Kudos to Obama -- A huge step in the right (correct) direction

[Armstead]

Just tossing in 2 cents about the new strategy of Obama of actually calling out the GOP and what they are doing, and offering one of the solutiuons necessary to begin to build a more equitable society.

Good for him. Keep it up. Kudos. etc.

It's not where we ultimately should be as a society. The real goal should be to actually address the REASONS the very upper brackets have gobbled up so much money and power from the rest of us over the years.

Some of that is policy -- Like putting some teeth back into the concept of anti-trust laws and enforcement to prevent the concentration of the economy into that hands of a few large and piggish Corporate Monopolies. Also hitching the Minimum Wage onto the notion of a Living Wage, supporting the ability of organized labor to protect the working class, etc.

But that's a big push requiring changes that include the political system -- but also go beyond that to advocating and changing social and economic values, restoring common sense (i.e. business and economic values that support, rather than undermine the principle of a middle class society that offers broadly-based security and upward mobility) etc.

Those are things that Obama andf all of the Democratic Party should be pushing for in the larger sense.

Nevertheless, Obama's newfound determination to actually challenge the GOP and their horrible policies and practices is a great step in that direction. If he sticks to his guns on it, and pushes the Democratic Party to become more assertive in a clearly liberal/progressive direction, we might just pull off a win -- or at least stave off a disaster -- in 2012, and do a lot of good.

[TheWraith]

1. Little catch: he's been doing this all along.

People conveniently forget the fact that he's been doing these stump speeches, going after the GOP on the issue of the moment, since the healthcare reform debate.

[Armstead]

2. Depended on the day of the week

The problem has been that he has sent out so many mixed messages -- and shifts in positions -- that it was difficult to pin down where he actually stood.

What is different is that he now seems to be taking on positions that are clear in which there is much less "wiggle room" to backtrack or attempt to be the the "new best friend forever" of the GOP poobahs.

[CakeGrrl]

6. +1000

[Mr Deltoid]

3. About time

K&R

[Blasphemer]

4. Agreed

Winning in 2012 (assuming the current shift in direction holds) is important but the shift in the business and economic values that you mention is not just important, it's necessary. The country simply cannot survive without massive changes. There was a mass realization of how wrong things have gone in 2008. I think there were (and unfortunately still are) those in the Democratic party who did not fully grasp what people were asking for.

[Armstead]

5. See the posts about Mark Penn column as an example

Penn is a classic out of touch Democrat, echoing the GOP about "class warfare"

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. But ... But ... But ...

That's PRESIDENT OBAMA's fault for not grabbing those democrats by the throat and MAKE, I said MAKE, them support what the people are asking for!!!

No, wait ... PRESIDENT OBAMA is merely enacting republican policies!!!

Okay. For real though ... PRESIDENT OBAMA may have accomplished some stuff; but I still don't have many unicorn that farts glittery stuff!!!!

Do I need to insert the sarcasm thingy?

[Autumn]

7. Absolutely right

K/R