Congress is the problem...

[kentuck]

They are in it for the money. They are not in it to help the people. They have created fear and insecurity throughout our nation. The old folks are insecure because they think they are going to lose their Medicare or Social Security. Those ready to retire are insecure and fearful that they are going to lose what little savings they have in their 401K's. They young are insecure in that they feel they will never be able to get a decent job. Congress has created this problem and it is about their own greed. They all want to be millionaires. They are not into public service. We need to fix the problem.

[Poll_Blind]

1. And the President?

PB

[kentuck]

3. He's a caretaker...

until someone can come in and fix the big problems. He's looking for a decline in the unemployment rate, any decline, so he can say the economy is getting better. Unfortunately, his firm belief in capitalism and free trade and lower taxes are not helping this country. He was not up to the radical change we needed. I'm not sure anyone in the present political arena could have done any better. However...

[Poll_Blind]

7. See, here's the problem with words like "caretaker". They have less to do with reality and more...

...to do with Obama's re-election strategy in 2012. A strategy in which he absolutely must convince the American people that the President isn't all that important, that the Congress is, and that they are the ones who fucked up, the ones to blame, the ones who failed.

Democratic strategy in 2008 was exactly the opposite, interestingly enough. Since we already had the House and Senate then, why, the Congress wasn't so important. Back then, it was all about the President. "Why, if we just had a Democratic President..."

So I'm almost 40 now and I've been following politics with an above-average level of interest for about 23 years. And in that time I have not only learned a lot about the truth, I've also learned a lot about how I've been lied to or at least deceived.

Deceived by the shell game. Some people call it "kabuki theater" and in some contexts that's arguably a better word...but it's still a shell game. Right now the pea is under the Congress. In 2008 it was under the Presidency. There's always supposed to be a second pea under the Judiciary in the form of Supreme Court justice and Federal Judge appointments.

So when you say...

He's a caretaker until someone can come in and fix the big problems.

...I, with all due respect, roll my eyes.

And I do that because of some of the things you go on to mention about his behavior. He's not a caretaker, he's The President. Do you remember just how much Bush rammed through, literally starting on Day One? How can you not have a PHD in what the President can get done if he wants after living through Bush?

And that's the problem. Oh, the Congress is a failure. For the most part, I absolutely agree. But I can't fail to respond when the President is cut undue slack in a situation like this. It's hard to face it, but President Obama likes and practices some of the most upsetting behaviors which Bush did. And, in some cases, has expounded on some of those practices as Bush never could have. But aside from that, he's got the same rot that Congress has.

This is what makes 2012 so chimerical. President Obama is running against Congress in 2012. At the same time we're supposed to blame Congress, we're also supposed to support them. Which is why so many Democratic congresspeople are distancing themselves from the President. Because they too have to convince you the "other guy" is the bum.

So who's right? Is it the President when he chastises the Congress or the Congress when they chastise the President?

Or is it just a pea getting shifted from shell to shell?

PB

[Puzzledtraveller]

12. took the words out of my mouth, er fingers..

[Tatiana]

13. He is an enabler. He enables the status quo and the power of the elites.

I also think that he came into this game with a lot of ambition, but not the gravitas and dear-inspiring fire of a Roosevelt or Truman or even a JFK to back up his (stated) goal of change.

[Fumesucker]

2. They're halfway there..

[Obamanaut]

4. I think we should reelect as many as we can. Oh wait, we do that anyway. nt

[peace frog]

5. Occupy Congress

We can pressure our congresscritters to move leftward and enact laws to benefit the people. Occupying Wall Street is good but we can't move those corpo-idiots to do anything other than bemoan their plight to their slavish public servants **cough** Bloomberg **cough** who will take action against us.

[salin]

6. in the mid 80s congressional pay was under 65,000 ...

now what is it - over 170,000? How many other professions had that kind of pay increase in the same time frame (aside from corporate executives and their lawyers)?

Money, power, and the future prospect of making even more money by banking in on the title 'former rep.' or 'former senator'.

[Ship of Fools]

8. I still think that billionaire is the new millionaire ...

Congress is protecting this huge game/competition being waged as to who gets to the billion mark or not.
Heard an NPR interview once where a former Wall Streeter, who had a place in the Hamptons, talked about
how they all called themselves *Masters of the Universe,* etc., and would compete to throw the most
extravagant parties. This particular guy threw a party in the Hamptons and hired ... wait for it ...

The Who.

Daltry slipped down a peg or two, in my opinion, after that interview.

It's so totally depressing to watch this happening to this place -- although OWS gives me SOME hope again.

[LWolf]

9. Corrupt election practices put them there. nt

[KharmaTrain]

10. Politics Are Local...

Damn straight Congress has been at the root of problems in this country for a long time...but let's be more specific...congressional rushpublicans.

When Democrats are President, they obstruct and attempt to destroy the country in their zeal for absolute power. When they are in full control they ransack the treasury and turn the government into a total kleptocracy. They are proud to represent the rich and powerful who, through decades of bumper sticker talking points have brainwashed significant parts of the electorate into buying their snake oil. And that's where the problems lie.

The GOTB has evolved over the past several decades with a strong "50 state" program. They have worked hard to fight and win elections from the bottom up...while the Democrats paid little attention to the local level. The only exception was Dr. Dean's 50 state strategy that was shitcanned after the '08 election and we saw the results.

If liberals/progressives are to see any gains or flex any muscle, it has to come from building a stronger party. Its using the momentum of OWS to find and fund candidates who can begin to build a newer, stronger and more equitable party. A Progressive caucus of 150 or more members and a Senate one of 30 would open doors and force changes that we're not seeing now.

[socialindependocrat]

11. Give Obama a Democratic majority

Vote out the incumbent shit heads and give Obama a Democratic majority.

Then - don't try to make friends with the Repubs - they did nothing
but give Obama a hard time and did NOTHING for the American people.

Let Obama and the Dems do whatever "WE THE PEOPLE" ask them to do!!
The Banks
Salaries
Clean up Congress

Congress needs to have a mission statement that says,
"EVERYTHING WE DO SHALL BE TO BETTER THE LIVES OF ALL AMERICANS".

The GOP has acted like morons for the past 3 years.
Anyone who votes for them is a total moron, too.
We need some political ads that list all the negative things the
GOP did that hurt this country and continue to show it for all to
see.

Finally, let's have more "people input" into the issues that
"WE THE PEOPLE" want congress to make decisions about.

Let's create a priority list!!

[Tatiana]

14. You do realize that the President himself was trying to "make friends" with the Republicans.

Despite being slapped in the face and denigrated by them repeatedly.

[socialindependocrat]

15. Yes.....and

He was trying to make friends with the Repubs and
they blocked everything he was trying to accomplish.

THEN, they turn around and sling out propaganda
that blames him for not making more headway
when he had a Democratic majority.

So, the point you were trying to make was what, exactly?