Obama can breathe a sigh of relief. I think I've forgiven him. Again.

[gateley]

Ed is presenting a good argument why, even if we don't agree with Obama, (understatement) the fact is he's been focused on jump starting the economy and has done everything he possibly can to to jump start the economy.

There are other things I'm unhappy with, but Ed has talked me down. So instead of glaring at Obama from now on (or flipping him off as I did when he was signing the bill earlier today), I'll just go back to viewing him through wary eyes.

Sherrod Brown is laying down some pragmatic points, too.

[tridim]

1. Tweety did the same at the end of his show.

In the long-run this is a win for Democratic pragmatism. Non-nutty voters will take notice.

[TheKentuckian]

4. Nothing pragmatic about a bunch of tax cuts for the top 20%, opening Social Security to defunding

with a tired Republican cure all, letting companies write off billions in investment without tying that investment here, continuously punting on what is demonstrably shit policy, starving the government, or generally hanging our hat on failed and/or rejected dumbfuck Republican ideas.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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

[tridim]

8. And tax cuts for the bottom 98% and the UI extension for the unemployed

As I said, non-nutty voters will take notice. The other 10% on both extremes will ignore reality, like you just did.

[gateley]

12. For the bottom 96% maybe? Those earning less than $20K annually will actually

take a little hit. But, many people WILL be helped so... Jeez, what a mess he inherited. And those damn Republicans. Enemies.

[TheKentuckian]

29. What did I say that didn't jibe with reality?

I think the entire top 20% can take care of themselves and are sucking up most of the benefit.

[emulatorloo]

9. So it is the "top 20%" now? DU must have moved the goal post when I wasn't looking?

[tridim]

19. I missed that, read it as 2%. Thanks for pointing it out.

These faux numbers are what I find most nauseating about the new DU.

DU used to be obsessively fact-based, I wish the mods would put a stop to it.

[martymar64]

35. Then go back to your yacht, Richie Rich.

[TheKentuckian]

27. I never bought the top 2% rhetoric. The money is going to top incomes.

[gateley]

11. Understood (even though you weren't talking to me) which was why I'd banished

him (Obama) from gateleyville. But there's more to what he's done, and what he's accomplishing with this, than that.

I'm really concerned about the SS, furious about adding so much money to the deficit, but I'm more tolerant now with the understanding that he IS getting stuff in there that will hopefully help the economy and jobs. I still think it's the wrong wrong wrong way to go, but now I better understand where he's coming from. :shrug:

[emulatorloo]

20. For what is is worth, 82% of Republicans oppose cutting Social Security to reduce the deficit

Even teaparty people oppose that - 74%

So if Republican politicians are going to try that they are not going to get support from anybody.

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/new-poll-dire-results-if-social-securit

Overall, of the 1,200 likely voters surveyed, 82% of respondents oppose Social Security cuts to reduce the deficit, including

83% of Dems,
78% of Independents,
82% of Republicans, and
74% of Tea Party supporters.

[gateley]

23. Which is encouraging, but somehow those Republicans seem to be able to convince

their followers to support things that are against their best interests (as you well know).

They'll either paint such a rosy picture (lies) of how much MORE we'd benefit if we privatize it, or PROVE how much it's hurting the budget and therefore hurting us all.

I hope common sense -- and self-preservation -- prevail. :hi:

[gateley]

36. I thought of you when I heard Randi Rhodes in my car -- she was saying

what was it that made the Republicans turn against Bush? He wanted to privatize Social Security. I thought - Hey, that's essentially what emulatorioo said! :hi:

[Donnachaidh]

30. throwing money at wealthy people and *hoping* they create jobs is NOT doing something

We've had eight years of PROOF that that particular ploy doesn't work.

[Fruittree]

14. The tax cuts that were objectionable was actually

for the top 2%....And the 2% cuts in SS tax is only on the employee contribution not on the employer contribution.The deficit is a problem but I think trying to fix that while the economy is still struggling has been considered unwise by all economists I've heard.

[TheKentuckian]

28. Objectionable to who? The breaks for the top 20% are not stimulative.

[Fruittree]

39. That's the compromise part...

I don't like it and I don't believe Pres. Obama likes it but that was the means to get the parts he did want and governing is about compromising - at least our system of government is.

[abelenkpe]

2. That's nice.

But the worlds economic problems have only just begun. The crisis is not over by a long shot. Just sayin'.

[gateley]

13. Agree. I'm not convinced by any means that this will help at all, but I'm more

understanding about why he went with this. I don't think we even have a clue as to what we're in for. :(

[stopbush]

3. Welcome back to the land of the living Ds.

[gateley]

16. I was only MIA for about 24 hours. :-) nt

[stopbush]

5. So has Ed just joined the list of traitors?

He was beating up on Obama for the past two weeks. Now that he got the progressive dander up, he's talking people down.

I wonder who got to Ed?

:sarcasm:

[gateley]

17. Did you hear him? He talked about how dead set against it he's been -

it was a good show.

I know you've got the :sarcasm: tag hanging, but a straight answer - I wonder if he, like me, just figures, what more can we do at this point? IT's done.

But yes, I'm sure Ed will be sitting in the cell next to Jon Stuart and others who have been banished. :evilgrin:


Edit - Proof BEFORE Posting, gateley.

[panader0]

7. I got an e-mail fron Al Franken

"the hardest vote I ever cast" was what he said. He voted for the deal.

[gateley]

10. Yeah, it's people like Franken, Sherrod Brown, others, that make me realize there's more

to it than just my viewpoint, and I can't even begin to fathom all that goes into it. I've always said I think ALL Presidents walk into that Oval Office the first day and go "what the fuck was I thinking?"

Bottom line, I think he's got good intentions, and that's a LOT, seeing who we just had for 8 years.

[emulatorloo]

21. Brown was pretty eloquent when I heard him talk about his constituents

and how they asked him to vote for it. (Did not see the ED show, I saw him somewhere else).

[gateley]

25. Yeah, he's been making the rounds. And I appreciate it! nt

[mtnsnake]

15. Jump starting the economy like this is asking for disaster.

All anyone seems to care about is a short term fix. It aint gonna work, period. This tax deal is absolutely FOOLISH.

[gateley]

18. You know, I agree with you. Plunging the country deeper into debt doesn't seem like

the wise choice to me, either. It's like depending on pay day loans or something. But, I'm more sympathetic and less "off with his head!" than I have been.

[mtnsnake]

22. I hear ya

But, I'm more sympathetic and less "off with his head!" than I have been.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with the kinder gentler approach once in a while. Or is it gentler kinder? :)

Which ever way you do it, you always seem to handle yourself just fine, gately.

[gateley]

32. "...you always seem to handle yourself just fine..."

As do you, mtnsnake. :pals:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

24. I'm sure he was up all night worried about your opinion.

[abelenkpe]

26. That was really unnecessary. nt

[egoclothes]

42. It sure was.

[babylonsister]

31. Ed? Who is flip-flopping now? I didn't watch the show, but

Ed either needs to take a stand and stick to it or quit with his knee jerk reactions, to everything. He's reminding me of mcsame.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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

[bigwillq]

33. I'm sure Obama

can again sleep at night, now that you've forgiven him.

[rury]

34. Something tells me President Obama

is breathing fine whether YOU like him or not!!!!

[gateley]

37. Gee, ya think so?

:eyes:

Thanks for setting me straight.

[mtnsnake]

38. And how would you know that?

Is your real name Bo by any chance? :shrug:

[mmonk]

40. The "progressive" tv shows are getting "on message".

I remain off currently.

[egoclothes]

41. As are the Left radio talk shows. Sigh.

[Clio the Leo]

44. I'm glad Big Ed is back on his meds.

I know .... bad Clio ... bad. :spank:

In all seriousness .... if you're listening to Ed on a regular basis, stop .... the way he flip flops based on Obama's "success" is almost laughable in it's Beck-ishness. Obama is the same guy, doing the same thing today now that Ed's happy as he was two weeks ago when Ed was spittin' the dummy. It's possible that Ed is messin' with your head.

[Vinca]

45. It still seems insane to me. The tax cuts have been in effect for 10 years

and they've pretty much helped ruin the economy. Maybe if Obama made a pretense of fighting for what Democrats supposedly believe in before caving . . .

[impik]

46. Pppffffff. Lucky Obama! You forgive him!!

Now he car really breathe again.