This Shutdown isn't about Obamacare...it's about OBAMA

I've said something for a long time and I will open this piece with it:

The Republican Party DECIDED to commit ECONOMIC TREASON against this country beginning January 20, 2009.

The very night of Barack Obama's inauguration, a group of GOP leaders met, and decided, in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression that they only would not work with this President to try and fix the economy, but that they would actively work against ANYTHING that he brought forth.

THAT is why, when one looks back at the list of accomplishments by President Obama in his first term in office..



They were done WITHOUT GOP votes.

That CHOICE of ECONOMIC TREASON has continued throughout the Presidency of Barack Obama.

It is the reason why this recovery hasn't gotten as far as it could have. While the private sector has rebounded, the GOP, specifically, the GOP in the STATES, took a buzzsaw to Government Employees, and it is the downturn in PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT that drags the economy down.

They took 43 votes to repeal Obamacare

But couldn't put the President's American Jobs Act forth for ONE vote. Nor, have they brought forth ONE single jobs bill since they took over the house in 2011.

Since taking over the House in 2011, there hasn't been ONE piece of meaningful legislation that has been brought forth by the GOP.

Rachel Maddow did a terrific piece on this. She opens up the segment explaining and detailing all the legislation that the President was able to bring forth when he had a Democratic House and Senate. The list was more than impressive.

Then, she brought up what the GOP has done since retaking the House...absolutely nothing.

Since they took over the House, there has been nothing meaningful coming out of there, including a BUDGET.

This country has been forced to run itself on continuing resolutions.

The President said the other day that the two things the House of Representatives are charged with are the following:

1. Produce a budget

2. Pay the bills the United States runs up

And, they have DELIBERATELY been AWOL with both duties.

The party that inherited a BUDGET SURPLUS from Bill Clinton and didn't two shyts about budget deficits as they:

1. Lied us into not one, but TWO wars that were kept ' off the books'

2. Put in place tax cuts during wartime - something NEVER EVER done before

3. Put in place the unpaid for Medicare Part D

THAT Party began screaming about deficits once a Black man was elected President. But, since they didn't open up their mouths about it before hand as George W. Bush spent us into all this debt, I never took them seriously and saw them for what it was.

They were negligent about doing their duty because they wanted to SABOTAGE THE ECONOMY as to harm the President's re-election chances. It's as plain as day. They CHOSE to betray this country because they thought a bad economy would be a great way to run against President Obama. In addition to this, they also planned using unlimited financial resources - hence, the Citizens United decision, and a willing MSM media - remember the Study confirming that NINETY PERCENT of the President's coverage was NEGATIVE. On top of this, don't forget the Voter Suppression bills put forth by the GOP that the MSM, save for a few hearty and loud souls, kept quiet about during the 2012 election.

So, let's look at the stacked deck:

1. Sabotaging the American Economy - check

2. Unlimited financial resources - check

3. Compliant MSM Media that wouldn't report Willard's lies - check

4. Attempted Voter Suppression from coast to coast - check

ALL this, so that the Black man wouldn't win a second term.

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In Voter Suppression News, Judge UPHOLDS Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

hat tips-djchefron and RobM

From TPM.com:

TPMMuckraker

Judge Won’t Block Pennsylvania’s Voter ID Law

Ryan J. Reilly- August 15, 2012, 9:10 AM

A state judge on Wednesday refused to block Pennsylvania’s controversial voter ID law. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson’s 70-page order ruled that opponents of the law failed to establish “that disenfranchisement was immediate or inevitable.”

Simpson did not rule on the case’s merits, only on whether it could be enjoined. Opponents of the law are expected to appeal to the state’s Supreme Court.

“We’re not done, it’s not over,” Witold J. Walczak, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who helped argue the case, told the Associated Press. “It’s why they make appeals courts.”

Simpson ruled that the law “does not expressly disenfranchise or burden any qualified elector or group of electors. The statute simply gives poll workers another tool to verify that the person voting is who they claim to be.”

He said that opponents of the law “did an excellent job of ‘putting a face’ to those burdened by the voter ID requirement.”

“At the end of the day, however, I do not have the luxury of deciding this issued based on my sympathy for the witnesses or my esteem for counsel,” Simpson ruled. “Rather, I must analyze the law, and apply it to evidence of facial unconstitutionality brought forth in the courtroom, tested by our adversarial system.”

So, the people putting the law into effect couldn't come up with ANY voter fraud, yet this law, which can disenfranchise AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF CURRENT VOTERS, was upheld.

Uh huh.

Libya - How Come the GOP Doesn't Include the PRESIDENT When Discussing It?

hat tip-3CHICSPOLITICO:

With all the comments from the GOP about the happenings in Libya, there is a common theme:

THEY SOMEHOW FORGET THE PRESIDENT'S INVOLVEMENT IN ALL OF THIS.

From TPM.com:

Barack Who? GOP 2012 Candidates Respond To Qaddafi’s Fall By Writing Obama Out Of History
Thomas Lane | August 22, 2011, 6:33PM

The main GOP presidential candidates' responses to events in Libya were strikingly diverse. However, one factor they had in common was the lack of any mention of one person: the President who actually committed US forces to the conflict.

The exception to this was former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. "Ridding the world of the likes of Gadhafi is a good thing," he wrote. "But this indecisive President had little to do with this triumph."

That was in line with a rather churlish press release put out Sunday night by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), which bemoaned that Qaddafi's fall took "so long" because a certain someone wouldn't "employ the full weight of our airpower."

Still, at least this line of approach gave Obama a look-in. For the other candidates (repeating their tactics after the death of bin Laden) the President may as well have not existed.

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Millions of Hostages Win Release After Ransom is Paid

American hostages have finally won release from Republican hostage takers... in the boldest and biggest hostage standoff in history. The ringleaders, Eric Cantor & John Boehner, got just about everything they demanded. They would not guarantee that this wouldn't happen again. In fact, the hostage takers have now been emboldened to use their extreme measures in the future.

And while America continues to drown in her own vomit... I still can't find a decent job.

Most Americans found themselves this past week asking... what in the world is going on... what just happened here?

Obama & Co. were taken to the cleaners once again. I have grown to accept the fact that Obama has few (if any) smart, competent advisers. Because someone should have told him to rally the troops much earlier... not 7 days before a deadline to default. The original debt ceiling proposal (a routine vote over much of the last century) was voted down back in May. Even before that, the Republicans telegraphed their plans to everyone...making it clear what their intentions were. They had been planning this stunt for a year. The debt limit itself was actually reached in June. The U.S. Treasury has managed this long by creating liquidity and finding extra funds. The point is... this was no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. A surprise to the average American? Yes.. because they are fixated on Reality TV and American Idol. But for those who read the paper daily...and keep up with government... this was no surprise. So why in the world was the White House behaving as if they were caught flat footed.... yet again? I have mentioned the poor strategy & PR within the White House before... and it seems to keep rearing its head again and again. And as long as this problem persists... we will get the same results. Whispers from the White House suggest that Obama just didn't believe that the Republicans would be this evil... that they would hold the Country hostage to protect private jet owners. Yes Mr. President.. they are really that evil. Time and time again Obama & Co. seems to demonstrate a lack of imagination regarding just how tacky and low the Republican Tea Party could be. Was Obama being naive again?

President Obama should have taken his case to the people much earlier... 5, 6, 7 weeks before... telling the public exactly what the Republicans were planning to do. That would have forced the Republicans to confirm or deny and would have put them on the defensive. He should have told Americans the truth about what could happen to their benefits, and to the economy as a whole. Once people would have been informed about the potential hardships...and that we have never been held hostage quite like this before... that would have put tremendous pressure on Republicans. Obama could have effectively isolated the Republicans and forced them into a corner by preempting their plans. Obama (had he acted earlier) could have made it much harder for Republicans to go through with their plan.

But like so many other times before... the Obama Administration was not proactive. Instead... they reacted to whatever the Republicans wanted to lull them into. The White House actually believed that the Republicans planned to negotiate in good faith... when in reality..the Republicans were just dragging the President along... trying to get as close to the deadline as possible. They had no intention of coming up with a deal before the last 3 days or so. They were following their plan.

I don't know what it is about Obama & Co. and Democratic strategists... but something has to change. They always seem to react...(and even then...often too late). They are rarely proactive when it comes to their strategy for dealing with Republicans... even when they know the Republican playbook...and even when the Republicans announce their plans.

Will Obama be prepared for the next fight? The next fight will likely be the Affordable Care Act...(Healthcare Reform). Republicans plan to defund certain pieces of the legislation as a way of killing it.

We will go from one problem to another with this Congress. In fact... the reprieve will be short. There will be another budget fight in September...and a government shut down (while not likely) is possible. It isn't likely because the Republicans are actually afraid to go through with it. They remember what happened after their effort to shut down the government in 1995. They came away as the bad guys. But this Republican caucus is much more extreme. So these fights are not over... they are only getting started.

Meanwhile the world is watching...amazed at the level of dysfunction within the U.S. system. Global bond holders & investors may now have second thoughts about U.S. Treasuries... so damage has been done. The world is questioning the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency (have been for a while... but especially now). Not only that... but now the credit rating for the Country could be under review. The economy...already weak, has been wounded yet again. The Dow Jones has fallen over 500 points (or about 4%) over the past week. All because the Republicans resorted to draconian measures... blaming Obama for the debt... most of which was racked up under the previous 4 Presidents (but they were white). More from the New York Times. Now the Republican Tea Party wants the debt problem solved instantly...which will cause more problems. Cutting spending too drastically will be a drag on an already slow economy. As if that wasn't enough... the political uncertainty & instability (caused by Tea Party nuts) will cause consumers and business owners to sit on their money. These Tea Party extremists didn't say a word when Bush put the Country into two wars...paying for them with emergency supplemental appropriations (outside of the standard budget process...adding to the deficit but hiding the cost).

It will be frustrating to watch Obama & Co. stumble from one debacle to another.... (including manufactured crisis) appearing unprepared..and surprised.  They will be reactive instead of proactive... allowing the Republicans to get the biggest deal that they can get. But unfortunately, this has been the m/o for Obama & Co. since 2009. The latest ploy was simply the most public example of a strategy deficit that has been a drag on the Obama Administration for quite some time.

In 'They Are Who We Thought They Were' News....LET the GOP truly express themselves with regards to MEDICARE

When people show you who they are BELIEVE IT.

For all your SUCKERS out there who voted for the GOP in November 2010, because you believed the LIES they told about this President....well, THIS is who you voted for. Bottom line, Seniors ----they'd throw your asses to the wolves in a NANOSECOND.

hat tip-The Washington Monthly:

from The Huffington Post:

Rob Woodall On Medicare: 'When Do I Decide I'm Going To Take Care Of Me?'

Rep. Rob Woodall, a Georgia Republican, made a vigorous ideological defense of ending Medicare as it currently exists, telling seniors at a local town hall that they ought not look to the government to provide health care for the elderly just because their private employer doesn't offer health benefits for retirees.

A Woodall constituent raised a practical obstacle to obtaining coverage in the private market within the confines of an employer-based health insurance system: What happens when you retire?

"The private corporation that I retired from does not give medical benefits to retirees," the woman told the congressman in video captured a local Patch reporter in Dacula, Ga.

"Hear yourself, ma'am. Hear yourself," Woodall told the woman. "You want the government to take care of you, because your employer decided not to take care of you. My question is, 'When do I decide I'm going to take care of me?'"

Large portions of the crowd responded enthusiastically to the congressman's barb, with some giving him a standing ovation, underscoring the fierce divisions within the electorate.

.......................................

William Robert Woodall III, who goes by "Rob," doesn't appear to have been referring literally to himself, but rather speaking figuratively. It's a good thing, because financial records show the 41-year-old congressman has done very little to take care of himself in his retirement. Woodall's 2009 financial disclosure forms, filed with the House of Representatives, show that his two largest IRAs have between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of assets, hardly the type of nest egg that would be able to cover the health care costs associated with aging absent government health care.

Woodall was chief of staff to former Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.), a job taxpayers shelled out more than $100,000 a year for in 2002, rising to more than $150,000 in 2009, plus gold-plated health and retirement benefits. Woodall, who has taken his former boss's seat, now makes $174,000 a year with generous benefits.
...................................
Another woman at the Woodall town hall told the congressman that it was unrealistic to think that the market would provide affordable policies to the elderly.

"When you become a senior, you will not be created equal when they take away your Medicare," she said.

Another woman told the congressman that Medicare provides peace of mind to her children, who would be on the hook for her care otherwise, much as they were before the social safety net was stitched together.

"I'm fine with my Medicare, and my children and my grand children -- my children especially -- would have a lot of heartburn if they know that I'm not on Medicare, because that voucher is not going to go very far,” said the woman.

Woodall suggested that the woman concerned about vouchers might find the type of health care system she and her children approve of in Canada or another industrialized nation.

"If you want a socialized health care program, there are lots of places to find that," he said. "But, for your children's sake, I beg you: There aren't many places to find the freedom to succeed by the sweat of your brow like we have here.”

So, HIS behind hasn't financially planned for his future, but expects TAXPAYERS to make his golden years bearable.....the rest of you Seniors can go F-yourselves, according to this clown.


The political ads just write themselves with this bunch.



Here's the video

POTUS, Bin Laden, the Photos &......GOP Manhood

The President has decided NOT to release the photos of Osama Bin Laden. Good for him. We killed him; did the DNA test on him, he's dead, that's the end of it.

So, why are so many GOPers 'insisting ' that the President release the photos of Bin Laden?

I could go into a long treatise about why, but I think I'll leave the explanation to our poster coop10, who dropped this knowledge yesterday, and all I could say when I read it was AMEN.

So, why are some GOPers saying that the President should release the photos?:

ANSWER:

coop10

Let's not get it twisted. It's not about the photo of Bin Laden. It's about exerting power over President Obama. "Boy, since you got Bin Laden on your own without our (Obama-haters of all stripes) input, you bedda damn well put them pictures out."

What President Obama did, ladies and gentlemen was to emasculate the white man, and they are furious about his doing so. If they can force his hands on those photos, then they can maintain their control over him and the narrative. But he trumped them this time with the mother of all trumps --the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

But what do white men do? They minimize, denigrate, doubt, deride, scorn,and equivocate.

"Obama hesitated."

"He didn't give Bush credit."

"He just signed off on the mission."

"He didn't release the photos. "

"We don't know if he's really dead."

That a black man with the name of Barack Hussein Obama achieved the ultimate white male fantasy --killing America's number one enemy--is unforgivable to white men. Obama's achievement rendered the white man impotent, and so they try to reclaim their power --by demanding the pictures...."Give me those pictures, boy."But the President of the United States, Barack Obama, won't give them the chance to assume their white machismo. Instead, he says that we don't do trophies. We don't do heads on spikes. We don't do drunken frat boy stunts.

The black president is rewriting the rules on manhood and American-ness, and the white boys can't stand it. But after the slap down of Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, the release of his birth certificate and the killing of Bin Laden, President Obama stands as a man among boys-- white boys -- so they better grow up, in a hurry.

Like Rats Leaving a Sinking Ship...the GOP Deserts Paul "VOUCHERCARE" Ryan

Well...well...well.....

it seems as if the GOP isn't as big and bad as they pretended to be when they passed the Paul Ryan "DESTROY MEDICARE AND MEDICAID" 2012 Budget.

Now.....they're deserting him, leaving him on the branch alone.

I don’t give a shyt about how many Frank Luntz phrases that they use…

Seniors understand

End Medicare…Replace with Vouchercare


The GOP couldn’t get past that.

From TPM.com

Boehner: 'Political Realities' Make Medicare Privatization Difficult

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is the latest GOP leader to acknowledge that his party's plan to privatize Medicare -- which passed the House as part of the Republican budget -- will hit a wall in the White House and Senate.

Responding Thursday to the news that one of his most powerful chairmen, Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) of the House Ways and Means Committee, will not push ahead with the Medicare plan, Boehner told reporters, "My interpretation of what Mr. Camp [said] was a recognition of the political realities that we face. While Republicans control the House, the Democrats control the Senate and they control the White House."

Boehner insisted the GOP hasn't abandoned the plan, and isn't prepared to take anything other than tax increases off the table. But with multiple top Republicans now acknowledging that budget negotiations will focus on other areas of potential agreement, it seems understood that the plan is basically dead.

So, Orange Julius is saying that it might be needing, what, 'some retooling'?

Yeah, good luck with that.

But, TPM already points out the problems for ALLLLL the House Republicans, save 4:

There's just two problems with that, if you're a House Republican:
1.) The plan is still very unpopular, and 2.) There's over a 97 percent chance that you already voted for it.

Yes, the 2012 DNC Ads are being written as I type for those GOP House Members.

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Heads Up To All the Senior Citizens Who Fell for the GOP Lies about ObamacareS - get ready, because they're coming after MEDICARE

And, only because I know that there are plenty of Senior Citizens who weren't stupid enough to believe the GOP Lies About OBAMACARES, well, here's the payback for your idiocy:

The Republicans want to PRIVATIZE MEDICARE.

Let me repeat that to you.

THE REPUBLICANS WANT TO PRIVATIZE MEDICARE.

From the Wall Street Journal:

GOP Aim: Cut $4 Trillion
Budget Plan Would Transform Medicare, Reset Budget Debate; Democrats Balk.

By NAFTALI BENDAVID
Republicans will present this week a 2012 budget proposal that would cut more than $4 trillion from federal spending projected over the next decade and transform the Medicare health program for the elderly, a move that will dramatically reshape the budget debate in Washington.

The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills. Mr. Ryan and other conservatives say this is necessary because of the program's soaring costs. Medicare cost $396.5 billion in 2010 and is projected to rise to $502.8 billion in 2016. At that pace, spending on the program would have doubled between 2002 and 2016.

Mr. Ryan's proposal would apply to those currently under the age of 55, and for those Americans would convert Medicare into a "premium support" system. Participants from that group would choose from an array of private insurance plans when they reach 65 and become eligible, and the government would pay about the first $15,000 in premiums. Those who are poorer or less healthy would receive bigger payments than others.

The proposal would also convert Medicaid, the health program for the poor, into a series of block grants to give states more flexibility. And it is expected to suggest significant cuts in Social Security, while proposing fewer details on how to achieve them.

The federal government expects to spend about $275 billion in 2011 on Medicaid, the program that provides medical care to the poor and disabled, up from $117.9 billion in 2000. The Congressional Budget Office projects Medicaid spending will roughly double by 2021.

Now, these mofos want to continue with their UNPAID TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH, but somehow, I'm supposed to just ' trust' them on GIVING VOUCHERS FOR MEDICARE?

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Rachel Maddow Makes it clear- what's going on in Wisconsin is about the future of the Democratic Party

Rachel Maddow does a series of excellent pieces about why this attack on the unions is an attack on the Democratic Party. This attack is about the only institutions that financially help the Democratic Party.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Poor Michael Steele....they wanna kick him to the curb....LOL

from Black Politics on the Web

Steele on thin ice at helm of Republican Party
By The Admin on November 26, 2010

A significant bloc of Republican National Committee members wants embattled chairman Michael Steele to step aside, but the rank and file have failed to settle on a clear alternative, according to Associated Press interviews with committee members.

More than four dozen interviews with members of the 168-member central committee found fear that a badly damaged Steele could emerge from the wreckage of a knockdown, drag-out fight to head the party as it challenges President Barack Obama in 2012. While most agree that Steele’s time has been rough — and costly — the members also recognize that a leadership fight could overshadow gains that Republicans made in the midterm elections.

With balloting set to take place in just two months, many just want Steele to go.

“You can’t keep spending the kind of money they’re spending every month just to operate the RNC,” said committee member Ada Fisher of North Carolina. “I would hope he would step aside.”

“The question is who should be hired for the next two years, It’s not a matter of firing anybody,” said James Bopp, a committee member from Indiana who holds great sway among social conservatives on the panel. “I just don’t think Steele has performed at the level we need for the presidential cycle.”

In interviews with 51 committee members, 39 said they preferred Steele not be on the ballot when they meet near Washington in mid-January to pick their leader.

For his part, Steele hasn’t said whether he will pursue the 85-vote majority needed for a second term. Already, members have been hearing from others interested in that quest.

.......................................

Steele started the job with a $23 million surplus; the RNC raised more than $79 million this year and has spent all of it. Some went to places that previously saw little RNC cash or interest, including five U.S. territories that each has three votes on the central committee.

Oh MC Steele.....

You can't be surprised by this, can you?

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Obama and the Democrats Still Don't Get It - Fix the PR & Messaging, and Pick the Right Battles

The Midterm (S)elections ended pretty much as expected. Confused Americans tired of gridlock in Washington DC, voted for more gridlock. This is frustrating because I know many of those white Republican voters are poor working class and middle class people. Many have been greatly impacted by the economy. I don't understand how they believe Republicans will make their lives any better. Afterall, a Republican White House was at the helm when the economy crashed. Republicans will aim to cut projects and services that many of their own constituents depend on... food stamps, medicare, unemployment insurance, S-chip, infrastructure investments, money for Police and Teachers...you name it. The next two years will be very constraining for President Obama, due to a Republican House of Representatives that will block his remaining agenda.

I have been annoyed and dejected about politics and the direction of the Country (still going in the wrong direction) over the past several weeks and have not been motivated to write anything. Voters and the Country have been disappointing more often than not over the past several years. Things started to go downhill politically in the late 1990's when Republicans and Ken Starr turned the Clinton affair into a circus. Then the U.S. made a number of foreign policy mistakes... under Clinton, which didn't help the U.S. at all...and caused more harm. That was followed up by the 2000 elections. A year later... we had the 9/11 catastrophe. The U.S. hasn't been the same since. Every major negative event that happened after 2000 and 2001 can be traced back to the major events of those two years (the Election of Bush/Cheney, and 9/11)....every major negative event. The nation is still licking its wounds from 2000 and 2001.

What annoyed me most about the Democrats, Post-election, was the fact that there didn't seem to be any effort whatsoever to understand what helped lead to the sharp losses. There was no recognition at all of Progressive/Democratic Party strategy. It was back to business as usual. The first major sign that the Democrats didn't get it was the fact that they chose Nancy Pelosi to continue as the Party's leader in the House of Representatives. This would have been a good opportunity to start fresh with a new leader. Pelosi, in my view, was never very effective as Speaker. Not only does the choice of Pelosi provide more motivation for Republicans over the next two years, but it sends the signal that Democrats are, to some extent, tone deaf. Democrats never seemed to have their finger on the collective pulse of the American public. Despite the need to focus on jobs and the economy.... Democrats chose Healthcare. That in of itself was not the fatal blow. It was the way that they went about selling Healthcare Reform that sunk them. Democrats never seemed to understand the importance of messaging and PR... how to grab and maintain the initiative in the information war. As a result, they lost the information war early on and were never able to regain control of the debate. Democrats also failed to grasp the fact that the U.S. is a centrist to center-right nation, and that governing may sometimes require a centrist approach. However, this is also a nation, as centrist as it may be, where people like populist ideas...some of which are Progressive ideas. In other words...large complicated bills that few people understand are often frowned upon due to costs and the image of too much government. But when you separate Progressive ideas into smaller slices, Americans often like them.... the populist side of the Country kicks in. Democrats failed to exploit the way that Americans understand and perceive policy. It's as if Democrats didn't bother gauging public sentiment at all to determine the best strategy for proceeding.

They were able to pass a bill....many observers, including myself, predicted that. But the cost was probably too high...politically and otherwise. A better strategy might have been passing the bill in pieces which would have been less confusing. They should have focused on passing (and branding) the popular aspects of reform....making it difficult for Republicans to confuse and misinform voters.

President Obama himself doesn't seem to get it. Not only doesn't he seem to understand the larger issues that I mentioned regarding Democrats... he also doesn't seem to understand how his position and approach as President will have to change. During his post-election press conference, the President once again extended an olive branch to Republicans and talked bipartisanship. This was after (Speaker elect) John Boehner and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, made it clear that they had no intentions on pursuing a bipartisan approach.

"This is not a time for compromise, and I can tell you that we will not compromise on our principles," Boehner said during an appearance on conservative Sean Hannity's radio show.

McConnell made similar statements, basically saying that his priority would be to make sure that Obama is defeated in 2012. The only way to do that is to sabotage the remaining two years of Obama's Presidency....which is exactly what they plan to do. It's the same approach that they used during his first two years in office.

The Republican plan is basically to continue the approach of obstruction...and run out the clock on Obama's time in office. They don't want to allow Obama to claim credit for anything positive. They are even reluctant to allow Obama to sign the New START Treaty. The START Treaty is part of a family of Treaties going back to the SALT Treaties under Ford and Carter. They have been the cornerstone of arms control & arms reduction between the U.S. and Russia for four decades. Senate approval of these treaties is usually a formality. All out delays, opposition, sabotage & interference is extremely unusual... not just over the past four decades, but throughout the history of the Republic.

Is Obama tone deaf? He doesn't seem to understand that Republicans have declared war on his Presidency. He also doesn't seem to understand that Democrats/Progressives are in the midst of an information war...and they are losing. I can understand his desire to remain cordial. That's the professional thing to do... but behind the scenes he has to have a two track strategy if he wants to avoid being a one term President.

There is a way that Obama could minimize Republican obstructionism and even put pressure on Republicans. I'm not very optimistic, because the Obama strategy team and the strategy approach of the Party as a whole has been so ineffective over the past two years. But he could position himself to be competitive in 2012, if (along with the Democratic Party) he takes the following approach:

1. Vastly improve the messaging and PR. This has been dismal lately. Work to establish a media infrastructure and communications network for Progressives that could rival the Republican media apparatus (which dominates TV news, and Talk Radio, and has a growing presence on the net). The Democrats and the Obama Administration also must understand the importance of branding. Also, re-establish the PR response effort that was in place during the 2007-08 campaign. Dismantling this after the election was a huge mistake. Put the PR war room back in place.
Without making strides in the information war... Obama's re-election could be in doubt. You can have the best ideas in the world.... but if you have no way to get your message out... no way to compete on the airwaves, no way to combat and prevent distortions... then it doesn't really matter.

2. Keep making efforts to work with Republicans, but behind the scenes, rely on a two track approach. The real approach should be to cut out Congress altogether when necessary.... earlier than usual. Instead, talk directly to the American people about proposals. Talk to Americans during prime time (yes... interrupt them) once or twice a month to provide regular status updates. Tell them what legislation you want/and that the nation needs and point out when Republicans are blocking those efforts. Focus on popular pieces of legislation at least initially. This could work to basically turn the tables on Republicans and force them to govern ...and make tough decisions. Call their bluff on debt issues... make them explain the painful cuts to programs that people depend on. Make them explain why tax cuts for the rich were more important than a poor family's unemployment benefits or food stamps... down to earth, real world programs that people depend on to keep food on the table. Programs that people are depending on more than ever now...ironically due to an economic collapse that took place under a Republican President. Some of those people that will be impacted by Republican cuts are going to be white, working class Republicans. If Republicans block everything (even popular, sensible legislation)...the hope is that American voters will notice and at the very least give Obama another four years. Not that i'm a huge Obama fan (never was)....although I am proud. The reality is... there is no alternative. The idea of a President Romney, Gingrich, Barbour or the ultimate nightmare Sarah Palin, scares the daylights out of me.

3. Obama has to bring in a more effective, more creative strategy team. It's almost a full month after the elections and I see no improvement on the media/PR front.

4. Democrats have to choose their battles more carefully...concentrating on issues that the American people are most concerned with, keeping their fingers on the collective pulse of the nation, and choosing battles that would give them a chance to be effective and to win. Once a battle is chosen... stand up and fight for the Democratic/Progressive position....but be open to compromise when practical and sensible, and when the other side is acting in good faith (which is almost never). But the hope is...by choosing populist positions, the public will be on the side of Progressives, making Republican obstructionism much more difficult. This is why it is important to explain proposals in terms of how they would make life better for average Americans.... how a proposal would create jobs...etc. Speak in terms that middle America can understand.

5. Democrats/Progressives should invest heavily in a public/voter education initiative, both through public school curriculum's and through not-for-profit groups. Such a campaign should be a sustained long term effort, lasting years.

Why Did Americans Jump on the Republican Bandwagon?

1. Republicans are much more effective when it comes to PR and branding. Republican marketing/PR is so strong that they could sell just about anything. It's all in the packaging. Republican strategists understand how to use information or misinformation to change, and control public opinion. Yes, it's manipulative....but it works for them. They were basically able to convince enough voters that the economic pain that they were feeling was somehow the fault of President Obama (not because of the jackasses who came before, who were asleep at the wheel for 8 years). Yes, the Party controlling the White House typically loses seats in Congress after Midterm elections, however, the losses this year were made worse by deliberate efforts by the GOP (and its allies) to confuse and misinform voters.

2. Well I will let Pollster founder Charles Franklin say it. Sadly he's right. He basically says what I have been pointing out for years. I don't bring this up as a way to make fun of voters. Quite the contrary. I don't believe it's necessarily their fault. It's easy to fall victim to misinformation, especially in the digital/internet age. It's that much easier to fall victim when you may not have all the tools to navigate through the nonsense and lies, and to determine what good information is vs. bad information. Public School systems and colleges don't put enough emphasis on basic civics, government, political science, history, geography, and cultural instruction. This is why voter education has to be a fundamental part of the Democratic Party's strategy.

The 2010 Midterms

I haven't felt this bad since 2004. I seriously had the blues for about a year after that election.

No other way to put it- the Democrats got shellacked, plain and simple.

For those of you who got out to vote, thank you. You can complain for the next 2 years. Those of you who sat on your behinds and had better things to do because you don't think voting is important - STFU for the next 2 years.

Now, the GOP has to govern. They actually have to do something, outside of saying no. I went through a really vengeful mood for the past 48 hours, and couldn't post until I calmed down. That said, I gotta say this:

For all you teabaggers running around talking about 'socialized medicine' and ' Obamacare', when the GOP brings up giving you a voucher for your Medicare services, STFU.

Read more »

Americans' misplaced trust in the GOP

Rasmussen polling reports that the public trusts the Republican Party to better handle eight of the ten issues considered most important by Americans. In Americans’ defense, perhaps this is one of the many polls suffering from sample bias because cell phone only households, which favor Democrats, are undersampled by the major polling outfits.

To paraphrase Jay Leno, “What are Americans thinking?”

Read the rest at The Loop.

The Ignorance of Christine O'Donnell & The Tea Party on Full Display

This is why America is in serious trouble. In the following video O'Donnell demonstrates her profound ignorance about American history, the Constitution, and a number of other things. She apparently has no clue about what is in the Constitution, and completely humiliated herself during a debate with Democrat Chris Coons.

This rise of ignorance is a reflection of a wider intellectual rot in America, particularly among voters.

This is what stupid & fickle Americans (yes I said it) will be voting for collectively in November. The most frustrating part for me is knowing that Democrats/Progressives are losing to this idiocy, despite facts being on their side. Much of the problem has to do with the fact that there is a huge media imbalance and Democrats/Progressives do such a terrible job when it comes to PR, messaging and their overall communications strategy. There is really no Progressive media infrastructure that can compete with the right. Furthermore, Democratic strategists are clueless to the fact that they are in an information war with the right, and therefore, they have not put much of a priority on PR and messaging (one of their core problems over the last decade to decade & a half...which is a main reason why they lose). The fact that these Republican Tea Party candidates are taken seriously speaks volumes.



Related

Most Americans Can't name a single Supreme Court Justice

71% of Americans Fail Civics Test. See here and here.

Americans Have Little Understanding of Religion

Birthers Won't Go Away - Now They Want DNA

There seems to be no end to the crazy.

A Glimpse of a Republican Tea Party America

Wondering what a Republican Tea Party America will look like? Look no further than Obion County Tennessee. A utopia of low taxes and Tea Party Republicanism.... life is just great down there. To Hell with collectivism... it's every man for himself. They have taken life back to the old traditions of self reliance and they want the same for the rest of the Country.

When I heard about this on NPR on Tuesday I couldn't believe it. But when they mentioned that this occurred in Tennessee... bells went off in my head. I remembered that there was something about Tennessee...and I had posted about Republican craziness in that State recently...but I couldn't pinpoint it. I was at work, so it was stuck in the back of my head most of the day. So when I got home, I did a quick search...and there it was. It should be no surprise that this kind of craziness is going on there. This is also where American Muslims are currently being ostracized and antagonized. What is it about Tennessee?

Related

I have mentioned before that the whole anti-tax nonsense is largely a myth driven by right wing media. Actual data doesn't jive with their rhetoric. See my post "Tea Parties & Make Believe".

Glenn Beck - The Biggest Con Artist in America

Hear an NPR discussion about the Glenn Beck phenomenon & what it says about the Country. For me, Beck is just a huge con artist who happens to be good at what he does. His popularity is a reflection of our increasingly partisan politics, the intellectual deterioration taking root in the U.S. and "the facts be damned" attitude of the public, an extremely uninformed/misinformed populace, and a deteriorating media that lacks balance and takes part in the misinformation. Beck is also benefiting from anxiety stirred up by the economy... (but that is not the main issue in my opinion). The main reasons for Beck's success are public misinformation from right wing media...and the fact that there is a President in the White House who isn't white.

The rise of Beck isn't surprising in a Country where the citizens don't know basic civics, don't know much about the world, and don't know much about religion. Easy prey for con artists and manipulators.

Vote Republican By Roy Zimmerman

Great skit... hat tip to: Freakoutnation



Sadly... I think many Americans are asleep.... under the spell of the Tea Party, Glenn Beck & much of the other Republican media nonsense.

Much of that is the fault of Progressives/Democrats because they have failed to build a PR/media infrastructure that they can use to present their arguments and to fight back.

Reagan Budget Director Basically Says Republican Pledge is a Joke - Trashes Idea of Permanent Tax Cuts for the Rich

Former Reagan Budget Director David Stockman tells the truth about the Republican Pledge to America in interview with NPR this past week. Although he also criticized Democrats (naturally). I think his suggestion that TARP was a complete waste/failure isn't quite correct.... especially since we now know that the final bill is far less than the hundreds of billions that had been anticipated.

But I love how he exposes the phony act that Republicans have been putting on regarding taxes and their economic proposals.

Related

Jon Stewart's segment on the Republican's non-plan for the Country is classic! Same Republican BS.

Republican 'Pledge to America' Authored By Lobbyist for AIG, Big Oil

The Republicans unveiled their Snake oil today... their "Pledge to America". Based on what is in "the Pledge" the Republican answer to our economic situation is to extend tax cuts for the rich (the top 3% of American taxpayers) and that will take care of everything. Absent were specifics about controlling deficit/lowering national debt, what to do about jobs going overseas, specifics on exactly how to create jobs, etc. But the Pledge does promise to repeal healthcare reform. And on the subject of Social Security, Boehner couldn't answer reporters questions, but from what he had to say, privatizing Social Security is still on the table for them (of course it is... that's what they intend to do, but he was afraid to say it). the pledge was critical of special interests.... ironic since the man behind the "Pledge to America" is a professional corporate lobbyist for such great companies as AIG and Exxon, among others. Basically the Republican program was authored by a corporate shill by the name of Brian Wild.

From The Huffington Post:

The Republican Party's 21-page blueprint, "Pledge to America," was put together with oversight by a House staffer who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil, pharmaceutical, and insurance companies.

In a draft version of The Pledge that was being passed around to reporters before the official release, the document properties list "Wild, Brian" as the "Author." A GOP source said that Wild -- who is on House Minority Leader John Boehner's payroll -- did help author the governing platform that the party is unveiling on Thursday. Another aide said that as the executive director of the Republican leadership group American Speaking Out, Wild's tasks were more on the administrative side of the operations.

Until early this year, Wild was a fairly active lobbyist on behalf of the firm the Nickles Group, the lobbying shop set up by the former Republican Senator from Oklahoma, Don Nickles. During his five years at the firm, Wild, among others, was paid $740,000 in lobbying contracts from AIG, the former insurance company at the heart of the financial collapse; $800,000 from energy giant Andarko Petroleum; more than $1.1 million from Comcast, more than $1.3 million from Exxon Mobil; and $625,000 from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc.

More here

For those who may have missed an earlier post regarding what the Republican Tea Party stands for.... Here is Their Basic Platform.

From Think Progress - No real mention of controlling the earmark pork spending in Congress:

As the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein reports, the GOP’s new “Pledge to America” was directed by a staffer named Brian Wild, who until early this year, was a lobbyist at a prominent DC firm that lobbied on behalf of corporate giants like Exxon. Moreover, the insurance industry is the leading contributor to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republican who led the effort. Consistent with its desire to placate lobbyists, the 21-page “Pledge” omits any mention of a key Republican mantra: a ban on earmarks.

Lobbyists have long supported the practice of “earmarking,” a maneuver that allows lobbyists to cajole members of Congress to add pet projects to appropriations bills. While it’s no surprise that the lobbyist-authored document drops any discussion of “earmarking,” it is nevertheless an interesting pivot for Republicans.

On March 11, 2010, House Republicans adopted a one-year moratorium on all earmarks, urging Republicans in the Senate and Democrats in Congress “to follow their lead.” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) touted the decision as “an important step toward showing the American people we’re serious about reform.” While Democrats announced a ban on earmarks for private companies the day before, Boehner wanted to “put [all earmarks] on the line to win” the November elections. Republicans touted their measure as a message that they were going to “cleanse themselves” of corruption and bring about “a culture of change”:

See full commentary from Think Progress.

Two great commentaries on The Republican "Pledge to America"

One from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Another from the Examiner.