Obama continues to disappoint....

[jaysunb]

As I read the following piece from Black Commentator, I couldn't help but think back to last years Dem convention. Sitting in Fleet Center, all hot and cramped, I anxiously awaited the speech by this young man I had began to believe was the next major leader and icon of the black community.
He would be all that Clarence, Condi & Collin, were not. I believed he would repudiate their Stockholm syndrome and let the world know, blacks are pretty smart, pragmatic voters and we are not the fools so called black conservatives ( whatever the hell that is )hold us out to be.

I remember feeling the hot sting of the tears of pride that slipped down my cheeks as he spoke so eloquently and with such conviction. I was more than a little surprised when the little white lady from Georgia, sitting next to me gripped my hand, and I saw tears in her eyes as well. It was a moment I'll never forget.

But then, however slowly, I began to see a different Obama. Showing incredible arrogance, he kept a large group of DFA donors cooling our heels for a hour while he worked out at the local gym. The fact that he was the # 1 recipent of the the "Deans List " contributions, doesn't seem to stop him from rushing straight to the arms of what's left of the DLC. And as the BC article points out, he has quickly learned to play both ends against the middle. And when, political principle so quickly disappears, you got to know it's all about the Benjamins.

Well...I'm not crying anymore, I'm pissed !


http://www.blackcommentator.com/161/161_cover_obama_iraq.html

[...of J.Temperance]

1. I'm NOT sure WHO The Black Commentator DOES like

Do YOU know who The Black Commentator LIKES? If so, please tell me.

[zumbi]

13. who does Black Commentator like? And how about why?

Obviously you don't read Black Commentator. Back in September, to conincide with theyearly gathering of the Cngressional Black Caucus, they issued report cards on the performance of all its members. You can find that at http://www.blackcommentator.com/151/151_cover_cbc_monitor.html

Those who scored 100 were Maxine Waters of LA, Cynthia McKinney and John Lewis of Atlanta, along with Barbara Lee (remember her --- the one who voted against the Iraq invasion?), Bobby Scott, HJohn Conyers and Charlie Rangel.

Obama was labeled an "underacheiver", for obvious reasons.

[tishaLA]

16. And just two years ago

BC said of Rangel, "The Arkansas Conjure Man with the 125th Street office has sucked every brain cell from Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel’s 73 year-old skull."

All or nothing at all.
Half a love never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I’d rather (rather) have nothing at all

All or nothing at all
If it’s love, there is no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
No I’d rather have nothing at all

And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
I would be, caught in the undertow
So you see, I’ve got to say no, no
All or nothing at all

[LSparkle]

2. I get this weird feeilng he's auditioning to be Veep to Hillary

That'd be one BEIGE ticket (and I'm not talking skin color here).

[thefloyd]

6. I totally agree

Would not be surprised at all.

[DainBramaged]

3. Well, Glenn and Peter have ben doing TBC since 1977

They may or may not have credibility on this issue, but since this is the first time I have ever seen them quoted anywhere as being PARTICIPATING Progressives, I'll reserve my judgment of their commentary, and criticism, on Obama.:think:

[blm]

4. Except he attacks Kerry falsely because Kerry called for withdrawal and

a timetable to be achieved within 12 months.

He says Obama won't say those words and quotes WP that Obama aligns with Biden, Kerry, Clinton, when that reporter never noted that Kerry was the ONLY Dem before Murtha who even drew up a withdrawal plan. Why do they get lumped together?

Murtha's plan could take 6 months and could take 12 months, there was no fixed time and used PROVISIONAL language like "practicable". Does that make it better than Kerry's steady withdrwawal plan over 12 months? Kerry and Murtha also share the commocn goal to withdraw troops using political action NOT military action.

I wish reporters would start reporting more ACCURATELY from the left. We already have an entire RW media machine that lies often enough.

[jaysunb]

12. I agree

we shoiuld always strive for honesty, no matter what.

[w13rd0]

5. It's my firm conviction...

...that the first person of colour that will be elected as Pres or VP may have a liberal heart (or conservative for that matter), but they will only have a shot in this nation, where institutionalized racism still poses a large problem, if they walk a very narrow middle path.

Hell, we have a hard enough time in today's Republican mangled culture getting a liberal who isn't a minority taken seriously.

[jaysunb]

7. You could be right, but

I still prefer truth and forthrightness to mush mouth gooblygook designed to placate evil people. ( evil might be too strong, but when you play in shit, you're likely to stink too )

[never cry wolf]

8. That BC article is a total slash job

Read Obama's actual speech, I think it rocks!

from BC (my comments in italics):

According to Webster, the term "pragmatic" means "practical as opposed to idealistic." This is war with lives on the line, we have to be practical, no? Here is what Obama contends is a practical solution to what ails U.S. policy in Iraq:

"The President could take the politics out of Iraq once and for all if he would simply go on television and say to the American people ‘Yes, we made mistakes. Yes, there are things I would have done differently. But now that we're here, I am willing to work with both Republicans and Democrats to find the most responsible way out.'"

It's not hard to satisfy Sen. Obama. If Bush would just stop repeating his lies to cover the fact that the Iraq war was premeditated, on the front-burner since his administration came to power, and therefore a crime against peace, well, we could all pretend like nothing criminal had happened - and was still happening.

Does that last sentence sound like what Obama actually said in his speech? He ripped the Admin as much as ant senator is likely to do

From his speech:

However, I think what is also true is that the Administration launched the Iraq war without giving either Congress or the American people the full story. This is not a partisan claim – you don't have to take my word for it. All you need to do is to match up the Administration's statements during the run-up to the war with the now declassified intelligence estimates that they had in their possession at the time. Match them up and you will conclude that at the very least, the Administration shaded, exaggerated and selectively used the intelligence available in order to make the case for invasion.

The President told the American people about Iraqi attempts to acquire yellow cake during the State of the Union. The Vice-President made statements on national television expressing certainty about Iraq's nuclear weapons programs. Secretary Rice used the words "mushroom cloud" over and over again.

We know now that even at the time these unequivocal statements were made, intelligence assessments existed that contradicted these claims. Analysis from the CIA and State Department was summarily dismissed when it did not help the Administration make the case for war.

[zumbi]

14. not a slash job. pretty accurate, really.

The point is that if the war is a crime, the remedy is to stop being a criminal. All Barack asks is that the president admit he lied to get us into the war.

He does not ask that the war stop, or that the troops be brought home, which is what you gotta do to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

[1932]

22. Obama went farther in criticizing the war than anyome else.

I don't care if he changed his focus to something bigger than being anti-war in the last six months of his campaign. He was definitely very anti-war for a long time before that.

The Black Commentator is making a big deal about something and history doesn't support their charge. Just like when they made a big deal about Obama being on the DLC list without checking to see if Obama signed up for membership.

[Meldread]

9. I agree with him.

Obama has been a huge disappointment. I also agree with the posters above who said Obama is probably playing for Hillary's VP Spot.

...all I can say is good luck Obama. I hate Hillary and if you throw your lot in with her you'll never be welcomed by me again. You've got one shot and one shot only to show your true colors. If you fail to do that I hope that your constituents send you packing.

You have promise; are you going to squander it with Hillary and the DLC's sinking ship?

[jaysunb]

10. uh huh ....

:toast:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Obama has certainly learned politicianese to avoid saying anything.

Typical CYA drivel. "I'm for it. I'm against it. Maybe I'm not against it, but maybe I'm not for it."

He'll probably go far not that he's discovered how not to take a stand and is willing to sacrifice even more lives to get elected.

[immoderate]

15. White guy here.

When I want to see America, I look for the Congessional Black Caucus (and some others who think like them, e.g. Barney Frank, Bernie Sanders, Jerry Nadler, Barbara Boxer, etc.)

My impression of Obama is that he has not measured up, and I am disappointed.

--IMM

[FreedomAngel82]

17. Yes

I do think that he does have the potential to be someone great but he's not using what he has. And I agree: if he aligns with Hillary and Biden and them than eh. I'm not going to really follow either. I think the difference with Kerry being DLC is he's very left compared to them. He has an actual plan and everything. I don't even know why Kerry's DLC. :shrug:

[never cry wolf]

18. Obama is IN the CBC

And insisted the DLC take his name off of their list.

[immoderate]

19. I was generalizing

The CBC, to me, is the most savvy and outspokenly progressive group in congress. And there are others who are similarly enlightened. Of course Obama will affiliate with that group. (He's no J.C.Watts.) He just doesn't sound like them.

Take into account I haven't followed everything he's said. As the only black in the senate I would like him to be more outspoken.

Then again who am I to tell any brother to "get down"?:hide:

--IMM

[qanda]

20. The only people disappointed

Are the ones who put any faith in him, or any politician for that matter, to begin with. If anything is going to change it's going to take the people to change it. The majority of these politicians are where they are to have and maintain power and will do whatever it takes to stay in their positions. Usually that means they have no use for what is in the best interest of the American people. Sorry to say it but I'm growing more and more cynical every single day.

[1932]

21. The Black Commentator made a big deal about DLC listing Obama as a

member, which Obama pointed out was no true. Not only had he never signed up, he didn't agree with their policies.

The Black Commentator has a problem with Obama and it's based on suppositions that they don't care to fact check before making a big deal about them.