How any respect or trust left I had for this White House was destroyed in one day

[AllentownJake]

That day was yesterday. I've been a rather vocal critic of the Obama White House since around June when I got back from and OFA meeting and their lobbying plan resembled something a grade school class would come up to get an extra Pizza day in the school lunch. I was critical, but I thought they were misguided sometimes foolish but never really did I think they were doing things on purpose.

The President decided it was necessary to attack the man, that more than any of his advisers, was responsible for the congressional majority and network he used to bring him to the White House. Howard Dean's 50 state strategy built things. Barack Obama was just the man who took advantage of it. So when I hear them calling him irrational and irrelevant, that is an open invitation to start a party civil war. I was a fan of Mr. Dean when Barack Obama was still in the State Senate. They'd rather take on the democratic wing of the democratic party than the blue dogs and party traitors. Say what you want about me, and my loyalty or Howard Dean's I nor him don't endorse GOP candidates at their meetings.

The second thing, more shows the disingenuous nature of this White House. You have to watch what they say not what they do. On Sunday the President did an interview where he used some strong language on the banking industry. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Citigroup received tax breaks to fund their TARP repayment. Essentially Treasury gave them the money to repay a loan to Treasury so that their executives could pay bonuses. You want to be a shill for banking, fine. Just don't ever ask me for anything besides my vote because you may be the lesser of two evils. You aren't on my side, you just are less ridiculous than the people who might replace you. You aren't the best the nation has to offer, and if a primary occurs, someone else will probably get my support.

Oh and you can tell this bill is great for the insurance companies, because the media now has started shilling for it.

[sendero]

1. The reason...

.. I went so quickly from hopefulness to cynicism about health care "reform" was observing the financial bailout machinations.

The taxpayers are paying the entire cost of this fiasco and the bankers are still paying themselves multi-million dollar bonuses.

The Obama administration is every bit as corporate controlled as the Bush administration. So, I hold it in about the same esteem.

[AllentownJake]

4. You'd think that when you have a once in a 70 year financial crisis

You'd try to fix that first, that would require him to confront his sponsors.

[JVS]

38. You'd think that when capitalist institutions are on the ropes they'd have less ability to demand...

concessions.

[AllentownJake]

39. Well to be fair

FDR beat the shit out of them from a wheel chair and survived a coup attempt, but Obama is the bravest man ever to occupy the oval office.

[amborin]

69. plenty of advance warning on Obama, such as Exelon & drinking water:

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4457365>

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4382933>

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin>

[Jim Sagle]

72. Channeling Lawrence Harvey?

“Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever met in my life.”

[rhett o rick]

114. Explain how Pres Obama is brave? He wont prosecute the bush war criminals.

He wont hold the banks accountable for their gambling debts. He wont tell the war hawks that wars are killing millions and killing our economy. He wont repeal the Patriot Act. Wont stop the illegal spying on citizens. He wont even undo DADT. How exactly is he showing bravery.

[Wabbajack_]

121. Coup

You talking about this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

[Contrary1]

98. You'd think that they would actually represent the people who worked to put them into office...

at the very least.

[Zhade]

101. They are.

What, you think that was us?

[Contrary1]

117. You sort of have a point, We are the ones who worked...they just dropped $$$.

Money trumps most everything, it seems. Color me disgusted.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

123. We are all going through the stages of grief...

But slowly I'm feeling a resolve I've never quite felt before. Obama on the national stage will not be well served by the political
skill that served him so effectively in Illinois and Chicago. It was intended for him to win but the cracks are showing and he has
now burned his bridge back to his base. Even Bush knew better than to screw the folks that got him elected.

Yep, the beautiful wife, sweet kids, pretty words, big smile with the perfect white teeth will only serve him for so long. He's an empty
suit. There will never be a candidate that will mean to me what Obama did. We deserved the president to be the man we thought he was,
but we will NEVER be so easily fooled again. All those little voices in the back of my head suggesting he didn't REALLY have the experience,
or the record he should were ignored and that was my failing. After eight years of Bush/Cheney we were all vulnerable and looking
for a miracle. We will be wiser in the future.

[truedelphi]

128. And at least many in the RW actually believe what they say

Obama looks embarrassed and haunted by the swill his puppet handlers ask him to parrot.

Obama knows we deserve better than that - but he wants his position more than he wants to be a statesman.

[Sherman A1]

2. K&R

[madrchsod]

3. the country was thrown under the bus....

and it did`t take very long for him to do it.

[AllentownJake]

8. Well if it is for the greater good of Barack Obama

anything goes under the bus.

[AndyA]

5. There is such a thing as lying by omission.

That Citigroup deal was a major clusterfuck of the American people.

$20 billion in TARP funds loaned.

$38 billion in tax breaks

$18 billion profit to Citigroup for borrowing from taxpayers

What RESPONSIBLE person would say this was a good deal? Of course, this isn't being widely discussed because it makes no sense at all unless you see it for what it is: a scam. And while Citigroup is getting these great tax breaks, are they passing along any cost savings to their customers?

Anyone want to comment on their experience with Citigroup? Interest rates and fees been going up?

Greed is rampant in Washington. The big corporations own our government, and that includes bought and paid for Obama. So much for change.

[AllentownJake]

6. I'm sure when things are investigated

Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Goldman, and the rest all got a similar deal.

The profits were tax evasion, authorized by Barack Obama.

[Vinca]

7. I can't remember when I've been so disappointed in someone.

On election night I sobbed when the win was called for Obama. I bought "hope and change" hook, line and sinker. Guess I was a sucker.

[dgibby]

26. I did the same thing.

Couldn't stop crying. For me, it signaled the end of the "long national nightmare" that was Bush/Cheney. I was so happy for the country, so optimistic that things could and would get better.

I found myself getting quite upset with one particular friend, a liberal's liberal. She kept making negative remarks, warning me that my faith was misplaced,etc. I wasn't ready to hear it, so we had some very heated discussions.

Her objection to him was that she felt he was a bigger threat than Bush because he was so intelligent and likable, and classy, and that people wanted him to succeed, so were more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She just kept saying, look at his advisors, look at where he started out in politics, look at where he taught (U.of Chicago),look at what he's doing, not what he's saying.

Sadly, I have concluded that my friend was right, and it breaks my heart. I'm crying again, but for very different reasons.

[Zhade]

103. She WAS right. And that sucks.

I -- ME! -- had hope after he was elected.

I know better now. I will never support another liar.

[bobbolink]

112. I hope you have shared this post with your friend,

I,too, have doubted him all along. Saw through it.

I, too, have suffered the slings and arrows.

I know that I would welcome acknowledgement from those who have spoken so harshly to me.

[truedelphi]

129. Hey I just might know that friend of yours.

Or at least someone very much like her.

[Raine]

67. Me too

I can't believe how my absolute euphoria has turned to disgust, I would never had thought I could end up feeling so betrayed. :-(

edit: spelling

[dflprincess]

90. You're not a sucker

you were taken in by a very eloquent con. Don't kick yourself for wanting to believe in someone - we all want that. The sad thing is, the best candidate doesn't necessarily make the best president (or senator or rep).

I'm old and cynical and been active in the party too long to have bought in to the "hope and change" - I wanted to but just couldn't and I hoped I would be proved wrong. I cried on election night. When Obama was declared the winner and it sunk in that Bush would be gone - it was like a physical weight had been lifted. I didn't expect miracles from Obama or even a Congress with huge majorities but not even in my most cynical moments did I think we'd get sold out like this.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

124. I'm starting to wonder

if someone hasn't got some photos or something on him. He really seemed to have it together before he got into the White House. He sure fooled a lot of people.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Too Far, Too Deep...

I'm seeing a White House that got a bit smug in their popularity and position and now they're paying for it. This administration came to power with a lot of promises to fulfill and totally misjudged the process and their ability to affect it. Call it "rookie mistakes" or just plain over confidence, President Obama has fallen into the "you don't know what we know mode"...or that anyone who is critical of where they stand, then you get the official version of "you just don't get it".

In some cases this is valid as we aren't proxy to the negotiations that are going on or understand all the complexities or specifics, but that excuse only works for a short time. The healthcare fiasco is a classic example as the process became more important than principals...it was getting a bill passed just for the sake of getting it done. This attitude has boxed President Obama now in not only supporting a bad bill but also throwing those who dare to speak out about it under the bus.

They've got too much skin in the game...if they withdraw the bill or it fails to pass the Senate, then the corporate media will surely paint him as a lame duck and we're already hearing that as an excuse. If it means pissing off the liberals and progressives, so be it...where they gonna go? Again...assumptions that are alienating many from this administration and the party in general.

I'm torn at the present time...as I don't like what's happened in the Senate, but I know the game well to well and there won't be any reconciliation...what we're seeing in the Senate will pretty much be the final bill. In the past I had said wait and see...that time is past...we're too far, too deep. There truly are some elements that could be very beneficial and I see ammending a bad bill far easier than trying to start all over again...but this debate has gotten to the core of many people's principals...including mine...to a point very well described by Keith Olbermann last night...between compromising and being compromised.

Cheers...

[AllentownJake]

17. A bad bill will turn people off of government intervention for a generation

Just as the Great Depression turned a generation off of banking de-regulation.

It will take long till after I'm in the grave if they pass something awful for it to be fixed by a progressive perspective than it will be amended, because we won't be the ones in power, to amend it.

[KharmaTrain]

22. I'm Seeing A Different Picture...

...and it's not a pretty one. This fiasco has energized people...in opposition. The rushpublicans were already there joined by the Paulbots and teabaggers that got a lot of teevee time and have had an effect in giving hacks like Lieberman the "justification" to be a hypocrite and carry on his petty games at the detriment of millions who want true insurance reform. This administration has been on the defensive ever since and done a piss pour job in saying where they stand and thus allowing the Conservadems to see more advantage in taking the lobbyist cash than to support any real reform. As time's gone by, the bigger this hole has become, the more its energized opponents.

The Depression led to major banking regulation, but it took over 3 years of suffering and failures to get to that point. By bailing out the banks, this administration helped prevent a lot of the suffering on the "front end" by keeping the economy solvent, but it reduced the urgency for overall reform...and if the healthcare bill goes down, forget about any meaningful banking reform...the status quo will get solidified.

It's sad to see younger people get turned off on government and politics...this is what hurt the Democrats in the 80s and 90s and just like many of my generation appear to have regrets for ignoring the perils of Raygun and booosh, those who get disenchanted with the system now are in for a long life of disapointments...thus the need to use this opportunity to start re-energizing the netroots and getting more, not less engaged.

[AllentownJake]

23. I'm energized to send this guy packing in a primary in 2012

and take the democratic party back.

[KharmaTrain]

28. Not Gonna Happen...

I don't see it as taking the party back...we never had it in the first place. I see upcoming elections as ways to advance Progressive candidates and ideals and thus change the party. We have made progress...I see folks like Al Franken and Sherrod Brown in the Senate and Alan Greyson and Anthony Weiner as new faces and a possible future for the party...the job now is to find more of them and get them elected.

We're too far out from 2012 to have any idea of how this fiasco will affect any primary challenge. Remember, this is a country with the attention span of a flea, Many were ready to hang Clinton out to dry in '96 after "Hillarycare" collapsed in '94...but it didn't happen. I don't see anyone who could be a serious challenger to this President and when it comes down to brass tacks, the choice between this President and anyone the rushpublicans put up (from bad to worse) will put a lot of pressure on anyone who dares to challenge an incumbent.

The job is to bring change from within...elect 10 or 20 more Progressives to Congress and 2 or 3 to the Senate...the change has to come from the bottom up...as the head of the fish, no matter whose in charge, is rotten.

Cheers...

[bvar22]

50. If we had open and fair local Primary elections....

..I would agree with you.
But we don't.
That door to Progressive Grassroots Reform was closed by the DLC in the 90's.
The DCCC and DSCC (the enforcement arms of the DLC) use "Centrist" money to crush any real Progressive Primary threats.

If you Work for a Living, NEVER donate to the DCCC or the DSCC.
They WILL use your money against you.

[Blue_In_AK]

54. You are so right, Bvar22

Witness progressive Diane Benson in Alaska, who the DCCC wouldn't give a penny to in 2006. She could have beaten Don Young that year, I am sure, if she had had just a little financial support. Even so she got 40% of the vote against Young, while spending 8% of the amount of money he did.

Then in 2008 the DCCC ran Rahm's candidate against her in the primary, gave him lots of financial support, and he still lost by about the same margin.

The DCCC is useless.

[bvar22]

58. I witnessed this up close and personal in Minnesota.

We had a grass roots Anti-WAR Progressive candidate up and running, getting good numbers and good local financial backing for a House seat.
Rahm, then head of the DCCC, came to town with Millions in "Party" money and basically steamrolled our candidate and inserted their own Corporate Friendly ringer into the local Primary race.

Those who were financing our local candidate were paid a "visit" by Rahm's henchmen and were told to stop giving money, or else.

The DCCC, DSCC, and National Democratic Party have NO BUSINESS interfering in local Primary elections.

Shortly after this, we moved to The Woods and planted a BIG garden.
The writing was on the wall as far as I was concerned.

The "Centrists/DLC" in power in the Democratic Party will NEVER allow the Progressive wing of the Party to grow.
They WILL kill it in the crib (local Primary elections).



The DLC New Team
Republican Lite ONLY.
Working Class Democrats Need NOT Apply

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)

[katkat]

137. bvar22 - think of this as guerilla warfare

We can fix that part, if we are organized enough. I re-signed up at DemocracyForAmerica and will point my donations at candidates they endorse and ones I identify as liberals/progressives regardless of where they are in the country. We can write letters to the editor (most really small town papers will print anything) and volunteer to get these good candidates elected.

We lost a big big battle. Now it's into the trees to continue fighting.

[bertman]

106. "I don't see it as taking the party back...we never had it in the first place." I agree.

But, based on what I have seen over the 40 years of actively observing the political scene from afar (not in D.C.), ONLY A VERY FEW true progressives survive and resist the Beltway conversion to standard operating procedure corporate puppet.

We can elect as many progressives as our money will allow, but they will be swallowed whole into the gaping maw of Washington politics.

Sorry to be so cynical, KharmaTrain, but show me how I'm wrong and I'll reconsider.

[OneGrassRoot]

31. Well said. Thank you. :) n/t

[Zhade]

104. These aren't mistakes. These are lies and broken promises.

Don't let him off the hook. HE LIED TO YOUR FACE.

[truedelphi]

131. If it passes, it will definitely be this bill without any further additions.

There have only been three very strong remarks made by Obama about HCR.

Remark One) It has to be deficit neutral

Two) It has to be done, and it has to be done now (This has been in place since mid July or maybe Mid August

Three) I intend to be the last President to have to deal with Health Care!

If this bill is voted in, for the good and the glory of the Big Medical Interests, believe me, it will not be altered significantly.

Why would it? The bill will enable them to charge us even more money - 30 million new customers !

So the Big Medical Interests will have even more dough to buy more lobbyists!

[crikkett]

10. Do you realize that you sound like you're ramping up for a football game

Or a pro wrestling match?

[AllentownJake]

12. 2012 nt.

[Selatius]

11. There is a grim Bill Hicks joke years back on why nobody rocks the boat.

Whenever a new president is sworn into office, he has his first meeting in the conference room. He reports there, and in this room are the several industrialist and financial scumfucks who got him into office in the first place. The door closes, and one of them presses a button to flip off the lights and lower a screen from the ceiling.

A projector starts playing images onto the screen: It's footage of the JFK assassination...only it's from an angle you've never seen before. They pause the video and replay the part where JFK's head explodes and loop it several times to drive the image into the new president's head, figuratively.

Then, the projector turns off, the screen raises, and the lights come back on. On of them leans in to the president and says,

"Any questions?"

[AllentownJake]

20. Something tells me

That they didn't even play the projector for this guy, or his team.

[Kansas Wyatt]

41. He KNEW the threat!

"Any questions?"

That was his opportunity to crawl up THEIR asses with a microscope and put an END to all their madness, destruction, corruption, and theft.

But hey, I don't cower to threats... I just raise the stakes.

[chimpymustgo]

13. They lie in every way imaginable - by omission, by comission, overtly and covertly.

I don't want to hear another speech or interview. He SAYS what we want to hear. He DOES the bidding of his corporate masters - the health INSURANCE industry, the banksters, the military industrial complex.

K&R.

[AllentownJake]

16. The Bankruptcy threat yesterday was rich

Like I wasn't paying attention with the Citigroup deal, the war funding, and every other obnoxious thing they've spent money this year.

[chimpymustgo]

27. It was the jump the shark moment. Obama's been on this trajectory a long time. "Fat cats" was

penultimate moment. The bankruptcy ooga booga was the height of the flight. I posted in another thread that perhaps we are seeing an important shift here: Obama used to make pretty speeches, then turn on his heel and do the opposite. Now, he's just shoveling bullshit at us as well. Sign of desperation...disdain...both?

[AllentownJake]

30. The head of a non-profit I volunteer with

said she never saw him so arrogant as she saw him in that 60 minutes interview. Arrogance pure an unadulterated arrogance is all she saw.

[chimpymustgo]

35. "Unadulterated arrogance." Obama has always flirted with the line between supreme confidence and

it's nasty cousin, arrogance. I think many of us are noticing the step over the line. He is truly playing us for complete fools. He feels he can say absolutely anything to us, serve us any kind of shit sandwich, and we will just eat it up.

[dgibby]

33. Fear, fear, fear.

It's the new national motto.

[MissDeeds]

83. I hate to say it

But that was the former national motto too.

[FiveGoodMen]

59. "I don't want to hear another speech or interview" -- Everyone should take that advice

In ALL elections.

Always, always, always judge people by their actions.

Not their promises.

Not their excuses.

Not their poetry.

Their actions.

READ what they've done.

READ what they have to say.

Don't get hypnotized.

"Oh, that was such an inspiring speech. I'm so excited..."

Fuck that.

Their actions.

[tblue]

14. When Dean says kill it, they go ballistic. When HolyJoe says kill it....not so much.

Obama has Lieberman's back. Tells Rahm to tell Reid to give Joe what he wants. That's some change alright. It's indefensible.

[warrior1]

15. I felt a disappointment

the day I found out he was having Rick Warren speak. I torn off my bumper sticker. It's been a slow slid downward ever since.

I could make a list...

I'm going to find out by calling them where I send my obama t-shirt back, I don't want them anymore.

[AllentownJake]

18. Rick Warren was a sign of things to come

His attempts to reach out to people who hate him, at the expense of people who like him, has been his downfall since the day after his victory in November 08. A year later, the people that hated him, still hate him, and the people who liked him, don't like him or like him less than they used to.

[unapatriciated]

75. That was the day my bumper sticker was removed.

when he bailed out the banks I closed my barrack account and blocked the white house e-mails asking for $.
I left the door ajar for hope until yesterday.
Now it is closed shut and locked.
let me know where to send my t-shirt and post card thanking me for my support.

[Bluebear]

144. Donnie McClurkin was just the opening act for me.

[Rockholm]

147. Add Rick Warren to the mix and you have the second act.

Wonder what happens at intermission?

[jennyjuniper]

19. You said it for me.

I have now given up on Obama. Yesterday was the last straw. Obama has given Dean zero thanks for the fifty state strategy, the internet community and the party Dean built that got Obama elected. Now the White House has attacked him. Obama would rather appease Lieberman and and the blue dogs and give even bigger profits to the insurance companies. If there is not an apology to Dean, and if Obama signs this bill as it is he can count me and thousands of others who worked to get him elected OUT! He has lost us and will lose in 2012. I thought at least he was smart. Does he think the conservadems and independents are the ones who will knock on doors and make phone calls for him? Guess he's just as stupid as most of the rest of them.

[AllentownJake]

21. Welcome to DU

Goldman Sachs is canvassing in 2012.

[varelse]

24. To be fair, people like Nate Silver and Paul Krugman still support the Senate bill too

20 Questions, 20 Responses

Granted, Nate still believes a public option can be added back in through the magic of "reconcilation" or something like that...

[AllentownJake]

25. Yes and when Paul Krugman disagrees with them on something else

They attack him harder than they would Dick Cheney.

[MercutioATC]

34. To characterize Krugman's comments as "support" is a bit innacurate.

Krugman doesn't like the bill, he just doesn't think the Dems have what it takes to pass anything more substantive.

That's a far cry from "support".

[varelse]

51. Good point

I'm hopeless as a devil's advocate.

[Odin2005]

29. Obama lost me with the attack on Dean.

I tried to stay optimistic, I really did. I can't anymore.

[dgibby]

32. Speaking of OFA,

I got an E mail from them yesterday, asking me to call my senators to support Health Care Reform bill (part of their million phone call push). It was signed by someone named Mitch.

Here's my reply:

I'm a retired RN. As such, I know a DOA(dead on arrival) when I see one, and this has DNR written all over it.

There is no way I would ever support this miserable excuse for health care reform. It's not health, it's not care, and it's not reform. It's a nothing more than a give away to the health insurance/big pharma corporations.

Get back to me when you either drop the mandate and annual cap loophole, or add a public option. Better yet, let's just kill it and get medicare for everyone.

Oh, I almost forgot. I do not believe in war, so I don't want my taxes going to fund our current debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm sure you'll be as accommodating to my wishes as you are to the Pro Lifers re: abortion funding.

By the way, you do know you're losing your base, right? Consider this: the NBC/WSJ poll shows the Tea Party movement has a better favorability rating that either the Democrats or Republicans. If this trend continues, you won't have a Democratic majority in Congress come 2010, but since you don't seem to be able to do anything with the one you have now, maybe it's just as well. It'll give you cover for why you can't get anything done.

In closing, the pronoun "you" is directed at the Obama administration, not you personally.

Also, from now on, my donations will only go to progressive candidates, be they Democrats or 3rd party.

[AllentownJake]

36. It's a bunch of college kids taking orders from Rahm

Not exactly the hope anyone had for the continuation of the campaign.

[JVS]

40. Obama keeps facebooking similar stuff.

[Nordmadr]

37. For that $50 + billion folks got a 30 day foreclosure reprieve.

Hallelujah.

:sarcasm:

Nordmadr

[Starry Messenger]

42. My trust was destroyed a year ago today.

When the announcement came down about Rick Warren speaking at the Inauguration. I knew right then we were totally fucked. I could probably have eaten a lot of bullshit on a lot of things, but not that one.

[undeterred]

43. "You have to watch what they say not what they do"

I think you mean "You have to watch what they do not what they say."

[AllentownJake]

45. Oops

Well if you are looking for a lie, watch what they say :rofl:

[Vidar]

44. K&R.

[Overseas]

46. K&R. //nt

[Hissyspit]

47. Dylan Ratigan: "mandating everyone to buy into an unreformed, predatory monopoly"

"I also love it because you leave the insurance monopoly intact. I'd be one thing if you forced everyone to participate, which, there's a rational argument for a mandate because everybody ultimately will need healthcare, but mandating everyone to buy into an unreformed, predatory monopoly makes you really wonder what country you live in, Jane."

[tomm2thumbs]

57. heard that live - it was dead on and no one can dispute that fact

[dkf]

130. Another hero of mine. Dean / Ratigan 2012.

Sigh, just a pipe dream I'm afraid.

[truebrit71]

48. K&R x 100

I couldn't agree more about the WH attack on Howard Dean...talk about selective memory..

[AllentownJake]

49. It's Rahm crying still nt.

[democracy1st]

52. K & R

[EFerrari]

53. Yes. That and sending Hillary to tank Copenhagen

while people are still being disappeared and killed in Honduras.

A trifecta.

[Richardo]

55. ..

:nopity:

[tomm2thumbs]

56. they truly picked the wrong person to be mad at - but his truth hurts their little game

the game they have been playing behind the scenes with the Insurance and Pharma industries to make sure that they play nice-nice... even if it means short-changing the American people who OWN this country and who's benefit they are hired to support.

[Mithreal]

60. KnR, OFA has become a farce

[freddie mertz]

61. They lost me forever yesterday. Things may patch up but they will never...

..Be the same.

Never.

I doubt will ever lift a finger to help this administration again.

Sorry that is how it is tonight.

[mike_c]

62. a most excellent rant....

Rec'd!

[Prism]

63. The administration is losing control

Yesterday, when Obama trotted out national bankruptcy, I saw something in him I've never seen before.

Acute, panicked, flailing desperation.

It was almost beneath his dignity. I pitied him. The "cool" veneer was torn off, and there was the venal, grasping, desperate, do-anything-for-power politician as blunt and ugly as any we've ever seen.

It was quite something to witness.

[AllentownJake]

65. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7258146

[Generator]

64. Well if Dean turns up as mistress number 16

you will know the fix is really in.

[TheKentuckian]

66. Mine took a mighty hit when Biden was trotted out this morning

to now after the game has been rigged to death that any opposition going forward "will not have a friend in the lord".

How are you going to send out the enforcers and bear your teeth but only now when the conservatives took control and big insurance put on the finishing touches does he start the tough guy routine.

[dflprincess]

93. Interesting how Obama could send the enforcers out now

but earlier in the process when they might have pushed for meaningful reform, there was no word from the WH and the cheerleaders were telling us he has no power to make Congress do anything.

[bajamary]

68. The Vichy (corporate) Democrats

This Progressive Democrat from Chicago has been saying for awhile that Obama, Emmanuel, Axelrod et all are corporate machine politicians.

Obama, Geithner, Summers, Rubin are doing the business of business not of We The People.

It makes me deeply sad and angry that the man I worked months and months to elect was in fact a Vichy Democrat dressed ever so beautifully in "Change We Can Believe" in clothing.

I, for one, won't get fooled again.

And I am deeply grateful that Ed Schultz and Wendell Potter and Howard Dean and many others are telling these Corporate Vichy Democrats that we will not support this health bill without a robust public option.

[timeforpeace]

70. K&R.

[NJmaverick]

71. So your anti-Obama stance became a totally anti-Obama stance

what a shocking development.

[AllentownJake]

73. Care to respond to the actual things I said

Or does swallowing the red pill on what is going on too hard for you.

[NJmaverick]

149. I did, but I will be more direct. You are cliaiming you lost your last support for Obama

when in FACT you have never been supportive of Obama and have worked tirelessly against him. So I consider the headline of your OP to be deceptive.

[freddie mertz]

146. Can't you at least try to step out of the bubble for five seconds?

You seem to have the smart to be able to understand wht is going on here.

Call it the "revolt of the liberals" or whatever you want to call it.

It's not just happening here, it is a genuine phenomenon.

If you really want to help this president, you should at least TRY to understand the forces that are at work here.

Trivializing and denial will will not help this heal.

[NJmaverick]

148. I think Chirs Matthews had the best description of yuur so called

"revolt of liberals"

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/17/matthews-giggling/

[freddie mertz]

150. Actually, he did not.

You seem to be dwelling in a negativism so deep and so hostile that is impossible to reach you.

[iceman66]

74. It was necessary for Obama to attack Dean because

he has made a political calculation that it is better to pass a weakened bill than no bill at all, and Dean's outspokenness is threatening to muck that up.

I happen to think that Obama is trying very hard to make the best of a very bad situation. He counted on blanket opposition from the Republicans, but didn't expect to get stabbed in the back by members of his own party.

[kohodog]

77. He needs to take charge

Bush pushed his agenda on us and got it through, but he had the backing of the moneyed class. It will take a fighter to pass any real progressive agenda through. Will he grow into that? I have my doubts. Until we get campaign contributions away from the banks and corporations no true change can happen.

[iceman66]

81. Hopefully, he will learn his lesson from this whole health care debacle,

and soon enough to prevent the mid-terms from being a total disaster.

[AllentownJake]

78. How is that working out for him

Dean is now invited guest on every TV program.

[iceman66]

82. Not very well I'm afraid.

The way things look now, the bill may not even pass the Senate.

If that happens, you can count on a non-stop gloat fest from the Repugs and the corporate media for the next several months.

[AllentownJake]

84. He opened up a civil war by doing that

Not very wise politically, and I'm sure it was fucking Rahm's idiotic advice.

[madfloridian]

80. Have you read GDP lately?

Trash Dean central.

Recommended this because I find it intolerable what happened yesterday and still is going on.

[AllentownJake]

89. It will be for a while

You know anything that represents a threat to the myth of the 4 dimensional chess master super hero.

[madfloridian]

92. Lordy I was stunned to read there today.

The attacks on Dean are vicious.

[dflprincess]

95. All the pep squad has left is to attack Dean

If they didn't have that to do that they might have to face facts.

[AllentownJake]

97. All I know whoever had the idea at the White House to pick a fight with Dean

really needs to be fired.

They pretty much opened up a civil war in the party for a few days by pulling that bullshit. What do they think Howard Dean was doing the past 4 years. He was the face and voice of the party longer than they were.

Fucking idiots.

[freddie mertz]

151. They have nothing. Only ad hominem attacks.

They know nothing and care not a whit about what the policy is or who gets hurst.

Just line up like the unquestioning minions they are and hurl feces in the direction of any remotely critical noise.

I ALMOST feel sorry for them, as their little fantasy world is falling down all around them.

ALMOST, but NOT.

[pundaint]

115. Obama was not stabbed in the back.

Dean has been the most upfront and transparent voice on the healthcare issue.

We've been stabbed in the back by Obama

[jeff47]

118. "but didn't expect to get stabbed in the back by members of his own party."

So....before this started he didn't bother to review what happened in 1993? Ya know, when a president was stabbed in the back by members of his own party while trying to bring about heathcare reform.

[Jackpine Radical]

120. Bullshit. I'm sorry, but bullshit.

This is the endgame he wanted. Feingold was exactly right in calling him on it.

[bkozumplik]

135. Obama is trying very hard?

He STARTED this process by meeting lots and lots with pharma, to get their list of demands.
Denying he was doing it, then putting the fix in, then denying the fix was in.

It does sound like hard work, when ou total it all up, yeah.

[David Zephyr]

76. Your Number 115 Rec, AllentownJake!

I was a fool.

Not any more.

He's a liar.

[Nikki Stone1]

79. Jake, as always, you rock!

:)

[AllentownJake]

88. How you doing?

Interesting times. I hate being fucking right.

[Nikki Stone1]

100. I hear ya

I was hoping we were all wrong about this. :(

At the moment, I'm not feeling good; winter cold & upper respiratory thing. I blame Joe Lieberman. :)

You?

[AllentownJake]

102. I blame Barack

There were a lot of long term problems in the country in 1933. He didn't start of his first year in office which was during a banking crisis by picking something else to deal with.

[Nikki Stone1]

116. Roosevelt? You're right.

When did he propose Social Security?

[Techn0Girl]

85. My Concern is....

1. Dean raves against current administration abuses

2. Dean goes up against Obama in the '12 primaries claiming to be for the common people and little guy

3. Dean and he Democrats win another election

4. Dean then gives billions away to Bankers and Special interests - forgets about us

5. Rinse...repeat.

No disrespect to Senator Dean but enough is enough. The above scenerio is good for any Democratic candidate in my mind at this point. if Obama does not turn around I will not have any trust in any Democratic candidate again.

I'd rather vote third party again even if the Rethugs won again than go through this charade again.

[AllentownJake]

87. Can't see Dean's motivation

He could be a very wealthy man right now, by becoming a lobbyist.

Here's the deal, if things go that route, trust someone like Feingold or Dean who have a long record of progressive activism over a new kid.

[change_notfinetuning]

99. Exactly. When do we stop running up to kick the football? Too many of them

have pulled the ball away to be able to trust anyone, even if the next one seems like, and is, the real thing.

Are we no smarter than Charlie Brown? If this isn't a catalyst for a third party, I don't know what is.

[katkat]

140. Techn0Girl

Dean has a long record of being a good guy. That's the difference. As deceived as I have been by Obama, I would work my butt off for Dean again in a New York minute.

If we let them taint even the Good Guys, they have won forever.

[MissDeeds]

86. K&R

Great post. Thanks.

[valerief]

91. Americans are down the rat hole and our govt is pouring poison on us. nt

[Swamp Rat]

94. k&r

[flvegan]

96. Starting to get crowded under this bus.

[Forkboy]

105. It's a wonder the wheels even touch the ground still.

[JVS]

113. They don't anymore. Things are now bogged down.

[girl_interrupted]

107. K&R

[bertman]

108. For me it's been a gradual but steadily escalating process culminating in Robert Gibbs'

statement yesterday. That was it for me.

From now forward, there will be no slack cut, no excuses accepted, no contributions, no rah rah, no support EXCEPT when I honestly feel that I am being fully represented by the President's actions. And I am not very hopeful about having a lot of those "EXCEPT" moments.

This happening on the heels of the Afghanistan decision has been a devastating blow.

Thanks for putting it into perspective, Jake.

[bridgit]

109. Yeah, you're right: Fuck Barack Obama, maybe people should have asked...

What *he* wanted people to scribble on his mother fucking blank sheet of mother fucking paper - could'ah been a way to go but it's way too fucking late now oh well

[scentopine]

110. When Rahm Emanuel said fuck you to 50 states, he lost me

I knew it was a worse case scenario just a couple of months after the election and the usual Wall Street fuckers were running the show.

It's been down hill ever since. There should be serious negative consequences for the way they are behaving.

I way work harder live more modestly and have far less than my parents. My children are working harder than me and will have far less than me.

Straight-As 12 hour work days. Advanced degrees, professional achievements - we are all tired of getting fucked over. There is no one who represents us in Texas, nor Washington. Not one fucking soul.

There is an education crisis in America. We are too stupid to know that we should march on Washington and shut the place down until they flush the wall street fuckers out of government.

[truedelphi]

133. Great post, scentopine. n/t

[Jefferson23]

111. Makes me crazy how they attack Dean. n/t K&R

[DeSwiss]

119. Yes.

Word.

K&R

[eleny]

122. thank you, jake

k&r

[SandWalker1984]

125. The DLC cancer has spread deep within the Dem Party -- how about creating a new party?

.............Progressive Party, anyone?................


Anyone else have a good name for a new political party for all of us that are fed up and tired of corporatists running and ruining the Democratic Party?

[truedelphi]

132. The "In Solidarity" Party

We need to learn to stand for each other.

[Bette Noir]

126. +500

[cilla4progress]

127. I still can't believe it.

Having read his life story, his years after Harvard law working as a $13K / year community organizer... I think that man is still inside him. What I think happened is clearly is being way too "handled." On top of that, I think he is afraid of his own inexperience, and I'm sure Rahm and others keep reminding him of it, use it as a way to keep him their "be-otch." I hope he wakes up from this, and I think he will. But boy when he does, he is going to be embarrassed and ashamed. I hope it's sooner rather than later.

[Senator]

134. K&+R

[katkat]

136. Salon: How Obama lied from Day One and before

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2009/12/16/white_house/index.html

We're all under the bus.

AllentownJake, why even give Obama your vote? Throw both parties under the bus and vote for a third party. That's what my far left friends have been telling me for decades. Finally they're right.

[democrank]

138. I`m very disappointed.

It started for me as soon as President Obama began making appointments. I was honestly stunned over Gates.

The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party can do better than this.

[katkat]

139. I;m beginning to think I owe Joe Wilson an apology n/t

[pjt7]

141. I know this is a long article but any Obama

is for the people fans, still left waving the pom-pom's.

Needs to read this & understand how Obama sold America out.

I know it was already posted, but Please pass it on to group-emails.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/31234647/obamas_big_sellout/print

[WVRICK13]

142. A Politician is A Politician

nothing more, nothing less. The thing that blows my mind is that we are witnessing the death of America as we know it, or thought we knew it. When it is impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys we are totally screwed.

[BigBearJohn]

143. An tombstoned member "Magsdem" warned many about him. No one listened.

[mdmc]

145. --

[bvar22]

152. Did Obama LIE? ...Watch this campaign Video, and YOU tell ME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZG8Zq8V54k