Just because Obama is enacting Republican policies doesn't make those policies good.

[Odin2005]

Just thought I'd point that out.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. Republican policies like updating mileage standards and restricting mountaintop mining?

I don't think anyone is like "Yay! Offshore drilling!" It's just some people are looking at the whole picture before rending garments.

[Odin2005]

2. There is no need to continue feeding our oil addiction.

All that money going into oil exploration could be spend making electric car batteries and renewable and nuclear energy.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. Again, nobody is saying "Yay! Offshore drillilng"

But some of us are getting pretty tired of the mushy headed thinking that brings us "ZOMG! OBAMA IS BUSH'S THIRD TERM!!!"

[Political Heretic]

7. Actually, quite a large number of people have said precisely that.

[vaberella]

22. A few of which were being sarcastic...but that gets lost on people.

I for one, so I asked.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Yeah, the HCR got alot of GOP votes and so will the finance reform & climate change bills.

And just wait until President Obama tackles the immigration reform bill next year! Oooh, that'll make Republican teabaggers happy!

:sarcasm:

[depakid]

5. Which rather emphasizes the futility of enabling legitimizing and enacting their policies

Doesn't it?

Depending on what's proposed, he may well get a few votes on climate change, but as a general rule- he's playing the same game he played in law school.

Only one side's not playing this time.

[ClarkUSA]

8. No, it emphasizes the falsity of the "Obama = Republican" critics' polemic. n/t

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Political Heretic]

6. the fact that shitty policy doesn't get GOP votes isn't really a badge of honor.

Since, just because he has a "D" in his name can keep giving Republicans everything they want and they'll continue to vote no.

[ClarkUSA]

9. The current "Obama is a Republican president" meme is intellectually bankrupt.

I must've missed the part in the Republican platform where they support the following Obama Administration decisions:

"EPA Sharply Limits Mountaintop Mining"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x257998

"Obama administration has issued tough gas mileage standards for new cars and trucks hitting dealerships in the future...
President Obama suckered the GOP into showing that they are so obstructionist they would oppose their own agenda, if only it were proposed by the President. They were all watching one hand, which he was waving around to attract all the attention. Meanwhile, his other hand was doing something else entirely.

"This is the biggest step the federal government will have ever taken to save oil, cut greenhouse emissions and save consumers money," said David Friedman, research director of the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8067959

You said, "Since, just because he has a "D" in his name can keep giving Republicans everything they want and they'll continue to vote no."

Just ask a group of teabaggers whether that's true. And while you're at it, contact every Congressional Republican to register their opinion on whether President Obama is "giving Republicans everything they want". This exercise should be a reality check for you.

[Political Heretic]

31. You're replying to the wrong person

I didn't say Obama was giving R's everything they want. R's will hate Obama even if he gave them everything they wanted, simply because he has a "D" after his name and its party politics.

So GOP disdain for Obama policy is a measure of precisely fuck all.

What I evaluate however is:

1. Aggressive, war escalating foreign policy
2. Trickle down economic policy
3. Insurance industry-first health policy
4. Workers-last labor policy
5. Free-Trade not Fair-Trade trade policy
6. Blame Teachers and privatize Education education policy
7. DRILL BABY DRILL Energy Policy (which is not somehow magically OK because of new emission standards)

And on and on and on...

All of these policies are handled and implemented with more political deftness and savvy than anything Republicans can muster, can Republicans hate it of course, because Democratic success means more corporate money following to the Democratic party, more courtship of Democratic politicians while Republicans see their influence diminish. Of course they are absolutely opposed to Democrats having any victories.

You can I can both agree on one single thing - and that is Republican opposition has zero to do with policy. Know how we know this is true? Because when Democrats announce that they are going forward with the exact policy Republicans previously advocated, they come out and oppose it. They don't even care that anyone can go find their previous supporting statements. All that matters to republicans is that they WIN.

So yes, Obama's administration has been that of a better skilled, better managed conservative policy maker. And the sporadic smattering of policy here and there that really is different doesn't change that.

[ClarkUSA]

43. No, I am not.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8068941&mesg_id=8074713

[Political Heretic]

49. Yeah, you really are.

Saying he the best republican president we've had doesn't mean republicans would be happy with him.

So, as I said....GOP disdain for Obama policy is a measure of precisely fuck all.

What I evaluate however is:

1. Aggressive, war escalating foreign policy
2. Trickle down economic policy
3. Insurance industry-first health policy
4. Workers-last labor policy
5. Free-Trade not Fair-Trade trade policy
6. Blame Teachers and privatize Education education policy
7. DRILL BABY DRILL Energy Policy (which is not somehow magically OK because of new emission standards)

And on and on and on...

All of these policies are handled and implemented with more political deftness and savvy than anything Republicans can muster, can Republicans hate it of course, because Democratic success means more corporate money following to the Democratic party, more courtship of Democratic politicians while Republicans see their influence diminish. Of course they are absolutely opposed to Democrats having any victories.

You can I can both agree on one single thing - and that is Republican opposition has zero to do with policy. Know how we know this is true? Because when Democrats announce that they are going forward with the exact policy Republicans previously advocated, they come out and oppose it. They don't even care that anyone can go find their previous supporting statements. All that matters to republicans is that they WIN.

So yes, Obama's administration has been that of a better skilled, better managed conservative policy maker. And the sporadic smattering of policy here and there that really is different doesn't change that.

[ClarkUSA]

51. You said: "He's the best Republican President we've had in a while. That's for sure."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8068941&mesg_id=8074713

Your claim that Obama is "giving Republicans everything they want" is also intellectually bankrupt:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=258715&mesg_id=258738

Given their 100% opposition to every major domestic legislative initiative the President has undertaken so far, such a statement beggars belief and invites :eyes:

[Political Heretic]

53. I said he's the best republican president TO ME - I'm sure GOP politicians would disagree

Since well, he's not a member of the party, genius.

Republicans would oppose anything Obama did for no other reason than he has a "D" after his name. It has nothing to do with whether or not his policies are straight from the conservative playbook or not.

And as I've explained, which you continue to ignore (which I love because it allows me to keep reposting it:)

GOP disdain for Obama policy is a measure of precisely fuck all.

What I evaluate however is:

1. Aggressive, war escalating foreign policy
2. Trickle down economic policy
3. Insurance industry-first health policy
4. Workers-last labor policy
5. Free-Trade not Fair-Trade trade policy
6. Blame Teachers and privatize Education education policy
7. DRILL BABY DRILL Energy Policy (which is not somehow magically OK because of new emission standards)

And on and on and on...

All of these policies are handled and implemented with more political deftness and savvy than anything Republicans can muster, can Republicans hate it of course, because Democratic success means more corporate money following to the Democratic party, more courtship of Democratic politicians while Republicans see their influence diminish. Of course they are absolutely opposed to Democrats having any victories.

You can I can both agree on one single thing - and that is Republican opposition has zero to do with policy. Know how we know this is true? Because when Democrats announce that they are going forward with the exact policy Republicans previously advocated, they come out and oppose it. They don't even care that anyone can go find their previous supporting statements. All that matters to republicans is that they WIN.

So yes, Obama's administration has been that of a better skilled, better managed conservative policy maker. And the sporadic smattering of policy here and there that really is different doesn't change that.

[Odin2005]

19. You got it!

[katandmoon]

10. It should have - it's a Republican plan.

[ClarkUSA]

12. It incorporated GOP ideas like the individual mandate, as did Edwards' and Hillary's HCR plans.

But to say "it's a Republican plan" is simply more false polemic.

[freddie mertz]

21. The Republican origin of the mandates plan is well known.

From Heritage and Bob Dole to Romneycare.

The fact that other Dems embraced it does not change that fact.

[CTLawGuy]

26. Bob Dole is basically an apostate

and Mitt Romney signed the bill that passed through the Democratic controlled legislature.

[katandmoon]

11. And it's not like he even gets any thanks from them even though he's protecting Bush's

criminal ass and his DOJ is indistinguishable from Bush's.

[ClarkUSA]

13. "his DOJ is indistinguishable from Bush's"? Wrong.

CIA’s top spy: No (intel) losses from waterboarding ban

Source: WP

Michael Sulick, head of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, told a student audience last week that the spy agency has seen no fall-off in intelligence since waterboarding was banned by the Obama administration.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4330476

Obama Administration to Stop Raids on Medical Marijuana Dispensers

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday outlined a shift in the enforcement of federal drug laws, saying the administration would effectively end the Bush administration’s frequent raids on distributors of medical marijuana.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/19holder.html

[Forkboy]

14. Blasphemer!

The power of Christ compels you!!!!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Republican policies like HCR, better mileage standards, student loan reform...

Just because some people say that this country is a fascist and Obama is just like Bush, it doesn't mean those people are right in the head.

[Political Heretic]

56. insurance-first "reform", low mileage standards, and loans are loans

no matter who makes em.

Now that we've dispensed with the silliness, here's another list:

So, as I said....GOP disdain for Obama policy is a measure of precisely fuck all.

1. Aggressive, war escalating foreign policy
2. Trickle down economic policy
3. Insurance industry-first health policy
4. Workers-last labor policy
5. Free-Trade not Fair-Trade trade policy
6. Blame Teachers and privatize Education education policy
7. DRILL BABY DRILL Energy Policy (which is not somehow magically OK because of new emission standards)

And on and on and on...

All of these policies are handled and implemented with more political deftness and savvy than anything Republicans can muster, can Republicans hate it of course, because Democratic success means more corporate money following to the Democratic party, more courtship of Democratic politicians while Republicans see their influence diminish. Of course they are absolutely opposed to Democrats having any victories.

You can I can both agree on one single thing - and that is Republican opposition has zero to do with policy. Know how we know this is true? Because when Democrats announce that they are going forward with the exact policy Republicans previously advocated, they come out and oppose it. They don't even care that anyone can go find their previous supporting statements. All that matters to republicans is that they WIN.

So yes, Obama's administration has been that of a better skilled, better managed conservative policy maker. And the sporadic smattering of policy here and there that really is different doesn't change that.

[Dr Morbius]

16. And just because Republicans might like some part

of those policies doesn't make them Republican policies.

President Obama made his point very clearly: those who insist drilling is the only answer are wrong, and those who insist drilling can't be allowed are wrong. This is an incredibly major change America needs to make, getting off fossil fuels and moving to renewable energy sources; it can't be done with a wave of the wand or a proclamation. It's a process and all doors must be open to us.

That said, it's pretty clear no new drilling in the Atlantic will occur for more than ten years anyway. Oil companies only have so much equipment and that equipment is booked for years in advance. This may well be an empty gesture, because we may achieve enough of a technological or processing advance that we can move away from oil-based energy sooner rather than later, but it would be a grave error to count on technological advances which haven't yet occurred. Like counting chickens before they're hatched.

Meanwhile this is a popular action. The majority of the people support an all-options-open strategy to deal with our dependency on foreign oil, and the President rather desperately needs public support to combat GOP obstructionism. So: good policy? Maybe not, but also not catastrophic, and certainly not enough reason to claim the President has become one of the bad guys.

[ClarkUSA]

18. Well-said.

<<That said, it's pretty clear no new drilling in the Atlantic will occur for more than ten years anyway.>>

On MSNBC, Ron Reagan stated that there won't be drilling until 2034. And with the hugely expensive, time intensive and detailed environmental impact reports that will be demanded by this administration -- the oil leases won't even be sold until 2012 or so -- I doubt there will be many oil companies chomping at the bit, considering there are already 66 million square miles of undeveloped oil leases on the table.

[Political Heretic]

57. The presidents point was, to use the phrase popular with his chief of staff, "fucking retarded."

Those who say drilling cannot be allowed are not wrong - they're simply not sucking off the corporate energy tit and planning their re-election strategy.

[NJmaverick]

20. You have a bizarre belief in what Republican policy is

Barack Obama goes from minus 700,000 jobs a month to plus 162,000 a month in a year, effectively preventing a second great depression; He passes health care reform that will provide health insurance to tens of millions; A revolutionary student loans reform; Investing in the middle class more than any president since LBJ; Cut taxes to 95% of all Americans; Saving the financial system and bring the Dow from 6000 to 11000; Saving the entire Auto Industry; Passes a whole bunch of laws protecting ordinary citizens, including the Lilly Ledbetter Act and the Hate Crimes Bill; Investing in clean and renewable energy more than all the previous administrations combined; Ends the ban on Stem Cell Research; Stabilizing America's stance in the world and is about to sign arms control agreement with Russia

:eyes:

[Political Heretic]

58. Wow, what a load of shit. Line by line:

"Barack Obama goes from minus 700,000 jobs a month to plus 162,000 a month in a year, effectively preventing a second great depression;"

:rofl: nothing has been "prevented" - U6 unempoloyement when up not down last month, but of course you'd have to read more than a whitehouse.gov fucking talking point to figure that out. We haven't solved our problems with banks, many of which would be insolvent right this very second if we had not SUSPENDED accounting rules allowing them to continue to mis-value their worthless toxic assets.

"He passes health care reform that will provide health insurance to tens of millions"

"he" didn't pass anything, and in point of fact it was his total lack of fucking leadership that gave us the piece of shit bill we are now stuck with - the insurance bonanza, shifting the goal from affordable health coverage for all Americans to affordable health "insurance" (see a list of a bout a thousand disclaimers) to "most" Americans. Leave those "most" Americans in the same fucking position they were in before HRC: praying to god they and their family never get really sick because the COST OF CARE even with insurance is still bankrupting.

"A revolutionary student loans reform"

Do you have student loans? Because I have 70,000 dollars worth. Guess what? At the end of the day, a loan is a fucking loan. Is nice, its not exactly "historic." We won't be reading in my grandchildren's history books about the great Student Loan Reform passed by the mythic Barack Obama!

"Investing in the middle class more than any president since LBJ"

That is just a steaming pile of horeshit. There are lies, there are damn lies and there are statistics. To get this statistic, you must do some accounting so amazing it would make the accountants for Lehman Brothers green with envy.

"Cut taxes to 95% of all Americans"

A tax cut which was so fucking insignificant no one even fucking felt it. Trust me, I know. Given that I'm not upper middle class or rich.

"Saving the financial system and bring the Dow from 6000 to 11000"

Saving the financial system.... tell me did any part of you even flinch at all when you wrote that? The most asinine ignorance I've ever read. But I did save it and I promise you, I'll be calling you out in the future.

"Saving the entire Auto Industry"

Forced bankruptcy isn't "saving." Yeah, "saving" the auto industry by Obamas "tough love" and demands for deep concessions from Unions, compared with his impluse ejaculation of every fucking unaccountable penny Wall Street banks asked for without thought or question.

"Passes a whole bunch of laws protecting ordinary citizens"

Oooh a whole bunch, eh? :eyes:

"including the Lilly Ledbetter Act"

All the Lilly Led-better Act does is extend the window in which women may file grievances. It's not exactly "historic."

"and the Hate Crimes Bill"

That one was good.

"Investing in clean and renewable energy more than all the previous administrations combined;"

Hardly Amazing since one generation ago there weren't "clean and renewable energy options" - so calculating what George Washington didn't do is sorta ridiculous. Especially the fact that our investments remain so miniscule as to be a colossal fucking joke.

"Ends the ban on Stem Cell Research;"

That was good.

"Stabilizing America's stance in the world and is about to sign arms control agreement with Russia"

Not really feeling that stabilized right now with Pakistan, Palestinians, Afghans, Iraqis - of course this is not considered "the world" by you - just western-european cheerleaders.

So... so far we've got stem cells and hate crimes laws. Whoopie! Why, of course that must more than make up for:

1. Aggressive, war escalating foreign policy
2. Trickle down economic policy
3. Insurance industry-first health policy
4. Workers-last labor policy
5. Free-Trade not Fair-Trade trade policy
6. Blame Teachers and privatize Education education policy
7. DRILL BABY DRILL Energy Policy (which is not somehow magically OK because of new emission standards)

And on and on and on...

Every major policy area is dominated by conservative, corporate-driven bullshit. And instead of having the courage to accept that truth and confront our leadership and demand accountability to the people - you stick your head in the sand and spew out whitehouse.gov talking point about every minor and/or exaggerated and/or FALSE "achievement" you can think of.

I guess it really us true we get what we deserve. :(

[Union Yes]

23. Whether enacting law or continueing Bush policy, Obama is a Democratic Neocon. knr nt

[jefferson_dem]

24. Joking, right?

Health care reform is the most massive piece of legislation passed in a decade plus. And it passed without a single Republican vote. Pay attention.

[Odin2005]

25. Healthcare "Insurance Reform" is a give-away to the insurance companies.

It's Romneycare.

[CTLawGuy]

27. right cuz they're so estatic that

they have to cover people with preexisting conditions and spend 80% of their revenues on health care :eyes:

That must be why they spent all that money SUPPORTING the bill :eyes: Oh wait...

[Odin2005]

28. They will find loopholes, they wrote the bill.

[ClarkUSA]

32. Prove that "they wrote the bill". I think "they" would be surprised to hear that...

... given how the billions "they" spent on lobbying to defeat the HCR bill, to no avail.

[laugle]

48. If you've ever dealt

with insurance companies, as I have, you would know that they will find some loophole so as not to comply, or charge a small fortune to insure person's with pre-existing conditions. They are and have always been about profits!

I believe we have just made a deal with the devil............

Time will tell...............I'm not too hopeful.......

[jefferson_dem]

29. Ah...

So the industry, the Repugs, and the Teabaggers have been the ones playing three-dimensional chess all this time...only pretending to oppose it while secretly plotting its passage. Got it.

[polichick]

30. Amazing that it's even necessary to point out such a thing. k&r

[dionysus]

33. sometimes people are full of shit, and sometimes people are REALLY full of shit.

you sir, take the cake.

:rofl:

[Odin2005]

46. No, the DLC apologists are the ones full of shit.

[treestar]

34. They aren't Republican policies

Why then would Republicans vote lock step against them?

This kind of thing is getting tiresome. No reasonable alternative solutions are mentioned. Just that the country is not far enough to the left. Well, it's not, and it won't get that way with this kind of hyperbole.

[dionysus]

35. well put.

:thumbsup:

[Dr Morbius]

36. While I agree that they are not GOP policies

...I am sorry to say your argument does not explain it. The Republicans would vote against banning abortion, cutting taxes for the rich, or deregulating anything if the Democrats were for it. They've determined, probably rightly, that their political future is shot if Obama succeeds in solving some of America's problems. Their political future depends on making sure Obama fails, and to a lesser degree, that the Democratic party fails. So they would, without question and without hesitation, vote against things which they themselves have fought for if it meant Obama looked good as a result.

The Republicans vote in lockstep because they are able to do so, and the mere fact that they're able to do so should render them suspect to the American voter. We the people tolerate far too much partisanship in legislative voting. And yet, isn't that the same thing as calling the President's decision a "Republican policy" when we might disagree with it? This is so silly.

And so self-destructive to our party.

[niceypoo]

39. On the contrary

Obama admits they are republican ideas

Republican Ideas Included in the President's Proposal

The GOP oppose them because that is their political strategy, oppose everything. They are even opposing bills that they themselves cosponsored. The republicans get all of their 'ideas' implemented and we get a few token scraps and are told to swallow it and shut up.

Drill baby drill, another republican 'idea'.

[Lord Helmet]

37. So, when did you stop beating your wife? nt

[mkultra]

38. ...

[Odin2005]

45. Are you accusing me of being a troll?

I've been here since 2005 and was one of the first people here to SUPPORT Obama. Then he stabbed us in the back.

[ClarkUSA]

47. "Do not post broad-brush smears against Democrats or the Democratic Party."

Hmm... this OP sure comes across that way, doesn't it?

[mkultra]

52. This op is a clear violation of the board rules.

[Political Heretic]

55. The mods disagree.

1. Aggressive, war escalating foreign policy
2. Trickle down economic policy
3. Insurance industry-first health policy
4. Workers-last labor policy
5. Free-Trade not Fair-Trade trade policy
6. Blame Teachers and privatize Education education policy
7. DRILL BABY DRILL Energy Policy (which is not somehow magically OK because of new emission standards)

Doesn't meeet the definition of "broad brush criticisms."

[DevonRex]

40. WTF is wrong with you people who spout this bullshit?

Well, just because you spout lies about Obama and the Democratic Party doesn't mean you're a racist Republican.

[Dr Morbius]

41. Of course not.

Walks like a duck.
Swims like a duck.
Quacks like a duck.
Clearly, it may be a chicken.

[Orsino]

42. They're not Republican policies any more, if they ever were.

They're right-wing policies. Corporate-fascist policies.

No matter which party propagates them.

[LWolf]

44. Truth. nt

[cali]

50. I'm just blown away by the evidence you offer

and the detail you go into.

:rofl:

[Political Heretic]

54. Stop playing stupid.

[cali]

59. the vast majority of the policies enacted and backed by the president

are not backed by republicans and republican control of the WH and Congress would see some very different policies enacted.


Get fucking real.
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