The dragon is Congress and we are the Princess. If BHO can’t get the Parliament of Whores ("Democrats are the party of government activism, the party that says government can make you richer, smarter, taller and get the chickweed out of your lawn. Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and they get elected and prove it.") under control, and soon, they may just ruin his Presidency before he even gets a chance to show us what he can do.Why does he continue to play Obambi with them? Americans hold Congress in lower esteem than even the reviled GWB. What could make better political sense than using his considerable political capital to take them on and break them of their belief that the U.S. Treasury is their own personal slush fund?
Good Lord, even Maureen Dowd is starting to comment on the bountiful portions of pork they ladled into the current budget, and on BHO’s unwillingness to stop them despite his campaign promise to end this practice. The earmarks may represent a small portion of the budget, but they are a powerful symbol of Washington’s arrogance and waste.
Watching the Congressional budget hearings yesterday and listening to the ignorance that oozed from nearly every question our legislators asked made me cringe. These people are truly fools.
If he stomps on them now he’ll be a hero to millions – including to many of his critics on the right. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a prisoner to Pelosi and Reid for four years and will be building his Presidential Library by 2012.
If he stomps on them now he’ll be a hero to millions – including to many of his critics on the right. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a prisoner to Pelosi and Reid for four years and will be building his Presidential Library by 2012.
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12 comments:
Some Congressmen are fools, but most are charlatans -- they know what they're doing. As does Obama. Why on earth would he try to pull the earmark lollipops out of their mouths when he's trying to get his stuff passed? That would be like telling your waiter you won't tip him before you order -- a good way to get your food spat on.
Of course, the other reality is that Obama's only real political express is in the Senate. Biting the hand that fed him probably tastes wrong to him.
Getting closer to believing that democracy doesnt work? At least in our form it doesnt, it just replaces one lying thief with another. Or, maybe its time to start voting for the guy that,"well i know he's right but, he'l never get elected."
Dont get caught up in the news medias need for a story.This mess is going to take awhile to fix.
Things to do while waiting: Talk the company you work for into hiring just two people. Make plans to stay away from large cities with high unemployment this summer,unless of course you are helping the MC5 cut a new album. Buy lots of artwork from a lesser known artist that you may know. Tell your grand children stories about butter & the evil of guns. Try to get the CEO of a losser company who is taking bailout money fired. Continue telling younger folks that"this country has its problems,but its still the best going,then fly to Jamaica roll one & know you were lying.
Mikey -- BHO is the only game in town. With whom are the Dem Congressmen going to vote? This is the time to show them who has the support of the people.
Gaga -- is this your plea for us all to vote Kucinich next time?
I'm not sure Obama is the horse of a different color. I'm convinced there is not talking to Pelosi,Reid or Barney Frank.If he truly wants to be compared to Lincoln, he needs John McCain.We elect these people. I think most Teachers,Engineers, Doctors,Nurses don't want any part of a profession that truly has become the rotting Moose in the room.
Aside from the tradition of delivering the pork home to their voters, an age old covenant, America, as we have known it since the end of WWII has been a land of excess. Those days are over. But habits die hard.
As long as there are checks in the checkbook, congressmen know there is money in the account.
America has elected an inexperienced junior of a leader who sure can give a good speech. The office of POTUS is NOT the place to get on the job experience. I don't think you'd want to be the first patient your surgeon performs open-heart surgery on, would you? I hope America has her affairs in order and made peace with her maker.
Nik, you could say the same about George Washington and Abe Lincoln.
The election process is more than oratory, but I will grant you it is closer to American Idol than an SAT test. Organization accounts for much.
Perhaps you would rather have a man at the helm who has had lots of hands on experience: Dick Cheney? Or do you prefer the kind of experience the leaders of both houses and parties in Congress have?
The argument of of experience is a canard...
I can't remember, is a canard a duck or a lie. Either way, I'm not sure what point Nik's making. The election is over and the experience arguement is so 2008.
Congress has always been a ship of fools but I also think that it's easy to demonize a group of people or a single idea by personalizing it. "Oh, that's a Pelosi/Reid" plan. Or "that's all part of the Bush/Cheney cabal". Ideas can be dismissed as bad with a simple statement and without much or any research.
Obama's been in office about 6 weeks and has done a remarkable job of getting legislation passed. Does he have to compromise? Of course. Will he need to compromise in the future? Of course. I'm not a cheerleader for this administration but I am willing to give it a chance to succeed. You don't get anything done if your strategy is to knock heads together and dictate your will to others.
Well, so far he’s compromised on hiring tax cheats and lobbyists, allowing earmarks, and it feels to me like the Congress – whatever name you want to put on them – has been given something close to cart blanche on the budget and the stimulus plan. At what point do you stop compromising? I know it’s only been six weeks, but do you think it will get easier to say “no” as time goers on, or harder? I believe it will only get harder.
I’m rooting for him, and I voted for him, because I took the “Change We Can Believe In” thing seriously. I haven’t given up and I don’t regret my vote, but I’d like to see some backbone displayed here. Let me also say, before someone tells me that I’m being politically naïve, that this will be helpful to his achieving his overall goals. Congress is incredibly unpopular with the public. If he takes them on and beats them he will have more political capital than he will be able to spend – and he’s probably going to need it before long.
I dont think BHO has any worries about his future what with the head of the republican party switching from dick cheney to rush limbaugh.
Wary of leaders, or those who would lead, knowing that Mr Obama is the only high card we have, and a drowning man will grasp at straws, my intuition is that he can see deeper into the well than the rest of us. I would bet he is holding onto all his high cards.
The guy has shown he can play well in extra innings. He has surrounded himself with very bright people. He is drinking from many cups. I don't see a hidden agenda. As President, he is privy to more than mere mortals. He is going to drop the ball at times but you know he is working his way to the basket. Most people imagine the President to have greater power than is written.
I hope the Secret Service is 3 steps in front of the jump as BHO is the man who can lead us out of the desert. As much as I'd rather have Joe than Sarah, I don't want Joe. BHO is clearly the master.
The last president who bucked his party in Congress was Carter and that didn't seem to work out too well for us.
He seems to be faced with two choices, he can either reach an accord with Congress and get something done, or he can tell them to go to hell and veto everything and hope to hell the economy turns around on its own.
He seems to have been willing to let the bottom feeders in Congress put some pork in the stimulus...to the tune of 1-2% of the overall plan...for the sake of getting almost everything he wanted.
He practiced the ancient quaint art of politics. He let them get some of what they wanted and he got most of what he wanted.
This was at one time referred to as, compromise. Another form of politics that is alien to the John Wayne culture that has permeated over the last few years.
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