I think Obama's statement was exceptionally good today --

[gateley]

covered a lot of good points, not "too" much, sounded so reasonable.

You?

[JVS]

1. Conservatives will be in a poutrage about not a AAA political system

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Whine. Whine. Whine." - RepubliBaggers Against America (R)

[Raven]

2. Agree. Loved the AAA government remark. n/t

[NightWatcher]

3. he needs to DEMAND a clean debt ceiling bill from Congress

the time has passed to nitpick over spending and taxes. The debt ceilling and deficit are unrelated and need to be handled seperately

[Dawgs]

8. Agree. I'm worried if he thinks he can get a compromise with ANY Republican.

Shit. They can't even agree on a bill within their own party. How does he think they can come up with one that will pass the Senate?

[NightWatcher]

19. by the time these bills get to the floor for vote it will be late Sun or Mon

leaving little/no time to try again before Tuesday

[gateley]

38. I think there ARE some Republicans who want to get this resolved,

and who are willing to compromise, it's just those whiney smart-ass know-it-all Teabaggers who are holding this all up. And of course, Boehner can't kick ass like Pelosi could, so here we sit. :(

[gateley]

36. Yeah, he should have made it a little more clear that the bill

that Boehner, et al, are spinning their wheels over isn't even going to be passed, so it's a colossal waste of time. Stop it and move on. We got it because we know, but I'm not sure if those who aren't paying close attention (like everybody I know, it seems) would realize the futility of this game.

[brooklynite]

5. If you were a member of Congress...

would your inclination be to do anything different than you did yesterday because of this speech?

I know what the President will accept; I don't know what he WANT's.

[flamingdem]

7. He wants a deal that is not extremist nt

[Renew Deal]

11. You don't know what he wants?

How is that possible?

[jeff47]

22. Because he's unwilling to say what he wants

Probably because what he wants is actually quite unpalatable - to be the 'above the fray' guy who got his grand bargain destroying SS and Medicare in return for a small tax hike.

[Renew Deal]

29. Pay attention

I know it's tough to keep up with so much going on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRILD3xNIG4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVkzKVWK6pQ

[jeff47]

30. You should probably go back and read that again

Because you're focusing on his words, not his actions. Pretty speeches can't change the fact that it was Obama who put Medicare and SS "on the table".

[Renew Deal]

32. "Because he's unwilling to say what he wants"

I read it again. Now watch the videos and get informed.

[pscot]

42. Talk is cheap

I take his words at a very deep discount.

[brooklynite]

43. Here's what I heard today...

He'll accept the Reid Plan OR the O'Connell Plan, even though they don't include having the wealth "pay a little more", which is what he wanted on Monday.

OR he'll accept a clean Debt Limit vote.

Doesn't tell me what we really need to do....

[styersc]

6. Made me wish Hillary had run a better primary race.

We could use a president right about now.

[TwilightGardener]

10. LOL.

[HipChick]

12. You think the result would be any different?

[we can do it]

21. My Last Choice Was Last My Last Choice For a Reason

just a notch above the rethugs

[Renew Deal]

13. lol

:rofl:

[styersc]

16. Boo Hoo, they won't be nice to me!!!! Boo Hoo they're mean!!!!

Get the fuck over it and be a president!!!!!!!

[snooper2]

18. damn it's been years, still bitter?

:rofl:

[Le Taz Hot]

23. Hillary = Obama in a pant suit.

[Fire1]

35. Not really. BILL would be running the country. n/t

[SidDithers]

25. pffffttt....nt

Sid

[gateley]

39. It's the Republicans who are fucking this up, and Hillary, or anybody

with a (D) behind their name, for that matter, would have no influence over those Teabaggers. Hell, the Republicans can't even rein them in, and with the level of Hillary Hate among the Republicans, I honestly don't think she could have accomplished anything more. :shrug:

[dgibby]

9. I keep waiting for the Republicans to take him up on the

Grand Bargain at the last minute.

[Solomon]

17. Unlike the people here at DU the republicans know that

the so called "cuts" to "entitlements" are not really the cuts in benefits that they want. That's why they won't fall for it. Only the people here at DU really believe Obama is trying to ditch social security, medicaid and medicare.

[jeff47]

26. Only people here at DU and members of Congress who were involved in the negotiations

But hey, they're just shrill hippys.

[Johonny]

33. +1

yeah Republicans want to kill the programs forever, Obama apparently is willing to slowly move up the level of pain. "Reform" entitlement programs certainly is a dirty word to anyone that's lived through previous versions of it. They could always reform them intelligently, but hey is a Boehner lead house gonna do that? No. Why bother pretending they would :)

[gateley]

40. I hope not - I'm favoring Reid's plan (only because it doesn't

touch SS/Med and there's a provision to lower the War spending by $1T).

But we'll see. I didn't think I'd be willing to accept WHATEVER, but if the dire predictions come true (if we do indeed default) every single person in the country will be affected - severely, with no "safetey" provisions to try to assuage the Left. If that makes any sense. :eyes:

[WI_DEM]

14. He's absolutely right can't have a bill just to please the tea party idiots.

[dgibby]

15. Obama addresses nation.

Delivers barn burner of a speech. Hailed as miracle worker as hundreds of thousands are cured of their insomnia.

[CelticThunder]

20. Are you kidding? He'll compromise on entitlements, meaning he'll SCREW SENIORS and the poor.

[Johonny]

31. I agree

He called the plan that has no revenue the compromise bipartisan plan. Yeach. Never pushed just raising the debt ceiling with a one page letter like it usually is. He kept up the illusions there is a there in the fake debt ceiling crisis. Sounds to me like he really, really wants to cut entitlements to me.

On the flip side he played the calm and reasonable hand that will play well with the public. While you and I might know what's in the Senate plan, the general public doesn't and if the president says it's bipartisan and the like it is good enough for them. It's good politics, but iffy policy.

[elleng]

24. Darn, missed it Gate.

:hi:

[gateley]

37. Well, it's nothing that WE, those who are paying attention,

don't know. Just basically reiterating that the only way to move on is a bi-partisan compromise. Just seemed a little more to the point, concise. And, yesterday I said I preferred it when he didn't give a "statement", but rather just "talked". Today he was obviously using the teleprompter because his head was going left, right, left, but it sounded much more "real". Maybe it was the venue - some room in the WH that he doesn't use for his SERIOUS SHIT addresses.

You didn't miss anything new. :hi:

[malaise]

27. Agreed n/t

[lonestarnot]

28. Yes. Once again.

[Fire1]

34. I think it was good, in the sense that it once again showed

that he is the adult in the room. Knowing full well that the teabaggers are not going for ANYTHING other than a 6 month deal and cuts to entitlements, he still had to show how unreasonable they are. The obsession with bipartisanship is PURE POLITICS.

[Forkboy]

41. I only read it, but it seemed alright.

I don't know, it was the same as the speech the other night. There was no real info there, but I don't have a problem with him getting up there and laying it at the Republicans feet every few days anyways, just for the fun of it. :)