This Democrat Is Disappointed With His President and His Party

For eight miserable, depressing, frustrating years Democrats watched helplessly as President George W. Bush and the Republican Party used every legal, illegal, amoral, unethical and unconstitutional ploy to gain, consolidate and then hold onto power. They didn't care who or what got in their way. They were a robotically disciplined, ruthless political goon squad which stayed on message like a brainwashed cult.

It began in 2000 with a stolen election handed to Bush by a partisan Supreme Court, which bucked its own federalism position to end the Florida recount. It continued with manipulating intelligence and perpetrating lies in order to invade Iraq in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. From there we saw the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame; the Abu Ghraib abuses; the firing of U.S. attorneys; illegal wiretappings and the breaking of FISA laws; and as we learned this week, illegal torture and interrogation techniques involving guns, power-drills, death threats and mock executions.

Power is not something modern Democrats are used to. The GOP controlled both houses of Congress from 1994 until 2006. And with the exception of Bill Clinton's two terms from 1992 to 2000, they've controlled the presidency dating back to Ronald Reagan in 1980. But now Democrats not only own the White House, but also have an overwhelming majority in the House and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Yet oddly they're still acting as if they're on the outside looking in. With no power. At the mercy of Republicans still. They appear leaderless and without direction. They seem lost and ineffectual. And it starts with Obama, who seems overwhelmed by several domestic and foreign crises, causing him to waiver and flip-flip in attempting to carry out his vision.

Obama needs to accept that voters elected him president and gave Democrats congressional majorities to bring about change and not be a bunch of weak-kneed, spineless namby-pambys who still fantasize about bi-partisanship. The president needs to grow some balls and start acting a little Bush-like in pushing through his agenda. It's time to stop singing Kumbaya.

So here's some advice to Obama on how and where he needs to get tough:

1. Health care: stop pussyfooting around while conservatives destroy your reform bill. Get on the tube in a primetime address to the nation and forcefully dispel the myths being perpetrated by disingenuous Republicans. Look straight into the camera and tell Americans that they are being lied to. That you're about to drop your public option provision is a colossal sign of weakness. Get tough, dammit!

2. Prosecute Bushevik war criminals, including Bush and Cheney if the evidence is there. You can bet your ass that's what they'd do if the situation was reversed. These criminals need to be held accountable, or America's rule of law is meaningless. Forget your "I'd rather look forward than backward" nice guy routine. Message to Obama: against the ruthless GOP attack-machine, nice guys finish last.

3. Tell Dick Cheney to shut the fuck up once and for all: commenting on the new CIA torture scandal, the bloviating former vice president charged this week that Obama was politicizing the Justice Department at the expense of national security. Obama needs to figure out a presidential way to tell Dr. Evil to shut his self-aggrandizing, ass-covering trap already. Enough's enough from Darth Vader. Nobody gives a shit what he thinks.

4. Guns at rallies: allowing armed freaks to parade around rallies and town halls like Rambo while the president and Congressmen are feet away is the most insane thing I have ever seen, and Obama needs to put an immediate end to it without worrying about hurting the NRA's feelings. For Pete's sake, the Busheviks banned "No Bush" t-shirts at rallies. Can you imagine them letting protesters with assault rifles near Dubya?

5. The Release of Pan Am Terrorist Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi: After serving less than a third of his 27-year sentence, Megrahi, terminally ill at 57, was freed by the Scottish government last week on "compassionate grounds" so he could go home to Libya, where he received a hero's welcome, to die among family. This monster showed zero compassion in killing 270 innocent people when he blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Obama's tepid response -- that it was "highly objectionable" -- fell far too short. Releasing this butcher is an outrageous, unconscionable act, and one that is highly insensitive to the victims' families. Where was Obama's stern warning not to release him? Next time get it right, O.

6. The Economy: by any measurement, the economy has clearly bottomed and is in recovery. The housing, banking and financial industries have strengthened; job losses have been halved; Q2 GDP contracted just 1% from the previous 6.4% in Q1; consumer confidence is up appreciably; and there's a raging bull on Wall Street. Obama needs to address the nation and, in Reagan-esque fashion, ask Americans if they're better off today than they were 10 months ago when Bush's economy was in a death spiral. Take the offensive and claim success!

A final message to Obama: it's time to get aggressive, show some certitude, and be resolute in your positions. Stop banging your head into walls trying to create bi-partisan love and start showing some tough love. Do what voters elected you and Congress to do: shake things up, make radical changes, and take America in a new direction. If you don't, you will lead your party down a ruinous path in the 2010 midterm elections, and you are certain to be a one-term president.

Comments

[ewed]

It is painfully misguided to use the example of Bush tactics as the benchmark for a President that was elected to change not just policy, but process. Is acting unconstitutionally acceptable if it furthers policy goals to which you ascribe? It is a bit narcissistic to maintain so.

Obama beat the corporatist Democratic candidate, the corporatist Republican candidate and the corporatist media in order to get elected. We weren't exactly even talking or thinking about health care or torture when Bush was in office, so I am going to stick by Obama.

[Revolution718]

Bravo !..... Could not have said it better myself !.. As a matter of fact I am going to post this article in the Democratic Website !.... I like your style dude !...Keep it up !..

[WilliamL]

Imagine how upset and disapointed you wd. be now if John and Sarah had been elected or perhaps had McCain nominated someone who wd. have not scared people to the extent Sarah did.

Yes, I share some of you anger and frustration but it surely could be much worse.

Meaningful and longterm change is not nec. achieved through rapid "radical" change. The "radical" change you advocate could def. bring changes from a growing segment of the population that did not vote for Obama, does not like liberals, Ds, or progressives, and that segment of the population is armed and pissed off.

So, like it or not, it has been a long, long eight years and be thankful John and Sarah are not in the white house and remind yourself, there is an entire country that exists between New York and California and the sooner more Ds and Ps and Ls remember that the better.

As much as I could do without Cheyney, he has thirty years in power, major power, so the likes of Stewart and other baging does not mean squat. Some folks forget the time the Rs have controled the white house and most recently the house. They may have made a mess but they were there and may be coming back.

[uglygnome]

Why comfort yourself with "what could have been"? It did not happen. It was never going to happen. McCain and Palin were trounced and Obama was handed a mandate along with congress. Time to take advantage of it.

[Chazmania]

Obama had the will of the people and popular support and could have rode that wave and used it to make sweeping change and reform. He dropped the ball hard! All he needed to do was be honest and used the power of the PEOPLE! to demand change that many of use thought was what we where voting for. he could have united good republicans and democrats that wanted to reform government and the financial and health care system. instead he chose to lay down with s.w.i.n.e

[tjc76]

Calm down Mr. Ostroy. Unfortunately, you did not elect a leader. You elected a guy who spoke well and vaguely from prepared speeches. He's an avoider and pleaser. All the things you are complaining about scream lack of leadership, so you are spot on. I also find point 3 amusing, you tell the president to shut Cheney up yet you are giving Cheney more press.

[kellygrrrl]

so you worked hard to elect a sane intellectual, and now you're unhappy that he hasn't turned into a bulldozer?

[filo]

Obama sure beats the alternative of McCain and (shudder) Palin doesn't he?

[mamapower]

Thank you!

[Chazmania]

I voted for change and got more of the same!

[dillydawg]

If the Democrats and President Obama fail, it will be because of people like you. Period Full Stop. What you want and require is a Dictator, not co-equal branches of gov't. You want to blame others with no responsiblity of citizentry except the vote. That's where it ends with you. You trust the one's you pulled the level for to hear, see and know exactly your wishes, without supervison or accountability. You just sit back and complain. Heck, why not your getting paid for it and the Obama bashing is so lucrative these days. Here is the bottom line, President Obama is 8 mos. into his administration and already has achieved a boatload of accomplishments. Either you help him, in all ways possible, to accomplish his platform goals, or continue to bloviate your personal ineffectiveness on this board. There is no doubt your good at doing the latter, it's the former that requires the hard work.

[mikeodd]

Kudos to a painfully-true post. I believe our POTUS is far from foolish or weak. In his first 2/3 of his first year in office, he's faced monumental challenges and reached out to the opposition party to help to solve them. In turn, the GOP have exposed themselves as the ruined party that they are, fueled by race-baiting paranoia and outright lies. Despite the camera-ready kooks that have turned the town-halls into Klan rallies we voted for CHANGE not the same-old, same-old. I believe in O and am confident his bi-partisan efforts are a one-time only deal. The good-cop bad-cop thing he's got working with Nancy Pelosi isn't enough. Time to put the elephant back in its cage and ram home all needed legislation without them.

[Tidyus]

Disagree with you on Lockerbie. The guy's conviction was questionable. Many said he was just a scapegoat to salve the US. There is word that witnesses were paid. He himself declared his innocence. Besides all that, mercy is always better than revenge which has no future.
Then, i want the wars to stop now. They achieve nothing except hurting our country.
Otherwise I pretty much agree with you.

[truth seeker]

Just to the north, there are 3 political parties (Liberals, Greens, NDP) that together, controls the vast majority of elections. U.S. Democrats would probably be very comfortable with one (or more) of the three, however, the Liberals, Greens, and the NDP do NOT work together, ... so the result is a Conservative MINORITY government. ... Is that what you want?

One more thing. You said above: "The GOP controlled both houses of Congress from 1994 until 2006. "

Not true.

[Mark Twaine]

I did not see your name on my ballot last November. Maybe in 2012? Or, you could support the current President.

[tssent]

That would be president of the government of the United States
now acting as subsidiary of corporate America, no doubt?

[Johnnie Orange]

I believe most of your advice is not helpful.
(1) Healthcare - President Obama has been saying for several weeks that opponents are spreading disinformation. Not working.
(2) Prosecute Bush and Cheney - Practically certain to fail and ruin his presidency.
(3) Tell Cheney to shut up, nobody cares what he thinks - A president shouldn't act concerned about what his predecessors think, especially if nobody else cares what they think.
(4) Guns at rallies - If President Obama really thinks these goofballs are putting his life in danger and he hasn't acted, then he'd be an idiot (which he isn't).
(5) al-Megrahi - You're right, it was a big mistake. Nothing he can do about it now.
(6) - The economy - He'll get credit if the economy recovers and blame if it doesn't.

[tssent]

Johnnie,
What a marvelous clear head you have.
Touche.

[yoga kuku]

Good ideas all, but now is not the time... Johnnie Orange's strategy is correct for now. Keep up the bi-partsan effort until it's clear to all that it has failed. There's plenty of time to use the bully pulpit in 2010 to dump recalcitrant Blue Dogs and deadhead Republicans like Boehner and put together Congressional majorities that will implement the President's policies in 2011, setting the stage for an overwhelming re-election mandate in 2012.

[tjc76]

Wow, you really think the blue dog democrats are going to get booted and replaced with people more liberal? Majority of these blue dogs are from republican and moderate regions. People were fed up with Bush and went with these moderate dems...The­se seats will stay either blue dog or go back republican.

Face the facts, now is the time if you ever want to push any libreral/p­rogressive agenda. It's only going to get worse starting in 2010. You will see different behaviors from all the dems facing re-election. They will toe the line in 2010 and not make waves for fear of losing their seat. Democrats will still have a majority after 2010 but not by filibuster margins. Good luck.

[SewaneeLeftist]

I agree with the other post-er, that our President should NEVER act like his predecessor, who provided the Presidential ur-manual of how to govern. But otherwise, another wonderful piece. Our President should follow this agenda line by line. I'm not quite as disappointed in our president -- he is after all a middle of the road moderate -- but these prescriptions provide the scenario he should follow. Well done, Mr. Ostroy.

[johnie2xs]

I disagree with you on one particular point. I'd rather Obama act more like Truman than Bush.
The originator of the phrase "The Buck Stops Here" strikes me more as the person one would like to follow in more than a number of different ways. Truman made some very politically strained decisions just based on the fact, plain and simply, that it was the right thing to do. He did not shirk. He did not waiver. He saw what needed to be done and did it.

So I agree with you fully that he needs to drop the bipartisan pie in the sky idea. The Rethuglicans won't hear of it, so why bother even trying. By trying to assuage the Rethuglican reticence through comity, he only ends up looking weak and subservient.

He has a formidable task ahead of him. The Right-Wing beanbags are going to sully the way forward to no end, and to push back at their formidable obstructions they will erect, it will necessitate a strong cadre off associates in concert with Obama to fend them off. Pelosi seems up to it, but Reid has to go. They need to have a designated point person, not always depending on Obama to be out front, lest his message be watered down. But in doing so, when Obama does step forward he needs to be strong,resolute, and strike fear in the opposition with his every word. In other words, he needs to kick ass,and take names.

[fairwitness]

He doesn't hear you. Every day brings more evidence that he isn't listening. He is determined to play the role of mediator, compromiser and nice guy. He's afraid to offend anyone--except those who hoped that he embodied the "Change we could Believe in" and gave him the job of leader so he could act on our behalf to really change the corrupt and brutal Republican culture of death and destruction for the common people, wealth and privilege for the few and connected.

There may come a time when we need that, but now is not that time--we need righteous indignation and powerful, principled action from the one in charge. That's what we voted for. That's what we were promised.

It's important that this culture be changed or it will fail even more disastrously than during Bush's corrupt 8 years. Obama's failure to live up to his promises will be our own.