Obama: "A president who will stand with workers not just when it's easy, but when it's hard"

[somone]

Barack Obama rally at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc. on Feb 12, 2008:

"In this election, your voices will be heard. Because at a time when so many people are struggling to keep up with soaring costs and a sluggish economy, we know that the status quo in Washington just won't do, not this time, not this year. We can't keep playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and somehow expect a different result, because it's a game that ordinary Americans are losing. We are going to put this game to an end.

It's a game where lobbyists write check after check and Exxon turns record profits, while you pay the price at the pump and our planet is put at risk. That's what happens when lobbyists set the agenda, and that's why they won't drown out your voices anymore when I am president of the United States of America.

It's a game where trade deals, like NAFTA, ship jobs overseas and force parents to compete with their teenagers to work for minimum wages at the local fast-food joint or at Wal-Mart.

It's what happens when the American worker doesn't have a voice at the negotiating table, when leaders change their positions on trade with the politics of the moment, and that is why we need a president who will listen not just to Wall Street, but to Main Street, a president who will stand with workers not just when it's easy, but when it's hard, and that's the kind of president I intend to be when I'm president of the United States of America."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021203144.html
Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2nCyQwugbI

[Tansy_Gold]

1. I think I'm gonna puke. K&R

[Lucky 13]

42. It is nauseating isn't it?

It's hard to realize that someone you loved, and worked for, and believed in isn't at all what they claimed to be.

[we can do it]

78. Wow That Says It All For Me, Too

won't spend my time money and energy this time.

[myrna minx]

2. That's what you *say* to get elected. What you do is another matter all together.

:grr:

[The Doctor.]

108. I believe he meant it.

And then he found some things out once in office. Unfortunate things.

[CountAllVotes]

3. Hope and Change and bullsh*t

f'n sad isn't it?

:kick:

[ProSense]

4. Here:

Screeners Under Obama May Give Federal Unions Main Win in Years

[Lucky 13]

45. This is about the TSA... while somewhat relevant, that group has little to do with Wisconsin.

Is he going to support workers rights when it's easy? Or when it's hard?

[atreides1]

5. You know the old saying

...and that's the kind of president I intend to be when I'm president of the United States of America."


The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

[calimary]

34. And with pairs of comfortable shoes, too, evidently.

:(

[kenny blankenship]

6. This one should be pretty easy, actually

but...

[nilram]

89. yeah, too easy. He's waiting till it's hard.

Really hard.

[kenny blankenship]

90. I see. Holding himself back, in strategic reserve, as it were.

To be uncorked on the enemy at a moment of maximum advantage. Clever strategery.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

7. Obama: A president who has problems finding his shoes.

[Citizen Worker]

15. Two right feet won't fit into the standard pair of shoes.

[jillan]

23. ouch ;)

[calimary]

35. Oooo... good one. Ouch indeed.

[Lorien]

39. Indeed

:thumbsup:

[CountAllVotes]

37. may I suggest something

Everyone should send Pres. Obama a pair of old shoes for him to wear!

SHOES YES! Change we can believe in! ;)

:kick:

[JoseGaspar]

58. Do you want the shoes sent...

...the Iraqi Press Conference way?

[CountAllVotes]

63. ?

:wtf:

[JoseGaspar]

69. How soon we forget...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM3Z_Kskl_U&tracker=False

[CountAllVotes]

74. try mailing them to the White House

and no, I'm not into throwing things at people. :dunce:

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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

[Angry Dragon]

9. To be fair........ he did say intend........ not going to be

[Lucky 13]

46. You are so right! We should have caught that one.

You know what they say the road to hell is paved with...?

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[yurbud]

11. who was his foreign policy advisor that went around telling world leaders not to worry about what he

said during the campaign because it would be business as usual after?

[EFerrari]

40. A guy that spoke for him in Canada when Obama said here

he would work to repeal NAFTA: Austan Goolsbee


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/03/obama-denies-assuring-can_n_89539.html

[Xicano]

95. This is when I stopped supporting Obama

When this came out it showed to me I can't trust a word he's saying which is why during the election I left my ballot blank for President.

Thanks for posting the link EFerrari.

[EFerrari]

110. His first campaign speech to a Latino audience was at CANF in Miami.

A far right wing group that has funded terrorism in South Florida and in Cuba. :shrug:

[chill_wind]

12. Oh my.

K & R.

[emulatorloo]

13. Why are you all covering for Scott Walker and the Republicans?

If all I read was DU I would think Obama was stripping collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin. And that would be a stupid thing to think.

[chill_wind]

What` did you think of that speech?

If he made it tonight on prime time, would you cheer? Or would you say he should stay out of the debate, "above the fray", keep his distance?

[Fearless]

32. +100000

[emulatorloo]

33. I'd like to see him give a speech or a statement real soon

He's said some supportive stuff, he needs to say them again.

I don't think he should go to Wisconsin, it would be a huge distraction.

Now as to my original question, it just seems like there are way to many threads today about 'It is all Obama's Fault" which appear to give Walker, et al a Free Pass. I think it is odd.

[Lucky 13]

50. Walker is the enemy. We expect Obama to be on our side... but where is he?

I can rail up and down all day to Walker. That's preaching to the choir. Wisconsinites are working to get him and the other bums recalled.

We're talking about what needs to be done from OUR side. We expect Obama to be on our side. . . but more and more and more lately he sides with the wealthy and corporate thugs. Where is he on this?

Was everything he said in the election just bullshit? Starting to feel that way...

[Tansy_Gold]

56. When someone gets out in public and promises to do something

and then fails to keep that promise, SOME OF US GET UPSET.

Some of us believe promises, especially promises made in order to get something from the people the promises were made to, ought to be kept. They form, in this case, a kind of sacred bond between the candidate and the people whose votes put him in office.

Candidate Obama didn't make those promises to the pukes. He didn't want or need their votes. He knew he couldn't out-Palin Palin or out-McCain McCain. He made those promises to US, to the Democrats and the independents and greens and socialists and moderate pukes who went into the voting booth and pulled the lever or marked the X or filled in the circle or completed the line or touched the screen or whatever the hell we did to cast our vote and get him elected.

And now he's failing to keep that promise.

And that's bad form.




Tansy Gold

[Raine]

92. Walker is what he is ... I expect more from someone

supposedly on my side. It doesn't matter how much we scream at Walker he will NEVER listen to us. Our only hope is to get someone who is supposedly on our side to listen and act for us. Railing on Walker is a waste of our time and energy.

[Raine]

93. Dupe ... Self-Delete nt

[Enthusiast]

100. Like support for the public option?

Obama, don't bring that weak stuff in here! Say it like a man! Say it loud and proud and say it soon. Or you are done and we are done with you.

[Bandit]

29. Who?

Obama is not doing anything and that seems to be the problem...Don't you think he could muster enough courage to at least address what is happening, not just in Wisconsin but across the nation? There is a concerted attack going on at this very moment and it is an attack upon America's workers...Anyone that can not see this is just plain not paying any attention at all. Do you think that person is Obama? If it isn't do you think we should hear his thoughts on the matter..Not that it would really matter I guess, since he has not been all that honest in the things he has said in the past. This being a prime example..

[Edweird]

55. I don't see "Scott Walker" or "Wisonsin" anywhere in that post.

It's a speech from 2008.

[emulatorloo]

64. I am saying is there are more "I Hate Obama" threads than "I Hate Scott Walker" Threads

Which seems like a very odd reaction to the actions of Walker and the Republicans yesterday.

[Edweird]

66. Again, that has exactly what to do with this OP?

[emulatorloo]

67. The title doesn't have to be "OBAMA IS TO BLAME"

That's clearing the reaction OP was going for, and as you can see from all the ME TOO posts it has been effective.

[Edweird]

68. It's a campaign speech from 2008. How is that a bad thing?

[Marr]

61. Because sitting around booing and hissing at the other "team" in this kabuki theater is

juvenile and moronic. Seriously, do you think pro-wrestling is real, too?

[cui bono]

85. Second post I've seen from you trying to defend Obama with a false argument.

Rightly criticizing Obama has NOTHING to do with Walker's blame.
It just doesn't follow, logically.

Walker is to blame for doing what he did. Obama is to blame for not sticking to his word, for misleading people as to what he would do when elected and for not doing anything now to stand up for the working/middle class. In fact he called off the DNC from supporting the people of Wisconsin. And all of those have nothing to do with who is to blame for what happened in the Wisconsin senate.

[disillusioned73]

14. Man, reading that reminded me of how caught up I got into..

thinking this guy was the goods.. naive was I.... :(

[Horse with no Name]

16. Yes We CAN!

:puke:

[Critters2]

77. But we won't!

[Critters2]

79. But we won't!

[HereSince1628]

17. 3D chess, again. Someone's been pwned?

:shrug:

[Lucky 13]

51. yeah. us.

[cantbeserious]

98. No, No - He Has Moved On To 4D Chess - We Have Not Kept Up

Everyone knows that everything is possible when one plays 4D chess.

[Blue Owl]

18. keep holding his feet to the fire

We have to!

[Enthusiast]

101. We could burn his feet off to nubs

and he still wouldn't be the president he portrayed in that campaign. And it's enough to make me sick.

I'm sick and tired of signing petitions and sending Obama letters/e-mail.

Imagine how many of us asked that net neutrality be protected. Did he do anything to protect net neutrality? No!

How many of us asked Obama to end the war. Millions of us. Has he ended the longest most wasteful war in American history? No he hasn't.

Imagine how many of us asked that Obama PUSH for a public option. Did he really PUSH for a public option. No he did not, it was all weak sauce from Obama.

How many petitions did we sign asking him not to sign a bill that extended the Bush tax cuts? I can tell you for certain that the number was staggering. Did he respond to us? No, he responded to the wishes of the GOP, with words of praise included!

[jillan]

19. I can't wait to hear his campaign speeches for 2012. How is he going to address the growing

Democratic Parties? This should be interesting.

[Lorien]

43. At this rate he won't run

because what will he run on? His rightwing record? He'll probably retire to the Carlyle group board and the owners will choose another lackey; Biden, Clinton...whoever toes the line most effectively. People just won't turn out to vote for the lesser of two evils. I suspect that the Dems may keep the Senate and retake the House, but they'll lose the Presidency.

[emulatorloo]

65. "In Wisconsin Obama’s Approval Soars as Scott Walker Plummets"

http://www.politicususa.com/en/wisconsin-obama-walker

DU is in a bubble.


In Wisconsin Obama’s Approval Soars as Scott Walker Plummets
March 7, 2011
By Jason Easley

A new Wisconsin Policy Research Institute poll released today revealed that by trying to break the public sector union in the state, Gov. Scott Walker is not only destroying his own popularity, but is making President Obama more popular, and could be handing Wisconsin to the Democrats in 2012.

<SNIP>

Wisconsities may share a negative perception about the direction of both their state and the country as a whole, but President Obama and Scott Walker’s approval ratings are heading in opposite directions. Wisconsin residents’ approval of the job Obama is doing as president by a 53%-42% margin. The numbers are reversed for Gov. Walker as 53% disapprove and only 43% approve of his job performance. Shockingly among those who disapprove, 45% strongly disapprove of Walker. In contrast only 26% strongly disapprove of Obama.

[xiamiam]

82. perhaps..many folks i know are unimpressed..will not be the same election..

not a chance..we're smarter..broker...more disillusioned..have seen no one held accountable for the wall street fiasco, war crimes and profiteering, gitmo is not closed, the wars rage on..no conseration of public option, more tax cuts for the rich..multi millions more will lose their homes in the next six months as his hamp program is ineffective and unenforced...

what's he gonna campaign on?

[Raine]

94. Du might be in a bubble but people like the ones here

are the ones who do the dirty "grunt" work in campaigns. Of course he can take some of those corporate funds from his buds and pay lackys to go door to door and make phone calls I guess in 2012.

[xiamiam]

81. i haven't been able to take the speeches seriously since the afghan surge speech

could we talk about his loan modification bs program which has helped zip nada nothing..AND..3 years into this..multi millions more will be losing their houses this spring and summer..multi millions..because nothing zip nothing nada has helped homeowners..

everything is going to take another dip because of this..watch..just watch..

i will not vote for him..

im not a bit surprised by any of this..nothing he does which is not in our interest will ever surprise me again

[Faryn Balyncd]

20. AWOL

[Fearless]

21. False promises by a fake Democrat.

[Poboy]

31. +1

[mochajava666]

111. +1

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

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

[vi5]

24. Man, his powder must be bone dry......

Because God knows he doesn't do anything to risk getting it wet under any circumstances whatsoever.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. So, is it too easy to stand by them now? Does he want the workers it make it harder?

:shrug:

[joeunderdog]

26. Are there 2 Barack Obamas?

I think we elected the wrong one.

[Dappleganger]

27. I want a president who will stand with workers while he's president and not just when he's running.

[ProSense]

28. Historic union vote for airport officers begins

here

[Lucky 13]

53. AGAIN... that is about the TSA workers. We are talking about Wisconsin.

What's the plan there?

[hulka38]

71. ...the mad search

for a relevant link resumes.

[woo me with science]

73. LOL!

:thumbsup:

[Lucky 13]

87. LOL.

I hear he was a community organizer in the 80s or 90s

[Enthusiast]

103. Yup. Exactly.

We gotta pump up the illusion. LOL!

[Kalun D]

91. Well Yes

They will protect their police state workers

but FU*K the teachers, after all Jeb Bush is a great education reformer according the the backstabbing corporatist Obama.

[CrispyQ]

30. Filed under, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." --nt

[xiamiam]

83. lol..thanks for the chuckle in this is not so funny thread..nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

114. .

[ej510]

36. I'm shocked he lied!

:sarcasm:

[gratuitous]

38. Oh you dirty fucking hippies! Always on about your ponies and such

Read what candidate Obama said again. Read it very carefully. He intends to be a president who will stand with workers not just when it's easy, but when it's hard. It just hasn't gotten very hard yet. When it gets really hard, that's when the president will spring into action, by cracky!

[damntexdem]

41. I guess it's just not hard enough yet.

;-)

[undeterred]

44. Oh that was the rally with all the pretty lights and pretty words.

Masterful manipulation.

[Better Believe It]

47. Hell of a speech! Who wrote it for him?

[BlueIris]

48. Very sad to read today.

Also very sad to read the rationalizations here.

[PufPuf23]

49. POTUS Obama on "Leaning Forward"

The change is that The People are going to fall flat on their face because they are retards for believing that Obama has an iota of integrity.

[old mark]

52. K&R- He must have been talking about FDR, Truman or LBJ...nt

[QC]

54. What ever happened to that guy, anyway?

He was pretty impressive.

[Enthusiast]

104. Take a look at some inauguration photos.

This guy squandered the greatest presidential mandate in American history.

[QC]

106. In my darker moods, I think he has done exactly what he was hired to do,

namely to take the desire for change that inundated America in 2008 and channel it into a direction that would not threaten the establishment. In other words, he provided the illusion of change without risking any actual, you know, change.

[Enthusiast]

120. I really wish I could see it differently.

But I can't. I've always tried to be as objective as possible.

[QC]

121. That theory certainly makes sense, doesn't it?

The president's behavior only seems odd when one thinks that he is on our side. Consider that he's not and suddenly it all falls into place.

[Edweird]

57. Oh, you just want a pony and weren't paying attention. K&R

[Roy Ellefson]

59. losing faith

We've been fighting our butts off here in Wisconsin and will continue to fight. I will vote for Obama but I will not campaign for him like I did in 2008. My cheesehead is dreaming that the events in my home state will lead to a sea change in our national politics--to the birth of a new Progressive Party that will actually care about workers and the middle class. It's just a dream though.

[joeybee12]

60. I hate to say it, but it's almost funny reading it compared to what he's

actually doing as prez.

Funny, but in a depressing way.

[Poboy]

70. And today he's giving a lecture on how to handle bullies!

lmao!

[Bluenorthwest]

62. You're face to face

with the man who sold the world.

[hulka38]

72. You must admit

nobody did it better, not even Clinton.

[senseandsensibility]

75. Disgusting.

This is indefensible, although many will attempt to defend it. I am beyond disillusioned with this guy.

[Critters2]

76. What president is he talking about?

:shrug:

[DeSwiss]

80. K&R

"If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." ~ Emma Goldman

[FiveGoodMen]

84. He was lying.

His lips were moving, after all.

[Moondog]

86. Um, I believe that his lips were moving when he said that.

And we all know what that means.

[FiveGoodMen]

112. Great minds and all that (see #84)

[autorank]

88. He's never going to stand with unions. Why even raise as a question. n/t

[Kablooie]

96. He promised change. He didn't tell us he meant HE would change.

[cantbeserious]

97. So True - Well Said!

eom

[Enthusiast]

99. Well....he was lying.

Simple as that.

[Overseas]

102. K&R! Yes Please! //nt

[firehorse]

105. Disgusted... become president, and become powerless?

He's behaving as if he can't make any moves the democrats would endorce, or his family would be killed. It's weird. Does "the family" or the Koch Brothers have his nuts in a vice?

[bvar22]

107. Here is another good one:

When he was pursuing the “labor vote” in Ohio’s Democratic primary, Barack Obama told a blue-collar crowd:

“If a majority of workers want a union, they should get a union. It’s that simple. We need to stand up to the business lobby and pass the Employee Free Choice Act. That’s why I’ve been fighting for it in the Senate and that’s why I’ll make it the law of the land when I’m president of the United States.”---Campaign Obama, 2007

EFCA,
flushed down the Memory Hole on Day One,
never to be mentioned again



Who will STAND UP and represent THIS American majority?
Empty Promises, Campaign Rhetoric, and Excuses are worthless now.

"By their WORKS you will know them,"
and "By Their WORKS they will be counted.

[JokerAllstar]

109. Obama knows what he's doing...I have faith in him

[Truth2Tell]

116. I'd agree with half of that. nt

[louslobbs]

125. Is that a joke? After all, you are an Allstar Joker.

Lou

[lumberjack_jeff]

113. "... so long as it's within Washington DC. Everywhere else is a distraction" n/t

[Beacool]

115. Well, plenty of us warned you............

:shrug:

[Arkana]

117. And when has he not stood with unions?

The President hasn't broken his word.

[louslobbs]

126. The question is, when has he "stood' with Unions? I'll wait for a link showing him standing with

Unions and walking side by side in comfortable shoes when times get hard lol. I'll wait.
Lou

[Zorra]

118. I was getting ready to yell with glee until I looked back and saw the date of the speech.

:cry:

[pa28]

119. He hit the trifecta.

Obama misrepresented himself on trade deals, corporate influence and unions in one breath.

A good lesson critical thinking here for just about everybody; always scrutinize and maintain a healthy skepticism politicians (especially the ones you like personally).

[dflprincess]

122. And always be suspicious of the candidate(s) the media is giving air time to

And remember to take a careful look at the ones the MSM ignores.

[xchrom]

123. Kick

[Puregonzo1188]

124. Obama a President who will stand with the people who donated to his campaign.

Not the little guys, but the big donors.