Barack Obama threatens to withdraw support from wavering Democrats

[helderheid]

The president will refuse to make fund-raising visits during November elections to any district whose representative has not backed the bill.

A one-night presidential appearance can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds which would otherwise take months to accumulate through cold-calling by campaign volunteers.

Mr Obama's threat came as the year-long debate over his signature domestic policy entered its final week.

Mr Obama is personally telephoning congressmen who are still on the fence this week, in between several personal appearances devoted toward swinging public opinion.

MORE >>>

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/7450237/Barack-Obama-threatens-to-withdraw-support-from-wavering-Democrats.html

[Bluebear]

1. !

[helderheid]

2. ...

:woohoo:

[MUAD_DIB]

20. Good! Enough is enough.

[Mari333]

3. I am not allowed to print on here what I think of this *&^%$.

unrec.


doesnt matter. he will be a lose lose anyway for any Dem. who has integrity.

[bigwillq]

25. If you're not with us, you're against us.

:evilgrin: Sound familiar????!!!

[MUAD_DIB]

35. It sounds more like...

"If you vote against this measure then you're not getting our assistance come election time."

[bigwillq]

36. As long as Obama is consistent and will refuse to make appearances

for DEMS who vote against other bills on his agenda then I will be cool with this.

[Mari333]

44. yes, the DLC screwed the base already, having them show up to support a decent dem is not good

I would think democrats who have principles do NOT want the DLC bluedogs to represent them. thats a sure loss.

[Luciferous]

95. I agree

[MUAD_DIB]

56. The HCR bill is not like other bills, but your point is fair enough.

[Dinger]

99. Hmmm. I Like That

:)

I'd be cool with that too.

[dflprincess]

103. This is classic case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face

If Obama really thinks he'd be a big fundraising bonus for any Democrat he campaigned for why would he risk a Democrat not having enough funds to run a successful campaign against a Republican?

You'd almost think Obama wants the Republicans to take back Congress. Of course that would give both he and whatever Dems remain at the Capital an excuse for not getting anything done.

[Mari333]

42. same old shit, yep.

[MUAD_DIB]

29. Don't worry. I negated your unrec and I'll see you a...

:bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce:
:woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo:
:bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce:
:woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo:



Duers are either...

1) Complaining that Obama isn't doing enough to make Congress do their jobs; which leaves me wondering if they understand checks and balances/separation of powers.

2) Complaining that Obama is helping nobody; which leaves me wondering what they believe the alternative would have been to a Dem POTUS.

3) Complaining just to complain.


Add your own thoughts if you like.

[Mari333]

54. I will raise you an IGNORE. click.

[MUAD_DIB]

58. Go ahead. Ignore is a great feature for those unable to defend themselves.

[jonathon]

4. Not surprising. Nauseating. But, not surprising.

[crazyjoe]

5. forget bullying the republicans, time to bully the democrats!!

[Mari333]

9. no, he kisses GOP butt and disses Dems

thats what it is boiling down to.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Why doesn't Obama threaten to withhold campaigning for the republicans?!

:crazy:

[Solomon]

84. HiFructosePronSyrup

:rofl:


:applause:

[troubledamerican]

52. Always been the strategy. Look at all the energy Reid spends bullying Dems vs zero against Rapepubs

[Arkana]

77. Um, you do know that the process of "whipping votes"

generally starts with lining up your own side, right?

[troubledamerican]

80. Reid was shutting down Dem "holds" when they were a minority party

Um, you do know that? Right?

[Arkana]

82. What the hell does that have to do with anything?

[troubledamerican]

88. Res ipsa locutor

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. The way his poll numbers look

I'm not sure withdrawing his support would be such a bad thing.

[LakeSamish706]

Great minds think alike. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. As compared to congress's poll numbers?

Great minds indeed.

[Mark dog]

27. That's comparing apples and oranges

Obama is not threatening to withdraw his support of the whole Congress of the United States.

We would have to compare Obama's approval in the district or state in question, versus the approval of the candidate running in that district or state.

[Teaser]

7. good. more like this.

.

[LakeSamish706]

8. At this point in his presidency, I wonder if he is a positive or negative support. hmmm n/t

[babylonsister]

10. Rec'd. More tough love, Mr. Obama. nt

[Number23]

117. Agreed. I love this.

[elocs]

11. WWLBJD (What Would LBJ Do). You do what you have to do to get it done. Hardball. n/t

[Tejas]

72. hello, anybody home? - - - LBJ did NOT "get it done"!

Thanks to his "hardball" on Vietnam and other BS (backing Humphrey instead of Robert Kennedy for POTUS), we wound up with Nixon.

[Arkana]

76. He backed Humphrey because a) Humphrey was his VP and b) Johnson REALLY

hated Bobby Kennedy.

[Tejas]

126. "REALLY hated Bobby Kennedy" - nothing like putting yourself ahead of your country - nt

[elocs]

118. Did I refer to exactly "what" LBJ got done? No, you read into it what you liked.

When LBJ wanted to get things done that he wanted done, that's how he did it.

So :hi:, I'm home, anybody home on your end?

[Tejas]

125. No, and you still haven't, not even remotely - do you have point?

Or are you just a blind LBJ cheerleader? Please, feel free to expound on why you feel the way you do about LBJ, or else just keep parroting "he was great" with nothing to back it up.

[CreekDog]

129. Medicare, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act --are you glad those passed?

do you dislike the tactics LBJ used to get them passed?

[Tejas]

142. Civil Rights - that JFK introduced?

Oh please, LBJ even eulogized JFK for it.

[Tejas]

143. Medicare - Ways and Means Committee made it happen, not LBJ

want more?

[CreekDog]

128. If not getting it done means passing Medicare, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act...

and dozens of Great Society Programs.

Then sign me up.

Vietnam was a failure of policy but domestically, LBJ was more effective than most of our leaders even given less time.

[Tejas]

144. Google is your friend.

Look up who actually did the work, it wasn't LBJ, he simply asked enough times so they would make it to his desk.

I'll go so far as to say LBJ did nothing whatsoever concerning real "work" compared to the hands-on done by President Obama.

[helderheid]

12. I'm still not used to this new rec system. Would be interesting to see how many recs and unrecs this

gets. :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. Watch the Top Ten page

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=greatest_threads&topten=1

"New and Hot" in the top left list gives us the total of recs, unrecs and replies for the 1st 4 hours of its life. You can see the number of replies from the thread; subtract that and you've got (recs + unrecs). Call that 'A'. The net recommendation is (recs - unrecs). Call that 'B'. So we have a simultaneous equation (heh, you knew there was a reason you did them in math, didn't you? :D)

R + U = A
R - U = B
so, by adding the 2 equations above on both sides:
2R = A + B
R = (A + B)/2
and, by subtracting the 2nd equation form the 1st:
2U = A - B
U = (A - B)/2

And if the thread gets a lot of recs, you can see the simple number of recs in the 'Just Recs' list at the bottom right, for the whole 24 hours. You can sometimes use the 'On The Fence' numbers to work out what's going on, but that's harder - a single new vote might happen while you're looking, and that could change the arthimetic by quite a lot for an 'on the fence' vote.

[helderheid]

30. where's my calculator...

:hi: thanks!

[muriel_volestrangler]

37. It's on the 'New and Hot' list now

current figures look like 27 recs, 11 unrecs, FWIW (slight caveat: I think Skinner said the figures on the Top Ten page aren't updated every time you open it, or hit 'refresh', but every few minutes. So the numbers aren't exact).

[helderheid]

39. Thanks!

:hi:

[TankLV]

78. Yeah - but if I'm walking TOWARDS the my laptop at .6 mph, while hopping over the dog,

and the earth is rotating counterclockwise from my lateral movement...

how long will it be before...

What was the question again?

[Kalyke]

133. That requires far too much thought.

I must be having a tea-bagger day.

[BlueIdaho]

13. Yeah - like no other sitting President has ever done anything this before...

C'mon folks...

[mwrguy]

16. He won't offer them the same help he offered Martha Coakley.

Oh noes.

[bluestateguy]

17. Well you wanted Obama to be more lilke LBJ and FDR

There you go. That's the way they did it.

[helderheid]

18. Yep

:thumbsup:

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ihavenobias]

40. Yeah, except that instead of pressuring corporatists he's pressuring progressives.

It's getting tough against exactly the wrong people. This toughness could and should have been shown months ago against the right people, you know, like Ben Nelson.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

65. The people who he needs to pressure are part of Stupak's crew. You think they're progressive?

Really?

The progressives are all on board.

[ihavenobias]

67. I don't recall the Ben Nelsons and Liebermans (etc.) being pressured whatsoever.

The only concessions came from the left.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

70. This thread is about Obama pressuring no voters. The only no voters left are "moderates"

The progressives are on board. So who is he threatening?

[ihavenobias]

73. Well, since Kucinich has caved, no one.

But again I ask, why were the only major concessions from the left? That's a rhetorical question.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

74. Exactly. So no, he is not threatening progressives, he is threatening the moderates

Something that up until recently DU was calling for.


I think he failed to lead in the early part of the HC process. Has he learned and is that the reason for the change of tactics? We shall see.

[ihavenobias]

96. But he's 'threatening the corporatists AFTER all concessions have been made.

He should have pressured the Nelsons and Liebermans before, now it's too late.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

97. My issue is that you claimed he was threatening progressives. So do several others.

That is not the case.

[ihavenobias]

104. Kucinich.

That's what I was referring to. I assumed you knew that.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

107. Except that Kucinich is 1 of a necessary 17 votes.

Unlike DU, to most of the Dems, a vote is a vote.

[ihavenobias]

110. The difference

Again, it's about context. The timing of this pressure is absurd. The Dems/WH proposed a half a loaf solution (public option) rather than a full loaf (single payer). Even a mediocre haggler knows you don't open with the offer you want to end with. So the fact that Dems did this is questionable at best.

You start with single payer knowing full well it would never fly. After all, politically the right and MSM reacted as if the Dems had proposed destroying private insurance, private hospitals, private drug manufacturers, etc. The rhetoric and political damage couldn't possibly have been worse, and yet in the end we get a watered down corporate giveaway/mandate. In other words, it's not only terrible policy, but also terrible politics.

[dflprincess]

108. He didn't start "leading" until the bill he wanted all along was threatened

If he had been interested in actual reform he would have stepped in long before this scam got so far.

[Lorien]

115. Exactly. There's no longer any question of who he's representing

wealthy corporate interests, not us.

[bbgrunt]

130. and Joe Lieberjackhole

[Bumblebee]

19. Good for him! He is still much more popular than any of them or any GOP

and by November he will be even more popular.

[girl gone mad]

22. Is that a threat or a promise?

:rofl:

Sorry, but I doubt this kind of intimidation has much leverage, all things considered.

[rhett o rick]

23. This doesnt mean shit unless we know who specifically he is threatening. nm

[Mark dog]

24. self-delete

[DeSwiss]

28. !@$@!~$%@%^#$%@%! ! n/t

[kenny blankenship]

31. No pressure on people who fucked up the bill and turned it into an ins. co bonanza

But now it's "vote Yes or else".

[helderheid]

32. This is chess, not checkers. n/t

[Marr]

64. Looks a little more like Monopoly to me. n/t

[helderheid]

66. Touche'!

Time will tell.

[riderinthestorm]

111. Yup. Plus one for your post, sad to say. nt

[CrispyQ]

138. +1

He's lost my vote.

[HeresyLives]

33. Thank goodness.

I was wondering if this would EVER happen!

[helderheid]

41. Agreed.

[Jamastiene]

34. That would actually be better for my congressman if Obama stayed out of my district too.

Voters in both parties are pretty pissed off at him in my district anyhow. I finally, after all these years, got a Congressman who is representing me. I don't care if Obama comes here or not.

[salguine]

38. Now he decides to "get tough" and throw his weight around? To punish those who

see what a steaming pile of shit this bill is? Where was he when—fuck it. I'm too fed up. I'm so goddamn tired of Barack already. I can't even stand the sight of him any more.

[madrchsod]

43. does he think he`s that popular?

he`s not that popular out here in the real world.

[helderheid]

45. If you think DU is the real world, think again. He's not popular with those on the far left or the

far right.

I happen to support both Kucinich AND Obama. I think there is a lot more strategy involved in this.

[Political Heretic]

48. Take a look at some polls.

This isn't about "far" left or right.

[madrchsod]

57. the unions are not happy with him.

his treatment of the teachers and the sell out of the public options are just a few problems...but the biggest is the card check. course my views are somewhat tainted because i live in ronnyland. right now i can`t support what he is doing but maybe he`ll surprise me. i know we usually agree on stuff and that`s why i responded

[Mari333]

46. lives in a bubble with Rahm and Timmy whispering into his ear

he has no clue.

[madrchsod]

62. he`s not the same guy i heard during his senate campaign stop here in ronnyland

just a couple of feet away from him and i knew he had a vision of america that was something special. but the reality of washington dc
changes one`s perceptions of what is right and what is wrong. he reminds me a lot of jimmy carter...i just hope he does`t meet the same fate

[Political Heretic]

47. Imagine if he had done that for the EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT, PUBLIC OPTION, ARR, etc.....

:eyes:

[Skittles]

53. yup

Obama picks a strange time to start throwing tantrums

[ipaint]

124. +1

Unfortunately imagine is all we can do.

[Forkboy]

49. His stumping for Coakley pushed her over the top and on to victory!

[David Zephyr]

68. You beat me to it, but then you are Forkboy.

Exactly.

[jonnyblitz]

69. !!!!

:o

[Arkana]

79. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that his appearance wasn't the reason Martha Coakley lost.

Martha Coakley was the reason Martha Coakley lost.

[Forkboy]

81. It wasn't, but it didn't help either, did it?

[Arkana]

83. No, but perhaps that's because it came like a day before the election.

[liquid diamond]

91. It was too little too late.

She ran a shit campaign and took the people of Massachusetts for granted. But you knew that.

[katandmoon]

50. Wow...the health insurance companies must REALLY be riding his ass to get this bill passed

And deliver all these healthy new customers to them.

[krabigirl]

51. ok, maybe some of us may stop supporting him then...

[Mari333]

55. Im already done with him

working for local candidates now who represent the people, not corporations and warmongers.

[liquid diamond]

93. Hahaha. Some chance they'll stand against our president.

[Mari333]

59. Norman Solomon today:

Norman Solomon
Cold war liberals went witch-hunting against "premature anti-fascists" sixty years ago; reminds me of how Dennis Kucinich is now under attack for being, in effect, a "post-mature pro-public-optionist." Some of the same forces (e.g. MoveOn) that spent all last year touting a public option as essential are now attacking Kucinich for his insistence on a public option.......

[helderheid]

60. facebook?

I was the one pushing www.pdamerica.org

[butterfly77]

61. K&R!!!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Marr]

63. So he *can* play hardball!

But only for corporate legislation. How shocking.

[leftstreet]

87. [phone]

[tbyg52]

132. + the tens of trillions corporations have looted. nt

[frylock]

71. me too..

obama is at the top of the list.

[Arkana]

75. I suspect this will be viewed as an empty threat.

Most of those Democrats he's talking to will be trying to run away from him. I speak, of course, of those treacherous POS Blue Dogs.

[Robb]

85. Well well well.

We all wondered on what issue he would do something like this.

I don't think it's the right one to pull the stops out for, but I do grudgingly admire him for doing it.

[Cleita]

86. I think it's great that he's channeling his inner LBJ, but

he really need to direct that to the Republicans and the Republican Lites of his Party.

[EFerrari]

101. Bingo! "His inner LBJ" --

:rofl:

:thumbsup:

[liquid diamond]

89. It's about time he took off the gloves.

He's already whipped Kucinich into place.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[suzie]

106. Something he should have done 6 months ago.

[MadHound]

92. Well we can always withdraw our support from him

In fact that's exactly what I plan to do in a couple of years unless he changes his stripes pretty damn quick.

[Luciferous]

94. Good. It doesn't seem like he's a whole lot of help during elections anyway.

[ShortnFiery]

98. Good, this wavering democrat will RETURN the favor come Nov 2012.

:grr: :thumbsdown:

[EFerrari]

100. I would have loved to see him fight this hard for the public option. n/t

[helderheid]

102. it's not over.

[Better Believe It]

105. This is part of Rahm's plan to beat liberals into submission on the health insurance industry bill.

[notesdev]

112. "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

by Al Capone

[Dinger]

109. Replace "Wavering Democrats" With "Progressives"

You could also say "Obama threatens to withdraw support from the Democratic wing Of The Democratic Party". Then you'd be correct.

[Name removed]

113. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LWolf]

127. +1

[helderheid]

114. Smartest man in the room. I'm still holding out for the PO

[saracat]

116. Too bad he waited until he had a crap bill to do this. He could have fought for a PO!

[laughingliberal]

120. +1000 nt

[Prism]

119. Now, now

It's all fun and games until someone loses a signing ceremony.

[warm regards]

121. This will only exacerbate the problem for Dems this fall.

[Name removed]

122. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Major Hogwash]

123. You want to hear something funny .....

Since some of the people here don't believe anything Obama promises to do anyway, they have nothing to fear from a supposed "threat" - because he never does what he says he is going to do - according to them.

But, those that do believe Obama, know that this is exactly what he should have been doing last year.

But, that darned Obama is so goshed darn nice, he didn't want to ruin anyone's Thanksgiving.

[freddie mertz]

131. Some of them won't want him.

This isn't 2008 anymore.

[Javaman]

134. Meh. Once the Dems abondoned Deans 50 state plan, Obama's threat

reads pretty hollow.

their organization of the grass roots that Dr. Dean created has virtually all but vanished.

In the end, this simple fact will lose us mucho seats come November. It won't be because Obama isn't fronting them.

[helderheid]

135. I am disgusted that the 50 state plan was dropped. It made a huge difference.

[golddigger]

136. It might be a blessing!

[WinkyDink]

137. Update: Threatened Dems Sigh in Relief.

[Nikki Stone1]

139. One part of a game of hardball.

There was more no doubt, and probably financial threats.

[Cowpunk]

140. And we should believe him why? NT

[Canuckistanian]

141. A "purity test". How nice.

Here in Canada, when we have a REALLY IMPORTANT moral issue to vote on, the leaders let their party members vote their conscience instead of the party line. No pressure, no questions asked, no "consequences" It's an old tradition.

AND it gives the resulting legislation more moral validity instead of just "toeing the line" in the face of obvious THREATS.

This is bullshit.