Washington Post:
After a series of early and relatively easy victories on Capitol Hill, the White House appears certain to face a more difficult road when Congress returns to work next week.
Obama pressures Senate on climate change measure - Yahoo! News
Obama implores Senate to pass climate bill - Yahoo! News
Trade Penalties Weighed in Climate Bill - WSJ.com
Barack Obama's US climate change bill passes key Congress vote ...
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He needs to channel Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Only about half (or a bit less) of democratic senators had voted against the infamous 'Authorization of force' resolution that helped invading Iraq. So, in advance we know, at least since 2002-2003, that about half of democratic top officials are worthless, completely useless for public service.
They will be useless or wrong on any serious issue. Including, of course, a health care reform.
Taking up Barney Frank's recently introduced marijuana legislation would help the President tremendously, and an introduction of a repeal of DADT and DOMA, would prolly help bring the party together on issues they can surely agree on. Health care and energy are going to be divisive issues ,because centrist dems don't want to make real change happen on those issues.
This is Off-Topic, but I am attempting to rally some voices -- and comments, and direct contact with HP -- regarding a difficult, verboten subject on the site:
"A strange, Austrian sadism has surfaced as Schwarzenegger reaches the waning period of his first venture into politics."
That is a line from an article entitled, "Arnold Schwarzenegger: Sticking It to "America's Best", available on this site. It was written by Joseph A. Palermo, Associate Professor of History -- at some unnamed school, presumably.
This sentence is inserted into what is otherwise an argument against the financial choices made by the California governor. There is no other mention of the governor's place of birth, no explanation or excuse offered for using his heritage as an adjective to an attributed kink for receiving pleasure from dealing out pain.
This is r.a.c.ism, pure and simple. Please let HP know that, in these times, it is not something that you will accept. News reports of r.a.c.ism, the people involved and responsible for such things, are the responsibility of any legitimate news source. But in an opinion piece, blatent hatred of a naturalized citizen -- or a foreign national, for that matter -- based on his place of birth, is not acceptable. Please help make that clear to HP.
This article should be removed from the site, and the author advised as to the reason.
Good point. Ra.s.ism it is, and must be reprimanded.
During the Shrub years, Congress Dems were spineless. Now they give Barack a hard time. 'nough said ...
When were democrats ever united, come on folks!!!
The Democrats in the House and the Senate need to realize that they have been running and raising funds on the tag line of "if we can only get a (fill in the blank) majority all things are possible. Now they have a 59 seat majority in the Senate, an unstoppable lead in the house, and a President that has poll numbers that are usually reserved for well after your time in office is complete. They have all the tools they need except for to things,1. a backbone, and 2 concern about what their constituents want. If they can not pass Health care reform with a public option and no triggers then there is no great advantage to having them have a great majority. If they are going to cave like they did with a majority of 1 now with all of the resources they now have, why do they need us to work for them to be reelected or to elect other additions.
By the way, Is Tim Kaine down in Argentina with Sanford's mistress. I have not seen him or any ads from the DNC supporting health care reform or anything else for that matter. Steele may be an idiot, but at least they know they have a chairman. Someone needs to tell Kaine that chairman of the DNC is not a covert position.
Every President has to work out compromises on legislation with the house and senate. President Obama is no exception. Keep in mind that different areas of the country have different priorities. For example congressmen from West Virginia, a big coal producing state, are going to be against legislation that would negatively affect that industry. The best thing we can do to support his agenda is to contact your local elected representatives with your support for his agenda.
harry reid is as useless as teats on a bull !
!
President Obama should publicly challenge those Democratic senators who have major disagreements with the policies that the American people sent him there to accomplish, yes, publicly challenge them to run against him in the next election. How many votes do you think Senator Harry Reid and Senator Finestein would receive in a national election? I doubt if either could even out tally GW.
That would be the perfect way to torpedo everything Obama is trying to do. Alienation is not a good strategy.
Reading these posts doesn't make me feel at all hopeful about reaching the goals we elected Obama to achieve for us. If we are not ready to demand accountability for crimes against humanity, a clear re-commitment to the Geneva Convention, an end to theocracy, reasonable affordable healthcare for all, equal rights for all who don't call themselves heterosexual, a break-up of the media monopolies, enforcement of current regulations governing financial institutions, and new legislation that is able to stop new ways of gambling with our money on Wall St. -- corporate fascism will become even more powerful here and everywhere else. Obama is just a figurehead. He clearly has no power to take our country back from the ruling elite or he is working for them.
Well, if the President wants real change, then he needs to quit worrying about extinct repubs, and start courting the liberal progressives that gave him their votes. So far he is leading from right of center like Bill Maher said. He can't expect liberal progressives to keep giving him free rein to operate like a republican. If he or anyone else thinks they can find change in the 'center', well, then I wish them luck, but, I can certainly recommend a better place to look for it. Try the 'left'. We haven't tried that ,yet. We been tryin' repub right and democratic center for decades, and we shouldn't expect any real changes to come from the same place. Conservative dems like the bluedogs and the President are giving us the watered-down legislation. I am grateful for the progressive left, like Kucinich , who stand on principles, and not party 'loyalty'. I am glad dems are divided ,cuz' centrists and conservative dems are just repubs infesting the party.
I agree with you. At this point, it seems as if President Obama doesn't even give credence to views by progressives - liberals except when he is giving speeches. HE is already trying to take some of the muscle out of the ALREADY compromised Energy bill. I predict by the time that bill goes through Senate, it will be ALL about helping the corporations involved in energy. Health care - what does he mean by the "public option" exactly?
Wow! That's great!!
Early victories! Uhmm, just a question though...
Which ones were that? You can't mean the watered down ineffectual forclosure bill? The in-name-only credti refrom bill? 'Cause those were jokes, written by the industry.
Maybe you mean his push back on government secrecy? ...er, no...
His support of gay rights? no...
Now that I think of it, what, exactly has Obama won?--and for who?
Socialism=The Government and Big Business holds the money...an
It really is time to stop calling President Obama a "socialist" because that term would mean that he wants to have an equal distribution of wealth in society. Anyone who even says this at this point isn't paying attention to the trend he shows in completely favoring banks, corporations, and the wealthy. Even bills which he signs such as the Credit Card reform bill are compromised. President Obama is a center - right politician.
Please, start reading books and spend less time on the web. Help us all out, Senator McCarthy.
Wrong , pure socialism is workers and government run the country for the good of the People. Like the farm communities in old Israel .Some rural Eastern Europe countries. business is practicaly nonexistant. There is little private business.
What you are blaming Obama with is actually what GW Bush and the Republicans have been fighting for since 1900. BIZ/gov =Fascism.
Fairdebate.
Do some research on Chile, and the Freemarket, Capitalist government the IMF and World Bank under Pinnochet. You will find just what the Republicans have planned for you and me.
What do you think Hugo Chavez and his people fought their way free from? a free and loving Democracy ? Read up don't just make irrational statements.
Here's the problem, we have an Adult President, with
an adult administration dealing with little boys and girls
Senators, and Congressman who don't want to change anything
They also want the President to do everything. It's about time
we hold these people accountable. If they don't start helping him
2010 is payback time.
Yes, it is true the Democrats in congress are divided. One the one hand is the group with no guts, and or the other side is the group with no backbone. Democrats are doing everything they can do to insure the dysfunctional republican party will make a comeback, and it does appear they will succeed at that, at least.
What would you do...If your in a state with normal people and they oppose your Liberal ideas...Do you please the people..or please the minority Liberals..
You used to call yourself Lock and Load.
Why the name change ?
Well how do you get elected if everyone opposes you ideas ?
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First Posted: 06-30-09 01:11 AM | Updated: 06-30-09 01:16 AM