up is down. Praise for Obama over this mess is ass backward.

[cali]

Look, he was willing to give the repubs cut after cut and except virtually nothing in return except for their agreement to raise the debt ceiling.

Just how is that heroic and worthy of ecstatic praise?

[piratefish08]

1. +1 it's bizarro world around here.

[KittyWampus]

24. Yes, listening to frothing at the mouth hatred of Obama over rumors this past week

has been bizarro world alright.

[Broderick]

2. SING it... We are letting the Republicans dictate the convo

And negotiating from their plan. WHERE IS THE DEMOCRATIC PLAN?????????

so mad.

[Raven]

3. Cali, you are brave, you are correct.. Now duck. :-)

[cali]

thanks raven, but it doesn't exactly take courage to post your opinion on a discussion board

[piratefish08]

I stand with you Cali.

I said earlier I would write in Bernie Sanders if Obama offers cuts to SS/Mcare/Mcaid.

Then I heard the words from Obama's own mouth and DU erupts in applause.



You have my vote Sen. Sanders, whether you're asking for it or not.

[KittyWampus]

26. She's wrong and it's too bad you fell for the rabid rumor-based attacks.

[Lorien]

48. It's too bad that you consistently fall for rhetoric while ignoring Obama's deeds

were you this rabidly devoted to Reagan, or are you too young to remember that long con?

[immoderate]

71. Can you point to any deeds that benefit the poor at the expense of the rich?

He avoids doing anything about wealth distribution, our definitive economic problem.

--imm

[Johonny]

63. there isn't anything passed yet

shouldn't everyone wait until the actual debt ceiling issue is done. If the debt ceiling isn't raise at all it still sucks for we dah the people.

[Speck Tater]

4. I'm glad to see that reason still prevails in some corners of DU nt

[Poll_Blind]

5. +1

You got that right.

PB

[NightWatcher]

6. he was willing to give up everything and the pukes said NO

then Obama got mad, maybe he's FINALLY getting it that they want the country to crash so they can blame it on him. Lets hope he's done giving in to them and is realizing that they want him to lose. Maybe now he'll stop dealing with them

[ProSense]

7. Here is something I agree with:

link

[cali]

10. that hardly negates my point.

[ProSense]

23. What's your point

that people should never celebrate anything the President does?

How the fuck is appreciating the press conference:

"up is down. Praise for Obama over this mess is ass backward."

Was that friggin necessary?

[DFab420]

29. It was necessary if you've been following and contributing to the narrative

That President Obama is nothing but a republican shill.

If that is the story you are following then you must not allow positive things to happen.

[emulatorloo]

70. i.e., "Damage Control"

[Tatiana]

62. I'd rather be appreciating helpful POLICIES more than a press conference.

The President can strengthen Social Security by not allowing the trust fund to be raided and leaving the lockbox alone.

It was a huge betrayal to offer even a hint of cutting social security, if not for current recipients, then future ones.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Because he clearly illustrated that the repukes ARE "The Party of No™" n/t

[Lorien]

50. It's not a sports game. It's people's LIVES that they're playing with

whoever tries to cut social programs is the enemy of anyone and everyone who is Left of center.

[SusanaMontana41]

60. Totally agree.

If taxes go up, some rich people have less money to play with. If we cut social programs to the bone, people die.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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

[DainBramaged]

11. Maybe just maybe he called their bluff.

I can admit to that possibility. It sucks he played chicken (if he did) but the end result is the Pukes want to destroy this country.

[pscot]

64. I don't know if he would have cut the safety net

Most of us believed it, but in order for the sting to work, the play has got to be believable. You'll notice Boehner is the one not taking his calls tonight.

[Rex]

12. When someone hands you a pile of shit, you make a shit castle.

He offered the GOP more then they asked for and they turned it down, because they are even dumber then most people could even imagine. THIS is the 'win', take from it what you will.

[cottonseed]

13. The is a lot like "He called us retarded!"

It didn't happen. No one was called retarded and no one was sold down the river.

I see people talking to themselves all the time about things that never in fact happened. If you want to walk down the street mumbling about slights that never in fact occurred, good luck with that. Just don't expect anyone to take you seriously.

[Ruby the Liberal]

19. He = Rahm and yes, he most certainly did.

[cottonseed]

31. Yes Ruby. I'm sure Rahm called you retarded.

[Ruby the Liberal]

34. "Rahm Apologizes for Privately Calling Liberal Activists "Retarded""

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apologized to the head of the Special Olympics today after the Wall Street Journal reported the fiery Chicagoan privately called a group of liberal activists "f---ing retarded."

Last August, Emanuel "showed up at a weekly strategy session featuring liberal groups and White House aides," the Journal's Peter Wallsten reported last Tuesday. "Some attendees said they were planning to air ads attacking conservative Democrats who were balking at Mr. Obama's health-care overhaul. 'F—ing retarded,' Mr. Emanuel scolded the group, according to several participants. He warned them not to alienate lawmakers whose votes would be needed on health care and other top legislative items."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/02/rahm-apologizes-for-privately-calling-liberal-activists-retarded.html

How dare we plan ads attacking the great Insurance and Pharma Giveway...

[cottonseed]

35. Looks like he was calling the attack ads "retarded".

Says right their in your excerpt. Doesn't look like he was talking to you. He did not call you "retarded".

[Ruby the Liberal]

36. You run with that.

[cottonseed]

38. Who knows. Maybe he did call you "retarded". Just doesn't seem much of a rallying cry.

I guess that's kind of my point. Why so invested in twisting the guy's words so that you can convince yourself that he thinks that you are retarded?

[Ruby the Liberal]

41. Point taken, but there is a far cry from something being a rallying call and

just being a fact. It is a fact - it happened. I don't know anyone who has used it for a 'rally cry' though.

[Number23]

44. +a brazillion

:thumbsup:

[originalpckelly]

14. "TAKE MY WIFE PLEASE!"

:rofl:

He's all like that, and we're happy over it! :rofl:

[ohheckyeah]

15. He even admitted he was willing to give them

more than they asked for. What?????

[Ruby the Liberal]

21. and take less in revenues than they called for...

[liberalmuse]

16. Praise would be premature. It's more relief...

that this atrocity got stopped in the Senate. I remember when President Obama was blocking DADT (not really, but Hamsher and everyone else said he was) - remember how people all over the lefty blogosphere ripped him to shreds over that? I still need more info and just FACTS before I start getting down on the Pres. The guy's got more than enough shit to deal with right now. I'm also not going to credit him for being a Ninja or playing 11th dimensional chess. Yet.

[emulatorloo]

69. Good post.

Thanks.

[tularetom]

17. Thread after thread rejoicing because he got pissed off

What I want to hear is that he got pissed off enough to take back the shitty deal he presented that involved $600 billion in SS/Medicare cuts. And that he's going to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling using the authority he has under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

Until I hear that, just the same ol shit.

[eilen]

42. Yawn. I've seen this show before.

I don't even know if I would even believe him if he promised not to endanger SS, Medicare and Medicaid now. It's like accepting your abusive husband's promises he will never hit you again.

[MrScorpio]

18. It's simple...

By throwing them a bone while sticking to his own guns he makes them look completely unreasonable.

The Boehner was the one who threw a tantrum.

That shows the people that Obama seems to be the ONLY adult in the room.

[Horse with no Name]

43. But...what if they took it??

Then who would be the dumb one?
It wouldn't be the ones that were forced to deal with the pile of human carnage that would simply be labeled collateral damage.

[pscot]

65. They couldn't take it.

The owners and the baggers wouldn't let them. The more he offered, the faster they ran away from it. He played 'em like a fiddle.

[Cali_Democrat]

20. Maybe it's a chess move

I'll admit that I wrote this notion off, but what if he knew Boner and the GOP would reject any deal no matter what if it included tax increases. Even if Obama offered major spending cuts to SS, Medicare and Medicaid.

So Obama had those programs on the table to look moderate and reasonable while the GOP looks extreme and unwilling to compromise even while most Americans want tax increases on the wealthy.

If this is true, then Obama may have had this things right all along? :shrug:

[Name removed]

22. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gratuitous]

25. Sure we lost 48-10, but it coulda been a lot worse

Kegger at the Kappa House! Whoo hoo!

[sad sally]

27. Kinda' like "think how stupid the average person is, and realize

that half of them are stupider than that." (George Carlin)

Just how stupid does the President think we are? Plenty!

k/r

[jaxx]

28. My pleasure to unrec that nonsense.

Until it's done it's just negotiations.

[Bluerthanblue]

30. did you hear Boehner?

Pres. O was clearly not willing to give the Republicans everything in exchange for nothing.

:shrug:

[readmoreoften]

53. That doesn't mean he wasn't willing to give massive cuts, it only means they wanted more.

[DeSwiss]

32. K&R n/t

[Horse with no Name]

33. For me, there are some conflicting emotions

Yeah, I really said that.:)

But the first conflict, like you said, is that he put so much on the table just to call it a day. Just to call it an accomplishment...HIS accomplishment. And honestly, that has always been one of my concerns about Obama. He is ALWAYS building HIS resume...regardless of who it hurts. Bettering HIMSELF at the expense of all else is a fault of his that makes me want to hurl and he has a long history of this--back to his days in Chicago.

The conflict is that there is extreme racism at play here and anyone who denies that is lying to themselves. It upsets me that in this day and time with all that he has accomplished, he still has to endure the racist element. That makes me sympathetic to him.

The proof is that he GAVE UP so much to get this deal...if the POTUS had been a white man, the republicans would have taken the money and ran. Instead, boner wants Obama on his knees with his knuckles bloodied...and to humiliate him. In other words--boner wants to be MASTER of Obama. And he wants the entire world to know it. That part of it makes me too ill for words. But, it is what it is and make no mistake, if boner and his tearag ilk could get away it, they would burn a cross on the White House lawn. But they know they can't do that, so they will deal with their submissive Obama instead. It is symbolic.

[kelly1mm]

37. Because he made a great speech and called the rupublicans out. On the substance, well,

lets not talk about that .....

[Liberalynn]

39. I will thank the President , apologize to him, and eat crow

in the end IF and only IF the Medicare cuts and SS cuts in the form of chained CPI don't end up in the final bill that he signs. Then I will eat crow and apologize and even call him a master chess player and donate.

Till then I am still upset with him for even bringing them into the bargaining discussions to begin with. That's JMHO.

[L0oniX]

40. Amazing ...I actually agree with you.

[cali]

49. Try not to let that happen again.

[CaptRandom]

66. how magnanimous of you.

[Lorien]

45. He's a great speaker, but not so great when it comes to taking action that doesn't

screw us while benefiting the corporate elite. People have been conditioned for years to simply react to whatever is on their TV. No critical thinking. No thought to historical precedent. If Obama gives a speech that presses all the right buttons then they'll fall right into line-and he knows it. That's why he's so relaxed. He can still slash and burn our social programs, but 60% of Dems will totally forget about that during the next pretty speech.

[swilton]

46. Kickety Rickety

[scarletwoman]

47. Thank you, cali. Well said. Rec'd (nt)

[Blue_In_AK]

51. Exactly.

There is no victory here.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

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

[bahrbearian]

54. K&R

[Marr]

55. That's what I've been confused about. Why are people cheering?

I think they just reflexively convulse with joy whenever the President makes an aggressive statement about Republicans. They don't really consider the context.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when the same people were cheering Obama's stern comments to Cantor? It was like they just completely ignored the root of the comment. Obama was insisting on getting his "grand bargain" instead of a temporary fix.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

56. But, it's a Glorious Victory!! See Pyrrhus for precedent.

[cwydro]

57. yes, nt

[SusanaMontana41]

58. It isn't, cali. K&R. n/t

[Name removed]

59. Deleted message

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

[lonestarnot]

61. Oh bullshit.

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

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

[emulatorloo]

68. "nothing in return" Why are you ignoring the Tax Hikes Obama insisted on? Boehner walked out over

Boehner walked out over:

- Obama insisting on Tax Increases
- Obama refusing to implement the Ryan Plan to destroy medicare and what ever other cockamamie plan they had for destroying medicare and medicaid.

Read his statements. Obama backs that up as to why Boehner walked.

You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own set of selective facts.

You can't ignore facts simply because they don't fit your narrative.

Nor can you ignore the fact that the 2010 election results gave power to an army of Michele Bachmann types in the Senate. This crisis was created by Republicans.

[lumberjack_jeff]

72. Digby's right. Boehner is powerless to even accept unconditional surrender. n/t