The latest Democratic caving is over the budget.
When the budget process began, Republican congressman Paul Ryan came out with the first number that Republicans wanted to cut ($32 billion). Then there was a TeaParty revolt in the House, and Republicans in the House said "Fine, you win, $64 billion."
So now they're at $64 billion and Democrats have moved all the way over to where Paul Ryan was when the process began. So even if Democrats get that number (which in Washington would be considered a "win" for Democrats), Democrats have gone all the way over to where the Republican leadership thought their opening bid would be. Ultimately the cuts are going to be very dramatic, more so than anyone in either party thought was wise a couple of months ago -- NOBODY is representing the interests of the poor and middle classes.
Nothing is going to change until and unless Obama and Democratic politicians make the decision to engage. Democratic voters thought they'd made the decision in 2006 and in 2008 when they put Obama and Democrats in power. Democratic voters need to get people into office who will engage, who will be as effective as getting their interests mets as Republicans have been at getting their supporters' interests met.
Obama needs to be primaried.
Michael Lerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.
Ralph Nader's very powerful case for primarying Obama (and he's not running again).
No one in the Democratic Party will do it. It would be su!cide for any professional politician in the Democratic Party to run against the party's sitting president (the DLC has gotten too powerful, what with a Democrat in the White House 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 Democratic Party (Republicans or Independents).
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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