President Obama Rises to the Occasion

[babylonsister]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/06/25/president_obama_rises_to_the_occasion_106101.html

June 25, 2010
President Obama Rises to the Occasion
By Bob Shrum

snip//

This week in June has shown that Barack Obama is equal to making the hardest decisions. He better be—because this president is reliving, in real time and simultaneously, an array of historic challenges that tested some of his greatest predecessors from FDR to Reagan.

Two wars would be enough.

But Obama’s also facing the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression, compounded now by an ideologically driven policy of premature retrenchment in Europe that could catch on across the Atlantic, dooming the US either to a sluggish recovery or a renewal of recession. This weekend, at the G-20 summit in Canada, the president will negotiate with the architects of this new Hooverism; they’re not McChrystals he can dismiss, but Prime Ministers bent on their regressive course. Even to sustain stimulus in this country, Obama will have to deal with the conservative lemmings here—in Congress, in both parties—who are intent on following anti-deficit mythology off the economic cliff.

(The GOP would welcome the prospect of campaigning against Obama with unemployment at ten percent or more; as for the Blue Dog Democrats, their politics is as deficient as their economics.)

Add to this an unprecedented and still uncontained environmental disaster; an unresolved energy policy; Israel’s increasing isolation; and the Iranian and North Korean nuclear threats.

Sometimes, in the swirl of events, we forget that the president has already kept us out of depression, saved the auto industry, passed health care after a century of delay, overcome fierce lobbying and achieved the wholesale reform of college student loans, and will soon sign into law the most comprehensive financial reform since the New Deal. One passable speech does not unmake a presidency. And if anyone continues to harbor the cliché that Obama’s too professorial, too indecisive, they should try offering that opinion to Stanley McChrystal. Barack Obama just understands that decisiveness is not impulsiveness—and eloquence is not empty boasting. In that, he’s different from his predecessor, who got us into so much of this pervasive mess.

With his cool steadiness, his capacity for thought, his strength under pressure, Obama is uniquely a president for our time. After watching the week that was in June, there is new reason to believe that he will come through the storms and finish the job.

[Oceansaway]

1. K&R...n/t

[RBInMaine]

2. Fuckin-A right on!

[Phx_Dem]

3. Yes, it's sad that progressives seem to forgot all he's done. Or they

simply disregard it.

[bjobotts]

81. Nonsense. Theypressure him to do better.Supportive and critical

[bjobotts]

83. Imagine the horror of a McCain/Palin administration. Progressives point the way that works

[Grinchie]

110. Imagine the Horror of McCain/Palin and voting against it..

Only to find that the "Outsider" running on "Hope and Change" is a well marketed "Any Craps" bet by the DLC to win an Election at any cost, who then embraces the same Corporatocracy, Policies, and Media Manipulation as the previous administration.

I guess you guys were just fighting for someone with a (D) after their name. I was fighting for someone that would actually Change the course of America and steer it back on course with hard, difficult decisions, not promptly join the club of idiots who crafted this mess in the first place.

This whole "Democrats better stick together" propaganda from Shrum is Correct.. The trouble is that it is not possible anymore. The centrist portion of the Democratic party, which appear to be most of the Cheerleaders all teary eyed over this OP, have lost sight of the abuse they are receiving from this admin.

Whether you want to admit it or not, you have been thrown under the bus to fight for policies that hurt our freedoms and our country. I just can't understand how they can tolerate it.

The creepy Stepford Wife consistency in message makes it pretty clear that the message is being handed out from on high.

At this point, I think when all combined and tabulated, we have virtually elected McCain and Palin, and that is infuriating! Nothing but a strawman argument, but your strawman demonstrates how far Obama has fallen from the tree.

None of the propaganda is going to save him. He's a lame duck before the Mid-Term.

[Phx_Dem]

106. Now THAT is nonsense.

Incessant bitching about every single thing is not productive, it's just bitching. And it's devisive.

[treestar]

4. Yes, and it is not indecisive to get facts first

Chimpy was decisive; he just went on his "gut" which was not informed.

[Clio the Leo]

5. "Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes?..."

this is an old and well-known poem, but it always reminded me of the President....

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.



Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.



Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.




Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.



Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nWpwm6lhWUs/SQaz5_-7x9I/AAAAAAAAEag/GbsVP1KOc38/s400/Obama+Laugh.jpg


You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.



Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?



Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.







I rise
I rise
I rise.

[impik]

8. Oh. Wow. That brought me chills.

[a kennedy]

11. I am keeping this one baby..........

chills, it gave me chills... LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!! :applause: :applause: :applause:

[RoyGBiv]

14. +1

[jenmito]

16. Wow. That is SO fitting and beautiful. Thanks!

:hi:

[firedupdem]

17. Wow...

Wonderful post Clio....brought me to tears. Wow.

[FrenchieCat]

20. Now see, that's a post worthy of a front page!

That's Maya Angelou, I do believe! :)

[Clio the Leo]

21. crap, I forgot to list her as the author, I knew I was forgetting something..

... whoops ... but it's a fairly famous poem.

[Clio the Leo]

22. apologies to Maya Angelou for neglecting to name her as the author. nt

[SunsetDreams]

24. OMG this is so good Clio

PLEASE make this an OP...I love it!

[Clio the Leo]

27. yeah, this is a really good OP .... I'd rather leave it here and help ...

... :kick: it!

(but thank you)

[SunsetDreams]

33. You are very welcome Clio

I agree this OP is really good, I rec'd it.
I still think you should create a new OP with your post. Your post deserves that.

[azmouse]

25. Thank you... that is amazing.

[Clio the Leo]

28. I just noticed Teddy's face in this picture....

..... awwww.

[Hekate]

30. Goosebumps.

Thank you, Clio.

Hekate

[AtomicKitten]

41. Brava, Clio!

[dave29]

43. beautiful

.

[Number23]

44. You've got soul, Clio. Genuine soul

Thanks for that.

[raouldukelives]

47. I hope more people see this.

Beautiful.

[MindandSoul]

49. Thanks, a thousand times!

[Fire1]

51. Written by the great Maya Angelou. n/t

[tblue37]

60. In this picture he looks like Stan Laurel's much better looking brother.

[Tarheel_Dem]

62. You're amazing Clio. Thanks for sharing that with us. (nt)

[donheld]

65. Thank you Maya Angelou

[Shanti Mama]

67. I'm beyond words. Her's are so powerful.

Thank you for putting this together.

[mzmolly]

72. That's beautiful.

Thread worthy as well. :hi:

[lillypaddle]

101. Tears

Thank you so much for that!

[redqueen]

102. wish i could rec this, too

[impik]

6. A-FUCKING-MAN!

[Bitwit1234]

7. Instead of a second stimulus why doesn't he

start programs like FDR did. Why doesn't he put the federal government in charge of fixing infrastructure. He could start programs that have people working to find alternative energy sources etc. He could start programs to find new medicines etc. Instead of handing money over to states, set up those programs in the states.

If the republicans b**ch and moan about these government programs let em, they have absolutely no ideas to improve the economy, they don't want to. Why because they think by blocking everything and making people think it is the Democrats they will get back in power so they can rake in more money and give everything over to the big corporations.

They should also put a high tariff on any goods coming into this country from business that moved their production to other countries. Make it non-profitable for them and they will stop taking our jobs overseas. AND most of all stop giving them tax breaks.

[vaberella]

15. He needs to start those programs with the backing of Congress.

Congress won't even give people unemployment---do you see how easy it was for you to type what you did...it's going to be extremely hard to get it through congress because Congress has to OKAY this sort of program. And those programs cost money. He has many a Dem against him, Nelson of DE is the most common one and sometimes Lieberman, who join forces with Republicans. In that kind of political climate nothing is easy. And this needs to be respected and not forgotten. I see a lot of people who seem to think that Obama is willingly shirking on such great plans. The political environment is making it bloody difficult and when something costs money it's even harder to sell.

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. Geez Bitwit, sounds like you're advocating for a monarchy? How does "he" do all this..

unliaterally?

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. Thank you Bob Shrum. At least someone, in the media, isn't afraid to give credit...

where credit is due.

[Grinchie]

69. You mean Ex Political Hack who now works in Media?

This is Political Positioning 101, and you guys actually think this guy is able to get away with omitting the truly troubling aspects of this administration without looking like a plant for the weekend news cycle. He does, and is a political hack, which is exactly why I looked this Propagandist up in the Internets.....

You guys sure are easy to please.

I personally think that Obama expects to be torn to pieces at the G20, simply because of Greece, Germany on the edge, and our long time allies Spain ready to go down the tubes while the Derivatives Jackals feed off their still living corpses.

You know that Germany's president resigned recently, and that Merkel is fighting for her political life?

So did the Prime Minister of Japan in case you werent paying attention.

Or there is news that the South Koreans are not so sure that their goverment is telling the truth about the North Korean Alledged torpedoe...

Or that Medvedev recently announced plans to float the Ruble as a reserve currency to offset risk from the dollar...

Or that Mortgage application have plummeted dramatically, even though the rates are ridiculously low at 4.75%

Or that Greenspan warned recently that the US could quickly be selling it's bonds to nobody if it doesn't get it's debt back in order...

All this is really easy to find.. I suggest google and find it yourself.

[Hardrada]

80. Thanks. Shrum is one of those little chess pieces the PTB moves

to mask their vast iniquities by some distraction.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Really like this, thanks.

[NJmaverick]

12. K & R!

[jenmito]

13. K&R. Could you imagine McCain trying to deal with all these problems? Would he "suspend" his

presidency and let PALIN take over? Glad we'll never find out.

[firedupdem]

19. K&R n/t

[azmouse]

23. Awesome!

Even with all he has already done, I think Pres Obama's best days are yet ahead.

[Hawkowl]

26. Bob fucking Shrum!?!

The campaign consultant responsible who couldn't find his ass with both hands? I believe the opposite of this ass clown just on principle.

[babylonsister]

35. Aww, you sound distressed. Attack the messenger much?

He's not promoting his opinion but telling the truth; maybe that's what has you in a funk. :fistbump:

[Hawkowl]

36. Why don't you google Shrum

"I thought you wanted to WIN this thing" referencing Kerry's reliance on Shrum as voiced by Fritz Hollings.

I wish I could get MILLIONS of dollars for destroying Democratic Presidential campaigns with my shit for brains advice and strategy. This guy is not even a broken clock as he hasn't been right twice in his life, let alone right twice a day. He is one of THE reasons Democrats have continually lost campaigns.

Throwing a party because Shrum endorses Obama's actions is like listening to Cub's fans predicting a World Series win.

http://projects.publicintegrity.org/consultants/default.aspx?act=profiles&pid=7

The financial reform doesn't even count as a half measure. It doesn't even set the clock back to the financial restrictions in place during Bush I. And if you think we have avoided Great Depression II, I suggest you closely reread history 1929-33 and how eerily similar the hue and cries were about the deficit which ended up in turning that recession into the Great Depression.

[babylonsister]

37. I know who he is. Nice try. He still wrote a hell of an article in

support of our President. I don't think that's a bad thing. :shrug:

[Hawkowl]

38. Unqualified support is what is wrong with our country

In grade school everyone is a winner and everyone gets a trophy. This is a fine sentiment except that when you grow up and your boss fires you because you aren't doing a good enough job.

That is my point. I don't want Obama fired because of half assed reforms that don't work. I want him to succeed! I want the economy on track and the corporations curbed before the world is destroyed.

I feel that Obama isn't motivated by positive praise, he is motivated by avoiding criticism by those that he thinks have power. So I think that in order to give him moral support, he has to be made aware that the majority of Americans who supported him are powerful and he has to do better or suffer our displeasure. If he isn't worried about the people disliking him, he won't even try, because pragmatically, why should he?

[babylonsister]

39. Couldn't get past this:

I want him to succeed!

:spray:

I just don't buy it since your every word indicates otherwise, but that's encouraging. So you're attributing your constant criticism to the fact that he won't do anything if he's praised, so you have to keep up the pressure.

Got it. I think.

Don't know where you got the idea he's been avoiding criticism since that's all many people have done since he took office.

But I can agree to disagree.

I still would like to send a shoutout...GOBAMA! Keep up the good work!

[Grinchie]

113. Perhaps you should join the Military and go see the War from the inside.

If you are so happy with things, then get off your butt and go see the real problems in the world instead of feeding on the crumbs left behind by the DLC road show.

Honestly Babaylon, a good president Evolves, not Devolves.

If you are happy with "Health Insurance Reform", then you must be blogging from your poolside cabana in Beverly Hills, sipping a Pina Colada, because most in the real world think it's a sham and a stopgap measure because real health care reform would have destroyed the Insurance Companies and released hundreds of thousands of useless paper pushers from the drudgery they suffer at the hands of the Corporations.

Now with the Oil spill.. People cannot even be assured that if they volunteer to assist, despite the hopelessness, that they will be left dangling on the hook, because their is no Universal Healthcare for them. You may call this sham of a health care bill a checkbox success, but the reality is that it is a disgrace, especially when compared to other developed countries.

Yeah, Yeah, be happy with what we got... It's the republicans fault, Locusts... No thanks.

[Grinchie]

112. The most frightening thing in Shrum's past was his association with Alan Cranston (D) California

I was growing up during this period and I saw some very evil changes occur in California during his tenure in Congress. I was very young, but something was off, and Cranston was usually the guy the planted the seed to enable the malaise.

He was a corrupt MIC boytoy, and if the DLC were around back then, he would have been the CEO.

To see the cheerleaders attempting to whitewash the historical background of Shrum by disavowing it as irrelavent is as shocking as it is disingenuous.

It's the same Stepford Wife programming we see time and again, and frankly, it's disturbing to read it, especially from people that seemed so well educated and informed when we all looked toward Obama for change.

While I know that some of the cheerleaders were rabid Clinton supporters, I can see why they now speak through the same megaphone with one voice.

This is a DLC administration, pure and simple. The Hope and Change was just marketing and hedging their bet when they saw that Hilary was damaged good and unsalable to the American Public.

The cheerleaders always talk about a McCain/Palin win, but in reality, they almost did...

[amborin]

29. sadly, Obama made sure banksters got trillions in TARP in Fall '08, banksters ahead of Main Street

[lefairhill06]

31. TARP in Fall 2008

This is the second posting I've seen in the past few moments
with this statement -- someone's time-clock has slipped a
wheel or two -- candidate Barack Obama was elected to the
Presidency in Noveber of 2008, took office on January 20,
2009.  Whatever else he has accomplished (lots) or missed
(some), it was not his Administration which passed the TARP
legislation.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

32. Wow, and he wasn't even President then!

He's a freaking miracle worker! :rofl:

Idiot.

[AtomicKitten]

40. He's a freakin' time-traveling ninja I tell ya.

:hi:

[amborin]

53. but he was working behind the scenes on TARP, that's the point

i was making.....yeah, he didn't get sworn in until jan 2010; but guess what! bush had pretty much abdicated after the election; Obama worked hard to ensure Tarp passed the second round of votes.....

[Starbucks Anarchist]

61. Wrong again -- he was sworn in January 2009, not 2010.

:rofl:

[girl gone mad]

86. But the working behind the scenes part is factually correct.

It was in Michael Moore's movie, and it was all over the news at the time. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Obama did play a significant role in assuring that the bill passed, and passed quickly. He was on the side of the stick-up crew.

[avaistheone1]

89. President Barack Obama, while campaigning for the presidency, personally lobbied reluctant

members of Congress to quickly pass legislation authorizing the eventual $700 billion bank bailout, Baker says. "He personally called progressive members of Congress and lobbied them. There certainly was a lot of support to put conditions on the bailout, but all the conditions that were put in there were a joke," Baker says. "They haven't restricted the banks in any serious way."




Bush TARP Head: Obama Picking Up Where We Left Off, "Actions Are Very Consistent" (VIDEO)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/bush-tarp-head-obama-pick_n_327480.html

[girl gone mad]

90. Going by memory..

he told a member of the CBC that he could lose the election if TARP failed.

The implication kind of freaked me out at the time.

[avaistheone1]

94. You have a good memory.

It doesn't surprise me. Even more seasoned members of Congress felt threatened to vote for TARP. I am not saying that they should have voted for it. I was totally against it myself. Here is how some members of Congress felt pressured for a favorable TARP vote-

As readers know, several Congressional members have alluded to a private meeting with Paulson and Bernanke in which vague economic Armageddon was threatened if Congress did not immediately hand Hank $700 billion, with no oversight. As the political debate raged over the next 15 days, several members expressed a sense of shock over the severity of the secret warnings, while refusing to divulge the details to a concerned public. Representative Sherman of California later accidentally revealed that members were warned that Martial Law would follow if the $700 bailout plan were not approved quickly. Days later it was confirmed that the warning was delivered by Treasury Secretary Paulson. Listen while Kanjorski relates the fear about an electronic run on the banks that was apparently part of the Congressional scare tactics employed by Paulson and staff. You will notice that he says members were told that within 24 hours, the entire political structure of the United States would collapse. Talk about hitting a Congressman where it hurts, Paulson went straight for their political testes.

http://dailybail.com/home/kanjorski-reveals-paulsons-closed-door-tarp-threats.html

[amborin]

91. yes, and Matt Tabibi wrote of how Obama & Wall St. types lobbied for Citi, etc, in Nov 2008:

"Here he talks about the Citi bailout

“Just look at the timeline of the Citigroup deal," says one leading Democratic consultant. "Just look at it. It’s fucking amazing. Amazing! And nobody said a thing about it."

Barack Obama was still just the president-elect when it happened, but the revolting and inexcusable $306 billion bailout that Citigroup received was the first major act of his presidency. In order to grasp the full horror of what took place, however, one needs to go back a few weeks before the actual bailout — to November 5th, 2008, the day after Obama’s election.

That was the day the jubilant Obama campaign announced its transition team. Though many of the names were familiar — former Bill Clinton chief of staff John Podesta, long-time Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett — the list was most notable for who was not on it, especially on the economic side. Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economist who had served as one of Obama’s chief advisers during the campaign, didn’t make the cut. Neither did Karen Kornbluh, who had served as Obama’s policy director and was instrumental in crafting the Democratic Party’s platform. Both had emphasized populist themes during the campaign: Kornbluh was known for pushing Democrats to focus on the plight of the poor and middle class, while Goolsbee was an aggressive critic of Wall Street, declaring that AIG executives should receive "a Nobel Prize — for evil."

But come November 5th, both were banished from Obama’s inner circle — and replaced with a group of Wall Street bankers. Leading the search for the president’s new economic team was his close friend and Harvard Law classmate Michael Froman, a high-ranking executive at Citigroup. During the campaign, Froman had emerged as one of Obama’s biggest fundraisers, bundling $200,000 in contributions and introducing the candidate to a host of heavy hitters — chief among them his mentor Bob Rubin, the former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs who served as Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton. Froman had served as chief of staff to Rubin at Treasury, and had followed his boss when Rubin left the Clinton administration to serve as a senior counselor to Citigroup (a massive new financial conglomerate created by deregulatory moves pushed through by Rubin himself).

Incredibly, Froman did not resign from the bank when he went to work for Obama: He remained in the employ of Citigroup for two more months, even as he helped appoint the very people who would shape the future of his own firm. And to help him pick Obama’s economic team, Froman brought in none other than Jamie Rubin, a former Clinton diplomat who happens to be Bob Rubin’s son. At the time, Jamie’s dad was still earning roughly $15 million a year working for Citigroup, which was in the midst of a collapse brought on in part because Rubin had pushed the bank to invest heavily in mortgage-backed CDOs and other risky instruments.

Now here’s where it gets really interesting. It’s three weeks after the election. You have a lame-duck president in George W. Bush — still nominally in charge, but in reality already halfway to the golf-and-O’Doul’s portion of his career and more than happy to vacate the scene. Left to deal with the still-reeling economy are lame-duck Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, a former head of Goldman Sachs, and New York Fed chief Timothy Geithner, who served under Bob Rubin in the Clinton White House. Running Obama’s economic team are a still-employed Citigroup executive and the son of another Citigroup executive, who himself joined Obama’s transition team that same month.

So on November 23rd, 2008, a deal is announced in which the government will bail out Rubin’s messes at Citigroup with a massive buffet of taxpayer-funded cash and guarantees. It is a terrible deal for the government, almost universally panned by all serious economists, an outrage to anyone who pays taxes. Under the deal, the bank gets $20 billion in cash, on top of the $25 billion it had already received just weeks before as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. But that’s just the appetizer. The government also agrees to charge taxpayers for up to $277 billion in losses on troubled Citi assets, many of them those toxic CDOs that Rubin had pushed Citi to invest in. No Citi executives are replaced, and few restrictions are placed on their compensation. It’s the sweetheart deal of the century, putting generations of working-stiff taxpayers on the hook to pay off Bob Rubin’s fuck-up-rich tenure at Citi. "If you had any doubts at all about the primacy of Wall Street over Main Street," former labor secretary Robert Reich declares when the bailout is announced, "your doubts should be laid to rest."

It is bad enough that one of Bob Rubin’s former protégés from the Clinton years, the New York Fed chief Geithner, is intimately involved in the negotiations, which unsurprisingly leave the Federal Reserve massively exposed to future Citi losses. But the real stunner comes only hours after the bailout deal is struck, when the Obama transition team makes a cheerful announcement: Timothy Geithner is going to be Barack Obama’s Treasury secretary!

Geithner, in other words, is hired to head the U.S. Treasury by an executive from Citigroup — Michael Froman — before the ink is even dry on a massive government giveaway to Citigroup that Geithner himself was instrumental in delivering. In the annals of brazen political swindles, this one has to go in the all-time Fuck-the-Optics Hall of Fame.

snip

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/12/matt-taibbi-obamas-big-sellout.html

[avaistheone1]

95. Good catch.

This article certainly speaks to candidate Obama's own direct lobbying in support of the TARP bill.

[Grinchie]

114. Thank you for reposting this.. K/R

It's always important to see the timelines and players, especially when this stuff virtually disappears from the collective memories of the DLC Cheerleader squad when the chips are down.

It is information such as this that only reinforces my belief that ethics is not part of capitalism any more.

If one is ethical, and tells the truth like Kucinich for example, they are demonized mercilessly like a wounded chick in a pen full of starving roosters.

[Grinchie]

111. Absolutely Correct -- He Persuaded Americans and Congress with his GE Popularity

I rember hearing his speeches regarding the severity and the utter catastrophe that would befall the country, so he was just another "Expert" shaping the message, right alongside McCain who was doing the same.

While it's not fair to say that he created Tarp, it is fair to say that he threw his weight behind it to be used as Political Cover by the reluctant Congressmen that were not comfortable with it in the first place.

Regardless of whether Obama had been elected or not, he had a huge amount of power riding on his coattails. He was a rock star, he could do no wrong, and whe talked the talk and walked the walk.

In fact, if one reminisces back to those days, one becomes revolted at what ultimately became of this administration. He surrounded himself with the same cancerous and bloated Animal Farm lieutenants from the Clinton area, and promptly turned over the daily operation of Goverment to them.

He's nothing more than the Media Relations Manager and CEO of the might Democratic Leadership Corporation (DLC). He's nothing more than a Ken Lay.

[amborin]

92. fact is: Nov 2008 Candidate Obama lobbied for TARP:

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/12/matt-taibbi-obamas-big-sellout.html

[girl gone mad]

82. Don't be daft.

Candidate Obama lobbied congress hard to make sure TARP was passed. The personal phone calls he made to CBC members was a big reason the Senate reversed itself, took up the vote again and passed TARP, despite a massive tidal wave of public opposition to the bill.

Yes, I'm still bitter about how it went down, because the initial vote was a huge, huge victory for populists. Then Obama stuck the knife in when he broke his campaign promise that the second half of TARP would not be approved without many more strings attached. It sailed through under pressure from the WH, no changes.

But, really, why does it even matter? TARP was a drop in the bucket. Under Obama's treasury department, the banks have been gifted TRILLIONS and we are all much worse off for it. We were shafted, and naively or not, Obama was complicit.

[phleshdef]

34. If you are going to make shit up, at least use dates that are humanly possible.

[girl gone mad]

84. Are you saying that candidate Obama..

didn't pressure members of congress to change their votes in October 2008?

I'm pretty certain that members went on the record to state otherwise.

Now, the second half of the $700B is entirely on him. As are the many Trillions given through the myriad other bank bailout programs such as PIPP, TALF, FRB, TLGP, EESA plus ZIRP, mark to myth and on and on.

[Tarheel_Dem]

54. You don't even try anymore. It's just blind hate isn't it? How very sad.

:rofl:

[amborin]

108. why do you attack me? you deny the facts about how Obama pushed through TARP

[Rosa Luxemburg]

77. I seem to remember George W Bush was around in Fall 08

Obama wasn't inaug. til Jan 2009

[amborin]

85. prior to taking office, Obama himself made sure TARP passed on the 2nd round of votes

[babylonsister]

103. And what's your point, amborin? Would you have preferred

'candidate' Obama be responsible for the economy tanking? Sure seems that way to me. As usual. You're bound and determined to blame whatever you can on him anyway.

[amborin]

107. my point is Candidate Obama worked hard behind the scenes to give huge $$$ to big wall street banks.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

117. behind the scenes?

on what do you base that?

[Grinchie]

115. Are you unable to make the connections?

The evidence presented so far, if it didn't have Obama involved would have been enough for anyone to see a conspiracy..

But just like all capitalists, it's not in the sellers best interest to recomend his competitors product, even though he knows it's better.

This is the conflict of interest and hypocrisy I see in your blind loyalty to the DLC.

I would absolutey love to know what your motivations are, your background, and family life was like when you were a kid, because you are a carbon copy of one of the case studies presented in Alice Millers book, "For Your Own Good", complete with psychological trauma of trying to hold others accountable for your disappointment.

Amborin did not make all this stuff up. It actually happened, and despite the bandaids, we are heading into Phase 2 of the depression as we speak.

Your statement "blame whatever you can on him" is disingenous. That infers that amborin is actively seeking to place blame, which is not the case.

Obama has done more than enough to cause his base to become concerned, and he continues to do so.

Once you walk down a street and become aware of the vicious dog that roams freely their, you don't travel that way again if you don't have to. Well, thats the way I feel with this administration now, simply because it was all Skittles and Rainbows, and supporters like you salivating over puff pieces like Shrum's doesn't do any good. In fact, it paints Democrats as ignorant of reality when they ignore what has not been accomplished, just like BP understating the amount of oil gushing from the destroyed well head.

[chill_wind]

88. Laura Tyson

was put to work on it. She was part of the Transition Team, economic advisory, sat (and still sits) on the board of Morgan Stanley. And she also sits on PERAB now.


DeFazio let the cat out of the bag.


http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2008094030/strategy-memo-turning-wall-street-giveaway-economic-rescue-all-americans

Not a real transparent lady when she went on Maddow pimping for the bailout, either.

Last night, Rachel Maddow did something I never thought I'd see a journalist do: In the name of transparency, she went back and clarified that a bailout-justifying guest of hers actually had a blatant conflict of interest. Watch the clip here.On Monday, Maddow had on Berkeley professor Laura Tyson to talk about the bailout. You can watch that clip here. As you'll see, Tyson defended the firms that have received bailout money, saying they are not at fault in either how they are using the money, or in how they are refusing to answer questions about their use of the money. She also insisted that companies that get bailout money should be able to keep paying dividends to their shareholders.

Yet, Tyson didn't tell viewers that she sits on the board of directors of Morgan Stanley, a bank that has received $10 billion in bailout money. That's right - according to Morgan Stanley's SEC filings, Tyson makes about $350,000 a year from Morgan Stanley in total compensation from that position, and she now owns about 79,000 shares of the company. In other words, she has a direct financial interest in defending the bailout, absolving bailout recipients of wrongdoing, and justifying the use of bailout money for shareholder dividends.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/maddow-busts-morgan-stanl_b_153355.html

[AtomicKitten]

42. K&RRRR.

[Itchinjim]

45. Automatic KNR

For anything Babylonsister posts!

[kuroman992]

46. ROTFLMAO

ROTFLMAO

[Grinchie]

48. Nothing like a sloppy wet kiss for a puff piece

But Obama’s also facing the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression, compounded now by an ideologically driven policy of premature retrenchment in Europe that could catch on across the Atlantic, dooming the US either to a sluggish recovery or a renewal of recession. This weekend, at the G-20 summit in Canada, the president will negotiate with the architects of this new Hooverism; they’re not McChrystals he can dismiss, but Prime Ministers bent on their regressive course. Even to sustain stimulus in this country, Obama will have to deal with the conservative lemmings here—in Congress, in both parties—who are intent on following anti-deficit mythology off the economic cliff.

Translated, it's the G20's fault that Phase 2 is going to make Phase 1 of the Depression look like good times, just add two unwinnable wars as the clincher.

Saved the auto industry... Without an Energy policy.. Uh Huh.
Passed Health Care... He did? He passed an industry friendly Health Insurance Mandate, with a corrupted Health Insurance Industry at the helm! Yup.
Forget that Gitmo is still open, or even rendition to Bagram for that matter...
Never mind the 2 ongoing trillion dollar wars we seem to be fighting, with a Pentagon that is composed of 70% outside contractors.. Is it any wonder why they keep the war machine well oiled with funny money? It's the stimulus plan at the end of a tracer round.
Never mind the 120 million dollar 12 month contract to Xe to guard two consulate in afganistan..
Oh yeah, shutting down Nasa's replacement for the space shuttle.. That's always good for our dedicated engineers.. They can go work for the Private sector!

You can try and attack me all you want, but the facts above are all I need to call out "Puff Piece!", and the gang is all here.

Bob Shrum.. Political Advisor to Alan Cranston, the most vile and toxic Democrat California ever endured. You know, the guy that teamed up with McCain in the S&L Scandal not too long ago...

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

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

[Tarheel_Dem]

55. "Obummer"? Nice rightwing slam there. You're in fucking Canada?

Welcome to DU. :eyes:

[SidDithers]

63. nvm. not worth it...nt

Sid

[Tarheel_Dem]

56. I guess Bob just sees thing differently than you? Great talking points, and not...

a single link?:shrug:

[Grinchie]

66. Just look at the front page of DU, or are you camped out in the Skittles and Rainbows forum.

If you are unable to at least remember the headlines from the last two weeks, than I am afraid that it's your problem, not mine.

Oh wait, the two wars in Iraq and Afganistan, you want me to link to them? With the Mainstream media barely able to squeeze in the weekly body count these days, I may have a hard time..

It's funny how I was able to see what a tool this Bob Shrum was simply by typing his name into a Google search box, and you can't be bothered to do your own research, on topics posted on the front page of DU in the last three days...

It's out there if you bother to open your eyes, because it's apparent that you'd rather not go looking for troubling data that might alter your reality..

However, you did make a request for linkage, so I won't disappoint, or disappear...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/us/politics/26gitmo.html?hp

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/IRS-wants-taxes-from-BP-apf-1927452606.html?x=0&.v=6&.pf=family-home&mod=pf-family-home

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fla-ga-bank-failures-raise-years-tally-to-85-2010-06-25

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37919883/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100625/ap_on_bi_ge/world_summit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100625/wl_nm/us_korea_north_missile_1

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100625/ap_on_bi_ge/us_financial_overhaul

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100624/BUSINESS01/6240343/1001/NEWS/Report-sees-need-for-500-additional-biofuels-plants

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/105401-senate-passes-iran-sanctions

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/news/article.aspx?Feed=OBR&Date=20100623&ID=11635926&Symbol=F

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-tax-breaks-20100623,0,5423478.story

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-24/bp-s-demise-over-spill-would-threaten-u-s-energy-security-industry-jobs.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/23/AR2010062305255_pf.html

If the collection of links above doesn't satisfy your request, you can always take a few seconds to scan this page:

Democratic Underground - Latest Breaking News

:shrug: Back at you

[Tarheel_Dem]

87. Thanks for the links....

:rofl:

[Grinchie]

109. Just as I thought... Wasting my time

Thankfully those links only took 5 minutes of cut and paste.

You are just another one of those one line wonders that really doesn't have an opinion of your own if it hasn'e been comittee approved.

But I do commend you for your vocabulary of smileys! Congratulations on being able to insert 2 different ones.

[RainDog]

50. He has had an incredibly difficult set of circumstances to deal with

...as do all presidents.

While I do not agree with the way he has handled many things - I'm glad he's in office rather than Spanky and Skanky.

I hope he will make some corrections on some things since it is clear that bipartisanship is still another word for date rape for republicans. And I hope he will clean house and get rid of some bush hangers on - and I hope he will rise to the occasion of this current "perfect storm" of environmental and economic crises and realize that biz as usual isn't going to cut it with the problems we face and with the intransigence of the right wing.

[pundaint]

57. Mmmmmmm Kool Aid

This set of policies would not have moved me from Kucinich, or Richardson, or Biden. The labels are all real Democratic, the underlying specifics are all real Republican. If you never lose a fight, you are chicken, you have no principles to defend, or you are the biggest badass. I wouldn't have gotten what I wanted from any of them, but I would have had the discussion be about the positives of the good vs the opposition. I am completely dissatisfied with the discussion being about what was given away for Republican treachery, again.

If there is a right way worth bothering with, that's what we should be fighting about, not how little we'll take instead. The People are so whipped that some of us accept smaller defeats as victories!

[Tarheel_Dem]

58. So it's all or nothing, according to you? Oh, and I noticed your little

slam. "Koolaid"? Really? I think that may be an insult, which may be a rule violation?

[pundaint]

100. Where did you get all or nothing? I want my leader to be a fighter for a clear set of principles.

If you could specify what those are, I would appreciate the education.

[Moochy]

59. "kept us out of depression,"

yeah the rich are doing great.

[Divine Discontent]

68. super f*c*ing fantastic! It's a lot of fluff (the words in the OP)

it may be lost on those who are so extremely excited about this guy's words that the Gulf disaster is going to effect them eventually. Those of us down here are already either smelling, it, seeing it on the beaches, touching it, or being effected by it. The entire Gulf continues to get more and more filthy, more and more life that lived in the sea is dying needlessly, and tens of thousands are losing their jobs to a dying tourism industry - and similar to what Sen. Nelson said the other day, why the US is sharing the response to this disaster with a questionable acting corporation like BP is beyond understanding. The US Navy should send in the other couple dozen skimmers they have, just as one example he made, and here we are heading to two months of this game changer of an event in the Gulf, and BP still has much to say as to what is going on - epic FAIL on the part of the WH. There will be plenty of voters changing who they voted for in FL in '12. Can't say I blame them.

And, yay, a watered down financial bill passed - oh joy, add that to the list of capitulated bills that have been put through! Yippee!

When bank stocks rally after the bill gets passed? You can bet it's a sweet deal for them! What a letdown for We The People - but praise it just because it's been passed, fine, yay, whatever. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100625/ap_on_re_us/us_wall_street_summary_box_2

[babylonsister]

70. So. This President sucks in your opinion, given all the obstacles he's

HAD to address. Who, in your opinion, could do a better job, because if all you do is complain, that's not helping either.

So lay it on me: who in this country might do a better job? I'd love to hear about another candidate who could do as much as President Obama has done considering the obstacles, and unless you can answer this, you could be one of those obstacles. Were you as frenetic when idiot son was in charge?
Inquiring minds...

[Moochy]

71. Yeah where are the alternatives?

Shut out, unfunded, crushed under the boots of the party machine.

"I'd love to hear about a candidate"

This is not believable to any who read your posts here.

[babylonsister]

73. Nor are you if you can't name one person. nt

[Moochy]

74. Let's see.. Edwards clearly would have been a fucking disaster

And Clinton I fear would have been identical to Obama in terms of keeping the wars going while telling pretty stories to the liberal base about change and hope and 'winding down' the wars 'responsibly' (whatever the fuck that means).

Propping up the Necessary Illusions of Participatory democracy is a tough gig, but you excel at it! Keep on keeping on, sister.

[babylonsister]

75. So. You've got NOTHING. As for propping up wars,

Obama said Iraq would be done this summer, and it's happening. He also said Afghanistan would be the problem he'd be addressing once he was president, and that's also happening. WTF is your problem? You cast all kinds of shit, but can't back one thing up. Who is pushing "Illusions of Participatory democracy"?

I'm pretty damned happy with Obama. So sorry you aren't.

[Moochy]

79. It's happening? Really? Iraq is ending?

Afghanistan had the highest body count EVER this past month.

"can't back it up?" WTF are you yapping about? There were no better alternatives. I voted for Obama. I hoped for change. We've gotten some. Not enough. If War is a racket, and we knew this under GWB.... But now we are required to cheer the brave predator drone pilots, and General Petraeus! Everything old is new again!

I don't think you are so sorry about my disappointment in Obama. It's probably something closer to venomous spite.

[Divine Discontent]

98. that last sentence is so true, and like you, Moochy, it doesn't bring a damned bit of joy to have to

say that's likely the case. How sad, how sad, how sad!

Some here are absolutely fooling themselves if they think a large portion of the GOTV operation that propelled Senator Obama into becoming President Obama is going to be as energetic next time around 2 years from now. We can say "that's good to hear!" in a post here and there about something good that the Administration has done, but a few people don't give a shit about that - they want complete and utter obedience to the vision of how great they think he's done and we're a part of the problem for not blindly agreeing with every action taken by the Administration. How sad to see on DU. We talked about how shocking it was to see GOPers do this with B*sh, and yet, some here do the same thing.

[Grinchie]

118. They are identical in my opinion.

I'm a democrat because I am able to see the connection between runaway capitalism and poverty. I have also traveled all over the world, have lived in opulent mansions, and lived in a tent for years at a time. I have been utterly wealthy, and I have seen all that taken away, simply because I followed along with the Social Disease that trains us to do things a certain way.

One thing I will not do is be a Sheep anymore. It's not going to happen.

One thing is certain though, as I watch day after day here on DU, the cheerleaders are having a much harder time spreading skittles and rainbows. There is a growing tsunami of discontent, so the cheerleaders are now ramping up the viciousness just in time for the mid-term, now that they see that the jig is up for the DLC Corporatocracy.

The fact of the matter is that Obama is trapped in a web created for him by his advisers. There is no escape for him at this point. They ran too far and too fast with their Corporate Giveaway, and the sugar coating they put on the shit sundae wasn't enough to hide the bad taste from the little people.

It doesn't make sense to abandon nearly all the promises made on the campaign trail, unless their is something terrifying to the Goverment, and they just needed to buy time.

Truly, one absolutely needs the Cooperation of Too Big Too Fail Corporations, but at what cost? They ultimately have more power than the Government, and can hold the Government hostage at will, simply by utiliyzing Passive Resistance, such as not transhipping food, or moving oil around.

It's sad that Passive Resistance was promotoed by Gandhi, and it drove Britain out of India, but now with Too Big Too Fail, they are able to threaten the stability of nations.

[Divine Discontent]

97. not that inquiring!

plus, the "you could be one of those obstacles" was a bit extremist, if you don't mind.

seriously... wth? And, I don't have to make up some answer to your, "unless you can answer this" demands!


You've got access to journals and search - use them, don't accuse me of only pointing out this admin's mistakes.


And it's not a pissing contest to say who could do better, that's beyond the point of the here and now BS, he is the president! We know it would have been worse under McCain/Palin - what is your point? I will not drink kool aid like the GOP hosers did with B*sh's every breath.


If I am complaining, in your opinion, let me be perfectly succinct to you, BS, it is for good reasons. This president has done some wonderful things while in office, and still capitulated on many issues. I am unimpressed and expected more from him, and thankfully I personally know all but one "Democrats" as close friends among the 20 or so I talk to weekly, and none of them are as thrilled as the same dozen folks here that clamor how good the WH handles every situation from top to bottom on every single policy.

Here in Florida it is a very ugly situation for millions of us, even before the megamess created by imaginary gov't regulation at the MMS that led to the BP catastrophe that is deeply effecting the Gulf. There is no doubt that many Democrats feel just like I do, and that's not comforting in the least - it's sad.

[Grinchie]

116. The Entire Government has proven to be loaded with Vermin

And Vermin are Vermin to me, regardless of what letter they pin on their lapel.

The fact is, you don't have an answer or any solution either, other that facist loyalty to the current patriarch.

When a historic election such as the one we just had is found to have installed a new set of vermin, the people have a right to be outraged.

No matter how hard you push the Propaganda and Good Side, the Dark side is sitting just a few inches to the Right for all to see, and you set yourself up for failure.

[tabatha]

64. Great article. Thanks.

Saved to look at again in 2 years.

[Kablooie]

76. Now, run that through again but imagine that -- McCain -- won.

Just a little whoopsie to give your head there, a bit of a spin, that's all.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

78. He would be bomb, bomb bombing Iran

probably with his loose cannon.

[deacon]

93. BIG k + r! n/t

[Hekate]

96. Kick and Rec.

:kick:

[depakid]

99. Bob Shrum- 'nuff said

[babylonsister]

104. ROFL! Man of few words, I see.

:rofl:

[BR_Parkway]

105. Someone remind me what historic challenge met Reagan? High taxes?

Excessive regulation? Another empire crumbling over the weight of it's own bankrupting war mongering?