Memo to President Obama and many in DC: the Democratic Party is supposed to represent "the Left"

[blondeatlast]

that you seem to hold in such contempt.

That is all.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. It seems that they forgot...

To their peril.

[TwilightGardener]

2. I don't think he holds them in contempt. Not at all.

[Donnachaidh]

6. really? Did you miss his little snit at the presser the other day?

He seriously dissed the left. For the 50,000th time.

[blondeatlast]

7. This ex-cheerleader saw it and was disgusted to say the least. nt

[emulatorloo]

13. I think your skin is a little thin if you think that was a "serious dissing"

[TwilightGardener]

19. He didn't. His record is only as good as what the Democratic House and

Senate manage to put out in terms of legislation. His frustration largely stems from that. He's very well aware of the limitations on his agenda stemming from a divided Dem caucus, a Republican party that is basically good for nothing, and the Senate filibuster rules--but some on the left don't seem to understand that and bludgeon him anyway. That's all I saw. Frustration, but not contempt.

[msongs]

3. oh maybe you meant the republican left, is there is such a thing any more nt

[Sherman A1]

5. There most certainly is

That is the current Democratic Party.....

The GOP is pretty much the wacky wingnut party.

[stray cat]

4. He is the president of America -

[blondeatlast]

8. Your point being? nt

[Individualist]

9. rofl

You just made coffee go up my nose!

:rofl:
:rofl:

[Autumn]

14. That's hilarious

and so ridiculous. For you young ones. A Democratic President is supposed to get in the office to push the Democratic agenda and values, if the republican part of the country wants their agenda pushed they elect a fucking republican.

[ncteechur]

25. Is that what the oath says? Funny, I didn't know that. People other than democrats voted for

President Obama.

[Autumn]

26. Oaths? Promises?

Only when it suits them. Funny I don't remember Bush and company ever considering Democratic values and agenda. Maybe I was taking a nap and missed it. I will agree with you on your last sentence, I know six republicans who voted for him, they have all said they won't do it again.

[Me.]

23. Yes He Is

And I wish someone would tell him that. Slaps at the left which have gone on for a good part of his administration leads me to believe he doesn't feel it necessary to consider one swath of the American people. I can't quite forget that one of the first things he did as pres was dine at George Will's house with fellow conservatives. It seems that one, indeed, starts out the way one intends to proceed.

[emulatorloo]

10. Fire Dog Lake, etc is not the Democratic Party. Nor do I think left bloggers and commentors

commentators are treated with "contempt." Maybe they get irritated with them now and again, but if you think that is "Contempt" you've never been treated to real contempt.

[FrenchieCat]

11. The President represents the people of the United States of America...

Pres. Obama is governing from the center left.

Bush represented his donors, and acted like a dictator.
But then, that's a big part of why I disliked Bush as much as I did;
cause he was a partisan SOB, and thought it was funny!

[DJ13]

12. Pres. Obama is governing from the center left.

:spray:

[tomp]

37. you're delusional. nt

[OmahaBlueDog]

15. No, the Democratic Party is supposed to represent working American families

..sometimes their interests are those of the left, and sometimes not.

[myrna minx]

16. I consider myself rather moderate, but we've been dragged so far to the right

that I've been referred to as a 'far leftist' for wanting single payer/the public option, marriage equality and progressive taxation. I haven't changed, the party has. It seems as if we've become a party of Reagan Democrats and it's rather heartbreaking.

On edit - and now that the party is now endorsing 'trickle down economics' as a job generator, we're being dragged even further to the right. :-(

[blondeatlast]

17. That's where I find myself. all of a sudden I'm a radical for

supporting unions--the same ones that allowed my grandparents and parents to have a comfortable life and a safe workplace.

Hell, I was cheerleading the President here less than a month ago. No more--I've been shellshocked the past two weeks.

[myrna minx]

20. I was in the same boat - I was a BIG supporter, but it was

the healthcare mess where I saw things differently and once you do, it really is horrifying.

I grew up in a UAW town and my loved ones are SEIU. :hi: Big union supporter.

Welcome to the sanctimonious professional left. ;-)

[bluestate10]

32. I am moderate.

My issues with Obama are his seeming lack of backbone for a stiff fight, and his clinical answers to please that tear the heart out. I just can't forget the woman that said that she was tired of having to defend him everyday and was concerned about slipping back-wards economically - only to have Obama give her a clinical answer that displayed no feeling and did not directly address her concerns. Obama lacks the natural empathy that Bill Clinton had and which caused democrats to stay rabidly at Clinton's side and back, even as skirt chasing allegations swilled around him.

[dennis4868]

18. Huh?

Obama struck the deal to protect the middle class, the unemployed, and the lowest tax bracket.... This is for whom he is putting his political ass on the line fit...and no dem that is yelling from the rooftops has told us how they will do this that can get 60 votes in the senate.

[Caretha]

27. Just a reminder

because everyone seems to forget, it only takes 51 votes in the Senate. It's called a simple majority. Just like when Dick Cheney cast the 51st vote to pass Bushes tax cuts for the wealthy.

I know, I know....there's the fillubuster...damn, I'd just like to see a few Repigs have to do what Bernie Sanders did today. But you see, were all supposed to be so wobbly scared of the repig fillubuster.

It is time some peeps get a clue. And it's time other's start to realize that we really ain't fooled.

[dennis4868]

29. In this political....

Environment it takes 60 votes in the senate to get anything through. 51 votes is a thing of the past.

[bluestate10]

33. Senate rules require a super majority of 60 for any bill to come up for a vote.

That rule is why republicans have been so successful at stopping democratic initiatives. Health care was passed by a process called reconciliation because democrats in the senate mustered the 60 votes required to get the preliminary bill passed, then needed only a majority to pass the reconciled bill from Senate-House resolution of differences between the House version and the Senate version.

[laughingliberal]

36. Protecting the lowest tax bracket, you say?

laughingliberal (1000+ posts) Fri Dec-10-10 03:30 PM
Original message
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9748003

Obama-Republican Deal Could Mean Tax Hike For One In Three Workers

WASHINGTON - The tax deal reached between President Obama and congressional Republicans could mean a higher tax bill for roughly one in three workers as a result of the Social Security tax cut Republicans pushed as a replacement for the current Making Work Pay tax credit.

The Making Work Pay credit gives workers up to $400, paid out at 8 percent of income, meaning that anybody making at least $5,000 gets the full amount -- and gets as much as anybody else. Its replacement knocks two percentage points off the payroll tax cut, meaning a worker would need to make $20,000 to get a $400 break. Of the nation's roughly 150 million workers, around 50 million make less than $20,000 and will see at least some increase as a result.

Additionally, roughly a quarter of 20 million state and local workers pay no payroll tax, because they have a separate pension system. Some of those workers with children will benefit from the extension of other tax credits, but overall will have less money in their pocket.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said many House liberals were opposed to the payroll tax cut because of its effect on the poorest workers. Progressives are also concerned that the tax cut will become permanent and undermine Social Security's funding stream and political support over

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/10/obamarepublica...

[JamesA1102]

21. That's just not true.

The Democratic party has always been a big tent party. For most of the last century it was an alliance of southern conservatives and northern working class. These people were not the left and never were.

[provis99]

22. you are factually wrong.

I don't ever remember the Democratic party proclaiming itself the party of the left.

[tomp]

38. your memory is not the arbiter of fact vs falsehood. nt

[boppers]

24. History FAIL.

:kick: <--- Recognize this symbol?

It came from a man whose social policy was to round up minorities and put them on death marches so white people could use the land.

The Democratic party has represented a lot of different things over the years... support for slavery, small government (anti-federalist), etc.

[PVnRT]

28. So what does the party represent, then?

Whatever is most convenient? Whatever wins a lot of votes? Let the rest of us unwashed masses know.

[boppers]

35. From the history I've read:

Whatever can win votes, and not contradict the current platform, can be added to the platform.... which means it's evolved quite a few ways, quite a few times.

[democracy1st]

41. the current democratic party,not the 1800's democratic party of the North & South!

[bluestate10]

30. How is that?

When moderates make up the overwhelming bulk of the democratic party. The left philosophy is what got the party pounded by Nixon, Reagan, Bush I. Bush II was delivered by the far left, but responsibility has still not been taken.

[fascisthunter]

31. it's you so-called moderates that brought all of this on us all

you capitulated and now to cowardly to admit it. So cowardly that you need to blame the left. Sorry, but the left hasn't had any power in years, because rat finks in the so-called middle sold us all out while masquerading as "progressives" and "liberals".

[bluestate10]

34. The left has never been in power.

FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton. Moderates to moderate-conservative, all. Not a single liberal in the bunch. Spend time studying the details of their agendas and see how much you agree with. I think agreement will be small.

[fascisthunter]

39. FDR's policies were much more liberal than I think you want to admit

it's why conservatives want to dismantle it all. I think you fear the left and want folks here to believe it's a lost cause.

Like I said... the left isn't responsible... deal with it.

A Liberal Definition by John F. Kennedy:

Acceptance Speech of the New York
Liberal Party Nomination

September 14, 1960

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

http://www.liberalparty.org/JFKLPAcceptance.html

All of them would be considered liberal today.

[bluestate10]

43. FDR policies were moderate.

They have been modified over decades to become more liberal. SS was designed with the concept that most would not live to collect. With life expectancy approaching 90 years for some racial groups, modifications in SS are not only needed, they are also the morally right thing to do. The one concern that I have is that republicans not be allowed to dictate those modifications, if the left has it's way the day will come when republicans will be in a position to dictate changes to SS and democrats will be in no position to stop them.

[democracy1st]

42. without FDR there would be no liberal precedent set, who would you relate liberal values to Jesus ?

[bluestate10]

44. FDR was no liberal. FDR was pragmatic and moderate.

My model of liberals are Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Morris Udall.

[democracy1st]

45. pragmetic and moderate changes just like the liberal axiom there's nothing set in stone. No one is

completely liberal or conservative.

[blindpig]

40. That's what you say

Wishful thinking. The Democratic Party adopted some left wing expediencies in a time of necessity, made alliance with popular organizations. That time has past and the party returns to it's previous state, the other Money Party, the party of Woodrow Wilson, the party of the Palmer raids, another administration which lied this country into war.

[glitch]

46. I'd be happy if he represented the Center.

Rendition, torture, assassination, continuing to ignore Habeas Corpus, expanding aggressive wars, attacks on Social Security are Far Right.