A little info that didn't make it into the MSM: my daughter is a civil engineer

[hedgehog]

for a county in Upstate New york. Last night she showed us a dvd explaining the need to rebuild water systems, sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems throughout the US. (What can I say, my family's picture is in the dictionary under Nerd)

Any how, after an hour and a half of looking at all the work that needs to be done, she told us that the Stimulus Bill has a lot of funds for this squirreled away in the fine print.

People are enraged over a health care bill that didn't meet expectations regarding health insurance. There are a lot of good things happening below the radar. I say, give the man a chance. He's fixing things that have been broken for 50 years!

[ima_sinnic]

1. apparently there are also funds for expanding broadband Internet access

My podunk telephone company, TDS, has been telling me since this summer that it has applied for federal stimulus money to expand its DSL coverage. Until then, I'm stuck with satellite, which is so sensitive to weather and even planes flying by that I've had to back it up with dialup (as a self-employed copy editor for a couple of websites, I must have an Internet connection)--satellite is only slightly faster than dialup, so I am very eager for this to happen.

Yes, good things are happening under the radar, but as is typical for government, it's taking a while.

[hedgehog]

4. Don't fall for the right wing mantra that government is inefficient.

It takes time to do big projects because they are big projects. For example, when the high speed rail is built from NYC to Buffalo, there should be more passengers. I was at the Amtrack station in Syracuse yesterday, and the parking lot there is too small now. So on top of buying all the new equipment and laying track, someone is going to have to expand parking lots.

Any large infrastructure project takes a lot of planning. That's why the phrase "shovel ready" was so important. That's why so much of the early money went to keeping people who had jobs working and to supporting the unemployed. It's going to take a while to get up to speed with the big projects.

[NewJeffCT]

24. Having worked for some huge mega-corporations

They are certainly not very efficient, by any stretch of the imagination - and, they often have to pay out tens of millions (or more) in executive compensation that Uncle Sam does not.

[dorkulon]

39. Yes--any massive entity, be it gov't or a corporation

will move rather inefficiently, labor under a cumbersome bureaucracy, and waste a lot of money. But at least gov't isn't tasked with turning a profit in the process.

[sam sarrha]

62. the compensation/bonus should be taxed the same as when poor folks win the lottery, no loopholes,

goes for stock options too, seriously tax hedge funds and derivatives as a non value added tax. they skim so much money so many ways that the bottom 80% income only owns 7% of Americas wealth, but 74% of all debt.

we have to have some of the wealth to have any sort of economy... i'm sick of the mentally ill OCD Wealth Hoarders rigging everything till it falls apart in predictable cycles.. we are the only ones who suffer the down turns too...

[bertman]

43. Agree somewhat about the planning, but the fact is that lots of these projects are already

planned for but undone due to funds being unavailable. Most of the municipalities in our region are busting at the seams and are already in desperate need for the money. They are as close to "shovel ready" as any large-scale public works project can be.

I'm glad to hear this news about the funds being somewhere inside the labyrith. One possibility is that they may be saving the big news for mid-term time. Or negotiating to see which districts get the best shots. Rewards for the compliant.

Thanks for the headsup about this, hedgehog.

[SergeStorms]

55. And although the money may become available..........

for these projects to finally get started, it remains to be seen if the money - when and if it does come - is actually spent on repairing our crumbling infrastructure. Municipalities are so cash strapped now that they're robbing from Peter to pay Paul.

It reminds me of the tobacco settlement money. Billions of dollars were allocated to the States for non-smoking education and to defray medical costs due to smoking. Very little, often none of that money, actually went to it's targeted goal. Th same thing happened with the "homeland security" dollars that were dispersed after 9-11. The States treated it as a windfall to finance other pet projects. Now they're broke again. Unless there are hard lined stipulations for this money (and there seldom are for government dollars) this money will in all likelihood be squandered as well.

[eilen]

44. The parking lot was planned too small to begin with--less available spots

than the original. Absolutely ridiculous. I hope the city didn't hire the same engineering firm to clean up the lake. Also, you'd think they would locate it a bit more accessible to downtown or at least have a decent shuttle system as there are not really any hotels close by.

[hedgehog]

63. I could go on for hours about all the defects in the new, modern

transportation terminal. The most egregious fault, IMO is the way bus passengers are treated.

[TexasProgresive]

30. AT&T Tells FCC It's Time to Cut the Cord

AT&T Tells FCC It's Time to Cut the Cord
By Tony Bradley

In response to a Notice of Inquiry released by the FCC to explore how to transition to a purely IP-based communications network, AT&T has declared that it's time to cut the cord. AT&T told the FCC that the death of landlines is a matter of when , not if, and asked that a firm deadline be set for pulling the plug.
People who read this also read:

AT&T tells the FCC that supporting traditional POTS landlines is impeding investment in broadband, VoIP, and wireless services.AT&T said in its response to the FCC that "with each passing day, more and more communications services migrate to broadband and IP-based services, leaving the public switched telephone network ("PSTN") and plain-old telephone service ("POTS") as relics of a by-gone era."

It also stated "It makes no sense to require service providers to operate and maintain two distinct networks when technology and consumer preferences have made one of them increasingly obsolete."
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/185649/atandt_tells_fcc_its_time_to_cut_the_cord.html

[pundaint]

52. Naturally AT&T would prefer fewer competing alternatives

Has anybody gotten good service in any regard from AT&T this century? I've been in 3 time zones and 5 states and as AT&T has gobbled up my providers, the service has gone to hell. I would, therefore, take any suggestion by AT&T as a strong recommendation for the negative.

[lillypaddle]

54. My cell phone service is through AT&T

and has been for 10 years. I've had no complaints at all. FWIW.

[dotymed]

58. I talked to a

business agent at the Carpenters Union. He said that there were plenty of projects funded by the "stimulus" money. But that the contractors are delaying the work, waiting to see what is going on with the economy. So, we have hundreds of unemployed Union Carpenters when the projects have already been financed. Last week, our Union dues were raised, temporarily, until our members were employed, because they (Union) have no money coming in, and a lot going out (I'm still on "temporary disability"). Kind of tough on our members to raise their dues, when they are unemployed. Fortunately, it is about $3 a month extra. How in the HELL can we expect to work (not me,yet), when "they" won't spend the money they have already been guaranteed. If they would have financed the smaller Union companies for this work (a lot I am told), they would have been forced to start construction. They can not afford to sit by without money coming in... I hope the Employee Fair Trade Act(?) is not forgotten. Everyone deserves the "right" to a living wage, retirement fund and medical insurance. The crap the Senate has passed (HRC), will NOT help ordinary people.

[abelenkpe]

2. Cool!

I know that NY has needed to rebuild it's water systems for sometime now so it's great to hear they are finally getting the funding to do so. I'm still hopeful that the problems in the health care reform bill will be addressed too. Hope people continue to contact their reps over any issues.

[midnight]

3. hedgehog I too believe every little bit helps. I just wish there was not

such a bonanza of financial give aways to pharmacy and insurance co.

[sandnsea]

5. Food Stamps is a give away to Big Ag

I would say food is a more basic right than health care, but I don't see people lined up against Obama for expanding food stamps benefits. Maybe he should have called the health care subsidies Health Stamps, so people would understand what is happening.

[shireen]

6. what's that dvd?

i'd be really interested in seeing it.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

7. under the radar

that's how it seems to me too.... He's getting so many things done, and many are not "sexy" (ugh, barf), so Flying Monkeys Media pays no attention.

Add to that Coprophilic-Corporate's interests in sabotaging progress, and you have the perfect recipe for the media lie-cycle deluding credulous people.

[glitch]

8. K & R thanks for the positive input. nt

[progressoid]

9. The White House needs to get this ABOVE the radar. n/t

[karynnj]

12. I agree - as these projects become more concrete, they need to

make sure that they get some credit. The same goes for healthcare. Just as the Democrats have used individuals the system failed, as soon as the new plan is implemented, they need to start getting some stories of people better served under the new plan. (I know much does not happen until later, but some things kick in immediately. President Obama may need to lead the PR battle here. )

[JohnnyLib2]

10. Thanks. Too bad the topic isn't more "sexy" in terms of PR.

Rec.

[karynnj]

11. Wonderful news and fantastic post

It is utterly amazing that Democrats are buying the Republican mantra that things are getting worse - contrary to all the economic data. The fact is that things are still very tough - we are only just edging up from the bottom - but we are going in the right direction. My guess is the Republicans hope that people will punish Democrats for a bad economy and they are intent in persuading people that things are not getting better.

It is great that long term needs like this and rail, which you mention in a later post, are being done.

[MadMaddie]

13. Your daughter is absolutely right!

I am studying the protection of that infrastructure and the two go hand in hand. The neglect and lack of planning to address the structures and their protection has put a lot of lives and communities at risk.

An Infrastructure Jobs program would do wonders for this country.

[old mark]

14. Rec. The WH/Dems have to actually start promoting themselves.

The GOP has absolutely NOTHING and yet all I ever seem to hear is their bullshit on TV. Let's get some of OUR bullshit out there, guys....


mark

[FrenchieCat]

16. Perhaps we are the Dems that should be promoting what is going on.....

which is a sight more productive than attacking this Admin for what we think should have been done already. Sometimes it is best to look for the "what ares", then the "didn't yet do".

[Hekate]

22. +1

[old mark]

51. If only that were the case. Dems spend more effort attacking each other

than promoting the good things we are trying to get done.

It's never good enough for some people on the left.

mark

[NewJeffCT]

25. The problem is

that how many major Democrats actually get on the news? The Sunday talk shows have historically been dominated by Republicans, and when they have Democrats on there, it's often Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman or similar... and, if a decent Democrat gets on the air, they always have a RW looney as a counterpoint.

[old mark]

68. 1 moderate Dem and 3 RW ers = "fairness" to the liberal MSM. nt

[Gregorian]

15. Ha! Nerd!

It's funny because I spent an hour yesterday talking with a mechanical engineer I went to school with yesterday. He now works for a septic plant, and we were discussing the same thing. The San Francisco area has water and sewer lines made of hollowed out redwood logs, to this day. Someone is going to make a lot of money slip lining these old pipes.

There's a world behind this modern society that most people don't know exists.

I enjoy knowing about this stuff. I enjoyed hearing about the corroding bridges, back in the 80's. It's important, because to this day we haven't focused on much more than dropping bombs on imaginary enemies. It's nice to know we might be getting something for the money we fork out to the IRS.

[hedgehog]

28. The money we spend in one year in Iraq would take care of

our water and sewers for next twenty years!

[Phx_Dem]

17. I've been saying for years that we need to fix our infrastructure

and, finally, someone's gotten to it.

It's like living in a dilapitated house and your spouse refuses to spend a dime to fix anything. Maddening. Shit doesn't fix itself!

[DIKB]

18. My brother is a civic engineer

I always knew we did little growth/maintenance vs. what was necessary, but never did I realize how badly, till he explained it to me. I am extremely grateful that Obama recognized this and took action to fix our sick system.

[northernlights]

19. and the healthcare bill includes billions to build community health centers

plus funding to help train more medical staff. All of which are needed if the entire country is to have access to healthcare.

[dkf]

40. Where else can you hide $10 billion in a bill and not have much discussion?

Bernie sure is crafty.

[pundaint]

53. And so much more for Health Insurers and PhRMA that it STILL Sucks!

It's like to spend American taxes in the interest of American domestic needs requires some give-away to corporations. I think it would be better to bundle healthcare with war funding, and the infrastructure upgrades with the military budget. All the welfare and entitlement programs can be bundled with the welfare for Corporations and Executive Pay Embellishment Bills.

We're doing it backwards. We do the massive give aways without conditions, and allow conditions on domestic spending.

[Canuckistanian]

20. I can't remember where I heard it

But someone was once asked what was the greatest achievement of man in this century. They said that of all technological ventures - petroleum, the automobile, telephones, architecture, radio, etc... that modern sanitation and water delivery systems were the greatest.

In times past, people practically lived in their own filth and died by the millions of diseases such as cholera, typhus, tuberculosis and malaria.

When you think about it, sewer and water systems are MASSIVE projects that we often take for granted. And society would quickly collapse without them.

So when you hear someone speak of the importance of infrastructure - pay attention.

[NBachers]

50. Another Socialist Program

Check out this Plumber Protects poster. It's only five bucks from American Standard



http://www.americanstandard-us.com/store/plumber-protects/?r=5&p=2

[Hekate]

21. Thumbsup. Clean water and wastewater systems have a huge impact on public health...

... and no one notices until they break down and there's a cholera epidemic or the like.

As Rachel Maddow is so fond of saying: "Infrastructure" -- it just rolls trippingly off the tongue for public health/public works nerds like me.

Has Rachel gotten a copy of that dvd? She'd probably love it.

Hekate

[hedgehog]

29. Here it is - Liquid Assets by Penn State

http://liquidassets.psu.edu/the_film/press_room.html

and the trailer

http://liquidassets.psu.edu/

[kjones]

23. Yes, America's infrastructure is real going to hell.

It is nice that some of that is getting taking care of.
Not to marginalize it, but health care wont be enough to help
us if we don't have any clean water to drink.

[johnaries]

26. Of course, the Repubs would call this "pork". K&R

[johnaries]

27. Meanwhile, Teabaggers would call it "Socialism", and some DUers

would call it a "corporate giveaway" to the private utility companies.

edit because I have dyslexic fingers.

[Edweird]

31. Why do we have to sell our souls to insurance companies to get the infrastructure funds we

SHOULD BE GETTING NO MATTER WHAT?

[defendandprotect]

34. +1000%

:)

[JDPriestly]

32. That's great. We're just trying to prevent the breaking of more things.

The water system on our street and in our neighborhood was upgraded. I had never noticed that we had a problem. Now that it has been upgraded, and after weeks and weeks of problems getting into the neighborhood and even worse problems finding a parking spot on the street, I can't tell a bit of difference in the taste or the delivery.

The problem with infrastructure improvements is that we don't know we need them until the system breaks down. And if it hasn't broken down and the system gets fixed just to prevent a break-down, we have to ask ourselves whether the repairs were just done to provide jobs or really needed to be done. Who knows?

So that is why President Obama is not getting recognition for the work being done under the stimulus program.

[hedgehog]

64. You listed the exact focus of the DVD - that no one understands the

maintenance of underground infrastructure until it's not done and the system fails.

[defendandprotect]

33. We should be noiser about this because it is the GOP which has let our infrastructure be destroyed .

Gov. Corzine here in NJ began repairing the roads -- potholes on the Garden State

Parkway . . . the Raritan Bridges remain only partially repaved -- all work on the

bridges stopped when Gov. Christie was elected!!

In the past, 50% of our Federal budgets for Education were actually money for the CIA!!

Lies and secrets keep us from understanding what's really been going on in America --

and we are very close to being the GOP's "third world America"!

[boppers]

35. Upstate NY and NYC has SERIOUS problems.

There are entire communities turning into swampland because of failing pipes... and yes, there's "stimulus" money going into the problem, but even thinking about infrastructure as stimulated, or otherwise unusual, spending is part of the problem itself.

This shouldn't be "stimulated" work, this should be normal upkeep and improvement.

[eilen]

45. It seems like every week there is a water main break somewhere in my

upstate city.

Syracuse pushes plan for federal trust fund to update aging water and sewer systems
By Mark Weiner / The Post-Standard
September 21, 2009, 6:29AM
City averages 350 water main breaks per year. Replacing infrastructure without aid would drive tax bills through the roof.

John Berry / The Post-Standard
More than 1 million gallons of water was lost because of a water main break in the 200 block of East Onondaga Street in Syracuse in May. The break flooded streets, businesses, churches and a daycare.
Syracuse, NY -- Faced with a staggering cost of $2.6 billion to replace Syracuse’s crumbling water and sewer pipes, Mayor Matt Driscoll is looking to the federal government for help with the city’s biggest infrastructure needs in more than a century.
Driscoll is among those calling for Congress to establish a $10 billion per year national Clean Water Trust Fund that would help America’s aging cities address what some view as a looming national crisis.
The trust fund, to be paid for by taxes on industrial water users and those who contribute to water quality problems, would make grants and loans to municipalities in need of federal aid.
If Syracuse had to replace its pipelines without aid, homeowners who now pay $5,000 per year in property taxes would see their bills jump to $17,000 per year for the next 30 years, the mayor said.
“Clearly, we don’t have the tax base to support that,” Driscoll said. “We need help. America’s cities need help because all of America’s cities have very old infrastructure.”
Indeed, Syracuse could be the poster city for crumbling water and sewer infrastructure, relying on a failing system of pipelines and valves built more than a century ago.
In June 1894, Syracuse Mayor Jacob Amos turned a wheel opening an engineering marvel: A gravity-fed system of pipelines sending crystal-clear Skaneateles Lake water flowing to a thriving city that, until then, had been forced to drink gritty water from Onondaga Creek.
Now 115 years later, about half of the 500 miles of water pipelines buried under Syracuse’s streets are the original cast-iron pipes, installed mostly by men using their hands, Driscoll said.



Yes, you read it here, our water system is over 100 years old. It will cost at least 2.6 billion for just our little city upstate. I highly doubt there is this caliber of funding in any bill.

[scentopine]

36. This engineer begs to differ...

H1B and outsourcing by wall street is selling intellectual property to Asia for pennies on the dollar. Fortune 500 is outspending public school systems training unskilled labor in Asia where there are no regulations and you can hire a contract agency there and if an employee gets sick or raped you fire them. There are no benefits, hostile conditions and Fortune 500 CEO is well protected from the annoyance of civil law suits.

As far as infrastructure - we have spent far, far more federal money for infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan than in USA, unfortunately. That isn't going to change with Obama. Democrats and republicans would have found plenty of support for a war on aging infrastructure here in USA. Unfortunately Obama will bomb and slaughter impoverished people in Afghanistan. To make matters worse, we spent $30 billion or so for infrastructure that was wasted in Iraq (with ZERO accountability) -- another $50 billion is estimated to be needed as no one is quite sure what happened to the first $30 billion.

More bonus money is being handed out on Wall Street than being made available for infrastructure projects in stimulus package.

Total wall street compensation: $200 billion
Total wall street tax breaks: $80 billion
Total wall street bonus money for top three banks: $50 billion (note: just top 3!!!)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/business/01bonus.html?ref=business

Highway funding $27.5 billion
http://projects.nytimes.com/44th_president/stimulus

At first glance you'd say - hey, that stimulus looks like a ton of money. This doesn't include the trillion or so earmarked for banks.

If you look at above link and remove tax credits, tax cuts, non-tarp bank bailouts, stop gap funding measures for food stamps and social programs, etc, the amount of hard, cold cash for hammer and nails infrastructure putting people to work is far less than wall street bonus pool. No matter how you try to spin it - the truth is Obama just doesn't give a shit about working class and is implementing the same trickle down economic theories that made Reagan and neo-cons so popular - shower the rich with money and eventually they'll need to buy a hamburger and we can get $7/Hr serving them hamburgers and changing the mufflers on their BMWs.

Obama is impotent against thieving Wall Street. So sick of this shit.

On edit - fixed error in Iraq spending numbers. $30 billion is estimate as of 2007.l

[groundloop]

37. Correct me if I'm wrong, but nearly all "bailout" money to Wall Street was in the form of loans

And I've been seeing more and more of the bailed out banks etc. that are paying back those loans. Once those obligations are cleared up the govt. has no more leverage to to control bonuses. In fact President Obama has called for legislation to limit executive compensation.

I don't see how you can claim that President Obama "just doesn't give a shit about working class", and I don't know what planet you were on the previous 8 years.

What about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act?

What about the bill expanding State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which was twice vetoed by Bush?

What about lifting restrictions on stem cell research?

What about funding for hybrid and electric car research (which will largely benefit small upstart businesses)?

What about calling for crackdown on abusive practices by credit card industry?

What about calling for an end to offshore tax havens, and going after those who have profited from them?

What about increased jobless benefits?

What about the initiative to improve Community College education?

What about tariffs imposed on cheap Chinese tire imports?

I know these are just a start. But as others have said it takes time. And none of these things would have happened under Bush (or Palin).

[Zynx]

38. ARRA does not have a damn thing to do with the banks.

Why do people keep doing this bullshit? Honest to God.

[scentopine]

42. What bullshit? I am putting spending for infrastructure in perspective

Allow me to disagree and provide some numbers to explain why I disagree with the pom poms.

The vast majority of money goes to tax breaks, tax credits, and stop gaps for states who can't pay benefits on the books. This isn't stimulus.

The relative financial spending commitments demonstrate the real priorities of our new democratic leadership

$27 billion in us highway infrastructure needs to be put in perspective against

- $1 trillion for military operations from two wars in Asia

- $50 billion infrastructure payments to Iraq and Afghanistan (estimated since the numbers are obfuscated)

- $800 billion for banking bailouts

- $200 billion for wall street salaries, $50 billion for bonuses of 3 banks

- $1 billion estimated health care lobby 2008/2009

- $80 billion in tax breaks fro wall street

- $630 billion military budget 2010 (the visible part of the budget), more to come with latest escalation

Just think about it - $200 billion in compensation for wall street banks - just a tiniest fraction of USA population (maybe 100,000 people max?) earn about 30% of the stimulus funding stretched across 50 states and nearly 300 million people, 30 or 40 million who are officially *and* unofficially looking for jobs.

These mother fuckers put an estimated 20 million out of work here in USA and caused disasters worldwide for workers - and I'm supposed to be cheering Obama for bailing these shits out? Where is the justice?

Detroit gets bailed out. GMAC gets another $4 billion dollars AIG - where's the money?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/23/politics/washingtonpost/main6012585.shtml

For the record, a majority of banks have not paid the tarp money back
http://projects.nytimes.com/creditcrisis/recipients/table

Food stamps and social programs are needed because the of wall street fraud, high unemployment, outsourcing, H1B, NAFTA etc. Much of the social money is to make up for local shortfalls at the state level.

When my middle class earning power goes up and my savings go up, and wall streets earning power goes down and their lifestyle reigned in, then we can talk about wonderful Obama and I'll give the man proper credit.

Up until now I see nothing continued sacrifice from middle class and poor while the rich get a free ride. Health care "reform" is about as good as it gets for the rich.

I like the man, I don't like the man's politics, and am not happy with him as president and believe he is wasting an opportunity for reform - wall street, health care, our wars (drugs, afghan, Iraq, etc). Of course he is better than Bush - is that the best we can do?

Maybe 95% of Americans are happy to have their wages decline and savings decline or stagnate as costs sky rocket. And maybe they're happy the other 5% are enjoying exponential rates of return. I don't have to be happy about it.

He is opening a can of whoop ass in Afghanistan, showing strong support for the continued slaughter against an impoverished people and he is impotent against wall street corruption, fraud.

[bertman]

46. Holy Shit, Batman! Scentopine just nailed it to the wall! Thank you for clarifying that

for us. Crumbs for domestic improvements on Main Street. Mere crumbs compared to cake, ice cream, and caviar for Wall Street, Empire Avenue, and HealthCare Bypass.

That was absolutely beautiful. Thank you, thank you.

Yes, I like the President, but he definitely is the "centrist" that all of his fervent followers say he told us he was going to be. Too bad for us.

[Joe Chi Minh]

65. Which means right-wing. As opposed to complete, 'above the radar' animal.

[Doctor_J]

41. Big Media spikes everything good that happens while Dems are in office

Our first order of business when we finally get up the nerve to fight back is heavy casualties among the media whordes.

[chimpyisstillsatan]

47. Tell it 'Hog!

The stimulus package also represents the single greatest education funding package in the history of mankind. No small thing, that.

[Kablooie]

48. What bothers me is the section of the stimulus bill that is reserved to pay ccBill.

[The Animator]

49. If it went above the radar it would be getting more resistance.

The Republicans can't accept any possible public victories from Obama without fighting it tooth and nail. Perhaps this is the backroom dealing of DC. Doom some hot button issues in the short term so the petty can claim their victories, and in exchange get some badly needed things done with little resistance?

[Change Happens]

56. This is the stuff they told will be rolling out during the second year of the TWO year plan...

I expect to see REAL work getting done in 2010 and beyond...

[rosesaylavee]

57. I can confirm this...

My 'underemployed' job at the moment(for which I am most grateful btw) is with an online national construction resource website. The stim package is being awarded to communities with shovel ready projects for infrastructure,schools, AND health care facilities. Our public projects have spiked big time in the past 6 months. Most of the jobs are bid and I predict immense numbers of these projects will commence this spring when the ground thaws up here in the North and many are underway in the South. There will be so many going that the republicans may even notice.

[Buzz Clik]

59. The infrastructure in our town got some immediate help with stimulus money.

[INdemo]

60. Yes he is but he is also playing politics Chicago style

Why did he insist on bipartisan support on every single piece of legislation that has gone through Congress..Not just the healthcare bill...He has a Democratic Majority and does not know how to deal with it..He is listening to healthcare lobbyists,and other corporate lobbyists and he needs to take charge and lead..The first major change he should make in his administration would be to fire Emanuel..He is the bankers and corporate inside man...And Stop appointing Republicans to key positions that a Democrat could fill..And we need to see him address real change instead more of Bush's policies. He gives a great speech and talks about real change but does not act on those promises.

[RoadRage]

70. Because when Bush did that..

when he pushed through legislation without even having conversations with Democrats.. it not only pissed off ALL on the left, but a large majority of Independents. Obama isn't stupid.. he he wants to keep his job in 2012, he's going to need Independants.. and he knows that they like their politicians to at least appear to try to get support from both sides.

But, as we've seen with Healthcare.. if that doesn't work - Obama will still lobby for and sign a bill with only Dem support if needed.

I don't think it's a bad strategy.. I detest a majority of those views on the right.. and when Bushco was shoving them through and not giving one shit if anyone except the far right approved... I wanted to punch the guy. Obama is smart to attempt to get bi-partisian support.. it may save soem Dem seats in the long run.

[existentialist]

61. It's easy to get caught up in rhetoric,

and many of us are very disappointed with Obama and the present Democrat led Congress on many points, but I don't think very many would try to maintain that there hasn't been any improvement. There has been. But it's disappointingly little.

Your post raises a good point. One of very many good points that can be raised that demonstrate that there have been some changes for the better.

This I objectively know to be true.

I'm still disappointed.

[disndat]

66. Thank you hedgehog!

It is so depressing to hear the Sunday talk shows today predicting doom for the Obama administration because of the foul-up that caused the Nigerian "terrorist" to slip past security. The Republican friendly media has the Republicans taking back both the House and Senate in 2010 and Sarah Palin within inches of moving into the WH in 2012.

[uponit7771]

67. But did Obama save Bambi though!? NO?!?! Well there it is then /sarcasm

[RepublicanElephant]

69. k&r nt