President Barack Obama - Term 1 and 2 Thread

[JasonD]

I agree that in a rational society everyone should feel equally obligated & responsible to earn their fair share & to be able to pay their own way. Of course it is not anyone’s responsibility to shoulder the burden of other people’s indiscretions.

I’m simply saying that until a workable solution is put forth, something still needs to be done for the children who are caught in the middle so they don’t fall further through the cracks. They are already being born into a disadvantaged situation. Are we so cold as a society that we are going to turn our backs on the innocent victims simply b/c mama’s shacking up with babydaddy number 5?

As for requiring mandatory education &/or work programs to “force” people to free themselves from welfare, I am all in favor of that idea --- BUT ---- again, you have to be realistic in offering the resources that will accompany that directive. There needs to be day care & transportation where that’s lacking.

And what about those who are on welfare but are what I consider to be the “honest poor”? I’m not referring to the wannabes with their Gucci bags & bling-bling, but rather the ones who can’t even afford to own a car? How can you demand them to participate in mandatory education &/or work programs when they don’t have a means to get there?

Remember too that not every poor person is a welfare recipient. Some of them are as honest & hardworking as yourself; however, due to unforeseen circumstances (downsizing....lay off....) they find themselves stuck in a dead end job, flipping burgers making just enough money to keep the utilities from disconnection, but not enough money to get that leak fixed in their roof or that new furnace they desperately need. What about them? Don’t say “That’s not my problem b/c they’re not on welfare?” ---- That is still going to affect you even if it is indirectly.

Bottom line is you can spin this as many times as you like but you will never find a workable solution that doesn’t require MORE of your hard earned money. You can’t put a band-aid on a bullet wound & the band-aid solutions that our government has been so good at creating up to this point simply aren’t working.

[Eric]

Treasury Secretary's kinda busy asking Congress to raise the allowable ceiling on the National Debt to 12 Trillion Dollars... cause the country is accumulating it at a rate of 200 Billion a month.. and will hit the 12 Trillion by October... so Timmy kinda busy right now....

Accumulating trillions the Obama way is bad right? Stimulus money, public works projects which provide new infrastructure and good paying jobs all bad bad bad.

Accumulating much more tan Obama the Bush way, in meaningless wars, based on blatant lies is of course money well spent.

Gotcha. Just wanted to make sure I hear where you are coming from, that's all.

You're full of it......you want to pretend that there is no terror war (which Obama is rightfully continuing) and not look at the debt Obama has given us in just 7 months.

Go read some Econ 101 books. While mired in a recession, tax cuts are not the solution. Spending is. Go educate yourself.

As for a terror war? Iraq was never a terror state.

You're full of it.

You said warS.....

I do have a minor in economics actually.....

[jrnychick]

I noticed how none of you pusscocks are talking about good ole Karl Rove.

Naw, he didn't do nothin' wrong now did he?

It was his JOB to advise, and he did. He also said it was the Justice Departments call...nice of you to parse what was actually said so that you can claim some kind of moral victory.

Besides, what is happening NOW is much more important.

The Healthcare fiasco is stalled and it looks like people are actually speaking up and letting the President and the congress know they don't want this.

No, it's not stalled and people aren't speaking up about this. God, you're fucking stupid if you believe that. This is the work of a conservative few organizing chaos.

You people really are pathetic and you are the desperate ones. Disrupting town halls for the purpose of derailing something that the country needs is fcking cowardly. I say fuck all you Cons.

All of you who are in favor of this healthcare reform (which WILL eventually become a single-payer system), here's a story for you:
One of my uncles in England is one of those "working poor" who cannot afford to go private, so he has to put up with the national health system. He just had an angiogram this week. He has 3 blocked arteries--2 are 50% blocked, and 1 is 75% blocked. Obviously the 75% blockage is a big concern. He has been feeling like CRAP for months, just barely going through the motions of his day. The cardiologist wants to do an echo before they decide on treatment. When can he get in for an echo? In 3 MONTHS. That's the next available appointment for someone who isn't actually near death. He was told that if he starts feeling a lot worse, they can probably get him in sooner. I guess if he actually has a heart attack, they'll get him right in.

Now if I had the same problem here, I would be having the echo within a few days, if not the SAME day. Can you imagine being told that you can't get in for a test that is absolutely necessary for 3 months? You can't get in for a test right away because they don't *think* you're going to die in the next few months? I don't think people here who are so in favor of a national healthcare system really understand how their own care will be affected.

[Barb]

Guess who?

January 17, 2006: "So I think all of you who have spoken out for your courage, your point of view. All of it. Your advocacy is very American and very important."

If you guessed Nancy Pelosi, you'd be right.

[Lula]

Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) claims that President Obama told him "he's willing to be a one-term president if that's what it takes to get health care and energy reform," reports Radio Iowa.

Said Boswell: "The president (said), 'I'm not going to kick the can down the road.' And he said that and I said, 'Well, that's something I'm kind of used to from southern Iowa, you know. I know about kicking the can down the road.' And he said, 'No, if it makes me a one-term president, I'm going to, we're going to take it on because the country is in need of us taking this on.' I respected that very much."

right on!

[Barb]

Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) claims that President Obama told him "he's willing to be a one-term president if that's what it takes to get health care and energy reform," reports Radio Iowa.

Said Boswell: "The president (said), 'I'm not going to kick the can down the road.' And he said that and I said, 'Well, that's something I'm kind of used to from southern Iowa, you know. I know about kicking the can down the road.' And he said, 'No, if it makes me a one-term president, I'm going to, we're going to take it on because the country is in need of us taking this on.' I respected that very much."

right on!

So in other words, I'm going to do this come hell or high water. I don't care if the majority of Americans don't want anything to do with it. I know what's best for them.

ya. RIGHT ON!!

[Rockindeano]

Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) claims that President Obama told him "he's willing to be a one-term president if that's what it takes to get health care and energy reform," reports Radio Iowa.

Said Boswell: "The president (said), 'I'm not going to kick the can down the road.' And he said that and I said, 'Well, that's something I'm kind of used to from southern Iowa, you know. I know about kicking the can down the road.' And he said, 'No, if it makes me a one-term president, I'm going to, we're going to take it on because the country is in need of us taking this on.' I respected that very much."

right on!

So in other words, I'm going to do this come hell or high water. I don't care if the majority of Americans don't want anything to do with it. I know what's best for them.

ya. RIGHT ON!!

Yep, fuck You Cons. Obama has the votes. I hope he rams it straight down your throats!!!

[Rockindeano]

So The Won had his town hall in New Hampshire the other day right? I wonder why he felt the need to bus in supporters instead of letting in the local folk...hmmmmmm?

Sadly for the Democrats-- The real astroturfed protesters were caught again on their bus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLS7ehqh ... edded#t=31

LOL, the country still feels at home with Dems rather you blowhards. trust me you, the USA cannot stand the republicans, at all.

[RossValoryRocks]

So The Won had his town hall in New Hampshire the other day right? I wonder why he felt the need to bus in supporters instead of letting in the local folk...hmmmmmm?

Sadly for the Democrats-- The real astroturfed protesters were caught again on their bus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLS7ehqh ... edded#t=31

LOL, the country still feels at home with Dems rather you blowhards. trust me you, the USA cannot stand the republicans, at all.

Better check all those polls you like again.

LOL

I would trust you with my family, and hell even my money, but you are the biggest partisan hack I know, so I wouldn't trust you period with politics.

[Saint John]

This guy is spot on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo1yeSJ6zrM

lol..."long-legged Mac Daddy"

[treetopovskaya]

So The Won had his town hall in New Hampshire the other day right? I wonder why he felt the need to bus in supporters instead of letting in the local folk...hmmmmmm?

Sadly for the Democrats-- The real astroturfed protesters were caught again on their bus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLS7ehqh ... edded#t=31

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html ... 7cea7d3bed

[hoagiepete]

LOL, the country still feels at home with Dems rather you blowhards. trust me you, the USA cannot stand the republicans, at all.

Over 50 million of the USA ARE fuckin Republicans. I get fuckin sick of "the people" want this or "the people" need this or "the people" say this. The fact we work our asses off and are republican mean we are not "people of the USA?" We are already not considered "working people" even though we may work 80 hours a week, but now we aren't even "people."

Those that think I'm not a working people or a people of the USA should spend a week with me and see what it is all about. Of course it would include getting up in the early in the morning, sitting at a desk eating a sandwich for lunch, meeting with ass holes much of many days, getting home no earlier than 6:30 p.m. each night, many nights later, many nights on the road away from family, many missed kids activities, blah blah blah. Now, let me see...take my money and give it to those that get their arses out of bed, or off the porch or worse.... to the bureaucrats in DC that will squander most of it.

Now having said that...the Republicans shit in their nest when in control. They tend to piss me off too. It is not an R or D deal in Washington. It is a Washington deal. It's a fucked up mess. And if you agree, why do you want more government? So Deano, I guess you may be right, the USA can't stand the Republican congressmen, but it can't stand the Democrats there either.

[Rockindeano]

Congratulations on fucking over 45 million of your fellow citizens. Be proud, real proud.

Selfish sonofabitch.

[Carrington]

Congratulations on fucking over 45 million of your fellow citizens. Be proud, real proud.

Selfish sonofabitch.

[Rockindeano]

88 million folks moved to the public dole just so 44 million can have coverage makes no sense at all. Surley you understand this?

Complete lie. There was always the choice to keep your own private plan. Like I said, you selfish fucking Cons derailed a good plan.

[Carrington]

Obama Misread His Mandate
After a rough week for health care reform, Democratic leaders appear to be pulling back on their demand for a public option. It remains to be seen whether liberal Democrats, especially in the House where they are more numerous, will go along with this. But this is still a step in the right direction to get something passed this year.

The public option was an overreach. The White House's erroneous belief that it could get it through the legislature - or at least that it could let four out of five congressional committees push it - was a misinterpretation of last year's election results. It has already made a similar mistake with cap-and-trade, backing a House bill that appears to have no chance of success in the Senate.

Bismarck once commented that politics is the art of the possible. So far, the White House has not exhibited a good understanding of exactly what is possible in this political climate. It has been acting as though the President's election was a major change in the ideological orientation of the country.

A lot of liberals certainly saw it as such. All the strained comparisons of Obama to Franklin Roosevelt were a tipoff that many were talking themselves into the idea that the 2008 election created an opportunity for a substantial, leftward shift in policy. Yet the election of 2008 was not like the 1932 contest. It wasn't like 1952, 1956, 1964, 1972, 1980, 1984, or even 1988, either. Obama's election was narrower than all of these. FDR won 42 of 48 states. Eisenhower won 39, then 41. Johnson won 44 of 50. Nixon won 49. Reagan won 44, then 49. George H.W. Bush won 40. Obama won 28, three fewer than George W. Bush in his narrow 2004 reelection.

This makes a crucial difference when it comes to implementing policy. Our system of government depends not only on how many votes you win, but how broadly distributed those votes are. This prevents one section or faction from railroading another. It is evident in the Electoral College and the House, but above all in the Senate, where 44 senators come from states that voted against Obama last year. That's a consequence of the fact that Obama's election - while historic in many respects, and the largest we have seen in 20 years - was still not as broad-based as many would like to believe. Bully for Obama and the Democrats that they have 60 Senators, but the fact remains that thirteen of them come from McCain states, indicating that the liberals don't get the full run of the show.

For whatever reason, the Obama administration has acted as if those hagiographical comparisons to FDR were apt. It let its liberal allies from the coasts drive the agenda and write the key bills, and it's played straw man semantic games to marginalize the opposition. For all the President's moaning in The Audacity of Hope about how the Bush administration was railroading the minority into accepting far right proposals - he was prepared to let his Northeastern and Pacific Western liberal allies do exactly the same thing: write bills that excite the left, infuriate the right, and scare the center; insist on speedy passage through the Congress; and use budget reconciliation to ram it through in case the expected super majority did not emerge.

This might have flown during FDR's 100 Days. But this is not 1933 and Barack Obama is no Franklin Roosevelt.

Now that his legislative agenda is stalling, we're seeing the predictable critiques about the outdated United States Senate, which is the real source of the bottleneck: the Connecticut Compromise was meant to protect the interests of small states, but not states that are this small. Rhode Island, yes. Wyoming, no! These arguments will be conveniently tabled whenever the Democrats return to minority status, so I won't bother to address their merits. The bigger question is: what did they think was going to happen? It's one thing to bemoan the fundamental unfairness of the Senate; it's another thing to overlook it when you're formulating your legislative program. The map is what it is: that big swath of red that runs through the middle of the country then swings right through the South should have been a tipoff that the stage was not set for coastal governance.

The President should have realized what was possible and what wasn't, and he should have used his substantial influence to push the House toward the kind of centrist compromise the Senate will ultimately require. That's called building a consensus - something he promised he'd do but has not yet made a serious effort at.

[Rockindeano]

Who was it that said the Pubbies were dead and buried after the election> Hmmmmmm....it's coming to me.....

I did, and I stand by it. You will get crushed in the midterms, especially with the economy coming back.

You are the party of "no" and "me me me."

[RossValoryRocks]

Who was it that said the Pubbies were dead and buried after the election> Hmmmmmm....it's coming to me.....

I did, and I stand by it. You will get crushed in the midterms, especially with the economy coming back.

You are the party of "no" and "me me me."

I have a good recipe for crow Dean...since you will be eating it soon.

Obama's healthcare plan was derailed by his OWN PARTY...or at least members of it.

The conservative "Blue Dog" democrats, once it became appearant that a VAST majority of the people in this country DO NOT want a government run health care system.

And you 44 Million is disengenous too...about 30 million of those are either young people who ELECT not take coverage, or illegals...

[Rockindeano]

88 million folks moved to the public dole just so 44 million can have coverage makes no sense at all. Surley you understand this?

Complete lie. There was always the choice to keep your own private plan. Like I said, you selfish fucking Cons derailed a good plan.

Lie? There was also the choice of employers dumping your coverage completely, leaving you high and dry and left to the Fed Govs devices. NO SALE!

You obviously didn't read anything of fair merit. You listened to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.

There was always the choice to keep your private insurance.

[RossValoryRocks]

88 million folks moved to the public dole just so 44 million can have coverage makes no sense at all. Surley you understand this?

Complete lie. There was always the choice to keep your own private plan. Like I said, you selfish fucking Cons derailed a good plan.

Lie? There was also the choice of employers dumping your coverage completely, leaving you high and dry and left to the Fed Govs devices. NO SALE!

You obviously didn't read anything of fair merit. You listened to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.

There was always the choice to keep your private insurance.

Do you EVEN read what the plan said? Forget the news...read the ACTUAL documents. Obama LIED about it, or at the very least the dems on capitol hill changed the language and made Obama out to be a liar.

[Rockindeano]

Who was it that said the Pubbies were dead and buried after the election> Hmmmmmm....it's coming to me.....

I did, and I stand by it. You will get crushed in the midterms, especially with the economy coming back.

You are the party of "no" and "me me me."

I have a good recipe for crow Dean...since you will be eating it soon.

Obama's healthcare plan was derailed by his OWN PARTY...or at least members of it.

The conservative "Blue Dog" democrats, once it became appearant that a VAST majority of the people in this country DO NOT want a government run health care system.

And you 44 Million is disengenous too...about 30 million of those are either young people who ELECT not take coverage, or illegals...

Bring it on Stu. I seem to remember you telling me that last election was going to be really close, like under 10 ev's. I seem to remember vividly telling you it would end up being a 200 ev landslide, which it was. Scoreboard. The country will absolutely not go back to the failed policies of the republicans, not this soon anyway.

The problem here was Obama and Emanuel took on too much too soon.

Also, I read this tidbit in Newsweek- On the endorsement of the Kennedy's, one major stipulation was that in order for Obama to get that endorsement, he had to put health care reform on the top of the list of things to get done. Makes sense.

Oh well, the country suffers but the GOP wins one. Yay.

[Rockindeano]

Who was it that said the Pubbies were dead and buried after the election> Hmmmmmm....it's coming to me.....

I did, and I stand by it. You will get crushed in the midterms, especially with the economy coming back.

You are the party of "no" and "me me me."

It's gonna be 1994 all over again, with deadlocked government that gets nothing done. Perfect I say, Fed Gov stay outta the way.

Like I said, you just made my point. Congratulations.

[RossValoryRocks]

Who was it that said the Pubbies were dead and buried after the election> Hmmmmmm....it's coming to me.....

I did, and I stand by it. You will get crushed in the midterms, especially with the economy coming back.

You are the party of "no" and "me me me."

I have a good recipe for crow Dean...since you will be eating it soon.

Obama's healthcare plan was derailed by his OWN PARTY...or at least members of it.

The conservative "Blue Dog" democrats, once it became appearant that a VAST majority of the people in this country DO NOT want a government run health care system.

And you 44 Million is disengenous too...about 30 million of those are either young people who ELECT not take coverage, or illegals...

Bring it on Stu. I seem to remember you telling me that last election was going to be really close, like under 10 ev's. I seem to remember vividly telling you it would end up being a 200 ev landslide, which it was. Scoreboard. The country will absolutely not go back to the failed policies of the republicans, not this soon anyway.

The problem here was Obama and Emanuel took on too much too soon.

Also, I read this tidbit in Newsweek- On the endorsement of the Kennedy's, one major stipulation was that in order for Obama to get that endorsement, he had to put health care reform on the top of the list of things to get done. Makes sense.

Oh well, the country suffers but the GOP wins one. Yay.

Again...it was the DEMOCRATS that did it...He has the votes, on straight partyline, to pass whatever he wants...but his OWN party left him to hang...

So you can't blame the republicans for NOT backing something that is idealogically in opposition to their beliefs.

You were right in the last election, but I made that statement before McCain delieved his campaign suspension speech and killed his chance. He was up in the polls at that point. Right after he did that I said it was over. Go look it up, it's in a thread here somewhere.

The dems are going to lose seats 6 or so I believe in the Senate, and probably 30 or so in the house. It may be worse (for the democrats) though.

[Eric]

There was always the choice to keep your private insurance.

Nope....He wanted to tax employer coverage as income, thereby pushing everyone into the Government option. How could I stick with my employer coverage if it costs me money at tax time Dean...especially since I'd by paying taxes on the public option too. Obama said as a candidate he wanted Universal Health coverage. He's been beaten on that by the folks, and now hopefully we can all sit down and fix the problems.

[Eric]

Congratulations on fucking over 45 million of your fellow citizens. Be proud, real proud.

Selfish sonofabitch.

No Dean......12 million weren't American Citizens. Another 15 million were either young folks with other options (ex. Healthy NY for $108/month) or lived in households making 75K+. I chose not to have healthcare in my early-mid 20's despite making around 30k...and my Uncle makes 75Kish and chooses not to...he never has had insurance. Choice.

[RedWingFan]

Congratulations on fucking over 45 million of your fellow citizens. Be proud, real proud.

Selfish sonofabitch.

No Dean, it's your party that failed to "fuck over" the rest of your fellow citizens. Face it Dean, the American people don't want to be enslaved by this president or his policies. He's exposed himself now!!!

We know how much you hate lying presidents Dean. Defend this blatant lie!!!

August 11, 2009: President Obama..."I have not said that I was a single-payer supporter because frankly we historically have had a employer-based system in this country with private insurers.

OBAMA 2003: "I happen to be a proponent of single-payer, universal health care plan."

OBAMA 2003: "I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, is spending 14% -- 14% of its gross national product on health care -- cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that's what Jim's talking about when he says, "Everybody in, nobody out," a single payer health care plan, universal health care plan. That's what I'd like to see but, as all of you know --"

[treetopovskaya]

88 million folks moved to the public dole just so 44 million can have coverage makes no sense at all. Surley you understand this?

Complete lie. There was always the choice to keep your own private plan. Like I said, you selfish fucking Cons derailed a good plan.

Lie? There was also the choice of employers dumping your coverage completely, leaving you high and dry and left to the Fed Govs devices. NO SALE!

EXACTLY!

[treetopovskaya]

88 million folks moved to the public dole just so 44 million can have coverage makes no sense at all. Surley you understand this?

Complete lie. There was always the choice to keep your own private plan. Like I said, you selfish fucking Cons derailed a good plan.

Lie? There was also the choice of employers dumping your coverage completely, leaving you high and dry and left to the Fed Govs devices. NO SALE!

You obviously didn't read anything of fair merit. You listened to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.

There was always the choice to keep your private insurance.

not much of a choice when your company drops their plans.

[treetopovskaya]

Who was it that said the Pubbies were dead and buried after the election> Hmmmmmm....it's coming to me.....

I did, and I stand by it. You will get crushed in the midterms, especially with the economy coming back.

You are the party of "no" and "me me me."

It's gonna be 1994 all over again, with deadlocked government that gets nothing done. Perfect I say, Fed Gov stay outta the way.

}=C))

[donnaplease]

Dean, I find it curious that you would talk about how Americans are being 'fucked over' and yet you also talk about "cramming it down" our throats. Do you honestly not see the irony in that?