Transparency and openness, finally: The GOP & Obama Q&A show
It’s our own version of Britain’s Prime Minister’s questions and it’s been happening for nearly an hour live.
Hurry and tune in now on C-SPAN online if you aren’t near a TV.
Yes, Obama has shown some of his finger-wagging tendencies, ignored GOP Rep. Tom Price’s question, complained that health care critics likened Demcare to a “bolshevik” plan, and complained when some questioners went long (chutzpah).
But the session has been most compelling — the most transparency and openness we’ve seen since the start of his term.
Good on the House Republicans for throwing the doors open.
And, yes, I’m going to compliment the president: Good on him for taking part.
Yet another dividend of the Massachusetts Miracle.
Forget the staged dog-and-pony campaign rallies and stacked town halls.
Do this every week.
***
In response to readers: Yes, we got to see how thin-skinned and peevish he is in a sustained engagement/non-engagement with Republicans.
That’s a good thing, isn’t it?
Best takeaway, lecture-y line from Obama: “We’ve got to be careful about what we say about each other.”
Says the man whose operatives have smeared conservatives and Tea Party activists as racists, terrorists, and Neanderthals non-stop over the last year…
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Here is the narrative we are already losing.
Here is the key graph:
Republicans also claimed victory:
Obama scored his victory in real time in front of cameras when he was in complete control of everything. Republican “victory” is being claimed off-camera, after the event, with a spin message that only claimed that having Obama admit he actually read one of their proposals is itself a victory. Pretty lame.
Is the problem not glaring enough? Now let’s see how Newt does tonight.
Yup, ya got that right, Phil. It turned out to be nothing more than Obama continuing his SOTU lecture/berating of Republicans on his own terms. The Republicans got sandbagged by Obama on this.
We have CongressCritters proposing this–what is it with the beltway?
Pasadena Phil, you are on fire this week with briliance. Obama knows he can’t assail the conservative grass roots directly, but he does know he can go after the so-called leaders of the ‘stupid party’. This is why it is even more critical this coming year that our resources be placed behind new conservative leadership rather than merely focus on replacing democrats, and to NOT-I repeat, NOT -fall back into the mold of voting for ‘lesser of two evils’. At this point we reeally don’t have ‘generals’ but ‘opportunists’ in the mold of Benedict Arnold. (Keep in mind Benedict Arnold was, of course, a traitor, but also a brilliant tactician for the Continental Army with a huge ego and libido).
What we now call RINOs are really ‘Chief Opportunists’.
As Pasadena Phil has already intimated, the Dems have the better generals who firmly believe in their cause, we are stuck thus far with opportunists of varying degree, the latest of which is Sarah Palin.
Love2rumba: thanks, I needed that. I guess I wasn’t making myself clear earlier and got attacked.
Confession? What confession? Just stating the facts. Is there vitriol here, or not? Do people ask questions, and offer comments and opinions?
Do you ever address them?
My post #32 had more than the one and half paragraphs you cut and pasted. You are always welcome to comment and address it all. Tell me where you agree, or disagree, just don’t take pot shots. Engaging and discussing is far more superior.
Thunderbirds are go!
No problem. Keep it up.
Pasadena Phil
I agree with purplepeep and loves
2rumba – your responses have been dead on and much appreciated.
I cannot believe the Repubs fell for it, much less fell in line like the good children they are. Until regular Repubs feel the hard pinch on their behinds they’ll just keep going along with the program. We need new leadership at the RNC that is committed and out for blood. I had such hopes for Michael Steele but he seems to just want to get along with the bad guys. The staffers that are entrenched need to go and many at the state level as well.
Oh ziggy, I was just playing with you. Where you mentioned how long some of the questions were and complained that this also happens on this blog, and then proceded to bloviate for multiple paragraphs. My little dig went right over your head. I’ll aim lower next time.
it’s all a “put-on”…it’s all for show…O is an ideologue and will not change…he’s taking one step backward to take two steps forward….he’s lulling Repubs into thinking that he’ll make a deal…NO WAY!!! He hasn’t changed his stripes. he’s just changed his tactics…beware the Trojan Horse
Meeting with Republicans…my a$$!
“Remember, I won!”
*Where is the needed GOP conservative leadership to counter P-BO the progressive?; They are wasting precious time; A prime example is Rep. Eric Cantor backing tax credits for small business hiring; This is an old progressive ploy from the Carter years; No good will come from it or siding with the Dems on this issue; The GOP needs to champion the Fair Tax asap and keep a proper momentum going.
Will be interesting when this goes before the Supreme Court. Do you think the framers of the constitution had playoffs in mind or Bowl games? Perhaps a constitutional ammendment will be needed.
I guess while they are worrying about stuff like this they are not spending our money. Knock yourselves out CongressCritters.
The “legality” of the BCS? Maybe college football is being taken too seriously?
Aim where ever you want. I will invariably take you literally. Unless of course you throw in an emoticon add ‘sarc/off’ or some such other device to give your posts added depth and meaning.
We were talking about questions, and then you address my ‘bloviations’. LOL. There is a difference between questions and ‘bloviations’.
Yep, charge me with parsing. There is a difference between statements and questions. Long statements are one thing and long questions are another.
Not addressing either and taking a tangent is . . . avoidance. I might be parsing but you are definitely practicing avoidance. You have yet to address fully the content of my post. Taking the messenger to task vice discussing the message does little to advance the discussion.
This is outside the realm of possibility. Football is life.
On January 29th, 2010 at 1:26 pm, ThackerAgency said:
Sarah Palin said the same thing…
Since when is Rogue’s sarcasm ever off? I’m sure most everyone that regularly participates in this blog knows that Rogues schtick is humor. I for one use sarcasm a lot and prefer to let those amongst us with humor to get it on their own rather than explain each joke. Sarc/off
O.K. Phil, I’ve seen the tape. You are correct, the image is good for BO.
Pence is the only one of the leadership with any leadership. Boehner and Cantor(my rep.) need to go.
Marsha Blackburn was good.
Yes, calgirl, and when this particular Trojan Horse (after a year of neglecting Republicans) says at the last minute, “hey, gang, I got an idea – let’s bring in the cameras!”, all sorts of red flags should have popped up given his record about cameras being only for self-promo and photo-ops.
I’m kinda surprised that our good hostess filed this under Obama showing good-faith “transparency”. Transparency would be getting something on the record about all the secret meetings by the congressional Democrats this past year. And/or info about the WH meetings with special interest groups. Michelle isn’t often wrong, but she called this one incorrectly.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant. But this wasn’t sunshine, it was just more shinola.
Alllllrrrrrightee then!
Just watched the video replay and one thing jumped out at me: no one had the nerve to ask Obama about his conspicuous refusal to discuss terrorism. Were the Republicans cowering in fear of being used as THE example for how confrontational Republicans are? This was compelling television but the more I see of it, and I saw the whole thing as it was happening, what was most remarkable about it was the timidity of the Republicans. It could have used follow up questions by successive Republicans to challenging Obama’s denials of prior questioners’ statements and forcing him to give honest answers. Instead, it’s every man for himself. You can bet there won’t be a second chance.
OTOH, Phil, all things considered, while it was incredibly dumb to have Obama at a Republican retreat, I don’t think it will do much to reverse his descent into Carter one-term irrelevance.
If the Republicans have future do-overs they had better set it up as a round table debate and be well-prepared to slamdunk Obama. Since the media isn’t doing their job asking the questions, the congressional Republicans should do it for them whenever they have the chance.
The image was good, the substance was shinola as purplepeep put it. Obama has no intention of slowing down on his plan to fundamentally transform our country, whether we like it or not. This was political theatre and the stupid party let him do the staging.
Good point, the Democrat machine, Alinsky handbook or whatever has done a great job of putting fear into the Repubs, reporters and darn near anyone when it comes to asking Obama hard questions or questioning his past responses. We are becoming what they want us to be, a nation of followers afraid to speak out to the Imperial Elitest led by The One.
They would have gotten a chance to call me names, cause I would have asked him which hospital in Hawaii he was born in, as unreasonable as that may seem…and a hard question. The guy is an imposter, a fake, everyone knows it and no one has the courage to confront him. They are implementing their plan, and although they may have a few setbacks, they are wining.
For the President, Just words? Or pivot to new direction?
No pivot? Just words.
We’ll see what their all made of.
Simple solution, don’t give the entire nation good reason(s) to believe ObamaCare is a Bolshevik plot, which it is.
The MSM reports that Obama schooled and scolded the Republicans, and the Republicans had no response. The Republicans were apparently in awe of the messiah. Somebody please step forward, where is the leadership?
As he said during his
SOTUState of Himself address about wanting to work with Republicans, this was nothing more than living up to that statement, but it will be back to business as usual from here on out. He didn’t like the recent criticism, and this was his solution. Only theater, nothing new.Repubs had to let him in but all that I see coming from this are campaign ads for Obama in 2012 showing how Obama lectured the GOP and STILL they didn’t cooperate in 2010, 11, 12. If he talked to me the way he did to them I would have thrown a rock at him. Divisive Obummer has to have enemies—just like Chavez, Castro etc. He doesn’t know he is president of all the people not just his friends
President Sock Puppet is not a President. He is the leader of a movement that wants to change the United States forever. His ideology is what drives him, not what is good for everyone in the United States, It is what he thinks is good for everyone.
Of all people, Susan Collins today asks Obama “Why stop interrogating terrorists?” Why didn’t anyone ask Obama that yesterday on camera?
The answer of course is because our current Attorney General is the former partner of the very law firm that specialized in defending terrorists.
While I don’t disagree with framing the event positive for Obama it could also be framed as giving him enough rope to hang himself. The Republicans offered, Obama slapped them in the face. It is quite clear now that even at a Republican even where Obama could have stepped towards real participation by the right, he slapped them and he did so all by himself.
At this point anyone who thinks the Republicans are the problem is simply not paying attention.
Not to mention that the Commander-In-Chief sympathizes with the jihad. Maybe not the violence, but certainly the struggle to take down the Imperialist Great Satan.
The problem with the Republicans is they are too timid to mount a robust opposition. Too few with guts to ask tough questions.
Why are you extending full Constitutional rights to unlawful combatants that they are not entitled to?
Since the revelations of Climategate have undermined the veracity of the evidence of global warming, why are you still referring to it as “overwhelming”?
Why are so many of your avisers admirers of totalitarian dictators like Mao, Chavez, Che, and Castro?
Ever notice when the Fearless Leader is questioned, how petulant he gets? Defensive? Near total Spoiled Brat affect?
Anyone who thinks that having the Republicans being led by the same gang that produced two catastrophic elections in 2006 and 2008 is not a problem is not paying attention. At a time when American voters are fleeing from Democrats, shouldn’t they be flocking to the GOP? They aren’t. GOP ranks keep shrinking. Why is that?
I’ll tell you why. Because no matter how hard we kick these guys, they won’t wake up. What does it take to fire the leadership? Maybe the party is dead and we need to find another avenue. What we are doing now without a party may be what we have to keep doing until these guys die out. It’s like waiting for the pope or king to die.
The only reason Republicans will gain seats this year is because they are the “other” party in an anti-incumbent election year. Then we’ll have another anti-incumbent year in 2012 and eventually find parity at 50-50 where it will be government by perpetual grassroots torture of our entrenched criminal class of elected weasels.
Pasadena Phil said:
Absolutely correct Phil — people are looking for reps the walk the talk -not spout what they think we want to hear, go to Washington and become part of the good ole boy network where they live in their own little bubble.
“GOP ranks keep shrinking.”
Could be. Who cares? What counts is who is getting elected. And the last time I checked “R’s” are winning elections.
Third party is a bad idea. I don’t understand the rush to bash the Republican party at every chance.
“The only reason”
I disagree with any framing of why conservatives and Republicans are winning as being a single reason.
Did I say 3rd party? Parse my logic. I am a Tea Party activist. The Tea Party, for what it is, is settling in as a permanent feature of national politics as the place for disenfranchised voters to bring their grievances to bear on BOTH wings of our one-party system. We are leaning very hard on the GOP leadership and have adopted an anti-encumbent strategy for lack of movement by the GOP. It is working and it is better than electing the insane alternative of holding our noses and voting for the “lesser of two evils”. We threaten to make voting against the incumbent a permanent feature of elections until one of these parties opens up to those of us who have to live our lives as Americans, not privileged “citizens of the world”.
By the way, there must be a legal basis for arguing that anyone who claims to be a “citizen of the world” is renouncing their American citizenship. We could impeach most of our government on that alone.
“in an anti-incumbent election year”
While there is certainly some who have an anti-incumbant group out there the post election “surveys” seem to be more about voting “FOR” someone rather than voting “AGAINST” someone. So Sen. Kyl from AZ shouldn’t be relected because he is an incumbant?
The “throw them all out” mindset while in play for a few, it is not the majority. The majority, again according to post election dissections, is that people are voting “FOR” conservative philisophy not “AGAINST” incumbants.
Something even Rush Limbaugh keeps pointing out.
So the idea that the electorate is pissed off and throwing the bums out, that is a false framing of the recent Republican wins.
“Parse my logic.”
Not too hard to parse yours or several folks on here and their logic. Dems suck. Republicans suck and maybe even more cause they aren’t suppose to suck. McCain REALLY sucks. We gotta go where no one sucks.
“We are leaning very hard on the GOP ”
“We threaten to make”
Oh really?
And the Tea Party’s growing arrogance will kill your precious movement faster the MSNBC can snap its liberal fingers.
I don’t give a rat’s behind about “We” and what you are up to.
I know why I vote and don’t need some folks who carry an air of conservative self righteousness braiding the rope by which we will hang the growing conservative mindset in this country.
Then you admit, you vote Republican no matter what. You don’t want to fight for anything. You should at least be willing to take this position argued by Richard Viguerie in his keynote speech before the Leadership Tea Party in Dallas yesterday. You can’t just keep making statements agreeing that we are right on issues but wrong criticizing Republicans. Unless, of course, you accept the status quo.
Not everyone outside of Pasadena vote for the guy with an ‘R’ after his name. There are a few incumbents with great conservative principles worth returning to DC. I caution anyone with a “toss them all out” message. No time for a do-over. Right time to move candidates forward and force the MSM to follow the story.
“you vote Republican no matter what.”
And that means what?
Yes, I prefer any mess Republicans can create WAY more then the messes Democrats make.
Or do you prefer Obama?
The Tea Party movement is becoming nothing more then the same type of group that the SEIU is.
“We got you into office. Now do it our way or else we’ll throw you out!”
But you are ok with that because its YOU and not THEM.
Really? Who watches MSNBC? When did they acquire to destroy (or create) anyone by snapping their fingers? Why don’t they snap their fingers and make their audience grow?
Are you a conservative or aren’t you?
Not sure what viewership has to do with my point.
You don’t think MSNBC would like to snap its fingers and have the Tea Party movement go away?
See, now I’m not a conservative?
You tea baggers really gotta work on this elitist purist mindset stuff.
As in suddenly Sara Palin is goofed cause she did some McCain stuff. What is she thinking that RINO sold out slut!
JSMiddleton: I don’t have a bone with you but I believe there is enough posted here for us to understand where you stand. The GOP is your security blanket. Anyone who challenges the GOP is crazy. No need to complicate things any further.
That Obama wants to get things done has never been in doubt for me. He wants socialized healthcare to get done. He wants a tax on carbon emissions to get done. He wants amnesty for illegals to get done. He wants the Bush taxcut roll-back to get done.
I want nothing to do with any of his solutions. The only time I will ever give him credit is if he wakes up someday soon, realizes that he is America’s worst nightmare, resigns as POTUS, and vows never to enter public “service” ever again.
Now we are “teabaggers”? Don’t stop now JS. Keep going.
Tea baggers is not correct? Seems to me that is from the founding of the Tea Party movement yes? There is a difference between the title and the disgusting verb form of the phrase there Phil.
“The GOP is your security blanket. Anyone who challenges the GOP is crazy.”
Sorry but you are wrong.
This wasn’t transparency – it was Obama building the framework for his own version of Clinton’s triangulation as governance!
When Obama and the Democrats apply transparency to actual legislation-/negotiation, then the GOP might be able to take their new-found mantra of “let’s be bipartisan” (since Scott Brown’s election anyway) half-way seriously.
Until that time, the GOP should stay the course of rejecting Obama and the Dems’ anti-capitalism policies and lax security measures in order to continue winning elections – it’s what the American people want.
What’s more, Obama’s triangulation will fail because he doesn’t have anyone on his team with the intelligence and political acumen to carry it off!
You missed my point and are just throwing rhetoric at me. I don’t want anything to do with Obama’s solutions either. But if the only way we can get what we want is to bludgeon Obama to deliver victory to us the way McCain always seems to deliver landmark liberal victories to the Dems, I’m all for it. If we need to engage with him, let’s do it but let’s do it on OUR terms.
I don’t care who gets the credit and couldn’t care less about Democrats or Republicans. I want to live in a certian kind of America and right now, American citizenship and sovereignty is being sold out by our entrenched criminal class of elected weasels that is nothing but a one-party government.
Keep going JS. Very interesting. I never would have guessed.
“You tea baggers”
See Phil, I put a space in there.
And still a lot of very friendly references from the movement to tea bags.
http://teabagparty.org/
Seems like if its something you folks don’t want used as an image you have some work to do internally.
Excellent point. Obama is trying to head off his own 1994 disaster by presenting his own pale version of the 1995 “Contract with America” Clinton. He will fail because he has no credibility with anyone anymore. He cannot control Pelosi and Reid and everyone is working at cross purposes. There are too many agendas competing while the global economy sinks into chaos. He is way over his head in on every front. What I fear most is that we are heading for world war. Everyone is hoarding oil and materiel and we are projecting weakness to the world. China and Russia are moving aggressively even in our own neighborhood and we do nothing. We are in deep trouble.
Many Republicans are part of the problem, jsm. From The Atlantic report on Obama’s spanking of the GOPers: “at the end, Republicans rushed up to him, pens and photo cameras in hands, wanting autographs and pictures.”
Embarrassing.
I’m going to be sick. It’s all just Kabuki Theater for the cameras.
*My perspective remains the same; The Democrats are the “Death to America” party, and the RINO’s that poulate the GOP have been, and continue to be, willing partners; Nothing coming from the GOP leads me to believe that will change anytime soon; So it is still left to the Tea Party movement to overhaul this government; Some thoughts:
**The movement should remain somewhat leaderless, but all the factions should consider uniting as a national coalition.
**They need to coalesce around a single website functioning as a clearinghouse to discuss ideas and direction, list all open offices and who to target for removal, and who to support with links to their websites; This helped Scott Brown; Think what it would do for J.D. Hayworth over John McCain; The Tea Party movement must do this, and not talking heads like Hannity who still has bumboyitis for Newt and MCain!
*See ya later; Gotta shovel some global warming here in Tennessee!
I thought The Atlantic might have exaggerated, but then I saw this “tweet” from Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, NC, 5th District:
“Pres gave us another lecture. Our guys asked great questions. Need independent fact checker for his comments. Got autograph”
Hope someone was there to help when she fainted after getting The One’s autograph.
Again, embarrassing.
heh!
This is our enemy list – not each other, not tea baggers, not the GOP as a whole (there is salvation available).
Same here in western Arkansas…making my way to the smoker, thru the snow, to tend to those succulent rib slabs!
We are still getting dumped on by white powdered dihydrogen monoxide, at least 6 inches and it’s still coming down.
The leading cause of the greenhouse effect is dihydrogen monoxide. Not carbon dioxide. (if you believe in greenhouse effect, I don’t)
Hughes over Kirk
Hayworth over McCain
Rubio over Crist
DeVore over both liberals (Campbell and Fiorina)
That’s just some of the Senate races to focus on. IL primary is THIS Tues.
There would be no need to not only not be critcal of the Republican party, but to even countenance the idea of a serious third party, if the GOP hadn’t dropped the ball. Period. If this had not happened it would be silly to debate what should we do with the Republican Party or to even leave it.
The GOP had that opportunity in 1994-2006. They overcame the Perotists of 1992, because they were able to convince enough of the public that since they had been out of power since the 1950s, that they should be given a chance.
The problem then as now is that there are way too many opportunists trying to either just ‘cash-in’ in the Republican Party (e.g. Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Fred Thompson and etc.) or augment their perceived little fiefdom (Bob Dole,John McCain and etc.).
They don’t have any cohesive, decisive, and pricipled leadership;they need all three attributes. I mean, there were some Republican leadership or their ancillaries asking for Obama’s autograph yesterday, and some would expect me to take them credibly as opposition to Obama???? Come on!
Nothing happens without precedent. If votes are going to GOP candidates, but party affiliation does not go up-the above reasons are what I think is most likely to be the cause.
The bottom line for 2010 is to be unwaveringly use the opportunity to select better candidates that will reflect decisive, cohesive, and principled conservative leadership. If they are not in existence in a race, them don’t vote R by default. This approach is the only way that we have a hope in h#$l to change the Repubs over time, and NOT end up -out of frustration- going third party.
This, to me, is an even more important focus than just anihilating Dems in upcoming elections…Your vote (I’m speaking generally here) has to also push the the kind of direction you want things to go.
If it is true you get what you pay for,and it is true for the most part, then the same can be said for what you vote for too.
I should have eliminated the “be” in line one of post #181. Ouch. I wrote too fast.
Obama went in there without notes, without a teleprompter and proved he knew more about the republican bills than the idiots who wrote them.
I’m not surprised you guys aren’t talking about the merits of Obama’s answers to the questions. The repubs got schooled yesterday. Fox cut away in an obvious attempt to soften the blows to their users, and Michelle Malkin seems fine to not give this exchange any kind of big presence on the front page.
This was a really embarrassing exchange for your party’s ideas and leaders.
Little noticed, Obama admits the bills include government intervention between doctors and patients.
http://wp.me/pLGBN-1U
Nor does he mention that the Stimulus Bill, already signed into law, does the same thing.
“The repubs got schooled yesterday.”
Huh? Rep. Ryan was about to hand Obama Obama’s behind regarding budget issues and OBAMA changed the subject.
“If they are not in existence in a race, them don’t vote R by default.”
Then be prepared for more leftist majorities.
The idea that IF someone isn’t conservative “enough” to vote for means I’ll let Obama and his buds stay in or keep power is absurd.
And over 170 Republicans – at their own conference/retreat – said nary a word about it, jsm. Obama spanked them and not only did they take it without question, but they lined up to ask him “Sir, may I have another?”. (In between begging for his autograph, of course)
The only question now is: “Have they learned anything from this embarrassing episode?”
And as history has indicated, these leftist majorities will just carry an ‘R’ label instead of ‘D’ label…
This is why getting involved in primary fights against against so-called RINOs is vital to prevent that, JS.
“Obama spanked them”
I agree the setup was pro-Obama. However there is a bit of giving him enough rope to hang himself in there. This is Obama’s idea of encouraging bi-partisianship? If anyone Republicans at that meeting think he is going to reach across the aisle they are nuts. So in that regard I’d say it was a good thing.
Impact from meetings like that are long term, not short term media sound bite long.
And now the precedence has been set. In 2012 the Republican President gets to go to the Democrat minority and spank them back!
“these leftist majorities will just carry an ‘R’”
So if JD Hayworth doesn’t win the primary and McCain does and I vote for McCain, McCain is a leftist?
JS, tell me what John McCain has done for you, and (what I know) you believe in.
More importantly, tell me how he won’t betray sometime in the future those points in which you agree with him on in the present day.
I don’t want McCain to do anything for me. Can’t answer your other question.
I know for certain he is not a leftist. RINO? Sure. Leftist? Not a chance.
Will I vote for McCain over letting a Democrat win? You bet!
All this purist talk needs to get a dose of reality. Not voting for a person has the impact of of voting for the opposition.
No way this country looks like it does now if McCain had won. Would McCain been like Romney? Of course not. But McCain would not gone near where Obama has gone.
Hopefully Hayworth wins. If he doesn’t voting for McCain with no problems.
Ok, JS, I have read your points and here is my response.
From what I’ve seen historically in this country, we will have one of two kinds of leftist majorities from time to time:
1. The Direct Type: virtually card-carrying, progressives like we have in the present.
2. The De-facto type : money and/or power-hungry aspirants or fiefdom-protecting politicians who will opportunistically side with leftists when it suits their purposes.
Both lead to the advancement of progrssivism.
Granted, we are both speculating on what might have been (since I too voted for McCain/Palin). However, what McCain and Romney were both pushing as healthcare reform had similarities to what Obama and the Democrats have been pushing for (apart from the single-Payer aspect); this similarity was caught by a Fox reporter recently (whose name escapes me). In short, it can be said that what McCain says he now opposes, he would have at least tried to institute as President with a compliant, almost ga-ga, Sarah Palin not raising much of a fuss…this is in addition to his hypocritical stance on Obamacare.
A critical, leftwing step towards single-payer would have been acomplished. Period….
The only question would have been how much slower or faster would the same goal have been accomplished by the Direct Type leftist majority we have now?. That’s an answer I don’t want to know about, thank you.
We definitely agree on that.
Imagine the respectful treatment George Bush would have received if he had taken a live open meeting with the Democrats.
Hah!
A bit OT, but I got this in my email:
Sounds like an invitation to “astroturfing” to me.
ECS
Obamabots unite!
Or building a comprehensive ‘hit list’.
JS, just one point regarding your conclusion about the similarities between union goons and Tea Party patriots being that:
“We got you into office. Now do it our way or else we’ll throw you out!”
But you are ok with that because its YOU and not THEM.”
Yes, because “our way” is to follow the Constitution when crafting legislation, which is always the way to go for the betterment of this country.
SEIU’s way…well, aside from nationalizing businesses, beating up those who oppose them and other numerous instances of intolerance, opening the borders with instant citizenship, the continuation of the enslavement of the lowerclass and minorities with welfare and race-based legislation, the destruction of capitalism, and the “globalization” of America, oh the list could go on and on…if we disregard all that then, yeah, I guess we’re just like SEIU after all. The horror, the horror…
“Yes, because “our way” is to follow the Constitution when crafting legislation, which is always the way to go for the betterment of this country.”
That’s fine and I certainly agree. But the issue goes further than that. It goes into how we got Democrat Lite for the Republican Party. It goes to how we have Colin Powell saying quite comfortably that people want bigger government AND still thinking he is a Republican.
As long as the government is spending money on things WE agree with, please take my taxes and spend the money. As long as the government is doing what I want, vs. what “they” want, please, grow and get bigger and more invasive and oppressive.
Democrat Lite with “conservative” looking values.
Smaller less costly less invasive governement is conservative. I don’t want politicians beholden to me and to do what I want in the government due to that obligation. I want them to do as little as they possibly need to do to be the government.
Having them do stuff and I’m okay with what they are going cause I agree with them is NOT okay. They need to stop doing stuff and do what and only what they are suppose to and need to be doing. Buying politicians is STILL buying politicians.
So then we are in complete agreement. If the candidate doesn’t follow true constitutional principles as promised we vote them out, which is the threat that you appeared to deride. I would suggest that after the second or third bum to get tossed to the curb, candidates will get the message. The trick is to keep that momentum going so that the next bum in line will believe that they’d better tow the line or they’ll get tossed.
Your final two paragraphs are a bit puzzling. Personally, I want the politicians beholden to me, because the other option, realistically, is the obverse of us beholden to them. Your point seems to be that you desire pols to do the right thing because it’s in their nature (or should be). I sympathize with that to a great degree, but as I said, realistically I’d have better chances of me covered in chum swimming in a tank with a shark and hoping that it will ignore it’s instincts and leave me alone.
The reality of politics is such that pols must be bought. Just buy the closest thing to the Jefferson model and not the Woodrow Wilson one and things will work out much better than if you picked one just because it had an R or D next to it’s name. That’s how we got into the mess you described in your first paragraph.