"I don't quit! "

[kentuck]

"I'm just getting started!"

President Obama to a crowd in New Orleans.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. "There are many, many countries we haven't yet invaded and occupied...

...many secrets that we're still in the process of burying, and lots more money to steal from individuals and hand to corporations!"

This one total catastrophe is just the beginning.

[emulatorloo]

2. Um, I don't think he said that. Check the transcript when it comes out n/t

[kentuck]

5. Were you even watching?

Yes, he said it.

[kentuck]

9. Sorry emulatorloo...

I thought you were responding to my post.

[Pirate Smile]

3. That is what you think President Obama would say or think?

[spanone]

4. so, why are you in these forums?

[Cha]

8. To drop

bile.

[kestrel91316]

6. Um, yeah. Tell me again how many countries Obama has invaded?

EPIC FAIL

[FiveGoodMen]

10. Your 'EPIC FAIL' won't save the lives of the troops that are not coming home

or the new ones going over there.

Glad to see that your loyalty to a man you don't know personally means more to you than the safety of America's protectors.

[gateley]

11. Serious question -- if you were President, what would you do?

What is it that you think he isn't doing that he should be?

The reason I ask is because in theory I probably agree with you, but pragmatically I'm not sure that anything is as easy as we would hope. Anyway, President FiveGoodMen, you're at the helm. What will you do?

[FiveGoodMen]

12. I would ignore -- if not fire assuming I could -- McChrystal

And get a plan going on day one to get the troops home.

Afghanistan can't be won. But we can lose as many troops there as we are willing to pay for.

[gateley]

16. Okay -- I'm totally with you on that.

In my head I'm hollering "just bring them all home NOW", but I've learned logistically that's not possible. But conceiving and beginning to implement a plan ASAP certainly IS possible.

I'm encouraged that he's not just doing what McChrystal (and others) are proposing. I'm relieved knowing that he will listen to other approaches and give it some serious thought before making a decision (although on this topic, I can't for the life of me think that anyone would see any benefit to staying there).

[Hansel]

20. Nor will your EPIC FAIL.

Bush created a f*cking mess that over half the country, while wetting their pants due to utterly childish irrational fear, cheered him on to do.

Both countries are in an extreme mess and just walking away from them and pretending that's going to save lives is naivety at it's best. Obama is already reducing troop levels in Iraq, but if he doesn't stabilize it, there will be plenty of brothers, fathers and cousins who will be more than happy to exact their revenge on the US for how we indiscriminately tortured and killed their children, siblings and friends without absolutely any justification, except "we fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here". Delightful. The idea that Obama is just going to book while cheerfully shouting "sorry about that, see ya later" with a friendly wave is truly naive.

In Afghanistan, Bush destabilized that country to such an extreme to create a serious potential for nuclear war. If Obama does not stabilize the region (with the help of NATO and the UN) and prevent any chance of Al Qaeda from strengthening enough to oust Pakistan's fragile leadership, you can be guaranteed that India will launch a nuclear warhead at Pakistan and that all hell will break loose. Afghanistan is not a great threat because Al Qaeda can use it to plan attacks on the US. They can do that anywhere. It is a huge threat because of its instability and its proximity to a weak nuclear armed Pakistan.

Maybe the time to start screaming would have been when Clinton and Gore were being totally diminished by the RW personal attack machine. Maybe that would have been the time to cut the hand wringing crap and get up in the face of the far right. Or maybe when the Supreme Court successfully captured control of the country for the neo-cons through a coup.

But right now, the time is to stop wringing your hands over someone who is clearly trying to fix this horrendous mess. Or you can help usher the Neo Cons or worse, the Tea Baggers, back into office by using incessant over-reactions to every attempt Obama makes to fix the messes Bush left us with.

[Cha]

7. Your insults are stupid and don't do

your cause(whatever that is) any good.

[plcdude]

13. I think you are

thinking of the previous pResident.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. Am I?

If you ignore the speeches and just look at the policy positions it's easy to get confused.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. Ahem...

[kentuck]

18. What the hell does this have to do with the topic??

You like big dicks??

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

21. What the hell did the post I was responding to have to do with the topic? n/t

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

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

[WeekendWarrior]

17. Yeah, it's such a shame he hasn't saved your world fast enough to suit you. nt

[FiveGoodMen]

19. Pulling in the WRONG DIRECTION has nothing to do with time.

[WeekendWarrior]

22. It's been ten months. That's WAY too early to be talking about what direction he's taking.

Get back to me in a couple of years, then maybe we'll have something to talk about.

[FiveGoodMen]

23. You think it's taking TIME to decide whether to investigate the Bush crimes?

To decide whether to continue with signing statements?

To decide whether the public should actually get health care?

No.

It takes time to do those things, but it doesn't take a good person time to decide what's right.

[WeekendWarrior]

24. I'm not that naive. I take the view that

...when you're the President of the United States, there are a NUMBER of factors that weigh into a decision, and it takes TIME to consider those factors and find a course of action that will, hopefully, best serve the nation and its people -- which is a pretty fucking diverse group.

I know you'd probably rather have a guy who just shoots off his mouth and decides things on a dime, but I rest easy knowing that some deliberate, careful thinking goes into each and every decision Obama makes.

As for the things you complain about specifically --

1. Prosecutors usually wait to decide to prosecute crimes for a time when a) they have actual, substantive, USABLE evidence that such a crime was committed; and/or b) when it's most politically advantageous for charges to be brought. If they try to go after Bush when they're trying to get major legislation passed, you can kiss that legislation goodbye. It's hard enough to pass it without a Bush prosecution in progress.

2. I highly doubt you'd have a problem with signing statements if Obama were to sign a statement that said there would be a robust public option,or single payer healthcare.

3. I think Obama is doing what he can to push for health care reform and a public option. If you think single payer will ever exist in this country, then you're more naive than I think you are.

[timeforpeace]

26. Take your time.