Cenk: Hidden Cost of Obama's Capitulation

[ihavenobias]

Note: Below is just an excerpt, click the title of the piece to read the full blog.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/the-hidden-cost-of-capitu_b_793969.html|The Hidden Cost of Capitulation>
By Cenk Uygur

Now that the president has signaled yet another collapse in agreeing to tax cuts for the rich, there is a hidden cost to this capitulation. He is now stuck defending this deal for the rest of his term. I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6iOHHRfMfw|predicted this on the show yesterday> and today it's playing out exactly the way I imagined, with http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/white-house-privately-pus_n_793732.html|the president sending out advisers to talk about what a great idea it is to give tax cuts to the rich>.

Once you sign off on a political position, you own it. This could be a corollary to Colin Powell's doctrine on foreign policy. Powell said if you break it, you own it. In this case, if you make it, you own it.

The president claims he will fight hard against these same tax cuts two years from now. It's hard to stop laughing long enough to make a point against that, but I will try. If you are sending out your people to talk up polls about how right the Republicans were on the tax cuts for the rich now, how are you going to send out the same people to talk about how wrong they were - and how wrong you were - two years from now?

These are the things that make me wonder if President Obama has a firm grasp on basic political fundamentals. Yesterday he said that the political reality is that he just didn't have the votes in the Senate (by far his favorite excuse). He even said http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CssbsV5B1ak|"I can't win"> in the Senate. That's a damning reversal for a man who ran on "Yes we can."

But more importantly, he doesn't seem to understand Politics 101. You don't just count the votes based on how the other side says they're going to vote. From time to time, you call their bluff...

[somone]

1. The last paragraph:

... Of course, the alternative is that he does understand that but doesn't ever have the stomach for a real fight. Or even worse yet, secretly likes this deal and will always find an excuse to get more tax cuts and sweet deals for the rich and powerful. In which case, boy did we elect the wrong guy.

[yourout]

2. Bingo.......if you never take a stand you will always be retreating.

You don't have play tough guy all the time but if you don't occasionally stand firm you will get run over. It is a lot harder stopping something moving 50 MPH compared to one moving 5 MPH.

[Fearless]

7. +1000

[bobbolink]

3. Careful, there, Cenk. You may end up on the WH Enemies list by speaking Truth

To Power.

[RandomThoughts]

4. Thats bad.

Thinking you can not win is really bad.


You win when you do what you think is best. Not when people think you did. And you don't have to sacrifice yourself, nor should anyone, just do your best, and find joy where you can.


And he is not the only one that has felt like he is in a no win position. Note that those that supported him, then when it becomes so difficult for him to do what you and him wants, it feels that way to him and many people. That is the intent, to feel like it is no win, to create despair.

Then they take it out on him, at least he got up and tried. But anyway, I felt like I could not win, and kept looking for a third way till I got some help.

Not sure if I win or lose, not worried about it.




It does also try to take out supporters also, why the picture of Hindenburg was probably posted recently, another reason to support ideals. And don't think a weakness you have is your fault, or that a what someone else tricked you into without information is your fault.

[inna]

5. K&R. Cenk is good people.

[ejbr]

6. k & r n/t

[democracy1st]

8. thats all this admin knows is tax cuts

[20score]

9. K&R!

[CherylK]

10. K & R!!!

:mad:

[Matilda]

11. When Obama says he doesn't have the votes in the Senate,

he should look to recent history and see how President Kennedy dealt with public disfavour towards a test ban treaty with Russia, to which he had a personal commitment.

In early August 1963, Congressional mail was running fifteen to one against a treaty. Kennedy initiated a public education campaign by forming a Citizns Committee to mount a national campaign for Senate ratification. They called on religious leaders, trade unionists, leading scientists, Nobel laureates and magazine editors for assistance, and began a campaign to educate the public.

By the end of August, public opinion had turned to three to two against.The military-industrial complex fought back with its own campaign, but Kennedy pushed on, and by September, public opinion was 80% in favour, and on September, the Senate approved the test ban treaty by a vote of 80 to 19.

Kennedy had told his staff that the treaty was the most serious congressional issue he had faced, and he was determined to win if it cost him the 1964 election. It may have cost him his life, but the point is, he didn't throw up his hands and cave in just because it was going to be difficult.

Obama didn't get elected by promising more of the same; it seems he just doesn't have the guts for a real fight. The whole world felt more hopeful in 2008, but we've all had sand kicked in our faces. You wonder if Obama really believes in anything.

(This anecdote comes from "JFK And The Unspeakable", by James W. Douglass.)