Barack Obama, photo collage by Charis Tsevis, copyright 2008
Gail Collins, in the New York Times:
Good work, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Unlike your hapless predecessor, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, you’ve had legislation shooting off to the White House like angry birds in that video game. Unemployment compensation! Gay rights! Food safety! Judicial appointments! Arms control! Health care for 9/11 responders!
But let’s admit it. Nothing would have gotten done if Obama hadn’t swallowed that loathsome compromise on tax cuts for the wealthy.
If he’d taken the high road, Congress would be in a holiday war. The long-term unemployed would be staggering into the new year without benefits. The rest of the world would look upon the United States as a country so dysfunctional that it can’t even ratify a treaty to help keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists. The people who worked at ground zero would still be uncertain about their future, and our gay and lesbian soldiers would still be living in fear.
It’s depressing to think that there was no way to win that would not have involved giving away billions of dollars to people who don’t need it. But it’s kind of cheery to think we have a president who actually does know what he’s doing.
Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!
What a difference a few weeks makes.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
It was a quote by Mencken.
Though I like this one too:
The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals. It’s just that they need more supervision. –Lynn Lavner
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Ellie said:
You’d think that their sitting home alone on Saturday night would be a clue. They whine about it in the bars, but they don’t have the neuron connections to figure out their whine negates their fears . . .
Some wag (Mencken? Bierce?) once said a Puritan is someone who lives in fear that someone, somewhere, is having a good time. Those who fear the effect of homosexuals on the military live in fear that anybody — everybody — is getting more sex than they are (and if they’re Republican, they fear others aren’t paying for it).
Meanwhile, the greatest armies in the world right now have had gays in the ranks for the entire 20th century. History isn’t their strong suit, either, obviously. Heck, those who fear homosexuals in the military would be well advised to consider the greatest conqueror in the history of western culture, Alexander the Great. Maybe we should start calling him Alexander the Great Gay. Would the critics and whiners take the hint?
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Nah Jim..he should fear if I was the President. You can be the Vice President in his nightmare :p Ed of course would be either the Senate Majority Leader or Speaker of the House.
Robert, Obama doesn’t get a glowing review from me. He’s entirely too centrist and moderate for my taste. Normally I have no problem with centrist and moderate Democrats as I normally tend to be one myself. But with the Republicans being asswipes and moving so far to the right so that they’re barely this side of the fascists I would like a little liberal asskicking of the far right.
See, Democrats don’t do this “messiah worship” that Republicans so love to engage in. You guys did it with Reagan and you did it with junior Bush. “They can do no wrong, everything they do is perfect. Anyone who disagrees with them is a traitor to the United States.”
If Obama had fought back against the Republicans, child, the Democrats wouldn’t have lost the House and the Republican party would be for all intents and purposes dead. It would be nothing more then a mockery of its former self.
Oh wait…it’s already a mockery of its former self. Since even Reagan has to be spinning in his grave at what the Republicans have become and for damn sure Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower are.
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Oh and Robert, don’t spout the words “redistribution” because what has been going on since Reagan is class warfare and income redistribution.
Class warfare on the middle class and the poor by the rich. And income redistribution from the middle class to the rich.
In the last 30 years the richest 10% of the country has seen their incomes rise 300 plus percent. In that same time period the income of the middle class has remained stagnant or gone down.
And your party is almost entirely to blame for that.
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Robert writes:
“if Obama hadn’t swallowed that loathsome compromise on tax cuts for the wealthy.” They were temporary extensions of existing rates. Just for the record, the “wealthy” (top 10%) pay 68% of the tax bill. Who should get tax cuts? The lower 50% who pay 3% of the tab? Sounds like more redistribution talk to me.
Just for the record, in the last 50 years the richest 3% have seen their taxes more then halved. Exactly how many more tax cuts do they need, Robert? Bush and company said those tax cuts to the richest 3% would be such a boon to the economy and create so many jobs. And yet during the entire Bush presidency the economy was moribund and Bush had the lowest job creation record of any President in at least the last 100 years. So the point for the tax cuts is what?
Robert writes:
Gay rights!” Don’t ask don’t tell being repealed is a mistake. I would not want to bunk with or shower with a homosexual, anymore than I would with a woman other than my wife. All I hear about is the poor mistreated homosexuals. What about the multitudes of heterosexuals who are now forced to live in an environment they can barely tolerate if at all? Oh, that’s right, you guys tolerate everyone except straight, right wing, Christian conservatives. My bad.
Those heterosexuals you’re so worried about are already bunking and showering with homosexuals. What? You were thinking that DADT ensured that there were absolutely no homosexuals in the military? And how is it that at least 20 of our allies allow homosexuals to serve in their militaries openly with absolutely no problems but you’re saying the US military can’t do the same? My my, Robert, you have so little faith in our military.
Robert writes:
“Arms control!” START is a mistake. The Russians have 10 times the weapons we have. Of course they will cutback! Or will they? If I had to chose a nation be buddies with, Russia would not be at the trop of the list.
You’d rather have absolutely no inspections going on of the Russian arsenal? So that any terrorist or tin pot dictator with a lot of money can waltz in and purchase a nuke from some Russian who hasn’t been paid in months? And tell us, robert, how is the United States supposed to contain the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea without Russia’s help?
See, Robert, that’s the problem with right wing reactionaries such as yourself. You simply can’t think through what you’re saying and you don’t have the ability to see down the road further then the end of your nose. You’re so locked into your stupid narrow ideaology that you are unable to think for yourself.
And I have no problem with straight right wing Christians. First off, I’m straight myself and I’m also Christian. As for right wing Christians I have no problem with them disagreeing with me…my problem is with their almost universal arrogance, ignorance and overt fondness for pretending that they’re victims every single time they don’t get their way. Or to make this a bit more specific to you, Robert, I would have no problem if you weren’t an lying dimwitted arrogant mockery of a Christian. You want to be a Republican? Fine. You want to be a right wing Christian? Fine to. Just quit being such an lying jerkass about it. Disagree with us if you want but be honest in your disagreements instead of spouting lie and bullshit every time.
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Hi Robert and Merry Christmas!
I’m sorry you have swallowed the tired, old “redistribution” meme. I have to hand it to conservatives. If they are good at anything, it is messaging…and repetition. Redistribution is just another code word on the right for class warfare…which is what they called it in the 90’s. We managed to blunt that stupid label by simply pointing out that the class warfare has historically been waged from the top down. Robber barons and gilded age martinets…Ronnie Raygun and his “welfare queen” caricature…and now the Teabaggers with their “Real ‘Murrica” mantra. It’s all the same steaming load of monkey-dookie. (Of course, it must be much more amusing for the fabulously rich to have poor and middle class white folks fighting for the “rights” of the Koch brothers. But it wouldn’t be the first time in American history that the landed gentry was able to persuade a bunch of uneducated, disenfranchised and easily-led rubes to do their bidding.) No Robert, the “redistribution” you speak of has been going on for a great while, with only brief snippets of fiscal sanity (1934-1980 being the longest) interspersed. The “class warfare” has ever been waged on the unemployed poor, the working poor and the middle class. Plugging your ears and simply parroting what you heard from Beck or Limbaugh will not change the facts.
Your opposition to the repeal of DADT is particularly confusing to me. What worries you about sharing a barracks with a gay man? You might want to speak to a therapist or a counselor about that. Are you afraid that a gay man might find you attractive? As a straight, I would consider it a compliment. If I were a member of the military, I certainly wouldn’t be worried. From the most conservative, to the most liberal estimates, gays are certainly no more than ten to 12 percent of the population. Conservative estimates are much lower — like two percent. But let’s say, in a Marine platoon of 32 men, ten percent are homosexual. Are you worried that three gay Marines will be able to force themselves on the remaining 29? All of whom are hard-bodied, trained killers? I remember Dr. James Dobson fulminating about the possibility that gay servicemen would attempt to fellate non-gay servicemen in their bunks, against their will. Sounded to me like Dobson was engaging in wistful thinking. Fundie preachers who rail against homosexuality (Bakker, Haggard, Geo. Rekers, etc.) have a peculiarly poor track record, don’t you think? Since my conservative friends consider the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) to be the ultimate fighting machine, I’d be curious to know how allowing gays in the IDF for decades has hampered unit effectiveness and cohesion in Israel. Any thoughts, Robert?
Your facts on START are wrong. The Russians do not have anywhere near ten times the nuclear arsenal we have. In point of fact, ours is much larger. They DO have a slight advantage in terms of tactical nuclear weapons that can be deployed on a battlefield. But in terms of the ability to wipe out entire cities and countries, you can be a proud ‘Murrican, Robert. We have it all over those red bastards. Perhaps the real conversation to have is about the abolition of ALL nuclear weapons, yes? You are a Christian, I presume?
But more to the point of START, are you really trying to tell us you (or whichever conservative talking head you are channeling) have/has a better handle on international foreign policy and military logistics than James Baker, Bob McFarlane, Henry Kissinger, George Schulz, Larry Eagleberger, Frank Carlucci and Colin Powell? You have a better grasp of these issues than Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton? Are you proposing that you have a more nuanced and developed understanding of this than Richard Lugar, Sam Nunn, Joe Biden, Lee Hamilton, Madeline Albright, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Johnny Isakson, Lamar Alexander, Thad Cochran, Olympia Snowe and Judd Gregg? If so, I am not sure if I am impressed with your level of self-confidence or shocked by your arrogance. Robert, the ONLY opposition to this measure has come from the very far right…and as many of their fellow Republicans have indicated…such opposition is based SOLELY on a desire to see the President fail. This, by default then, means they would rather put America and the world at risk…in the name of scoring cheap, political points. You cannot possibly be THAT obtuse.
As to your opening line about “glowing reviews” of Obama, I can’t comment about Ed or anyone else. I can only point you to me. I am a Democrat. I am a liberal. And I have been ANYTHING but glowing in my assessment of him. I just give credit where credit is due. I would prefer to have a liberal President. Or even a center-left President. But since a centrist like Obama is the best we can hope for in this current culture, where stupidity is a virtue and erudition is a vice, then I’ll have to be satisfied. I like the man, I admit. But I liked other center and center-right Presidents, too — like Bush Senior, Clinton, Ford, Nixon and Eisenhower. Obama’s just the latest in a long line. You want something to celebrate this Christmas, Robert? Celebrate the fact that I am not President. You’d really have something to fear, then.
Merry Christmas, indeed!
Jim
And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.” Matt. 25:40 NRSV
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I still haven’t quite figured out why so many straight men are convinced down to their toes that every woman who draws breath and every male homosexual is filled with panting, uncontrollable desire for them.
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Go read the entire write up. It’s not glowing at all. It’s rather loaded with sarcasm, and astonishment.
Are you opposed to redistribution of wealth? Since 2000, the U.S. has undergone the most massive redistribution of wealth in history, from the poor and middle class to the upper super-wealthy and uber-wealthy — that top 10% you’re worried about. A couple trillion dollars in wealth was redistributed to the wealthy. The U.S. now has a disproportionate portion of wealth controlled by the super wealthy unmatched by most third-world nations.
Where was your cry for justice when that was going on? Why not help the poor? Jesus said we’d always have the poor with us, but He didn’t mean we should work to keep people poor, nor did He mean we should help the rich man get wealthier here, since the rich man would have a tough time making it into heaven.
Where’s your sense of justice, Robert?
The tort lawyers, the guys who fought for those responders knowing there was little chance of pay. Once again, your sense of justice is astonishingly Scroogey, and I mean Scrooge in chapter 1: “The stairs were dark, but darkness was cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
My pastor says we have a choice, between the Prince of Light, or the Prince of Darkness. Scrooge eventually made the right choice. What will it take to make you repent, Robert?
If you can’t control your sexual urges, that’s your problem. We should not punish others for your lack of zipper control. Clearly we need stronger assault rules to protect all soldiers from those few sexual predators who can’t control their zippers.
And sex predators is what they are. There is no sex urge in a foxhole.
You’re confusing the U.S. Army with the Taliban. It’s the Taliban who claim they can’t control their urges and so everyone else must cover up and hide. Our nation fought to knock the Taliban out of power. Whose side are you really on, Robert?
We tolerate straight, right-wing Christians, too. We don’t tolerate sexual deviants who think that homosexuals are after them all the time.
The funny thing is that, if you’re a normal American guy who went through school, played on an athletic team, works out in a gym sometime over your life, goes to a doctor, belonged to a youth organization or other group that took overnights, you’ve already bunked and showered with homosexuals dozens of times. If you expressed those views then, they no doubt feared for their well-being.
To stop bullying such as yours, unfortunately, we need laws. The prophet Ezekiel warned us about antipathy towards gays (and the poor).(Ezekiel 16.49-50: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”)
Less than 1.5 times, but our ability to deliver is much better than theirs, and that is what is being cut most importantly. Their warheads are aging, many of them probably duds. Ours are checked regularly to be sure they are not duds.
The STAR Treaty gives us the right to verify that they cut back. “Trust, but verify” were President Reagan’s words about this agreement. Without the treaty, you’re right, we’d have no way to verify anything. With the treaty, we can verify that they do what they say.
So, verify, or stay in the dark? Once again, you choose darkness. I see an unfortunate trend on these issues, and your choices about them.
You need to check your issues microscope and issues telescope manuals — you’re looking through them the wrong way.
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These glowing write ups never cease to amaze me.
“if Obama hadn’t swallowed that loathsome compromise on tax cuts for the wealthy.” They were temporary extensions of existing rates. Just for the record, the “wealthy” (top 10%) pay 68% of the tax bill. Who should get tax cuts? The lower 50% who pay 3% of the tab? Sounds like more redistribution talk to me.
“Health care for 9/11 responders!” Anybody hear about the 4 billion dollars trimmed off of this bill? Taken away from first responders? Nope. The lawyers fees were cut.
“Gay rights!” Don’t ask don’t tell being repealed is a mistake. I would not want to bunk with or shower with a homosexual, anymore than I would with a woman other than my wife. All I hear about is the poor mistreated homosexuals. What about the multitudes of heterosexuals who are now forced to live in an environment they can barely tolerate if at all? Oh, that’s right, you guys tolerate everyone except straight, right wing, Christian conservatives. My bad.
“Arms control!” START is a mistake. The Russians have 10 times the weapons we have. Of course they will cutback! Or will they? If I had to chose a nation be buddies with, Russia would not be at the trop of the list.
I guess to summarize, Obama is a mistake. Is it 2012 yet?
Merry Christmas
Revelation 22:20
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
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