Why I didn't listen...

[ddeclue]

I am done with clever speeches that are more often than not NOT followed up on with effective action.

I am so disgusted that I intentionally avoided the local watch party. I couldn't bear to listen it.

I expect a PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENT who ACTS PROGRESSIVELY, not merely one who talks progressively . I am tired of the President trying to head fake me into supporting him. I'm smarter than that Mr. President and I realize that words without actions are just annoying words.

Don't sign the NDAA and give me a signing statement that the next President is free to ignore. VETO IT. Don't negotiate with my social security, medicare and medicaid, issue an EO to raise the debt ceiling pursuant to the 14th Amendment! Don't wait until the whole country is riled up over SOPA and PIPA to oppose it. Oppose bad legislation the day somebody brings it up or better yet BEFORE they bring it up.

On top of the speechifying head fakes towards progressivism, we have all the unnecessary spectacle and the color commentary play by play treatment of the speech by the media bobbleheads as though it were the Super Bowl or World Series. The President shoots.. he scores! ehh...

The speech as always for any President is crafted for applause lines where the President's party stands and applauds in an overly enthusiastic and unbelievable manner while the opposition party sits stern faced arms crossed and harummphs a lot.. of course the media counts all the applause lines like they were first downs in football.

Next we get the Republican Moron du jour who is enevitably a fool a liar or both. I can't bear to watch this even if I were to watch the speech.

Finally we get the over-kill analysis by talking bobble heads after the speech for 2 hours straight trying to pick apart the lines and find hidden meanings and consequences when in fact very little of what gets announced ever takes effect so it is mostly just an hour of posturing by the President regardless of party anyways and has very little real meaning.

In the old days before mass media, the SOTU was a letter written to Congress. I think we ought to go back to it and avoid the mass media reality TV show once a year.

I want a lot less words and a lot more actions Mr. President!

Doug D.
Orlando, FL

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

1. I agree! Why doesn't the President ever go to the Bully Pulpit? Oh, wait...

[SunsetDreams]

9. .

[Surya Gayatri]

33. Oh, snap! n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

52. Agreed!

"It's just pretty words".

[redqueen]

59. Hahahaha

[treestar]

151. +1

[liberal N proud]

2. I miss the unrec

[SunsetDreams]

6. me too

[renie408]

26. Me three.

[Surya Gayatri]

37. Me four!

First reflex was a frustrated look for the button...
SG

[alcibiades_mystery]

147. For real

[Sheepshank]

157. A whole essay on what he wasn't going to take the time to listen about?

and and essay I therefore, decided not to read.

Seriously, the OP has thoughts on the past (fair enough), but to use it as the ultimate measuring stick for the present, has little applicability...and I too miss the "unrec".

[Number23]

180. And just when you think that the essay on why he wasn't going to listen to the SOTU

was going to be the apex of ridiculousness in this thread, 24 special souls apparently think that this is such an intelligent and novel thing to do that they rec'd said essay.

I guess where this president is concerned, ridiculousness knows no bounds.

[SunsetDreams]

181. Oh yeah? Did you see this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=171177&sub=trans

So there!

[Number23]

184. I stand (happily) corrected

[SunsetDreams]

187. happy to be of service

[la la]

3. have you been playing a drinking game ( and lost?) during the SOTU? geeze....

[ddeclue]

5. no.. perhaps I should have done that instead..

didn't watch OR drink tonight...

[Capitalocracy]

136. There's no such thing as losing in drinking games.

[muriel_volestrangler]

149. Then you haven't been taking drinking games seriously

When you end up having to occupy a toilet for 3 hours, because you throw up again whenever you make an attempt to get back up off the floor, you know you've lost the drinking game ...

[phleshdef]

4. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, BOLD PROCLAIMATIONS IN ALL CAPS, blah, blah,

blah and blah

Even Mitch Daniels followup was more substantive and enlightening than this OP.

[ddeclue]

7. That's what the President's speech would have sounded like to me so I didn't bother...

[phleshdef]

10. His speech was better than your post.

[ddeclue]

28. well that's not saying much now is it... nt

[FarLeftFist]

14. Who you voting for in 2012?

[phleshdef]

19. Obviously themselves. President Keyboard Warrior Extraordinaire.

I'm so gonna get banned from this thread, but it will be worth it.

[ddeclue]

24. Alan Grayson for President in 2012...

[phleshdef]

32. Alan Grayson is running for CONGRESS already and he will be campaigning for Barack Obama.

Sorry about your luck.

[ddeclue]

36. I know Alan personally and worked on his campaign for Congress and will do so again this year

I don't care if Alan IS campaigning for Barack Obama though, I'm still voting for Alan for President (and for Congress) because Alan is a progressive Democrat and Obama is not and I'll not enable Obama further. If Obama wants my vote he needs to ACT like a progressive not talk like one.

Doug D.
Orlando, FL

[FarLeftFist]

39. Yeah because helping Obama not win will do so much good for the Progressive cause.

[renie408]

43. And I just bet we-are-on-a-first-name-basis-Alan will REALLY appreciate those votes for him for Pres

[ddeclue]

47. I'm not voting for Alan for President for Alan's benefit.

I AM voting for him for Congress for his benefit and have donated and will volunteer for his benefit.

I am voting for Alan for President to punish a Democratic President who refuses to take liberals seriously. Obama can change that but it will require ACTIONS not words.

[phleshdef]

49. LOL. Yea, you are SO going to punish him. He won't nor will he ever know you exist...

...or who you voted for. Its an insignificant act of fruitless nonsense that no one will ever really know about or care about.

[ddeclue]

53. yeah right.. when he loses he will know on the flight back to Chicago..

by YOUR logic it is ALSO insignificant to vote FOR him... bad logic.

By the way I'm a well connected organizer and activist in Central Florida and I usually give about $1,000 to Presidential campaigns and put in 1,000 hours into them in a Presidential year. I think that's not something that goes un-noticed. I've gotten quite a number of calls from the Obama campaign for my $1,000 and turned them down and told them why. I think they got the point to a certain degree and that is why Obama is running as fast as he can to the left for the base in this election year trying to head fake us with speeches when no real action is forthcoming. Around June he will turn around and start running BACK towards the center for the middle third crowd. I'm not fooled. He either does it my way or he can do without my money, my time and my vote. They are MINE after all to give or not to give and the candidates I back work for ME, I don't report to them and I can do just fine sitting on my hands if I don't get what I want.

[phleshdef]

56. No one gives a flying fuck about your little pitty party. No one.

[ddeclue]

60. President Obama does or he wouldn't be running as fast as he can to the left with his speeches.

Too bad you don't really have anything but expletives for argument.

[phleshdef]

64. Your argument doesn't even deserve that much.

[ddeclue]

68. lame excuses.. FAIL.

[ddeclue]

104. ohh boo hoo.. not. my. problem. nt

[phleshdef]

109. "Boo hoo" is very fitting for you as you engage in political emo-ism masquerading as progressivism.

[dionysus]

164. so you admit you want to help the republicans win. bless your little heart.

[onenote]

112. Who is Alan voting for?

I'm curious you are voting for Alan rather than writing in your own name since it would appear from your posts that you are the only person who could possibly fulfill your goal of carrying out your desires.

[Sheepshank]

159. How about you ask Alan what he thinks of your brilliant idea? n/t

[phleshdef]

48. Obama doesn't personally owe you shit. The arrogant ME ME ME shit is not progressive.

This is a big country where well over half the people do not see things the way you see them. I'm sure you'll never accept that fact and face the political realities of where the American public currently is. Self centered people such as yourself rarely do.

[ddeclue]

58. Yawn.. he actually DOES owe me everything.. he is an elected official which makes him an employee of

ME, the taxpayer. I have no obligation to compromise my political principles and be "a good soldier" for Obama. That's OBAMA's problem NOT mine. My time, my money and my vote are valuable commodities and if I am not getting what I want for them, Obama is NOT getting them from me. I reserve those for PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS.

[phleshdef]

63. My, my, my, me, me, me. You think you are the only god damn person in this country obviously.

[ddeclue]

86. Boo hoo.. if the President wants MY support then he needs to take ME seriously.

I have NO obligation to support people in office who do the opposite of what I want them to do. That's called democracy and he and you need to learn to deal with it.

[treestar]

172. How is that even possible?

I don't see how the President can ask ME what I want? And do it? Ridiculous.

You have to settle for some as it is.

[FarLeftFist]

77. Dude seriously, this is the reason the progressive revolution will never materialize.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=210420

[phleshdef]

83. No joke and well written OP from you there. Dead on.

[ddeclue]

92. that's just lame excuse making.

I've managed to work to get progressives elected in three state house races and a Congressional race here in Central Florida and it CAN be done but you have to stop making excuses and accepting the lesser of two weasels argument that has gotten us two Republican parties in the last 30 years... the Democrats who cave in to Republicans because they aren't really all that interested in progressive policy and are too tied to Wall Street and the actual Republicans who run ever further to the right so that people like Richard Nixon look liberal in comparison.

[treestar]

173. Who are they and what have they done?

And have these progressives listened to any constituents other than yourself? If just you, who are you, someone with a lot of $$??

[Sheepshank]

161. Ahhh the old "your my servant" mentality.....what a fucking FAIL

as if serving you personally is the goal of any public servant. They serve the PEOPLE as a whole, not you and your whiney assed whims.

[redqueen]

79. But it's totally selfless, see.

People who help the GOP to gain more power are doing it not for themselves, but to help everyone else.

The world will be thanking the non voters and third party voters once they've demonstrated how noble and pure they are by helping repukes take not just the congress, but the white house, too.

The GOP would never be as bad as Obama. He's worse than bush, dontcha know.

[ddeclue]

94. ahh the lesser of two weasels argument..

If Obama loses then we will get a crazy Republican passing crazy Republican policy instead of a "Democrat" passing the same policies in the name of post partisan "compromise".

[phleshdef]

99. We are wasting our fingers. These types abandoned reason long ago.

[redqueen]

106. Check out the Granny D quote below.

It's perfect!

"The posturing left..."

Spot flipping on!

[MinervaX]

137. LOL you are totally losing your shit

and it's fun to watch.

[SammyWinstonJack]

144. No kidding, right?

[renie408]

51. You mean your good buddy Alan? LOL...n/t

[Old and In the Way]

76. I'll bet Newt or Mitt would take you seriously. Maybe Ron Paul, too!

Have you checked out the ddeclue party? I'll bet you'd be taken VERY seriously.

[renie408]

118. Hey, if you knew him, you know, PERSONALLY, couldn't you just call him Ron? Or Paul?

Or maybe RP??

[Surya Gayatri]

50. Wow, you know him personally???

OMG, can we all bask in your reflected glory? Touch the hem of your robe?

What an honor even to post on the same board as such an eleveted being as yourself.

I feel so unworthy...

SG

[ddeclue]

54. Well because of your sarcasm you are indeed unworthy..

now run along...

[Surya Gayatri]

70. Given your grossly inflated

sense of self-importance, I'm surprised that irony could even penetrate the layers of pomposity. SG

[ddeclue]

84. No it is YOU who has the grossly inflated sense of self-importance who thinks he has the right to

force me to back a President who doesn't stand for the things I want him to stand for.

Get over yourself friend before you chastise me.

[Surya Gayatri]

97. Nobody's forcing you to back anybody...

You must be confusing me with another poster. I've said nothing about backing anybody.

Just remarking on an obviously bloated ego and swollen head.

SG

[ddeclue]

108. then you must be looking in a mirror...nt

[Number23]

182. You jut won this thread. Sorry it's such a crappy little prize!

[Hugabear]

102. You do realize that Florida is a key battleground state?

And Central Florida is a key area of this state.

Or have you already forgotten the lessons from 2000? Yes, that election was stolen by the SCOTUS. But that was also partly because enough people split the vote that made it even easier for the rethugs to steal the election.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

114. Why don't you just vote for Newt or Shitt and avoid the middleman and the subterfuge?

[Hugabear]

130. So then you should know that Grayson is also a DUer. I'm guessing he would not rec this thread.

Just sayin'

[treestar]

153. Grayson will never win, so he'll never be tested will he?

You can always dream that he'd veto every bill that didn't contain everything.

[hfojvt]

177. I find that to be confusing myself

One of my main complaints with Obama is that he does NOT even TALK like a progressive. Payroll tax cuts? Really? It looks more and more like this to me.

Reagan, George W - Tax cuts create jobs.
Obama - ditto

Reagan, George W - Tax cuts for the rich are really middle class tax cuts
Obama - ditto

Reagan, George W - We need to cut spending on social programs to balance the budget
Obama - ditto

People here seem to somehow feel that Obama gave a great progressive speech. I didn't really hear that. I heard things like this -
"by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock."

or, hurray for fracking!!!


"For less than one percent of what our Nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every State in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning – the first time that’s happened in a generation. "

or, hurray for NCLB on steroids!!! (if only madfloridian was here to detail this)

"So do I. As I told the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71920.html#ixzz1kUtApjDo

So, hurray for the cuts to Social security that I (Obama) tried to pass earlier!


Is any of that stuff really progressive?

I think it would be a great first step if Obama even TALKED like a progressive.

I feel like I have fallen into some sort of rabbit hole where my fellow progressives cannot see how bad his speech was even as a speech, to say nothing of action.

[dionysus]

163. .

[emilyg]

73. I thought votes were a

pivate matter.

[DevonRex]

190. On a site for Democratic political junkies

you're surprised if someone is asked how they're voting?? And he said he's voting spoiler so it's public info now.

[uppityperson]

22. You missed is repeating "I'm going to send a bill to congress" over and over.

Damn him for doing what he says?

[Surya Gayatri]

38. +1,000 ! n/t

[Honeycombe8]

8. He's not progressive. Never was. Never said he was. Didn't campaign as one. Will never be.

Amazing that you missed that. Did you watch ANY of his 2007-2008 campaign, or see ANY of the many debates?

He never pushed a public option. He never full favored several progressive stands on issues. He was clearly, firmly, steadfastly a moderate, or slightly more left than moderate, Democrat. Same as Hillary Clinton (who voted for the Iraq War).

Maybe you thought he was progressive because he was against the Iraq War, and you assumed because he agreed with you on that, that he agreed with you on everything?

[ddeclue]

15. I did NOT miss that.. I was a John Edwards organizer...

I never thought he was a progressive.

Doesn't mean that I can't expect him to be a PROGRESSIVE because that's what I want from my President. That he is not is HIS problem not mine if he wants my vote.

[FrenchieCat]

27. John Edwards?

Hahahah!

Sorry about that....

[ddeclue]

30. Yeah well me too... John disappointed me big time..

and I'd like my $800 back from him..

On the bright side I have a picture with him for when he goes to the big house..

[renie408]

81. You like to call people by their first names, don't you?

Does that give you some kind of sense of perceived closeness? Were you and 'John' that close? Were you as close to 'John' as you are to 'Alan'? Is 'John' going to get jealous now that you have defected to 'Alan'? Will 'Barack' feel left out that you don't call him by his first name?

[ddeclue]

98. no not with John Edwards.. I didn't claim that

although I did meet and talk with him a number of times when I was one of his organizers here in Central Florida in 2007 and he was in town.

With Alan, actually yes. I know him personally.

Barack Obama I have only ever seen twice in large rallies, once at a Florida Democratic Party conference and once at a big rally in Fort Lauderdale a few days before he was elected. No Obama doesn't know me from Adam and I never claimed to know him.

[renie408]

65. Ok, wait...what?

You acknowledge that Obama has never claimed to be a progressive...sorry...PROGRESSIVE, but you are disappointed that he hasn't governed as a PROGRESSIVE President because that's what you want your President to be. And that's his problem.


Right.

[ddeclue]

71. Exactly... Just because he isn't one doesn't mean that I have to accept that.

I am a progressive. That Obama is not is Obama's problem. I'm not obligated to accept his Wall Streeter corporatism and enable it.

[renie408]

87. I cannot be the only person who finds that line of 'reasoning' just totally batshit. n/t

[ddeclue]

100. that shows you really don't respect your own political power if you don't understand that reasoning.

you have a sheep mentality.. Barack Obama was elected so I should just shut up and not complain = SHEEP.

[treestar]

154. Your vote is only of value in combination with others

You're just shooting yourself in the foot by bargaining with your one vote with a POTUS.

Even a dogcatcher will have to have a majority of the votes before taking office.

[whatchamacallit]

171. This is why I laugh at the

"Congress is obstructing the president's progressive agenda. If you want a more progressive government give him a progressive congress!" meme. Clearly on many issues, Obama would be at odds with true left-leaning progressives.

[JDPriestly]

11. That's too bad. Obama gave the best State of the Union speech in my lifetime.

I liked the fact that he came on with strength and positive energy. He was in a fighting mood, and he let the Republicans have it. It was great.

Also, on edit, Obama listed a number of progressive things that he can do without getting the cooperation of Congress like placing alternative energy production on federal lands. It was quite an incredible speech -- great!

[ddeclue]

25. yawn.. I'll wait for him to ACTUALLY fight..not just waste my time with "fighting words"...

[xiamiam]

81. do you still believe these speeches? I respect you and your posts, well, that's what I know of you

I didnt listen either...I can't. Words are just that..words. Actions, and holding criminals accountable, and a host of other things which are only hopeful after a speech are hollow for me now.

[JDPriestly]

200. We shall see, but Obama had a more defiant spirit last night.

[FarLeftFist]

12. My prediction for tonight: Obama delivers the most Leftist speech in 70 years,

Hyper-progressives stick their noses in the air cross their arms and say "It still isn't good enough! Wah!".

Here's the TRUTH: YOU can't name a president who was actually more of a baseline progressive as Obama is.

[ddeclue]

17. you are joking right?

Richard Nixon was more progressive than Barack Obama has been.

Certainly Jimmy Carter, Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, Harry Truman, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were ALL more progressive than Obama.

and as I said, I couldn't give a damn about SPEECHES any more. I want actions not words.

[FarLeftFist]

34. Really? On what issues/policies were they more progressive on? I'll play along.

[ddeclue]

41. Yes Really... perhaps it is time for you to read some history.

Richard Nixon created the EPA and was going to create universal healthcare. Obama refused to discuss real universal healthcare and gave us personal mandate care which is the equivalent of ending homelessness in America by passing a law requiring all Americans to buy a house.

FDR? Are you joking? He created real jobs programs like WPA and CCC, he put Glass Steagle into effect while Obama has coddled and bailed out the banksters, created social security which Obama treated like a bargaining chip in budget negotiations with Republicans and many other things. FDR was the most liberal President in the history of the Republic.

LBJ? Again are you joking? He gave us Medicare and many other programs in the Great Society. Second most liberal President after FDR.

Obama is on par with Clinton - a corporatist Wall Streeter DLC type. He's no liberal, not even close. If you think so then you need to go retake American history.

[FarLeftFist]

61. Cool story.

FDR invited a group of physicians and private interests to work with his other appointees on a proposal to add health care to the Social Security Act. The invited special interest group, called the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care (CCMC), worked mostly in secret, isolated from public input and debate. The committee ultimately recommended a watered-down proposal of giving federal subsidies to states for health care programs. However, Roosevelt so feared attacks by the American Medical Association that he dropped health coverage completely from his New Deal agenda. Truman also tried and failed to bring about national health care, as did Bill Clinton. Obama’s plan covers 32 million previously uninsured Americans.

His Social Security bill had built-in exclusions that exempted nearly half of the working population from benefits, namely two-thirds of African Americans and about half of women. Furthermore, FDR’s New Deal employment programs discriminated against blacks and he was too scared of political backlash to support either an anti-lynching bill or a bill to abolish the poll tax, despite urging from First Lady Eleanor.

Not to mention he rounded up American citizens and put them in internment camps. Progressive?

Truman, who is seen as a Progressive pioneer, is responsible for a near apocalypse in two Japanese cities. Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in 150,000-246,000 deaths within four months, almost all of them innocent civilians, not to mention the maimings and long-term illnesses. Many years later, Truman said about the bombings: “I have no regrets and, under the same circumstances, I would do it again.”

In 1948, Congress succeeded in its third attempt to pass tax cuts for the wealthy, this time over Truman’s veto. Truman may have done what was humanly possible to prevent those tax cuts, but he did face controversy for pardoning at least two tax evaders: George Parr and George A. Caldwell.

With LBJ first there was Vietnam, then LBJ believed he had the right to intervene unilaterally to support the overthrow of left-wing, democratically elected President Juan Bosch of the Dominican Republic and João Goulart of Brazil in order to maintain authoritarian, anti-communist rulers in Latin America.

So who is this holier-than-thou Progressive you are holding Obama standard to? Remember also, FDR had 377 House seats and 73 Senate seats. While not to take anything away from their progressive accomplishments you can see how it is unreasonable to compare Obama's 3 yrs to their full terms.

[ddeclue]

67. Obama has KILLED American citizens without a TRIAL. PROGRESSIVE?

Truman acted humanely regardless of your revisionist history. Operation Olympic would have killed a million American soldiers and millions of Japanese. War sucks.. get over it.

You are cherry picking history and taking things out of context and you know better.

[FarLeftFist]

85. You prove my point.

[ddeclue]

101. No you've proven mine... thanks for playing though..nt

[MannyGoldstein]

121. Health care cost 3% of a paycheck in the 1930s and 1940s. 17% today.

FDR thought Social Security was a battle more worth fighting. He welcomed his enemy's hatred, won big, and poverty among the elderly dropped from 50% to 10%. Obama, on the other hand, worked diligently to slash Social Security - fortunately he's failed so far.

Did you know that more people were killed in the fire bombing of Tokyo than in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Do you think fewer would have died if we'd used conventional bombs instead of nuclear bombs?

[FarLeftFist]

128. Yeah and imagine Obama creating a WPA or SS but excluded all white people.

Or killed 250,000 INNOCENT people. Get over it. The fact is that Pres. Obama is the most progressive minded President we've had in history with numerous progressive policies under his belt. Remember, FDR had 377 House seats and 73 Senators. There's really no comparison.

[Lasher]

134. Now that is interesting.

Honeycombe8 said upthread in Obama's defense, "He's not progressive. Never was. Never said he was. Didn't campaign as one. Will never be."

You are defending Obama too. But you say, "Obama is the most progressive minded President we've had in history..."

Obama himself said, "I am a New Democrat." New Democrats have centrist social/cultural/pluralist positions and neoliberal fiscal values. But then again, he has also called himself a progressive.

I agree with Honeycombe8. If you're a New Democrat, you're really not what I would consider a progressive.

[Sheepshank]

165. In what respect, Charlie? n/t

[stockholmer]

29. YOU can't name a president who was actually more of a baseline progressive as Obama is- lololololol

Where you playing the SOTU drinking game mentioned above?

[ddeclue]

31. no drinking.. no watching..

[One of the 99]

13. Several GOP members of congress boycotted too

Interesting company you find yourself in.

[dimbear]

20. As far as I could tell, Mitch Daniels didn't watch either. n/t

[ddeclue]

23. oh brilliant.. that's the best you can do? Guilt by association that isn't even valid?

FAIL...

[One of the 99]

132. The only failure is by those

with such a closed mind they refused to even listen to the speech.

[Sheepshank]

169. Now that was pretty good :) n/t

[FarLeftFist]

16. Not listening. How "open-mided" and "progressive".

[ddeclue]

21. There's no point. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

He can't give me any more words that will matter. He's broken his trust with me. The only way he can earn it back is through ACTIONS.. not words.

[treestar]

156. How do you know if you didn't listen?

[klook]

17. First use of "Trash This Thread" button for me. (n/t)

[renie408]

35. YES!! DAMMIT! I want a PROGRESSIVE who PROGRESSIVELY and SINGLEHANDEDLY defeats the

enemies of PROGRESSIVE stuff that I WANT DONE. (Hey, I really think I am getting the hang of this all caps thing!!) I am SMART enough Mr. President to not be FOOLED by you!! Though that comma thing has me a really thrown for a loop....

God, I have missed the DU! No breast goes unbeaten.

[ddeclue]

42. yes poor Obama he's all by his lonesome and can't do anything...

give me a break. He doesn't even try. He has hardly ever vetoed anything or threatened to.. he could have vetoed NDAA but he signed it. He could have issued an EO on the debt ceiling but engaged in negotiations over social security and medicare instead.

If he were trying I'd be giving him credit.

[renie408]

46. Hey!! Look! You have a big ole thread all to yourself!! And you get to reply and argue and

vent your angst!! I can't imagine that could have been any kind of motivator for your touching OP, eh?

Have fun with that.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

113. It's worth remembering, in contrast to the two vetoes issued by Obama, FDR vetoed 635 bills.

[cherokeeprogressive]

40. I'm already voting for the guy so I don't need to watch his campaign speeches.

Plus the personal secretary to the world's second richest man was used as a political prop. Secretary to the second richest man in the world... think she's part of the 99%?

[TBF]

44. I don't know how much she makes -

but I can tell you from personal experience in law firms that partners can make millions per year while their secretaries are lucky to make $50K.

FWIW, I didn't watch the speech either, I prefer to read the transcripts.

[cherokeeprogressive]

57. Buffet isn't a lawyer in a law firm, he's the second richest man in the world.

I get what you're saying though about the disparity between bosses and their employees.

So far as I can tell, the 35% tax rate doesn't kick in until $379,150.

Buffet's quote about tax rates for people in his office was "Their tax burdens ranged from 33 percent to 41 percent and averaged 36 percent." That's odd to me because I thought 35% was the top rate.

[TBF]

89. That's odd -

is he including state tax or something? I have no clue, here in TX we have no state income tax so all I see is the federal rate and when you do turbo tax (I am obviously not in the 1%!) they tell you what your adjusted tax rate is. I don't remember ours though I could look it up - but it wasn't 35%. I do believe that is the highest right now.

Maybe he is more generous than others ... you never know.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

115. He might be adding the SS tax which is an employment tax.

[Spazito]

55. Gosh, I am SO glad you let us know!

I was chewing my nails down to their quick wondering if you were watching. Phew, now I can stop worrying!

[ddeclue]

62. well I'm glad you've got THAT under control.. have you considered an anti-anxiety med?

[xiamiam]

66. I didnt listen either..and I'm offended by those who think this is a new day.He is a great speaker

..no doubt about it. The SOTU is another speech. Get rid of Geithner and the new guy from Citibank. Help Main Street and get us out of Guantanamo and Afghanistan. Initiate campaign finance reform instead of setting a one billion dollar goal. Then, I might be interested in listening.

[CakeGrrl]

69. Now it's President Obama's fault the SOTU is televised!

Don't make me ignore you, Mr. President! I hate words!

[ddeclue]

75. no.. it is the media's fault and political consultants fault.

I never claimed it was Obama's fault. I really haven't liked SOTU's since Clinton was President.

[seabeyond]

74. there was a preg woman that needed a seat and there was no way in hell you were going to get off

at your stop so she could sit down, so you missed the speech? Am I right?

[ddeclue]

78. I think you are busy conflating unrelated posts...lame..

[seabeyond]

116. i am so fuckin funny. what do you mean. i was laughin and laughin

Telling my hubby just how funny I am. Sorry dude, your posts on that thread were beyond pathetic.

[redqueen]

90. Ooh that sounds juicy.

Got a link?

[seabeyond]

111. i am on my fire. i cant find the thread. something about be nice to preg women

It was a duzy of a thread. I didn't post on it, so I cant find the thread. I will post it in morning. I don't know how to copy and paste on this fire either.

[seabeyond]

119. i did it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002147485

[Old and In the Way]

127. Thanks...OK, I think I understand the poster better. It puts this whole OP in perspective.

He/she is attention starved.

[BlueCaliDem]

131. That's exactly it.

Someone really, really needs attention. Must be that sparkling personality in all his/her posts that turns people off in real life.

[Swede]

138. This guy is a real piece of work.

What kind of person doesn't believe in common courtesy?

[seabeyond]

141. What kind of person doesn't believe in common courtesy?... an ass? lol. nt

[Spazito]

124. Here's the link to the thread...

it's quite ......telling!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002147485

[emulatorloo]

126. Wow. Are we sure OP isn't a performance artist

[Spazito]

178. Nope, not sure at all...

that certainly could explain a lot!

Edited to add: If it was a performance artist, it's show was just shut down, lol.

[DinahMoeHum]

80. Unreccd and trashed. Please get a clue. . .

and read some words from a REAL progressive, Doris "Granny D" Haddock:

http://www.grannyd.com/speeches/sub-speeches/dont-stand-in-the-way-4-30-03.htm

(snip)
There are many among us who will not support a candidate unless that candidate is perfect on every issue. Politics is about winning. For us, it is about winning to save lives and raise people up from poverty and illness and loneliness and injustice. Those posturing on the left sometimes forget that. Don't tell me that you can't support a particular candidate because of this or that. This isn't about you and your precious political standards. It is about saving nature and our people. We are coming out to win, so please don't stand in our way. When we have reasonable people in power, let us start our arguments again, for we can not move forward unless we have a decent government underneath us and a Bill of Rights to let us speak freely.
(snip)

(bolded emphasis is my doing)

[redqueen]

95. "This isn't about you and your precious political standards. ...

It is about saving nature and our people. We are coming out to win, so please don't stand in our way."

Right on, Granny D!

Thank you SO much for posting that!

[ddeclue]

110. No politics is NOT JUST about winning... it is about winning without compromising core principles.

The lesser of two weasels does not interest me and if you had any sense you would know that this kind of argument is simply blackmail that leads to more demands from the blackmailer.

[Swede]

139. If you don't win,you lose.

nt

[WillyT]

88. :)

[renie408]

93. PEOPLE!! Stop feeding it!! Maybe if we do, it will go bother the neighbors....n/t

[ddeclue]

107. funny...

[quinnox]

96. I didn't watch it either but for different reasons

I'm enjoying reading this thread though, its a lively one!

[DevonRex]

103. Nobody asked you why you didn't listen.

[ddeclue]

105. so? I don't need your permission. If you don't want to know don't read it.

[TreasonousBastard]

117. Damn! My blowjob thread didn't get nearly this much action...

I am so lame.

[Ikonoklast]

122. Whatever.

Please show me how President Alan Grayson, with the same Congress that Mr. Obama has, gets all this Progressive legislation rammed through.


I won't even wait for an answer, because there isn't one other than, "He couldn't."

[AnotherMcIntosh]

125. As a start, maybe a President Grayson would not have appointed the Goldman Sachs personnel.

Maybe a President Grayson would not have appointed Holder to be the Attorney General at a time when there were happy, unprosecuted war criminals.

Maybe a President Grayson would not have particpated in transferring 1/2 of the TARP funds, or $350 billion dollars, to the banks who were involved in causing the economic crisis. An economic crisis for some but not all. And particularly not an economic crisis for the banksters who received bonuses instead of RICO prosecutions.

In more recent times, maybe a President Grayson would not have sent so-called Free-Trade Agreements with South Korea, Columbia, and Panama to the Senate.

No matter what else he would do or not do, it is a virtual certainty that a President Grayson would not have remained silent when peaceful OWS protestors were exercising their First Amendment rights and getting brutalized by the police for doing so.

[ProSense]

133. Maybe

sounds like you have no idea what a President Grayson would have done.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002209703

Creating fantasy scenarios to object to reality isn't very productive.

[treestar]

158. And that will never have to be proven at all

Because there will be no President Grayson.

Yet in office all Presidents find out they don't have so much power as they thought they would.

[HipChick]

123. I have a unicorn...

waiting...but then again I am practical..

[gateley]

129. That's okay. Nobody missed you. nt

[lamp_shade]

135. Oh it's you surprise surprise

[MineralMan]

140. Gosh, thanks for letting us know.

Uff da!

[alcibiades_mystery]

148. ROFL

[Octafish]

142. The reality.

Thank you for putting it into words.

President Obama is great at making speeches. Unfortunately, whether it's by choice or circumstances, he has not been so good at implementing policies that make life better for anyone other than the millionaire and above classes.

[SammyWinstonJack]

146. I think it's by choice.

[Octafish]

174. The Change They Believe In

Speech for Harlem Tenants Association, November 14, 2008

By Robert Fitch

EXCERPT...

If we examine more carefully the interests that Obama represents; if we look at his core financial supporters; as well as his inmost circle of advisors, we’ll see that they represent the primary activists in the demolition movement and the primary real estate beneficiaries of this transformation of public housing projects into condo’s and townhouses: the profitable creep of the Central Business District and elite residential neighborhoods southward; and the shifting of the pile of human misery about three miles further into the South Side and the south suburbs.

Obama’s political base comes primarily from Chicago FIRE—the finance, insurance and real estate industry. And the wealthiest families—the Pritzkers, the Crowns and the Levins. But it’s more than just Chicago FIRE. Also within Obama’s inner core of support are allies from the non-profit sector: the liberal foundations, the elite universities, the non-profit community developers and the real estate reverends who produce market rate housing with tax breaks from the city and who have been known to shout from the pulpit “give us this day our Daley, Richard Daley bread.”3

Aggregate them and what emerges is a constellation of interests around Obama that I call “Friendly FIRE.” Fire power disguised by the camouflage of community uplift; augmented by the authority of academia; greased by billions in foundation grants; and wired to conventional FIRE by the terms of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1995.

And yet friendly FIRE is just as deadly as the conventional FIRE that comes from bankers and developers that we’re used to ducking from. It’s the whole condominium of interests whose advancement depends on the elimination of poor blacks from the community and their replacement by white people and—at least temporarily—by the black middle class—who’ve gotten subprime mortgages—in a kind of redlining in reverse.

CONTINUED...

The late Mr. Fitch may be related to a commie third-cousin of my old college roommate's first girlfriend. It still doesn't change the facts behind this speech.

[99Forever]

143. After being told ..

.. following the last Presidential election, that I hadn't "understood" what it was Obama actually said, so many times, rather than "misunderstand him" again, I'll "understand" his policies by what he does and not what he says. I'd hate to be accused yet again of just not getting "the message."

[WI_DEM]

145. Who cares?

[treestar]

150. What about this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002219421

Do you disregard OWS?

[treestar]

152. How has the President not acted progressively

If the President had vetoed all of the bills with offensive items in them, what would have happened?

The default, no health plan at all, no commission with Cordray at the head of it, etc., how happy would you be? Would you be praising the President?

[jefferson_dem]

155. Hogwash.

I don't believe you.

[JoePhilly]

160. "Bully Pulpit!! Pretty Speech!! Bully Pulpit!! Pretty Speech!! Bully Pulpit!! Pretty Speech!!

[dionysus]

167. and he's gone.

[JoePhilly]

168. lol

[dionysus]

162. what is the true cost of obama's pack of cigarettes, doug?

[dionysus]

166. sleep well, sweet prince.

[DevonRex]

175. He did this:

[dionysus]

176. !!! now we'll never know the true cost of obama's pack of cigarettes...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8040637

[DevonRex]

179. OMFG! He really said that!

[Number23]

183. Wow! You weren't joking!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=171177&sub=trans

But what about the 24 special souls that rec'd this piece of hot inanity?

[dionysus]

185. well... bless their little hearts i suppose...

[Robb]

188. 28.

[Number23]

193. A noble list, to be sure...

[Sheepshank]

194. BWAHH HA haaa haaaa *gasp for air* haa haa haaaah aaha haaa

question?


on this new forum.....do recs add to post counts for either the OP or the person reccing??

[Demonaut]

170. why I didn't read this, it's irrelevant

[Zalatix]

186. I watched the SOTU. But I feel you on this.

Actions speak loudest.

[bvar22]

189. I had to go back up and give you a DURec...

...simply because of all the heads you caused to explode in this thread.
I also congratulate your courage in posting this.

I watched, because I'm an addict,
but I also have to agree with you that it is mostly pageantry, choreography, and empty Campaign Year rhetoric
having little to do with the Real World.



You will know them by their WORKS.
[font size=5 color=green][center]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

[SunsetDreams]

191. I sure hope they get your message

[Hell Hath No Fury]

195. And given the boot for the effort.

My, how many times did I loudly say here that I wasn't going to watch a W speech because I just couldn't take it any more.

Talks is cheap. Election year talk is DIRT cheap. Sigh....

[Robb]

196. Transparency page suggests

...there were some issues.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=171177&sub=trans

[11 Bravo]

192. Why nobody asked ...

No one gives a shit what you do or don't watch, or the reasoning behind your decision.

[arthritisR_US]

197. You want more action, then get him a fillibuster proof majority. n/t

[glinda]

198. I listened even though my parents risk loosing everything they worked for in just a few months

due to the fact my mother had a stroke and is in a home needing rehab. She will be lucky to be able to live outside the nursing home and if so will need assisted living. They cannot afford assisted living. So the Gov/Medicare would rather my mother live in a home and deteriorate than keep my mom and dad together after 60 years of marriage.
I have decided that the whole system is a big lie and a sham and no one gives a real shat even if you own your own home, worked your whole life and did everything right.
On top of that they are raping and killing our environment because they cannot get beyond the selfish word they preface every environmental statement with.... "for people". I am so sick of everything right now I could just scream. What a big big big big joke... on us.
Nice speech but nothing in his speech will help my parents or my self.

[JTFrog]

199. Down in flames. n/t