Mitch McConnell and the Republicans announced that they intend to block every single piece of legislation coming in the senate from now on until the issue of the Bush tax cuts are resolved. And, though left unsaid, they mean resolved the way they want it resolved. Which means extending the tax cuts for everyone. And this while the Democrats still control the House and senate.
Contrast that with Obama's weak kneed spineless, conviction-less bowing to the Republicans on the public option and financial reform when the Democrats had the biggest congressional majority in 50 years.
Instead of saying "you had your chance, the American people rejected you, your policies ran the country into the ground and now we are going to do things our way" Obama, instead of laying down the law, simply laid down period, and folded to Republicans, wasted a year groveling for one Republican vote that the didn't get,, made empty, almost imbecilic speeches about bi-partisanship when no one was asking for bi-partisanship especially the voters since it wasn't a value worth pursuing, and then eventually threw the public option under the bus is a sleazy backroom deal with healthcare lobbyists because he couldn't stand the heat from the Republicans and the town hall crazies.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid did their part too, showing why the Democrats have the weakest most compromised leadership either political party has shown in anyone's memory. And this goes back at least 15 years.
Instead of demanding Obama use the huge congressional majorities they had and pushing the public option through using reconciliation like the Republicans pushed through their catastrophic Bush tax cuts that created the huge deficit, they bowed to Obama and let a leaderless rudderless president who reeked of compromise in the worst sense of the word, set the agenda and lead them over the cliff to the worst political defeat of either party in 80 years. And this after only two years in power. And judging by what Pelosi and Reid have said, they still don't understand the true nature of their defeat.
The Republicans are now showing the Democrats again how to wield power. And the Democrats, as well as "progressive" commentators are doing nothing but whining about it, with Harry Reid saying things publicly about holding the American people hostage, blah blah blah and whiny complaints on "progressive" blogs about Republicans and what bad boys they are, instead of looking at themselves and admitting the enormous mistake they made in supporting Obama in the first place. Instead they insist on doing what losers do -- always blame the other guy.
The Republicans vowed two years ago to do everything in their power to block the Democratic agenda even after a devastating defeat . But the rudderless Obama with capitulation from congressional Democrats did the Republicans a favor and gutted their own agenda. That is why they paid such a huge price.
The country is in a mess because the Republicans know how to play politics but haven't a clue as to how to govern. The Democrats tend to know what's best for the majority of Americans and have right on their side most of the time ( with Obama being the rare exception since he always throws everyone and every thing under his bus) but they haven't a clue as to how to play politics. Their leadership is weak and spineless from Pelosi and Reid all the way down to Obama. The Republicans are tough and take no prisoners politically. They also know how to run the country into the ground.
As soon as the Republicans wiped the Democrats out in the last election, they started talking about holding investigations into the Obama Administration. Obama and the Democrats could have and should have done the same when they had the power. The evidence that Bush lied the country into war in Iraq was overwhelming and irrefutable yet Obama, the ever spineless said " I do not think it useful to litigate how we got into this war". They could have investigated 911 and come to the conclusions the 911 Committee were forbidden by agreement with the Bush Administration to conclude: that George W Bush, Rice and Cheney were guilty of the worst case of gross, even criminal negligence with regards to national security in ignoring persistent and specific warnings of an impending attack including proof that Al-Qaeda planned on hijacking US airliners as part of their attack and that they had buildings in New York City under surveillance. What the 911 Commission proved but couldnt say was that the 911 attacks were successful because the Bush Administration dismissed terrorism as a real threat in the eight months leading up to the attacks.
But no investigations from the Democrats or Obama.Which far from playing politics would have been in the best interests of the country.
So a memo to Democrats. Stop complaining now that you're out of power that the Republicans are playing hardball, and doing the things you should have but didn't, rubbing your nose in the fact that you were wiped out of the House after only two years in power, and that they were able to successfully stifle every major piece of legislation on your agenda even though you were in the majority. You had your chance and you blew it.
Instead of complaining maybe its time for Nancy and Harry and Barrack to skip down the yellow brick road to the Great and Powerful Carville and see if they can beg him to give them all an anatomical refit. Or better yet, just get new leadership, starting with the 2012 Democratic presidential primary.
Contrast that with Obama's weak kneed spineless, conviction-less bowing to the Republicans on the public option and financial reform when the Democrats had the biggest congressional majority in 50 years.
Instead of saying "you had your chance, the American people rejected you, your policies ran the country into the ground and now we are going to do things our way" Obama, instead of laying down the law, simply laid down period, and folded to Republicans, wasted a year groveling for one Republican vote that the didn't get,, made empty, almost imbecilic speeches about bi-partisanship when no one was asking for bi-partisanship especially the voters since it wasn't a value worth pursuing, and then eventually threw the public option under the bus is a sleazy backroom deal with healthcare lobbyists because he couldn't stand the heat from the Republicans and the town hall crazies.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid did their part too, showing why the Democrats have the weakest most compromised leadership either political party has shown in anyone's memory. And this goes back at least 15 years.
Instead of demanding Obama use the huge congressional majorities they had and pushing the public option through using reconciliation like the Republicans pushed through their catastrophic Bush tax cuts that created the huge deficit, they bowed to Obama and let a leaderless rudderless president who reeked of compromise in the worst sense of the word, set the agenda and lead them over the cliff to the worst political defeat of either party in 80 years. And this after only two years in power. And judging by what Pelosi and Reid have said, they still don't understand the true nature of their defeat.
The Republicans are now showing the Democrats again how to wield power. And the Democrats, as well as "progressive" commentators are doing nothing but whining about it, with Harry Reid saying things publicly about holding the American people hostage, blah blah blah and whiny complaints on "progressive" blogs about Republicans and what bad boys they are, instead of looking at themselves and admitting the enormous mistake they made in supporting Obama in the first place. Instead they insist on doing what losers do -- always blame the other guy.
The Republicans vowed two years ago to do everything in their power to block the Democratic agenda even after a devastating defeat . But the rudderless Obama with capitulation from congressional Democrats did the Republicans a favor and gutted their own agenda. That is why they paid such a huge price.
The country is in a mess because the Republicans know how to play politics but haven't a clue as to how to govern. The Democrats tend to know what's best for the majority of Americans and have right on their side most of the time ( with Obama being the rare exception since he always throws everyone and every thing under his bus) but they haven't a clue as to how to play politics. Their leadership is weak and spineless from Pelosi and Reid all the way down to Obama. The Republicans are tough and take no prisoners politically. They also know how to run the country into the ground.
As soon as the Republicans wiped the Democrats out in the last election, they started talking about holding investigations into the Obama Administration. Obama and the Democrats could have and should have done the same when they had the power. The evidence that Bush lied the country into war in Iraq was overwhelming and irrefutable yet Obama, the ever spineless said " I do not think it useful to litigate how we got into this war". They could have investigated 911 and come to the conclusions the 911 Committee were forbidden by agreement with the Bush Administration to conclude: that George W Bush, Rice and Cheney were guilty of the worst case of gross, even criminal negligence with regards to national security in ignoring persistent and specific warnings of an impending attack including proof that Al-Qaeda planned on hijacking US airliners as part of their attack and that they had buildings in New York City under surveillance. What the 911 Commission proved but couldnt say was that the 911 attacks were successful because the Bush Administration dismissed terrorism as a real threat in the eight months leading up to the attacks.
But no investigations from the Democrats or Obama.Which far from playing politics would have been in the best interests of the country.
So a memo to Democrats. Stop complaining now that you're out of power that the Republicans are playing hardball, and doing the things you should have but didn't, rubbing your nose in the fact that you were wiped out of the House after only two years in power, and that they were able to successfully stifle every major piece of legislation on your agenda even though you were in the majority. You had your chance and you blew it.
Instead of complaining maybe its time for Nancy and Harry and Barrack to skip down the yellow brick road to the Great and Powerful Carville and see if they can beg him to give them all an anatomical refit. Or better yet, just get new leadership, starting with the 2012 Democratic presidential primary.
One thing is certain for now. With Republicans putting Obama in a hammerlock he is almost certain to say " I give". And what he will give is the same thing Bush gave. Tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans which will add another $700 billion to the deficit while he ditched the public option which would have cut the deficit by $160 billion and provided accessible healthcare to tens of millions of Americans who dont have it. And one more important thing to remember. Both the House and senate can pass legislation renewing the tax cuts for the middle class and letting the tax cuts for the wealthy expire and there is nothing the Republicans can do about it. Tax legislation can be passed using reconciliation, the same way the Republicans enacted the tax cuts in the first place. That would prevent a Republican filibuster. So dont be fooled by anything less coming from the still Democratically controlled congress. If they dont pass the tax legislation through reconciliation and instead compromise with Republicans, going against their own consciences, you'll know who to blame and who is at the heart of it.
And why this White House is not so much a ship of state but a Ship of Fools.
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2 comments:
Dem "leadership" is also pretending they agree with Repub. positions to cover up their spinelessness. Even Dick Durbin, with his recent comment that it is reasonable to increase the Social Security retirement age.
We're lost.
"threw the public option under the bus is a sleazy backroom deal with healthcare lobbyists because he couldn't stand the heat from the Republicans and the town hall crazies."
This might be a misleading statement because in my opinion, BO threw the public option because he was beholden to the insurance companies and the pharma cos. w/c contributed a huge sum to his campaign coffers.
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