Spintested: 12/18/10

9/11 First Responders Bill Needs Just 1 Vote More: Gillibrand Confident Legislation Will Pass Senate

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The wrong cure.
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'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Will Take Time To Enact, Says Pentagon

Here we go..The bum's rush from the Commander-in-Chief.

This is SOP for Obama. When he can't kick the can down the road any farther, he builds another playing field to kick it down.
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Obama Reads His Children's Book To 2nd Graders

"It was written in 2008"

=======================

Fiction.

Just like this book of fiction. For children.

When do you think Obama wrote a children's book in 2008?

Would you like me to produce his campaign schedule from 2008?
About Barack Obama
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Obama Reads His Children's Book To 2nd Graders

Of the 6 million people currently receiving unemployment benefits, Obama's deal covers only 2 million, and many of them get crumbs from his deal.

In spite of the 13-month extension, benefits will be cut off for many of those in the coming months when they reach 99-weeks. And only 25 states out of 53 states/territories in/of the US have 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, so that's even fewer still.

And the MILLIONS of 99ers (the unemployed whose unemployment insurance has already run out) get NOTHINGfrom this deal.

Read Sam Graham-Felsen's oped in WaPo: Why is Obama leaving the grass roots on the sidelines?

At the same time Obama deactivated OFA, Obama demanded all progressive outside groups cease their efforts to pass Democratic legislation. He wanted 100 percent control of the message through the White House.

And then Obama did nothing but cave and capitulate. He didn't pressure any Blue Dogs or Republicans on healthcare reform, not on a public option, on nothing.

And, Obama dithered in the two years leading up to the 2010 midterm elections while the GOP wiped out the singlemost effective Democratic voter registration group - Democratic Outside Groups, Voter Reg Drives Fall Flat.

Obama has a habit and pattern of doing the bare minimum possible, like sending OFA email at the last possible moment, just so that his political operatives can say, "OFA never stopped sending out communications."

'Plausible deniability' might be the slogan for Obama's career in office.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

You're in a difficult position, dearie, talking out of both sides of your mouth in an effort to try to justify your continued support for a man who is not on your side, and doesn't support want what you claim to want. You're setting yourself up for a psychological breakdown.

During the healthcare legislation debacle, Obama (and his 'most ardent admirers') excused his failure to lead the fight for single payer/public option with, "Writing the legislation is Congress's job -- I'm staying out of it". We learned later that Obama had been undercutting the congressional committees working on the legislation by crafting secret deals with the insurance & pharmaceutical industries that Congress would be locked into.

How many comments did you write on HP, defending Obama with "Presidents don't write legislation! That's congress's job!", only to have egg all over your face when the news of this deal came out?

Now, there's not a peep out of Obama's 'most ardent supporters' about his interfering with Congress's job and plan to let the Bush tax cuts expire, and then introduce clean bills with middle class tax cuts alone, etc..

Obama's job in this and all issues, any president's job, is to ratchet up support/opposition to pressure members of Congress into doing the president's bidding. It's to shape opinion in the public, intercede directly with the American people, to get them to bring pressure to bear on their elected representatives in Congress.

Obama didn't do that. Obama only uses that power to beat down them that brung 'im: The Democratic base.
About Eat The Press
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Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

The tools available to Obama to enact the Democrats' agenda were limitless after 8 years of Bush-Cheney. Obama has refused to use them.

If Republicans are such scvm (and I believe they are) and "\so dangerous, why isn't Obama investigating and prosecuting them? Why isn't Obama investigating and prosecuting the greatest heist on the People in all history?

Why are Obama and Democrats continuing the war crimes of Bush & Cheney, and blocking investigations and prosecutions into their crimes?

How does a Democratic president, on the heels of the most criminal and corrupt administration in the nation's history, not replace Bush-era US attorneys? Presidents may fire US attorneys, and they do so routinely at the beginning of a new administration. It is unusual to fire US attorneys in mid-term (as Bush did) except in cases of gross misconduct (which wasn’t the case during the Bush administration). This is what Obama's US attorneys do instead of returning the democracy to the American people -- Instead we get Bush-style obscenity prosecutions.

Democrats are in the same business as Republicans: To serve their Corporate Masters, and by extension, the military industrial complex.

I suggest that you consider Democrats and Republicans as working on the same side, as tag relay teams (or like siblings competing for parental approval). 'Good cop/bad cop'. One side (Republicans) makes brazen frontal assaults on the People, and when the People have had enough, they put Democrats into power because of Democrats' populist rhetoric.

Once in power, Democrats consolidate Republicans' gains from previous years, and continue on with Republican policies but renamed, with new advertising campaigns. They throw the People a few bones, but once Democrats leave office, we learn that those bones really weren't what We, the People thought they were.

Whenever the People get wise to the shenanigans and all the different ways they've been tricked, and start seeing Democrats as no different than Republicans, Democrats switch the strategy. They invent new reasons for failing to achieve the People's business.

Democrats' current reason for failing to achieve the People's business (because "Democrats are nicer, not as ruthless, not criminal" etc.) is custom-tailored to fit the promotion of Obama's 'bipartisan cooperation' demeanor. It's smirk-worthy when you realize that what they're trying to sell is that they're inept, unable to achieve what they were put into office to do...And their ineptitude, like that's somehow "a good thing"

About Eat The Press
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Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

You said:

I fail to see how one negotiates with the rules in the Senate obsolete, and the solidarity of Republicans. The President has nothing to negotiate with

You conflated the two.

As you should. Because there is nothing that happens in either chamber of Congress that Obama hasn't signed off on, much less didn't order.

That's how 'party government', which we've had since the 1790s, works. When your party controls both Houses of Congress and the White House, the president is the leader of the party, the goals to be achieved and the strategy for making it happen. The orders are top-down, and the strategy for achieving the party's aims is determined in the White House.

The office of the president, particularly a popular one, one who entered the Oval Office on a campaign of CHANGE and with more votes than any president in all of US history, has awesome power to effect his agenda. The fact that Obama slammed on the brakes of his momentous victory and reneged on just about every pledge and promise, and then has continued just about all of the Bush-Cheney policies says it all -- The man is a con artist.
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CNN Teaming With Tea Party For Republican Presidential Debate

"Thom Hartmann now understands why the bill has to pass"

=================================================

This is Hartmann on the subject yesterday; he says nothing of the sort.

Hartmann on the subject a week ago; he says nothing of the sort.

Internet etiquette: Do your own research and provide links to back up your assertions.
About CNN
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And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

"How these people could vote republican is beyond me, since from what I've seen, republicans could not care less about this demographic."

===================================================

In fact, Republicans do care about this demographic, not as fellow human beings, but as petty annoyances which are necessary to keep on the good side of in order to get them to continue to vote for Republicans AND as a mob to activate over the issues that Republican politicians really want (tax cuts for the rich, etc.).

Paradoxically, it is the DLC-controlled Democrats who aid Republican politicians in keeping Republicans' constituents loyal to the Republican Party. One example is by not seizing the opportunity to educate Republican voters who say things like, "No government healthcare!" in one breath, and in the next, "And don't you dare touch my Medicare!"

That was an educational opportunity that Obama and the DLC-controlled Democratic Party let pass, and for the simple reason that Democratic politicians are working with Republicans and their corporate masters to end all public healthcare programs. They're doing it in a backdoor manner (hastening insolvency of the government so that there won't be any money for these continuing the New Deal/Great Society programs.
About Eat The Press
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Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

"I fail to see how one negotiates with the rules in the Senate obsolete, and the solidarity of Republicans."
=======================================================

Democrats have had control over the rules in the Senate for two consecutive (and now a third coming up next month) and have refused to change the rules.

In addition and contrary to excuses Democratic operatives have spread throughout the online community, changing filibuster rules can come at any time during Congress and not just at the beginning.

Harry Reid has had no problem forcing the GOP to actually filibuster when it's something that the DLC wants & perceives it needs. For example, when Democrats needed unemployment benefits to continue because the masses were becoming 'critical', Reid had no problem calling Republican Jim Bunning's bluff to filibuster. Reid said, "Bring in the cots, do it" and Bunning and the GOP caved. Benefits for unemployed workers continued.

Senate rules can be changed at any time, and not just at the start of a new Congress; it can be done at any time (see page 6).

Nor is there just one way (or even two, or three) where Democrats can get bills passed despite Republican obstruction.

Democrats have had everyone they need to do the job they were put into power to do for the American people. They don't want to do it.
About Eat The Press
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Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

Former Campaign Aide Criticizes Obama on Organizing

Read Sam Graham-Felsen's oped in WaPo: Why is Obama leaving the grass roots on the sidelines?

Receiving communications from OFA isn't the same as an active organization engaged in carefully orchestrated campaigns networking to pressure members of Congress to get behind Democratic versions of legislation, and to work on the media, shaping the message.

In addition to Obama's having deactivated the OFA, Obama's told Democratic groups to stand down, as well.

Obama has a habit and pattern of doing the bare minimum possible, like sending OFA email at the last possible moment, just so that his political operatives can say, "OFA never stopped sending out communications."

'Plausible deniability' might be the slogan for Obama's career in office.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Former Campaign Aide Criticizes Obama on Organizing

"In other words, Obama keeps going to war without his army."

====================================================

In other words, Obama doesn't go to war.

Friday, December 17, 2010
Why is Obama leaving the grass roots on the sidelines?
By Sam Graham-Felsen

Obama entered the White House with more than a landslide victory over Sen. John McCain. He brought with him a vast network of supporters, instantly reachable through an unprecedented e-mail list of 13 million people. These supporters were not just left-wing activists but a broad coalition that included the young, African Americans, independents and even Republicans - and they were ready to be mobilized.

It's not just the 13 million on the Obama campaign's email list being held down, but Obama and the DLC-controlled Democratic Party told groups usually identified as Democratic supporters to stand down, not run campaigns to get populist legislation like a public option through, because the White House wanted top-down control over all activities to get whatever legislation it wanted to get passed into law.

I think the best comparison for what Obama did when he deactivated the email list and had Democratic activists stand down is to Bush attacking, invading and occupying Iraq, and then firing the Iraqi army and disbanding the Baath Party. It left millions of Iraqis without any income, the nation in rubble and ruin without electricity, water, government services, no functioning infrastructure or rule of law.

I think Bush did it to create an atmosphere of chaos in order to push Iraqis into becoming insurgents, which would provide the neocons with an excuse for remaining in Iraq and occupying it for years and decades.

What possible reason could Obama have for neutralizing the activist wing of the Democratic Party, and then blame not getting real Democratic legislation passed on not being able to move Blue Dogs and Republicans to support it when Obama never even tried to pressure Blue Dogs and Republicans?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

Most Americans wanted the Bush tax cuts for the rich to expire. That was without Obama using his bully pulpit (or the media doing it's job) to inform the public of what that would have done to the deficit (would have cut it in half, instantly). And the effect of that on the economy, and the middle class's purses would have been enormous.

Obama can always direct the IRS to extend the middle class tax cuts. He has that authority.

Your spelling and grammar, by the way, is atrocious. It's indicative of a poor education, of someone who should be asking questions and not setting herself up as an authoritative parrot spewing political operatives' talking points.
About Eat The Press
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And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

Your comments are filled with such misinformation, I think it's important not to let them go unaddressed, as if they're facts.

Yes, the "voter's (sic) are freaking tired of this politico (sic) game BS", which is why it's criminal that Obama has gamed this to make people like you believe he's done all that he can.

Your line, that "People, companie's etc.... Need know what their taxes will be for 2011 so they can plan" is an abzurd GOP talking point. Nobody "plans" for their taxes in that manner. At least learn what the talking point means if you're going to mindlessly repeat it. What you meant to imply is that if the richest 1% got to keep Bush's tax cuts, it would create jobs. It wouldn't. It hasn't. The rich have had these tax breaks for ten years and they haven't created any jobs. We have had to borrow, you and me paying so that the rich could invest overseas, in foreign companies, outsourcing Americans' jobs. We will be paying the interest only for decades on what has been borrowed to give the rich these tax cuts.

Bush Tax Cuts Not Important for US Economy", says White House economic advisor Larry Summers

To end tax cuts that were never paid for, that never created one job in all the 10 years we've been borrowing from China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, to pay for them, is NOT "raising taxes" -- It's stopping the flow of red ink.

Here's the 'Rule of Thumb' about when tax cuts make sense: When a nation's bills are paid. When the nation is in surplus. When a tax cut requires a nation to borrow more money, adding to the deficit, increasing the national debt, that's robbing the People to give to the rich. Average Americans, our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, for generations to come, are getting stuck with this bill.

Working Americans are tired of paying for the parties of the rich.

If I'm paying for bathtubs full of Dom Perignon, I'd better d@mned well be the one soaking in it.

KEEP READING
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9/11 First Responders Bill Needs Just 1 Vote More: Gillibrand Confident Legislation Will Pass Senate

Saturday, December 18, 2010

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Will Take Time To Enact, Says Pentagon

Obama Reads His Children's Book To 2nd Graders

Obama Reads His Children's Book To 2nd Graders

Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

CNN Teaming With Tea Party For Republican Presidential Debate

And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

Tax Cut Compromise Leaves Ardent Obama Supporters Disillusioned

Former Campaign Aide Criticizes Obama on Organizing

Former Campaign Aide Criticizes Obama on Organizing

And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

And So Begins The Comeback Narrative

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