The Ed Schultz Show: Bummed Base
Drew Weston joins Ed Schultz to talk about the demoralization of the base and his statement the President made to the Washington Post:
Obama said the public option "has become a source of ideological contention between the left and right." But, he added, "I didn't campaign on the public option."
That's clearly not true as Ed Shows in the video clip. Drew Weston's recent article in the Huffington Post is Looming Losses in 2010: Pretty Speeches, Compromised Values, and the Quest for the Lowest Common Denominator:
As the president's job performance numbers and ratings on his handling of virtually every domestic issue have fallen below 50 percent, the Democratic base has become demoralized, and Independents have gone from his source of strength to his Achilles Heel, it's time to reflect on why. The conventional wisdom from the White House is those "pesky leftists" -- those bloggers and Vermont Governors and Senators who keep wanting real health reform, real financial reform, immigration reform not preceded by a year or two of raids that leave children without parents, and all the other changes we were supposed to believe in.
Somehow the president has managed to turn a base of new and progressive voters he himself energized like no one else could in 2008 into the likely stay-at-home voters of 2010, souring an entire generation of young people to the political process. It isn't hard for them to see that the winners seem to be the same no matter who the voters select (Wall Street, big oil, big Pharma, the insurance industry). In fact, the president's leadership style, combined with the Democratic Congress's penchant for making its sausage in public and producing new and usually more tasteless recipes every day, has had a very high toll far from the left: smack in the center of the political spectrum.
What's costing the president and courting danger for Democrats in 2010 isn't a question of left or right, because the president has accomplished the remarkable feat of both demoralizing the base and completely turning off voters in the center. If this were an ideological issue, that would not be the case. He would be holding either the middle or the left, not losing both.
Not long ago, Dr Drew Westen was the "it boy" of the Democratic Party, with his book "The Political Brain." I doubt if anyone in the White House likes him much today.
When I voted for Obama in 2008, I took it as a matter of faith and fact that a former Professor of Constitutional Law would, upon taking his oath of office, actually support the rule of law and redress the multitude of grievances against the misadministration of the Dubya regime. Instead, I find that I have helped to elect a new President who has no more interest in the rule of law or of upholding the interests of "we the people" than his predecessor.
Eleven months into the Obama administration, it is now abundantly clear that instead of electing one who honors the US Constitution, we have placed yet another viper into the lap of Liberty, who uses his Constitutional knowledge to further corrupt those ideals, to enhance his and his cronies wealth and power. Business as usual is not what i voted for - I voted for change, including major changes from the Dubya regime. The longer those same policies persist, the more frustrated and disenchanted I become at all things Democratic.
Whatever short-term, and largely ephemeral, gains that the Corporatist Democrats that now control the Democratic Party accrue, they risk, nay guarantee, the loss of the Democratic Party's liberal populist base; Just as we are seeing the self-destructive nature of the purification of the Republican Party, we are seeing the very same nature in the Democratic Party. The entire gamut of Third Parties are waiting in the wings for the opportunity to gain electoral power.
A welcome intervention, as far as I am concerned ...
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
Roulette Table.
Dice on the Roulette table? Where do you gamble??
Ahhh, Craps.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
onto a roulette table.
Twas the day before Christmas
and all through the senate and the house
congressional Liberals and Progressives were selling us out
You see the companies making contributions to conservatives really have the legislative clout
Unfortunately, most progressive and liberal outsiders haven’t figured this out
To leave these companies alone will just seal our fate
where we progressives and liberals do not carry much political weight
but if we join together and boycott conservative funders asses
We’ll get progressive legislation that really passes.
If you want to solve the problem of too much company influence over legislation go here http://www.democratz.org
To demand congress enact a strong single payer public option go here http://publicoption.democratz.org
To demand congress fix the medicare prescription drug benefit go here http://drugbenefit.democratz.org
We need to boycott some major companies that give money to conservatives. Send this to many people by email.
"....we have placed yet another viper into the lap of Liberty."
Yeah...But he's our viper.
Hisssssssssss.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
It's "the more frustrated and disenchanted I become at all things POLITICAL"!
Obama and the rest of the current crop of corrupt politicians are severely underestimating the growing number of US citizens who blog, who cultivate and understand curricula vitae of the deceitful denizens of the House and Senate, who know how bad things are in DC, and who will assuredly coalesce into a Body Politic willing and ready to address the disastrous policies of the foul hedonists who have usurped our government.
are telling us now what we already knew even before they did. That's pretty amusing.
.
The Television is the instrument of choice for American Propaganda.
Turn the televisions off.
By Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Unfortunately I think a majority of Americans would have to be dragged forcefully, kicking and screaming away from their tubes before they would give it up.
All our inventions are laudable, but our lack gratitude and lackadaisical blind belief that everyone is benefiting from Corporate American exceptionalism is now coming back to bite us in the ass. Big TIME.
I am gross and perverted
I'm obsessed 'n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little had changed
I am the tool of the Government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you
I may be vile and pernicious
But you can't look away
I make you think I'm delicious
With the stuff that I say
I am the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I am the slime oozin' out
From your TV set
You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don't need you
Don't got for help...no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold
That's right, folks..
Don't touch that dial
Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin' along on your livin'room floor
I am the slime from your video
Can't stop the slime, people, lookit me go
57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHIN' ON)©
Bruce Springsteen
I bought a bourgeois house in the Hollywood hills
With a truckload of hundred thousand dollar bills
Man came by to hook up my cable TV
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round 'til half-past dawn
There was fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Well now home entertainment was my baby's wish
So I hopped into town for a satellite dish
I tied it to the top of my Japanese car
I came home and I pointed it out into the stars
A message came back from the great beyond
There's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Well we might'a made some friends with some billionaires
We might'a got all nice and friendly if we'd made it upstairs
All I got was a note that said "Bye-bye John
Our love's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"
(Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on)
So I bought a .44 magnum, it was solid steel cast
And in the blessed name of Elvis well I just let it blast
'Til my TV lay in pieces there at my feet
And they busted me for disturbin' the almighty peace
Judge said "What you got in your defense son?"
"Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
I can see by your eyes friend you're just about gone
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and...
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Capitalism by its very nature will take control of the politicians, mass media and the political agenda. Obama is just one more example of this capitalist system in action. Until we take to the streets in protests (peaceful protests) and change the system nothing much will change. The capitalists want Americans to blame the politicians not the system.
Social Darwinism, which is survival of the fittest mentality commonly, called capitalism as an economic ideology has its own self-destruction and suffering built right into it. Darwin taught survival of the species as part of nature the sages teach love and compassion.
We are witness to the results of social Darwinism as an economic ideology as Americans worship at the altar of capitalism. The country is bankrupt and here is an interesting phenomenon; Americans want more capitalism not less. That is the power of the paradigm effect when it becomes paradigm paralysis.
The suffering social Darwinism creates is beyond mere words as we see unemployment, huge medical costs, mega profits off the sick, bankruptcies, corrupt politicians, wars for profits, imperialism, nation building, drug culture, prisons overflowing, educational meltdown.
This social Darwinism has created a real dumbed down society. Now a dumbed down society is not a stupid society by dumbed down I mean a society that has been heavily influenced by the capitalists, government, military, corp fascism, and the industrial military complex.
And most Americans don’t have a clue what is causing all of this bankruptcy and suffering in their nation. Everyone blames everyone else and few look at the system based on an ideology that is causing all of this pain and suffering for most of the nation.
Even the religious practice this social Darwinism and don’t have a clue that they do. In fact the fundamentalists religious are in love with capitalism without realizing they are social Darwinists to the highest degree. This is what I mean by a dumbed down society.
The Palin’s and indeed most of the repubs are living examples of this dumbed down social Darwinism in action as a economic ideology. It is not just the repubs but also most of the liberals and the progressives as they all are in love with capitalism.
Norm Chomsky has maintained that the (2) most destructive characteristics of the United States are Corporatism and Empire. Both of which cause Democracy to take back seat.
stuff but it's Noam, not Norm. Love him just the same though!
....that's for sure.
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
to import some european style socialism to the United States.
You mean the folks who voted for:
"Change", "Yes We Can" and "Hope",
are actually disappointed in:
"Same", "Best We Could" and "Nope"?
Ingrates.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
New and Improved Change
Coming to a political TV ad near you soon.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
http://www.indecisionforever.com/files/2008/0...
http://www.travels.com/Cms/images/GlobalPhoto...
I must say that I am in awe of the American marketing might.
It is amusing to see the left act surprised that a moderate conservative chap like Obama is acting and governing like... a moderate conservative. Not only that, but there seems to be a big chunk of American liberals who are still expecting that fact to somehow change at some undefined point, thus the American left seems to still continue to put their own interests aside in order to protect the perception that Mr. Obama was able to skillfully portray.
Whoever said that "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the average American" was indeed correct.
In a sense, such attitude (subsuming one's interests to preserve perception) by liberals in the US seems to be the mirror image of the approach to politics by Republican voters, who I think do too partake in throwing away their own interests in order to support the image/perception/fairy tale that the extreme right in the USA has articulated as their narrative. At least it seems that way from a relatively removed view point.
Although, I must say that I don't know if I should be amazed by the fact that the left in this country is simply "bummed" and does nothing... or I should just laugh at a bunch of arses quietly enjoying being screwed. Honestly, the left in most other industrialized countries would have display a big deal of organisation to protest and affect the government (strikes, riots, civil disobedience campaigns, etc)... if a supposedly liberal cabinet had passed legislation 1/10th as reactionary as Mr. Obama's has done thus far.
I am truly fascinated.. the American approach to politics is such a strange animal.
A previous comment of mine on politics, class and 100 years of corporate propaganda here, if you would care to indulge.
American marketing might, as you put it, is propaganda machinery the likes of which other totalitarian regimes could only dream of.
You might gather from that statement that I consider our government a totalitarian state.
It is, a different sort than say the USSR where the propaganda machinery was very primitive.
They put out their message, very few people believed it. They needed to resort to the strong arm.
Here we don't do that so much though the mechanisms are in place and increasing.
Here the population is hypnotized with the mass media, the Television is foremost but not alone. Another previous comment here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Beyond Power by Marilyn French...
Thank you, I did respond to you here
Did you explore any of my audio or video links, they are extensive, far beyond your concern over my statement on power.
Here are select books:
Chomsky: Understanding Power Manufacturing Consent
Michael Zweig: The Working Class Majority, Amazon here Cornell Press here
Alex Carey: Taking the Risk Out of Democracy: Corporate Propaganda versus Freedom and Liberty (History of Communication) Amazon here, one review here
Karl Marx: Das Kapital
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Having three jobs and a college course commanding much of my time, I tend to post on the fly, so I seldom see when someone responds to me.
Please do not interpret my sharing of resources as a 'concern.' You are among a handful of regulars here on C&L whose posts I find intriguing and erudite.
BTW, I appreciate your sharing of resources. I read Marx when I was twelve. I should reread him in full, since I've only extracted quotes randomly since then. I do feel the need to read Chomsky next. (I would also like to know how you link to previous posts, if you have the time...)
The title line of your comment contains the link. Right click and select 'copy link'.
Sometimes it will take you to the specific comment, sometimes it will only take you as far as the top of the respective post, in which case you then have to search.
And of course the title line, if left empty is the first the line of the comment, by default.
Three jobs! good luck…
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
we write, e-mail and phone our representatives and they (for the most part) could care less? That's our fault - not the systems fault? Your more admiring of the teabaggers who brandish guns where Obama speaks than the namby pamby way of possibly working through the system (which is already rigged in their favor by the way)?
If you know of a way to forment positive change please fill us in? I, for one, would love to call all of the nations progressives who are fed up with this malarky to go on a general strike.
The longer it takes for our representatives to actually represent us, the longer the strike goes on. That's my solution, but I really don't know how to organize one. Any suggestions?
Yes, I have always relied on Emory University psychology professors
as my touchstones for political analysis.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
Apathy was what happened to many progressives, including myself, following the Clinton betrayals of the early '90's.
This time, Democrats should hope it's mostly apathy because more than a few of us have bypassed apathy entirely and have moved straight to outright anger.
Apathy or "demoralization" would probably cost the Democrats more than a few elections. Anger could seriously and irrevocably damage the Democratic Party.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
"Apathy"??
Come on...Who cares bout that?
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Jobs: requires a manufacturing base...we got rid of that.
Health Care: requires leadership...we don't have that.
Peace: requires hard decisions...we don't make those.
Climate Change: fixing it takes brains and balls...we don't use those.
Change: we don't get that either.
Campaign Finance Reform: the obvious first step to all the above.
^
Senate rules must be reformed as well.
Yep! If it wasn't for the unconstitutional filibuster, every one of those things could have been passed with 53-55 votes!
Jebus chr**t, Tom Delay rammed through every piece of corporate fascist legislative shit he could think of, with a 222-213 "majority" in the House.
This is just a way for the corrupt Senators to enable the corporate fascist minority to terrorize the majority.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
I started to listen to this video feed, skeptical, because I am NOT ready to toss in the towel on President Obama. I know the Titanic hasn't done it's 180 turn yet...and it's not showing the drastic change I wanted to see from the last eight years of absolute demonic action - OR the last 38 years from knifing the middle class in the back for the benifit of the wealthy in this country; but the Titanic is not headed in the same direction, and the WORLD sees that.
This health care reform bill is not law yet. Don't give up on this government quite yet. We ARE learning some important lessons that I hope we can remember when the elections come around in 2010 and 2012. We have some real shills in Congress, and we have some bad advisors in the White House. But we can change those things. Look what we've done so far! A tip of the hate to those brave PATRIOTS: Kucinich, Grayson, and several others. We can make a change!! But we have slugs like bauchman, nelson, landreux (sp?), liverwurst, etc. We have to get RID of them once and for all...and all the other wolves in sheeps' clothing.
This interview was NOT the "throw Obama under the bus, and run out into the street and scream" video I expected. It should wake us up. We need to keep faith and be willing to stand up and act instead of just bitch and roll over.
The reality (Titanic-wise) is that the banks and corporatocracy is still at the wheel...
...and Obama is at the bow yelling..."I'm the King of the World".
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
before we had a chance to throw him under it apparently.
That's what I don't like about these guys. We are being played for suckers.
we'll probably wind up with Palin in 2012. People are so disgusted.
And I must admit, I don't give a damn.
... but atlest Sarah is loyal to her base. Enjoy your 4 years Barack. You'll be out on you ass soon enough, traitor.
"basest" instincts possible. I can only imagine and howl with laughter at the possible campaing commercials coming out for her and against her.
As much as I Hate whats transpired, if that's the best the republicans can do, then we'll have another four years of a democratic presidency.
that I don't give a damn either. This country is fascist.
..but there was no way I would have voted for mccain and the promises were too good. Perception-that's what we are left with, the perception that change was possible, imminent and necessary. I've been wanting to maintain the support I had for the President last year but how am I do that when all the promises are in the toilet.
I predicted w would ruin the economy in 2000 and that Obama would be elected President in very early '08 when he was still running against Senator Clinton. So now, unless there is a MAJOR change to the health insurance reform, er, I mean, health insurance corporation salvation act, Obama will be a one term President and the rape-ublican'ts will take back the White House. Considering all the change that hasn't changed, the right wing will capitalize on all their obstructionism and the Democrats' weakness to control their caucus as efficiently as the gop. We are phucked! Hopefully not.
Now, I thought about deleting the last paragraph. I did that in 2000, w got elected and we got phucked. So it stays. Don't know if it will do any good; probably won't but it stays 'cuz I want change. First thing is w in jail for war crimes, second is campaign reform so that millions aren't put into the pockets of the politicians for the sake of the corporations offering those millions and then single payer so that we can finally catch up with the rest of the civilized world.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
I've been a jaded, cynical independent since the '80s. I am sad, but not surprised at what has transpired. I voted. Some family was surprised I voted at all. I was not energized by all Obama's promises and speeches so much.
Two words: Supreme Court
Even knowing the rest would turn out this way, I'd have voted, and voted the same. We are phucked, the question is for how long and how hard. Supreme Court nominations last a long time.
The Repug party is fracturing and possibly splitting.
The Dem party has become disillusioned with its reps and its base has no where to go.
So where are the strong 3rd party progressive candidates that are willing to stick their necks out and mobilize all the people who have no place to turn?
It's clearly the time, as both parties are at a severe disadvantage right now, and it's not likely this opportunity will come by again in the near future.
..
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
Why are Americans so unwelcoming to the concept of a diverse political ecosystem?
For such a large and diverse country as yours, one would assume that 2 conservative parties as the only electoral alternatives would have been deemed woefully inadequate to represent said social variety at some point. Right?
So why are there only 2 major parties, as far as I am aware of? Do 3rd parties carry a stigma for any reason? In fact, reviewing the roster of the American senate, those not affiliated with either major party are labeled independent. Do they belong to an actual political platform? Or is anyone who do not belong to the Democratic or Republican parties automatically labeled as "independent" regardless of affiliation with another political party?
In the USA, political campaigns take so long and cost so much that only candidates with corporate backing can mount an effective campaign. Moreover, the television networks and major print media are owned or beholden to corporate interests, so candidates that do not represent one or more of these interests are either ignored or maligned. Here is a good documentary describing the process by which third party candidates are marginalized.
Also, to answer your question about the two independent senators, they are listed as independent for purely strategic reasons having little to do with actual political convictions.
It seems that Americans decided to increase stability in the system by eliminating choice, then.
Also, why are large campaign contributions not considered bribes in your system? Your electoral system seems to be fatally flawed in regards to its role of public representation.
Because of a bastardized interpretation of the First Amendment to the constitution that says "Freedom of Speech" means the freedom of monied interests to contribute as much money as they want to the candidate(s) of their choice.
Complacency.
The system gives the appearance of serving the people. Until enough people are disadvantaged by it (or know people that are) there is no need to be upset. Money can always buy soft influence, regardless of the system or the legality. The question then becomes, is it a problem? Things aren't bad enough yet as a result for most people.
Education.
Until I saw it from the corporate side, I had no idea how "pay to play" the system is. Not all foreign firms that set up shop here are happy with the PAC requirement to be competitive, even if it is legal.
Stability through slowing down change with checks and balances has always been a part of the system, that feature is being converted to other uses now.
exposed Obama-the-fraud over three years ago, but reality is turning out even worse than he predicted.
I posted that great article here at least a dozen times during the primaries.
Three words: Not. Well. Received.
(of course, my boy Edwards went completely off the rails but there you have it.)
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
So did I...that's why I'm posting it again.
instead of the "great deceiver."
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
I'm voting for nobody.
in that platform or performance.
Let me be the first to predict that, should nobody win,
somone here will criticize his(or her) non transition before Thanksgiving 2012.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
Wed, 12/23/2009 - 11:50 — BigDaddyMalcontent
I'm voting for nobody.
_____________________________________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVKKRzemX_w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkpPnPWRL4
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
to do? I'm convinced that one should never vote for someone who's never gone hungry.
Big Ed is getting rating attacking the big "O" - we'll see how that works for him in the long run.
I predict the M$M masters LOVE him for that.
He is nothing short of a nut job radio host.
Just like the rest of the M$M losers he wants to TELL the base what we think? Eff him and the horse he rode in on.
I am the BASE and I am energized to get more and better progressives.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
.
You are the base! Now we know.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
http://www.rljresources.com/images/AllYourBas...
used to be conservative.
Never trust a Corporation, the MSM or Wikipedia, per se.
MSNBC, owned by NBC Universal, owned by (for the moment) GE:
Turley here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
She once drove a Corvair.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
And here I thought you were being nice only because you wanted to see the pictures of my 1960 Corvair, which actually was my parents but I did drive it.
I have the pictures, you cannot see them.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
a "sporty Corvair?"
No, it was one of the first.
GM tried to destroy Nader for his take down, he finally sued them and won.
GM doesn't have a leg to stand on as far as Nader goes.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
But wasn't Nader an early advocate of customer protection and auto safety?
Why are those things considered bad or reason for shaming anyone?
He was fine until he ran for President and then the Democrats sought to punish him.
Al Gore in 2000 ran what should be considered one of the most inept campaigns in history, he failed to take his home state for instance and set about distinguishing himself in virtually no way from George Bush.
Still, Gore won the election, but allowed it to be stolen.
The Secretary of State of Florida disenfranchised 48,000 voters fraudulently, mainly African Americans who most certainly would NOT have voted Republican and this was not contested.
Still it was stolen by the only five votes that mattered, the Supreme Court.
Many Democrats to this day blame Nader.
There a real reasons to be considered which are not.
Nader is one of very few around that cannot be bought.
Watch me be attacked now for even bringing him up.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
But Nader hasn't been elected to anything.
That seems to really affect the 'ol ethics gene.
They all turn into sociopaths.
Funny. (not "haha")
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Nader isn't a politician.
The politician needs to say things in a manner that two sides of any given issue can take away what they themselves want to hear.
Nader is probably not going to do that, hence he probably will never be elected.
There has been a suggestion that he run for the Senate in Connecticut.
FDR is as close to a socialist as we ever elected but he did not start that way.
He was pragmatic but the extremely dire situation and the pull of the left led that way.
We will face another Great Depression, in fact we may be in it now.
The convergence of Peak Oil and Energy and Climate change combined with our own profligacy of Empire and its decline will, at some point create the Greatest and final Depression.
Politics will be very different then.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Yes, I'm aware of the FDR conversion and the Left punditry saying that Obama will/may/could go down the same path...Epiphany will strike him half way through his term...Blah blah blah.
FDR had progressives in his administration from the git-go and didn't purge 'em from his staff (or allow Rahm to) upon walking into the WH.
More's the pity and less likely that conversion will occur this time around.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
"It's the other way around. Gore cost ME the election!"
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
seatbelts & other safety measures cost money, and the auto industry doesn't want some do-gooder calling attention to their faults.
I was careful to label you a driver and not an owner.
I would love to see pictures of your parents 1960 Corvair. My father in law had one and used to put a load of bricks in the trunk to keep the front end from leaving the planet on each sharp turn. He also owned a 1965 Corvair.
I was the proud second owner of a 64 Corvair Monza Convertible (silver blue with a white top) much like the one in the parade I like to post.
No Corvair approached the 1961 Tempest as an automobile designed to strike terror in the owner. My father owned one of those.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
The 1960 Corvair had very good rear end traction. In Detroit in the Winter you didn't get stuck as much as with other cars of the time.
Unfortunately you couldn't choose the direction you would head in so well since the front end had zero traction. Bricks could help.
I also drove a '64 or there about Mustang and then much latter a '76 Mustang.
They would get stuck with a half an inch of snow. In the driveway.
They were hopeless in Winter.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
http://www.evworld.com/images/corvair_monza19...
Is this close to the real McCoy?
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
That is it and I can only wish that were me in the picture.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
He played two very interesting clips.
One was from one of Obama's Saturday radio addresses. In it Obama said, "I will only sign a health care bill that comes to my desk containing an exchange and some form of competition to the insurance companies in the form of a PUBLIC OPTION."
And then Hartmann played a clip where he read a piece of legislation from either Minnesota or Wisconsin (which has sadly since been removed from the books) stating that it is ILLEGAL for ANY corporation or person involved with ANY corporation etc. to interfere in ANY way with ANY election with bribes/contributions of ANY kind and if they/he/she does then they will be hit with a stiff fine and prison sentence and that the corporation involved in the interference will be DISSOLVED whether U.S. or foreign based.
Hartmann said, "This is the law we need to bring back again."
I agree.
It would be worthwhile for C&L to find that audio clip from the Presidential radio address regarding the Public Option and post it for everyone to hear. (Or maybe somebody else can link it??)
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
but, like any radio or television host, his show is predicated on telling his viewers what they want to hear. Right now this is what they want to hear.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
And I can tell you a month or so ago when Olbermann was patting himself on the back over some healthcare thing he felt he helped achieve I wanted to be sick to my stomach.
Since then, he seems to have come around and seen the bill for what it really is.
Still like Maddow though.
it's hard to gauge how Obama is actually doing.
but the perception is that he has become a massive failure.
and perception, as you probably know......
You're right, but as they said in "Office Space":
"Kick someone's ass the first day or be someone's bit@h, then everything will be alright."
He better hurry.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Democrats caved to special interests and have apparently forgot the original intent of the process. To change the system and provide affordable health care to all Americans.
The only sure thing is that corporate greed has failed us all and to ask the public to finance the aftermath is total insanity. Once the first $700 billion got approved, the flood gates have opened.
those blue-dog obstructionists, aka republican lap dogs, would be voted into another term. Are some democrats that stupid?
..appointed? Oh yeah, SCOTUS, but seriously, how does the American public keep voting in members of either party? 'cuz there's no PROGRESSIVE's on the ticket and the ones that are, are in the closet and wouldn't get elected anyway as nobody would recognize the word "Progressive" if it appeared on a ballot sheet in the voting booth.
Do I have to remind anyone of the definition of "insanity"?
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
The RNC and the DNC are thoroughly industrious in keeping challengers off the ballot.
They will even join forces if need be.
Theresa Amato here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
sure do a good job of stifling Green Party candidates in supposedly liberal Minneapolis.
That is not such a good example from what I can gather in a quick study.
Zimmerman was convicted and did time.
You must run the entire sequence and it gets complicated.
One point is here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
is not very politically astute, despite his years of activism. If his party affiliation had been DFL or Republican, I'm convinced he would never have done time. That being said, he was guilty as charged. It's just that others have been guilty of much worse without doing time. Green Party members are held to a higher standard.
The level of verifiable BRIBERY of our Federal politicians make this almost humorous.
I would be laughing if I weren't crying.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Since the Obama administration wants to let rulebreakers from the past 8 years walk off scot-free, why not do something about the current scofflaws infecting our Congress?
Has the C-Street cult been investigated?
How do John Ensign, Larry Craig, Tom Coburn and David Vitter, among others, still have jobs and no jail time?
Let's quit focusing on "making friends" with known criminals (of the theft and deception sort) in our Congress, and root them the hell out.
Nope
obama's approval numbers according to daily kos has jumped 6 points. as a matter of fact, cnn had the same poll. frankly, i am tired of all the whining coming from people who are allegedly the base. the bill is not perfect, bt it can be perfected. everybody needs to relax and qit the hand wringing. the vast majority of us have not even read all 2000+ pages, so who are we to complain?
And did we elect a perfect man or a human?
I expected a fighter.
He's not.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
a ph*%cker.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
We did elect a man who said that fixing the health care mess by mandating health insurance was the same as fixing the homeless problem by requiring everyone to buy a house.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
but you seem to imply that the human condition means that no elected politician should be ever criticised?
thanky!
change in a few minutes.
I can assure you Evet's activities are not responsible for any change in the weather you may feel disillusioned by. Any charge to the contrary is the result of conspiratorial e-mails exchanged by English wankers masquerading as climatologists.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
"who are we to complain?"
we are the voters. anymore questions?
Love ya Ed, but it's "emanate" not "e-man-uate". Nearly tripped over "strategic" as well.
Bush.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
some slack when he screwed it up the first time but after the 2nd time I had to figure he just didn't know the freakin word!
sorry to say, a lot of previous obama supporters are well beyond 'bummed'
I think "bummed" was mid-year...Its pretty much "pissed off" now moving towards "What the f@ck?"
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Ph*&ck? What ph*&ck?
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
Good thing I read this post so I would know that Ed thinks he knows what I am thinking. Should I just throw a fit now or wait for more thoughts on my thoughts from Ed? Sorry Ed, but I'm just not feeling all that rabid right now.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
It is hard to gauge , we don't really know what's gone on and what Obama had / has to deal with but you add it all up and it's to the point that one almost has to put the nose plugs and blinders on to trust and believe in him and his administration anymore . Obama backed off on even mentioning a public option realizing he could never get a bill with a true public option passed but you bet he campaigned on a public option being part of any healthcare reform bill. Once the ball got rolling he wouldn't even mention it unless pressed for an answer "do you favor a public option yes or no" and then he would say yes "but" it's just a small sliver of the pie blah blah blah .Regardless , Obama can't pass good health care reform with single payer or a public option on his own , cannot rightfully pin it all on him .
"The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all."
Where has Biden been during all of this?
I thought the vice president's job was to tell the opposition to go fuck themselves.
Naval Observatory but not the combination to get back out. Curious Joe has left known locations on Google Earth.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
"It isn't hard for them to see that the winners seem to be the same no matter who the voters select (Wall Street, big oil, big Pharma, the insurance industry)."
This is exactly why nothing will change for a long, long, time. There are simply an overwhelming number of politicians willing to sell their souls to the highest bidders, and, 'we the people' are not invited to the auction......
Personally, I plan on boycotting my Dr. if there isn't a strong public option and an expansion of Medicare. I have heart problems, multiple stents, a heart atack, who gives a shit. I don't anymore. This isn't about me, it is about my children and grand children. I have already quit taking certain meds that make some of the drug companies huge profits. If no one can go to the Doctor, if no one can afford meds, then I won't go or buy them either even though I have outstanding health insurance thru my employer and my wifes. Fuck 'em.......
P.S. I come from a family with a long history, since I am here now, they had to have been there way back when. None older than 80 are still alive. I figure I won't be living forever either!
I know it bums me out being called base.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
We're now "The Base" . . translation . . gullible knuckleheads who were dumb enough to vote for us.
I send e-mails regularly to the White House and our representatives to tell them what I like and dislike, however I only seem to be sending dislikes lately. I suggest we all start an effort to bring our concerns to Obama's attention, he said he wanted to hear from us so let's get cracking!
Today I sent this message to Obama:
President Obama, I keep hearing you say things like "I did not run on the public option" and I think you are going to find that the people who voted for you are not like the Republican party, we will not vote blindly for someone just because they are on our side of the isle.
And you certainly ran on a government run public option, you used to say you wanted the public to have access to exactly what congress has access to.
Please at least try to stay true to your word or you will find that we are not supporting you in the future. And 2010 is coming up fast.
Please Mr President, we need your support as much as you need ours. - We have and do support you, please show that you support us and we will be there when you need us.
"...you bet he campaigned on a public option being part of any healthcare reform bill."-Kreskin
"I never campaigned for a public option". -Pres. Obama (Today)
Uh, oh...Looks like we have a disagreement.
Let's go to the video tape!
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Obama, like McGramps, has forgotten about the invention of...wait a minute...video tape!
In order to be politically correct your supposed to stand there when someone is lying to your face and pretend you don't know they are lying. Or just sit or stand there and try to look cool.
I mean, hasn't it become obvious?
Obama or your lying eyes?
Corruption favors the wealthy.
YOU LIE! at him during the speech is right.
need to get a room.
please, I'd like to know.
Either Obama doesn't even know wtf he campaigned on,
or
he is another bald-faced liar in the white house.
I have not heard this particular casualty mentioned by anyone, yet. Whether or not it is fair, deserved or any of those "liberal" or "progressive" commonly used labels;
Does anyone doubt that the performance of Barrack Obama is going to set back any presidential aspirations for African Americans in the foreseeable future? This particular "guilt by association" is going to stick in the craw of Americans for a very long time.
that is causing the problem.
Actually, come to think of it, that fool Kennedy went to Dallas and we haven't had a Catholic since.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
Or........a decent President.....NO Exceptions!
Obama doesn't represent any group except the group that would sellout their grandmother for a few bucks.
that's not only uncalled for but baseless.
obama's not black or african american.
an inexperienced political hack in over his head.
and your vision is noted for its perfection. Also your political experience is almost as good as that guy in the Dos Equis ads.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
How the hell are people going to afford "a good deal" on mandatory Health Insurance with that kind purchasing power?
Should we impeach him now or make him suffer through three more years of watching a bunch of Republicans and some blue dog democrats throw up roadblocks at every turn he makes?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
They also have their own healthcare bill and if this was really such a great deal why are they excluded from it?
Sorry, I'm not following you. Yeah, they have 60 but that doesn't mean they are supporting everything the dems do. Some of them are republicans in democrats clothing.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Whats the difference?
He's getting what he wants.
A crappy healthcare bill that pays off the insurance industry for their support.
An escalated war in Afghanistan. No problem.
Renewal of the Patriot Act.
He's sailing along. No roadblocks.
It's like some strange hybridization of Bush-lite and Clinton 3.
We progressives are funny aren't we? We elect a guy based on nothing but "feeling" and "inspiration" and oratory skills and are shocked when they turn out to be, well, on-the-take politicians.
Shocked, shocked!
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Wed, 12/23/2009 - 12:47 — pissed off patricia
Should we impeach him now or make him suffer through three more years of watching a bunch of Republicans and some blue dog democrats throw up roadblocks at every turn he makes?
_________________________________________________________________
Little boys and girls shouldn't eat roadside equipment.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
to have another liar in the white house.
No doubt he'll sign this piece of shit instead of saying. . .
Nope, this isn't what I want. There's no public option, you put in an unconstitutional mandate, I see no effort to make medical care affordable, a weak if practically non existent effort to curb abuses, etc etc.
As a person that not only cant afford health care, that I would be force to pay, but at a higher rate because of my pre-existing condition for having a single congenital Kidney, even though my cholesteral rating is 2.2 hdl/ldl, 14% bodyfat, superb recovery heart rate, BP of 130/70 and my one kidney creatinine level is maintaining 1.6 since the operation.
I got hit by a truck 2 year ago, and I was instructed to return to the hospital to get a CAT scan, if I was ever hit brutally to the side of my body, however that was consider pre-existing condition and the insurance company refuse to cover it. Which means that anytime I get hit brutally on that side of the body I am on my own in guessing if further kidney damages resulted. Even though the pain resulted were for over exerting on the one kidney from the massive internal bruising to my whole body of hitting that truck.
Forcing the insurance company to cover pre-existing condition is just as null if they have the rights to not defer the cost to everyone else for the condition, which in my opinion negates the reason to get insurance in the first place.
Bad bill! just another insurance company bailout, or even worse, because they didn't even ask for the bailout, so this is actually a straight line up to a bonus for the CEO. Obama manage to streamline the Bush bailout plan for the CEO. How is that for Irony?
It is no surprise to see that Obama have gotten the same approval numbers of Bush for the same time period. Aren't they catering to the same base, and left everyone else behind?
Is it possible we could be more bummed out? I'm sorry for those who think we lefties aren't too bright (somewhere above). We voted for someone because of what he "said", not because of what we imagined. Lied too, perhaps, intentionally misreprsenting what he believed - most definetly.
I used to go to another well known blog and post my disagreements with the Presidents policies, but I got sick and tired of being ridiculed, dismissed and treated like a leper. It seems a good deal of the democratic party has set up an unofficial Democratic Litmus Test, either your a good democrat and will follow along with the leadership No Matter What, or your just not smart enough to understand, perhaps you should just go away.
Well, I for one wouldn't be surprised if alot of us will go away. Voting for Obama was still better than voting for a senile old man and a "beauty" queen who doesn't know her ass from a hole in the ground.
What were our choices?
some choices:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igbBItLemsM&fe...
sure, we all know we are serfs to the system. The other is, what exactly is your plan, to form the abstinence no vote party? Obviously that won't work. Basically I've been voting democratic for some time to slow down the decent into the facist hell the republicans would most assuredly spiral us down to.
It may prove futile, but seriously, there is always hope that at sometime change may come for the better.
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