Please, Cut Obama Some Slack

[babylonsister]

OK, let er rip!



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-heilbrunn/please-cut-obama-some-sla_b_395819.html


Jacob Heilbrunn

Author, "They Knew They Were Right: the Rise of the Neocons"
Posted: December 17, 2009 12:44 PM

Please, Cut Obama Some Slack


A year ago, Barack Obama was a hero for Democrats. Now he's becoming a villain. Have the Democrats lost their minds?

The tenebrous story is recounted by Dana Milbank in the Washington Post, who notes that some liberals are even starting to join forces with the tea party to decry Obama over the confirmation of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. The decriers are also upset about Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, the administration's readiness to make concessions on health care, its failure to shutter Guantanamo, along with a host of other grievances. In their version of events, Obama is a feckless panderer, a traitor to liberalism whose conciliatory instincts have prompted him to capitulate to his opponents, time and again. His first term has become George W. Bush's third. And so on.

But is Obama really such a wimp? Or is he dealing with the harsh reality of: 1) the legacy of the Bush era; and 2) a divided Democratic party that has, in many ways, betrayed him?

It's hard to imagine that this is the health care plan that Obama envisioned during the campaign. Nor did he want to have to send tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan. But imagine the outcry had Obama begun to exit Afghanistan. He would have been the victim of a new stab-in-the-back legend on the right that might well have destroyed his presidency before it even had the chance to get off the ground. When it comes to health care, Congress will surely revisit it in coming years. Whether or not the bill contains a Medicare expansion, Obama is exactly right to say that it represents the biggest potential Democratic accomplishment since the establishment of Social Security. Little Joe Lieberman can pout and strut all he wants, but ultimately he'll be a mere footnote in the history of the bill.

The blunt fact is that Obama has been president for one measly year. Compared to the blunders that other presidents have committed early on, Obama is looking good. If the economy improves, he will look even better. So ignore the tedious and hypertrophied Obama bashers. And never forget that he is as as good and intelligent and decent a president as America will ever have. He still has a chance to become one of the greatest. Eight years from now, after Obama has successfully served two terms, that judgment may well look like a commonplace.

[Skittles]

1. ok this is just fucking nuts

the first example is so-called liberals teaming with TEABAGGERS??? Please.

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Well, lately I've been hard pressed to tell the difference between

so-called liberals and right tea baggers here.They both pontificate obnoxiously with little regard to facts and little use of cogent analytical thinking, and both have trouble seeing the forest for the trees.

[MichiganVote]

8. Best description of Congress I've ever read

[BlueCaliDem]

47. Yes, you can attribute the same to the current Congress too. eom

[Skittles]

10. then you simply are not paying attention

liberal dissenters are nowhere NEAR the league of TEABAGGERS

[BlueCaliDem]

46. You're kidding right? eom

[NYC_SKP]

11. +1 n/t

[niceypoo]

30. The healthcare forest has been logged

Nothing left to see

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[niceypoo]

31. Now Obama's sycophants are whining about the 'libruls'

My, how far we have fallen

[PurityOfEssence]

52. Yes, the Democrats have betrayed him. Damn, and I didn't even get my 30 pieces of silver...

Maybe he'll have Dad forgive us; we know not what we do...

[roguevalley]

38. we betrayed obama. really. hmmm. fuck this.

[BlueCaliDem]

48. Constructive criticism is just fine, but when you do nothing but offer hyperbole

then you're empowering the Republicans. When you get so disenchanted with the Democratic President and attack him with "Obummer" and "OBush", you weaken him and empower the Republicans who are running away from their own record when * was pResident.

There's a reason why they're out all en masse supporting Howard Dean's remarks, although he's walked it back some and given clarification since.

See a pattern yet?

[roguevalley]

50. I don't know if your comment was meant for me. I was referring to the

remark in the article about how we the dems betrayed obama. I don't get that remark at all and dispute it. As for the pugs, they would kiss satan on the lips if they thought it would get them ahead.

[babylonsister]

57. Not 'you' the Dems, these Dems...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x68915

We had a deal. A few Senators just lied to us.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Teh Internuts gone wild

This too shall pass.

[BlueCaliDem]

4. Exvellent piece as always, BabylonSister! Thank you. K&R&Rec eom

[TheKentuckian]

5. I'd cut him some slack if he didn't wait for the conservatives to

hijack the bill ten differnt ways til Sunday but then after they get their way have Joe Biden to relay the message that anyone that opposes now "will not have a friend in the lord".

I've been with Obama the whole way but the only fight I see is defending the status quo and funnneling wealth to the rich. How dare he get rolled by the conservatives all the way but then jump bad with the people on his and the people's side if they so much as squeak?

[babylonsister]

12. Don't blame the conservatives, blame Dems...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x68915

We had a deal. A few Senators just lied to us.

[TheKentuckian]

14. and he didn't break ball one when they did it

or when they watered the whole thing down for months or when the Republicans as told huge lies while slow walking and sabotaging the whole process.

Its only now that he bears his teeth and that is sending me the wrong message. Get in line or face the music only goes in one direction that we can see.

[roguevalley]

39. he is protecting Yoo. that alone should say something. I can hardly

bear it.

[tridim]

18. The Republicans lied too..

They all said they were for health care reform, and then they proceeded to lie about the content of the bill ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE.

The Repukes will get no free pass from me.

[babylonsister]

20. Absolutely they're at fault, if only for their obstruction vs. trying to

really improve on something, anything! But I was specifically responding to the argument against conservatives, when they're not the only ones culpable.

[thereismore]

6. Dana Milbank is a douche and a moran. nt

[elehhhhna]

7. it's his JOB to cut US some slack, not vice versa

[kiva]

9. Not with the logic used in this article.

First Heilbrunn makes the stunning comment that liberals who disagree with the HCR bill(s) are joining forces with the tea party - WTF? That's sort of like saying parents are joining forces with pedophiles because they both say they love children.

So then he argues that Obama is really dealing with the legacy of the Bush era and a party that has betrayed him. Again, WTF?

Bush's toxic legacy...got it. Every liberal gets that - let's be honest, anyone with a fraction of a brain gets it - but that doesn't excuse the fact that Obama has chosen the wrong direction at damn near every fork in the road: HCR, Afghanistan, GLBT rights.

The party has betrayed Obama? No where in this very short piece does the author even attempt to back up this charge.

Obama a successful two-term president? Not at this rate.

[babylonsister]

13. First, Milbank supposedly said that. Then, Obama has spent the

entire first year cleaning up idiot son's messes, and yes, read this. Some in 'our' party screwed him.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x68915

We had a deal. A few Senators just lied to us.

[kiva]

22. Thanks, I didn't catch the part about Milbank, and still am not sure

how much of that first paragraph can be attributed to Milbank and how much to Heilbrunn.

The three Democratic senators in your link are by no means the liberals that Heilbrunn implies are the ones he wants to cut Obama some slack. Again, the mention is in the first paragraph, those who consider Obama a 'traitor to liberalism'; though Heilbrunn never specifically says he's talking to the liberal wing of the party, it's pretty evident who he means, and it's not Lincoln, Landrieu, or Nelson.

[whosinpower]

You honestly think this HCR bill is the exact one Obama envisioned?

You have 59 democratic senators sitting in the Senate - is this correct? Lieberman is the pivot as an independant to tip the tide to 60 - the magic number.

And it is they who wrote this bill - and you have no proof that the party has betrayed him? It is staring you right in the face - he stated he wanted a robust public plan - to keep the insurance companies honest - we all heard this. The congressional democrat's came up with such a weak and watered down version - it is all but useless - and you STILL think that the party did not betray what Obama wanted??!!??

Wake up. Really - wake up. Obama cannot overrule the impressive coercive powers of various lobbying groups who all influence congressmen/women or senators. He does not have the power. No president does - and it is not because of the quality or weakness of his leadership skills. Monied interests rule. And they will not give up power just because a man that has been graced with impressive oratorial skills is in the White House.

[cali]

42. No, it's not correct. We have 58 dem Senators. Bernie was an independent

long before Lieberman.

[tandot]

15. Great post. Thanks. K & R

[NJmaverick]

16. Well done

:applause:

[iceman66]

17. K+R

[ima_sinnic]

19. oh boo hoo, it's not Obama's fault!!11!

of course it couldn't have ANYthing to do with the fact that Obama never laid out anything besides some vague idea of "reform," along with the LIE that "everybody would have a seat at the table," along with leaving Max Baucus in charge while he went off on vacation, never once saying a word about We The People being arrested for trying to take a seat at that table or giving single-payer advocates more than a passing and maybe curious and repugnant glance, the way one would look at the bearded woman at a freak show.
It couldn't have anything to do with lying that he'd never allow mandates with no public option--although he COULD still veto a bill without that--but that would "take too long," it would mean the bill would have to be "reworked."
Shit, just scrawl something out with the word "reform" on it and sign the damn thing. It would really be better than forcing us to buy "insurance" that won't do shit except empty our bank accounts.
Oh, and this sycophant can go to hell with Ezra freaking Klein.

[NJmaverick]

23. Yes everyone knows that any sycophant worth their weight worships Howard Dean

[ima_sinnic]

25. and --?

could you please add "nt" to your one-liners?
it would save me the trouble of looking at your emptiness

[roguevalley]

41. give me a man who thinks--dean--over the a-holes tht spew venom

against the most active and valuable part of the party.

[jillan]

21. Liberals have joined forces with teabaggers? Really? I find that hard to believe.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

24. That's Dana Milbank for you.

[Arkana]

26. Holy crap a HuffPo article that makes sense.

[babylonsister]

27. You have to drill beneath the headlines, like faux.

:rofl:

There are some good articles there if you look hard enough. I hate going there anymore so don't go often.

[Clio the Leo]

28. I'm starting to get excited.....

.... when I make a rec go from negative to even.

(but I probably shouldn't have pointed that out huh? lol)

[bvar22]

29. You know, I WOULD be willing to cut him some slack....

..if at any time he had gotten out in front on the Health Care Issue with something like,
"I will veto any bill that doesn't contain a viable Public Option",
or called OUT the Blue Dogs for working with the Health Insurance Cartels....

but the simple truth is He has NOT.
I would have HIS back if he had mine.

Then there is the very troublesome DIRECTION of HIS chosen DLC Administration,
AND his DLC track record of accomplishments:

*WARS fully funded and EXPANDING. Bill sent to our children…...Mission Accomplished !

*Trillion Dollars given to friends and campaign contributors on Wall Street. No Strings Attached...Mission Accomplished!

*Military Spending INCREASED....Mission Accomplished!

*Trillion+ Dollars given to the Health Insurance Industry. Easily Avoidable, symbolic only strings attached....Mission almost Accomplished!


*Force all Americans to buy invisible products from For Profit Corporations who produce nothing tangible and create no wealth.....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Kill the possibility for a REAL "Public Option" or REAL Universal Health Care for at least another generation, and begin the “Entitlement Reform” defunding of Medicare (-$500 Billion)....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Block ANY REAL re-regulation of BIG BANKS and Credit Cards....Mission Accomplished!

*Protect the Bush War Criminals and Torturers from JUSTICE....Mission Accomplished.

*Throw the GBLTs under the bus and expand "faith based" initiatives....Mission Accomplished!

*Reinforce the worst Police State provisions of the Patriot Act....Mission Accomplished!

*Protect the very richest. Tell the Working Class that they CAN WILL compete with 3rd World Slave Labor for their jobs.....Mission Accomplished!

*EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) killed in the crib....Mission Accomplished!

*More Anti-LABOR "Free Trade"....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Jobless Recovery....Mission Accomplished

*The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party SHUT OUT of the Obama Administration…...Mission Accomplished!

*Accelerate the destruction of Public Education...Mission Accomplished!

*Bury next generation under such a debt burden that they will never be able to afford any social or economic programs that will benefit their Working Class....Mission Accomplished.

On WHAT should the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party base any continued support?

[Undercurrent]

32. Good article.

It just about sums it up from my perspective.

Thanks for posting it!

[FrenchieCat]

33. I now read the articles, but none of the replies to them........

that way I don't have to be subjected to the nonsense that passes as
political analysis at DU these days. Too many don't really give a shit
about more than feeling superior in their view of what is going on,
coupled with name calling,
and hyperbole catch phrases that are supposed to mean something,
although the snob nastiness is all that can be distilled.

Try it; it works!


"Seriously, they're all over DU shouting 'KILL THE BILL!' ... it's the funniest thing! I guess we can take next week off."
WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 17: Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) confers with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during a news conference by Republican Senators

[Lindsey]

35. Great post! He was left with the biggest mess since FDR,,,

and he's been in office for less than a year.

[CoffinEd]

37. You're right!

I have tried what you're suggesting and it does work. Anyway, enough hanging out on DU; it's the wee hours of the morning where I'm at and I can hear my 'jamas calling me. B-)

[Hekate]

36. KnR again, Babs. Thanks for doing your part.

:hug:

Hekate

[AllentownJake]

40. The Cheerleader express

[jgraz]

43. YOU'RE LUCKY HE EVEN PERFORMS FOR YOU!!

[Divine Discontent]

44. 'Eight years from now, after Obama has successfully served two terms'

oh, yes! the same ol', you just wait and see in 8 years when he's made everything so good, you'll realize you were wrong! He's really going to come through, you'll see!


Sounds like people who get scammed by a preacher when they ignore the actions that the preacher does benefit the wealthy far greater than their help to the poor, but still give their money and their dignity to him.

[grahamhgreen]

45. Here's UR slack- KILL BILL, MEDICARE FOR ALL, OUT OF IRAQ-AFPAKISTAN, PROSECUTE TORTURE, JAIL BANK

BANKSTERS

[davidpdx]

49. Read today on DU where someone was advocating impeaching Obama

I don't know why it should suprise me.

[m3e92man8850]

51. it's getting harder to do so

[tkmorris]

53. So you're saying Obama is more afraid of the Right than he is of the Left

Perhaps therein lies his problem?

[EFerrari]

54. LOL. So Obama's problems are Bush's fault and the fault of Democrats

who elected him?

Oh, brother. Aim low.

[cornermouse]

55. "the harsh reality of the Bush era"?

You mean the harsh reality of the Bush era that allowed him to expand the war in Afghanistan, renew the patriot act, push for privatization of schools, and the host of other Bush policies that he has basically endorsed by maintaining but does not allow people an effective public health care policy? Is that the harsh reality you refer to?

[Orsino]

56. We're bleeding here.

While I want to give the president a lot of slack, the emergencies we face are immense.

The only fair thing is to give the president time for his approach to politics to work for us--and yet, we find that we don't have that kind of time.