The President WE WISH We Had

[Segami]

Does anyone else have a sick sense of déjà vu this morning?



:smoke:



" After months of slow-motion capitulation, President Obama has cut an eleventh-hour deal with Republican leaders to raise the debt ceiling. After vowing to heed the public outcry for a balanced approach, he has instead consented to a plan that manages to run rough-shod over the poor and middle-class, coddles those who caused the recession, imperils the government’s two most popular entitlement programs, and virtually guarantees that our economy will continue to falter. In other words, just another day at the office for our 44th president.




I have no doubt that Barack Obama wants to do right by the country, and that he genuinely believes giving in to every Republican demand (and then some) is his only play. But to me, the debt deal proves once and for all that Obama lacks the courage to lead effectively. The evidence resides not just in his policies, but in his words. To put it bluntly: every time Obama opens his mouth, what comes out is a bloodless, abstract drone. The central failure of his presidency has been one of rhetoric. In the interest of appearing reasonable, he comes across as feckless and pliant, a weak man who can't (or won't) speak in the urgent moral terms his historical moment demands.



- The stimulus debate





What Obama said:



It is absolutely true that we can't depend on government alone to create jobs or economic growth. That is and must be the role of the private sector. But at this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life.





What we wish he'd said:



For eight years, the GOP did the loyal bidding of their corporate sponsors. They sucked hard-earned cash from the pockets of working Americans and funneled it to the gambling addicts of Wall Street, who, in turn, trashed the economy and left millions out of work. It’s now my job to clean up their mess. Until such a time as the private sector grows a set of balls – and a conscience – the government will have to help. To those Republicans now whining about excess spending: You had your shot. You blew it. Unless you’d care to explain why you spent the taxpayers' money like a drunk frat boy at a Las Vegas whorehouse, shut the fuck up and get out of the way.




cont'



http://www.salon.com/news/debt_ceiling/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/08/01/obama_rewrite



.

[highplainsdem]

1. K&R

[Gold Metal Flake]

2. Grover Norquist runs the United States of America.

Grover Norquist is more powerful than Barack Obama.

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[Doctor_J]

4. He could have kicked the repukes' asses

What a train wreck

[Segami]

5. And he could have done it effortlessly with the FULL backing of his party and supporters.

[RKP5637]

Obama IMO looks to where his backing is and then takes the opposite

path. I don't even feel in the same party as Obama. I'm looking forward to primary challengers.

[SaveAmerica]

9. And moderate Republicans

[Segami]

10. Yes, you are so correct. There are ' moderate republicans ' who would have also supported Obama.

[RKP5637]

6. Same old sh** and so predictable. I sure hope we get some primary challengers. n/t

[Doctor_J]

7. salon pretty much borrowed this from my DU posts

I don't see any acknowledgement though, the bastards. ;-)

[Segami]

8. Serious? Do you have a link to your DU post?

[Doctor_J]

11. I cant' seem to find it. Been posting too much lately

also I didn't post it until Obama had given away the store anyway. Much like salon is doing

[Doctor_J]

18. Hah! I remembered to Journal it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1571369&mesg_id=1572027

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[nc4bo]

13. Let me know when it's time to dust off my Thank God It Passed sign....

Still have it, not much dust on it and available at a moments notice.

[piratefish08]

14. we need a strong 3rd party. both parties are now different sides of the same coin and

I'm sick of cheering on the lesser of two evils and trying to frame a loss as a win.


yeah, I'm now the crazy fringe. I accept that label with pride.


:shrug:

[democracy1st]

17. +1

[Doctor_J]

20. Our Constitution isn't written that way

So we need to work in the framework we have.

[piratefish08]

24. it restricts us to a 2 party system named Democrats and Republicans?

it does?

[bvar22]

23. I would settle for a 2nd Party.

*




Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric.

[ibegurpard]

27. no shit

[hfojvt]

15. sorrry, that "what we wish he said" is just awful

like it was written by a foul mouthed 8th grader or something.

As unhappy as I am with Obama, I don't wish he had said that. He needed/needs to say things to rally the American people to our side. Not things that just make haters happy.

[Doctor_J]

19. How about this then?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1571369&mesg_id=1572027

[hfojvt]

21. well it is a relief that you didn't link to something hateful and juvenile that I wrote

I'd say you were closer to what needed to be said, but don't like that you began with "reckless spending", and the word "reactionaries" sorta looks like a picture of Chairman Mao. The last line about lying and terrorism isn't gonna fly.

At this juncture though, Obama gave up his high ground. He cannot blast them for $3 trillion in tax cuts, mostly for the rich, because that was his own capitulation from December. Yet it is absolutely absurd to pass $3 trillion in tax cuts and then a mere 8 months later stamp your feet and say that $2.5 trillion in spending needs to be cut or the national debt will kill us all.

Unfortunately, because of that capitulation, Obama went into this fight blindfolded and with both hands tied behind his back.

Which would otherwise be an amusing "fight" if he wasn't supposed to be leading my own party.

If it was me. I probably would be pulling out video of George W. Bush when he said "Yes, I'm worried about the deficit. I'm worried about the deficit, but I'm more worried about the fellow looking for work. I'm worried about the deficit, but I'm more worried about the single mom who's worried about putting food on the table for her children, so she could find work. And that's where the focus of this administration is going to be." May 12, 2003

[Octafish]

16. I know he's a Democrat. I just wish he'd ACT LIKE A DEMOCRAT.

It's been three years, almost.

[divvy]

22. If you wish (or pray) in the right hand and vomit in the left hand, which will fill first?

We can wish all day long, but all we get is the vomit.

[bvar22]

25. The President I WISH we had:

Restore America’s Honor
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-15-2010/respect-my-authoritah

Transparency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5t8GdxFYBU

EFCA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMNVIQqatyU

NAFTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtbLEKHsi0&NR=1

Cadillac Tax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wmN3wvhNM&feature=player_embedded

Support for LABOR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA9KC8SMu3o

Health Care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acc6Wn_BWlk

I wish we had elected THAT guy.
We wouldn't be in this mess.

[Segami]

26. +1000 n/t