The day Obama was elected, the USA put the brakes on everything.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

The republican party had a meeting in which they agreed that if they had to destroy the country, the economy, to get that black guy out of the WH, that is what they would do.

The courts, SC, took on every case they had no business taking on, all directed at destroying any rights minorities had, any rights voters had, any rights workers had.

The country had to be thrown into complete chaos and it didnt matter what institutions had to be destroyed or how many Americans had to be made homeless or killed, NOTHING mattered other than destroying the black man in the WH.

period


Whether it is the space program or civil rights or infrastructure or whatever the issue is, the right made certain NOTHING went forward and EVERYTHING was stopped in its tracks.

The republican party was on record saying

"Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban," Sessions said during a meeting yesterday with Hotline editors. "And that is that they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and change a person's entire processes. And these Taliban — I'm not trying to say the Republican Party is the Taliban. No, that's not what we're saying. I'm saying an example of how you go about [sic] is to change a person from their messaging to their operations to their frontline message. And we need to understand that insurgency may be required when the other side, the House leadership, does not follow the same commands, which we entered the game with."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0209/Pete_Sessions_House_GOP_learning_from_Taliban.html


Now I see this as treason and probably it isnt technically but I dont know another word to use.

Many Americans dont even know this shit is happening...

sigh

[Historic NY]

1. The Republican Taliban is now in charge.

[GummyBearz]

2. The main problem with your OP topic

is that democrats were a majority in the house and senate the day Obama was elected, and for 2 years thereafter.


Then, 2 years later, the republicant's got a majority in the house and were able to put the breaks on all of PBO's policies (except TPP.. they seem to like that one for some reason ).

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

3. Ahh, the ole "we could do whatever we wanted for two years" non true talking point...

[GummyBearz]

4. Not that we could do whatever we wanted

Just that republican's didn't have the votes to stop us on day one, as implied in the OP topic. I give PBO a lot of credit for trying to heal the bipartisan divide... it didn't workout

But to say republican's could stop the entire country/government on day 1 is just academically/historically dishonest.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

5. Could, tried, did evenntually, used blue dogs to do it, etc. Did they stop everything, obviously

not or we wouldnt have ACA.

[JaneyVee]

13. Republicans didn't need the votes, there weren't enough DEMOCRATS.

[Historic NY]

8. You know your repeating a Republican talking point thats a lie ....

it either that or that you believe everything. 72 days or 4 months and a week was the only window that the Democrats had with a filibuster proof Senate...even thats debateable.

http://sandiegofreepress.org/2012/09/the-myth-of-the-filibuster-proof-democratic-senate/

The claim that Obama ruled like a monarch over Congress for two years — endlessly intoned as a talking point by Republicans — is more than just a misremembering of recent history or excited overstatement. It’s a lie.

It’s meant to represent that Obama’s had his chance to try out his ideas, and to obscure and deny the relentless GOP obstructionism and Democratic factionalism he’s encountered since Day One.

They seem to figure if they repeat this often enough, you’ll believe it.


During those four months and one week, Congress was in session for a total of 72 days. So for 72 days the Democrats held a 60 seat, filibuster-proof supermajority in the United States Senate. But wait! There’s more! As Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn points out, even that was unreliable. “Even in this window Obama’s ‘control’ of the Senate was incomplete and highly adulterated due to the balkiness of the so-called Blue Dog conservative and moderate Democratic Senators such as Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Evan Bayh of Indiana, and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-16/news/ct-oped-0617-zorn-md-20120616_1_minnesota-democrat-al-franken-filibuster-proof-majority-barack-obama

[SunSeeker]

20. Actually, it was only 24 working days, and they weren't even consecutive.

And one of those fleeting 60 Senate seats was Lieberman--who was the reason we don't have a public option, and would never have voted for this tax increase. 

Summary: 

1. 1/07 – 12/08 – 51-49 – Ordinary Majority. 
2. 1/09 – 7/14/09 – 59-41 – Ordinary Majority. (Coleman/Franklin Recount.) 
3. 7/09 – 8/09 – 60-40 – Technical Super Majority, but since Kennedy is unable to vote, the Democrats can’t overcome a filibuster 
4. 8/09 – 9/09 – 59-40 – Ordinary Majority. (Kennedy dies) 
5. 9/09 – 10/09 – 60-40 – Super Majority for 11 working days. 
6. 1/10 – 2/10 – 60-40 – Super Majority for 13 working days 

Total Time of the Democratic Super Majority: 24 Working days. 

http://mauidemocrats.org/wp/?p=2442 

[Historic NY]

23. Thanks - I'm glad you did the math I couldn't find mine...

based on the congressional calendar. Thanks


Crap forgot I bookmarked it...

[stevenleser]

58. Bookmarking this OP partially to remember where to find your excellent analysis.

[freshwest]

42. Thank for stepping up, I've quit fighting The Daily Lie(s) *SMH* posted at DU.

The 'Obama and Dems had complete control and did nothing before 2010' myth:

From alp and Tx4obama:

We didn't have a majority in congress for two years - more like TWO MONTHS

The meme that the “Democrats had control of the House and Senate” is a myth and here’s why: people keep forgetting that you need 60 to have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

January 20, 2009 – Edward Kennedy suffered a seizure during Barack Obama's inaugural luncheon, and his health forced him to retreat to Massachusetts. Also, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota had not been seated because the previous Senator, Norm Coleman challenged the election results. So on his inauguration Obama had 57 elected Democratic Senators… 55 Democrats and 2 Independents.

April 28, 2009 – Arlan Specter switches parties from Republican to Democratic. This gives the Democrats 58… 56 seated Democrats, 2 Independents. Al Franken still hasn’t been sworn in and Kennedy is sick. Still no 60 member majority.

May 15, 2009 – Senator Robert Byrd is admitted to the hospital reducing the number of Democratic votes to 57… 55 Democrats, 2 Independents.

July 7, 2009 – Senator Al Franken is sworn in bringing the Democratic votes back up to 58… 56 sitting Democrats, 2 Independents. No Senator Kennedy or Byrd due to illness.

July 21, 2009 – Senator Byrd Returns to the Senate making the count 59 seats – Still no Kennedy.

August 25, 2009 – Senator Kennedy dies and the seat remains vacant (for one full month) until…

September 24, 2009 – Interim Senator Paul Kirk is sworn in to fill Kennedy’s seat bringing the total Democratic votes to a filibuster proof majority of 60.

Remember to subtract the time/weeks (which total over a month) for the Senate's fall recess, Thanksgiving break, Christmas/NewYears break, etc.

February 4, 2010 - Scott Brown (R-MA) is sworn in taking over Senator Kennedy's seat.

So really the Democrats only had a little more than two months (total time when Senate was in session) of a majority in the Senate – not 2 years (even less when you consider that Senator Lieberman sided with the Republicans most of the time). Because they didn’t have a majority, nothing could be automatically pushed through the Senate and concessions had to be made on the healthcare legislation in order for the bill to pass.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021643154#post3

That is something most of us remember as we kept up with all of those elections, very concerned about majority to get Obama's agenda through. It's also why I consider such comments either ignorant as they didn't pay attention, or dishonest.

After reading repeat versions of this with no response to facts but seeing the same go to other threads to spread the same, I quit wasting my time rebutting.

The 'Obama, corporate lackey' myth:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022832448

This being spread about the man who immediately went after corporations who were hiding their asserts overseas and faced hysterical attacks in media for doing so; declared energy corporations should not be subsidized and signed every alternative energy bill he was able to get; brought Elizabeth Warren to serve as head of an agency to protect citizens from corporate tyranny; and on and on.

Also to hear this about a man who spoke against Citizens United immediately, but his knowing the law, said it required a grassroots movement to make a Constitutional amendment, which is done at the state level and not the federal, as Congress can only write a motion but not make it happen; has repeatedly tried to raise corporate taxes by any means he could, including fighting the Tea Party who refused to allow the sunsetting of the Bush Tax Cuts to take place, with a complicit media calling it a Tax Hike!

It was passed when the GOP controlled all three branches of government, not under Obama. It was part of his recovery plan before he took office to make the wealthy pay more. He's reiterated and proposed it at every SOTU and every campaign stop he's been on; but he can't do it alone:

He's very aware of the status quo and ran on changing it. That's not just a speech... He's acted on that. Some have picked names out of the news tp declare him a stooge of corporations for when there is a reason to talk to banks and corporations, one of them being the billions of dollars lost in the last GOP shut down of government.

Obama walked from the White House to talk to the Federal Reserve to stop it from happening again and it was said that he was cozying up with the evil (passed by a law of Congress, yet evil) Federal Reserve. Eliminating the Fed is a Pauliban meme, they want it gone so there is no control of the private banks.

The real meaning is deregulation, not prosecution, so the irony is thick with that dishonest dog whistle. That's the Koch agenda since 1980, foolish to support what they want done. Is anyone thinking beyond the meme?

Yes, the bankers are the ones who told the GOP to STFU and not pull that government shutdown and default stunt again, or else they'd pay dearly for it in ways that most of us likely don't comprehend. Some don't know FDR's famous 'I welcome their hatred' speech was spoken before he realized the Axis might actually win WW2 and had to beg those same people to create the big production assembly lines to defeat the Nazis.

The Allies were suffering greatly both with lives and financially in comparison with the Axis, who in comparison, lost only a fraction until they were literally pulverized under the onslaught of that production line. That great effort framed our present world like it or not. Else we would have been nothing more than slaves to the Reich to this day as they went on with their esoteric fantasies of turning the Earth into Paradise. (ISIS, we hear you have the same plan.)

No one should doubt what we faced in those days, and the world that FDR protected by compromise. It was by sheer numbers and the Allies with American production won the war as our part of the alliances we had. FDR also employed private firms to do New Deal government programs, it wasn't all a socialist utopia of all working for the government. Did that make his administration's work to create a social democracy null and void, or did it work?

Another link on the mythical super majority:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024990720

Yet another link:

**UPDATED: Barack Obama and the myth of the progressive ‘majorities’

http://blog.reidreport.com/2011/07/myth-of-progressive-majority/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021396956

My rebuttal to claim obama "had two years of total control with the Senate and House"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1643154

About That Filibuster Proof Majority

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/09/about-filibuster-proof-majority

Answers about HRC's record and progressive ratings are at the Hillary Clinton group. I do not agree with all the members, but I'm not going to accept the words of those informed by media innuendo only and not the record itself. There is an atmosphere of distrust and disdain for Democrats fostered by the billionaire controlled media that is pointless to answer.

Thanks for letting me vent and kudos to you for laying that out there. and EOM!

[Historic NY]

43. You can tell R e p u b l i c o n D N A...here they can't do arithmetic.

and they tend to shit on themselves.

[freshwest]

57. Koch Roaches leave a mess everywhere they go!

[Number23]

53. Between that one and the "Obama called HISSELF a moderate Republican!!1" I have had a f*cking

gutful of the Daily Lie.

[freshwest]

54. +1,000

[stevenleser]

59. Yep, lots of folks repeating those lies here all the time. Really sure of themselves too.

They love to try to seem superior, more liberal than thou.

[Cha]

45. Some people don't care they're repeating a canard.. they see and like it.. don't bother

to investigate.

And, they're not held accountable.. they can spread misinformation all they want over the internet.

Thank you for calling it out, Historic NY

[Historic NY]

48. Its time to seperate the wheat from the chaff....

it is.

[pnwmom]

12. You missed the point. The Taliban did their damage from their position as a MINORITY

just as the Rethugs decided to do. They saw how a minority in Afghanistan could impose their will, and decided to learn from the Taliban's tactics.

[world wide wally]

14. I kind of recall a word like "filibuster" becoming very popular around this time

[notadmblnd]

24. that's not entirely true

re read that quote "And we need to understand that insurgency may be required when the other side, the House leadership, DOES NOT FOLLOW THOSE SAME COMMANDS, which we entered the game with."

The republicans have been obstructing and blocking all progress since day one. When they didn't control the House, the obstructed from the Senate as they said they would in that sentence above in quotes.

that sentence above is saying that if Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats did not go along with the Repulicans in the Senate they would implement an insurgency.

So your statement that Dems had 2 years to do what ever they wanted, is pretty much discredited

[pansypoo53219]

35. that is the same crap the publikkklans keep trotting out. that its the democrats fault.

OBAMA NEEDED 60 FUCKING FOR EVERYTHING. al franken was not IN THE SENATE til way after jan. and joe fucking lieberfuckenputz did not count as a democrat.

[Historic NY]

44. Are you hiding...????

you have dropped your slip .Refute us or be gone!!!!

[Capt. Obvious]

49. WRONG

THE DEMS ONLY HAD FULL CONTROL FOR 14.7 DAYS

OBAMA CAN'T WAVE SOME MAGIC WAND

IF LIBERALS DIDN'T COST US THE 2010 ELECTIONS

3D CHESS

[Historic NY]

50. Thanks Cap...

[freshwest]

56. Deserves a Heart! Take care of it!

[guillaumeb]

52. the main problem with your response

is that the Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate for about a 10 week period.
Remember Ted Kennedy being very sick? He was not able to cast votes.
Remember the drawn out Norm Coleman vs Al Franken drama in Minnesota that kept Franken out of the Senate, and Coleman in?
After Scott Brown was elected, the Republicans went on to record over 400 filibusters, more than the cumulative total in Senate history. All done to make sure that a Democratic President literally could not accomplish anything.

All easily verifiable facts.

[woo me with science]

6. Not this stale, absurd talking point again.

Last edited Sun Feb 8, 2015, 11:27 PM - Edit history (1)

What you just repeated is corporate propaganda. And not just corporate propaganda, but absurd, blatantly and brazenly untrue corporate propaganda. It is the equivalent of Orwell's "2+2=5." It is flatly and glaringly inconsistent with reality.

Your familiar fantasy narrative here, that corporate Democrats have been stalwart champions of the 99 percent all along but have merely been obstructed by Republicans, has been disproved so many times that repeating it here at this point only exposes the relentless dishonesty of the corporate talking point machine. This is not a good faith argument, but the relentless repetition of talking points that reality itself shows to be false.

We have been here the whole time. Let's review....again.


It defies history and reality to claim that corporate Democrats are merely obstructed liberals. What nonsense, to claim that Obama is a progressive victim. It's gotta really suck when your *entire,* handpicked administration goes rogue and spends YEARS working aggressively, consistently, and proactively against all of your most cherished goals.

In fact, Dems are SO deeply and existentially obstructed that our administration's own record looks like this:

The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda,
(This list does not show a president trying to enact a liberal agenda and being obstructed. No, it shows him aggressively and proactively implementing policies for the banks and corporations at the expense of the 99 percent.)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3202395

CUT THE CRAP! Your Month in Review from the most "progressive" administration ever.
Whoa! More proactive corporatism!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025006297

Just a Republican thing, huh? Assaulting the Constitution itself
("Good god. I can't stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5554112

Study: Obama's "Trade" Deal (TPP) Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
("A Republican is making me do it?!&quot
http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2013/09/the-verdict-is-in-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-a-sweeping-free-trade-deal-under-negotiation-with-11-pacific-rim-coun.html

Obama’s Latest Betrayal of America and Americans in Favor of the Big Banks: TISA
("Oh, shit. Here I go again!&quot
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/26/1309671/--Obama-s-Latest-Betrayal-of-America-and-Americans-in-Favor-of-the-Big-Banks-TISA-by-Bill-Black

Bombing Syria: The next step in the PNAC playbook, remember?
("They're Democratic peace bombs: TOTALLY different!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025520459

The "Justice" Department under Obama
("Please, Mr. Holder! Stop! Stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025587151
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025586874

Look at the OFFERS.
("God I hate when this happens!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022060108

Why the incessant repetition of a talking point that is so obviously, even brazenly, inconsisent with reality? Because it's propaganda. A drumbeat of the absurd. 2+2=5. We are to overlook the obvious elephant in the room, the deluge of corporate money that drives these policies in both parties. We are to ignore the agreement of the parties on virtually every single economic, war, and police state issue important to the One Percent:

Red vs. Blue = Oligarchy Theater for the masses.

Mass spying on Americans? Both parties support it.
Handing the internet to corporations? Both parties support it.
Austerity for the masses? Both parties support it.
Cutting social safety nets? Both parties support it.
Corporatists in the cabinet? Both parties support it.
Tolling our interstate highways? Both parties support it.
Corporate education policy? Both parties support it.
Bank bailouts? Both parties support it.
Ignoring the trillions stashed overseas? Both parties support it.
Trans-Pacific Job/Wage Killing Secret Agreement? Both parties support it.
TISA corporate overlord agreement? Both parties support it.
Drilling and fracking? Both parties support it.
Wars on medical marijuana instead of corrupt banks? Both parties support it.
Deregulation of the food industry? Both parties support it.
GMO's? Both parties support it.
Privatization of the TVA? Both parties support it.
Immunity for telecoms? Both parties support it.
"Looking forward" and letting war criminals off the hook? Both parties support it.
Deciding torturers are patriots? Both parties support it.
Militarized police and assaults on protesters? Both parties support it.
Indefinite detention? Both parties support it.
Drone wars and kill lists? Both parties support it.
Targeting of journalists and whistleblowers? Both parties support it.
Private prisons replacing public prisons? Both parties support it.
Unions? Both parties view them with contempt.
Trillion dollar increase in nuclear weapons. Both parties support it.
New war in Iraq. Both parties support it.
New war in Syria. Both parties support it.
Carpet bombing of captive population in Gaza. Both parties support it.
Selling off swaths of the Gulf of Mexico for drilling? Both parties support it.
Drilling along the Atlantic Coast? Both parties support it.

Neocons and neolibs sure have a lot in common. So much in common that they almost seem like the very same people:

When the DLC connections to the Koch Bros. became well known, they just rebranded the infiltration
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4165556

When you hear "Third Way", think INVESTMENT BANKERS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024127432

GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way’s Advice for the Democratic Party
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101680116

The Rightwing Koch Brothers fund the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

Same companies behind the GOP are behind the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1481121

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

7. I didnt say ANYTHING that you said I said...NOT one word

Your zeal to attack everybody who dares disagree with you at all, makes you miss lots of stuff.

Am I FAR more liberal than all democrats, yes.

Do I want a REAL liberal in the WH and senate and house like Bernie, yes.

Do i ACCEPT a reality where the alleged democratic liberal party are actually conservatives and the conservative party are fascists or oligarchs or terrorists, sadly I have to

I live in reality

[woo me with science]

15. Absolute nonsense. Your entire post is an attempted apologia for corrupt corporate Democrats,

Last edited Sun Feb 8, 2015, 11:30 PM - Edit history (1)

portraying them as mere victims of racist, obstructionist Republicans.

What utter nonsense.


And only now that the *unconscionable,* PROACTIVE record of corporate Democrats in expanding corporate predation is put into undeniable, black and white links on the page....and the sweeping defense of "obstructionism" is put to bed.....you shift to the predictable "lesser of two evils" excuse.

What absurdity. These actions are PREDATORY. They are PROACTIVE. And they are directly related to corporate corruption of our system. Millions have been driven into poverty and despair, and now we are looking down the barrel of Obama, Hillary, and Paul Ryan's TPP *and* a ramping up of war and our nuclear capabilities that Reagan would have salivated over.

Psst. That Republicans look worse is *necessary* for the scam. The corporate Republicans *must* be batshit crazy in order for the corporate Dems to keep moving rightward. We are now at the point where "Democratic" policies have entered, quite literally, the realm of fascism. "Kill Lists," indefinite detention, mass surveillance, police state....

The people's willingness to accept the lesser of two evils, to fall for the scam, is *exactly* what allows the predatory corporate agenda to keep advancing.

That scam is how this united corporate oligarchy wearing a "two-party democracy" costume keeps and grows its power.

[Marr]

9. +1. It's been crystal clear and ostentatiously on display since 2006.

When the Democrats took Congress, the leadership scrambled to erect all sorts of roadblocks for themselves. Ever since, they've been playing an increasingly absurd game of 'they made us do it'.

One of their go-to's these days is trading a permanent sop to the 1% for a temporary extension of some basic benefit for the 99%, like temporary UI benefits for Bush/Obama Tax Cuts for the rich.

The camouflage has become so threadbare and slapdash. I don't know whether it's because they assume we're powerless to do anything about it, or that we're too stupid to read a neon sign.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

11. Simple question for you, house and senate run by cons, you choose to act in such

a way that Hillary is prez or Scott Walker, what do you do?

[woo me with science]

17. Of course it has. We are treated like blithering idiots

with the attention spans of gnats.

We are fed this corporate swill of apologistic talking points that bear no resemblance to the reality we observe with our own eyes and live every single day. The drumbeat of 2+2=5 intones from the telescreens and then is repeated like a drumbeat.

Like in Groundhog Day, we're expected to retain no memory or awareness of the relentless, horrifying pattern of betrayals unfolding before us, day after day after day after day after day. Each betrayal is presented as an aberration, a "special circumstance," or perhaps gazillion-dimensional chess on our behalf, that we couldn't possibly understand.

We are merely to smile and treat each one, again and again and again, as merely an aberration. We are to drift from betrayal to betrayal in hypnotic belief that our corporate Democrats share the same heartfelt principles and policy goals we do...even though their actions repeatedly, relentlessly pursue the opposite....

....And even though the elephant of corporate money pouring into Washington is big as life, leathery and stinking, right in front of us. Even though a Princeton study has verified what our experience tells us...that we don't have democracy anymore. We have corrupt oligarchy with a propaganda machine. Even Jimmy Carter agrees we don't have a democracy anymore.

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Drone Murders are Legal, Ethical and Wise
Chained CPI is Superlative and Protects the Poor
Obama put Social Security Cuts on the table because he Opposes them.

There's a reason all of this is happening. The culprit is no mystery: the deluge of corporate money and influence that has hijacked our elections, both parties, and the media. It is rotting Washington to the core and destroying this country.

Bernie is right. We need a political revolution. And the first step of a political revolution is to reject and correct the talking points, the propaganda, wherever they are repeated.

[hifiguy]

38. Bravo!

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

10. answer this question

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026197580

[woo me with science]

18. Are you seriously trying to argue that they're not profiting?

Last edited Sun Feb 8, 2015, 11:31 PM - Edit history (1)

You are honestly trying to suggest that they lose money on these donations? Because that's absurd. Look at this chart posted by Teamster Jeff re: our economic "recovery." Note the circled red numbers. These are the donors you speak of.

Reality Check
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026192719

The illusion of democracy must be maintained.

You've got to hand it to our .1 percent. They are nothing if not forward-thinking and creative. What can you do, when you dismantle a 240-year-old representative system of government from the inside and replace it with oligarchy and even nascent fascism? What do you do with the shell of that system? The elections? The parties?

We have a *corporate oligarchy* focused on profit, so the solution should not be surprising: Don't throw away the shell, the outward trappings, of democracy. Keep it, because it's USEFUL.

1. It's USEFUL because it sustains the illusion of democracy.

2. And it's USEFUL because it's PROFITABLE.

Hence what we have seen done to our democratic process. Our presidential elections have been turned into an obscene, hyped, massively profitable corporate pageant, a sports event that, as the Princeton study showed, has virtually *nothing* to do with the actual direction of policy or of governance in this country anymore. It is the illusion of democracy, in which the people's voices have no real impact.

We have TWO Superbowls in this country now...two major, vapid, nationally hyped and advertised sporting events in which the people are urged to take a side and mindlessly cheer for their side to win. And from which the media oligarchs, the political oligarchs, and the banking oligarchs profit BILLIONS.

And the oligarchs are buying up new private islands with the profits from it all.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

19. I know who I am going to blame if cons take wh, senate and house and our world turns to

total shit, not partial shit but total shit.

I know who I am going to blame if the cons take all power and my female relatives and friends start dying in back alley abortions

I know who I am going to blame

[Bobbie Jo]

33. I hope you didn't think

that you had any shot at a lucid discussion ^up there^

Best to just avoid eye contact.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

34. I was all alone for a while...these people really hate the democratic party, why are they here?

seriously

[Number23]

55. You are not alone. The rest of us just read and shake our heads instead of engaging

Much, MUCH saner, I mean safer that way.

[woo me with science]

41. Aaaaand...right on cue.

When a point can't be argued, the insulting swarm appears. Standard, by now utterly predictable response of the patrolling group of corporate posters who engage in message control and smear to disrupt liberal discussion.

This is what has become of our political discussion places in an ugly, corrupt propaganda state.

Same group. Same ugly tactics. Every single time.

[spanone]

16. no sessions, they ARE the fucking taliban.

[woo me with science]

25. Of course they are, by design.

The corporate Republicans MUST be batshit crazy in order for the corporate Democrats to keep moving rightward.

The fact that corporate Republicans will do all the same things to us, PLUS force our daughters to have mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds (!) is the ONLY way that predatory, money-corrupted corporate Democrats can justify working PROACTIVELY for so many of the same vicious, murderous, looting, environmentally destructive corporate policies as the Republicans.

REALITY is clear. The behavior of the two parties is self-evident. To pretend that corporate Democrats are not funded by and aggressively complicit in the malignant, predatory, antidemocratic corporate agenda is worse than absurd. It is INCONSISTENT WITH REALITY.

[Broward]

37. This is a very important point.

The corporatist Dems are "reasonable" compared with the batshit crazies on the Right. For example, they only want to cut not slash your SS benefits.

[daredtowork]

21. Just a couple posts away - Obama's Economy is the Economy of the 1%

Because Big Government makes the 1% rich, not exploitative labor practices and avoiding taxes.

How's that for Taliban Messaging?

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

22. Ted Cruz said it and there are DOZENS on DU stating the same thing right now

why are people who HATE the democratic party so active on democratic underground?

[daredtowork]

26. This is mystifying me, too.

They are coming at it from multiple directions, and I'm hoping Skinner will step in before the air becomes absolutely unbreathable. Unless this is just a business for him, and he hates the Democratic party, too.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

27. i wanted to believe they were well meaning far left liberals like me, but just too immature to admit

they are wrong about the value in accepting the least of two evils

But i fear they are here purposely to spread propaganda.

You see, to me, the current dem party is the conservative party and we need a liberal party.

the current repub party are terrorists, so not really a political party, just a bunch of rabid hate machines wanting to destroy everything they see

[SunSeeker]

29. Yup. nt

[SunSeeker]

30. Well, considering they launched Discussionist, I'd say it's a business.

Not that Skinner, et al aren't progressive. But the flame bait posts of the Dem and Obama haters produce the clicks that sustain ad revenue. Kinda hard to completely cut that off I guess.

[daredtowork]

31. oh is that why?

I was trying to figure out why all the really incendiary stuff has been allowed to go on. I guess it makes sense, as flamewars are clickbait.

[Historic NY]

51. Its absolutely sickening......

Last edited Mon Feb 9, 2015, 06:06 AM - Edit history (1)

they profit from this..it draws the looney fringe even closer.

[kelliekat44]

28. OK, but they didn't get the black guy out of the WH. Time to put country and citizens first now.

But their pride, envy, and racism won't allow that. So we are stuck with a low-information citizenry, a Congress working against us on every turn, and placing the President in a hard place internationally. Even when it is wrong, a unified USA is formidable to the world and our peace efforts can really mean something. Not so much now thanks to all the hard work at demeaning and disrespecting our President by Congress, the media, and the 1%.

[Kalidurga]

32. And that was the day I stopped voting for just whoever,

I was a moderate Democrat and never voted a Democrat straight ticket by design, I kept an open mind and if a Republican happened to seem the better choice I would vote for one. It was rare mind you so rare I don't remember if I ever actually did that. But, I at least made a show of reading the newspaper for information on candidates and I would talk to both at the state fair and do a bit of slap dash research. Now, I am just looking for the D. The vitrolic racism that came out of the GOP after Obama was elected was impossible to miss. And of course there were other issues i.e. taking away abortion rights one bill at a time, the cheering for the jack booted thugs that have taken over L.E. agencies in every major city and probably most small towns as well, cheering for people dying because they have no money to pay for a doctor, union busting, and the sneering at people who dare ask for wages that they can actually live on without needing public assistance. I will never vote for a Republican again. Even if it does mean voting for the lesser of two evils.

[Broward]

36. Well, not everything. Bipartisan support for free trade continues.

[hifiguy]

39. A quote that perfectly captures the world as it is

“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” - Frank Zappa

They are clearing the theater as we speak.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

40. Agreed, in the interim I will try and protect women and voting rights

[Historic NY]

46. Like cockroaches people go into hiding....

when they're call out for their bullshit.

[Cha]

47. Thank you for your OP, NJNP!