How about a simple 4-step plan that would hasten our economic recovery more than the current plan

[mtnsnake]

1) For the sake of the world AND for the sake of us, end Bush's wars immediately. The benefits will be tenfold, including peace and a chance for economic prosperity as a bonus. The wars have backfired with more people hating us than liking us. The countless billions of dollars that we're sinking into killing other people is killing us in more ways than one, but we already knew that.

2) For the sake of the country, let all of Bush's tax cuts expire so that the tax rate will return to the way it was before he took over and flushed the country down the toilet. We'll just have to deal with helping the middle class and poor people in much better ways, like using the desperately needed tax revenue to create infrastructure jobs for the unemployed. If extending federal unemployment benefits is still necessary, then we'll just have to find a better way to extend those benefits without compromising our strongest Democratic values to the lousy Republicans. Our country is flat out broke, and we cannot afford to pay for Bush's obscene tax cuts a day longer.

3) Don't believe the media and all the rich pundits that your own individual tax cuts are more important than country's welfare as a whole, and don't believe the media that the war is no longer the number one priority. Our soldiers are dying and getting seriously injured while we're fighting over whether or not to extend Bush's tax cuts. The media is doing their very best to have us all walking down a very selfish path, and we can't allow them to define our priorities.

4) Don't ever forget that Republicans are the real enemy. They are not our friends. Today's Republicans are nothing but thieves and liars, and we should be emphasizing it every chance we get until every voter becomes more aware.

[ProSense]

1. Here's a simple one-step plan:

Get rid of Republicans.

That has as much chance of happening as the plan in the OP.

[stopbush]

3. Ta-da! Bingo! Nail hit on head!

There's a big difference between "simple" and "simplistic."

[CakeGrrl]

5. Exactly. That's the key to it all.

The problem is that people are talking in concepts.

Those concepts need to be translated into actual plans of action. What are those actions going to entail - and more importantly, WHO are they going to require to move them forward?

[mtnsnake]

9. Thank goodness some of us would rather fight than quit like your post implies

That has as much chance of happening as the plan in the OP.

So if you don't think ending the war is smart and ending Bush's tax cuts isn't smart, then you obviously don't have anything to offer, other than surrendering to Republicans and apologizing for President Obama on a posting board 24/7.

[stopbush]

2. And just how do we address your point #2,

ie: "We'll just have to deal with helping the middle class and poor people in much better ways, like using the desperately needed tax revenue to create infrastructure jobs for the unemployed" with a House controlled by the Rs, who have shown no interest whatsoever in spending federal dollars to create jobs?

How does one "just have to" when the political party controlling the purse strings says "over our dead bodies?"

Please respond.

[mtnsnake]

4. Simple

Every time the Republicans obstruct one of our plans to help the middle class, President Obama needs to point the finger of blame directly at Republicans so voters can see just who is preventing them from getting the help they need.

[stopbush]

6. Yeah, that's worked really well this week - he's been saying all week

that he's against the cuts for the rich. He's made it clear that those cuts are the price he's willing to pay to help the less fortunate.

Apparently you haven't heard him saying that. If you as a D haven't heard it, what makes you think non-D people are going to hear him any better?

[Davis_X_Machina]

10. We seem to have forgotten...

...that we just had an election, and people voted for preventing people in need from getting help in sufficient numbers to turn over the House, and almost turn over the Senate.

[kentuck]

11. The taxcuts for the middle class should be allowed to expire incrementally...

Over a period of 3 years perhaps. That way, it would not be such a hard hit.

At the same time, the President and/or the Democrats could use the bully pulpit to explain how businesses are setting on mountains of cash and are not giving pay raises to their employeees. Those could offset the middle class taxcuts and is something they should do anyway. They have taken all the productivity from the workers and kept it for themselves. That is unfair.

[mtnsnake]

13. Excellent idea

and practical.

[stopbush]

15. And how does one get that through the Senate as it is constituted today?

Waiting for a response.

[Davis_X_Machina]

16. Logic, facts, sheer force of will...

...and giant puppets with papier-mâché heads.

The way we usually do things here on the left.

[truedelphi]

7. I'd add to your number four that many Democrats

In office are no more our friends than are coyotes would be to squirrels.

Diane Feinstein attends opera with George Schultz and his wife. She votes in war, and then sits back and watches her husband receive 27 million dollars in contracts within six weeks of the launch of Iraq War II.

But she has rearranged the Senate Ethics Laws so that as long as a Senator is voting for a bill that has a purpose other than enriching a Senator, it is not a conflict of interest to do this.

\Which, of course, prevents her from voting for the 2 Billion dollar, enrich Richard Blum Act, should that Act ever be presented, but does little to stop her insider voting pattern.

[stopbush]

8. The tea party needs recruits.

Your "they're all the same" meme is a basic tenet with them. Have at it!

[truedelphi]

14. I really sadly believe that at its essense, the

Two party system is a fraud. It is one Big Money Party.

When people in San Francisco, who are very progressive, have to run as "Greens" because Di Fi won't let them run as Democrats. And then she stacks the deck with mediocre candidates to give the governor's office to the Republicans two out of three times.

We have gone from Clinton the Colluder to the two terms of Bush, and now have Obama the Colluder. Where are real Democrats?

The person responsible for the biggest out pouring of DU praise I have seen in years is Bernie Sanders, who happens to have an "I" behind his name, not a "D".

Why is that?

We nee to rebuild the party from the ground up, and perhaps

Grayson/Feingold in 2012!

would be a good start.

[mtnsnake]

12. You won't get any argument from me on that

but we still need to focus on filthy Republicans.

Thank you for bringing that up, though.

[zulchzulu]

17. Let's see that math where you'd get votes in the Senate that would support the plan

I agree with your points. I also know that it is impossible to do unless we give Obama the powers of a monarch. Presently, there are these things called votes that need to be made to support any agenda.

[StarsInHerHair]

18. I recc'd it up to 1

sheesh, cult of personality..........or something going on here......