De Blasio calls Obama's early days in office 'a lost window' while in New Hampshire

[brooklynite]

New York Daily New

CONCORD, N.H. — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday criticized former President Barack Obama during a small gathering as he mulls a run for president, saying that Obama's early days in office were "a lost window."

Minutes later, in front of a larger audience, de Blasio praised the Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature legislative achievement, calling it "progress." Obama pursued the health care legislation during his first two years in office and has been criticized at times for focusing more on health care than the struggling economy.

A handful of people were present in a second-floor private room of a Concord restaurant when de Blasio compared Obama to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took office in 1933 amid the Depression and immediately began a series of actions that came to define the modern presidency's focus on a 100-day agenda. The mayor said Roosevelt was the only person who "had a greater head of steam and political momentum and capital coming into office."

"He, to his great credit, did the 100 days and the reckless abandon and understood that you had to achieve for people to build the next stage of capital to use for the next thing," de Blasio said. "Obama, I think, nobly went at health care, but it played out over such a long time and it got treated politically as such a narrow instead of universal item, tragically, that it was a lost window. And I'm not saying anything I don't think a lot of people feel."

If De Blasio got “lost” on his way back to NYC, a lot of people wouldn’t mind.

[handmade34]

1. yes, go back to NY

Mr De Blasio... you are doing a good job there... stay put

[Me.]

2. Doing A Good Job There?

I dissent

[handmade34]

3. what do I know?

only that he need not run for President.... sorry

[Cha]

6. What's wrong with

him?!

President Obama accomplished a lot more than ACA during that time. De Blasio sounds like he's just spouting off whiny talking points that have nothing to do with reality.

I wish President Obama would tell him exactly went on back then when he's obviously was Not paying attention.

☘☘☘☘☘ Me

[Me.]

10. I Had Great Hopes For Him

and he did better the first term against great odds but this second term we have massive problems...subway, public housing, homelessness ...and what I see is him teaming up with money more than people and thinking about running for pres when his mind needs to be on the problems of the city and its future not his political one.

[Cha]

12. Wow... you don't leave

a job until you've finished it before you go looking for another bigger responsibility.

Clean your mess up first .. if you can.

Me

[Cha]

4. WTH?! As long as he's "saying what he thinks

a lot of people feel".. yeah like those with an agenda to tear down President Obama.

No luck with that, de Blasio.

[shanny]

5. Sorry, but I think he's right.

We had a great opportunity in 2009--and we squandered it "reaching across the aisle."

[Cha]

7. No, de Blasio is Not right.. they're

just talking points from those who wished to tear down President Obama.. who had no idea what really went on.

[betsuni]

8. Obama had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate for four months and ten days.

How can anyone compare this to the years FDR had? Oh hell.

[Cha]

9. Lazy talking points 'cause

Last edited Mon Mar 18, 2019, 10:24 AM - Edit history (1)

"..And I'm not saying anything I don't think a lot of people feel."

I consider the source of those who are saying that as opposed to those being in the Obama Admin at the time who know the reality. Follow the agenda.

god, I hate this gas lighting

Thanks, betsuni!

[Me.]

11. Cheap Shot Really

[Cha]

13. Exactly, Me..

well described. Cheap Pot Shot.. and for what? Who's he trying to make points with?

[Me.]

15. He Has No Chance At Being Pres UNtil He Becomes A Great Mayor

Like Mayor Pete

[comradebillyboy]

14. And that majority included the dreadful Joe Lieberman

who led the opposition to the public option in ACA. The very same 'Democratic' Senator who considered running for VP with McCain in '08.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. And don't forget Baucus

who was the Democratic Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. He was one of the biggest blockers.

Senators Reject Pair of Public Option Proposals

By ROBERT PEAR and JACKIE CALMESSEPT. 29, 2009



WASHINGTON — After an intense debate that captured the essence of the national struggle over health care, a pivotal Senate committee on Tuesday rejected two Democratic proposals to create a government insurance plan to compete with private insurers. The votes, in the Senate Finance Committee, underscored divisions among Democrats and were a setback for President Obama, who has endorsed the public plan as a way to “keep insurance companies honest.”

The first proposal, by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, was rejected 15 to 8, as five Democrats joined all Republicans on the panel in voting no. The second proposal, by Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, was defeated 13 to 10, with three Democrats voting no.

The votes vindicated the middle-of-the-road approach taken by the committee chairman, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana. Mr. Baucus voted against both proposals, which were offered as amendments to his bill to expand coverage and rein in health costs.

“There’s a lot to like about a public option,” Mr. Baucus said, but he asserted that the idea could not get the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster on the Senate floor.

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/health/policy/30health.html

[BumRushDaShow]

16. I like De Blasio but

did he fall asleep during 2009 & 2010?

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday criticized former President Barack Obama during a small gathering as he mulls a run for president, saying that Obama's early days in office were "a lost window."

ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) - HR1, signed into law on 02/17/2009, less than a month after the inauguration (Nancy Pelosi had it ready to roll). I.e., during the "First 100 Days™".

https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/1/text

Seems because the media calls the ACA Obama's "signature legislative achievement" - and ONLY because no one else was able to get that done in over a century of trying, they keep forgetting "the stimulus", which helped to get a whole lot of infrastructure projects done - at least in my area. Fixes to bridges and highway overpasses were completed with that law. LONG overdue maintenance projects and "greening" of federal buildings were done with that law (including the building I worked at). This sign was ubiquitous around the country -





The law also included "Cash for Clunkers" which allowed folks like my BIL to trade in his old car and buy a new one, which helped to pump something into the collapsed U.S. auto industry.

Was it perfect? No. People on one side claimed it wasn't enough and people on the other side claimed that it was a deficit and debt-killer.

And while hearings and markups were happening with the ACA, so were hearings and markups for this -

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act - H.R.4173, signed into law on 7/21/18, 18 months after the inauguration.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/4173/text

Was it perfect? No. People on one side said it wasn't tough enough and Warren should have been put in charge (despite GOP blockage with "holds" ) and people on the other side said it would kill corporations forever (and these are the same people who own the media so their voices are heard over anyone else's).



I know here on DU, whenever the ridiculous nonsense started getting spewed about "what did Obama do??!!?!", people would post THE LIST™ once more, eyes glazed over due to the length of it, people quickly moved on... and then promptly forgot again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.