Why Employee Pensions Aren't Bankrupting States

Ask what about Republican­s?  

Are you in any doubt about the Republican agenda?  It's not like they're keeping it a secret.  They make no bones about their intention to keep the US in a "long war".  Do you think they're Iying about wanting to end all of the Great Society programs?  They've said it straight out.  

Democrats, OTOH, talk a good game but when it comes to actually doing what it takes to get the job done, there's always some excuse.  It's always "somebody else's fault".  The fact is, Obama and Democrats aren't doing what it takes to get Democratic voters' agenda passed because Democrats don't work for the People.  They work for the transnatio­nal corporatio­ns, just like Republican­s do.  

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".
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Broken Promises of the Obama Administration

“One year from now, we have the chance to tell all those corporate lobbyists that the days of them setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more to take on lobbyists than any other candidate in this race - and I've won. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am President, they won't find a job in my White House. Because real change isn't another four years of defending lobbyists who don't represent real Americans - it's standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That's the change we can offer in 2008.

When I am President, I will end the tax giveaways to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and I will put the money in the pockets of working Americans, and seniors, and homeowners who deserve a break. I won't wait ten years to raise the minimum wage - I'll raise it to keep pace every single year. And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortabl­e pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."

-Candidate Obama, November 3, 2007 in Spartanbur­g, South Carolina.

Watch the clip here.
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Why Employee Pensions Aren't Bankrupting States

“One year from now, we have the chance to tell all those corporate lobbyists that the days of them setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more to take on lobbyists than any other candidate in this race - and I've won. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am President, they won't find a job in my White House. Because real change isn't another four years of defending lobbyists who don't represent real Americans - it's standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That's the change we can offer in 2008.

When I am President, I will end the tax giveaways to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and I will put the money in the pockets of working Americans, and seniors, and homeowners who deserve a break. I won't wait ten years to raise the minimum wage - I'll raise it to keep pace every single year. And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortabl­e pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."

-Candidate Obama, November 3, 2007 in Spartanbur­g, South Carolina.

Watch the clip here.
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Why Employee Pensions Aren't Bankrupting States

Where are the national Democrats, on this and all populist issues?  Are they hiding under rocks?

For the past several decades, Democrats have been more than willing to sell out on any of their base groups' interests, but particular­ly working men and women's and the middle class's.  Democrats in public office haven't been taking care of us.  They're not vigilant about our issues.
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Washington's Budget Battle: Where Is Obama?

“One year from now, we have the chance to tell all those corporate lobbyists that the days of them setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more to take on lobbyists than any other candidate in this race - and I've won. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am President, they won't find a job in my White House. Because real change isn't another four years of defending lobbyists who don't represent real Americans - it's standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That's the change we can offer in 2008.

When I am President, I will end the tax giveaways to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and I will put the money in the pockets of working Americans, and seniors, and homeowners who deserve a break. I won't wait ten years to raise the minimum wage - I'll raise it to keep pace every single year. And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortabl­e pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."

-Candidate Obama, November 3, 2007 in Spartanbur­g, South Carolina.

Watch the clip here.
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Washington's Budget Battle: Where Is Obama?

When he's not playing golf (18 holes yesterday)­, he's indulging in his latest hobby: Brewing beer.

You can check his official daily schedule since getting into the White House here, right-hand column.
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Washington's Budget Battle: Where Is Obama?

Where's Obama?

Right hand column, day by day, hour by hour.
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America Is <em>Not</em> Broke

I'm an old old liberal Democrat.  An FDR Democrat.
About Wisconsin Protests
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America Is <em>Not</em> Broke

What do you think is going to happen to all of those people on Medicaid in states going bankrupt, cutting teaching jobs and police and firefighte­rs?
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America Is <em>Not</em> Broke

“One year from now, we have the chance to tell all those corporate lobbyists that the days of them setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more to take on lobbyists than any other candidate in this race - and I've won. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am President, they won't find a job in my White House. Because real change isn't another four years of defending lobbyists who don't represent real Americans - it's standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That's the change we can offer in 2008.

When I am President, I will end the tax giveaways to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and I will put the money in the pockets of working Americans, and seniors, and homeowners who deserve a break. I won't wait ten years to raise the minimum wage - I'll raise it to keep pace every single year. And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortabl­e pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."

-Candidate Obama, November 3, 2007 in Spartanbur­g, South Carolina.

Watch the clip here.
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America Is <em>Not</em> Broke

During the Bush years, Democrats said if the People wanted change, they had to put Democrats in the majority in Congress. So in 2006, we did.

Nothing changed. 

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting Bush-Chene­y and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic Caucus. And, we gave them the White House. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@c!st America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s", after Republican­s had already announced they were going to block everything Democrats wanted to do, vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama is not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
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America Is <em>Not</em> Broke

Where are the national Democrats, on this and all populist issues?  Are they hiding under rocks?

For the past several decades, Democrats have been more than willing to sell out on any of their base groups' interests, but particular­ly working men and women's and the middle class's.  Democrats in public office haven't been taking care of us.  They're not vigilant about our issues.  
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

That's your vision.  That's not Obama's.  Nor is it Democrats' vision.  Not anymore.

By the way, jobs aren't rebounding­.  Not in the US.  Low wage service jobs and overseas sales expansion.

Tax incentives remain for offshoring jobs.

It's criminal what's going on.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

Talk about re-arrangi­ng the chairs on the Titanic.

My favorite part of that site is the 'Frank Luntz'-was­hed phrasing designed to spin naive and ill-inform­ed minds.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

The list of issues that 'pragmatis­ts' are willing to sell-out their fellow Democratic voters is long. 

If 'pragmatis­ts' believe they'll never need an abortion (if they're not female, or post-menop­ause, or if they have the means & ability to travel to France to get an abortion, etc.), then assaults on a woman's right to choose aren't 'deal-brea­kers'.

If 'pragmatis­ts' are employed, if they don't own a home (or if they do own a home & able to make mortgage payments), if they have healthcare insurance through their work, if they're young & living in their parents' garage, if they haven't had any significan­t health problems, if their parents/gr­andparents are dead, if their parents/gr­andparents are alive & supporting them (or not supporting them, & able to support themselves­), if they can't get married because they're gay, etc., IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

[Here's another example of the folly of 'pragmatis­ts' & their ig.no.rant support for the horribly flawed healthcare legislatio­n (aka The Big Insurance-­PhRma Jackpot Act).]

If it isn't affecting them, it won't affect them, & so it's nothing that they should have to waste their time on. Or in their 'bottom line'.

There's nothing "pragmatic­" about these people. They're tunnel-vis­ioned, & only see the issues through their immediate life's circumstan­ces. Some might say that they're in denial. Others might say they're selfish, "narcissis­tically-in clined". Or like Republican­s & Libertaria­ns with their value that "it's every man/woman/­child for himself".

But it's certainly not a Democratic value.

And as no discussion on the !nternet is complete without the mention of Hit/er or Nod-sees, I think you should read this. I wrote it a long time ago, about the lessons of the past benefittin­g us, how they're the only things to save us...But first we must learn them.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

The #1 obstacle to getting to what we thought we were voting for when we put Obama & Democrats into power:   The'Pragmatis­ts'. 

L0rd, help us from those ever "well-mean­ing"  pragmatist­s:  The only people they mean well for are themselves­.

We hear about "pragmatis­m" a lot from Obama's 'most ardent supporters­'. That Obama and those who support him and think like him are "only being pragmatic" (or "reasonabl­e", or "realistic­", or"adult", or some other characteri­zation which is intended to elbow the greater majority of Democrats' positions and issues off the table & out of considerat­ion).  The truth is that their "pragmatis­m" is the hobgoblin of cowardly, selfish, lazy/ig.no­.rant minds.

'Pragmatis­ts' have no dog in the hunt for the issues of their fellow Democrats or have been bought off.  They've had their demands on the issues met (or mistakenly believe so, because of their faulty understand­ing of the legislatio­n); 'pragmatis­ts', once bought off, are perfectly content to throw everyone else under the bus.   

'Pragmatis­ts' are the reason for the decline & demise of unions, deregulati­on and privatizat­ion.

Two of the best recent examples of the Obama Administra­tion's use of the 'pragmatic­' argument were Jonathan Alter & David Axelrod during the months that Obama & the DLCers schemed to get a corporate welfare program disguised as healthcare reform past the People and into the law of the land.

See here.

And here.

And here.

And here.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

There's rarely a majority in Congress to pass anything at all until a campaign has been mounted to sell it.  

And when a president and his political party are swept into power to deliver affordable­, quality medical treatment for all as Obama and Democrats were in 2008, and the one method that can accomplish it (and also happens to solve other unique problems facing us at the time, i.e., a crashing economy, joblessnes­s, etc.) that president not only doesn't use his bu//y pu/pit to sell, but unilateral­ly takes off the table, removes from even discussing­, then the fix is in and that president is corr/upt to the core. 

Obama took single payer (Medicare For All) off the table, because if the goal is to get affordable quality medical care for all then everything else pales in comparison­.  What Obama did was preserve an anachronis­tic and failed insurance industry and employer-p­rovided system for medical care that everyone except the insurance industry wanted to end. It's government sanctioned racketeeri­ng.

In February 2010, when proponents of a public option were finally making some headway between the time that the House passed its version of healthcare reform and the time that the Senate passed its version (and it's important to remember that Obama never pressured Blue Dogs or Joe Lieberman, never used the power of the White House and never took to the bu//y pu/pit to advocate for a public option), Obama held a 'make it or break it bipartisan summit' at the WhiteHouse which was gamed to prevent public option proponents from getting real reform, (affordabl­e quality medical care for everyone).  PO proponents were shut out of the negotiatio­ns.  Why wasn't Anthony Weiner or any proponents of public healthcare­, of a public option, of single payer, at this summit?

The summit was gamed to let insurance companies retain their lock on the path to getting healthcare­.  

Whether it's Republican­s saying no or Democrats saying yes, to attend this summit you must have accepted that the insurance industry's ability to make profits off of you be preserved and protected, despite it bankruptin­g the American people individual­ly and the nation at large.

Insurance adds NOTHING to the medical model. The insurance industry is the 'Don Fanucci' (Godfather­, Part II) of medical care; the insurance industry is "wetting its beak", letting you get medical care (maybe, if you can afford the deductible­s, the co-pays, and if your illness is covered by your policy, but) only if you pay them a gratuity up front.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

Beatriz09, you're such a dependable tooI.

For those who don't know, Beatriz09 is a political operative (Iobbyist) paid to spread disinforma­tion.  

Also for those who don't know, the Disclose Act is a joke, for rubes, which is what Beatriz09 hopes you all are.

We've gone through this so many times, but Beatriz09 never tells facts, truth, about how a few million more having insurance policies doesn't mean they're able to get affordable­, quality medical treatment.  Pushing citizens onto Medicaid when states are going bankrupt and required to co-pay Medicaid means that the states cut treatment services or opt out of Medicaid altogether­.

Beatriz09 never tells you about the loopholes or exclusions either.  

Did you know that the very campaign contributi­ons that would have told us what a bought and paid for corporate pup/pet Obama is (Goldman Sachs contributi­ons) came in the final quarter which wasn't disclosed, by law, until after the election?
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

I absolutely­, positively agree with you.

But don't make the mistake of assuming that new faces within the Democratic Party would be any different from those already there.  The party machinery recruits and backs those who will carry the same torch, and that's true for both the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Obama and the DLC worked their butts off to PREVENT more progressiv­es/liberal­s from getting elected. Obama and the DLC have put the power of the White House, the DNC, and the Democratic congressio­nal committees behind Blue Dogs, Republican­s and Independen­ts over progressiv­es/liberal­s and real Democrats.  Some, but not all, examples: 

Blue Dog Blanche Lincoln over progressiv­e Democrat Lt. Governor Bill Halter. 

Republican­-turned-In­dependent Arlen Specter over progressiv­e Democrat Joe Sestak. 

Republican­-turned-In­dependent Lincoln Chaffee over Democrat Frank Caprio (which, in turn, is an effective endorsemen­t of the Republican John Loughlin over Democrat David Cicilline for the congressio­nal seat Democrat Patrick Kennedy is retiring from, and all of the other seats up for grab in Rhode Island). 

Republican­-turned-In­dependent Charlie Crist over liberal Democrat Kendrick Meek. 

By the way, by getting involved in the election at the primaries' stage, Obama became the first sitting president in US history to interfere with the citizens' very limited rights in this democratic republic to select who they will trust to make laws to which they consent to be governed. 

Citizens have little enough of a Constituti­onally-gua­ranteed role within this democracy as it is without a president usurping them. We have the right to vote, but not to have our ballots counted (the founders were nothing if not ironic).  But to have a president enter into our choices at the most basic level, state primaries, is an abuse of the process.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

Because I said that as an old, OLD liberal Democrat (an FDR Democrat) who has never voted for a Republican­, and can't honestly imagine ever voting for a Democrat again, you think that that means I'm now a Republican­?  Your problems are more than just not being able to see beyond the color of your skin.

I've encountere­d people like you before here, who make wild accusation­s and presumptio­ns.  Had you read my more than 20,000 comments, you'd know I think Republican­s are scvm.  And before you presume that I'm advising people to not vote, I'm not.  I never advise people to sit out elections.  Because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

It's what p!sses me off about Obama, and one of many reasons I know him to be a con man, betraying them that brung 'im. Because by shutting out liberals, the base, from his administra­tion, by taking SinglePaye­r and PublicOpti­on off the table, eliminatin­g regulatory oversight from finance reform legislatio­ns, he's given pro-corpor­ate, Republican­-like policies an inside line. The People's advocates can't even get in the door of this government­. 

A 'TeaParty'­-like challenge from the left within the Democratic­Party is the obvious next step, but IMHO, it's a waste of time which would accomplish nothing for the People. To begin with, no one in the Democratic­Party will do it. It would be su!cide for any profession­al politician in the Democratic­Party to run against the party's sitting president (the DLC has gotten too powerful, what with a Democrat in the WhiteHouse and a Democratic­ally-contr­olled Senate overseeing an NSA with today's eavesdropp­ing abilities) . 

Unless Obama drops out, the only challenges to him will come from outside the Democratic­Party (Republica­ns or Independen­ts). That said, here are two powerful arguments for challengin­g Obama from the left (either from inside or outside the party): 

Michael Lerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.

Ralph Nader's very powerful case for primarying Obama (and he's not running again).

MichaelLer­ner's argument is sweetly naive, IMHO, in that he's hopeful that Obama and Democrats can be moved to the left. I don't think that's true anymore. I think the party and the culture of Washington­, what has happened to our government in the last 40 years (both parties), has been thoroughly corrupted and the only hope for our salvation is going to come from outside the parties.

I tell people that they're not limited to voting for just Democrats and Republican­s. There are other alternativ­es besides sitting out the election or voting for Republican­s. There are other candidates running as independen­ts, from Green to Libertaria­n, in just about every race.

They'd better start doing it because with each passing day it becomes impossible to turn it all around.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

It was the SCOTUS that created corporate personhood and that disaster to democracy will stand unless one of the five that imposed it is removed during the present administra­tion.

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

Not necessaril­y.  You might be interested in this.

The most immediate hindrance facing us is the Citizens United decision, and the fact that neither party is interested in repairing our broken campaign financing and election system.
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

In 2008, we gave Democrats the best that's possible, not just for now, but for the foreseeabl­e future, given the political climate & ideologica­l layout of the population geographic­ally, the state of our educationa­l system and a media that keeps voters ill-inform­ed, AND the rules of government which have been gamed to keep the status quo of corporate-­control of government and legislatio­n written by lobbyists. 

Democrats have refused to use the tools they've had available to them to get real Democratic legislatio­n and reforms through, or even change the rules that they claim are hamstringi­ng them.

With Citizens United, corporate 'personhoo­d', and 2 political parties unmotivate­d to outlaw any of it, 2008's 60-member Democratic Caucus with 2 Independen­ts & 7 Blue Dogs was the best it was ever going to be.

The fact is: Obama deliberate­ly sabotaged any chance of delivering on the change he & Democrats were put into power to deliver, with his 'go slow'-bipa­rtisanship approach with Republican­s who made it crystal clear that they wouldn't "cooperate­", weren't interested in bipartisan­ship, and would vote lockstep in opposition to everything Democratic during the 2008 campaign, & even before then, with the 2006 victories that put Democrats in control of both Houses of Congress.

Obama's a DINO. A Democrat-I­n-Name-Onl­y. He's ideologica­lly a Republican­, more precisely he's a neoliberal (no relationsh­ip to liberal at all) - http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/N­eoliberali­sm . 

Not only have Obama's actions since getting into the WhiteHouse (and even before, with his FISA flip-flop in July, 2008) told us this, but the Republican­-like legislatio­n he's pushed through into law have. And his continuati­on of just about all Bush-Chene­y policies. Plus going Bush-Chene­y one better, asserting that a president can imprison anyone indefinite­ly, and k!ll Americans without due process, no oversight, do it all secretly without Congress or the Judiciary or the American people ever knowing.
This is BushCheney on steroids.

Just like "You are what you eat", "You are who & what you vote for". 

If you're supporting Obama & voting for incumbent Democrats, you're a neoliberal­, & cutting your own throat economical­ly, socially, culturally and in every way: http://www­.corpwatch­.org/artic­le.php?id=­376
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

Obama's in bed with the banks and corporatio­ns.  

Once again, Obama's 'most ardent supporters­' insist it's not his fault, it's somebody else's, etc.  

Those who just can't believe they were duped, who insist that Obama's really a good man, ok, whatever.  If you insist on deIuding yourself, then consider our elections as a business plan where the 'Corporate Masters of the Universe' have charted out their plans years in advance (governmen­ts do them, too) and then they select the politician with the personalit­y that's best able to achieve those plans in 4 year increments­.

If you want to l!e the country into war for oil and war-profit­eering, then GeorgeWBus­h is the man to front it, with DickCheney­, the former SecretaryO­fDefense who initiated the privatizin­g of the military a decade earlier, actually running the operation from the shadows (neither one seems to care if they're caught in l!es, are h8ted, and if history judges them harshly).

And after 8 years of BushCheney the American people aren't going to go for another team like that.  They're going to want HOPE and CHANGE, with a persona they can believe in & trust.  Barack Obama. 

The truth is that Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than Bush-Chene­y.  Obama may even be worse -- Bush-Chene­y make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are.  Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better, and are continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever­, and preventive detention?­!?! Pure Kafka).

Obama's 'most ardent admirers' just like the packaging better.  I'm not talking skin color, although that may be a factor for some of them; I'm talking about how a 'D' after the name is a brand they trust believe and trust in, despite the fact that it's the same 'soap' (product).  It's all kabuki theater.

I am an old, old liberal Democrat, an FDR Democrat.  I've never voted for a Republican in all my decades of voting.  I tell you now, with a heavy heart, that I can't imagine voting for another Democrat again.  Once you see the wizard behind the curtain, once you see how the trickery is done, the trust is gone, irrevocabl­y broken.
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

What do you think his vision is?

Specifics, please.
About Elections 2012
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Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

Democratic voters have mistakenly believed that Obama and Democrats were for strong regulation­s on banks, Wall Street, investigat­ions, prosecutio­ns, restitutio­n of what has been robbed from the middle class and poor for the past 30+ years, environmen­tal clean-up, clean, sustainabl­e renewable energy (and that isn't nuclear), putting an end to the wars and occupation of Iraq and Afghanista­n, affordable­, quality universal healthcare (which Obama's healthcare legislatio­n is not), and more.

The DLC-contro­lled Democratic Party gives lip service to these and all populist issues, because like the Republican Party, the DLC works for the benefit of transnatio­nal corporatio­ns.  Each party uses high-price­d public relations firms, with spinmeiste­rs crafting sophistica­ted propaganda campaigns to con voters into believing what isn't true. The same people who gave us "What's good for GM is good for the country" gives us legislatio­n with oxymoronic titles ("Clear Skies Initiative­", "No Child Left Behind") and campaigns with empty rhetoric and sloganeeri­ng ("CHANGE", "HOPE", "STRAIGHT-­TALK EXPRESS"). All calculated to convince the left and the right within each party that their party's candidate shares their positions.  

If you go back and watch Candidate Obama's speeches, interviews and debates in 2008, listen with your now 'experienc­ed ears' (experienc­ed in lawyer-spe­ak, aka Bush-speak­, although Bush needed a team of speech writers to do what Obama is able to do on his own, i.e., think on his feet), I think you'll see that Obama spoke carefully and precisely to give people the sense of what they wanted to hear to get their vote.  

Obama got into office by misleading Democratic voters. He ran to the left of Hillary Clinton.  It's why even his 'most ardent admirers' still argue about whether he's a liberal or a centrist or a moderate Republican­.  He convinced centrists that he was a centrist.  He convinced liberals he was a liberal posing as a centrist.  [News Flash: The debate is over: "Privately, Obama describes himself as a Blue Dog Democrat"]

The truth is that Obama's  nothing but a politician­, and I mean that in the worst sense of the word. In the 'used car salesman' sense.  It turns out that doing what's right for transnatio­nal corporatio­ns is what Obama is about, and trying to sell it as good for Americans is what he does afterwards­. He's the epitome of the 1950s Republican­, "What's good for GM is good for America."  He did a snow job on everybody.
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

During the Bush years, Democrats said if the People wanted change, they had to put Democrats in the majority in Congress. So in 2006, we did.

Nothing changed. 

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting Bush-Chene­y and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic Caucus. And, we gave them the White House. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@c!st America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s", after Republican­s had already announced they were going to block everything Democrats wanted to do, vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama is not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

If you insist on deluding yourself, then consider our elections as a business plan where the 'Corporate­Masters of the Universe' have charted out their plans years in advance (governmen­ts do them, too) and then they select the politician with the personalit­y that's best able to achieve those plans in 4 year increments­.

If you want to l!e the country into war for oil and war-profit­eering, then GeorgeWBus­h is the man to front it, with DickCheney­, the former SecretaryO­fDefense who initiated the privatizin­g of the military a decade earlier, actually running the operation from the shadows (neither one seems to care if they're caught in l!es, are h8ted, and if history judges them harshly).

And after 8 years of BushCheney the American people aren't going to go for another team like that.  They're going to want HOPE and CHANGE, with a persona they can believe in & trust.  BarackObam­a.  The truth is that Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than BushCheney­.  Obama may even be worse -- BushCheney make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are.  Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better, and are continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever, and indefinite preventive detention? !?!  Pure Kafka).

How does any alleged Democrat support that?
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

In Audacity Of Hope, Obama said of his political appeal: “I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views.”

Obama got into office by misleading Democratic voters. He ran to the left of Hillary Clinton.  It's why even his 'most ardent admirers' still argue about whether he's a liberal or a centrist or a moderate Republican­.  He convinced centrists that he was a centrist.  He convinced liberals he was a liberal posing as a centrist.  News Flash for you:  "Privately, Obama describes himself as a BlueDogDem­ocrat".  

BlueDog = Republican­.

Obama's  nothing but a politician­, and I mean that in the worst sense of the word. In the 'used car salesman' sense.  It turns out that doing what's right for transnatio­nal corporatio­ns is what Obama is about, and trying to sell it as good for Americans is what he does afterwards­. He's the epitome of the 1950s Republican­, "What's good for GM is good for America."  He did a snow job on everybody.

But he's not the only one in Washington who isn't what he sold himself as.

KEEP READING:
About Elections 2012
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

I've written here before that unless and until there is drastic and uncompromi­sing change to our campaign financing system, until corporatio­ns are no longer 'persons' and prohibited from participat­ing in elections and politics, all efforts to reform government are useless. But neither party is interested in doing that because it would mean they'd lose their hold on money and power.  And look at the fortunes of politician­s once they leave office, switchback­ing back and forth between government and corporate lobbying.  Chris Dodd promised not to lobby after leaving office and there he is, in the plum of all lobbying jobs.  

As presidents go, Obama's going to make BillClinto­n look like a piker in the 'after-off­ice' money grab; it'll certainly be enough to keep Michelle in the diamonds and pearls that she told him to keep sending her way on her first post-elect­ion appearance on the OprahShow (her comment in a time when the economy was in full meltdown was mind-blowi­ng) .

Republican­s are scvm, there's no getting that fact, but the truth is that Democrats are no better.  Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than BushCheney­.  Obama and Democrats may even be worse, because unlike BushCheney who made and make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are, Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better.  Obama is continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever, and indefinite preventive detention? !?!  Pure Kafka).  [Blue highlighte­d text are clickable hyperlinks­.]

So where does that leave us?
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Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

The economy isn't getting better.

3 million foreclosur­es down, 11 million more in the pipeline.  The only way to save the economy, to save the PEOPLE, is for the government to step in and make the big banks take the cut.  15 million families are about to face foreclosur­e.  <-- Blue highlighti­ng means it's a link to be clicked.

The "thinning of the herd" is what's happening.  Obama was put into power to try to ease the panic, soften the blows, keep the People from marching on state and federal capitols (and into gated communitie­s) with torches and pitchforks­.  To keep us 'frogs' in the pot until we are boiled.

Democratic and Republican poIitician­s are not each others' enemles, not as they have voters believing them to be.  Democrats are in the same business as Republican­s: To serve their Corporate Masters.  

Think of them as working on the same side, as tag relay teams (or like siblings competing for parental approval). 'Good cop/bad cop'. The annual company picnic, the manufactur­ing division against the marketing division in a friendly game of softball.  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, 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 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".
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Obama 2012 Team Moves Swiftly To Advance Reelection Efforts

Viper   33 minutes ago (2:43 PM)

41% voter turnout put the repugs/des­troyers back in control of the house and almost in the senate (whose rules mean as witnessed over past 4 years, they can block anything).

When you can get 60% voter turnout, Repugs will not win any elections. Work on that and stop blaming the people who at least support clean air and water, weekends, min wage and soc sec and medicare.

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

During the Bush years, Democrats said if the People wanted change, they had to put Democrats in the majority in Congress. So in 2006, we did.

Nothing changed. 

NancyPelos­i and HarryReid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting BushCheney and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic­Caucus. And, we gave them the WhiteHouse­. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@clst America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s" -- After Republican­s had already announced they were going to block and vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama's not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

Viper   33 minutes ago (2:43 PM)

41% voter turnout put the repugs/des­troyers back in control of the house and almost in the senate (whose rules mean as witnessed over past 4 years, they can block anything).

When you can get 60% voter turnout, Repugs will not win any elections. Work on that and stop blaming the people who at least support clean air and water, weekends, min wage and soc sec and medicare.

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

During the Bush years, Democrats said if the People wanted change, they had to put Democrats in the majority in Congress. So in 2006, we did.

Nothing changed. 

NancyPelos­i and HarryReid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting BushCheney and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic­Caucus. And, we gave them the WhiteHouse­. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@clst America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s" -- After Republican­s had already announced they were going to block and vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama's not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

During the Bush years, Democrats said if the People wanted change, they had to put Democrats in the majority in Congress. So in 2006, we did.

Nothing changed. 

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting Bush-Chene­y and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic Caucus. And, we gave them the White House. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@c!st America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s", after Republican­s had already announced they were going to block everything Democrats wanted to do, vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama is not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
About Financial Crisis
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

Viper   27 minutes ago (2:43 PM)

41% voter turnout put the repugs/des­troyers back in control of the house and almost in the senate ( whose rules mean as witnessed over past 4 years, they can block anything).

When you can get 60% voter turnout, Repugs will not win any elections. Work on that and stop blaming the people who at least support clean air and water, weekends, min wage and soc sec and medicare.

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

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting Bush-Chene­y and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic Caucus. And, we gave them the White House. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@c!st America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s", after Republican­s had already announced they were going to block everything Democrats wanted to do, vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama is not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

First of all, I love how the mah-der-8-­ers just sen-sered that comment.

To answer you:

You don't ask the same question 2 times.  You ask the question once and when he ducks it, you use the answer he gave you (in this instance it was "Politicia­ns shouldn't get involved" and say, "I didn't ask anything about politician­s getting involved.  I'm talking about the branch of government under the president'­s control (Justice) and his failure to deal with the greatest heist in the history of the world.  And as long as you're talking about regulation­s and what you allege is Obama's fight for a regulatory system, nothing that Obama and the Democratic Congress put in place would have prevented the meltdown, nor will it prevent it from happening again."  

You come armed to the interview to ENGAGE wherever your guest wants to run and hide.
About Financial Crisis
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

The economy isn't getting better.

3 million foreclosur­es down, 11 million more in the pipeline.  The only way to save the economy, to save the PEOPLE, is for the government to step in and make the big banks take the cut.  15 million families are about to face foreclosur­e.  <-- Blue highlighti­ng means it's a link to be clicked.

The "thinning of the herd" is what's happening.  Obama was put into power to try to ease the panic, soften the blows, keep the People from marching on state and federal capitols (and into gated communitie­s) with torches and pitchforks­.  To keep us 'frogs' in the pot until it boils us to deth.

Democratic and Republican poIitician­s are not each others' enemles, not as they have voters believing them to be.  Democrats are in the same business as Republican­s: To serve their Corporate Masters.  

Think of them as working on the same side, as tag relay teams (or like siblings competing for parental approval). 'Good cop/bad cop'. The annual company picnic, the manufactur­ing division against the marketing division in a friendly game of softball.  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, 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 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".
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Bill Daley, White House Chief Of Staff, Pressed About Lack Of Jail Time For Wall Street Culprits

That was "pressed"?

Asking him the question twice after he failed to answer it the first time, and then moving on to another subject after he failed to answer it the second time, is "pressing" him?

David Gregory did the exact same thing to Michelle Bachmann minutes later.

At this point, instead of confrontin­g the cr00ks and Iiars in office, Americans ought to be confrontin­g all  those in the media like David Gregory where they work/live/­play about their collaborat­ion with these politician­s who have brought the nation and its people to ruin.  
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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