First Dodd and now I just heard Levin on CNN. What exactly do these guys want Obama

[Thrill]

to do?

Both claiming Obama needs to get more involved. I don't understand why Democrats are out there saying this. These are Bush's problems. Obama isn't the President yet.

Why give the public the impression, that the lack of leadership now, is because of Obama not stepping up. Why should he take ownership of the economic problems before he has to.

I really don't understand these Senate Democrats sometimes.

[ecstatic]

1. they irritate the hell out of me sometimes

:crazy: They don't seem to understand politics at all. They just let RW republicans set the tone for discussion. They never put forth their own talking points. :spank:

[lapfog_1]

2. Dodd I don't understand, Levin is desperate to get something for the auto

sector and it looks like nothing is going to happen until inauguration.

Plus, Booosh had abdicated his tiny throne.

[murielm99]

3. I like both of these men.

We think we know how dire the economic situation is. But I have a feeling that we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg. They know, far better than the rest of us, just how bad things may get.

As experienced as these Senators are, they may be feeling more apprehension than they have over past crises. They may just want someone to do something before things get worse.

They, and we, do have to make it clear the bush and the republicans are responsible for this mess. Obama and our team will be stepping in to clean up the mess that THEY made. We must always be sure to make it clear to others that the republicans did this.

This won't be pretty. Some messes leave stains. This one surely will.

[provis99]

5. Levin is a hypocrite.

He was against the bailout of DHL in Ohio, yet when his own constituency is facing job losses, suddenly he's for bailing out auto manufacturers. Fuck him.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

16. DHL is now a German company.

Just sayin'.

[blue_onyx]

18. That's BS

DHL isn't an American company and it's not an entire INDUSTRY.

[cooolandrew]

4. Well at least we are now seeing we were right on Dodd in the primaries. Barack is doing just what he

needs to right now getting organzed competely ready on day one. Obama has said one president at a time and resigned his seat to get focused on the job ahead.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Um, you realize you're on DU right? And that here, all we do is bash Obama?

Because otherwise we'd be groupthinking nazis.

So we're right in line with Christopher Lieberman's-My-Guy Dodd, and Levin.

Note: Levin's probably bitching mostly because they're not gonna bail out the car companies.

[EFerrari]

7. The Senate hates to be importuned by reality. n/t

[4lbs]

8. If they want Obama to do something "NOW!!!!" then two things must happen "NOW!!!!"

1.) Bush and Cheney resign and leave office, letting Obama take over this month.
1a.) The electoral college would have to vote to make Obama's election official and valid.

2.) The "old" session of Congress is replaced by the "new" session at the same time Obama takes over. That means the 57 Dems in the Senate and the increased number of Dems in the House.

If it was just Obama taking over without the new Congress, there would be a stalemate until January 20, when the new session and large Dem majority in the Senate could help out.

[YvonneCa]

9. Giving him cover...

...to DO something, should he want to.

[sandnsea]

14. Should he HAVE to

and with the Citibank news - holy hell he certainly does. I like the idea of Bush/Cheney retiring, Nancy being sworn in, appointing Obama's cabinet - and GO GO GO GO.

We are so fucked and I don't think most people realize how bad it is.

[YvonneCa]

28. I know. And I agree he has to act. There is no...

...choice. The only thing that gives me comfort on this is that we got Obama in office...can you imagine how it would feel if McCain had won? :scared: Did you happen to see the discussion on Fareed Zakaria's show this morning? After Al Gore was on, he did a roundtable on the economy. Tom Friedman was one of the guests. He actually said we ought to move up Inauguration Day! The discussion was about how dangerous this time period is for the economy because we have 60 days to go and Bush has checked out.

I have no idea what the law is on that.

[sandnsea]

32. I read those remarks somewhere

and that is what has me the most freaked out. Too many of these free marketeers are in too big of a panic.

[quakerboy]

36. Cause Bush/cheney

will relinquish their power to blockade things one second before they absolutely have to?

This fails to contend with the fact that the worse things get, the better off B/C and ilk are.

[No Elephants]

10. Maybe Obama wants a groundswell. Dodd was extremely loyal to Obama when

the financial crisis hit the fan. He used every interview as an opportunity to stump for Obama. I don't think he's gone rogue.

[depakid]

11. Obama has never been one to stick his neck out

Hasn't in the past, and likely won't to the extent people want in the future....

[Vinca]

12. WTF do Levin and Dodd want?

I thought the period between the election and the inauguration was breathing space for the POTUS-elect to get his people and plans together. This is probably the first time there's an idiot in the White House who's doing little more than enjoying perks for the last 60 days, but that's not Obama's fault. He still needs the time.

[sandnsea]

13. They are laying the groundwork

to get the public behind any kind of plan that will get Bush/Cheney OUT. We are in deep doo here. DEEP.

[Two Americas]

23. agreed

You are making a couple of important points. We are in a much deeper crisis than many are willing to see. "Criticism" of the administration, despite the resistance that many have to it, is essential to build a groundswell and give the administration cover. This is why the demands here for hyper-loyalty are destructive, ironically destructive to the new administration itself.

Obama cannot lead if all he hears is hero worship and uncritical loyalty. He needs the cover provided by popular demand, and the only way to build popular demand is to speak out.

The people demanding that we not "criticize" the administration and all stay "loyal" are going to cripple the ability of the new administration to govern effectively.

[DCBob]

15. I think this may be a coordinated approach to help Obama.

Actually, I think Obama and his team would like to take charge on critical financial issues as soon as possible but they do not want to appear to be forcing the Bush team out. So floating the idea out there using surrogates is a safe way to gauge the idea. I am beginning to think this may actually happen in some form. It was brought up today on one of the talk shows that Geithner could be brought in now as Treasury secretary. Who knows, are in uncharted territory now. Anything is possible.

[gravity]

17. Obama needs to show more leadership during this crisis

We don't have a perception of lack of leadership, but actual lack of leadership during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Passing the problems off to Bush isn't going to make anything better.

[AllentownJake]

19. Please explain "show more leadership"

There is only one President at a time. It may be a flaw in our system that there is 3 months from election till taking office but right now Obama is not even a US Senator. He's the President Elect. Till 12:01 Barack Obama does not have the legal ability to do anything.

[gravity]

21. He can help get support for an auto bailout bill

and start talking about specifics for what he wants to do with the economy, and the bailout bill being handed to him

I know that Obama doesn't legally have to do shit, but it will be for the benefit for the country if he just says "Chill the fuck out, I got this."

[AllentownJake]

24. Maybe

he doesn't know yet what exactly to do. He doesn't even have his economic team fully in place so are you suggesting he goes off half cocked and starts issuing policy? That sounds like we had for the past 4 years. When he's in the chair he's going to face alot of fast decisions but at least he'll have his advisors around him to do it and way the pros and cons.

He's a smart man but he doesn't have a PHD in economics.

The auto bailout was the auto industry's fault. They went to congress unprepared on corporate jets hat in hand without any idea of what to tell Congress they were going to do to turn things around. That one soley rests on Detroit. Congress wanted to do something but those nitwits really gave congress no choice.

[gravity]

26. I understand where Obama is coming from

The specifics aren't as important as projecting confidence that he will be able to handle the situation, and that he knows what he is doing.

And on this auto bailout, I was pissed off at everyone in the process, including Congressional members who were grandstanding over trivial issues. We need a leader who is able to bring all sides together to come up with a fair solution to the problem instead of having these ideological battles.

[AllentownJake]

27. I agree there was grandstanding

but come on if your asking for a 25 billion dollar loan from the American People at least have a semblance of a Business plan to give to the people who are going to authorize the check.

Seriously part of any bailout bill should be a total cleaning house of the corporate suites in Detroit.

[malletgirl02]

22. Obama and more leadership

I'm not really sure if I'm right or not, but if Obama showed too much leadership overshadowing Bush it could be close to a coup. Even if it is not the right would see it that way, and although times are hard, and Bush is incompetent, we really don't need that.

[AllentownJake]

25. Plus if he works with Bush

He's going to have to over compromise and we all know Bush will fill anything with gifts to his buddies.

[zulchzulu]

20. It's Bush who needs to step up and ask Obama to be allowed to get more face time

Without Obama officially being inaugurated, it's rather silly to expect him to "show more leadership".

He had made statements as President-Elect. There is only one President at a time.

Perhaps, both Bush and Cheney could resign early...

:hi:

[TayTay]

29. They might be on his side and offering cover

The Bush Administration has basically decided to do nothing about the fiscal crisis that threatening the lives of so many in America.

Maybe these Senators are acting in concert with the new President-Elect and are trying to give him a chance to do something that will set the agenda and help working families in America.

Not everything is as it seems on the surface. Maybe they are trying to help this new President and hep the American people.

[YvonneCa]

35. Yep. I...

...agree. ;)

[EffieBlack]

30. Dodd and Levin are leaders in the party that controls both house of Congress - why don't THEY

do something?

It is pretty amazing to see the Democrats in Congress begging Obama, who currently holds no official government position, to do something NOW yet they have the power to pass whatever measure they want but haven't done so . . .

Just sayin'

[IsItJustMe]

31. I, like you, think they should just STFU. They don't know what they are doing.

[kennetha]

33. Not sure ANYBODY knows what to do

We are in deep sh*t. Truly deep sh*t.

This could be a watershed moment in American history. It could be the moment when America ceases being the most prosperous country on the planet and Americans have to get used to permanently lower economic expectations.

So this is a big deal.

[sampsonblk]

34. Obama doesn't own the problem, but he should own the solution

And that starts now.

At the minimum, he ought to give some signal to his own party as to what type of auto bailout he will support.

He has a responsibility to at least do that.

[Maru Kitteh]

37. I would like to see Obama get more involved. Nobody - NOBODY - cares what Bush thinks.

And everybody knows it. It would be helpful to the entire country if Obama becomes more involved and provides more direction now.

I'm glad they called for it, it gives Obama a good, media-ready reason to do so. He was asked by his former colleagues.

[backscatter712]

38. Obama IS getting involved.

You seen what he's done already? And he isn't already President. He's putting a top-notch economic team into play, he's drafting policies on everything from the economy to Iraq to the environment, and he's been making constant phone calls to various Congresscritters to try to make things happen.

[stillcool]

39. Whatever happened to January 20th?

and the whole inauguration thing? Jeez..in 2000 we were still not counting votes in Florida.