The choice for Democrats: Obama or liberalism? - By David Sirota

[DonViejo]

Rather than reflexively stand behind the president, progressives can fight for Social Security and civil liberties

Two headline-grabbing political events in the last week probably seem totally unrelated – and if I told you they were related, you’re initial reaction might be to think I’m crazy. But hear me out because together they highlight what could determine outcomes on some of the biggest of life-and-death issues of our time.

The first event was President Obama’s dinner with Senate Republicans to try to sell them on his conservative budget plan – a plan that specifically proposes to cut Social Security and means-test Medicare benefits, and generally proposes “$2.50 in spending cuts for every dollar in new revenue,” according to Businessweek. The president reiterated this effort to cut Social Security yesterday when he deployed his top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, to formally announce that Obama “prefers” reductions in benefits.

The second seemingly unrelated event came when Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul – and, notably, only one single Democrat – filibustered the president’s CIA nominee on the grounds that the administration is lawlessly violating Americans’ civil liberties and unduly expanding the so-called War on Terror. The filibuster occurred just before the White House leaked plans to try to expand the original post-9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force to officially sanction a permanent unending state of war.

Though these two events may seem wholly separate and mostly about Republican Party politics, they are neither. They tell the tale of a political vacuum on the left – and they reveal far more about the crisis within the Democratic Party than anything happening inside the GOP. It is a crisis may end up being the most important story in American politics right now.

-snip-

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/14/the_choice_for_democrats_obama_or_liberalism/

[Egalitarian Thug]

1. K&R What if they gave an election and nobody came?

This is funny, in a sadly twisted way. We have the only two parties allowed to play the game being worried over the fact that significant factions within them are so disgusted with their actions and policies that they will lose their votes and lose out to the other player.

And neither of them are apparently aware that they are killing the very people they depend on to keep playing.

[geek tragedy]

2. Third choice: support Obama when he supports liberalism, and work

to set him straight when he goes off course and supports anti-liberal policies--including criticizing and opposing him.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. Fourth Choice: Give him more liberals in Congress and vote out the Tea-Publicans who have stated

that they WILL NOT work with him.

Better yet...

Fifth Choice: Tell David Sirota to learn how the U.S. Constitution works. When he can offer a sound, rationale solution for how we get more liberal legislation through the Halls of Congress, I'm ready to listen. Until then, he's just rambling and whining.

Case in point: We all knew that Obama was not liberal and neither was Hillary Clinton. We got what we got.

Melissa Harris-Perry was right about David Sirota. Period.

Trashing thread.

[JoePhilly]

4. Does David know that Obama already won re-election and the choice has already

been made.