Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse in Massachusetts.
Via Ben Smith, Democrats cut an ad attacking Scott Brown for saying he’s against attacking Wall Street. The trouble is that pictured in the ad, which comes from the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee), are the World Trade Center and the Marriott that was destroyed on 9/11. You can see the first ad here. Of course, now it’s changed, the DSCC admitting the mistake and changing it.
Even the gang that couldn’t shoot straight loaded their guns correctly.
I honestly don’t know how Eric Kleefeld wrote this with a straight face:
The ad is now exactly the same as before, except that the Trade Center visual (which was not immediately obvious, as it was an old stock photo taken from a weird angle, and did not appear to have anything to do with 9/11) has been replaced.
Talk about trying too hard.
Wonkette gets it right, with just a hint of snark, which the Democrats deserve.
Greg Sargent doing his level best to help.
Not that Republicans would jump all over a colossal blunder like this, which was totally foreseeable and unnecessary. Nah, they wouldn’t do that.
As for Pres. Obama going to Massachusetts to stump for Coakley, I hope it works out better than New Jersey. Though after this stupendous ad idiocy, somebody might tell the President that getting involved in the middle of this political firing squad might not be worth it even if Coakley eeks out a win.
This is amazing. Its like a death spiral.
Taylor,
I’ve written to the DSCC about putting all their eggs into the Obama basket. Doesn’t releasing an add like this, which doesn’t mention Coakley at all, diminish her candidacy? The machine, taking its lead from Pelosi, was behind Capuano anyway. They got Coakley and true to the DSCC form, which did not include Women’s Issues on the 2009 Issues Form right along with LGBT Issues, they come in and tout Obama. I’m having a serious WTF moment.
Who put these people in charge? They all have stars in their eyes.
Don’t the people of Massachussettes have a tendency to vote in independent lions? Especially, now, given the climate we are in.
Scott Brown is telling the RNC to stay out. And Obama comes to Coakley’s aid.
Jesus. There goes MA.
You know, Ramsgate, I just about spit my water out on that one. It’s all just so incomprehensible.
There is NO leadership in the Dem Party right now beyond Obama. I have no idea what Tim Kaine is getting paid to do, though I realize this is on the DSCC, which is different. But this was totally avoidable.
As for Coakley, people are very unhappy with her and how she’s run her campaign. (To add, I’m hearing this from people who live up there are who know people who do.) Dems are dumping on her all over the place, obviously getting their points to media. She’s been quoted as saying some very dumb things, like the thing about Fenway. Joe Scarborough went on today about her taking a Christmas vacation and not doing retail politics.
I STILL think she can win, but it’s as ugly as it gets.
I still don’t think they are going to understand what is happening and interupt it correctly.
The Daily Beast has a couple of good pieces written by a writer I am not familar with, his name is Joel Kotkin. he discusses how Obama has reconfigured the Party.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-14/stop-coddling-wall-street/?cid=hp:mainpro
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-01/obamas-secret-power-base/
LL, I agree. They will not interpret it correctly. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING, will be learned from this.
Lake Lady says:
15 January 2010 at 5:24 pm
Thanks. Great article.
Lake Lady,
Daily Beast was a great read. Thanks for that.
BC30 and Ramsgate…I remember way back in the primaries being amazed at the changes that were happening in the party,the disrespect for regular people. A writer named anglachel wrote about it during the primary. She organized it a little differently. She talked about the Jacksonions and the Stevensions. She wrote brilliantly about CDS. She is not wrting now but her site is still up and her archives are worth a look.She saw things much the same as Kotkin even though she was part of the “creative class” she was up from the working class. if you look back over her work now it is amazing how right on her predictions were.
ive been active in politics in the party for 15 yrs. every time i hear the dnc is sending staff we always shudder. always. its usually bad whent the dnc nitwits come to town. they have never been of help. these dnc folks swoop in, they usually know nothing of what is going on, they push around the volunteers etc. its horrible. there is an old joke we grassroots dems have- when the dnc comes knocking better get ready to lose.
All I can do is laugh at this point, t4h. It’s all just so…
Taylor said “All I can do is laugh at this point, t4h. It’s all just so…”
Join the club I have been laughing ever since the Lieberman stand off over heath care…I now find this whole thing sadly funny as hell…The Dems finally win the White House back after eight years of Bush & Cheney rule…Only to see them piss away any gains they made during 2008…Dems will most likely lose big and I mean big come 2010 for midterm…But it must happen to wipe away the weak in the Dem party and rebuild a new “ONE” come 2012…
Taylor think of it as cleaning house…As for Obama coming out to save Teddy old seat I don’t see that happening…When it gets to the point that a should be safe district is turned into a toss up race…That is a big sign DEMS are heading for a brick wall…
Also, if Coakley is anything like Virginia failure Deeds then I feel sorry for Dems in Mass…Speaking as a Virginia…lol
Nobody is as bad as Deeds.
Does anyone remember “not ready for prime time?”
Coakely, is indeed, not anything like Deeds. Coakely is a lot of in the wrong place at the wrong time” = touched by Obama.
What he has done- not doneis disgusting. Marie205 – guffaw all you will = it is the people who will suffer. I really don’t give a crap about those in white tie and tuxes frequenting WH dinners.
Lake Lady….Great links…I really enjoyed reading those articles…
“Nobody is as bad as Deeds.”-Taylor Marsh
Ok, you do have a point Deeds was awful…lol
“What he has done- not doneis disgusting. Marie205 – guffaw all you will = it is the people who will suffer. I really don’t give a crap about those in white tie and tuxes frequenting WH dinners.” -djjl
I don’t think anyone in the country at the moment like those visiting the White House…Me included, but it is what it has always been like in Washington. You either have to laugh, go crazy with worry or become an activist. I chose all three types…Right now I’m at the laugh stage…since I already done the other two stages…
“There is NO leadership in the Dem Party right now beyond Obama. I have no idea what Tim Kaine is getting paid to do, though I realize this is on the DSCC, which is different. But this was totally avoidable.”
Actually there is no leadership in the Democratic Party now, including Obama. The man is failing and flailing. Rep. Allan Grayson must be licking his chops, the D.C. establishment his practically handing him an insurgent candidacy on a golden platter.
Howard Dean too must be thanking his lucky stars that Obama and Rahm froze him out of this feckless administration. If Mass goes to the Elephants, Dean’s DFA will have a clear run to overturning status quo. De-motivation can be turned into white-hot fury with the proper talking points. Dean is just the man for such a Pirate Run. He upset the apple cart once, he can do it again. He built up capitol by being a good soldier in Barack’s first year, he can now cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war. Lord knows that Howard would like nothing better than to stick the stiletto into Rahm , just on general principle. That Howard could do such a thing on grounds of ideological purity and the good of the Democratic Party is pure bonus.
What we are seeing is the end results of one of Obama’s gravest faults; his utter lack of any cohesive ideology. He has been a lamb tossed to wolfs because he is unable to muster the passion to go to war for core principles. This is because he has no core principles. He is and always has been a policy technocrat, nothing more. His main concern is to get a “win” on programs or procedures. Even in his community organizing days it was more about the nuts and bolt of building structures than achieving any solid goals. It was all about becoming a player in the political game; nothing more.
Obama is in a tight spot because he is in system that does not respond to gestures of good will and compromise politics. The national political scene has been a blood sport since the days of Clinton. Ronald Regan helped to set this up; he radicalized the Republican Party and the Democrats have been playing catch-up ever since. Obama is looking for a middle that no longer exists.
Obama’s “don’t panic,” slow but steady approach that won him the office does him no good in actually running the Nation. His rational approach worked in the primaries because the Democratic Party is the last rational party standing. The calm approach worked again in the general because McCain imploded with the nomination of Sara Palin as VP. People who were not hard-core, true believers took one look at Mrs. Wasilla, and the people who flocked around her, and said “you have got to be kidding.”
Obama’s good luck ran out right around the second week of his Presidency. He screwed up badly when he failed to take the bloviating of Rush more seriously. Rush gave away the G.O.P game plan on national radio–we hope Obama fails. It appears that Obama still hasn’t got the message. It appears that Obama still acts like he can ride out the Republican Storm by staying cool and unruffled. The “No Drama Obama” strategy of the 2008 election is still being played out by the President. It no longer works because with people hurting economically, calm can easily be misinterpreted for callousness.
I am really starting to wonder if Progressives, Liberals and even Moderates in the Democratic Party should not just cut their losses on Barack Obama. If the man can not defend himself, why should we put any effort into it? The man is just going to fold like Origami the next time any political pressure is placed on him from the right anyway. Since he appears to pay us no mind, why should we pay him any mind? Perhaps the grass roots and net roots of the Party should just work from the assumption that the National Party is just an empty shell. Perhaps the assumption should be that the DNC, the DCCC , DSCC and OFA are totally clueless and should not be given a dime from regular Democrats. Maybe your hard earned dollars should flow to DFA or Brave New Films, people who have more than two brain cells to rub together. If the national party is a train wreck maybe it’s time to climb on a new train.
hmmmm…. can’t wait to hear what others have to say about that one, spincitysd…
Good post Spincity. Bill Moyers calls. I will be back.
spincitysd…I think Obama will be challenged in 2010 by another Dem. However the same happened with Carter by Kennedy…And we all know how that wonderful outcome worked out…I don’t want to see that happen again with the Dems…I may have my problems with Dems but to see them fall that low to have full mutiny would not be good.
Dems need to get there act together and losing seats in 2012 would be a great punishment for there shitty behavior. However, I don’t want them to lose in 2012…especially, with Palin & Romney on the political radar…As bad as Obama has been a Tea Party run government would be the death nail of America.
spincitysd — Very much like your post… of course the Tea Party train is not the one you suggest liberals will take…
It is a dilemna… Wish very much… now… that Howard Dean had beaten Kerry…a few years back.
It is a dilemna… Wish very much… now… that Howard Dean had beaten Kerry…a few years back.- whitepaw
I wish Dean had beaten Kerry too…Dean has been right on many things coming to past…But the Dem establishment has disrespected Dean to often for my taste…And now they are suffering because they ignore people like Dean…I say the Dems or getting what they deserve for not listening to there base…You reap what you sow!
Taylor, you say Obama is the only leader of Dems right now, but he’s doing a horrendous job. If Obama had begun his term according to his campaign promises, he would be governing moderate left and would be riding high. But Obama, heir of Rev. Wright, is so extreme in policies and so duplicitous in his attacks, that he has turned into a robotic facade uttering silly platitudes.
Hope? Change? How about Special Olympic jokes, passing judgment in the Skip Gates matter, kissing tyrant *ss and bowing, and letting his Justice Department wage an under-the-radar affirmative action war against white majority municipalities, and fire and police departments.
He’s not a moderate. It’s showing, and it’s destroying the Democratic party — as many of us predicted.
Spincitysd:
I agree with just about everything you say in your post. However I cannot see any possible way it can become a reality because you are dealing with Democrats. Maybe we Democrats DO have the leaders that we deserve as IMO WE are the ones who are their biggest enablers. Many of you may have heard me complain ad nauseam about the lack of conviction among progressives. The ONLY thing we are consistent at is caving. Progressives are very easy to placate. WE never draw lines in the sand. WE always do things for the larger good.
At the beginning of this process FDL asked several members of the house of representatives sign a petition stating that they would not vote for HCR if it did not have a strong public option. In the end every single one who signed the petition caved once the going got tough. In the beginning every one with a voice made the right noises, in the end every single one — every last one, down to the most vociferous — caved. Weiner, Harkin, Feingold, Ed Schultz, Trunka, Stein. Even Howard Dean. Every single progressive politician caved to the blue dogs or to the WH. Not even a progressive woman had the courage of her convictions to stand up and stop the roll back of abortion rights.
So even if Obama is challenged, it will be a hell of an uphill fight for the challenger because the gutless Democrats will never support him or her. All I see it doing is splitting the party for the Republicans.
Marie205:
Could the dilemma offer the option of jumping on Dean’s train? Could be disastrous… yes? I’m not that savvy about history and politics in general … learn a lot from Taylor’s blog and all the great posters here.
BluePuppy:
My only take is that.. 1) Obama is not a good leader, and 2) Obama seems to care more about winning/achievements… than anything else.
He is doing well with Haiti, though, don’t you agree? And maybe his presidency will change him. I think he’s always been motivated by his ego… but how can the office of the POTUS not change you?
Obama started to fail in my eyes when I sensed he was out of touch with the everyday citizen just trying to eek out a living in this economy. Job losses, foreclosures, overwhelming debt is has touched many of our lives. If I am facing a job loss, foreclosure and debt, I have no money for all the goodies that I could have if times were better. And when he let Nancy Pelosi craft a stimulus bill loaded with pork and goodies for special interests, I knew he wasn’t prepared to lead. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are leading him.
Sorry, but sometimes the conservatives are correct. What we needed were substantial tax holidays for individuals, small business and corporations. The only thing that is going to bring us out of this recession is if individuals have the ability to spend and if business can start hiring again. When Obama continued with the bailouts that George W started, that was another sign that he was out of touch. Who am I going to turn to when I need a bailout? I’ll tell you the answer–the answer is NO ONE. And that’s the situation for most of us. The only choice I have when in I am in financial trouble is to work out a plan with my creditors or I turn to bankruptcy court.
And with this horrendous 2000+ healthcare reform bill the Dems are desperately trying to get to Obama’s desk, that was the last straw for many. As people are learning the details, they are realizing that they don’t want Obamacare. Yet the Dems refuse to back off. In the face of the opposition, they have indicated their willingness to move forward despite all pleas.
I have relatives in Mass. as well as close friends (most who are Dems or independents) who are jumping ship and sense that Martha Coakley’s feckless campaign is losing steam and that Scott Brown’s is doing just the opposite.
I know that the losses of the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia did not provide the wake up call. Maybe the loss of Mass. will. Amazing. Who would have thought the Dems would be fighting for their political lives in the bluest of blue states and take over what had been the Kennedy seat for decades.
Yes, whitepaw… he’s done a few good things. But he seems to lack the genuine self-confidence of a true leader. A large ego is just the other side of deep insecurity. Obama’s whining about Bush and straw man arguments are wearing thin on the vast middle of the electorate. More than wearing thin; he’s toxic.
BO doesn’t have a clue about the actual real Americans who are hurting. As I recall, his entire work experience outside of politics was a few weeks at a “fast food” stand. He never actual WORKED a day in his life.
Why would he have a clue now? He is plenty happy being among the banker and moneyed buddies who are ripping off the majority of our countrymen – the people who used to have job actually doing productive work.
Only a complete fool would think that requiring ALL Americans to buy health insurance with NO low cost, non-monopolistic choice would be seen as as positive thing.
He is in so far over his head – he’s busy loving his prestige and clueless about the reality of 99% of the country. Good thing he has a good speech writer.
WOW! I bet some of you had to clean froth off of your computer screens at the end of the night.
@AliceP. He never had a clue about Americans who were hurting. In my work during the Primaries, I had many discussions with Obama supporters around this topic. The supporters I encountered were mostly college educated 20 somethings. They laughed at the gas tax holiday. I ran the numbers with them. It would have saved something like 60 bucks (I forget exactly now) for a family or around 400 for a small business like my bosses. They would say, big deal. What will that do? Remember Obama making jokes about it too? It was the principle. If a man can make jokes and doesnt understand what 60 bucks means to a family, what is his litmus for what he deems as affordable to the average family? Would he ever get the difference between 180 bucks or 120 bucks a month for health coverage. To a working class family, it makes a difference. But he isn’t that guy. He never truly was, but people believed differently.
BluePuppy says:
15 January 2010 at 8:49 pm”Hope? Change?
1.How about Special Olympic jokes,”
Like just about everybody here hasn’t at one time or another made a special olympics joke huh?
2.” passing judgment in the Skip Gates matter,”
YEAH! Just because the cop involved has tirned out to have a record of complaints of abuse of Black citizens! AND that the woman who placed the call stated she NEVER said what color the person she was calling about was! That uppity so and so had the NERVE to question the White Knight!!!
3. kissing tyrant *ss and bowing,”
YEAH! Bet you thought it was MUCH more dignified and upholding of the National Honor when PapaBush was puking in the Japanese Premiere’s lap or his idiot son was strolling hand in hand with the Saudi Prince? How about when the moron Bowed himself? Or maybe the village idiot sexually harrasing the Prime Minister of Germany?
4. and letting his Justice Department wage an under-the-radar affirmative action war against white majority municipalities, and fire and police” departments.”
And now we get to your real gripe! He’s ACTUALLY having the Justice Department inforce the law against those POOR, majority, had all the jobs forever WHITES!!! The POOR discriminateded against “white majority municipalities, and fire and police” departments”
HOW DARE those uppity Blacks want a fair share of the municiple jobs THEIR taxes pay for!!!!!
5.”He’s not a moderate. It’s showing, and it’s destroying the Democratic party — as many of us predicted.”
Sounds like you made the jump from Democrat to teabagger there skippy!
” I had many discussions with Obama supporters around this topic. The supporters I encountered were mostly college educated 20 somethings. They laughed at the gas tax holiday. I ran the numbers with them. It would have saved something like 60 bucks (I forget exactly now) for a family or around 400 for a small business like my bosses. They would say, big deal. What will that do? Remember Obama making jokes about it too? It was the principle.”
SO, you’re saying that is someone dosen’t think much of giving a poor/middle class family a WHOLE 1.02 CENTS a week it means they’re just outta touch with the little people?! Or your boss’s buisnes, he’d be saving what? 80 whole CENTS a freaking WEEK!!!!
ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!
Look, I am no big fan of Obama’s. If anything I’m a “well at least he’s better then a repugnantklaner” sort of Democrat at this stage.
But some of you folks are tipping over the edge of reality here.
Obama is what Obama is. But HE isn’t destroying the Democratic party. WE are if we let it happen.
” Sandmann says:
16 January 2010 at 3:08 am
WOW! I bet some of you had to clean froth off of your computer screens at the end of the night.”
Amen ta DAT Brudda!!
Coakley thinks Curt Shilling is a Yankees fan….
Robert Gibbs–conveniently forgetting that Coakley just had a fundraiser with Big Insurance and Big Pharma in DC, says Brown is the candidate who wants to protect Big Insurance!
And, Chuck Schumer says Brown is “far right” and a “tea-bagger” [thereby earning my undying enmity].
Democrats are already trying to paint Coakley as another “Creigh Deeds.”
And, yet, Obama cannot overcome his compulsion to believe tha HE can save the day, in Massachusetts, if he can only get up there and make a speech, which will CHARM the voters to the polls in cult-like amazement and joy–and the seas will rise and the heavens open up, or some such miracle–to support the Democrat, Martha Coakley.
Look, maybe it’s heresy to say this here, but frankly? The Democrats really DESERVE TO LOSE THIS SEAT.
Frankly, if the citizens of Mass are stupid enough to think electing a repug, and a REALLY repugnant repug at that, is a good idea maybe you’re right.
Maybe since President Obama cann’t actually walk on water and heal lepers with a touch, since he has turned out to be “GASP” a professional politition instead of the Messiah the country DESERVES another round of repugnantklan rule.
Then again, maybe you’ve got your head shoved up your ass or are overcome with Obama derangement syndrome. Maybe.
I haven’t commented here in forever, though I still visit and read.
The MA campaign has been a ton of fun to watch. Coakley sounds like a piece of work, who hasn’t even done a good job as AG. Good grief, how’d she win the primary? Wasn’t there anyone better? (And I read somewhere yesterday that she actually started her campaign while Teddy was on his deathbed; not cool, and the Kennedys are mad about it.)
All that said, with regards to Obama: (and I wrote in HRC as my choice): what a disaster. He has no actual work experience and it shows each and every day. He campaigned as a much more moderate person than he’s governed (and really, anyone who took a look at his writing would KNOW he was going to do that). He’s rammed through disastrous policies, such as the stimulus bill that’s cost something like $300,000 plus for every job “created.” Cash for Clunkers cost something along the lines of $25,000 for every car purchased, and decimated future new car sales as well as the used car market. Cap and Trade? Well, that will be a business-killer, should the Senate ever be dumb enough to approve it.
And the health care bill is a complete travesty. Does ANYONE think it will mean lower costs? And while I am pro-choice, you cannot expect the bill to be popular if it includes public funding for abortions. You can’t — the Hyde Amendment is long-standing, an accepted part of American life, really, whatever you think of it on its merits. Abortion deeply divides this country; I have plenty of friends, good friends, who are absolutely rock-solid in their convictions against abortion, including one who volunteers monthly to protest at a local Planned Parenthood clinic. I like these people. They simply feel differently than I do. Should their tax dollars be used to fund something to which they are deeply opposed, and which has not been funded for 25 or more years? No. It’s a deal-breaker, and there needed to have been a way to go “reform” without that. At the same time, women with that in their insurance policies should still be able to have access as well.
Obama has focused way too much on show and grandstanding (closing Gitmo — oh wait! Turned out to be harder than he thought!) instead of actually confronting the things important right now, which would be the economy and helping bring this country together. He’s been incredibly divisive, not to mention dismissive and arrogant. But look at the way he treated HRC during the campaign. Can we honestly be surprised? He didn’t change. We just see more clearly now.
I never liked him. It’s kind of fun to see others reach the same conclusions. I only wish they would have before November 2008. I really do believe we’d have been better off.
secularhumanizinevoluter….For many anti-Obama people it has all become about punishing Obama. Nobody cares that the country will pay the price for turning America over to the Tea Party in 2010…Just as long as it seems to hurt Obama many are happy.
Truth is Obama will be personally fine even if he only serves one term… The Obama may have come into the White House as a upper Middle class family but will be extremely much more wealthy upon leaving it. In fact it might be better if does only one term, just look at Jimmy Carter he seems to be the most happiest former president. The only real people who will suffer or you and I my friend as well as his anti-fans.
“I know that the losses of the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia did not provide the wake up call. Maybe the loss of Mass. will. Amazing. Who would have thought the Dems would be fighting for their political lives in the bluest of blue states and take over what had been the Kennedy seat for decades.”-nzanh
Your correct about there losses in governorship in New Jersey and Virginia… I was happy they lost those seats only because I thought it would be a wake up call for them…Well a couple months later there still not listening to there base and will now lose Teddy old seat…Nobody is listening in the Dem party and because of that they will continue to suffer. I’m not Anti-Obama or anti-Dem…I’m just anti-Stupid…and right now people in the Dem party are making Stupid moves.
Too funny…
Washington Post Wakes Up after long nap to discover Obama’s trying to tell us something!
“When Obama is being “clear” these days, he is saying something quite different than when he was being clear in 2007 and 2008. His shifting use of the phrase traces the arc of Obama’s time on the national stage, from campaign sensation to a president beset with challenges that rhetoric alone cannot overcome. In a presidency in which everything is murkier than Obama could have imagined, the “let me be clear” preface has become a signal that what follows will be anything but.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/14/AR2010011403872.html
“Then again, maybe you’ve got your head shoved up your ass or are overcome with Obama derangement syndrome. Maybe.” — secularhumanezinevoluter
I presume that this is directed at me. So, let me respond, sincerely:
I’m overcome with disgust, that is certain. I was overcome with disgust for 8 years during the Bush Reign of Terror; I had hopes that Democrats would change things. Isn’t that what the campaign was all about: Hope, Change? Alas, it was not to be. There’s basically no difference. Obama has continued Bush’s policies with regard to domestic and foreign “national security” issues; domestically, I haven’t seen much difference, with regard to economic policies; and corruption is rampant in this administration as it was in the last administration.
I think that just maybe those who still succumb to either party’s propaganda, are the ones with their heads “shoved” up their asses. It literally fits the definition of “cult.” I just don’t subscribe to cult thinking anymore, politically speaking. I’ve done the party thing for many years, precinct chair, working the district, elected secretary for county party, given gobs of money. No more. So, it’s not “Obama Derangement Syndrome”; it’s complete disgust with the entire system of government at this point.
spincitysd…I appreciate your post and agree that Democratic leadership is no longer effective or responsive to what is going on in the lives of most Americans. Ramsgate I do think many Dems would follow an insurgent Dean. The problem is Dems alone cannot win a national election. If the Repubs had their own insurgency or breakaway party that might change the equation.
segular I appreciate your pointing out the ways it could be worse and of course you are right that Repubs in power is always the worst thing that can happen to our country. However, we can’t just keep letting the Dems get weaker and weaker on basic Dem principles and tell ourselves ” well at least they aren’t Repubs” at some point we have to rebel or this country is lost.
Wow, “Obama derangement syndrome”? Is that anything like “bush derangement syndrome?” Maybe these two guys, bush and Obama, are more alike than anyone thought? After all they were/are both assassins. bush had his secret CIA assassination squads and Omaba has his CIA drone assassination squads. Neither bush nor Obama care much about due process or the constitution when it comes to murdering men, women and children in thier beds. Those sure aren’t the actions of any “Messiah” that I’ve ever read about? Peace
Noogan makes a good point about party propaganda.Many Dems can talk a good game but what they do i.e. legislation is a different thing all together.
Imhotep..C-span had a reproter from the National Journal on this morning talking about that very thing. He says Obama has doubled the predator hits and expanded to Yeman,Somolia and Packistan countries we are not at war with.
There was a great discussion frm callers about when our constitution is in effect,when someone is on American soil or in American custody.
He made the point that congress was informed and on board with the secret renditions and assassinations.All of this being done outside our constitution and international treaties in our name.
Noogan said “No more. So, it’s not “Obama Derangement Syndrome”; it’s complete disgust with the entire system of government at this point.”
Damn, that was pretty good point.However, what makes me sad is people still think there is a big great difference between the parties…For example, the resurgence of Republicans…Hello, these people gave us Bush for two terms…And in a twisted sense help to created the right environment for Obama to become President. So, just imagine once they regain power and after another wonderful two terms of Republican rule who or what else will follow them…sweet…lol
“C-span had a reproter from the National Journal on this morning talking about that very thing. He says Obama has doubled the predator hits and expanded to Yeman,Somolia and Packistan countries we are not at war with.”-Lake Lady
Wait a minute, are these not some of the countries that terrorist use to get people to kill us… If so I don’t have a problem with this decision at all to expand attacks…
I think Jane may have jumped the shark if she is trying to take out progressive Dems now. If djjl shows up today she might have some thoughts about this.
http://washingtonindependent.com/74105/did-firedoglake-take-out-vic-snyder
Marie 205….wihout a national debate? What gives us the right to bomb soverign countries? How would you feel if your innocent family member or neighbor was killed by a unmaned airstrike from some powerful empire? Would you be inclined to join the empire or join the local resistence?
Marie205, so you don’t believe that due process of law to include a trial by your peers is a valid legal concept? You accept as correct the theory of preemptive war then? Peace
I would much rather put American power and might into building peace.Greg Mortonson says that he could build hundreds of schools in Afganistan for the cost of keeping one US soilder there. If thousdands of kids could go to hunreds of schools provided by the US would they be more inclined to want peace with us than to join the resistance?
Lake Lady, to answer a question you had a few days ago. Try http://www.capitalismgonewild.com/2009/02/electronic-run-on-banks-... Peace
That is where this whole “war against terrior” construct has lead us,into the preemptive war thinking.I find it unbelievable that a large number of Americans think it is okay to torture. We have lost our moorings.
Imhotep…I tried and got “page not found”
We can thank Moshe Dayan and Golda Meir for bringing that distorted concept to the world. Just one more horror that the Israelis have visited upon mankind. Peace
Lake Lady, sorry. If you go to that site, then visit their archive related to the “electronic money market bank run of September 2008″ the info is stored there. Or you can ‘google’ that topic and find a number of articles from a number of different sources. Peace
Marie205 says:
16 January 2010 at 8:54 am
LOL. Marie205 I love the above post.
You are so pragmatic and unemotional about all this you should be in the Obama administration.
You are right, I for one DO want to punish the SOB for what he has done to the country, and the opportunities wasted. To a large extent what they did was criminal and as you so correctly stated they will not only get away with it, they are more than likely going to prosper for it. More to the point, the meaner they are to the have-not’s the greater their rewards when they leave office.
Lake Lady:
You are singing my tune! We have to come to grips with an unfortunate truth in this country: We cannot afford unbridled American militarism around the world. It’s not in the least naive to point this fact out. We’re headed into bankruptcy as a nation. We cannot continue down this path forever. Did we even have an election in 2008; I’m hard-pressed to see any difference.
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Obama Wants Record $708 Billion for Wars Next Year
By ANNE GEARAN and ANNE FLAHERTY
President Barack Obama will ask Congress for an additional $33 billion to fight unpopular wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on top of a record $708 billion for the Defense Department next year. – The extra $33 billion in 2010 would mostly go toward the expansion of the war in Afghanistan.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24396.htm
===
Millions More US Children in Poverty
By Tom Eley
In 2008, one in five US children under age 18 lived in families below the official poverty level, according to Census Bureau data released in September 2009. The figure now is significantly higher, according to Brookings researcher Julia B. Isaacs.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24397.htm
Ramsgate….lol
I keep telling people let go of the personal hate toward Obama…He will not “Suffer” only we will…The Republicans are using the Anti-war, Joblessness and overall unrest to there advantage I might said it very well…Good for them!!! After all politics is only a sick twist large then laugh football games… High marks for the Red Team (Republicans)…The Blue Team (Dems) is suffering at the moment because of there own stupidity…The only winner on the Dems side will be Obama Financially…
Just like Palin is making a killing raking in the big bucks over at Fox after losing in 2008…So, will Obama family if they finish out in one term…He will then get to sit back and talk about how the Republicans an Dems turned on him in his next bestseller book…Don’t kid yourself Anti-Obama fans…The man will become a extremely wealthy and he knows it…lol
What say we take that $33 billion and give $10 billion to Haiti and the other $23 billion to anyone who has a good idea about how we can stop burning oil to run our automobiles, homes, businesses and machines? Let’s send those 30,000 Afghanistan “surge” troops to Haiti for 5 years and see what kind of “nation building” they can accomplish down there? Peace
After all politics is only a sick twisted larger then life football games-Typo corrected…I think…lol
Imhotep…That will never happen..Money to help a poor country that does not have oil…Republicans and many Dems would be very upset!
Beth in suburban Chicago says:
16 January 2010 at 8:49 am
I need to hear everyone’s voice, so I appreciate you posting, Beth.
The Clintons at least remember who their friends are.I hope this country and all of it’s needs for WJC don’t kill him!I guess slowing down is not in his vocabulary but I worry about his heart.
http://www.salon.com/news/martha_coakley/index.html?story=/opinion/conason/2010/01/15/clinton_coakley
Lady Lake, they also remember who their enemies are. With a ruthless vengeance. Peace
Imhotep…don’t we want tough Dems? You can’t say that WJC was a warmonger.
Lake Lady
Good Afternoon.
People here and polls here show Vic Snyder would likely have won pretty easily. He’s been long known, even among his enemies in the ultra conservative Arkansas Democrat Gazette, as St Vic. He is well liked beyond the shrewish self-centered greed mongers.
My guess, and I think it is likely a good one, that he decided to focus on the wife and children that came to him relatively late in life.
‘”“I have concluded that these election-year forces are no match for the persuasive and powerful attraction of our three one-year old boys under the leadership of their three-year old brother, and I have decided not to run for re-election,” Snyder wrote.’
FDL should have focused on the likes of Cummins etc. If their poll had anything to do with this – which I highly doubt – shame on them. We may more likely have Tim Griffin, Karl Rove protege, and late of US Atty infamy.
Neither Clinton is ruthless or interested in vengeance. They have a long history to prove it.
djjl says:
16 January 2010 at 2:06 pm
Djji, I completely agree with you on this.
Bill especially is known to forgive his political enemies with statements like “It’s just politics”. I would imagine that they are less forgiving of people like Dolye and Richardson who are disloyal.
djjl…three one year old boys???? Yikes,his wife might have made him quit!
Triplets
“Snyder married The Reverend Betsy Singleton, a United Methodist minister at Little Rock’s Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, in 2003. They have four children, all boys, named Penn, Aubrey, Wyatt, and Sullivan. The latter three are triplets.”
Oh come on Taylor, the GOPranos aka the Republiklan party aka the Republicans did destroy the towers in a round about way. Bush provoked the Taliban into getting their guests Al Qaeda to launch the worst attack on continental US soil in a century. The attack at Pearl harbor happened off the continent of North America. The GOP search for Oil and gas profits led to the 9-11 attacks according to a former French intelligence officer and a French Journalist.
This appears a pattern of attempting to enrich corporate friends of the GOPranos, a la Medicare Part D, Medicare Disadvantage, Haliburton and Blackwater by these dreadful public private partnerships that the GOPranos and the Democratic Libertarian Council.
Hello
Here’s how the left can DESTROY The power of conservatives in both parties in congress.
Getting progressive legislation enacted in congress. Vote with your dollars!
Hello
If you like this then please publicize it to the progressive community across our fine country as I have not gotten much response from many progressives. I also must say that there appear many fake and coward progressive organizations out there, even Progressive Democrats of America who would have none of the boycotts I set up.
I have seen and spoke to a lot of well meaning Democrats wanting to make change in Washington and they issue petitions that do not include a boycott of the friends of those who would block progressive action and legislation. Such Democrats unnecessarily tie their left hand behind their backs. I urge people to consider boycotting the friends of those conservatives in congress in order to force them to sit up and take notice and capitulate to our demands. In our country money appears an important factor in getting action done. We need to go on a purchasing strike against the friends of regressives in order to force them to cooperate with us. It appears peaceful and legal in an atmosphere of legalized bribery in congress. We need to take back control over our purchases and how the profits get spent especially how they get used for legalized bribery in congress.
If you don’t like a particular TV program, you call their sponsors and tell them you will boycott them until the program either goes off the air or changes to your liking. This works similar with political parties, politicians and their sponsors (campaign contributors).
If you have a blog please post this on your blog. I want to get at least 100,000 people to sign these petitions, the first two which you can demand single payer health care and a fix to the Medicare prescription drug benefit. These petitions appear at
http://liberal.posterous.com/the-liberal-democratic-party-of-the-united-st-1
Thank you again democratz.org.
The original OFA could do this – must not want to
Secularhumanizer, that wasnt a yearly stat. Sorry to not clarify, but the proposed cut was for a 3 month period. Federal tax on 1 gal of gas was somewhere at 18.4 cents w state taxes at 8.0 – 36.0 cents per gallon. The government collected 36 billion in gas taxes in ’07. So it would have saved consumers 9 billion.
Tipping over the edge of reality? Growing up in a poor family, I have counted pennies and and rolled nickles before. But, it isnt everyone’s reality. Any plan to put money back into the public’s pocket can make a difference and this was just one of a multitude of plans.
Of course imhopless can say that. He/she/it says all kinds of shit each and every time he/she/it posts here.
So some of ya’ll are now officially in the plague on both of their houses and actually equate and see no differance between the repugs and Dems. Things now are JUST like they were under repug “rule”?
“BC30 says:
16 January 2010 at 4:40 pm”
I at one point in my life was homeless. I several times in my life existed on whatever I could scrounge or hunt/trap. Even did the dumpster diving routine. I KNOW what being poor is.
Frankly if someone is so poor that they are counting pennies THAT closely I kinda doubt they are buying much gasoline but even if they ARE…they’ll be able to get an extra what, THIRD of a gallon?