Focusing on Obama, Conyers continued. "We want him to know from this day forward that we've had it.

[kpete]

At a press conference held by members of the House Out of Poverty Caucus Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich), the second most senior member of the U.S. House, was pointed in his criticism of the White House regarding jobs and cuts to Social Security the President put on the table last week. "We've got to educate the American people at the same time we educate the President of the United States. The Republicans, Speaker Boehner or Majority Leader Cantor did not call for Social Security cuts in the budget deal. The President of the United States called for that," Conyers, who has served in the House since 1965, said. "My response to him is to mass thousands of people in front of the White House to protest this," Conyers said strongly.


..................

We want full employment as a matter of government policy," he said. "Which was passed in 1978 when I stood with Hubert Humphrey. We passed the first bill that allowed the government - in areas of high unemployment - to directly intervene and create jobs. Well, we've got the bill in here again and I've got nothing from the White House," Conyers told the audience. Several CBC members have called for targeted help for high unemployment in the black community


Focusing on Obama, Conyers continued. "We want him to know from this day forward that we've had it. We want him to come out on our side not to watch and wait. We're suffering," Conyers said. Several members of the CBC, including, Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), and are beginning to speak out more publicly on jobs and the White House policy. Many have called for a targeted approach to the problem

http://www.crewof42.com/cbc/conyers-on-jobs-weve-had-it-lays-out-obama-calls-for-protest-at-white-house/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/29/1000282/-Conyers-spills-the-beans-on-ObamaSSjobs-bill;-call-for-WH-protests?detail=hide

[Autumn]

1. Good for Conyers , time to school Obama

K/R

[still_one]

2. Conyers is so right /nt

[joeybee12]

3. Amazing that a so-called Democratic president doesn't know the basics...kudos to Conyers...knr

[dgibby]

5. He knows the basics,

he just doesn't share our beliefs.

[roguevalley]

he needs to hear that emaciated children are showing up in our

country's ERs and he's as responsible as anyone for that, perhaps even more because he could have ended it a couple of years ago. but he didn't. he allowed it to break, he bought it. karma is a bitch.

[dgibby]

16. So are hungry Seniors.

This is a disgrace.

[roguevalley]

51. it tears me up, dgibby. I can hardly stand the idea of even one

vulnerable person suffering and the idea that Obama is playing his games with the idiots while children starve is a crime.

[dgibby]

54. I'm right there with you. n/t

[defendandprotect]

58. Certainly is game-playing with a GOP which self-destructed in 2008 ....

[tblue]

89. Me, too. We need a real turnaround, not a tweak here and there.

I thought we voted for change. And I thought the change would be go beyond the name and the party.

[Plucketeer]

98. Don't forget!

We're doing some mighty fine warring! That's important to Americans with their backs against the wall!! :sarcasm:

[Union Thug]

118. My 73 year old father lives on 1300$/month SS income

He worked hard all of his life and ended up in poverty. This is the America I know and have grown to disdain as the wealthy, their corporations and their political shills have destroyed the few good things that FDR was able to put into place. Obama will never see my vote. Nor will anyone who capitulates while chanting the coward's words, "shared sacrifice."

Shared sacrifice should invoke images of stuffing a wicker man full of Wall Street executives and setting it ablaze on May Day. It should not mean making the underprivileged suffer during final years of their lives.

[Sherman A1]

130. Agreed - "It should not mean making the underprivileged suffer during final years of their lives."

My 91 year old Mother still works everyday. Partly because she does enjoy doing so, but also in part for the money as she lives with my Sister who was laid off from her job and found only 2 part time jobs in her field making less to compensate for her job loss. People should be able to retire, enjoy themselves after working their whole lives, playing by the rules and helping to build this country.

[Frisbee]

61. As if that will weigh heavily on the conscience of a republican.

I know, I know. But more and more it is getting harder to tell which party's platform he really supports. We all know the old saying, "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...".

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

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

[FiveGoodMen]

49. Exactly.

[defendandprotect]

59. Obama knows what he's doing -- we had better believe that -- !!! Let's run Conyers -- !!!

[dgibby]

4. A-freaking-men!

Conyers is 1000% right. Time to have a "come to jeebus" meeting!

[ChiciB1]

6. FINALLY! So Glad To See This & It Makes Me Feel This MUST Be Serious For

them to do this. This couldn't be easy for them, but I'm so very glad "some" have really found their voices and are willing to put the money where their mouth is.

Didn't see this one coming, and my wish is that it will continues AND GROW with more and more REAL DEMOCRATS speaking to OBAMA and HIS administration.

Go Conyers, and THANK YOU!
:toast:

[defendandprotect]

62. Those liberals who are left in the party which was taken over by Koch Bros DLC ....

may speak up -- but from what I see it's the Koch Bros DLC corporates who are

running the party and who have been running it for 20 years now --

Any who feel as Conyers does are the needles in the haystack right now --

but they should have gotten togeter long ago and busted up this corporate control

on the party -- or at least they should have let the public know what was going on!!


But don't think even Conyers is going to be willing to move on from the party --

in fact, is he even running for another term or retiring?

And, that's the risk, imo, if you challenge this Koch Bros DLC Dem Party -- !!

[ChiciB1]

71. Well, YES... You Are Correct. Upon Reflection & My "Instant Gratification" Moment

I got carried away with a semi-warm/fuzzy feeling. A fleeting glimmer that has now passed unfortunately. Actually I was going to start a thread a few minutes ago saying I'M SCARED SHIT-LESS!

Been trying to deal with my health insurance company for the better part of 2 1/2 hours and am now even MORE distressed than before. I don't think I can find enough adjectives or stream of curse words to begin to describe how I'm feeling right now! And what's even worse is that I actually DO have health insurance through my husband's union!!

What I thought I was paying for since January was an underpayment charge from last year that was supposed to end in June. But NO, I was wrong! It seems that they did in fact raise our insurance payments and this is permanent. AND, I was told that it will PROBABLY go up again after January!!

Of course only paying $3,000.00 a year for insurance IS a lot better than many, but WHY are they doing this to ALL OF US??

I'm vacillating between a heart attack or an ulcer and thinking the heart attack would be preferable. At least it would put a period at the end of this sentence and I can go out in a bang and not have to deal with all the stress!

BUDGET BUSTERS, and you are correct Conyers and those that are more liberal like me have taken WAAAAAAAAY toolong. The effort is good, but LATE!

Sorry... I'm just spitting mad right now! My poor chocolate labs are hiding in the corner I think because I've gone all ballistic. Need to go give them a hug, it's not their fault, but I did lose it a bit.

Sorry Shawnee & Dakota, MaMa's coming!

[defendandprotect]

109. You were right -- think we all agree -- !!!

Conyers has frequently made me feel that way --

Unfortunately, there's too little support/backing -- and it's about time this wall

was broken down. Party loyalty doesn't mean anything in the face of corporate/fascism!

Didn't mean to put a damper on your joy --

I'm also thrilled to see this -- should have happened long ago -- !!

Health insurance isn't health care and we should all have MEDICARE FOR ALL --

and we don't because Obama made back room deals with Big Pharma and the private H/C

Industry and then Koch Bros./DLC Rahm Emmanuel "crowed" about how business should be

"grateful" to Obama -- and how they had "PRESERVED THE PRIVATE H/C INDUSTRY" -- !!!


Very little acknowledgment of the suffering of so many Americans in that!!



Why -- ? Why does capitalism even still exist in America -- it's a ridiculous

"King-of-the-Hill" System --

Capitalism is suicidal exploitation of nature, natural resources -- and humans.

Unregulated capitalism is merely organized crime --



I've wondered if the Global Warming which they are all trying to keep hidden from the public

long enough to protect their own hides is taking so much from the insurance companies even

now over the last decades that they're stealing retirement pensions, etal to try to keep

things shored up. Meanwhile, of course, oil and coal industry which has caused this catastrophe

have control of our Congress --

ExxonMobil $36 Billion in profits -- don't know what it is this year -- paying almost no taxes -

while it has destroyed the planet and lied to the public!


Re your health insurance deal, if you can try to report it to Sen. Bernie Sanders office --

they're collecting all of this info re illnesses, medicines, insurance costs.

I think they'll take it on the phone or on the website -- but you can check with his office.

All of this criminality should be on the record.


Again -- didn't mean my post to take you down -- not at all -- and my apologies.

My son is also out of work -- more than a year now -- $1,000 a month and more now for COBRA!!


And a few hugs to say -- "I'm sorry!" --- :)


:hug: :hug:

:hug: :hug:

[ChiciB1]

144. Thanks For Your Reply... I Do Understand & I'm Sorry For Getting Back So Late...

I just had to stay away for a while because I got myself so worked up. And thanks for the information about Sanders too... didn't know about it. I AM going to check it out. I am on one of his contact lists so it will be easy to make the connection. I think anyway.

And a :hug: back at ya!

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. K&R!

:applause:

[Logical]

8. I hope this is posted in GDP also!

[chill_wind]

9. K & R.

[Kolesar]

11. What has Conyers done to "get the message out" for the last decades?

Legislators act like they barely understand issues of renewable energy, stimulus, job creation, infrastructure. They don't talk about it much.

[lunatica]

17. How about what he's doing now?

You must be perfect.

[defendandprotect]

60. Koch Bros DLC Democratic Party has had a lid on most issues .... Conyers spoke out ...

when he could --

but agree, there's been too much party loyalty which has been undeserved --

time for that Koch Bros DLC corporate lid to be blow off!!


Same with Pelosi --- and any other Democrats -- it's not supposed to be the

robotic GOP -- speak up -- on all the issues!!

[Bluebear]

65. So you're saying he sucks. Got it.

[AlbertCat]

97. They don't talk about it much.

Dem ones talk about it a lot more than you think. It's just, there are 3 times more Repugs on the TV machine than Dems.


If a Dem Senator talks about renewable energy, stimulus, job creation and infrastructure alone in the woods, but is never covered by the MSM, does he make a sound?

[Mojorabbit]

104. He has done quite a lot actually. nt

[99 Percent Sure]

105. He's done nothing, except to gain notoriety for "strongly worded letters"

to whomever. I suspect that the ReDems meet with him and tell him to release a "mad as hell" statement and the threat of a "strongly worded letter" to appease we brainless peasants.

I'll say it again: We're a one-party nation and no one, not President Obama, not the CBC, not Conyers, not Reid, not Pelosi, not Hoyer, not many if any repubs or dems are for the people. If the Democrats were 'for' us, they'd have been listening to economists who've been telling them since 2009's ARRA that the stimulus wasn't big enough and that this is the wrong time for an austerity program. They'd have pushed through a major jobs program when they had a majority in both houses. They'd have pushed the president to pursue criminal investigations for the terrorist Shrub and his dishonorable minions.

If we have a handful of elected people in Washington who has our interests at heart, would someone name them? I'm only asking for 5 and I can't think of even two. Conyers ain't nothing and ain't never been nothing. Phooey on him and the whole lot of ignoble Congress persons.

[defendandprotect]

110. Of course, there's been a mad rush by Democrats/Party to back him up ... !!! Where?

[bananas]

117. Conyers was forced to hold hearings in the basement, but held them he did

Conyers is a hero: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1529663&mesg_id=1535703

[SwampG8r]

12. and cue a dozen

people going "la la la la i dont hear you ..." in 5..4..3..2..1

[lunatica]

18. read response #11 just before yours

[SwampG8r]

22. sigh

[Kolesar]

24. need a tissue?

:cry:

[lunatica]

26. Nope. You need it more.

[Bluebear]

77. Pathetic ain't it?

[Lorien]

39. They'll just attack Conyers

that's rule one in their playbook; can't argue with the message? Attack the messenger!

[defendandprotect]

63. Agree -- this needed to have happened long ago -- been too long coming -- !!

[ProSense]

13. That's odd:

We want full employment as a matter of government policy," he said. "Which was passed in 1978 when I stood with Hubert Humphrey. We passed the first bill that allowed the government - in areas of high unemployment - to directly intervene and create jobs. Well, we've got the bill in here again and I've got nothing from the White House," Conyers told the audience...

Why didn't Congress pass a bill when they had the opportunity? The President doesn't pass bills. He sent a $50 billion dollar infrastructure bill to Congress before the election and it languished.

"We've got to educate the American people at the same time we educate the President of the United States. The Republicans, Speaker Boehner or Majority Leader Cantor did not call for Social Security cuts in the budget deal. The President of the United States called for that," Conyers, who has served in the House since 1965, said. "My response to him is to mass thousands of people in front of the White House to protest this," Conyers said strongly.

What utter bullshit! Now he's saying Boehner and Republicans didn't call for cuts to Social Security? Yeah, let's give Boehner a pass and lay this all at the President's feet.

News to Boehner: Republicans, including Boehner and Ryan, are trying to destroy Social Security and Medicare. Ask the Democratic Leader of the House to fill you in.

Where did the President ever say he plans to cut Social Security benefits (which is what I assume he's referring to)?

[Logical]

27. Wow, so your claim is that Conyers is lying? n-t

[Name removed]

31. Deleted sub-thread

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

[MissDeeds]

46. 'They always kill the messenger'

Conyers is right and attempts to vilify him won't work. Obama has brought this criticism on himself.

[Fuddnik]

52. Aww, Conyers is just another Hamsher-loving PUMA.

Probably spends his week-ends with Grover Norquist and Ed Schultz.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[MissDeeds]

53. Good one!

:rofl:

[Bluebear]

106. And racist too.

:crazy:

[Fuddnik]

131. I am a racist!

I don't like NASCAR, drag racing, or boat racing.

I don't like track. I don't even like horse racing or dog racing.

So Nyah!!!!!

:silly: :crazy: :silly:

[Mimosa]

120. LOL! That made me laugh and reminds me not to take the anti- progressives seriously!

Fuddnik, that was funny. :7. Thanks. Because if this uninsured, scared Obama suppoter couldn't laugh, I'd be crying. And over the past few days i've been breaking out in tears.

[Fuddnik]

132. That's it in a nutshell.

Even though we feel like crying, it feels a little better to laugh. Even though the world is upside-down, and crumbling around us.

[Marr]

14. Good. More of the party needs to stand up for it's stated platform, and stop

waiting for this obviously right-of-center president to suddenly come to his senses. It's unfortunate, but they're going to have to operate they way they would with a Republican in the White House.

[Poll_Blind]

148. His behavior not only weakens the cohesiveness of our party now but weakens our...

...Party later. As in 2012, later. Not to mention throwing long-time Democratic planks on the fire.

What a fuckup.

PB

[Solomon]

15. How do we know whether or not this is all by design?

Everybody is playing their role. Obama teases the republicans with something he knows won't fly, giving democrats the opportunity to amass a protest and bring democratic issues to the fore.

People are so easily played. Like all the moaning here on DU about Obama playing golf with Boehner when that actually sealed Boehner's fate with the teaparty. After seeing people go nuts here on DU about it, I can just imagine how the wingnuts were flipping out. LOL He took away Boehner's leadership of the house with that move.

[Le Taz Hot]

29. Obama - 12-dimentional chess. . .

got it. :eyes:

[ChiciB1]

33. I Will No Longer BUY This Chess CRAP! I'm Tired Of The Game No Longer

feel that Obama has been playing chess all that well. But you can think what you want.

THIS thing, and so many other issues could have been handled in other ways instead of keeping too many people hanging on the ropes. I'm throughly fed up with having "gaming" issues thrown in my face! Just DON'T believe it, not at all!

[Solomon]

45. ER. hum. I think the poster you are responding to

agrees with you.

Of course, I myself, never mentioned chess. That guy did.

[ChiciB1]

72. I Was Responding To Him... But I Do Think I Did Misinterpret What He Was Saying! n/t

[woo me with science]

32. It does not matter.

If it was intended to be a rope-a-dope, it was a cynical, irresponsible, colossally damaging assault to the Democratic Party and to America.

He publicly validated every Republican lie and talking point about this economy and what it needs to heal. He took what used to be malignant *Republican* framing of the economy and turned it into a bipartisan narrative for the country.

As a result of what he has done, we will be fending off assaults like this to the most vulnerable among us for YEARS to come.

If it was intended to be a rope-a-dope (which I don't believe for a moment), it was a failure and a damaging wound for our country.

[Solomon]

44. What a crock of bullshit. Republicans have been trying to attack

social security ever since it was put into place. Keep on convincing yourself that you can twist everything Obama says into something evil.

You don't have the slightest clue what he means by "cuts". Apparently rthe republicans do because they ain't buying it.

Now you've managed to convince yourself that Obama has opened a door he shouldn't have opened. Right. If he had never said anything, the republicans would have been forever barred from attacking social security.

Got it.

[woo me with science]

79. Of course we know what he means by "cuts.'

We know what he put on the table. There have been multiple reports of what he put on the table.

[Bluebear]

113. Thank you.

[Raksha]

84. Very well said, especially this:

"He publicly validated every Republican lie and talking point about this economy and what it needs to heal. He took what used to be malignant *Republican* framing of the economy and turned it into a bipartisan narrative for the country."

More than anything, this is what I can't forgive him for--validating and mainstreaming the Republican lies and talking points about the economy, by putting the "bipartisan" seal of approval on them. I said even before he was eleccted (long before) that if I NEVER hear the word "bipartisan" again, it won't be too soon.

[Mimosa]

121. YES. He let them frame the narrative.

I wish Obama had his own 'Dick morris'. I hate dick morris. But the cynical little jerk helped Clinton 'own' the discourse, shape the narrative. WHO??? is helping President Obama? I fear the people around him aren't REALLY wrking for Obama. And they darn sure don't care about regular working Americans.

Obama is beginning to appear distanced, aloof. I personally don't think he is uncaring. But his PR people are IDIOTS!

[Union Thug]

119. No rope-a-dope; just a Trojan Horse president. You nailed it. n/t

[defendandprotect]

64. that might have had a chance of being true ... except for Obama's record ....

[swilton]

19. K&R

Should have taken a stand long ago before it came to this....

[swilton]

20. K&R

Conyers should have made this conclusion long ago - I wonder how long it will take him to reach the conclusion that Obama should be primaried.

[Autumn]

34. I hope it's soon. n/t

[indepat]

21. Credit should be given where credit is due and Conyers delivered big-time

:patriot:

[NorthCarolina]

25. K&R Not really a surprise, but at least it confirms my suspicions all along. nt

[woo me with science]

28. THANK YOU, Rep Conyers! It is about time!

Finally, SOMEONE is going to take an active step to try to start to undo some of this damage Obama has caused.

This has been a travesty, a fucking debacle. I am sick that a Democratic President did this in my lifetime.

People keep talking about August 2 as though it will be the end of this, and we can move on to the next battle.

It is NOT over. We are just beginning to see the effects of this colossal betrayal. Our DEMOCRATIC President validated and cemented Republican framing and talking points and justified deep spending cuts that will make things worse, not better. He offered up Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on a platter and corrupted what Democrats have always stood for: defense of the most vulnerable among us.

He poisoned the Democratic message and transformed what used to be a malignant *Republican* framing of our budget and our economy into an accepted *bipartisan* meme. Whether or not entitlements are slashed this time, he has ensured that we will be fighting assaults like this to the most vulnerable among us for a very long time.

I am angrier and more heartbroken than I can remember. We NEED strong Democratic voices to counter the damage that has been done. AMEN, Rep. Conyers, and THANK YOU!

[MissDeeds]

48. Well said

I agree completely.

[libmom74]

103. +100

[Mimosa]

122. Woo Me, might Obama fear talking about 'defense' spending?

In all this budget talk nobody talks about cutting defense spending to a significant extent.

[woo me with science]

140. He does not plan to cut Defense spending

(and I wholeheartedly support the way you put it in quotes).*

He has been talking a little about defense cuts this week, but it all consists of vague promises that we are to trust will happen over a long time. His own defense budget increases spending for next year.

I suspect what we will see is continued bragging about troop drawdowns...but that is a charade. Watch the money. They claim to be drawing down troops, when what they are really doing is replacing them with mercenaries who are two to ten times more expensive to pay. The wars keep going on the nation's credit card, and the bankers clean up. Meanwhile, the wars are spreading to new countries, we continue our drone attacks, and we continue arming every uprising that occurs.

He does not want to cut "defense." (copying your quotation marks now - hope you don't mind). Our masters, the bankers, make far too much money on all the blood overseas.


*


*


*
Just a bit of trivia re: Orwellian language: Did you know we have a "Department of Peace" (Actually, the United States Institute of Peace) in Washington, and that they have a fancy, brand new building? They are staffed with some of the greatest conservative war supporters we know: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1461163#1461353

[Le Taz Hot]

30. K & R

for Conyers and the CBC.

[bvar22]

35. ThankYou!

Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
Rep. John Conyers WILL!!!

[Enrique]

36. Jonn Conyers goes emo

;-)

[senseandsensibility]

37. Good for him.

I agree with his comments, unfortunately.

[VeryConfused]

38. Hey Conyers the President has had it with you and the rest of he do nothing

most of the time do nothing just hurts the American people. Your latest do nothing is a serious disaster. Like the President said America's AAA ratings is being threatened by a less than AAA congress.

[rurallib]

73. I think you mean to shout at Republicans. Conyers has been

one of the champions of the poor and working class.

[kath]

80. +1000. Conyers cares about the poor and working class only about a brazillion

times more than this jerk of a President does.

[Mimosa]

123. Cool it. Grrrr. The President IS NOT a 'jerk'.

You should be ashamed to post like that.

President Obama may be mystifying, offputting, whatever. But who could really doubt he means well?

[florida08]

134. the road to hell is paved with good intentions

[kath]

147. Uh, plenty of people doubt that he means well - HE is the one who apparently put cuts to SS and

Medicare on the table. Anyone who does that is NO Democrat. Period.
He ran as a Democrat, but sure the hell doesn't act like one.
The Republicans should have been in the wilderness for *decades* after the debacles of the W years, yet Obama rehabilitated them by acting as if their ideas had any merit at all and being all "bipartisan" and shit.

[Name removed]

133. Deleted message

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

[Lorien]

40. K & R for the truth! nt

[surrealAmerican]

41. The thing about "full employment as a matter of government policy" ...

... is that there really is no way for the government to achieve this goal. It would be great if they could, but it did not work in 1978, and it won't work now.

[Cherchez la Femme]

96. So that's good reason to ignore it altogether

right?


In fact I do believe that is one of the dimensions of President Obama's Mister-Trickster super-duper chess playing!

Yay.

[Union Thug]

116. Capitalism is averse to the very idea of full employment..

...and wouldn't allow it to happen in any case. This doesn't mean that it shouldn't be a goal.

[socialist_n_TN]

145. +1. Yep capitalism has to have that surplus army of labor

Any way they can get it.

[in_cog_ni_to]

42. See? Now THAT'S a Democrat. n/t

[OnyxCollie]

43. Uh oh, I feel a strongly worded letter coming on,

with lots of bold-face and italics.

[MissDeeds]

47. K&R

[Uncle Joe]

50. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[Fearless]

55. That's the Black Caucus and the Out of Poverty Caucus in the House against cuts...

This is really really good news! That's forty votes for the first, does anyone know the number in the later caucus?

[JDPriestly]

56. I support Conyers on this.

I wish I could go, but it is just too far from LA.

[defendandprotect]

57. Unfortunately, Obama has had a (D) as cover -- "we've had it!" should have happened long ago--!!

[INdemo]

87. I think that when anyone mentions or suggests or demands that we

draft a real progressive to challenge Obama in the primary...Immediately we hear..If Obama is challenged then we lose to Republicans..Not so..if a challenger would step forward tomorrow I think there would be unbelievable support. We cannot compare this time to 1980 when Kennedy challenged Carter..that challenge did not weaken Presidents Carter's reelection chances whatsoever..Carter was history before the convention
Now we have time to organize support for a real progressive challenger..Plenty of time to raise funding.

[Mimosa]

125. No challenger from a President's party has ever beaten a president, right?

So why even go there?

[Mimosa]

126. It wouldn't work...

Because no matter what a big lie it is, many Americans have been brainwashed into believing President is a 'leftist', 'socialist'. So who could run against him from the left?

[stklurker]

66. sigh...

imploding again... sigh.... doesnt anyone here understand that budgets come from the Congress (House). We are going to implode again and then there is no hope for the programs. I still cannot believe everyone here is giving Nancy Pelosi and Reid a pass on this crap, Pelosi is great in front of a directed audience buy USELESS at drumming up public and minority support. Obama should get his share of blame but PLEASE understand how the separation of powers work. They should have been all over this a while ago.

[BlueCaliDem]

102. K&R. Too bad

hatred for Obama has clouded people's normally excellent analytical skills.

Once again, a congresscritter relaying blame to a Democratic President to use as cover for their own shortcomings.

I'm getting the impression congressional Democrats would LOVE a Republican President. They capitulate readily for a Republican with nary a foul word.

But I do believe it wouldn't hurt to primary Obama, if only to keep him on his toes. I would support that. It's healthier for the country to primary all sitting and aspiring presidents.

[pam4water]

67. K&R

[blkmusclmachine]

68. Pretty sure the WH knows, and doesn't care. There's more phoney "bi-partisanship" to be forged!

n/t

[proverbialwisdom]

69. Woot! Thanks for posting this information.

MSM won't be covering it, that's for sure.

[jtuck004]

70. K&R. First a few hundred, then a thousand, then thousands.

Yeah, good idea. Maybe a "too-big-to-fail", or move, tent city in front of the White House?

So how to continue organizing...

[femrap]

74. Tax the Rich.

And bring our jobs back from China.

[Beavker]

75. How about instead of a balanced budget amendment

during the worst time in recent history to try and ram it through, why don't we put in legislation stating no jobs can be shipped overseas unless we have 0 unemployment. If companies can't possibly find a US citizen to hire, then you have our blessing to hire abroad. (Tariffs, Taxes, etc, etc).

I'd think that would be sweet music to the electorates ears...but then, they don't work for the electorate do they?

[Doc Martin]

76. Thank you Congressman Conyers!

[gkhouston]

78. Uh oh. Mr. President, stand by for a sternly worded letter!

:scared:

[mother earth]

81. Good on Conyers! I hail from MA where even though

Boston Scientific's profits are up, they are cutting 1,500 jobs over the next 3 years, only to hire 1,000 in China.

The way things are going we'll need to be in third world status before we are truly educated and competitive enough (but labor and environmental law will be a stickler, but they area doing away with all of that aren't they?)....OR we can understand that the whole economy rides on solving this problem one way or the other. Either we go back to horse and buggy and living off the land, or we wake the hell up and demand the gov't represent the people instead of the corporation.

Do we really want to throw it all away?

Right now we need JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, and more JOBS....while those who we pay most excellent salaries and FULL benefits to are collecting their pay & not delivering.

Social security cuts will cause mass disgust & far worst. It's a slap in the face to the already downtrodden. We wanted change and now there doesn't seem to be hope. Seems gov't has been bought & paid for. Show us some respect, President Obama, intervene & create jobs. End the GOP kabuki theater & the endless idiocy of the tea party. Don't throw your base under the bus!

[mother earth]

82. Oh yeah, K & R! nt

[INdemo]

83. What if we had a real progressive come forward and announced

that he or she will be challenging Obama in the Primaries?? Wouldn't that let him know that we have had it with this "bipartisan" BS

[rury]

85. Is John Conyers so stupid that he does not realize

that Congress has the purse strings and that's where he should direct his misplaced ire??

[metapunditedgy]

86. That's a bullshit old talking point. If ANY president can't do anything beyond blame Congress

when voters overwhelmingly support his (campaign) agenda, then something is seriously wrong.

[politicasista]

91. +1 n/t

[BlueCaliDem]

142. Methinks

Conyers is a little tiffed since his wife's, um, Federal indiscretions. Who knows? Maybe he asked the President for a pardon and was blown off?

Rep. Conyers has never really cared for President Obama. At least, that's the impression I got.

I also think Conyers is a little envious that our Democratic President went from State Senator to U.S. Senator to President, skipping the U.S. House of Representatives where Conyers seems stuck. The animosity coming from Conyers could just be old fashioned envy.

[TheKentuckian]

149. Methinks you folks are about as vile as the TeaPubliKlans

I think you envy people with souls, principles, and minds that aren't filled with wheels.

[BlueCaliDem]

150. Methinks you folks ARE as vile as TeaBaggers.

who share the same hatred, disrespect, ideologically stuck in the mud position, and staunhcily unforgiving toward this Democratic President no matter what he does.

I think you envy people with souls, principles, understanding of how our government works, and smart enough to know how to see the forest for the trees.

[midnight]

88. Full employment. Thank you Congressman John Conyers....

[spanone]

90. k&r...

[suffragette]

92. K&R

[McCamy Taylor]

93. "Mass thousands of people in front of the WH". Sign me up. When do we go?

[Riley18]

94. Good for Conyers. Instead of hearing from the White House

that our kids are fat, let's focus on the kids who are hungry. Also, senior citizens are going without basic necessities due to Social Security checks that have not been raised in over two years.

[Mimosa]

127. ^ YES !!^

That's so true.

But the Pentagon isn't hurting.

[Hubert Flottz]

95. We're tired of you appeasing the political terrorists in the tea party...

Mr. president.

The GOPers never elected you...they yelled "KILL HIM" and Sarah and John thought that was funny.

[unkachuck]

99. "...from this day forward that we've had it."...."We're suffering..."

....thank you, Representative John Conyers, thank you....

"We want him to come out on our side not to watch and wait."

....that is the problem in a nutshell....being half white and half black, being first poor, now rich, he's not sure which side he's on, so he 'watches and waits'....and 'we suffer'....

[nashville_brook]

100. oh i do love the smell of a tipping point early in the morning

or, late in the evening -- whichever the case may be.

[moondust]

101. K/R

[FailureToCommunicate]

107. "We want him to come out on our side..."

[polichick]

108. Really, what kind of Dem puts SS on the table voluntarily??

[Skittles]

111. I have certainly had it

we could have, should have done SOOOOO much better than this

[TBF]

112. Strongly recommend - especially the part about protesting. nt

[a2liberal]

114. K&R

These CBC folks sound like Real Democrats.

[Union Thug]

115. Conyers is right in his critique and expression of frustration.

Obama is NAFTA Bill - the sequel. Maybe worse. We'll see.

[democracy1st]

124. K & R

[1776Forever]

128. Not arguing about what Conyers said but remember what Daily Kos stated Boehner said in March........

Wed Mar 02, 2011

John Boehner calls for cuts to Social Security, Medicare
by Jed Lewison for Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/02/951984/-John-Boehner-calls-for-cuts-to-Social-Security,-Medicare

"We really have to focus in on that two-thirds of the budget that’s really driving the deficit and the debt to the levels that we see. I’ve said for months that it’s time to have an adult conversation with the American people about the big challenges that face us. When you look at Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, these are important programs for tens of millions of Americans. But they’re not sustainable at current levels. They’re not affordable for our kids and grandkids. We’re going to have to make some changes. But I think the first step is laying out the size of the problem, and here in the coming weeks, I expect you’ll see more and more from our team laying out just how big this problem is."

If Boehner really wanted to have an adult conversation, he'd acknowledge that Social Security is in solid shape, and that simply raising the payroll tax cap would secure it's solvency for the forseeable future. And Boehner would also admit that it was President Obama and the Democrats who took the first step towards reducing Medicare costs through the passage of health care reform. Yet instead of working with Democrats, Boehner and his gang attacked them for reducing the cost of Medicare. Even though those cost reductions will not reduce the quality of care, Boehner and the GOP claimed they had reduce benefits.

More at link......

[Raine]

129. Good for Conyers! nt

:applause: :patriot:

[Mass]

135. Another racist,.

:sarcasm:

Except for the part where Cantor and Boehner did not call for security cuts (they did), I totally agree with Conyers. This negotiation has been ridiculous and only done in a way that would please the DC media (and even this did not succeed).

[Chimichurri]

136. Someone needed to call Obama out on being the one responsible for putting SS on the table.

I'm still dumbfounded by Obama's continued betrayal.

[florida08]

137. Needed to be said imho

There is talk of primarying him. Although it probably won't happen it's not good that people are feeling that way. I don't want to see a divide like the one in the GOP where one group pulls the rest down with it. Governing from the middle will only go so far in this climate of all or nothing.

So many people are suffering..I mean truly suffering. It's not just morally wrong to give pearls to swine it's inhumane. Republicans want legislation passed first that cuts SS and medicare even after 10 years of ridiculous job killing tax cuts.

And why are we rewarding people who are offshoring jobs anyway? When did that become American? You give tax cuts to people who keep jobs here.

[WVRICK13]

138. Why Does Obama Hate Poor People?

Obama ran a Community Action Agency, yet in his State of the Union he suggested a 50% cut in the CSBG funding for these agencies. Now he puts Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid on the table. Did we elect a Republican in Democrat clothing? Just asking.

[mmonk]

139. The best way is to just say no to more surrender to rightwing radicals.

Otherwise, empty words.

[Pooka Fey]

141. Thank you, Congressman Conyers

[proverbialwisdom]

143. I think this thread should remain on the DU homepage longer. Absolutely agree. K&R.

[leeroysphitz]

146. Conyers is just another racist hating the President because he didn't get a pony. n/t