Liberal groups blast Obama for considering tax compromise (WP)

[somone]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/02/AR2010120201083.html

Liberal groups blast Obama for considering tax compromise
By Perry Bacon Jr.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal group that has repeatedly attacked President Obama on the left, is airing an ad demanding that he not agree to any compromise with the GOP that would extend tax cuts for household incomes above $250,000 a year.

The spot is called "Obama Promised," and the group says it will air on CNN and MSNBC and on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central over the next few days. It shows Obama in 2007 declaring that "we will also allow the temporary Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire."

Text at the end says, "Keep Your Promise. Fight, Don't Cave, On Tax Cuts."

"President Obama made a clear promise during the 2008 election, and our ad reminds him that he has a choice," said Stephanie Taylor, the group's co-founder. "He can keep his promise and make sure that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of taxes. Or he can break his promise, add billions to our national debt, and leave his past supporters demoralized by caving to Republicans even when they are clearly wrong. The choice is his." ...

Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2KkzsVYUdI

[Tatiana]

1. I think this is a good idea.

Reason and common sense is not working; maybe this will get him to honor his own rhetoric.

[wtmusic]

2. Another "read my lips" moment -

from a Democrat's lips. :eyes:

[ProSense]

3. Greg Sargent:

Lefty group running ad slamming Obama -- in Iowa

<...>

Between this spot and the new one unveiled this morning by MoveOn, it's clear that the left has settled on a strategy of actively trying to damage Obama politically with the base and with left-leaning independents by painting him as weak, to force him to draw a harder line against Republicans. The left, clearly, has no intention of stopping with these efforts.

Surely some will insist that it only helps Obama to be attacked from the left. But efforts to encourage the perception that Obama is weak and refuses to fight -- which is gaining some traction with the mainstream media, whether fair or not -- could very well damage Obama politically over the long term. And the White House will probably have to deal with it sooner or later.

More evidence that the left has no idea what it means to apply pressure, confusing it with tearing someone down. This will backfire, and plays right into the media/GOP's hands.

[Poboy]

4. "Pull over and resign now! You're going to be on Glenn Beck!" -nt

[Kalyke]

5. It doesn't take an ad from a left-leaning group to make

Obama seem weak in the Heartland. By constantly capitulating to the ultra-right and not seen as fighting for those working class people in Iowa, Obama is making HIMSELF seem week to the independents in the fly-over states.

[ProSense]

7. That's not my point, but you're free to make it

There was a time when Clinton and Reagan were in the high 30s, tearing them down was not a strategy to help build them back up.

This is a different time, of course, but it's a stupid strategy. The President has a fragile Democratic majority to work with and most of what he achieves must come through them.

These groups have a completely distorted view of what a President does.

[LostHighway]

14. If the people lead, the leaders will follow

Maybe if Obama hadn't been insulting his base throughout the summer and fall more independents would have shown up to the polls.

[Kalyke]

16. I don't have a distorted view of what a president does.

Hell, I was a working reporter during the Clinton years. Reporting when it was a real thing and not an entertainment thing.

The "fragile Democratic majority" comes from the Blue Dogs - those who aren't moderate, but who are corporate, but who keep trying to tell us they are moderate.

We need a will to find a way.

[struggle4progress]

8. It's clear many here think "apply pressure" means "tear him down"

[Winterblues]

10. Such Condescending dribble

Obama asked Liberal groups to do exactly this.. :shrug:

[ProSense]

13. Pressure is not tearing down

How is making the President look weak pressure?

Congress has a role in this too, and anything that passes will go through them before it reaches the President. What this does is position the President as the deciding factor and simply does not address the issue of getting the right outcome through the legislative process. What's this about a veto?

This is like a strategy that serves the same purpose as the RW, tearing the President down.

Demanding that the President and Democrats act does not require portraying them as weak. What the hell is the point: Making Republicans appear strong?

[Angry Dragon]

11. How many times does he have to hear the people to

actually hear them??

Why doesn't he get on the airways and talk to the people??
Tell them that the republicans are keeping 97% of the American population hostage
to benefit the wealthiest in this nation. That most of them are not small business
owners so by letting taxes increase on these people will not affect how many jobs
can be created.

Obama has decided he does not want to hear the people. So the only recourse is to
tear him down. How should the people pressure him so as not to offend him??

[treestar]

6. Are all presidents forbidden from even "considering" something we

don't agree with????

[RickFromMN]

9. With President Obama spineless, can we hope Democratic Senators stand firm?

[hfojvt]

12. Amen. Obama said it, we voted for it. Obama has a mandate.

[ProSense]

15. Converging with the RW

Daily Kos: "A Dangerous President" Howard Zinn Warned Us

There is even the obligatory "cult of personality" reference.