Progressives should read Dana Milbank’s piece in the Washington Post today and really ruminate on what it means. The piece amounts to nothing more than a taunting of the president of the United States. The Republicans have the power to deny the president any money to jump start the economy. They have exercised that power. Even more, they have used all their energy to try take money out of the economy, in an effort to stall a weak recovery. In this, they have been only modestly successful. Nonetheless, they’ve destroyed confidence in our government and even harmed our credit rating. Then they went on vacation, leaving the president holding the bag.
This is the plan. They want to destroy the economy, make the president look powerless, and suggest that somehow their tired and discredited ideas can fix the problem. Whatever you do, please don’t help the Republicans make their case.
thanks BooMan
I hear ya
Too late! Watching the morning shows this morning the meme has taken hold that the President and Democrats are to blame. The President because of his “inability” to control new teabaggers in congress and Democrats because of their unwillingness to “acknowledge” that entitlement reform has to be tackled. And not ONE so called progressive disputed that bullshit and defended Social Security. Give Joe Scarborough credit for playing liberals like pawns. He brings them on and pretends to be sympathetic to their frustrations with President Obama all the while hammering away at Medicare and Social Security and shielding tea baggers and the GOP from any criticism. It’s a wickedly brilliant strategy that he has perfected and liberals fall for it every time with the most recent exceptions of Charles Blow who dared challenge Joe and has not been seen since and today when former Governir Corzine said to their faces “it’s easy to sit in the peanut gallery and say what the President should or shouldn’t be doing”. Joe’s reaction wasn’t broadcasted but from the look on Corzine’s face he knew he wouldn’t be a guest again. He literally asked and answered that stuttering bubblehead Eugene Robinson’s questions. I doubt if he would have challenged Joe–he never does–but Joe made sure it appeared that a self-described liberal could not disagree with the panel that entitlements were driving up the debt. It’s clear that just like Republicans are willing to take down this country to destroy President Obama so too are liberals. Fine, don’t defend the President but they can’t even defend the programs they claim to love so much. You can’t tell me it’s not about white liberal hatred of the President but protection of entitlements when you are willing to join Republicans in making the case for cutting entitlements.
Of course they are. What else do you expect from the corporate media?
Which is why I keep saying (almost as much as AG keeps saying “Culture Strike!) that Democrats need to figure out how to win elections in spite of the media, starving the media beast that gets a huge bonanza in advertising revenue every four years. They are salivating over a huge slice of that $2 billion in contributions expected for 2012.
And to attract the eyeballs, they have to have some hook into people if its not a horserace. And that is “the continuing saga of the embattled President” narrative. And to do that they have to tear him down and build him up repeatedly.
And then there are those who are shills for the GOP.
Earth to NMP and your constant race baiting: The president is the one who brought entitlements to the table to appear reasonable. He is the one leading his party and leading their message. That’s why it’s so dangerous for him to endorse that message; then the Democrats on down defend him. It’s why I’m stuck defending a shitty corporate bill to friends and family.
This person almost strikes me as some sort of Breitbart or O’Keefe wannabe – someone offering up a fake pose in order to get outrageous statements from Obama’s supporters and even detractors of Obama in order to “prove” that “the left” is somehow out to get white people. The race-baiting in this person’s comments is just too over the top to be believable. Likely just another phony – best avoided.
BooMan, as much as I am literally praying that Rick Perry will not be elected next year, that prospect seems increasingly likely. Obama is losing.
Obama has the biggest microphone on the planet. Why is he not saying the same thing? Why not place the blame where everyone (with half a brain) knows it belongs? Why not get aggressive? Why not point the finger at the culprits and lay it out straight?
You are right on the substance of the matter, but wrong to shift blame to progressives and lefties for complaining about Obama’s response.
His response is lame and wrong.
Look.
You and I can have a debate about how the president should talk.
But his weakness is actually not something he has control over. This administration has a strong preference to avoid talking about what they didn’t accomplish and to focus on and sell what they did accomplish. This has its downsides and upsides. It’s immensely frustrating to the base. But it also helps hide some of his weakness.
Nothing makes a president look weaker than demanding something, going to the people to rally support for it, and then simply failing to get it. This administration has a complete allergy for that kind of failure. You should be used to it by now.
I am used to having Colitis, too. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, doesn’t mean I don’t spend hours per week searching for new solutions and remedies.
Did Ray-gun always get what he wanted? Of course he didn’t. What did Ray-gun do? I’ve read that he would accept that he had to compromise, but always say he was prevented doing more by the Democrats in Congress. Is that true? But President Obama will never do that, no matter how much the Pukes try to tear him down.
At the Milbank column, a clever comment:
AAA can fire the five AAA employees who are helping Pachyderm Shady Independent Towing (known locally as “Pachyderm Shit”) pull the car back into the ditch.
It absolutely blows my mind that Democrats aren’t willing to burn every bridge and declare total war with the Pepublicans. And that includes an absolute guarantee that they will abolish the filibuster in 2013 when (and not if) they retain the senate majority.
God I hope Wisconsin recalls are an object lesson in this direction, tonight. Go for the fucking jugular.
Unless enough Dems still don’t win tonight, even after all of this. Then I’ll pretty much give up on this country for the next 4-6 years…
The operative word in you statement is “Democrats” — across the board from Congress to state legislatures to county commissions to city councils.
The debt crisis was a big wakeup call for a lot of low information voters and independents. Some are going back to sleep, but some are getting it.
This is a time when grassroots conversations and organizing are becoming more possible than they have been in a generation. Let’s not let this opportunity pass because of our own despair.
Agree. I’m finding the anti-Obama despair expressed here and in recent threads puzzling, I frankly do not understand it. Obama with his Pelosi and Reid team fended off the default that Cantor, for example, was planning on making $$ from as well as political hay. that should be worth alot of itself. Obama should resign? maybe the despair is about an unwillingness to acknowledge what we citizens of the usofa are really up against. instead of grasping how truly dire the situation is, ppl want to blame Obama? all I can do is repeat Dan Quayle’s famous words, it’s a terrible thing to lose one’s mind.
The US did not default and it is an AAA country.
Dana Milbank is a …
When the 2008 meltdown happened, it was horrid.
The economy is in the tank and it isn’t easy to live.
The proposals Obama has made that would help, like reversing the offshore tax for companies was out and out rejected.
Why anyone thinks that things will get better when McConnell said plainly that his goal was to make Obama a one term president is a bit fuzzy headed.
The president is doing better with the people than the Congress.
The Repubs are fighting tooth and nail to keep anything from helping people in this country.
Thank heavens Bush isn’t president.
Blame? Because focusing on austerity now when investors are begging Uncle Same to take their money is fucking stupid. Especially when we have millions and millions out of work. And yes, there are things the President could do with out going through Congress, and he’s not doing them.
I agree there are things he can do without going through congress. what do you suggest?