Tribalism is the Last Refuge of Political Scoundrels, Including Robert Gibbs

[robdogbucky]

By: Jane Hamsher Tuesday August 10, 2010 9:30 am

Spiro Agnew — sorry, Robert Gibbs — says “the professional left is not representative of the progressives who organized, campaigned, raised money and ultimately voted for Obama.” Well, the Obama in the White House is not representative of the Obama who organized, campaigned, raised money and ran for office, so I guess its’ a wash.

Gibbs does the only thing you can do when trying to defend a record of corporatist capitulation: triangulate against your critics as extremists. But the fact is, the positions Obama has abandoned aren’t the exclusive territory of Dennis Kucinich. Standing up to the banks and the insurance companies, reducing the political influence of corporate money, defending Social Security and ending the wars are issues that are broadly popular with the American public. That’s why Obama campaigned on them in order to pave his way to the White House.

I don’t recall Obama making campaign promises to increase the defense budget and cut Social Security benefits, order the assassination of American citizens without due process, or cut sweetheart deals with the pharmaceutical industry in exchange for political patronage. Where was the bold, inspirational speech where he vowed to give AT&T immunity for operating their own private corporate spy network, tax people’s health insurance benefits, abandon gay rights and throw a party in the rose garden for Bart Stupak’s presidential signing statement? When did he promised to re-appoint Ben Bernanke, protect the bonuses of bailed out bankers and keep shoveling money at Wall Street?...

...Maybe Gibbs should stop and revisit some of those campaign speeches and ask himself if the guy in the oval office looks like the guy on the campaign trail. He might figure out why people are upset, and it’s not just the “professional left.” According to Gallup, Obama’s approval ratings among Hispanics was 73% in January of 2010 and is now at 54%. That’s largely over his failure to fulfill the promises he made about immigration..."

http://firedoglake.com/



I have wondered sincd day one why this president seemed so often to make comments that deliberately insult the "left," whatever that is? Then it dawned on me that he is just another in a long line of corporate selected candidates, allowed to win, to just hold on and be the enabler they need to get us to the next neocon prince. Cosmetically very appealing but when the chips are down we get teachers dumped on, unions dumped on, working people dumped on, veterans dumped on, Social Security dumped on, banks rescued, insurance companies rescued, coal commpanies rescued, oil companies rescued, defense contractors. Cities, states, families, all dumped on.

These comments really shine light on the truth inside the current corporate administration. Should be another fun election cycle with this as a starting point.



Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!



Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

[eleny]

1. Her summary just makes me so sad

I'm currently reading Russ Baker's "Family of Secrets". So Hamsher's analysis especially hits home today.

K&R.

[robdogbucky]

10. I bought it months ago

when it first became available on Amazon, but have not had the will/intestinal fortitude to read it yet.

You can see the hate Jane Hamsher for joining with Norquist in calling out Rahm's shenanigans at Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae crowd shows up every time her name is mentioned, spouting the same inanities. It is almost as if Rahm is on this board with his little mates, pouncing out with insults over something they would rather be kept hidden:

Most recent news about that ill-fated government arm that Rahm ran for a while is thus;


Freddie Mac reports loss, seeks another $1.8 billion in taxpayer bailout
By Mark Trumbull, Staff writer / August 9, 2010

The mortgage-finance company Freddie Mac reported a $4.7 billion net loss for the second quarter Monday, due to a rise in home loans that ended in default.

The report, following a similar loss at sister company Fannie Mae last week, underscores that the US housing market remains a central trouble spot in the economy. Because these government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) sit at the heart of the housing market, it also means the taxpayer tab is rising for keeping these firms afloat.

In reporting the loss, Freddie Mac also said that the Federal Housing Finance Agency will ask for $1.8 billion in additional Treasury funds to support the firm. The FHFA has held Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a conservatorship, to keep them from failing, since they collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis...

...His statement and the losses to taxpayers come as Congress is about to take up the question of so-called GSE reform, or what to do with Fannie and Freddie in the long term. The Obama administration has scheduled a public conference on the topic on Aug. 17.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/2010/0809/Freddie-Mac-reports-loss-seeks-another-1.8-billion-in-taxpayer-bailout


Jane Hamsher, Grover Norquist Call for Rahm Emanuel’s Resignation

"We write to demand an immediate investigation into the activities of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. We believe there is an abundant public record which establishes that the actions of the White House have blocked any investigation into his activities while on the board of Freddie Mac from 2000-2001, and facilitated the cover up of potential malfeasance until the 10-year statute of limitations has run out.

Since that time, despite multiple warnings by Congress that having no independent Inspector General for a federal agency that oversees $6 trillion in mortgages is a serious oversight, the White House has not appointed one...

...We recognize that these are extremely serious accusations, but the stonewalling by Mr. Emanuel and the White House has left us with no other redress. A 2003 report by Freddie Mac’s regulator indicated that Freddie Mac executives had informed the board of their intention to misstate the earnings to insure their own bonuses during the time Mr. Emanuel was a director. But the White House refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request from the Chicago Tribune for those board minutes on the grounds that Freddie Mac was a “commercial” entity, even though it was wholly owned by the government at the time the request was made.

If the Treasury approves the $800 billion commitment to Fannie and Freddie by the end of the year, it will mean that under the influence of Rahm Emanuel, the White House is moving a trillion-dollar slush fund into corruption-riddled companies with no oversight in place. This will allow Fannie and Freddie to continue to purchase more toxic assets from banks, acting as a back-door increase of the TARP without congressional approval..."

http://firedoglake.com/2009/12/23/jane-hamsher-grover-norquist-call-for-rahm-emmanuel%E2%80%99s-resignation/




So, what do the insulting ones have to say to the underlying allegations and the resultant behaviors? Transparency? Honesty? A government/change we can believe in?


I don't expect any responses to this other than insults as no one that does so has ever dilineated why they feel what Hamsher and Norquist said is untrue. They never discuss the issue, they only spew the hatreds. I had to go and find out about the underlying story to this as I had occasionally read and followed her and others on FDL, especially Marcy Wheeler. Maybe this is Gibbs' shot at Jane for sponsoring

http://firedoglake.com/justsaynow


That makes sense in light of the not too subtle drug reference in Gibbs' statements.




Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!



rdb

[robdogbucky]

12. Well, it's been a couple hours and no response from anyone

I guess the topic is too hot to handle.

Anyone else notice?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. What a dumbass hypocrite.

good lord.

[inna]

3. kr

[xiamiam]

4. spot on imo...nt

[jaxx]

5. And that is the "professional left" speaking.

She got in the big words too.....corporatist capitulation, triangulate.

[LoZoccolo]

7. Exactly, this is what Gibbs was talking about, people who make their money

by always being against Democrats. She wouldn't have the draw to her site if it contained all good news.

[moksha]

9. Gibbs asked for it. It will only getting louder now.

[jaxx]

11. Idle threats don't phase me.

If people like to hear the sounds of their screaming, so be it. Being vindictive was never appealing to me, I'm a liberal.

[inna]

6. here's the permalink btw:

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/08/10/tribalism-is-the-last-refuge-of-political-scoundrils-including-robert-gibbs/

[Individualist]

8. K&R