were never there to be had, but he never truly tested it."

I do not mean the part of Obama losing sight of his pledge, but about how Broder points out possibly the Republicans did have any ideas and how Obama did not truly test that.

For example, think back of the last two years where on hugely controversial issues, the Democrats gave these "ideas" a get out of free jail card. Take the latest one - the lack of a vote on the tax cut for the wealthy. Then, recall how the congressional Dems would not bring back votes over and over again and MAKE the Rethugs actually filibuster on popular items.

My point is, Obama did not make the Rethugs defend their most disgusting ideas.

[librechik]

Broder lies again. The entire "Obamacare" program was invented by Republicans

long ago. The strategy was to ONLY propose Republican ideas so the bastards would have no excuse to not back them. Ha Ha--they don't need excuses. They just hate everything we do. No explanations or alternative proposals conceived of or necessary.

[TornadoTN]

2. To be exact, it's Bob Dole's 1996 Healthcare Plan

Almost down to the exact plan.

[librechik]

7. yup. Just can't trust Republicans who will diss their own ideas just to score points against Obama

ruthless lying bastards.

[TornadoTN]

9. No doubt. Which is why I don't get why we even put forward this crap to appease them

If we knew they weren't going to accept the plan that they once championed - and we did know this all along. It was a pointless and fruitless exercise.

[librechik]

11. you and me both

except I think I know why. And it ain't nice. So La la la. I'm not going to think about that.

[TornadoTN]

13. I pretend like I don't know because the truth really gets to me

Would like to go back to 2008 knowing what I know now and do things a little differently.

[HardWorkingDem]

14. It's called..........Politics...

Something we Dems seem to have to re-learn every so often....

[frazzled]

1. I spent hours watching that health care summit ...

in the White House, where he let the Republicans drone on endlessly with their "ideas." Then he shot down every one of them.

So don't tell me he never enlisted Republican ideas. They just didn't have any valid ones.

[HardWorkingDem]

4. Missing the point!....

As Broder points out.....he never tested them. He never made these people defend their terrible ides. Think of the last two years and how many times the Congressional Democrats let the Rethuglicans off the hook on issues time and time again. It was like giving a sucker to a crying baby just to make the crying stop.

Take Bush's impeachment. Remember how when Pelosi and other Washington Dems took that off the table, how it deflated us?

Instead of making them pay for their obstinate behavior, he and the Wash Dems took their NO and quickly moved on. He/Congressional Dems should have held their feet to the fire more.

Even later in the same column Broder advises Obama not lose sight of his feelings on how to get things done in Washington.

[frazzled]

16. No, we just have different points.

I don't agree with your point. You don't agree with mine. So it's kind of worthless for us to argue.

[OHdem10]

3. If you mean Obama did not do the political battle, force the

issues in Public and make the Republicans choose publicly
to show themselves as being obstructionists.

Both The Dems on the Hill and Obama fell down on the job
of politics.

The Politics are almost as important as the policy. The
only thing the Media evaluates is the politics. The Dems
often seem clueless regarding this fact.

[HardWorkingDem]

5. Exactly! And that is the point...

too many are missing.

When it comes to specific examples, my memory is about as bad as other people, but I can remember over the past two years where many times the Dems had these people hanging above a hot fire on a weak thread and our people kept pulling them up instead of letting them twist for awhile.

It happened time and time again.

[WillyT]

17. I Got Your Point HWD...

And I agree.

And they can still do it now.

Make them try to abolish the Dept. of Education, end the Unemployment Program, illegalize abortion, get rid of Social Security and Medicare...

At least let them introduce it, and vote on it. Let's see just how brave these Republican Young Guns are!

:hi:

BTW - It's just that Broder should have been put out to pasture years ago.

:shrug:

[CreekDog]

6. If you agree with Broder on this then you agree with him on everything

what he wrote is what he always writes.

[HardWorkingDem]

12. Oh, come on....

How many times did you watch the Dems in Washington give the Rethugs passes? I saw it too many times and if I had more time to waste I'd look back more over the past to list more examples.

There are plenty of kernels of truth and information in almost any source and just because someone you dislike points one out from time to time is not a reason to ignore them.

[WI_DEM]

8. Really? He gave them countless opportunities

[treestar]

10. REading DU, Obama has caved to them

Along comes someone to say what the Rs think, that he did not listen to them.

And even that is spun against Obama!

Obama did listen to them. They and Blue Dogs did get some input. So Rs can stop crying about that. And Ds can STFU about "caving."

Rs say they don't compromise, but they do. They have to, also. They tried taking total power under Bush, but the Constitution protected us and it did not work.

[Supersedeas]

15. If Repigs never submitted any legit ideas, what would be the point of highlighting that Obama did

not enlist those ideas?

[JackRiddler]

18. David Broder's last column suggested that a war with Iran would be great for Obama and the economy.

That's right, he said a war with Iran could really help Obama rally a divided nation (and win in 2012) as well as bring wonderful stimulative effects that would restore the economy.

I can't even say for sure it was much of a low point, given what a demented, old, stupid, fascist fuck Broder has been since, oh, the beginning of his career.

Please now tell us what David Brooks, and/or Tom Friedman said about the election!!! I'm dying to know because they too are Very Wise.

At least this is the last generation in which the words of the establishment print pundits will be considered worth something independently of what they actually say. One good thing to credit to the blogosphere.