It's time for us to stop to blaming the BUSH & Co. for every mess inherited..

[TheCoxwain]

Remember - By seeking to be elect Obama - we ( Democrats) sought to put him incharge of our collective fortunes...

We OWN the problem and it is our interest and the interest of the country to Sober up to our resposibilities .. and stop blaming the previous admin for everything ( which well might be true - but it is irrelevant) ..

It is time for us to look for solutions and not entities to assign blame.

We are the party in power - and with power comes humbling responsibility - so let us live up to it. Expect as much as of ourselves and of fellow Democrats.

[Kahuna]

1. Really!

Somebody needs to get over their self. :eyes:

[SheilaT]

2. Why? They continue to blame

us for everything that's gone wrong. The deserve a taste of their own medicine. Plus, and most important, Bush and his minions are precisely the ones responsible for what's going on now, and they have the audacity to suggest that more of their failed policy --reducing taxes for the wealthy and more deregulation -- is the way out of the mess that reducing taxes and deregulation got us into.

We are going to clean up their mess, but they don't deserve to be let off the hook. It's bad enough that not a single one of them will be prosecuted for the illegal war and for the torture. Every single day, loudly and clearly, we need to make sure everyone out there, especially the apologists, are informed who is responsible.

[high density]

3. Newt Gingrich agrees with you

Obama-Bush recession it is.

[DevonRex]

4. That's silly. We ARE the ones finding solutions. The Bush admin

IS what caused the crisis.

We do not OWN the crisis. We OWN the SOLUTION.

[firedupdem]

5. But they are to blame for most of what was inherited..and the same

people who helped them destroy the country are pretending to have the answers. Actually, they don't pretend to have the answers they just say NO to every solution the democrats come up with. It's important to remind them to STFU since they played such a strong part in putting us in this situation in the first place.

[terisan]

14. But then I would have to tell many Dem Congresspeople to stfu also. nt

[firedupdem]

17. Yep...there are a few I would like to say the same thing to.

However, Obama is working on solutions at the same time. He's not sitting on his butt blaming others. He's working at the same time.

[terisan]

6. Agreed ! Can't solve problems by just pointing fingers. nt

[pot luck]

8. But we can solve problems while pointing fingers.

[terisan]

22. How about solving this problem identified by Tom Hayden -Obama's Economic Team !

I say Obama has outsourced our Financial Present and Future to the some of the worst actors Wall Street manipulations. This is happening now! and Obama is the Decider on this. Moreover, it was the Democrats in Congress last Fall-including Obama- who were the majority in passing Bush-Paulson's supposed rescue of the Wall Street Investment Bankes. That was 6 months ago and they are still doing the same thing-rescuing foreign investors and big money in this country.

Every president has to be held accountable--waiting until the pres is out of office, as Dems in congress did, is a bit late. Now they can assign a special prosecutor to the Bush administration case. When they do I'll be impressed and be cheering them on.

In the meantime I focus on the people in power now

Look what is happening now: (Hayden doesn't mention Robert Rubin's (Citigroup) significant role in helping out the Administration but he was heavily involved).

Obama has filled his most senior economic positions with people directly responsible for the deregulation policies that contributed to the unfolding catastrophe. They include:

• Top economic adviser Larry Summers, who as treasury secretary in 2002 championed the law de-regulating derivatives which, according to the New York Times, "spread the financial losses from reckless lending around the world;"

• Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, who worked for two Republican administrations and Henry Kissinger's private consulting firm, then orchestrated the recent bailouts of Rubin's Citigroup and American International Group, the insurance giant;

• Budget Director Peter Orszag, another Rubin protégé;

• Michael Froman, another Rubin student, was Obama's transition team point person on the economy (The transition team also included Rubin's son, James Rubin);

• Securities and Exchange Commission Director Mary Schapiro has made a reputation for self-regulation. An appointee of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, she ran the industry-dominated Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) which oversees Wall Street self-regulation--and missed the Bernard Madoff scandal;

• Gary Gensler, the new director of Obama's CFTC, drafted the 1992 law exempting derivatives from oversight by the agency he now heads.

These are only brief snapshots of the tangled conflicts of interest that make a profound re-regulation of Wall Street unlikely at this point. If a street gang member in Los Angeles had conspired to rob an investment banker of a few thousand dollars, he would receive a multi-year prison term with added time for being a gang "associate." But some of the people responsible for the greatest financial scandal in many decades are flying high in high government offices, their friends colleagues rewarded with million dollar bonuses or mega-billion dollar bailouts, while some complain, incredibly, that a cap of $500,000 on executive compensation is not only unfair but will cause a talent drain from Wall Street.

<http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/06-14>

[jenmito]

10. Who's "just pointing fingers"? Do you watch the news and see what Obama is doing/trying to do?

[terisan]

15. ....and where do you find real "News" to watch?

[jenmito]

16. Why can't you answer the question? I'M not the one who wrongly thinks he's just pointing fingers.

[terisan]

25. I do not watch television or cable. If you tell me what you consider News in those mediums

I will watch or tell you why I no longer do so.

I do not understand your second statement.

[jenmito]

26. Then where do you get the idea that Obama's "just pointing fingers"? n/t

[terisan]

29. The original post is not about Obama. It is about us Democrats not just blaming Bush & Co but

taking responsibility for what is happening now. I agree with that. I am not a blind follower of any president or representative. I believe citizenship requires accountability from those in power.

[jenmito]

30. Oh boy. There you go with the "blind follower" BS. OK-you still haven't answered my

original question which is, "Who's 'just pointing fingers'?"

[terisan]

31. If you refrain from accusations of BS we might be able to have a rational discussion. My post was in

response to the original post. As I stated above "just pointing fingers" refers to democrats, some of whom may be " just pointing fingers of blame" and substituting that for holding the current administration accountable for current decisions. I am in agreement with the original poster.

Please share your news sources with me.

[jenmito]

35. WHICH Democrats-that's my question. My news sources are MSNBC, CNN,

and every newspaper article I can find on the web. And yours?

[WinkyDink]

21. And who, pray, is "just pointing fingers" in the Obama Admin?

[jenmito]

23. S/he's ignoring the question. S/he has mostly negative things to say about Obama all the

time.

[terisan]

34. I hold office holders accountable,but the op is not abt Obama-is abt Democrats taking responsibility

[jenmito]

36. WHICH ofice holders are "just pointing fingers"?

[terisan]

40. I haven't linked office holders and "just pointing fingers."

[jenmito]

41. You said you hold office holders accountable. For WHAT?

[TheCoxwain]

27. That 'who' would mostly be us Democrats ...

[terisan]

33. I don't know. I haven't posted anything about anyone in the Obama Administration pointing fingers.

[ddeclue]

7. We don't "own" the problems until we've tried to fix them and we've failed.

We MIGHT own the solutions however if we try to fix them and we succceed.

In any event for the time being until we make things worse, George W. Bush will continue to own the problems since he created them - they ARE his legacy.

:rofl:

[Skwmom]

9. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush created this mess.

Obama will not be able to turn it around over night.

The gang who destroyed this country (Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush) should be blamed.

[ddeclue]

11. I don't blame Clinton...he turned things around for 8 years

and we did quite a lot better under him.

[Fireweed247]

24. Clinton and Gore are responsible for NAFTA and the loss of American jobs

Everyone thinks Gore is some great environmental hero, but I don't think moving all of our corporations to China where there are no environmental regulations was all that great of an idea.

[rvablue]

51. Do you really, seriously believe, that we would be in the total mess we are in right now

if Gore had rightfully been elected President in 2000.

Because, if you believe that, there's no reasoning with you.

[Skwmom]

54. Clinton, his economic idiots, and the Republicans gave us the deregulation

that led to this collapse.

And there's free trade (aka export American jobs), media consolidation, etc.

Just b/c the ship wasn't sinking while Clinton was in office doesn't mean he didn't help drive it into the iceberg.

Obama has been handed one heck of a mess courtesy of the Republicans and the Republican wing of the Democratic Party (aka the DLC).

[eridani]

57. Not really. However he did slow the handbasket to hell down somewhat n/t

[damonm]

12. I must respectfully disagree...

Bush and CO. IS responsible for creating the messes we inherited - otherwise , we would not have "inherited" them.
We need to, and ARE, taking responsibility for FIXING those problems, as the opposition thinks doing the same thing they've been doing the same way they've been doing it will produce different results.
This is the DEFINITION of insanity.

To stop blaming the Rethugs for what they've done is ludicrous on its face.

[Politicalboi]

13. Can't you see the huge mess

Bush left us in and we still haven't gotten to the bottom of it yet. I say blame them for what they did and for what's to come. Obama has only been in office for 6 weeks. The Repukes blame Clinton for this mess too. They don't even think to blame King George. Poor little Georgie got attacked and he had the war to pay for. Both were Bush's fault. Bush is to blame. Obama will clean this mess up but we have to not forget how we got here.

[ClassWarrior]

18. Why are Rape-Publicans so worried about "blame?"

Remember after Katrina, when y'all were throwing around the term "blame game?" What's up with that?

Bushco** IS responsible for every mess we've inherited. No "blame" involved. It is simply the truth.

NGU.

[WinkyDink]

19. Do you think the world began on 1/21/09?

[merh]

20. We own the problems they created and it is up to us to fix them.

It would be nice if they helped and stopped wishing for failure and stopped obstructing things, but repugs don't care.

[garryowenII]

28. I agree.

President Obama spent a billion dollars to win this election. He bought it and he owns it. It may not be fair, but everything that happens since 20 January 2009 is on his watch and the watch of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. We are the party in power. We will get the blame or laurels.

[DevonRex]

39. Did you get lost and find yourself on the wrong board?

[jenmito]

43. Yup. Just do a quick search of his posts. They're all negative towards Dems.

[jenmito]

48. Alerted. n/t

[acmavm]

32. Oh good grief, I guess someone did agree with you.

How funny.

[AngryAmish]

37. I, for one, blame Bush for it all

[LanternWaste]

38. Solutions require...

I think think that solutions require valid analysis of all aspects of the problem, including that same problem's source and nature of origin. And that, I believe is part and parcel of the responsibility we now own.

[Vinca]

42. This country will be blaming Bushco into the next century.

They really, REALLY fucked things up.

[lutefisk]

44. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

Almost sounds trite, but it is so true.

The same people who caused this problem are proposing some of the things that got us into this mess as solutions for getting out of it. We need to remember names and what they did. Bush is at the top of that list.

And if the "get over it" original post was meant as a joke, I totally missed it. If that's the case, never mind...

[grantcart]

45. No we don't own the problem.

Some of the problems are systemic and need to be more fully analyzed and structural changes made.


Some of the problems are intentional and are crimes and need to be investigated and prosecuted.


We own the solutions and not the problems of the previous administration. We don'own the torture, the needless war in Iraq or the tanking of the monetary system.


We will however put it back together better than it was before just like FDR did.

[FudaFuda]

46. Obama, no. But some (D)'s in Congress, I'll agree.

The Congress was held by the Democratic party for the last 2 years of Bush's presidency, I didn't see much done with that opportunity. So there is limited validity to your post, but not wrt: Obama.

I won't even begin to assess Pres. Obama's job performance until next years' State of the Union. This isn't a 100m dash, it's a marathon.

[TheCoxwain]

52. My post had nothing to do with Obama .. I meant "Us Democrats" should stop pointing fingers

[goodgd_yall]

47. I disagree that's it is irrelevant

Bush's responsibility needs to be brought up every time the Republicans attack Obama's plans using deficit and spending concerns. It's a needed response to their trying to rewrite history, or obliterate from the consciousness of Americans whose policies have been responsible for the economic mess.

[FrenchieCat]

49. You are full of shit.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8248260

[Uncle Joe]

50. Blame or credit for any administration must be assigned forever, that's how history is written.

I don't believe anyone can find solutions if the problems aren't continually exposed and analyzed.

I believe someone once said "history doesn't repeat itself but it rhymes" and I believe we're writing history now.

History rhymed almost a hundred years apart from the "yellow journalism" of the 1890s and manufactured war against Spain when all we had were newspapers, telegraph and to some degree telephone to the 21st century when yellow journalism did the same, even after we had radio, television and the beginnings of the Internet with the war against Iraq.

I agree, with power comes responsibility, but that includes the responsibility to set the record straight and if you forget that lesson. Cheney/Bush with the power of the oligarchs and the mega corporations will be rehabilitated enough to the point of allowing their understudies to future power in the same manner as Cheney and Rumsfield, because Bush's crimes will be swept under the rug and after all he really wasn't such a bad guy, just like Nixon for a time.

[spanone]

53. i'd agree if it were a blank slate....but it IS inherited..and people need to be reminded...often...

[butterfly77]

55. Why can't we..

the republicons are still blaming Jimmy Carter..

[Hellataz]

56. Sorry, Cant. if we don't acknowledge the mistakes of the past we're doomed to repeat them

I think it's good to look forward, but not before examining the mistakes of the past and giving credit and blame where they are due.

IF we don't assign Blame to Bush then it's gives them a free pass and the Republican in turn will not only NOT assigning credit to Obama after his terms are over for all the good he does, they will try to take credit for it themselves by saying Bush set it all in motion.

Accomplishment and failures should always be acknowledged.

[NoSheep]

58. the OP is total flamebait bullshit