Do you agree or disagree with the President's new, more aggressive tack against the Republicans?

[kentuck]

Do you think it will hurt him or help him?

Without a doubt, he has been more critical of the Republicans in the last two or three weeks. As at the bridge in Cincinnati, he has called out some of them by name. This is uncharacteristic of his Presidency up to this point.

Is this new aggressiveness only to appease those unhappy Democrats, mostly on the left, or has he decided this is the best strategy to use against these obstructing Republicans?

Does this mean the President has given up on reaching any kind of compromise with Boehner, McConnell, and the Republican Party?

Do you think this is a mistake by the President or is it the politically wise thing to do?

[HappyMe]

1. I don't think it will hurt him.

I'm very glad he's being more aggressive.

[Scuba]

2. Better late than never. n/t

[kestrel91316]

33. Indeed.

[Warpy]

3. I just hope it's not too little, too late

He's lost a lot of ground (and small contributions) by being too conciliatory with tantrum throwing overgrown two year olds in that party. It's high time he treat them like what they are and it's high time he takes to the airwaves to explain to the apathetic exactly what is going on in Congress.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing.

It's about believing or not believing. Frankly I think it all goes out the window once he's re-elected.

[Raksha]

40. You said it - it's about believing or not believing.

It's going to take a hell of a lot more than saying the right thing during election season for Obama to win back my trust. I'm going to wait and see if he sticks to it. Quite frankly I don't trust ANYTHING he says when in campaign mode. I already know he knows how to campaign--that's how he fooled me the first time.

[Carolina]

43. Touche!

Fool me once... I won't be fooled again!

How ironic that I find myself quoting shrub.

[SammyWinstonJack]

42. Just like it did when he was first elected. Campaign promises made too be broken

[bluestateguy]

5. It is too early to tell if this is a new and long-term tactic

or some bullshit trial balloon.

If he takes this tack, then he should forge ahead and stick with it, even if Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson start to whine about class warfare.

[secondwind]

6. It can't hurt him. They have said already that this will be a very nasty campaign. We might as

well gear up for it. The GOP will be coming in full force against this President. I think the team will be Romney/Rubio, Rubio will be the attack dog and will be courting Hispanics.

[INdemo]

24. nasty campaign because all the forces are against Obama

The Koch Bros pac,Karl Rove Citizens United Pac..and the SCOTUS..Republicans cannot accept the fact that a Democrat is in the White House...And they hate it even more because a black man occupies the White House..They will have corporate mafia groups coming out of the woodwork to defeat this guy and electronic vote counting has become their specialty..If this election is close Obama will lose.

[mod mom]

7. I'm happy to see it but wonder if it is sincere.

Where was all the fight during the 1st 2 years when the Dems held congress?

[mazzarro]

+100 %

I am waiting to be convinced that this will last and not just for his re-election!

[abelenkpe]

21. I don't care if it's just for re election

honestly, republicans taking over the white house or making gains in congress scares the crap out of me. Look at the damage they do as a minority.

Of course I'd prefer if it was sincere, but more liberal dems in congress will help keep him honest.

[demosincebirth]

8. He needs to keep it up every chance he gets.

[xiamiam]

9. a tad cynical here Kentuck..I have more faith in the protesters on wall st

than I do in our elected representatives..wish it were not the case

[Little Star]

10. Answer to all your questions. He is saying what he has to say in order

to have a chance at being re-elected. It's just that simple. Will he be able to fool enough people again with campaign speak? Who knows?

[CANDO]

11. I say he's not tough enough on them.

I absolutely love how FDR and Harry Truman went after the bastards. FDR welcomed their hatred and Harry said he's gonna tell the truth and they'll think its hell rather than he give them hell. There's only one way to deal with bullies.

[Angry Dragon]

12. I guess it depends if it is sincere or not

Nothing has changed since he took office, the republicans have hated him since 1/20/2009

Is he doing this because he is in campaign mode??
Has he seen the light??

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. He's campaigning to the neglected base to corral their votes.

“Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,
He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note.
He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple,
Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people.
(He's eatin' bagels
He's eatin' pizza
He's eatin' chitlins
He's eatin' bullshit!)”

Bob Dylan

[asjr]

14. Nothing else has made a dent in

the Republicans' attitude. More power to our president. I have a hunch he has been itching to do this sort of attack for some time.

[madokie]

15. You damn right I do

Down and dirty cut to the bone yellow dog dem here.

[abelenkpe]

16. I'm fine with it. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. I completely agree with his stand!

I hope he keeps it up.

It's about time!

[dawg]

18. It's the right thing to do.

It's good politics, too. At this point, failed attempts at compromise make the President look weak (not reasonable).

[Ian David]

19. About fucking time he fought back. n/t

[LoZoccolo]

20. I do, but the previous less-aggressive tacks were necessary as

part of the strategy to allow these more aggressive ones.

[CakeGrrl]

31. Yes. He needed to be able to say he had done every reasonable thing he could

to work with the Republicans the American people sent to Washington.

Otherwise, the MSM would stick a mic in the face of every one of them who wanted to lambaste the President for not working with them and the MSM would keep feeding it nonstop.

Now they have no standing to sustain that argument. The GOP needs to put up or shut up, and since they can't seem to put up, they're going to be shown for the obstructionists they are.

The MSM was NEVER, EVER going to inform the American people of this situation on its own.

The President has to work around the MSM to show the voters what's really going on in Washington.

[loyalsister]

32. + 1

My thoughts exactly. I also think using the bully point daily or even just monthly on every single issue would have made it totally ineffective. His speeches are more effective because they are infrequent

[izquierdista]

22. Compromise is best when the other side is beaten into it.

I don't know if that's a quote from Truman or LBJ, but it ought to be.

[Skidmore]

23. kentuck, I thought this was exactly the approach everyone has

been calling for. I will guarantee that now that he is being more strident, the same people will turn around and hit him with their backhand. For some it is not about what he is or is not saying or doing, it is just about getting rid of him.

[FarLeftFist]

25. He NEEDS to go harder on them.

[silverweb]

26. Yes!

And it will help.

[OHdem10]

27. Politically wise on the President's part. My only criticism is I wish

he had done it sooner.

If he has a prayer for a second term, he must have the
majority of the American People with him and on his side.
The People had not the foggiest notion of anything the
President really stood for. The Pepublicans had put
out lie after lie. These lies were sticking because
there was no one to refute them. Now the people know
exactly where he stands on some issues and they see for
the first time he is really willing to fight for them.

Had he not done this, the Republicans would have walked
into the Presidency in 2012.

Are the Republicans frightened??? Yes, you can tell by
the way they are doubling down and by the way they have
Fox News on Screech Level.

The Democrats in the Senate had better get themselves
together and show with some gumption they are for the
Working Class. They are the vulnerable ones now and
that "Me Too", affirming the Republicans is not exactly
a winning them. Authenticity: You believe in something
and are tough enough to fight for it. This is what is
important.

Yep the President is doing the correct thing. Just wish
he had done it sooner.

[Kalidurga]

29. I think his timing is nearly impeccible...

I doubt he has gotten the timing thing down to a science like with charts and graphs and such. But, it seems as if he has to a point. He is up for reelection in a mere 13 and a half months. Our collective memories seem to be a bit short as far as politics go. So, he seems to be gearing up for a fight. What is happening now is going to be a distant memory in just a few short months, but if he is sincere this is about the time he is going to be going at it full steam and when people might just start paying attention. Hopefully we will have at least some plans on the table that can really help us people down in the trenches. If not the new fighting Obama still might have a hard time defeating the Republicans that are determined to cripple us for the next couple of decades or longer.

[Ichingcarpenter]

28. Our story so far - byTom Tomorrow

I'm staying tune to Tom's take.




I've watch our President fold too many times but always hope for the best.

[lunatica]

30. He's showing them he also bites so it's a very good political move

I think it helps him. So far they've thought they could get away with their tactics. Now he's calling them out on what they've done and said. They won't be quite so cocky about what they say or do around him again.

And the cool part is he's telling no lies or making any exaggerated statements. He's just using facts. I'm sure they hate that with the burning passion of a thousand Suns.

[daa]

34. Watch what he does not what he says nt

[Shandris]

35. Agree!

This is what I have been waiting for for a while. Now if he'll follow through on it, he'll re-earn my respect. I was getting very concerned about Appeasement Obama, especially with the way the Republicans just seemed to walk roughshod over everything.

[GeorgeGist]

36. Political wisdom ...

and mistakes are not mutually exclusive.

[dembotoz]

37. perhaps he ran out of stuff to give away.....is this too mean? Its how i feel

[county worker]

38. Yes, if he gets re-elected, as a lame duck he can do more than he has for the working class

so speaking out against the repubs now sets the tone for the next 5 years.

[Vogon_Glory]

39. High and Past Time That He Did Start

It's high time (and possibly past time) that President Obama started hammering the Republicans like they've deserved to be hammered since 1993. It's not just that the Republicans have clearly been sabotaging any chances of economic recovery (Especially since an economic recovery wouldn't benefit their political chances), it's that President Obama's wasting his political capital trying to make nice with the GOP's intransigents has allowed his agenda of hope to slowly but all too clearly grind to a halt.

Furthermore, the President's behavior has been very disheartening to many of us rank-and-file Democrats. Making nice with people who want to kick you in the teeth and allowing them to walk all over you does NOTHING to encourage your supporters; instead it spreads despair and discouragement.

Brother Obama has ministered to the Tea-Publican intransigents far too long already; it's time to pick up the jawbone of an ass (male donkey) and start swinging.

:dem:

[Akoto]

41. So long as it's all accurate, by all means. That said ...

I agree with others who have noted that he needed to be less aggressive beforehand, so that he could say he'd made every effort to be diplomatic.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

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

[Javaman]

45. Frankly, I don't think he's being aggressive enough. nt

[Justina For Justice]

46. The Artful Manipulator Is Back To His Old, Lying Campaign Rhetoric Again..

Obama ruthlessly abandoned all his Democratic campaign promises when he was elected. He has consistently carried out Wall-Street's Republican orders as president. Now, he is mouthing Democratic-friendly statements once more as he runs for re-election.

The official Republican Party's candidates are virtually all bat-shit crazy, so with Obama as the putatively Democratic candidate, we can choose between the crazy Republican or the rational Republican, Obama.

Meanwhile Wall Street and the big corporations will continue to call the shots, whoever wins, because they are the ones funding all the candidates.

So tails we loose, heads Wall Street wins.

[applegrove]

47. People have be hoping he would step up and fight for the middle class. After all that is

who he represents. He is a Democrat after all.

[TomCADem]

48. I Like It, But It Is Also An Acknowledgement That 112th Congress Will Not Lift A Finger

I think the President would not be raising his rhetoric if he thought that he could move legilation that could help the economy. If Republicans expressed some willingness to take action to improve employment, then I don't think he would be slamming on Republicans. But, given that the 112th Congress cannot even manage to pass routine bills, President Obama really has no choice but to call them out.

In other words, it is sad that it has come to this, and that the President has nothing to lose by just slamming Congress, because we know that Republicans will say no to whatever he proposes, even tax cuts.

[samsingh]

49. agree

he should get tougher