What President Obama is letting happen in Wisconsin

[Tx4obama]

There's an awful lot of people gripping that President Obama isn't doing enough regarding Wisconsin.
But in fact he is doing quite a bit.
He is staying out of the way of the grassroots, unions, DEM 14, etc. - and the dems in Wisconsin are uniting and growing stronger everyday.

Change comes from the BOTTOM-UP not from the top-down.

The Wisconsin Assembly just voted to 'remove' the Speaker (the vote failed) but there were some quite passionate speeches given by the dems.

Wisconsin is fired up and the recall petitions for the 8 republican senate members are raging like wild-fire!

There will be a recall of Walker in January 2012.

This IS democracy at work. This is how it should be done when dealing with a 'state' issue.

[tallahasseedem]

1. You're probably right...

but his silence is frustrating as hell.

[Tx4obama]

12. A message from President Obama

http://twitter.com/PressSec

PressSec: POTUS says we must come together & set aside partisanship to fix our budgets. Actions last night in #Wisconsin violate those principles. 42 minutes ago via web


p.s. Sounds to me he is getting ready to start speaking out more regarding Wisconsin.

[tallahasseedem]

24. I hope so!

:)

[LiberalEsto]

28. As if the Repukes would actually do that

Come together?
Set aside partisanship?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Chisox08]

40. It has never been about the budget it is about union busting

PressSec: POTUS says we must come together & set aside partisanship to fix our budgets. Actions last night in #Wisconsin violate those principles. 42 minutes ago via web
Comments like this shows that they don't get it.
If it was about Wisconsin's budget the tax cuts would have been the first to go. Getting rid of collective bargaining rights has nothing to do with the budget. They want to destroy unions and what is left of the middle class and we are just supposed to sit back and take it in the name of bipartisanship.

[MNBrewer]

2. whut?

He's doing quite a bit.... NOTHING! :)

It's N-Dimensional Wizard Chess, after all.

[atreides1]

3. True

But when the time comes, Obama will be at their doors asking for their support...and they will have to think long and hard and remember how he supported them...and make their decisions based on that, just like the rest of us.

[Edweird]

4. Too bad he didn't 'stay out of the way' in Central Falls.

That and things like the FAR RIGHT 'Cadillac Tax' sure don't paint him as a friend of unions or working people in general.

[alfredo]

5. The right is accusing Obama of orchestrating this protest.

They are liars!!

[county worker]

6. Obama has nothing to do with letting things happen in WI.

Nor do you or I.

[Tx4obama]

21. What my point was is that he is letting events happen on their own without his intervention.

He is not yet intervening because so far there is no reason for him to intervene and not much his intervention could do that isn't already being done by others.
I thought that was obvious.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

8. I not really sure I buy your argument

but so far it is the best one I have heard. We are in a position in which I think it is safe to say that our government has been completely co-opted. Real resistance to this does need to come for the street up.

[glinda]

9. Fine but his lack of support for Union teachers is a contradiction.

[Modern_Matthew]

10. Even if his silence is working, he gets no credit if we remain in the dark about his intention. nt

[Tx4obama]

15. He is no longer silent. Message from Obama below

http://twitter.com/PressSec

PressSec: POTUS says we must come together & set aside partisanship to fix our budgets. Actions last night in #Wisconsin violate those principles. 42 minutes ago via web

[Lorien]

26. Pathetic. Tweeting policy about "budgets" and not JOBS

and still not taking a stand!

[Larkspur]

11. Obama and Arne Duncan favor charter schools

so like they did with the public school system in Providence, RI, they cheer when public union teachers get fired.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. I hope you're right.

[WiffenPoof]

14. So, I assume...

from your argument that if the protesters start losing the fight, then Obama should jump in there.

-PLA

[Tx4obama]

18. If Walker keeps playing dirty then the ppl of Wisconsin will vote all the gop'ers out

in the next election.
Also, Walker will be recalled in January 2012, he will be able to run in the March recall election race but will lose.
When the dems retake the state senate and assembly the worker's rights will be reinstated,
and Wisconsin will be a DEEP BLUE state!

[walldude]

16. Doing nothing is productive.

Yeah on Mars.

Democracy at work would be having more than just Dennis Kucinich showing up and speaking out.

I notice Republicans have been out in full force supporting Walker. I guess they didn't get the "doing nothing is productive" meme...

[mochajava666]

22. You just don't understand multi-dimensional chess

He works in mysterious ways, you know.

[Lorien]

27. I guess they'll be doing a whole lot of nothing until the next election then

so that we'll all see them as being uber productive!

:argh:

[polmaven]

30. You do realize

that the president has absolutely no authority of any kind to *do* anything at all in Wisconsin, right? And he probably has even less than no influence on the Republican Governor and legislator. If he tried to intervene in any way it would more likely have the exact opposite effect from what he wanted.

Of course Republicans have been fully supporting what the Republicans in the state are doing. Do you really not get it?

[walldude]

31. Yes I really don't get it.

I'm just an idiot who knows nothing.

Except that this "movement" is getting no press, and no support from Dems except maybe Kucinich.

Sure Obama's political career would be at risk if he was bold enough to actually stand up with the People. Faux news would rip him apart. So would Rush and the rest of them.

But you know what? We aren't talking about some bill or some foreign policy issue here. We are talking about the future of the American worker. If you and Obama are more worried about his political career than the future of the nation then it's you who doesn't get it.

According to you Obama supporters, he has massive influence, he has the highest rating of any Dem since Kennedy, he's got incredible approval ratings. Maybe he could use some of that influence to help the workers of America.

I'm not saying he should "intervene" but he could drag the goddam WHPC to Wisconsin and make it a national issue. If you ask the average American they don't even know there is a massive protest going on and has been for almost a month.

Of course if you ask anyone internationally, well their news has been all over this. People in fucking Guam know more about Wisconsin than Americans do. Obama could turn that tide.

[Tx4obama]

33. That's NOT true. There are dems supporting Wisconsin: Feingold, Pelosi, Franken, etc.

Just because you missed the news reports of their support doesn't mean that it's not out there.

[walldude]

34. Oh. so it's not political suicide to show massive support

for this cause? Then why do Obama supporters keep telling me how he has stay out of it because it'll just make it worse for him?

I've had enough of this circular bullshit logic. Either we need the help or we don't. Either it's bad for Obama or it's not.

Maybe you guys should get a room and pound out your talking points so you have good "message control". :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Tx4obama]

37. Even folks in Wisconsin have said 'this is their fight', they don't want Obama there.

I've reread your comment twice and what I can from what you've said is that you are not an Obama supporter.
So, I have nothing else to say to you.
Ciao :)

[JoeyT]

42. You never loved him anyway!

And I'm not going to talk to you anymore until you do!

Oh, I thought that's what we were doing now. My bad.

[polmaven]

36. Oh good grief!!!!

I guess you don't get it...right in front of your face and you don't see it.

First, because it is not the ONLY news story does *not* mean it is not anywhere on the news. I've seen it on my local news stations every day since it began. Every broadcast! There are very few people who don't know about it, and if they don't it is because the watch no news *at all*, and really don't care.

Second...Yes President Obama has a lot of influence with DEMOCRATS and even with many Independents. He has ZERO influence with nut case Republicans. They would actually feel even more emboldened to screw over the Unions even more if he interfered.

Why is it, do you think, that the Union heads in WI think the president is doing the right thing? I mean, they haven't checked with DU, apparently, but they are thanking him for the things he has said.

[EC]

17. I just want to say

the recall by the tea partiers against Wirch seems to be going no-where...the paper sure reports like it's blazing, but since they refuse to say how many signatures they have - I'm guessing it's no where over 300.



Wirch is the Dem in Kenosha, by the way.

[alc]

19. if he fights for WI workers, the first section on the news will be

"Why is Obama ignoring the lack of collective bargaining rights of federal employees?"
followed by
"Why do WI employees deserve more rights than federal employees?"

He'll be attacked by both sides and a distraction from a state issue. Better to leave the focus on WI unless he's ready to tackle the issue at the federal level.

[Papagoose]

20. I have some bones to pick with the President but not on this

The way I see it, the President's involvement would serve to galvanize the Republican side and only marginally strengthen the Democratic resistance. Our side is doing a fine job in building a solid movement from the ground up and it is spreading. If this turns into just another Obama vs. the Republicans issue, I'm afraid we lose.

[ReggieVeggie]

23. He's phoning it in

like he does on so many other issues

[Lorien]

25. Bullshit. He's our representative. He is supposed to LEAD

He works for us, and he made clear promises on this issue. Did Michael Moore "distract" from the protests, or did he invigorate them? Moore gave the people hope and strength, Obama sucks it away with his gutless silence.

You would cheer and say "That's MY President" if he showed up tomorrow and gave one of his trademark speeches. You're just blowing with the winds.

[yodermon]

29. Eventually he'll give a whiz-bang speech about unions.

[Rex]

32. No not really, he is the leader of the country and should represent

his voting base and even said he would in a campaign promise. Sorry, but we need LEADERSHIP from the TOP-DOWN not the bottom-up. IMO.

[wickerwoman]

35. It's not a Wisconsin state issue when similar (unconstitutional) legislation is being considered

in 15 other states.

Nor is it a "state" issue when money from conservatives in New York is funding these assaults in Wisconsin, Ohio, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Tennessee, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Washington, Alaska and Arizona.

We are all Wisconsin on this. And a few words from our president (the one elected with the sweat of union workers) on the issue isn't really that much to ask is it? As a leader, you can either stand up for what's right or admit that you are irrelevant. I don't think the honest opinion of the President of the United States on an issue effecting American workers in many states is irrelevant. Do you?

[Cleita]

38. Heard a political pundit say today that Walker will probably

be forced to resign before a recall happens. I hope so.

[Arkana]

39. I think him staying physically out of it is the right move, but let's not pretend

that it's some sort of complicated chess maneuver.

Wisconsin has experienced firsthand what happens when you put teabagger nutjobs in power--Obama's presence isn't needed to help convince them to never vote for one of those charlatans ever again.

[undeterred]

41. Doing nothing = Letting something happen

Yeah, like whatever gets you through the night.

[JoeyT]

43. By that metric:

I helped us win WWII.

Not only did I not go, but I wasn't even born yet! Yeah me!