To hear folks like Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, Dick Army, and of course Rush Limbaugh tell it, our country is about to meet it's doom. And all because the American people were duped into electing "one of those" as McCain referred to him, to the Oval Office. Cheney has been on Faux Noise so much lately they should just put him on the payroll. According to these guys, President Obama can't do anything right.
They say his budget will bankrupt our country because of the deficit it creates. Of course omitting the fact that the former administration faked their numbers by NOT including the costs of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They say his plan to get our economy back on it's feet won't work. Considering the progress already made, that's a pretty bold prediction. But that's all it is... a prediction. We are just now coming up on the mythical 100th day in office. Of course this is nothing but an arbitrary number that means nothing. This mess was 30 years in the making. It's going to take a hell of a lot more time than 100 days to fix it. Declaring the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act a failure at this point in time can only be motivated by a desire for it to fail. Think about it. Considering the astonishing failure of the Republican approach to economics has been. The only hope for the GOP now is if ARRA does fail. Because if it succeeds, these guys won't see a majority in congress for decades to come much less see one of their guys in the White House.
The Republicans are also saying that President Obama's approach to foreign policy is all wrong too. That Obama is willing to sit down and be cordial with leaders of countries like Iran, Venezuela and Cuba have the GOP's hopping up and down freaking out. They claim it shows weakness and that we are willing to capitulate to these countries. Unfortunately they ignore the fact that what Obama is doing is taking us back to the way our country conducted foreign policy throughout it's history with the exception of the last 8 years. Bush, Cheney and the other neocon's obviously believe that beating people over the head is the best way to promote American ideals, but as is seen with this most recent poll and the outcome of last Novembers election, the majority of the American people do not.
I find it quite fascinating to watch the leaders of the Republican Party continuing to cling to the ideology that got them so soundly defeated. They're just going on as if they were still in charge and that the majority of American's are still on their side. This recent tea party event that started out as a tax protest until it was pointed out that 95% of Americans are having their taxes reduced. Then it went schizophrenic and switched to a "it's a government spending protest." It was a made up propaganda stunt cooked up by Faux Noise and a handful of Obscenely wealthy Republicans. They say a million people showed up. I doubt it, but even if a million did show up. That's still less than one half of one percent of the total population. Not exactly a ground swell of support.
The bottom line here folks is that the vast majority of Americans really like President Obama and more importantly, they like the way he is doing things. For the Republicans it's nothing but sour grapes. It's too bad to because the only thing they will accomplish by "just saying no" will be to cook their own future political goose.
Republicans... The American people have rejected your ideas... Time for you to think of some new ones.
*************
Devin Barber, Politics Correspondent
Devin's column, "Left Of The Right" published weekly or more to Gather Essentials: Politics is a Blue Collar Democrats take on current political news.
Devin was raised by proud Roosevelt Democrats. Being the son of parents counted among the throng of Americans displaced by the Great Depression has given Devin a deep rooted passion for causes dealing with the poor and the working class.
You can find all of Devin's columns at LEFT OF THE RIGHT
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Comments: 71
I don't understand why the losers wouldn't complain.
What got the Republicans defeated was their move to the left.
Tell me exactly how Obama is becoming a dicator and exactly what freedoms has he taken away? And for your information, President Obama did not, could not order the CEO of GM to resign. Tha claim is bullshit and you know it. And the smack to our militaries face has been sending them off to die "WITHOUT" trying for a diplomatic resolution. Only idiots like Team Bush ever thought going to war before trying to talk was good policy. Study your history my friend, Obama is following the path every President in our history followed, including GW's father.
Dan,
Move to the Left? When? Where? Nice try, but no cigar. The GOP was defeated because the voters judged their stewardship of our country a failure. In other words, the huge tax breaks for the wealthy, financial deregulation, and war before talk ideology has failed.
I have a short fuse and a shorter tolerance for social and political indignation from the greedy. Texas to secede, Georgia stealthily banal, Gov of Louisiana desperately attempting to be next, every GOP member with time on their hands will and does find a mike and an audience. People are hopeful and uncertain at the same time --justifiably so, this country is in shambles.
They should yet, will not shut-up and work the ores on their side of the boat to prevent the boat from sailing in circles. That is cutting off ones nose to spite the face --the Nation will endure in spite of the pouting GOP.
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What got the Republicans defeated was the fact they are a bunch of losers!
The 64% for Obama will change as the figures above show the trend. Give him a few months... America is fickle at best and attitudes change on a dime. 30% disagree, up from 23% a month ago.
In his recent address to Congress, President Obama promised that "if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime." Yet even before the budget was released, he signed into law a 62-cent tobacco tax increase that does not exempt lower-income smokers. His budget proposes a $646 billion cap-and-trade tax that energy companies would immediately pass on to all consumers, including those earning less than $250,000. Consequently, President Obama's budget would raise everyone's taxes.
People will get taxed more by little taxes that will add up. They will wake up to these...especially after the energy tax. You will see these numbers change.
~M
Now the GOP also tell us that the way to deal with a deep recession is to cut back on government spending (a quite new idea for them, I'd say) and lower taxes on the weathiest 1.9% of the country -- there's that 'trickle down' thing again. No, folks, the Republicans blew it when they were in power for eight years (yes, even the last two...look at the record!). Unless they jettison the looney religious right and their economic theology they will continue as an anachronism.
Obama is making mistakes, sure, but in the end he'll prove to have been more correct than not, and until all these chickens come home to roost we can hear someone who is intelligent, thoughtful, and articulate. No wonder the Right considers him such a threat -- just like Clinton.
PRESIDENT OBAMA WORK WILL SPEAK FOR HIM. 1 year down and three to go!
Whether we agree or not, like it or not........That's what it is!
I wonder if we'll still be judging him on his way OUT of the white house?
Ugh.
Joseph Kennedy years ago made a deal with the Mafia to get John F. Kennedy elected. He obviously forgot to inform his sons. When Robert Kennedy went after the mob as Attorney General, Joseph's deal went wrong.
We all want to believe in our candidates but just like Senators and Congressmen, a lot of things go on behind the scenes to manipulate their votes.
When President Ronald Reagan ended his presidency, he had friends that rented him a fabulous home for $1 a year. He also made a lot of money speaking in Japan that netted him 5 million dollars, which was a lot of money back then. Hmmmmm???
It's the system. It's the way it is.
We so want to believe in good guys and bad guys and of course our party has the good guy so we fuss and rant and rave when our guy doesn't get in.
Really, I doubt McCain would be hailed wonderful if he had been elected either. It is politics, and our country is a mess. We have been sold out for decades by both parties and soon it will get far worse for us. No matter how the thumb in the hole in the dam gets plugged up, the flood is getting more powerful and it is only a matter of time when the dam bursts completely. Doesn't matter whose thumb it is....
Republicans have a unique ability to re-invent the facts to fit their message. And they have an even greater ability to believe their own BS. What's most troubling is that when one presents data to prove their mistake, they view it as an "attack" and retaliate with the gloves WAY off! This mean-spiritedness is one of the reasons I could never vote GOP.
Devin
--- original message ---
From: Kim Holder(kimholder)
Subject: Re: Bleak future according to GOP
Sent: Apr 23, 2009 02:17 PM EDT
George W. Bush stood at 62 percent in a CNN/USA Today Gallup poll in April 2001, Bill Clinton was at 55 percent in a CNN/USA Today Gallup poll in April 1993, George H.W. Bush stood at 58 percent in a Gallup poll from April 1989, and Ronald Reagan was at 67 percent in a Gallup poll taken in April 1981.
"The hundred-day mark tends to fall during a period when Americans are still evaluating a new president. The danger period for most presidents comes later in their first year in office," Holland explained. "Bill Clinton, for example, still had good marks after his first 100 days, but his approval rating had tanked by June of 1993. Ronald Reagan's approval rating stayed over 50 percent until November of his first year in office, but once it slipped below that mark, it stayed under 50 percent for two years. So Obama's current rating certainly does not indicate that he is out of the woods yet."
The CNN Poll of Polls is an average of three national surveys taken over the past week: Gallup Tracking, Pew and AP/GfK
~M
To be a true cult of personality, the media has to make you one. Obama almost didn't have to buy campaign ads once he defeated Clinton because the media genuflected in front of him.
All the "Woodward and Berstein" type journalists today have become what they despised 30 years ago!
I am impressed with his constant communications with us regular Americans; namely the open and intelligent demeanor he maintains. I am impressed with the fact that he is working hard at diplomatic diplomacy rather than strong-arm diplomacy; and that he is trying to make government work for ALL the people; rather than making the government work for only a small select group of people and not work at all for most of the people.
The talking points of the Rove and Cheney crowds continue to sound like nothing more than bitter and divisive partisanship; and that is a "no sale" to the ears of this veteran, taxpaying voter.
The good of ALL Americans should come before partisan politics; and that is something that these leading voices of the GOP still seem to dismiss and ignore.
The Hijacking of America, is a link
During this time, the Republican faithful, those folks who would have supported Bush if he'd sprouted horns, a forked-tongue and a pointed red tail and started publicly debauching young boys while vomiting on the constitution, grew increasingly angry at the criticism of their boy.
Never mind that the criticism was true, that Bush earned every syllable of it, that it could and should have been much stronger and more strident, they felt their boy was sabotaged by a public smear campaign that pointed out all his mistakes.
And they planned revenge. Just as soon as a Democrat was in office they would savage them with vicious criticism whether earned or not.
So anxious were they for some "payback" that they could not wait one second longer. They couldn't wait until Obama had actually failed at something. y couldn't wait until the disaster of the Bush legacy had been addressed and Obama actually started dealing with problems of his own making. They couldn't wait until there was a reason to heap scorn on him, even though every politician eventually provides us with one.
No, they couldn't wait at all.
So, they are busy heaping scorn on him constantly, no matter what he says or does. And they will continue, hoping to foment a crescendo of their own. They will get more and more shrill in their bleating over every policy and speech. Their hatred and anger will boil over at every opportunity.
And in doing so they continue to expose themselves for what they are and what they stand for.
The Republican party, or what remains of it, and its moral leaders Limbaugh, Wurzelbacher, Coulter and Cheney, are the standardbearers for hatred and intolerence and nothing more.
The pollsters were giving away toasters?
I've seen that movie!! It's called The Skulls, about the Skull and Crossbones Fraternity.
BTW, what my their "agenda" be?
"REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!!!"
Remember that everybody died.
A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships.
A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship, except that it is created specifically for political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of religious or non-political leaders.
I remember being told if I didn't support Bush that I was UnPatriotic. That I COULDN'T support the troops without supporting the war.
My sister (as was the entire congregation) told at her church that if they didn't vote for Bush in 2004 they were going to Hell!
And that is what the Republicans cannot stop or deal with. They have never seen this kind of optomism in a chaotic world. They are also fearful of how things will be handled now that their past "indiscretions" have been exposed. "The best offense is a good defense" has become their motto. So they attack, attack, attack. Smoke screen, lie, and attack some more.
As Carla said, get used to it. It isn't going to go away any time soon. Just be aware of what they are doing and don't get suckered into the trap.
LOL, anyone else notice his disapproval rating is pretty damned close to Bushes total approval rating. Gee, I'm worried for him,... not.
We'll see how is job approval rating is in six months, after dim bulbs like John Conyers "investigate" the republicans.
In a democracy a President shouldn't be able to force a CEO of any corporation out of office, yet Obama bin Laden did it. Unless you want to admit that the liberal leaning major media are wrong.
A significant number of his proposed appointees are tax evaders, dodging paying taxes until if became public. The same offense that Wesley Snipes was prosecuted for and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
The fact that his administration is giving a free pass (as well as free money) to rich white bankers while cutting the throats of union members in an industry that actually produces something and employs a large number of black workers.
The fact that under his administration FBI employees are using surveillance cameras to spy on teenage girls changing donated prom dresses for a charity fashion show.
You're wrong in stating that Obama bin Laden is "taking us back to the way our country conducted foreign policy throughout it's history with the exception of the last 8 years". Until the middle of the 1900's America was mostly an isolationist nation. We did some business with foreign countries friendly to us, but for the most part we minded our own business. We were drug kicking and screaming into WWI and WWII. He's gladhanding with countries and people who hate us, hate our way of life and would gladly help the fall of our country.
That the thinking public realizes that Obama is part of the problem. Being a Senator for the last two years of the Bush administration in a Congress that had a Democratic Majority in BOTH houses. A Congress that had to pass any bill that Bush signed into legislation.
The ARRA "may" be a short term fix, but it is delaying the inevitable. Some generation is going to have to pay the bills for the problems we're facing today. For the huge deficits being run up by BOTH parties.
Obama bin Laden is mesmerizing the general public with a shell game. He's keeping your eyes on the ball while picking your pockets. Every once in awhile he'll give you a trinket to keep you thinking you're winning until it's too late.
An estimate by the website 538.com put this number, nationwide, was between 300,000 to 400,0000. The did an exhaustive search of all the local news print, radio and tv of what they reported on, added the numbers and that was their estimate. BTW they were also the ones that predicted Obama would win the election, and they were only off by 1 state.
''58% of US citizens do not want the Obama administration to investigate claims by Democrats that Bush administration officials committed crimes.''
So does that mean that if Obama ''committed'' similar ''crimes'' that you would be against investigating him Jjack. Or do you just not want bu$h investigated?
''he signed into law a 62-cent tobacco tax increase that does not exempt lower-income smokers.''
This is not a tax that is ''imposed'' on these people, it is a tax they ''choose'' to pay. They can also ''choose'' to ''not'' smoke, therefore eliminating that tax from their lives. Republibots are quick to scream personal responsibility, until it comes to making these types of decisions for themselves, then the boogy man is making them do it.
''His budget proposes a $646 billion cap-and-trade tax that energy companies would immediately pass on to all consumers, including those earning less than $250,000''
Another false claim by the right. The numbers that I saw was that it would increase ''everyone's'' part by about $34.00 a year. Of course the gop added a couple of 00 and claim it would increase everyone's taxes $3400.00 each year. And they are also ''not'' taking into consideration that the rest of his energy policies will ''lower'' these payments that everyone pays considerably. So the scare tactics the right used so effectively in the last 8 years, seems to be the only thing they have going for them. Lets just hope that America isn't as stupid as I think they are. After all, 28% think bu$h was the ''best'' so called president ever. Duh!!!
Only thinking Americans know that that was the bu$h agenda. It started under bu$h, not Obama.
~M
It won't take much of a reduction in tobacco-related deaths to set Medicaid back on its feet.
And here in Kentucky we were (oddly) wise enough to up the tax on alcohol as well - hitting hard at a vice oh-too-popular with law makers, and one that causes more heart-break than cigarettes could ever do, even given cancer-related deaths.
I think economics is the only legitimate way to make people do the right thing. They still have a choice. Around here cigarettes and cable TV get paid for regardless. Think how much better off the kids would be if we taxed both tobacco *and* TV out of existence? Just a thought.
How silly-- study after study demonstrates smokers have LESS of an impact on medical bills because they die sooner and don't use as many resources.
So does that mean that if Obama ''committed'' similar ''crimes'' that you would be against investigating him Jjack. Or do you just not want bu$h investigated?
No, it means NO CRIMES WERE COMMITTED and an "investigation" would be a waste of time. Obama after all has kept the NSA wiretapping program, he's kept the rendition program, he's argue for "national security" interests in keeping "state secrets" just like Bush, he's kept the "enemy combatant" defintion and "battlefield" definitions from the Bush admin-- so he can continue to hold captives indefinately and is able to nab them anywhere in the world and call it a battlefield.
Anything Bush did-- Obama is ALSO DOING ! ! ! !
Winston Smith, Apr 24, 2009, 1:01pm EDT''
So, what's your point, that only democrats waste tax payers money. What about palin's bridge to no where, and all the wasted taxpayers money, by republibots. Or are those good projects being funded by tax payers.
I have no doubt that Obama has strong support in this country from his various supporting special interests. Whether that translates to a general approval for policy or personality, I will not yet venture. Polls are too often set up to get a specific response and questions are too often worded for that outcome. So I see no evidence of real widespread Obama support nor a majority backlash either.
I think from what I've seen and heard, Obama is unintentionally proving what many have said for some time and that this country is pretty evenly divided politically. At least among those who bother to vote anyway. He has rehabilitated the Repubs among many voters and that was no small doing. People are not happy about his spending and enviro plans in many places, his foreign policy moves are not making many happy either. While he is largely reassuring to his political base, like the Repub base-that is not sufficient to win elections. If he does keep it up, who knows---the approach of 2010 is already scaring many Dems.
Hell no, I HOPE THE DEMOCRATS ARE JUST THAT STUPID ! ! ! ! !
I WELCOME any and all investigations. It would be a DREAM COME TRUE to have the democrats bring to light the very evidence that makes them look like IDIOTS ! ! !
When the dumbasses were yelling IMPEACH BUSH I was right there saying YEAH ! ! ! ! !
DO IT ! ! ! ! ! DO IT ! ! ! ! ! DO IT ! ! ! ! !
They have NOTHING on Bush and they know it--- which, in the end, is precisely why they try to pick on people like the lawyers that gave Bush advice.
It's pathetic, and if the democrats go down that path, they'll lose.....
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0409/King_Torture_trial_should_spark_scorched_earth_.html
In the words of our friend Jjack,
''DO IT ! ! ! ! ! DO IT ! ! ! ! ! DO IT ! ! ! ! ! ''
Let's show America what the repukes are really about.
Well, I suppose the same place you have all your "facts," that prove a crime HAS BEEN committed. *chuckle*
Hell, I'm not pretending I know either way, I'm saying I DON'T BELIEVE IT-- so let's find out, I'm ready to dance, are you ??? Like I said, let's have at the investigations, I'd love to see it, because I DON'T BELIEVE IT ! ! !
Let's show America what the repukes are really about
Well, that would be a refreshing change, rather than liberal losers that are merely RINOS. We haven't seen a "good" republican since Reagan left office.
Reagan was a moron with a ''pretty face'' and ''smooth talking'' that the less thinking Americans worship as a god. He was the beginning of the end of the middle class in America. I'll bet you still think reaganomics, or piss down economics, would still work if we just let business do whatever they want. Well I ''can'' see where that got us, because I can actually think for myself. Like I tell idiots that love the reagan myth, They aren't for you. When you give a 5% tax break to everyone, the working stiff gets to keep $10.00 of his earned money, while the rich man gets to keep $100,000 of the money someone else made for him. Now that fair, huh?
He is the one who got elected and makes decision.
If you have any real objection send him a note.
I think Rory is right, the party of no, has no idea what to do with themselves.
Such outrageous LIES only work on the hard core right, the mainstream dismisses them for all the bullshit it is.
I may be a real dummy, but you guys are ''OUT OF POWER''. That's the funny thing about this whole situation. You got nothing but ''NO''. Ha ha ha ha!!!! I'll bet the intelligent right wingers will go far with that, huh? Maybe if boss limburger is your nominee in 2012. You might even reach 30 % of all the wing nuts out there. After all, he does have a pretty good following. Oh wait, that's probably about 5% of the population. Anyway, for the next 4 (8) years, you guys can't do anything but steam in your drawers. Payback is hell. Now that's funny.
*chuckle* what a dummy.....
Sylphian, where do I start? Spying on teenage girls? Forcing a CEO out of office (For the record, he resigned. He says no one forced him.)? "... The thinking public realizes that Obama is part of the problem" (Guess hat explains his approval rating)? What is your source(s) for your claims? And please remember that when you speak of Mr. Obama, you are discussing POTUS. At least respect the office if you can't respect the man.
//No, it means NO CRIMES WERE COMMITTED and an "investigation" would be a waste of time// I guess if you get your pet jurist to declare torture legal, you could say no crimes were committed. And don't forget the Nixon Rule: "If the president does it, it cannot be illegal."
jJack, you and the other rightwingnuts just keep on showing that you have an unlimited supply of vitriol. If it were proven conclusively that the current POTUS were the Second Coming and his predecessor "the Beast", your opinion of them would still remain the same.
No way, I thought you were just joking about voting for Obama. Then why are you so down on him and the democrats. Having buyers remorse? Don't tell me Jjack, you're really a liberal?