" President Obama Criticizes the Petulant left" (Washington Post)

[KoKo]

President Obama criticizes the petulant left


By Stephen Stromberg | Washington Post, September 17, 2010; 6:43 PM ET

President Obama isn't backing off his criticism of his progressive detractors. First, there was White House spokesman Robert Gibbs mocking the "professional left" for holding the White House to unmeetable standards. Then there was Vice President Joe Biden this week on Rachel Maddow informing progressives that they "better get energized." Maybe these surrogates weren't accurately reflecting the president's feelings about this vocal sliver of his base? Think again. Here's the president at a Thursday-night fundraiser:

"Democrats, just congenitally, tend to get -- to see the glass as half empty (Laughter.) If we get an historic health-care bill passed -- oh, well, the public option wasn't there. If you get the financial reform bill passed -- then, well, I don't know about this particularly derivatives rule, I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with that. And gosh, we haven't yet brought about world peace and -- (laughter.) I thought that was going to happen quicker. (Laughter.) You know who you are. (Laughter.) We have had the most productive, progressive legislative session in at least a generation."

Text

Funny. And true. And, because she apparently can't help being a caricature, about to make Jane Hamsher's head explode on MSNBC as I write this. Don't worry -- she'll be fine. She's gotten really good at reinflating it.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/09/president_obama_criticizes_the.html

By Stephen Stromberg | September 17, 2010; 6:43 PM ET

[ClarkUSA]

1. RW rags always love lying about "Obama's comments" to facilitate Obama bashing among the gullible

Thanks for bringing it here.

:sarcasm:

[KoKo]

9. Washington Post always goes a step further. "Pentulant Left" (editorilizing)

[Joe Bacon]

15. It's the Whoreshington Post.

There isn't a single Republican ass the Whoreshington Post won't kiss.

[KoKo]

42. After Woodward and Bernstein and the Movie (APM), the WSJ...Laid DOWN AND DIED!

Most of what comes out of them is Howie Kurtz CRAP and DISINFORMANTION!

[golddigger]

2. Why would you ridicule your base

when there is all those wacky repukes out there to ridicule?

[ClarkUSA]

3. Um, he didn't. Read the FULL TRANSCRIPT before y'all swallow purposeful WaPo spin whole:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9154915&mesg_id=9154915

[golddigger]

5. Maybe he didn't, but during election season

it is not very smart to joke about something that means life or death to some people.

[KoKo]

7. Exactly...He mentions Democrats.... not "The Left" in his speech.

:shrug:

[CBR]

27. The professional left is not the base. nt

[tledford]

38. You could have stopped at "The professional left is not."

It amazes me how people use the phrase "the professional left" as if there WERE such a thing, when NO ONE, not Gibbs or anyone on this freaking forum, has been able to define it.

[CBR]

41. ...

[KoKo]

49. I have wondered myself..."Who is the Professional Left?" Many of us who are avid Dems took comment

as a "Personal Assault" on "US and Our Values."

BUT...What If...Obama was chiding some different group? Many folks here think he was talking about "FIREDOGLAKE" ...but I hardly think Obama or his Advisors ever read anything there.

SO: "WHO" is the "Professional Left?"

Maybe "Salon.com" who fought for Clinton against Lewinky Propaganda from "Mellon-Scaife" ...or Maybe he meand "Huffington Post" and "Talking Points Memo. com." Or maybe it's "Move On. org?"

WHO IS THIS PROFESSIONAL LEFT?

[Hansel]

60. The left media. Bloggers, commentators, pundits, journalists, radio talk show hosts.

Professional is the operative word.

[Inuca]

4. He did not

actually criticize, he was not refering to the "left" but to democrats, and he most definitely did not call enybody "petulant".

[phleshdef]

21. It really doesn't matter who it was aimed at. He said nothing offensive.

Telling someone they are seeing the glass as half empty is not some huge insult. I wouldn't feel insulted by that if it were aimed directly at me and no one else should be either. One may disagree with it, but its not offensive.

[KoKo]

45. Fore "NJ Maverick!"

PM me if you want to "hand cross across the aisle."

Yes...it's from another post where we "crossed wires" ....but I'm extending a hand.........to YOU!

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/

[KoKo]

47. He only laughed at his Fellow Dems for Being "Purists.' It' a legitimate thing for Dem President to

Do!

Dontcha Think? :shrug:

[NJmaverick]

6. He's correct in doing so. The Quixote liberals have been quite

disruptive (and helpful to the GOP) with their tilting at windmills and righting of imaginary wrongs. Their visions of corporate dragons have blinded them to the real threat and enemy, that being the GOP and Tea Baggers.

[KoKo]

11. He didn't say "The Left" in this speech. He was just being humorous about Democrats...

We need to lighten up. Politics is a dirty business. He was just poking fun at the "Great Expectations" of Democrats. That Democrats take themselves too seriously.

It was good for a laugh to lighten up the speech.

[Paladin]

12. Why Don't You Throw An Ayn Rand Quote To Impress Us All? (n/t)

[NJmaverick]

17. ????

[tledford]

39. !!!!

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

18. That pretty much sums it up.

I will add that I think the left is being used by folks like Hamsher and Huffington.

[NJmaverick]

20. Manipulated for the GOP's gain. agreed

[KoKo]

46. For YOU...My Friend!

PM me if you want to "hand cross across the aisle."

Yes...it's from another post where we "crossed wires" ....but I'm extending a hand.........to YOU!

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/

[Arkana]

8. Stromberg is throwing gasoline on a fire that was finally dying out

because he can. Obama wasn't "insulting" anyone and anyone who takes it as an insult should just get the hell out of politics right now.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[Peacetrain]

13. Oh for the love of Mike.. people are not so damn dumb they are falling for this again

I mean I start to worry about people if they can be ginned up so easily by the Washington Post in such a non point controversy.

Surely people have got more political savvy than that.

Think about this.. who is calling the left petulant.. THE POST.. get it ..

[paulk]

14. he's doing this because he thinks it will help him

by redefining the Democratic Party as "New Dems"; (kind of pre-Reagan Republican lite) he hopes to pick up that independent center that's been scared off the liberal bandwagon by 30 years of RW badmouthing. He may even be right.

After all, where are liberal/progressives going to go? (and it's more than a "sliver", btw) The choice between a completely out of touch with reality teabagger and a corporate conservadem is really an easy one to make. You vote for the Dem and hope that you get a "sliver" of progressive legislation (by a real world definition of the term, not Obama's attempts to redefine).

[DevonRex]

22. Good grief. You tortured that to death. It was a funny clip about Dems in general. nt

[paulk]

36. the usual attempt to demean someone who doesn't agree

with your POV

-------------

I didn't find it funny...

there is a clear strategy here of marginalizing the left of the party

[jefferson_dem]

16. Well... the loaded framing aside... he does have a point.

Thanks Mr. President. Fact-based reality must prevail.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Oooh Lookie! It's the "Friend" of the Left, WAPO!

WAPO trying to "help" us right at the beginning of the election season!

How sweet of them! :boring:

[Phx_Dem]

23. If they can criticize him, he can criticze them.

And if pretty fucking hypocritical of them to whine about being criticized by the same man that they constantly critize!

[phleshdef]

24. And seriously, if you get your feelings hurt because someone says...

...you are seeing the glass half empty, then you seriously need to get your sensibilities checked out.

[CBR]

28. But then who would get to be a victim swimming in outrage???? nt

[flpoljunkie]

25. Why would Obama or any Dem want to criticize the base? Particularly with mid-terms not far off.

I don't get it.

[ProSense]

30. You don't get it

because it never happened.

[CBR]

32. Who exactly is the base? nt

[ibegurpard]

37. health insurance corporations, school privatizers, and banks

[CBR]

40. I was thinking African-Americans (91% approve of President Obama),

Youth (59% approve of the Pres), self-identified Democrats (81% approve of President Obama; liberal Democrats at 88%), Hispanics (53%) etc....

[KoKo]

50. If "I" was African-American" or "Latino" I would DEFINITELY APPROVE OF OBAMA 91%

because he has to LISTEN to HIS VOTER BLOCK.. But, he also needs to listen to the other 9% who were very ACTIVE in supporting the Latinos and African Americans because we are the BLOCK of the folks who WORK FOR EQUALITY FOR ALL! It's sad our numbers are so SMALL...but those numbers can SWING elections and are fighting BACK with the BLOCK I and II to keep the Repugs Back.

But...where is the help these days? :shrug:

[KoKo]

48. You know...the Sad Thing Is.... We don't KNOW ANYMORE...What the BASE IS!

I think that's something that might be an issue for our Dem Party, going forward.

WHAT IS THEIR BASE...and WHERE IS IT?

It seems to move along and morph, according to Elections...Non-Elections...and Whims!

TELL ME...WHAT IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY?

:shrug:

[frylock]

26. did he get on his hands and knees to look for the public option under his desk?

nope, not here. hahahahahahahahaahhhhhhhhhh.....

[ProSense]

29. Ha, ha, ha. I get it.

Your point is that lying about another country having WMD, starting an illegal war and then joking about it is the same as this:

"If we get an historic health care bill passed -- oh, well, the public option wasn’t there. If you get the financial reform bill passed -- then, well, I don't know about this particularly derivatives rule, I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with that. "

[frylock]

31. no, you don't get it..

and you never will.

[ProSense]

33. Oh, I get it, and will repeat it here

The solution is to take a look at what the President said, and then take a look at spin.

Think about it, and then do whatever the hell you want to do between now and election day.

It's fairly certain that the President is not going to view the words coming out of his mouth related to his accomplishments and his critics as an insult because someone decided to spin them as such. Don't think it's spin? Doesn't much matter (see the Gibbs' hoopla).

It's also very clear that the shit stirrers are going to continue to claim that the President hates liberals.

Anyone who doesn't like the President and believes he is not liberal enough and is after liberals is never going to be convinced that he's a progressive liberal lover.

Now, do whatever you feel like doing because the positions aren't going to change.

Support Democrats and vote Democratic in the 2010 election if you're so inclined.

Beyond the 2010 election, you can continue to support Democrats and the President, including his re-election or you can join with Greenwald and FDL to find and support your choice of a progressive candidate to run for President in 2012.

That is the reality and those are the choices. It's all up to you, and you have the ability, the freedom, the right to do whatever you want to do, regardless of what you think of the President and his choice of words.

I and the vast majority of the Democratic Party (and I say that with the utmost confidence) are sticking with Democrats and one of the most progressive and accomplished Presidents ever: President Obama.

It's not a hard concept to grasp.

[frylock]

35. clap. clap. clap.

[KoKo]

51. I think, ProSence that you are living in the time when we Defended Clinton against

the foes that tried to bring him down. Just like so many of us supported Al Gore in that "STOLEN ELECTION" of 2000.

I think many times we Dems fight "Old Ghosts" and dwell on "Times Past" and we fail to move on to our REAL FOES which are the BUSHITES connected to their POWER for GENERATIONS!

We get too Bogged DOWN in FAILED GLORIES OF DEMS PAST...and think that our CURRENT POLITICIANS REMEMBER THOSE DAYS! THEY DON'T.

WE HAVE A NEW FIGHT ON OUR HANDS FOR "OUR" GENERATIONS GOING FORWARD!

[ProSense]

52. What?

You posted a bogus WaPo article that completely distorted the President's words, and you have in this thread said you called out WaPo.

So what are you arguing?

Also, what on earth does the WaPo article have to with Clinton? Better question: What the hell does my comment have to do with Clinton?

[KoKo]

53. ProSence..it was an accurate snip from Obama's Speech..But that's NOT the Point of what I posted to

You..

I was bridging across a divide to you..Could you please re-read what I posted to you?

[ProSense]

54. What did my comment have to do with Clinton?

That makes no sense.

[KoKo]

55. The Years We DU'ers have been out here Fighting to Support Clinton and Gore...Stolen Election

and ALL WE LEARNED from that Battle..and the millions of Hours DU'ers who were here since 2001 have spent on the Campaign Trail...getting Organized...walking streets, going to "Meet Ups" and seeing so much HOPE fall down the longer we fought and the more and harder we worked.

I've not looked up your DU Profile to see when you joined...but, many of us became ACTIVE/ENGAGED...and ON THE GROUND..after the STOLEN 2000 ELECTION...and, we have seen that our WORK seems to have turned to NOTHING lately. We who still have the ENERGY...are trying to RALLY the FLAGGING INTEREST.

That's what I'm saying!

[ProSense]

56. Let me put it this way:

My comment had nothing to do with Clinton. Your response was a non sequitur. Clinton contributed some of the screwed up policies that have become extremely problematic.

[KoKo]

57. We always seem to be "ships passing in the night." in our dialogue with one another.

Sad it's that way...but seems to be what it is.

[KoKo]

44. I don't think Obama would "STOOP" to that like BUSH DID...LOL's

n/t

[ZombieHorde]

34. Fucked up headline. nt

[KoKo]

43. If you look further up...in the thread..you will see that I "Flagged WaPo" for that...

Did you see it? :shrug:

[ZombieHorde]

58. No, but I did know the OP's subject line matched the article's headline. nt

[denimgirly]

59. FIGHT for the People and not for the Right and Special Interests all the time.

His special advisor appointment of Warren was a slight surprise because Obama has never made a liberal decision that didnt involve massive giveaways to special interests...HOWEVER, because this is camapaign season it is the time when Obama and the rest of the democrats PRETEND to be progressive because it is what gets votes. So overall having a presser showcasing his 1st fake progressive deed in 2 years is just that. So my fear is Obama will once again jump back to his fetish of appeasing to the right and dump Warren for someone who is way right to direct the bureau...In fact i guarantee this is what he will do. Warren in my opinion is just a placeholder for this election to get liberals to turn out and nothing more. Geitner, who have been reported as Obama's man crush, will have the final say who gets the director position and you can be sure it wont be a progressive of any kind.

The problem with Obama is that he is not a genuine fighter. He looks to appease the right and special interests consistently. The reason liberals are upset is not because his back-room deals end up with massive compromises it is just that he never, ever fights for things that could help the people...the Public Option was supported by 80% of the people and he immediately jetisoned that because insurers hated it...if he just fought for it and it then had to be pulled or the bill didnt pass because it was in then he would have my respect and other liberals. The same goes with Financial Reform....

[KoKo]

61. I know...it does seem he compromises too much...and hopefully he will learn

how that has hurt him and our party when he had such a strong MANDATE FOR CHANGE "You CAN BELIEVE IN."

After Mid-Terms will come whether he forges a NEW WAY FORWARD...or ACCEPTS what the Pundits are saying will be a goodly amount of Dem Defeats.

We will need to monitor Obama after Mid-Terms and Results to see how he Moves. If Dems Lose enough...he will Swing RIGHT...If it's in the Middle of losses (fair for most Mid-Term Losses for Party in Power through the years) then (if he chooses) he might Really PUSH the AGENDA for "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN"..."I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU...I WILL NEVER GIVE UP...FIGHTING FOR YOU" into PLACE..

He's either gonna be FDR II with some modifications or CLINTON II with "MONICA-GATE" where he COMPROMISES MORE to WALL ST...as Clinton gave away "Glass-Steagall" the WALL between Home Banks and Investment Banks that led to the HOUSING BUBBLE.

And, sadly, there's the THIRD WAY. He will be seen as JIMMY CARTER...who managed to ANGER EVERYONE..and he will decide to GET OUT or the PARTY WILL DUMP HIM...And he will go to work for Goldman-Sachs or find another LUCRATIVE GIG for HE AND MICHELLE!

OBAMA and MICHELLE might decide to OPT OUT OF THIS BURDON on them and THEIR TWO LOVELY DAUGHTERS. It's not a great thing for their "Family Life" this crap they have to deal with.

Which SCENARIO will it BE? I have no clue...but THEY are not MY PROBLEM... Building a VIABLE SUSTAINING DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT TRANSCENDS POLITICAL "GURU/HERO WORSHIP" really IS the PROBLEM FOR DEMS ALL OVER THE US!

OBAMA IS A SERVANT OF THE DEM PARTY! .....WE, "THE DEM PARTY" are NOT SUBSERVIENT TO OBAMA or CLINTON or CARTER or the BEFORE!

We need to remember that...because this country was founded by folks who BELIEVED..."ALL MEN (WOMEN) are CREATED FAIR (FREE) AND EQUAL...and that's there and other stuff is there...and we've drifted off!

[harun]

62. When was a Health Care bill passed? I saw only a Health Insurance bill.

[mmonk]

63. When is he going to take on the opposition?