I'm going to chill on my criticisms of Obama

[woolldog]

Watching Chris Matthews now. Although there's tons of stuff Obama has done that bugs me, I recommend it to anyone pissed at Obama.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Summarize for those of us who aren't in front of a TV please

Thanks.

[woolldog]

3. Giving almost a chronology of how

Athe GOP has undermined Obama from the beginning in an unfair way. Going from example to example. Trying to prevent him from governing. The disrespect etc. We all know it but it was a good reminder of where most of the blame lies--even if he should be more of a fighter. Caught the end of the segment.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. Thanks. n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

40. Woolldog, I applaud you! That's what many of us have been screaming!

It has obstruction after obstruction since before the president raised his hand to take the oath!

I'm not happy about many things, but I see what's going on here in D.C. Maybe I've lived and worked in this city for far too long, but it has been ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous!!

:toast:

[woolldog]

2. Reminding me of why I hate the right wingers.

[Worried senior]

4. I actually e-mailed

Chris Matthews and thanked him for finally saying what I've been saying since this man has been elected.

Yes, he didn't do everything we wanted, we aren't the ones sitting there trying to work with people that would rather see you dead than to succeed.

I will support him and I hope that if he does get re-elected he can be great in spite of them.

[Solomon]

19. What you said coupled with your screen name almost choked

me up a bit. Very well said. I too think he can be great in spite of them. I think his second term will be very good.

[Wait Wut]

59. I think I'm going to cry.

I've been fighting these assholes since grade school. I lost track somewhere in my early twenties and decided it was better to attack my own side because not enough was being done. My "reward" was Reagan and Bush. I considered Clinton a sell-out. Okay, I still do, but I should have stuck with him.

I was wrong. Glad to see you've been reminded. :toast:

[LonePirate]

5. In 2008, we voted FOR Obama. In 2012, we will be voting AGAINST the Republicans.

That shift should be very alarming for Obama and it needs to remind him how much he has pissed off his base.

[great white snark]

6. I will be voting for what he's done in the face of unprecedented opposition.

I am not alone.

[Tennessee Gal]

8. I will be voting for him for the same reason. nt

[young but wise]

9. +1

[polmaven]

26. You betcha!

:thumbsup:

[CakeGrrl]

27. +1000

[Pirate Smile]

33. [phone]

[Phx_Dem]

50. As will I.

[LaydeeBug]

55. Unprecedented Opposition? LOL

My ass. When we had everything, it was, "But we need 60. We are beholden to this gang of six". Now, it's "unprecedented opposition"? Give me a fucking break.

Obama is wehre Obama is because of Obama. HE is the one who surrounded himself with all of those right wingers. Not Us. HIM.

This shit started with Rick Warren and continues to this day.

There's always an excuse for him not fighting.

[uponit7771]

61. +1000

[ClarkUSA]

7. Speak for yourself. Gallup: 60% of Democrats approve of the debt deal & 83% approve of Pres. Obama.

According to the latest CNN/ORC International poll, 83% of Democrats want him to be re-nominated, which is historically a very high number at this stage of a presidency. It's higher than either Reagan or Clinton got from their bases, according to their analysis.

[Solomon]

10. Give him a break. He didn't see Chris Matthews.

LOL

[ClarkUSA]

12. heh

:D

[woolldog]

15. lol

[Tx4obama]

13. Speak for yourself. I will be voting FOR Obama in 2012. n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Yup

I was pumped in 2008. I donated and worked the phones for him. Now it's just about making sure the GOP doesn't get the Presidency.

It's alarming how much Obama has completely deflated the enthusiasm he had in 2008.

[Solomon]

18. LOL "Obama deflated the enthusiasm"

Riiiiiiight! LOL

[LonePirate]

20. Obama could enliven the base if he would start fighting instead of surrendering during every battle

[ClarkUSA]

34. So now you speak for "the base"? You do not speak for me or the 83% of liberal Democrats like me.

We all approve of this liberal President, his job performance, and want him re-nominated and re-elected.

[bhikkhu]

42. The debt battle is another good example of non-surrender

...which is preceded here by so much prediction of Obama's caving that by the time the deal was done, everyone was convinced that he caved.

If you read his April proposal for the debt deal, he pretty much got what he wanted in the final deal - there was no caving. http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/13/news/economy/obama_debt_plan/index.htm

I wasn't all that enthusiastic about all the details of the April proposal, but he has better information than me from which to prioritize (or so one would hope). In any case, there was no caving, folding, surrender, or anything of the kind; he got most of what he was after, and laid the groundwork to get the rest soon enough.

[lumpy]

56. Obama 'surrendered' on the debt ceiling debacle for the sake

of the country not because he is interested in running in the next prez election. Too much was at stake to let our borrowing power to completely deflate.

[Cali_Democrat]

21. Yes

- Wars
- Bush tax cuts extension
- Patriot Act extension
- Indefinite Detention at Gitmo
- Proposing the largest defense budget since WW2
- Putting cuts to programs like SS, Medicare and Medicaid on the table
- Negotiating with Iraq to extend US troops beyond the Dec deadline
- Appointing a JP Morgan bankster to be your chief of staff

Those policies will surely deflate Democratic voter enthusiasm. There are more issues, but I'm sure you get the point.

The Obama Presidency has been a disappointment so far and he certainly does not appear to be moving in the right direction as he continues to become more conservative.

[MadMaddie]

38. Yawn....you picked what 8 things out of many other accomplishments

- Proposing the largest defense budget since WW2 - To a military budget that is bloated and way out of line with what is required. (How is this bad)
- Putting cuts to programs like SS, Medicare and Medicaid on the table. Big 3 were not touched....
- Negotiating with Iraq to extend US troops beyond the Dec deadline. When Dec comes we will see...


http://obamaachievements.org/list
Civil Rights
1.FUNDING:
2.Provided $12.2 billion in new funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Act though the American Recovery and investment Act. ref
3.TARGETED ACTIONS:
4.Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; Instituted equal pay for women. ref, ref, ref
5.Presidential Memorandum extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. ref , ref , ref , ref
6.Presidential Memorandum protecting gay and lesbian partners’ visitation/healthcare decision-making rights (4/15/2010). ref
7.Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act to include gender, sexual orientation and disability. ref
8.Supported the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT). ref
9.Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. ref
10.Established White House Council on Women and Girls (Executive Order 13506 ). ref
11.Financial agencies must establish Offices of Women and Minorities to promote more diverse hiring.
12.Increased minority access to capital. ref
13.Pushing through settlement in the black farmers lawsuit against USDA. ref, ref

Military
1.BROAD POLICY:
2.Initiated a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses. ref, ref
3.Improved benefits for veterans. ref, ref, ref, ref

4.Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development . ref

5.Worked to clear the backlog of veterans claims and streamline benefits to those who served. ref

6.FUNDING:
7.Provided for the expenses of families of to be at Dover AFB when fallen soldiers arrive.ref
8.Donated 250K of Nobel prize money to Fisher House. ref
9.Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. ref

10.Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009. ref
11.TARGETED ACTIONS:
12.Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009. ref
13.Promoted a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”). ref
14.Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information. ref , ref, ref , ref
15.Military Spouses Residency Relief Act. ref
16.Improved basic housing allowance for military personnel. ref
17.Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. ref
18.Provided minimum essential health care coverage by Veteran’s Affairs. ref
19.Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans. ref
20.Korean War Veterans Recognition Act. ref
21.Blinded Veterans Association. ref
22.Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center. ref
23.Improved access for Veterans to receive PTSD treatmen

[Cali_Democrat]

41. What issues did we hate Bush most for?

- War
- Gitmo
- Tax Cuts
- Patriot Act...spying on Americans.


These policies continue and, therefore, Democratic enthusiasm is suffering.

[ClarkUSA]

36. Oh, the pathos!! Of course, there's not a shred of proof that backs up your claim.

Funny dat. :sarcasm:

[billh58]

28. Very broad and

presumptive use of the word "we" don't you think?

[treestar]

52. So what?

I will always be voting AGAINST the Republicans. I don't require to be coddled. The real world is that republicans suck. I don't care if Democrats are ordinary or even uninspiring.

[CTyankee]

11. Our choice in 20l2 will be clear. It's Obama or oblivion.

I don't see a savior riding in to save us from evil any time soon.

We have to solve our own problems. Get the message to Obama from us liberals and work like hell to prevent the crazies from aking over in the fall.

Simple as that.

Get busy.

[Pirate Smile]

39. Nice post. Below is a link to a bit of a reality check on Presidential power.

http://t.co/VFPPG7U

[Solomon]

17. Glad to see that show opened somebody's eyes just a bit.

I'm getting so cynical now about people being entrenched in positions that I thought "I'm glad Matthews is doing this, but it won't matter". Your post proved me wrong and I thank you for that.

I think Obama is setting up for a very good second term. It takes time to set things up and there is sooooo little patience, from either side, left or right, with this administration. If people would just give the man a chance, ... it hurts to even think of the things we could be doing.

[LonePirate]

22. For how long do we have to give him a chance? 5 years? 6 years?

This term is 60% complete. Do we have to wait for the second term, if there is one?

[Solomon]

23. LOL I started to put in my post as the last thing "now here come

the how long we should wait crowd" but took it out. Knew you would be here. You think presidents do great things in one term? Do ya?

When you got so many people sabotaging everything you do at every turn, how long do you think it should take? Given what he's faced, he's taken the correct approach, the only one in which he could have possibly survived.

I do expect his second term to be very good. If he gets one. If he does, he will succeed in finally changing the political climate. The secret is, it's not how long is Obama going to put up with the antics of the right - it's how long will America put up with it. When the American people get tired of this shit, and I think they will soon, especially in a second term, he will be able to do more of the things that he and we want him to do.

[MissDeeds]

30. Good point

Should we give him enough rope to hang us? The direction he has taken is troubling and you have to wonder at what point do we call a halt to his right of center governance.

[vaberella]

32. Read post #31. Because you got who is trying to hang us all wrong.

It is most definitely NOT the President.

[MissDeeds]

37. That is a matter of opinion

Not mine

[vaberella]

31. Until you help and push the voting out of Teabaggers and Republicans.

Or at least make sure that more Progressives take over Congress. Until then, we're dealing with a racist, ideologically-narrowed group of people who are invested in destroying our President. Until you realize this, understand it, and respect it---and move to annihilate the power these fools have been given.

Obama will never have a bloody chance. He's not a dictator, he's not a dictator for the left or the right, he's got an agenda that is wholly progressive but continuously undermined by these fools. He HAS to work with these people despite what you want or don't want. Obama has to deal with them, tolerate them, and unfortunately negotiate with them when things need to get done in this nation.

We may all see these people are domestic terrorists (teabaggers that is), which they are, but unfortunately they were given power to govern. And at which point the President shares a good bid of power with them, and unfortunately for us, things are decreed entirely to this site of the government.

If you don't see the root of the problem and their uncontrollable Frankenstein, teabaggers, then you don't get what Obama is facing and never will. And you also don't know what is the problem of America.

[Fire1]

24. I can't be pissed anymore. Not after reading this. The man is

a genius.

http://www.editedforclarity.com/2011/08/01/debt-ceiling-deal-the-devil-is-in-the-details/

[BigDemVoter]

25. Well, I don't like him. . .

But I'm certainly voting for him!! And enthusiastically too. :)

I hate repigs.

[vaberella]

29. Interesting. I figured some of us supporters might have gotten through to you.

But it took Matthews? Ah well. At least some understanding has been made.

[Raine]

35. "Circle the wagons" liberals ... same old, same old

they've pushed my hot button too many times to make me "circle the wagon" ever again. Just another scam both sides use to bring "their" people into line. x(

[vaberella]

45. Yes, because him being called "tar baby" and idiots saying "they will work to see Obama fail"

- even if the nation fails along with him; really never happened.

[Bluerthanblue]

54. do you know why they "circled the wagons"???

because if they didn't no one survived. They were able to be ambushed and picked off one by one. I'm not trying to justify the way we encroached on Native American territory- But if you don't come together against an opponent, not only YOU will lose, but everyone will.

People are upset that the Democrats don't all join together and stand firm- yet the attitude you are suggesting and defending in your reply says you aren't willing to stand with the group when you decide not to, and that's ok???

[lordcommander]

43. Here is the clip

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44009819#44009819

[lumpy]

62. Thanx . I hadn't watched Mathew's synopsis of right wing

attempts to undermine Obama's presidency by attacking his reputation in every aspect.

[DevonRex]

44. Woolldog,

Thank you so much for this post. It's the bright spot on DU today. And it's not just the Repubs who have done that. I will never forget Harry Reid saying he doesn't take orders from Barack Obama and would decide what the Senate agenda was all on his own. He had been asked a simple question about when the senate would take up the causes Obama had championed during the campaign, like DADT repeal.

Can you imagine the Repub SML saying that about a Repub Pres?

[babylonsister]

46. Good. nt

[DCBob]

47. +1

:thumbsup: nice!

[TheKentuckian]

48. Wake me up when he decides to oppose his attackers instead of legitimizing them and adopting their

policies. They are doing far and away more harm to us than him.

Playing chump does us harm.

[polichick]

57. Yes, THAT'S the problem - he's his worst enemy, not them...

And it's the country that pays.

[Tx4obama]

49. Here's a link to the Hardball segment mentioned in the OP - VIDEO

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44009819#44009819

[Whisp]

51. thanks for posting the link

Considering all the fire power there has been against Obama from day 1 (and before) it's amazing he can still stand.

and people call him spineless. that makes me as sick as republicans make me.

[Bluerthanblue]

53. that's good to hear-

wish more would consider doing so. Not that being critical of a position or perspective is bad, it isn't. But theres a lot more than that going on.

:hi:

rec'd.

[Whisp]

58. that is great to hear, woolldog.

if there were more chilling on the (wild and over the top crazy) criticisms here I have some of mine I could add as well.

But in this climate here right now? No way will I be critical, I do not want to add a grain of sand's worth of weight to obama's already overburdened shoulders.

[JoePhilly]

60. I'm not watching it, but that sounds like an argument I've been making

for a long time.

Q: What is the GOP's long term goal, not just in terms of Obama, but since Reagan, and going forward well beyond Obama?

A: To bring the Federal government to its knees. To stop all of its actions. To remove all of its powers. To remove all federal involvement in anything other than national defense. Oh, and to rewrite the Constitution such that it bans gay marriage, bans immigration, and ensures that men control the decisions women can make with their own bodies.

The key point here is that the GOP wants to stop all government activity. No EPA, no FEMA, no FAA, no OSHA, no department of Energy, so on.

Q: With that in mind, what are they doing to prevent the government from "acting" since Obama became President?

A: Blocking every piece of legislation they can. Using the filibuster on everything. Blocking all appointments. Let the FAA funding lapse, create the debt ceiling crisis, so on.

And when they can't STOP the government in total, they make sure that any piece of legislation that does pass, has something ugly in it. Something the left will hate.

In this later case, the GOP would almost always PREFER that nothing pass. But if something is going to pass, or it needs to pass (like the debt ceiling), then they add as much bad stuff to it as they can get away with.

Many on the left want Obama to "call their bluff" ... he can't. They aren't bluffing, they want to shut the government down. That would THRILL them. THAT is their GOAL!!!

And Obama can't shame them ... they don't feel shame.

Call out their lies ... they don't care. As an example of this, Dick Cheney lied on Meet the Press one day and they told him a quote he said ... he said "I never said that" ... so they played the VIDEO of him saying it ... and he still said he didn't really say it. being caught in lies does not slow them down.

Obama has 2 choices, fight and call bluffs, and get nothing done ... or work to find away to get some things done.

If he does the former, parts of the left who are the most angry now, would probably still be angry because he "failed" to get anything done. And the GOP would be THRILLED, because he got nothing done too.

If he tries to get things done, at least some good things happen, but not everything we want, and some crap gets by too.
And so he gets his ass kicked from the left for not getting "enough".

Obama can't shut down the government. He can't take hostages.

The GOP hates the government more than enough to do both.

[Township75]

63. This is what always happens, which is why people bashing Obama or any Dem doesn't bother me.

I bash them too.

But I know when the election season starts, you will realize what the opposition is like, what they do, and then you will get behind the Obama or any Dem for that matter. This always happens.

People were too upset to vote for Kerry during the Dean/Kerry primary, but come October EVERYONE was behind and loving Kerry.

Clinton/Obama was very nasty too here, but come October EVERYONE was behind Obama.

It doesn't matter what Obama does now or has done, because come October 2012 we will all be behind him. So let people gripe and whine...we know where they will be in 2012