Obama must struggle to sell lousy deal

[seafan]

Sam Youngman at The Hill:

August 3, 2011


“Without promotion, something terrible happens … Nothing!” — P.T. Barnum

Americans will line up around the block for a sugar-coated Satan sandwich. It’s all a matter of marketing.
For President Obama and his campaign team in Chicago, selling such a sandwich is likely an enviable endeavor over selling the debt-ceiling legislation despised by the left that emerged from Congress.

While the White House has done its best to defend the compromise, the bill Obama is signing is seen as despicable by much of his base, and polls show voters are disgusted with Washington after a monthlong national slap fight they saw as more appropriate for Jerry Springer than the world’s last remaining superpower.

.....

But if all that compromise doesn’t produce jobs, then Obama will hit the road trying to sell a marked-down, day-old steaming pile of Satan sandwiches to a country that ordered jobs for a main course.

And not even P.T. Barnum could sell that.

There comes a time when no amount of promotion will sell a defective product.


Without a doubt, the most detestable aspect of this Satan Sandwich is that it did not have to happen.



What we were told publicly:

Obama: White House lawyers unconvinced on 14th Amendment, July 22, 2011

"I have talked to my lawyers, they are not persuaded that that is a winning argument."

August 1, 2011




Link





Obama owns this piece of work.

[jaxx]

1. Oh hell no he doesn't own this piece of work.

The obstructionists aka the teabaggerrepublicans own it....all of it.

Where do people get off ignoring the facts?

Unrec that crap.

[sabrina 1]

6. The Teabaggers, the Republicans, the Blue Dogs,

'we don't have a majority' 'we have a majority, but not big enough' etc. etc. So many excuses, you would think the POTUS had NO power.

When will people realize that Obama supports the economic policies of the New Democrats. And those policies are pretty much supported by Republicans. The Teabaggers actually probably, inadvertently, saved SS, Medicare and Medicaid this round together with the Progressive Caucus.

Had they not been so determined NOT to raise taxes, which Republicans were willing to do, we would have had those cuts to SS that Obama 'put on the table' even though no one asked him to.

Read the plans for SS on the Third Way's site, and much of it becomes clear. They were all foiled by the teabaggers who without meaning to, saved those social programs which this fake crisis was being used to cut.

[_ed_]

11. The buck stops....

evidently not there...

[EFerrari]

2. Of course he does. He let housekeeping become stick up. n/t

[mmonk]

3. Someone needs to tell him this deal is off.

Let the people come in and recall everybody and elect sane people with our country's welfare in mind.

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. Note to Obama

Get some new fucking lawyers.

You need an advocate not an academic.

Big fucking difference.

[bbgrunt]

5. the use of the 14th would have made Obama a hero and

would have rallied liberals to his side. What a fucking waste.

[sabrina 1]

7. If he wanted what Progressives want, he would have done that.

He wanted SS 'reform' and offered it up even without Republicans demanding it. The Teabaggers got in the way and as I said above, foiled both parties and probably saved SS this time, not that they wanted to. So we go to the next step, the Super Congress, this time with no Progressive Caucus or Teabaggers to foil them and I have no doubt that they will do what they have wanted to do all along.

This WH is not progressive in any way. They are New Democrats or moderate Republicans as far as their political views are concerned.

[bbgrunt]

9. sadly, you're right about that.

[CoffeeCat]

8. Like Obama wants...

...liberals rallying to his side. He'd shake them off like fleas, and then start a war or give more corporations
tax breaks--just to reassure the neocons that he was not slipping.

[bbgrunt]

10. yep, I know--tragically.

[Lorien]

12. I think that he would have been a hero to more than just liberals

The majority is/was very put off by what the repugs have been doing in congress. They would have cheered the President for standing up to them and putting an end to their treasonous behavior.