'Our own worst enemies' - Obama laments Dem 'handwringing'

[Pirate Smile]

'Our own worst enemies'
Obama laments Dem 'handwringing'


Barack Obama waves after arriving in Dallas on Aug. 9. AP

President Obama told supporters at a Dallas fundraiser on Monday that Democrats have made “extraordinary” strides since he took office – but that the message can be lost in self-agony.

“I’ll be honest with you; sometimes Democrats, we’re our own worst enemies, because we can do great stuff and somehow still feel depressed,” he said at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee event. “Sometimes we do a little too much handwringing. Say, well, you know, I don't know, I wish we had gotten that public option. Well, that’s great, but we got 31 million people health insurance and we’re reducing costs for people.”

Obama added, “We have had an extraordinary record of accomplishment over the last 20 months, and we can continue those efforts, but we’re going to need you in this election season.”

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0810/our_own_worst_enemies_bc2c3a82-b864-434a-b288-a266cd1c330d.html

[Demeter]

1. Oh God! He's Going All Nixon On Us!

[Pirate Smile]

3. In what way or are you joking?

:)

[Demeter]

17. Did you live through the early 70's?

[Pirate Smile]

18. I was an infant and a toddler.

I don't think he was talking about making an "enemies list". If you were playing off that then I just missed it the first time. Duh' me.:silly:

[Demeter]

22. Nixon tightened the walls around himself so that Reality Couldn't Get In

He was a drunken paranoid. He really thought anything he did was justified because he was the President.

Politics didn't drive him. Ideology didn't drive him.

Everything was about protecting himself--and his family supported him, even in his most delusional state. They still do, even though he's dead and finally at peace with perfect protection.

The GOP couldn't get through to him---until they bit the bullet, and told him if he didn't resign NOW, they would impeach and convict him.

The GOP then went into a great funk.

[geek tragedy]

34. So, you think Obama is a drunk paranoid who needs

to be forced from office via the threat of impeachment?

[Ignis]

38. Strawmanapalooza!

You can't be serious.

[flamingdem]

19. Then take it out on the republicans since you remember what we've suffered nt

[Demeter]

23. "We" did not suffer.

Not once the wheels came off Nixon's little red wagon. We got Ford, and Carter, and a breather. The Democrats got a new lease on life. So BFEE put their puppet Reagan up with the CIA help.

[Rageneau]

27. Obama is like Nixon in the following way:

(According to Mort Sahl)

"Nixon's the kind of guy that if you were drowning fifty feet off shore, he'd throw you a thirty foot rope ... then (his spokesman) would go on TV the next night and say that the President had met you more than half-way."

Reducing troops in Iraq but not Afghanistan (among many others) is nothing but throwing us that 30 foot rope.

[Demeter]

28. Excellent Point!

That part about Nixon I don't recall...

[geek tragedy]

33. Tell us again why the WH should respect people

like you who smear the President every chance you get?

[phantom power]

2. If he wants my support, he should consider sending a memo to Gibbs to stop insulting me.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Gibbs did not insult you. You are NOT the professional left.

[jaxx]

13. I can't believe how so many are taking this personally.

The "professional left" isn't people on a forum, it's the instigators who write the crap that is carried around and made gospel by those who choose to believe the tabloids.

[CakeGrrl]

26. No kidding. This party will keep shooting itself in the foot

finding excuses to turn on itself.

[eridani]

29. No. We were all fucking stupid enough to volunteer for free

[wyldwolf]

6. He said what Gibbs said - but a bit more nicely. Same message, though

[treestar]

8. You were only insulted if you are one who says that the Democrats are equal

to the Republicans.

Anyone who says that is not a Democrat anyway.

[flamingdem]

20. Anyone who equates Bush to Obama is part of the problem and a traitor imo nt

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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

[impik]

10. Are you a "Professional Left"??? You know exactly to who Gibbs was talking about

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. I don't know or care who the lost Bee Gee was referring to as the "professional left"

But it's obvious that the "professional center" is out in force to defend the worthless pig today.

[flamingdem]

21. I'm on the left, sorry you can't take that from me, but I know the enemy begins with R not D nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

24. Depends which "D" you mean

If it's followed by an "LC", they ARE the enemy and they ARE Republicans.

[Enrique]

5. it's the drugs

the drugs cause handwringing.

[Blue Owl]

25. I saw it in Reefer Madness

It must be true

[derby378]

7. Well, since OUR healthcare costs are going up due to reform...

...I feel I have a legitimate right to complain.

I get my health insurance from the state. Our provider just increase premiums for our pool as a result of the bill. And the bill won't even allow me to choose my own doctor, let alone shop around for a more competitive provider.

[snot]

12. Just think about the "extraordinary strides" he could make if he actually wanted to make them!

Like going ahead and appointing Liz Warren as head of the new CFPB.

[FredStembottom]

14. Again (again!) Wanting to change course away from radical Republican policies....

... is not HAND-WRINGING.

It's life-saving. It is recovery.

We need you to save lives, Mr. President.

We need emergency action to stem the dying, the dissolving families, the structural decay and the despair.

We are not RETARDS. We simply know what policies will STOP the dying, the dissolving families, the structural decay and the despair. Because it was all done before. In this country.

NOT implementing those policies does NOT stop these problems.

Simply returning to WHAT WE HAD (Regulated Capitalism) is NOT radicalism. It's the 1950's. If you were to work toward the Regulated Capitalism of that time, you would NOT be doing something radical. You would not even be doing something structurally new. You would be HEALING.

You and your team are being deceptive. WHY?

[Fly by night]

15. "Say, well, you know, I don't know, I wish we had ended the war on medical cannabis ...

... like me and my AG promised to do."

Fooled you once, shame on me. Fooled you twice, shame on all y'all.

Stop patting yourself on the back, Barack, and get about the serious work of appointing a new DEA director (no, not the one that Dim Son put in the position) to dismantle the war on drugs.

If he weren't so important as a lone gunman for many important issues, I would recommend Dennis Kucinich. Hell, I'd take the job. I have just the resume and rap sheet for it.

[kirby]

16. What is this 'great stuff' he has done?

Granted, some things have been done, but nothing to be considered 'great'. More like mediocre/watered down.

My friend just got her rejection letter due to preexisting conditions in the mail. Once Cobra runs out, she cannot afford the HIPPA offered plan (almost $900 per month for one person).

[eridani]

30. "reducing costs for people"? He needs to get out more

I pay outrageous prices for "insurance" that is utterly useless except in case of extreme catastrophe. Thank God my hubby is on Medicare.

[Beacool]

31. It depends on what one's definition of "great stuff" is.

One person's definition of great stuff, may be someone else's definition of compromised to death, eviscerated legislation (such as HC, which was passed containing no public option).

;-)

[Phx_Dem]

32. Not "we" Mr. President. I'm tired of being lumped in with the whiner class.

[27inCali]

35. O went out of his way to mention the PO

something tells me that idea aint going away if Dems retain the Congress.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

36. Exactly we only need to keep our ship together and we can do anything. Let's not dig a hole in the..

boat. Republicans created our worst nightmare by being co-ordinated. Co-ordinated doesn't mean lockstep after November have at 'em, but unless we can get passed the post our hopes and dream will remain just a dream. We have the chance of accountability in primaries it's just we'll have to work harder on longer to avoid any outside intervention in the future. Why have primaries if it's not our choice should be the motto from here. Now I don't blame the executive office on that, they build up friendship and loyalties but we can organize to Pre-empt it.

[mdmc]

37. I don't know anyone that pays less for health care now

sure many more have insurance. i have insurance. i want affordable treatment.