Obama » My Take

Rain on your charade.

GOP, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Obama, Politics, Truth 1 Response »

Apr 122010

The right says that Obama makes us less safe… It is my true pleasure to rain on their charade.

Thousands more Americans have survived the first year of the current administration than that of Bush/Cheney.

Obama insisted that the United States would not employ torture, a policy that makes it more likely that our soldiers and citizens will not have to suffer torture.

The world has a much higher regard for the United States now that we have a president that has respect for the rest of the world.

China is now willing to cooperate on sanctions against Iran, something the previous administration could never have achieved.

Obama has just negotiated the largest nuclear reductions in decades, a move that adds to our security both physically and fiscally.

Forty seven world leaders have just convened at the request of president Obama for the express purpose of securing loose nuclear materials, a commitment the Bush administration could never have secured from so many and a initiative that makes the whole world more secure.

Rhetoric is just rhetoric, facts are facts and the facts are that those who have been spouting the meme that president Barack Obama has made this nation less safe have something other than our safety on their agenda.

Consider your charade officially rained on.

Frankly, we DO give a damn!

debate, government, Hypocrisy, Obama, Politics, Truth, War 3 Responses »

Apr 072010

The Republican Governor of VA Robert F. McDonnell has declared the month of April to be Confederate History Month as though that history could possibly be worthy of commemoration.

I in no way want to suggest that the Civil War and its history should not be remembered and studied, but the concept that month should be proclaimed to the history of the “Confederacy” glorifies a movement that should be remembered for the shame its very existence should evoke.

The Confederacy would never have existed but for the desire of the Southern States to continue the practice of slavery which everyone acknowledges was a heinous, reprehensible violation of human rights. The stains of slavery for the first century of our history should be remembered for the injustice in humility and shame, never pride or bluster.

If you want to honor the people who fought and died in the Confederacy, so be it, but do not for one solitary moment honor the cause for which they fought or died. The problem is to celebrate the Confederacy you must acknowledge that the only reason there was a Confederacy was a deadly attempt to fracture the country and preserve the practice of slavery. At no other time in our history has the very existence of the nation ever, truly been in question.

The greatest threat to this nation in its relatively brief history was not Khrushchev’s Soviet Union, it was not Hitler’s Germany, it was not HiroHito’s Japan it was, in fact, Robert E. Lee’s version of America.

World War II total military deaths – 416,800

The Civil War total military deaths – 620,000

If you want to remember the past, look to it with truth and honesty… The Confederacy existed to preserve a practice that our nation remembers with shame, honor the people who died, not the cause, the flag or the movement that ground them up in a desperate attempt to prolong the stain that enslavement of human beings in this country represented.

Conventional wisdom

healthcare reform, Hillary Clinton, media, Obama, Politics 3 Responses »

Apr 052010

I keep hearing about how conventional wisdom tells us that the Democrats are going to lose a bucket of seats in the mid terms.

I understand the historical precedent, I understand the seeming enthusiasm gap, I understand the conventional wisdom of the arguments in support of the meme… but I don’t buy it.

Conventional wisdom dictated that Fred Thompson would be force in the 2008 Republican primary.

Conventional wisdom dictated that Hillary Clinton would win the Democratic nomination.

Conventional wisdom dictated that Sarah Palin would be brilliant on the TV machine.

Conventional wisdom dictated that an African American would not become president of the United States less than fifty years after the passage of the civil rights bill.

Conventional wisdom dictated that health care reform would fail under this president just like it failed under other presidents for the last seven decades.

Conventional wisdom has had quite the run of completely wrong recently and though it may not be conventional I’m thinking my thinking has quite a bit more wisdom in it than the conventional variety.

Middle of the road

media, Obama, Politics, Truth Comments Off

Mar 312010

The President has proven to be centrist, a fact that irritates the left and drives the right completely mad. The GOP in general and McCain/Palin in particular ran against this guy as if he was a radical liberal, somewhere just to the left of Karl Marx, their problem is that he’s not, not now, not then, never was. As the rhetoric built the GOP became invested in proving Barack Obama dangerously left of their own position, and as has remained strictly centrist they were forced to veer ever rightward to convey the appearance of vast ideological divide.

Lindsey Graham made a point of saying twice “people thought they elected a centrist president and found him governing from the left ditch”, it’s a cute line but clearly not factual if one were to look at actual positions and actual legislation. To hear the GOP tell it mainstream attitudes are the screaming idiots with a gun strapped to their side and a misspelled sign in their clenched white fist.

President Barack Obama is a centrist. The left is irritated at him for not being more progressive but he never was. The right is irritated at him for not being more progressive as well, everything that they have been recorded saying about him for the last two years is proving wrong and it leaves them very little opportunity to crawl away from the edge of the cliff.

It’s about reality, if you insist on seeing the President as something he is not it is likely to piss you off. The fact is that the media and politics are right of center and far right of the country, the president is a centrist, deny it at risk of your credibility and sense of balance.

D/ANGER

astroturfing, Birther, Glenn Beck, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, Obama, Politics, Teaparty, the media, Torture, Truth Comments Off

Mar 302010

The teaparty movement is supposed to be taken as a serious phenomenon because their anger is genuine, but what is genuine about their anger if it isn’t based in fact?

I hear news report after news report about the populist anger of this movement, frequently the reporters will even bother to ask the participants why they are upset and the reporter gravely nods while they regurgitate some crap they heard Glenn Beck spew in one of his deluded rants about fascism or Marxism or socialism or communism acting like the words actually were interchangeable. The real insult is that after interviewing the protesters for their views, the media doesn’t even bother to weigh in on the veracity of their statements. What the hell? Is everyone supposed to go to factcheck.org to check it out on their own?

I am angry.

I am angry at the media.

I am angry that teabaggers get press and I get to rant alone with facts.

I am angry that a farce like Sarah Palin can still claim credulity and air time from the press after demonstrably false claims over and over again.

I am angry that the media is more interested in scoring the political game than informing the public.

But mostly I am angry that the lack of exposure by the media to the absolute vacuum of truth coming out of the teaparty movement has encouraged the entire Republican Party to swing into nonsense land where they see voter enthusiasm and virtually no fear of reprisal.

The danger of course is that to play in nonsense land you first must cede reality to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill Kristol, Michelle Malkin and Sarah Palin. In nonsense land things that Americans should be proud of and those which should be shamed are flipped around in a twisted nationalism of symbols over substance.

Pulling yourself up by your boot straps is laudable to these people but educating yourself is not? Being strong is an asset but being smart is elitist? Wielding a gun is a right but legislating as a democratically elected majority is tyranny? Torturing prisoners is not only necessary, but it preserves our freedom even though the United States was instrumental in crafting the international prohibitions on the use of torture? Using the filibuster at a rate that has never been seen in the history of the country is their patriotic duty but spending a painful year to pass legislation that was promised in the campaigns they won is somehow the legislative equivalent of rape?

At what point does fact and truth have any bearing at all in the process? Is the game of politics more important than the policies with which we as a nation govern ourselves?

Sarah Palin wants to browbeat the media for reporting on very real threats to law makers, threats from people who are angry, people who are angry about things that frequently aren’t even true? Let me be clear Sarah, if you have to explain that “taking up arms” doesn’t mean literally “taking up arms” but rather going to vote, then how much more could YOUR message be misunderstood by angry people?

Rush, Beck and Palin are like the idiots in Southern California with matches when the Santa Ana winds blow, fascinated with starting something up, completely enamored with their power to incite and with absolutely no responsibility to the heartbreak and devastation that might erupt from their callous handling of fire. If the media is going to give these idiots matches to play with the least they could do is correct the more incendiary statements so that the American people don’t get burned.

“When anger rises, think of the consequences” – Confucius

No you can’t

debate, government, healthcare reform, Hope, Obama, Politics, Truth Comments Off

Mar 252010

It’s not like everyone hasn’t already seen this…

I just want to have easy access so I can watch it frequently (it’s really that good).

11 Answers…

astroturfing, debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, Obama, Politics, town halls, Truth 1 Response »

Mar 112010

There has been a list of questions bandied about on Twitter today asking for “Thoughtful Obamacare supporters” to answer 11 questions. Starting the conversation with the “thoughtful” challenge while insisting on the “Obamacare” handle is a little petty, but what the hell, you asked, I’m answering.

What does it say that the American polity has consistently rejected a wholesale government takeover of health care for 100 years? What did it say that the country rejected the abolition of slavery for a hundred years?

What does it say that it took one hundred years to secure the abolition of slavery? Are you trying to suggest that a just cause is negated by the time it takes to overcome?

What does it say that public opinion has been consistently against the Democrats’ health care takeover since July 2009? It says that the description “government takeover” is frightening, what public opinion has been against is your demonization of reform. Of course “takeover” is NOT the reality of the legislation, if it were, we would be talking about single payer and you would have some VERY happy progressives.

What does it say that Democrats are having this much difficulty enacting their health care legislation despite unified Democratic rule? Despite large supermajorities in both chambers of Congress, including a once-filibuster-proof Senate majority (see more below)? Despite an opportunistic change in Massachusetts law that provided that crucial 60th vote at a crucial moment? Despite a popular and charismatic president? This battle has been going on, as you pointed out in the first question for a very long time, if it were easy, it would have been done already. Are you claiming that only things that are easy are worth doing?

What does it say that 38 House Democrats voted against the president’s health plan? It says exactly what every legislative vote says… that someone has a tough election, that someone doesn’t agree with the language, that someone can’t stand the bill. Just like every other bill that has ever been in Congress, to suggest that it “means” something specific and unified is disingenuous at best.

What does it say that Massachusetts voters elected, to fill the term of Ted Kennedy, a Republican who ran against the health care legislation that Kennedy helped to shape? Mostly it says that more people voted for Scott Brown than Martha Coakley. Since many of those who voted for Scott Brown claimed they were dissatisfied with the Democratic choice because the Dems were not supporting a strong public option in the health care bill would indicate that what you want it to mean doesn’t really fit.

What does it say that the only thing bipartisan about that legislation is the opposition to it? It says that no Republicans voted for a bill that is pretty much what they claimed they wanted the last time health care reform was defeated in 1993… Move the goal post much?

What does it say that 39 senators voted to declare that legislation’s centerpiece unconstitutional? It says that there are three branches of government and the legislative is not who you consult to determine constitutionality, that would be the judicial.

What does it say that health care researchers — a fairly left-wing lot — think the Senate bill is unconstitutional? See the last question… Seriously.

What does it say that the demands of pro-life and pro-choice House Democrats, each of which hold enough votes to determine the fate of this legislation, are irreconcilable? It says that abortion is a very contentious issue, pretty much why Republicans have been using it as a wedge issue since the passage of Roe V Wade.

What does it say that House Democrats are actually contemplating a legislative strategy that would deem the Senate bill to have passed the House — without the House ever actually voting on it? What does it say that you ask questions that are not based in fact for the purpose of eliciting a predictable response? YOU asked for thoughtful, you might have tried harder with the questions.

Given that ours is a system of government where ambition is made to counteract ambition, what does it mean that the only way to pass this legislation is for the House to trust that the Senate will keep the House’s interests at heart? What does it say about your questions that the interests of the American people are at best a distant second to the politics of the situation? What does it say that the Republicans have done nothing to solve the health care crisis since they scuttled health care reform seventeen years ago? What does it say that Republicans insists they “want” health care reform and yet rarely add anything, including honest effort at debate to the process? What does it say?

What does it say that public opinion has been consistently against the Democrats’ health care takeover since July 2009? It says that the description “government takeover” is frightening, that of course is NOT the reality of the legislation, if it were, we would be talking about single payer and you would have some VERY happy progressives.

What does it say that 38 House Democrats voted against the president’s health plan? It says exactly what every legislative vote says… that someone has a tough election, that someone doesn’t agree with the language, that someone can’t stand the bill. Just like every other bill that has ever been in Congress, to suggest that it “means” something specific and unified is disingenuous at best.

What does it say that Massachusetts voters elected, to fill the term of Ted Kennedy, a Republican who ran against the health care legislation that Kennedy helped to shape? Mostly it says that more people voted for Scott Brown than Martha Coakley. Since many of those who voted for Scott Brown claimed they were dissatisfied with the Democratic choice because the Dems were not supporting a strong public option in the health care bill would indicate that what you want it to mean doesn’t really fit.

What does it say that the only thing bipartisan about that legislation is the opposition to it? It says that no Republicans voted for a bill that is pretty much what they claimed they wanted the last time health care reform was defeated in 1993… Move the goal post much?

What does it say that 39 senators voted to declare that legislation’s centerpiece unconstitutional? It says that there are three branches of government and the legislative is not who you consult to determine constitutionality, that would be the legislative.

What does it say that health care researchers — a fairly left-wing lot — think the Senate bill is unconstitutional? See the last question… Seriously.

What does it say that the demands of pro-life and pro-choice House Democrats, each of which hold enough votes to determine the fate of this legislation, are irreconcilable? It says that abortion is a very contentious issue, pretty much why Republicans have been using it as a wedge issue since the passage of Roe V Wade.

What does it say that House Democrats are actually contemplating a legislative strategy that would deem the Senate bill to have passed the House — without the House ever actually voting on it? What does it say that you ask questions that are not based in fact for the purpose of eliciting a predictable response? YOU asked for thoughtful, you might have tried harder with the questions.

If fate hands you a lemming…

astroturfing, Birther, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Obama, Politics, Torture, town halls, Truth Comments Off

Mar 102010

Though the long term arc of politics of the United States has trended to the progressive, short term politics is cyclical. The pendulum started to swing back to the Democrats shortly after Bush won the 2004 election (yes the avoidance of the term re-election is deliberate). The high mark for the swing of the pendulum was of course the election of the county’s first African American President. The financial crisis, the extreme partisan battle for health care reform and extreme anger and worry with the state of the economy conspired to start the pendulum back toward the right. Populist anger manifest in the astroturf tea party movement set the tone for the meme to gain traction in the media. The long August of angry town halls got the pendulum swinging harder, there was no reason to believe that the trend would not continue. The voices got louder, the charges more vitriolic and increasingly hyperbolic. Then something interesting happened, they went too far.

Maybe it was the defense of torture.

Maybe it was the histrionics of Glenn Beck.

Maybe it was the race baiting of Rush Limbaugh.

Maybe it was the public disagreements of John McCain, with himself.

Maybe it was Orrin Hatch’s demonstrably false statements about processes in the senate.

Maybe it was Liz Cheney going full McCarthy with her jack booted “Keep America Safe” crowd trying to play guilt by association with the DOJ.

Maybe it was all of it…

But the tide has turned, the Democrats are coming back. As evidenced in the latest Gallup numbers the Democrats hold a slight advantage in 2010 election preferences, and this is still while the messy healthcare debate rages. What happens to the right when health care passes? What happens to the right as the economy improves? What happens to the right as the debate moves forward on financial reform and the GOP once again end up defending those that abuse the system on the backs of taxpayers? The right has blown their comeback peaking between election cycles and now they run the very real risk of exacerbating their minority status into what could be a progressive nirvana.

By remaining reasonable, many would say to a fault, Obama has managed to push the right into positions that a year ago they would have considered unfathomable. And each time they stir up controversy with hyperbole whether it is health care, stimulus, race or diplomacy … Obama continues to speak to the American people, the pendulum swings back and the GOP is left looking like a bunch of petulant children. Each time the right escalates the crazy Obama comes back with the same reasonable, measured, discourse. With simple language and methodical logic he ties them up in their obstructionism and intellectual dishonesty with mind numbing grace and fairness that drives the left crazy and the right completely mad.

If Obama keeps on being so fair, so reasonable with such deference to the minority party they might just jump completely off a political cliff, like lemmings into the sea.

I don’t know if this is just the way it is shaking out or if President Obama is a pure political genius. If the Republicans continue to press themselves closer to that cliff we could be witnessing the beginning of the most aggressive move towards progressive politics in the history of the nation.

Think about it, the republicans are parroting talking points that are becoming less and less reasonable while Obama remains maddeningly consistent. We may be witnessing the suicide of a political party who cannot under any circumstances bear to see the President accomplish anything. Each cycle makes them look smaller and less capable while Obama grows in stature and appears more pragmatic.

Six weeks ago right after the Massachusetts Senate race it looked like health care was a heavy lift. It looked like the Democrats were facing a very tough election cycle in which control of the senate was at risk and not just the margin of majority. It looked like a desperate ineffectual dysfunctional party, not so much anymore.

The future is much less certain now for the Republicans, if they keep reaching further to the right in an idiotic attempt to placate FreedomWorks and their ilk the damage of the 2010 elections could be devastating. The tide is shifting, I think the Republicans are starting to feel it. Will they be able to change course in time to salvage credible minority status?

I don’t think so, and you can quote me.

Sowing fear

Birther, debate, Faith, Glenn Beck, government, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Obama, Politics, Religion, Torture, Truth Comments Off

Mar 062010

Voice a theory like FEMA is building re-education camps, a seed is planted.

Theorize the Census is a plot to leverage political advantage, a seed is planted.

Reinforce the notion that end of life discussions are “death panels”, a seed is planted.

Perpetuate the assertion that the President of the United States is a foreign agent, a seed is planted.

Call for the investigation of public officials with “anti-American” views, a seed is planted.

Suggest lawyers who represent terrorists in our adversarial system of justice, sympathize with the views of their clients, a seed is planted.

Claim that the government, our government elected by the people, wish to enslave those people, a seed is planted.

Publicly declare that our elected President is trying to “destroy the country” a seed is planted.

This is commonplace rhetoric coming from the right for the last year and a half. It is so common that frequently it is not even called out, and even when it is, rarely do those who spout it pay any price, not politically, not socially, not financially. The result of course is people who crash their planes into buildings and shoot people without provocation.

I had a conversation recently with someone that was adamantly insisting that John Patrick Bedell “belonged” to the left because he was a registered democrat… So?

Political affiliation means nothing. People who pull out a gun and start shooting are not well. People who fly their planes into IRS offices are not well. People who send bombs and anthrax through the mail are not well. Being Democrat or Republican is not the problem nor is it a symptom.

The question is how are the parties comporting themselves in the public arena? How do we speak to our countrymen in the struggle for political sway? We all recognize that there are people who are not well, if we recognize the crazy is out there why in the hell should we be alright with politicians, commentators and entertainers speaking to their fears for the sake of politics? Feeding paranoia and driving wedges of hate between the peoples of this nation, estranging people from each other and their government.

Rhetoric that speaks to fear and paranoia for political advantage is reckless. Those that engage in such practices are culpable in the atrocities that they encourage. Freedom of speech protects the communication but doesn’t excuse the speaker from wielding that freedom responsibly.

You reap what you sow… Planting fear, nurturing hatred and growing paranoia may win you elections, but the crop you harvest is pure poison.

If my words don’t persuade, try these…

“for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

“As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”

A few notes about the health care summit

debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, Obama, Politics, Truth Comments Off

Feb 252010

* There were no death panels, that was a distraction meant to kill reform and distort the process (also no apologies for the death panels or other distractions).

* The GOP feels that their strongest argument is the fact that the Senate bill polls poorly even though they are largely responsible for the misperceptions that exist about the Senate bill (see the last note about “death panels”).

* The GOP cites how poorly the Senate bill polls while completely ignoring the fact that the “public option” is wildly popular in polls, are they advocating the public option?

* The bill is not unconstitutional and saying it doesn’t make it so

* The bill is not a government takeover of healthcare and saying it doesn’t make it so.

* The GOP seems to acknowledge the size of the problem and yet only offer miniscule solutions, or none at all.

* Blaming those that are sick on eating badly is just fucking stupid and mean.

* Saying that stripped down catastrophic plans are going to be good enough to save lives medically and financially is so intellectually dishonest it boggles the mind.

* Agreeing to the principle and refusing to deal with it in your proposals exposes your true stance, those that have, have. Those that do not have won’t at least not anytime soon but maybe we can make it better for those who have… anyone for a tax cut?

Serious problems require serious solutions from serious people, if the GOP is not up to the task perhaps they should step aside for people who will.

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Rain on your charade.

Frankly, we DO give a damn!

Conventional wisdom

Middle of the road

D/ANGER

No you can’t

11 Answers…

If fate hands you a lemming…

Sowing fear

A few notes about the health care summit

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