Dear Pres. Obama, Wisconsin is not Egypt.

[edhopper]

It is not a sovereign nation were you should keep a low profile. These are your citizens AND your Party.
Get involved!

[tabatha]

1. Nope, don't.

[Goblinmonger]

25. As a Wisconsin teacher, I agree.

Stay away. First of all, you'll just muck things up and turn the attention to be just about you. Second, we are doing just fine without you, anyway. Third, I'm pissed at you about all the other things you've F'd up in the past couple years. But mostly for the first reason.

[demmiblue]

2. He needs to stay away, IMHO. Besides, would the teachers want him there anyway?! n/t

[Webster Green]

8. Why?

I don't get why he needs to stay away.

He actually stated that he would march with unions if their collective bargaining rights were threatened. How would it hurt him to keep his word? (Other than the fact that it would piss off a bunch of assholes)

Please explain why he shouldn't. Will there ever be any issue that compels him to draw a line in the sand? To stand up to the right-wing fanatics? :shrug:

[demmiblue]

15. Honestly...

the emphasis would move away from the grassroots movement to him. The MSM would have a field day with that!

Not to mention the fact that I am not confident that he wouldn't screw over the protesters with his bipartisan bullshit.

[edhopper]

21. That is a good point

I was thinking he should fight for the workers. But his history...well maybe not.

[applegrove]

19. This WI story is about people fighting for their dreams and rights. If Obama

steps in, the GOP will just tell their reagan democrat supporters it is all a partisan event. Polls show the strike is working and there is now lots of support for unions across the country. Country has been woken up. Obama needs to stay out of it.

[dionysus]

24. because it then makes the issue about obama, which it shouldn't be.

[Goblinmonger]

26. Right now it is about the workers vs "the man"

If he shows up, it becomes about him. We've shifted public opinion and gotten a good deal of attention on our own.

[Webster Green]

29. OK, thanks, everyone!

I suppose that does make sense. It's the reality of what we are dealing with.

[howaboutme]

3. But we might get into a war in Libya just for kicks

There are many in the administration talking that way...except for Gates. It seems that the US just can't keep its nose out of the business of other nations. I suspect it is always about war profiteering and hucksters wishing to put us deeper into debt. Just what we need another war in the Middle East.

[TheWraith]

7. Right. Except that nobody is talking about that, and it's completely bogus.

I get very annoyed by this ridiculous "We're about to invade Libya!!!111one" nonsense.

[Buzz Clik]

12. Libya is in Wisconsin?

geez.

[howaboutme]

17. It is called diversion and deflection

The powers that be are damned good at it.

A little war in Libya will take our mind off of Wisconsin. They took care of Bush's and the CEOs woes of corruption and incompetence too, not to mention the trillions in "lost" Pentagon money, ( http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml ) about 9 years and 6 months ago and set us up for eternal war while they were at it.

We're rightfully pissed at Gov. Walker in Wisconsin, but while we are at it we are letting the real villains of Wall St slide. Why doesn't the question ever get asked on the media or anywhere. Why haven't Goldman and all the others been financially filleted? Why haven't we taken back every ill-gotten dime the banks and bankers (personally) have and use it to rebuild the country that they destroyed?

[Berserker]

4. OH My God

don't do that the republican party might get pissed.

[Buzz Clik]

13. Not to mention a lot of Democrats.

Your thought is for Obama to send in the National Guard?

[midnight]

5. Interesting.... Our Dem. President supporting his voters....

[Scuba]

6. Stay out Mr. President. We don't need you here.

[zbdent]

9. Hm ...

Wisconsin arrests Dems ...

Washington D.C. / White House pardons them.

(a man can dream, right?)

[madrchsod]

10. nope! he needs to stay away...

i go on about why but i`d better not

[Buzz Clik]

11. Wisconsin is a state. He's made the right choice.

He verbalized where he stands, and he's letting the state work it out.

[elocs]

14. As a proud Wisconsinite, I say with others, nope--stay away.

This is a people's protest, a people's movement. If the president were to come here or become too directly involved then he would be a distraction and it would be about him. So please, stay away.

[GreenTea]

16. Republicans would argue - "States Rights"!

But then, republicans are notoriously duplicit, habitual, pontificating LIARS!

Republicans always shout this as states rights is freedom....However, it ALL becomes bullshit when it's something republicans don't like....

Like sending in the Feds in California saying federal law supersedes state laws when CA passed the medical marijuana initiative ....Republicans under Bush had agents arresting people all over CA.

When Oregon passed the "right to die" the republicans Feds stepped in (AMA don't want to lose out on all those bucks they would much rather have them lingering around in a hospital bed soaking them dry of all their money....then they are allowed to die...who cares then - let the family have them when they have no money left).

How about republicans jumping all over states right in Florida, the Terri Schiavo case?

Republicans when in power do this ALL the time if they don't like states laws, rules, bills and propositions....

so is it right that Obama should do it?

Your call!

[AC_Mem]

18. I spoke to someone yesterday

who is "in the know". I asked them the question "Why isn't President Obama getting involved with Wisconsin? During his campaign he said that he would put on his comfortable shoes and support the Unions".

I was surprised at the answer I received.

I was told that the President is ready to stand with Wisconsin but the Union Leaders don't want him there. They have specifically asked him not to come.

I pressed for more information but could not get anything further. I'm very curious about what this actually means.

Has anyone else heard this?

Annette

[Goblinmonger]

27. Do you think the union leaders have been doing a bad job without him?

The regular guy on the street that voted for Walker probably didn't vote for Obama. We are changing the views of the moderates here to be against Walker (the wingnuts will never come around). If Obama comes, it will mobilize the Teabaggers and we will lose the ground we have gained with the more level-headed in our state. I applaud my union organizers for having the foresight to keep him out of this.

[AC_Mem]

31. I'm not saying I don't agree with you on this

I'm just offering information on the big question that everyone is asking - Where is the President and why isn't he in Wisconsin?

I think he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, to be honest.

Annette

[Arkana]

20. Dear Pres. Obama,

Do not listen to this man. You step in and you become the story--all the attention focuses on you instead of on the protestors, where it belongs. You're a political lightning rod and a human starting gun. Thank you, sir, for being smart enough to know that the fruits of this protest should belong to Wisconsin labor and Wisconsin labor alone.

[edhopper]

22. Good arguments on both sides here

I will think more about this.

OP

[elocs]

23. Except that the prevailing sentiment in this thread is for him to stay away,

and actually living in Wisconsin I can say that this is the sentiment of most people here who are protesting and supporting this movement.

There are no good arguments for Obama's coming here. I know the Republicans would love to see that because it would divert attention away from the issues at hand and become all about Obama.

This is a people's protest, a people's movement here in Wisconsin, so the president needs to stay away.

[Tatiana]

28. The time for him to go has passed. He should stay out of it at this point.

Democrats need to be united in taking a FIRM, unequivocal stand against Walker right now.

The last thing they need is for someone to come in with a possible attempt to negotiate on behalf of workers from a position of weakness (e.g. more compromise than they've already extended or "bipartisanship").

Toughness, determination, and perseverance is the only thing these wingnuts understand and respond to.

So, no, the President should not get involved in Wisconsin affairs at this point. If he had given a strong statement of support in the beginning, it probably would have motivated and inspired the protestors and given a boost to the spirits of the WI-14, but I think they are doing just fine by themselves.

[JuniperLea]

30. That's the last thing Wisconsin needs...

This should be about the people, and it would be turned into something about the President in a hot second if he showed up there or made statements that are any stronger than those he's already issued.

We should be seriously concerned at the lack of thought and the zest for hate we're seeing here. It's scary how emotions are taking over the left at the precise time when solid thinking should be the norm.