Listening to Obama Now: So Glad the Grown-Ups are in Charge

[alcibiades_mystery]

Good job in a tough situation, Mr. President!

:thumbsup:

[pimpbot]

1. Glad he explained how we're going to pay for all of that

Lets just keep piling on the deficit.

[crikkett]

12. Too bad we can't pay for it by cutting DoD spending. n/t

[Capn Sunshine]

52. well, that might have been a possibility if we hadn't lostthe House

but there's this thing called consequences. If the Dems had shown up to vote in graeter numbers, none of this would have been necessary.

Why I have to point this out amazes me, but there's a real disconnect in logic here at DU lately

[crikkett]

59. You're blaming the voters? I don't think so. n/t

[jaxx]

20. It was the pubs who demanded unemployment benefits

be paid for, because they never have been. Everyone here is always doing the FDR bit, well he didn't worry about the deficit when he was bringing the country out of the depression. And when he was coerced into major cuts it blew the unemployment rate right back up. From 24% worked down to 14%, and then boom, right back up to 17%. We can't afford to go backwards.

The President got plenty for those 2 years of the rich still getting tax cuts. He cut them hard with 13 months unemployment extensions and the other tax cut extensions for the middle class. Looking at who and what he had to work with....the man worked a miracle.

[Phx_Dem]

37. He said he'll be having a tough conversation with the American public about

that soon. Presumably in the State of the Union.

[tekisui]

What's left? My guess is cuts in social services.

[Name removed]

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[jaxx]

21. They're the ones who didn't get much, so why applaud them?

And don't call the President a liar.

[chimpymustgo]

31. His pants are aflame.

[Capn Sunshine]

53. and don't call the Presidents pants on fire.

wait ,that's over the edge

[lamp_shade]

26. Hmmm...

[lamp_shade]

3. He did the right thing. Period.

[kjackson227]

11. I agree. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place...

can't push 2-3M unemployed people aside. AND it would hurt us (the middle-class), also. The Repugnants are most definitely the bad guys in this. I absolutely LOATHE Republicans.

[niceypoo]

54. IT will cost a half trillion dollars

[tekisui]

65. He sure did. Any right-wing President would have done the same thing.

[DrToast]

4. I'm disappointed on how this all played out

But what's in the past is in the past. The question is what to do now. I think taking this deal is the way to go.

If all the tax cuts expire, the Dems lose. I don't think some people appreciate the impact of raising taxes on the bottom 98% during such a weak economy. If the economy was in better shape, then it would be the time to let them all expire.

[gateley]

9. You're right - what's in the past is in the past. Given what he had

to deal with, this may have been the best route. But boy, it's a tough one.

[Cali_Democrat]

5. The GOP just punched Obama in the face and took his lunch money. n/t

[ProSense]

8. No, the Republicans are assholes. n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

14. No shit

Assholes that punched Obama in the face and took his lunch money.

[RBInMaine]

17. No, the Pres. had them give up things too, and he set them up for a hell of a brawl for 2012.

[COLGATE4]

51. Yeah - he gave up 80 billion a year that could have gone towards

the defecit and proved to the Rethugs once again that they can roll him like a Saigon streetwalker. Let the trumpets blow and the confetti rain down. Obama reaches another "compromise" with the Republicans. I can see why you're so overjoyed.

[donco6]

67. What did they "give up" that didn't help them as much as it helped Dems?

Curious. Unemployment benefits help Republicans, too. So do payroll tax cuts. In fact, everything they "gave up" only benefited them at least as much as it benfited us.

[gateley]

6. Although I really disagree with him/them on how this was handled,

and it's really pissing me off, I've always believed and continue to that he does what he believes is right and good for the country.

[Imperialism Inc.]

7. It sucks that he had to make a deal like that but it isn't that bad.

[demwing]

63. H didn't HAVE to make this damn deal

he didn't even fight. H caved, and gave away the farm.

[Name removed]

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[jaxx]

13. No kidding.

Without him it would be roll over and play dead.

[earthside]

15. Where?

I don't see adults.

I see bullies and the cowering object of their intimidation.

[RBInMaine]

16. Some people who've never had to govern anything would rather bitch over ideology than get kids fed.

[Carolina Lady]

30. Aint that the truth.

I heard bitching and moaning. I heard " he'd better not cave". What I didn't hear was " here's the path to 60 votes in the Senate".

[frylock]

34. what's your experience?

in governing?

[polmaven]

18. Happy to recommend this post!

Well done, Mr. President!

[Union Scribe]

Are you calling the GOP the grown-ups?

Because it looks like they're the ones in charge. The only ones.

[jaxx]

23. The President drove a hard bargain.

Do you really think the pubs wanted to give up all he got out of them? No way.

[Upton]

19. Yeah..

congratulations on breaking your campaign promise Mr. President!

[Clio the Leo]

22. I'm convinced that there's only one sane person in Washington DC...

... and he has REALLY big ears (and a new hair cut it seems!)

[GSLevel9]

24. where's the sarcasm thingie? nt

[RetroLounge]

25. ...

:rofl:

RL

[TwilightGardener]

27. Well, he took a hard punch. It happens. Time to get up off the ropes

and get back in there.

[Scurrilous]

28. K & R

:thumbsup:

[myrna minx]

29. Yep - rich folks protecting their own tax cuts. Brave. n/t

[KansasVoter]

32. Jesus, you left off the sarcasm tag!

[alcibiades_mystery]

33. Nope

He did a good job in tough situation.

[KansasVoter]

39. No, he caved on an easy situation.

[alcibiades_mystery]

41. Clearly we're not going to agree

I think he did a very brave thing, standing up for the unemployed and the working class, even in the din of the yelling and screaming.

[Dawgs]

60. He got his ASS handed to him by the MINORITY PARTY.

This option was not his only choice - you know that, right?

[Phx_Dem]

35. Yep. Chris Matthews had it right about the

progressive wing of the Democratic party, which keeps getting smaller and smaller.

[Capn Sunshine]

55. I can't tell if you're being sarcastic

but the progressive wing of the party is certainly fractured. In retrospect, I should have expected it sooner, because our common enemy was disorganized and defeated, so a lot of us occupied ourselves withother pursuits. The first time in eight years. Meanwhile, the ministry of Republican propaganda saw an opportunity. They did recognize that the progressive wing could be easily turned against itself , producing a possible electoral victory.

The rest is history.

[frylock]

36. he broke a campaign promise..

no weasel words like the healthcare debate. he specifically ran on eliminating the tax cuts. period. knu.

[alcibiades_mystery]

40. That's true

He understood that saving people was more important. It takes an intellectual maturity and strength of character that I admire in him. He knew he was gonna be slammed, but the hungry and the struggling were more important to him than all the hubbub.

[frylock]

42. they could have taken care of the poor, huddled masses long ago..

they knew this day was coming, and they drug their fucking feet till the zero hour arrived. don't lay this "he wants to feed hungry people" bullshit guilt trip at my feet because i disagree with giving the upper 2% more FUCKING wealth.

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. It's not a guilt trip...the unemployment extensiomn was going to be cancelled

No income for food, rent, heat.

Obama fought to protect it. It's not about you.

[CakeGrrl]

45. Can we assume all these angry posters were not depending on UI to survive?

Because I don't think anyone who so badly needs that money, saw it voted down by Republican opposition, then reinstated in this deal by the President is spitting mad over the tax cut aspect of it.

[alcibiades_mystery]

49. I don't question their motives or background

I think most DUers think they are doing what's right, and I can see this issue from their perspective. I just think they're wrong, and that they were essentially gambling with people's lives. They thought it was a good bet. I didn't. That's our major difference. Our interlocutors are good, caring people who just happened to have been wrong.

[frylock]

47. according to this, only the newly unemployed will be eligible..

and not the so-called "99ers." gotdamn this better not be the case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/03/unemployment-benefits-99ers-obama_n_791682.html

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

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[rug]

38. Republicans are Grown-Ups?

[Pisces]

46. Sometimes there are no good choices. He chose correctly during the holidays for

the poor people who need the most help. The people who are the most dejected right now.

[jefferson_dem]

50. It was a strong statement.

I'm proud to support him.

Screw the haters, cynics, and DU trolls...

[avaistheone1]

56. Bad choice.

Showed lack of courage and conviction. Surprised? Not really.

[alcibiades_mystery]

57. I think it showed remarkable courage and maturity

Obama stood for the working class, even though it would cost him one of his key planks and much capital with the Democratic base. He did what was necessary for people, when it would have been easy enough to posture. I agree with his decision.

[tekisui]

66. He stood for the obscenely wealthy, and hid behind his own ineffectiveness

as an excuse.

[Imajika]

58. I don't like the deal either, but I still love the President...

One of my biggest issues is taxes so this hits home for me. We need to significantly raise taxes on those most able to pay.

Unfortunately, the time to have the fight over the Bush tax cuts was BEFORE the election. As others have pointed out to me, Obama wanted to have that fight in the lead up to November, the Democratic House and Senate did not.

Obama was left in a crappy situation and basically had to take a somewhat bad deal that at least had some decent stuff in it. Crumbs I know, but the time for this fight was BEFORE the election. Why did Pelosi and Reid refuse to fight then? Where were the House Democrats and Senate Democrats then? Oh that's right, back home in their districts so early they didn't even have time to pass the spending bills Congress is supposed to finish.

So it was House and Senate Dems that left Obama in this sh**ty situation. Gambling that if they got back in their districts early and fought to localize races they could hold on to their seats and majority turned out to be a colossal mistake.

So Obama did what he felt he had to. The deal basically sucks, Obama no doubt ran through all the scenarios and he was mostly in a lose-lose situation. He took what he could get. We got what seems to be an overpriced, but somewhat stimulative tax cut package. It's bad for the deficit, but might help the economy in the short term. If this helps get the economy moving going into 2012, then Obama's election chances improve and hopefully we can refight this issue then and scrap the tax cuts for the rich.

What angers me most is, we shouldn't be talking about just ending some ill advised tax cuts for the rich - we SHOULD be talking about raising their taxes further. Unfortunately, reality is what it is. We find ourselves in this situation and I think President Obama did the best he could do.

[Dawgs]

61. The Republicans got what they wanted. The Democrats did not.

So, why are you happy?

[SkyDaddy7]

62. Yes, I agree! Thanks for having the guts to say here on DU!

:toast: :hi: :fistbump: :yourock: :applause:

[demwing]

64. What's so gutsy about being deceived?

Does it take more guts to see the world as you wish it to be, or as it is?

[avaistheone1]

68. The grownup thing to do would not to have given into the whiney

republicans and their tax cuts for the rich.

It's outrageous that it was done in this economy with the rich owning damn near everything, and one in seven Americans going hungry.