Blowing It: Democrats, Unable to Be a Party of the People, are Sinking Themselves

[Karmadillo]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/17

Published on Sunday, July 17, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
Blowing It: Democrats, Unable to Be a Party of the People, are Sinking Themselves
by Dave Lindorff

The smoking ruin that is the the Obama White House, and the rotting corpse that is the Democratic Party, have, incredibly, together been boxed into a corner by, of all things, the certifiably insane Republican Party.Military vs. Education spending around the globen (US in company of Iran, China, Russia, UAE and India)

This amazing situation has resulted not through any brilliant strategy on the part of the Republicans, but by the self-inflicted wounds of the Democrats.

Faced with a collapsing economy that is at serious risk of performing a reprise of the Great Depression, Congressional Democrats and President Obama were in a perfect position to grab the flag and run home with it by declaring war on unemployment and on the party that has unequivocally declared itself openly to be the standard bearer of the wealthy and powerful.

All the president and Congressional Democrats had to do was announce that Social Security, Medicare, education and programs to protect the poor were all off limits in any discussion of the federal budget, and to declare an immediate 25% cut in military spending, as called for earlier by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee.

How hard would that have been to do? The polls show it’s what the public wants. Any elected official who did this, particularly someone elected and re-elected as a Democrat, would have been hailed by voters for such a bold action.

more...

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[Bryn]

2. I'd like to see map bigger than this one

It's too small and hard to see.

Recommended

[Tippy]

5. Go here you cane use Zoom

http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/

[Karmadillo]

10. Thank you

nt

[vi5]

3. Unable? Or unwilling?

Evil or incompetent?

I'm not sure I like any of these options.

Maybe if anyone in our Democratic leadership at any level (except on some occassions Nancy Pelosi) go their heads out of the cable news/Beltway Media ass then they'd see what should be obvious to almost anyone with half a brain.

But since our elected leaders seem more concerned with getting folks like David Brooks and Joe Scarborough to applaud their "GRAND BARGAIN" and their "SERIOUSNESS" than they are with doing what is actually in the best short and long term interest of the country, the rest of us are forced to just stand here and burn while they play with fire.

[onyourleft]

6. Thank you. My question also...

...unable or unwilling?

[slay]

9. Exactly!

they COULD stand up for us - but they choose not to - siding with their large corporate donors instead. it's sickening.

[n2doc]

4. Bold Action? The only bold action Obama likes is to co-opt the Republicans positions..

Wrong president. Wrong time. Unfortunately, this time we didn't have an FDR waiting to save us.

[vi5]

7. We don't even stand a chance...

If this Free Market loving, tax hating, executive power worshiping Blue Dog style president is derided as a socialist and a marxist and an ultra liberal can you imagine what someone with genuine progressive values and ideas would have done to them?

[n2doc]

8. Maybe not, if such a president stood up to them

By constantly staying out of the spotlight, never really pressing his agenda until the last moment, working through others, Obama came across as a wimp. He still does. Every incident where he 'takes off the gloves' is followed by "Well, he really didn't mean to get people upset".

One of the greatest orators of our time. And he refuses to use the 'bully pulpit'.

We will never know what a true progressive could have done in our time with such powers.

[ProSense]

11. "But the Democratic Party, as I said, is a rotting corpse..."

But the Democratic Party, as I said, is a rotting corpse, and it certainly is not an organization that sees itself as fighting for the common man and woman.

<...>

The good news is that an increasing number of Americans appear to be finally realizing that this president is a fraud--a shill for bankers, the corporate interests and the neo-con military establishment who has just been posing as a man of the people.

The bad news is that there is little likelihood of any Third Party arising before 2012 that could seriously contest the national election, meaning that we are probably headed for either more of the same or a for Republican-led government.

<...>

Obviously, this moron's drivel belongs on the front page.

[MouseFitzgerald]

13. Excellent response

I particularly like how you called the guy a moron, that's really smart and original.

[ProSense]

14. Thanks

He's a moron, an original moron.

[WillyT]

12. K & R !!!

:kick: