"Silly season?" I don't think so.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

Beginning tomorrow, I would like to see the President and everyone in his administration refrain from referring to the Rethuglican antics that have gone on for 8 months as "silly season." It's much, much more than that. These are uninformed, obnoxious, lying, destructive nitwits who cannot handle a black President and who wish him failure and/or dead every day.

"Silly season" diminishes the absolute seriousness of all the issues and negates the political and bodily harm some of these people want to see inflicted on Barack. It also gives them a free pass to continue their bullying behavior when they're not cracked down on.

Come on, most of us worked our tails off to get this man elected, and it's past time for Barack to call out the liars and obstructionists - politicians and media worms alike. Frank Rich is right; it was a "squandered summer." Let's not have a frightening fall.

[Ian David]

1. Treason Season. n/t

[HowHasItComeToThis]

5. IT IS NOT ABOUT BLACK... THEY CAN'T STAND SMART

[GivePeaceAchance]

10. Exactly this is where education is everything. The GOP have cultivated ignorance for their own ends.

President Obama needs to start some adult educaiton programs which which can inspire folks that left educaiton too early to self educate via the net. Set up a site that provides history, English, Math and civics turtorials. The simple factor is when they actively defunded education at some local state levels all that leaves is fundies form of education. And wehter that be the middle eastern or the religious right kind it only fosters hate. There is the solution education, education, education.

As soon as this health bill passes I hope he makes a big push for that because in the end it's the answer to everything.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

11. WTF is this mess?

"And wehter that be the middle eastern or the religious right kind it only fosters hate."

Take advantage of an "educaiton turtorial" in religion, should one be offered.

[GivePeaceAchance]

14. I think I typed it pretty well seeing I'm partially blind...

Nonetheless the religious right and fundamentalists in middle east are not too far apart in their extremes. Both of them foster hate, and it comes about through ignorance of facts and knowledge. Am I the smartest guy in the world myself, no. But I know it's why the fringe groups are so easily manipulated. They've been encouraged to ignore the world around them, until it all goes wrong and they are then told Democrats did it.

[cliffordu]

13. spel;chek is yer fren

[WorseBeforeBetter]

12. You're in denial if you don't think that it's "ABOUT BLACK,"

in addition to "SMART." I wouldn't say race factors in for all, but it does for the true haters.

[Czar One]

15. They can't stand black OR smart!

The combination must be making these wingnuts' heads explode! (Hey, we can hope, can't we?)

[Iwillnevergiveup]

2. Truly

I would like to see health care for all to be Barack's legacy.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

3. Mr. President

we've got your back. I hope every single person who had to stand in long lines and wait overnight for free medical/dental attention this past summer is registered to vote Democratic in 2010 and beyond. Including their families and friends. These events attracted massive numbers so that many still had to be turned away. Shameful! But if there are any more in the next year, that's a golden opportunity to break out the clipboards and registration forms.

[Arkana]

4. How do you suggest he react then?

Part of this whole flap with the Freeper and birther and nutcase crowd is they want Obama to lose his cool. They want him to get emotional and freak out at them on camera--whether it's during an interview, or press conference, or town hall.

By dismissing them merely as part of a "silly season", it just infuriates and marginalizes them more as they self-destruct from their own hatred.

Also, just because the President and his senior staff appear calm, what makes you think the Secret Service isn't on high alert? If Obama spent his entire Presidency kvetching over every death threat or threat of violence against the White House, he'd never get anything done. The Secret Service protects him and his family so he doesn't have to worry about them (as much, anyway...I know if I were him I'd be scared for them every damn day of my life.)

[Iwillnevergiveup]

6. I'll be interested to see "60 Minutes" tonight

where I doubt Steve Kroft will heckle him. I agree with you that Obama doesn't need to lose his cool or get emotional. But, if for example, any of the radio yahoos spin a lie, he should call them out and name names. When I hear these teabaggers getting a disproportionate amount of air time spewing what's being said on Fox over and over, it's very frustrating. Think about FDR saying, "I welcome their hate," and pushing through all the legislation he did.

To be fair to Barack, the Press Secretary needs to get much more succinct and tougher.

As far as stirring up more hate with a possible resulting attempt on his life, I do have faith in the Secret Service. He should not be afraid to set the record straight - something like "I heard on CNN (or Fox or ABC or NBC, etc.) that no person under 95 is entitled to a wheelchair. That is a lie and flat-out wrong and the network is acting very irresponsibly reporting it."

My thought is that even if we get a health care package through this year, it will always be something else from the party of "NO!" I'd like to see the administation get more ahead of the curve next time and set a proper tone.

[Clio the Leo]

7. Then I'm afraid you dont understand the man you voted for.

One read of "Audacity" will tell you he's not gonna let petty BS distractions cause him to lose focus on the task at hand.

"Victory's within the mile...."

[Iwillnevergiveup]

8. Actually, I've read both his books

They were a large part of the reason I worked for and voted for him. All's I'm saying is the "petty BS distractions" are not helping him. This summer has been horrible in terms of intentional misinformation, fear tactics and lies by right wing outlets. In turn it's put too many dangerous, crazy fringe people on center stage which distract from the work at hand. Just think back a bit to the week-long dust up between the cop and the college professor. My thought again, is this is going to go on for (8) years if the pinheads are not put in their place. It would be nice if Barack got some hard, direct interference - especially from his Press Secretary.

I stand by my signature line, courtesy Tim Robbins. Because I want Barack to succeed.

[GivePeaceAchance]

9. He knows the concerns but calling them dangerous probably wouldn't ...

improve the situation. He's more moving the focus from what is irrelevant to what is relevant. The more serious he takes their nonsense the more credibility it has. 'Silly season' is the perfect description. President Obama isn't aiming to provoke civil war but just keep the focus on the issues as it should be really. They are highly strung with a diet of fear and President Obama knows what he's up against but he overcomes it with common sense and logic where by the rules of their own belief system has to make them understand the issues more clearly. He doesn't attack them just stays persistent in convincing them and that's the best he can do.