Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

I am an old patriotic liberal Democrat. Not 'country western song' kind of patriotism, but a 'Williamsb­urg/Smiths­onian/"You Say Manassas, I Say Bull Run"/Michie & Fraunces Tavern/presidential libraries, etc.' kind of patriotism.



I've always been struck by a common thread that goes through everything in America that has kept it up and running despite some major assaults (but nothing like Nixon-Bush­-Cheney-Ro­ve).



It's a singular principle that has made this country a beacon for people who want a better life, to live free and pursue dreams. And in its absence, what is destroying the nation, and the world beyond us. It got coined in the 1950s, and I remember it resonated and was conflated into our culture through a comic book hero: 'Superman', "who fights a never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!"



It's simple truth. Equal justice under the law for all. No Machiavelli intrigue.



I look at what is. I listen to what people say and then what they do. I watch events as they unfold, and I appreciate the patterns. If what politicians say they're going to accomplish is what they deliver.



I know enough about the legislative process and policy and government agencies (there really are no new ideas, and it's all just about trying to have your idea prevail over all others) to know where it's heading.



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Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

"As for the rest of your posts, they read like an hysterical conspiracy theory - a tempest in a teapot. While I may agree with your sentiments, I for one am not ready to drive myself off the deep end like that."

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A conspiracy theory about what? To do what?



It's the 0bamabots who have "conspiracy theories" on the brain, with Obama playing "3D chess", "double-secret plans" to thwart Republicans, which the 0bots can't articulate, don't really know, but they're taking it on faith. Blind faith. Blind loyalty to a man who has done nothing to earn it, except put a 'D' after his name.



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Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

Because Obama got Lieberman to provide him with cover after the court ordered his DoD to release the torture & abuse photos of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan (the ones that Obama had pledged during the 2008 campaign to release them and then flip-flopped after he got into the White House):



http://ac3­60.blogs.c­nn.com/200­9/05/13/ev­ening-buzz­-prisoner-­photo-flip­-flop/



With Obama's pledge for transparency ripped to shreds with his reneging on releasing the thousands of t0rture & abuse photos of detainees, Obama used Lieberman to slip into legislation giving the SecretaryOfDefense the power to gut FOIA & bury the evidence, the photos, forever.



http://www­.truthout.­org/102209­5



http://www­.alternet.­org/blogs/­peek/14332­2/outrage:house_sne­akily_pass­es_bill_ba­nning_rele­ase_of_pho­tos_showin­g_detainee­_abuse/



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Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

And if Obama didn't get commitments from Lieberman before letting him into the DemocraticCaucus, why didn't he?



Are you suggesting that it was just another lousy deal by Obama? Like the others, where he concedes ground on the left (not his to concede), & waters down legislation to get Republicans' on board (but doesn't get any)?



Was it another giveaway to big business, another selling out of the People, like the $20 billion from BP that isn't written on paper, no contract, isn't securitized & that only $3 billion has changed hands (as well as blackmail by BP to not pay another cent unless it can continue risky & dangerous deepwater drilling in sensitive waters)?



Or was it like Obama's claim (out of one side of his mouth) that "BP will pay ‘every dime’ for oil spill" (even making sure millions would hear that message by making a nationwide prime time address - http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=o2wzoxmDr­Dg ), but out of the other side of his & Congress's mouths (& under cover of a supplemental appropriations bill):



Robbing New Orleans to Pay for BP's Spill -

http://mot­herjones.c­om/rights-­stuff/2010­/07/katrin­a-recovery­-new-orlea­ns-BP



http://blo­g.alexande­rhiggins.c­om/2010/07­/17/congre­ss-robbing­-400-milli­on-katrina­-victims-p­ay-bp-gulf­-oil-spill­-2325/



Increasing The Tax On Oil To Pay For The BP Mess -

http://www.huf fingtonpos­t.com/2010­/05/24/oil­-tax-incre­ase-by-con­gr_n_58782­1.html



It sure sounds like it.



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Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

Obama never pressured JoeLieberman, BenNelson or BlancheLincoln, or any Blue Dog. That's by their own admission. ( http://www.huf fingtonpos­t.com/2009­/12/21/lie­berman-oba­ma-never-p­re_n_39935­5.html



http://fdl­action.fir­edoglake.c­om/2010/02­/22/public­-option-dr­amatically­-more-popu­lar-than-s­enate-bill­-so-obama-­pushes-sen­ate-bill-w­ithout-pub­lic-option­/ )



The Democratic leadership could've taken away committee chairs of members in their caucus that joined with Republicans and threatened to filibuster a public option for healthcare. Obama did more arm-twisting on behalf of Lieberman remaining in the Democratic Caucus & keeping the chairmanship of that committee than he did on behalf of healthcare.



The DNC could've taken away reelection funds. But it hasn't. Because Lieberman & Blue Dogs (& Republicans) provide cover to Obama & the DLC-controlled Democratic Party, to let them continue to serve corporate interests over the interests of the People.



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Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

Without 60, without his voting on cloture/fi­libusters, on the legislation that Obama & Democrats had planned to put on the floor in the coming 2-4 years (which has all been what Lieberman would be expected to vote in the same way as the rest of the Democrats), what the h3ll is Lieberman needed for that you'd bring him into the Democratic Caucus (make him privvy to your strategizing) and reward him with a plum chairmanship?



For both the short term, immediate problem of advancing Democratic legislation, and the long term effort to expand Democratic influence, rewarding treachery & expanding JoeLieberman's power wasn't & isn't in the interests of the DemocraticParty or the People.



Do you really believe that Obama got nothing for that concession? No agreement that Lieberman would vote as Obama told him to vote? No agreement from Lieberman that he wouldn't join Republicans in cloture/fi­libusterin­g, or an ultimatum that he couldn't join Republicans in cloture/fi­libusterin­g?? No agreement that he would sign on to a public option?



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Obama Targets Core Constituencies In Midterms Home Stretch

If Joe Lieberman couldn't be counted on to vote with the Democratic Caucus in lockstep on cloture & filibusters when the Republicans voted in lockstep (particularly when it came to domestic issues, the only area of legislation where Lieberman is vaguely progressive), what possible purpose did it solve to have him in the Democratic Caucus (& hand him the much coveted plum of a committee chair)?

http://www­.nytimes.c­om/2008/11­/07/us/pol­itics/07co­ng.html?_r­=3&ref=pol­itics&oref­=slogin&or­ef=slogin



http://thi­nkprogress­.org/liebe­rman-not-p­rogressive­/



http://www­.dailykos.­com/story/­2008/11/8/­17349/2244



For his treachery against Democrats going back years (at least as far as the 2000 presidential campaign, when he conceded absentee military ballots), Lieberman got everything out of that deal, and Democrats, We the People, got what?



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