Fight, damnit, just fight

[MadHound]

I've never asked for a pony from a president, or any other politician for that matter. I don't expect miracles and realize that politics is about compromise. At most, what I expect from Democrats are two things. One, that once in awhile the left gets dropped a crumb. Two, that the Democrats will fight for what is the completely obvious, overwhelmingly moral and correct thing to do.

Though I've disagreed with many Democratic politicians over the years on policy, I've supported the Democratic party because they, at least at one time, fought. Politicians from Jerry Litton to LBJ, Jerry Brown to Clinton, they've fought the hard fight, the good fight, the victorious fight when push came to shove and it was the right thing to do.

What happened today was a complete repudiation of both of my core expectations I have grown to expect from a Democratic politician. Obama failed to give the left even a crumb (and once more breaking a major campaign promise), but worse, much, much worse in this case, Obama has failed to fight. I really don't know what other adjectives or even expletives to add to those three words, other than to repeat, President Obama failed to fight.

It was obvious to me from the stimulus bill that Obama has never been in a real fight, political or otherwise, in his life. That's well and good, but politics, especially in this country, is all about fighting, and then compromising from those fights. In politics there are those times when you have to play chicken, and make the other guy blink, that's how deals have been done. You certainly don't give in before the game has really started.

If Obama isn't willing to fight for what is the completely obvious, overwhelmingly moral and correct thing to do, I see no reason to fight for him, now or later. However there are seventeen days left before Christmas, and many Congress folks are willing to go the distance on this one. If our president isn't going to fight, then we have to. Write your Democratic representatives, write any or all Democratic representatives, write Peter Welch, write the progressive caucuses, give them the popular support they need in order to continue this fight. Show the President what can be accomplished if you just fight.

[Rex]

1. His daily handlers should be embaressed to show their faces in public.

Moderates my ass.

[MadHound]

2. Frankly, at this point, Obama should be embarassed to show his face in public

My God, can I play poker with this man? He is the ultimate sucker at the table, has a tell as big as a mile and is willing to part with all his money so he can be part of the cool crowd.

[MadHound]

3. kick n/t

[MadHound]

4. kick for the morning