thing.

Certainly, there is a new position of strength in effect -- a 5 million vote win is a mandate

it has.

...need to get out there and spread this message, 'cause the MSM sure as hell ain't gonna do it. No no; they are far too busy putting Bonner on the air whining about how the Dems don't want to "compromise".

They will never do anything to help this President nor will they tell the public the truth. It will take some dedicated Dems to get this message out there and it needs to be done in small local media outlets in print and TV. If the Dems can't do anything more than use some campaign monies to put out ads in crucial TV spots. They can do it with early candidate announcements and run on a program of showing how the GOP has played the game, their lies, and their strategies, And Norquist and the band of devils should be exposed for what they are. Selfish, greedy corporatists.

...frogs on thrusday and wait for a stenographer to challenge the proposal...

Then ask them if they did the same with the GOP..

The media wants to seem fair, making their inability to challenge the GOP stand out will help them do so

What a brilliant idea! Thanks for the laugh.

Say what one will, but Ronnie know how to take the message straight to the people. The president needs to get on TV and lay it out for everyone.

They are happy to sit back and wait for Democrats to make all the proposals, then sit back and attack Democrats for not being bipartisan or, worse, attack Democrats for cutting programs while also attacking Democrats for not cutting spending enough. It is great that some folks in the media like Krugman are trying to hold Republicans accountable.

Think about this. Only ONE Party in this country really feels that the business of GOVERNING falls under their purvue, only ONE Party in this nation actually believes in the usefullness of Governing in the first place. In those terms, OF COURSE the GOP expects us to do at least some (if not ALL) of their "half" of governing, cutting deals/making compromises , etc, FOR THEM, as they have disabused themselves of the idea that they have to KNOW how to do these things for themselves. They have so bought into the idea that WE will do that work FOR them, that the GOP is simply a hollow shell of a Governing Party, and The President refusing to do their half of this work FOR them, does indeed expose that emptiness to the Public. They're not angry or upset that a deal has to be cut, or that they lost a Presidential Election, they are TERRIFIED of the idea that they DON'T KNOW how to GOVERN anymore, and we won't cover their ass anymore and that the Public will see this truth for what is really is.

...Against himself is "a failure to lead." Of course, the corporate media will start pushing this talking point to try to pressure President Obama to make concessions without Republicans putting anything on the table.

When I hear someone rail against ObamaCare, I ask what it is they don't like about it. Most can't answer.

When I ask which ReTHUG health plan they think we should go with, they can't name one. That's when I tell them that's because they don't have a plan for people to have affordable health insurance. The reason for that is because they don't want you to have it.

Same with sensible tax reform. The thugs don't want it. They just want your money. Otherwise, they'd have a plan.

right out of the gate in his first term.

it was like he had a need to be liked and respected by republicans, like that was EVER gonnna happen....he wasted a LOT of time

...attention to their traitorous actions

Has anyone taken the time to consider that where he is today ... the support he enjoys today ... is BECAUSE OF his conciliatory positions of his first term. Had he "held the line" in his first term, we would no doubt been in a worse position economically; but without the popular support he enjoys because the narrative would be ""See they both refuse to work together" and that narrative would have been correct.

And also as a black man, he can't just succeed at being president; he has to be Superman. Double standard due to race. To his credit, he doesn't complain about that either.

I think many posters here don't grasp the long game the president is playing or how truly brilliant he is. If you look at his campaign, it is rich with symbolism and meaning that will be more apparent when the history books are written. He also studied history and the presidency vigorously. I think he applies those lessons daily.

If he had been anyone than who he had been during his first term, there would NOT be a second term. Now unencumbered, I think we will see the transcendent leader who we had hoped for. These early glimpses are very promising.

to show us what we already knew. Got it!!!

as in, Democrats/liberals/progressives, but "THEM", as in that other 47% of the American electorate, that was saying "Both sides are doing it."

Understand now?

they'd vote for a ham sandwich if it had an - R by its name

So why try to do what it takes to actually govern, right?

huh?

Bottomline ... President Obama understands that in this country, most of us value the idea of TRYING to work with the political opposition. Even when it appears weak ... even when a segment of that population refuses to work with you. He knows that the worst result is you appear weak, to the go faster crowd; that's what separates democracies from dictatorships. But he, also understands that the likely result is, as we are seeing ... a majority of the electorate will see the obstructionist opposition for what they are.

However, he is not out there selling Progressivism. He is out there apologizing for DLC'ism.

be selling Progressivism? He is not, nor has he claimed to be, a "Progressive."

sitting in our boxers at home scanning the news between looking at funny pictures of cats.

BabyGirl 1StrongBlackMan ...

one doesn't have to be smart to be elected.

Just pointing out that intelligence isn't a requirement for winning public office.

it is about trying to do the right thing for the country by being fair, open to compromise and transparent and HOPING that such actions would at least generate some return of civility and cooperation. That's the act of a grownup. The country was facing a crisis worse than the 9/11 attacks and as you recall Bush got cooperation across the board from Democrats after that (for the first year or two at least). Obama never got 1/50th of that cooperation and nobody, not even you Monday morning quarterbacks on message boards, could have predicted the amount of animosity and the obstruction and the hate that would be awaiting Obama from the very first day in office. It is unprecedented in American history so excuse Obama if he didn't see that coming. I can understand being critical of him on this front after his first two years in office when he still tried to extend a hand to the other side, but I'm not buying criticism of him thinking he could do this when he was first sworn into office. Also, I think in the back of his mind he felt the press and the public would at least remember that he bent over backwards to work with the Republicans, but obviously that didn't really happen either and thus he got just as much blame. The lesson was long and painful but I don't hold it against him from trying to put the nation's needs ahead of politics when he got it.

and they agreed with him because they were paid by the same people to do so.

though they are giving Obama a different variety of grief than they gave Bill Clinton.

In Clinton's case, they humiliated him PERSONALLY but when he did his triangulating, they would vote for those conservative bills and he would sign them.

Obama went straight to triangulating, to the frustration of his progressive base, and the Republicans wouldn't play.

you NAIL it

There has been more pressure on President Obama then any president since FDR. And FDR had two things going for him that Obama has never had, Wealthy roots and White privilege.

I don't think any of us Caucasian Progressives can truly appreciate the historic peril Obama's first term as president has been subjected to. I am sure that to Michelle and Barack, failure as the first Black President is not an option, risk-taking is not an option. Playing into the Stereotypes has not been an option.

This man has been the epitome of Gentile, Diplomatic, Familial and Presidential. In the face of horrendous historical pressure and the constant abuse of a large, influential body of bigoted Americans, he has stood tall and made them look like the idiots that they are. He has forged a new path for minorities in this country and done so with dignity.

I think he deserves our patience, our gratitude and our trust.

I'm so glad a "Caucasian Progressive" is willing to say that out-loud ... I know how difficult it must be for many Caucasian Progressives to verbalize.

As a white progressive, I still marvel at how much crap President Obama has had to put up with.

we would have seen "a less than one term and done", for President Obama, personally and a "never again" for African-Americans (and probably women), collectively.

Us Democrats/Liberals/Progressives really do need to get over this need to APPEAR as the baddest boy on the block/form over substance thing ... as in most situations, it gets you nowhere, but in a fight.

and it is that important that he is who he is at this particular time in history. Can you imagine how far back we would be set if he had played it different. I belive he has actually allowed all the right-wing hatefullness come to full fruit in the eyes of society by being his particulary upstanding self.

the Jackie Robinson of the U.S. Presidency, not only because he's the first; but because he has the temperment to put up with the B.S. that'll ensure he won't be the last.

of lefties as being weak.

form sells form; substance gets things done.

Who cares about rightwing stereotypes of the left, other than those on the left, desperate to project an image that ultimately gets in our own way.

The crucial mistake those on the left made was they thought it was enough to have the facts on their side and policies that worked.

Since Republicans had a hatful of shit, they were obliged to work on form until they made it a chocolate cake and made our cake the hatful of shit.

If form didn't matter, businesses wouldn't spend billions on ads and marketing, even when they have excellent products.

even if you are thinking Sidney Poitier in IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT rather than Samuel L Jackson in anything.

Otherwise, you'd be "1AccommodatingBlackMan."

I would love to see President Obama get gully; but I recognize that, if President Obama were to go SLJ ... America, including many "Liberals" would foreclose on any chance of there being a second African-American President.

Just as, if Jackie Robinson had reacted (as I'm certain he wanted to) to the crap he faced, there wouldn't have been another African-American Baseball Player for another generation. It is the bane of being the first.

after him. People would think, "Oh my GOD! Why did we settle for white guys for so long?!"

Sort of like all the sports that were considered the exclusive domain of whites until some break-out black athlete like Tiger Woods or Venus and Serena Williams. (I hope the next time we see it is with horse dancing, just to mess with rich people).

in THIS America.

or at least R & B.

If you hit them at just the right angle...what was once unthinkable would suddenly become indispensable.

angels advocate.

This president is under more pressure than any of his (caucasian) constituents can understand.

Lucky for us he performs remarkably well under that kind of pressure.

In the past only to be derided. But it can't be minimized. Thanks Bill (O'Reilly). His comments on election night finally cristaluzed that for many people.

The entire Obama family, under an electron microscope of scrutiny and illuminated by the harsh spotlight of hundreds of years of this nation's vile history, have stoically and elegantly walked a perilous tight rope through the field of land minds planted throughout their first term. No others have had the burden that they have had.

If anything, the insanity of racism and the lengths that some would go to reinforce a superiority complex inflicted on others, has been laid bare to the nation and world.

I do applaud the approx. 40% of whites who did vote for our current President (including DUers) as often, they get lumped in with the lunatic fringe in discussions of racism.

you don't understand why sometimes people wear raincoats and other times short sleeves.

When Democrats win it's "Boo hoo - where is the spirit of bipartisanship"



republicons are fucked and nothing the so called "centrists" like Cokie Roberts or David Gergen says is going to save them.

I am so damn sick of Republican posturing and obstructing..when will the entire country see them for what they are,,a nasty bunch of con artists and liars with flags..supported by Fox News, talk radio and a handful of multi billionaires who are appealing to the ignorant and the racist..

Neither side has to do anything to get what they wanted and neither side gets blamed. It's the Supercommittee's fault ... and either way, we're getting fucked.

Interesting watching them skirm like maggots in hot ashes.

BTW, Wile E Coyote has been given some lines of dialogue in more recent cartoons.

Right now, I can't help thinking that:

• Wile E. Coyote = Speaker Boehner
  
• The Road Runner = Pres. Obama.

Americans are so sick of Republican complaining, whining, and negativity, feeble-minded FAIL, and weasel words.

Put up or STFU, Repubbies.

about his claim that any agenda to balance the budget would involve cuts to popular programs - at least if by that he means, social security or medicare.

The defense budget could be cut, and you'd balance the budget easily over any given time period. Unless Krugman is implying that defense spending is a popular government program - which, I guess it is, in terms of creating jobs.

And you could cut the defense budget without affecting capability and you could do that a number of ways.

That's probably why Republicans are so tight-lipped - defense spending is where they all make their money.

the ( rs) are at it again. blame this one on obama . i say go over the fiscal cliff . let it fail. and then let the rs pick their mess up that the rs have created .

DEFICITS are absolutely necessary to STARVE THE BEAST and "shrink government" to a size that can be drowned in a bathtub.

The inescapable political reality is that the American people like the Social Security & Medicare programs, and they want to keep them

And the plain fact of the matter is that these programs (along with much of the social safety net) will never be eliminated or severely curtailed as long as there are government funds to keep those programs going.

This should be obvious to anyone who really knows how to pay attention:
DEFICITS are absolutely essential to the Republican agenda.

We were so nice that we let them do it. We had fake commissions, and bipartisanship.

Boy I sure want to say something about assassinations in the 60's, but that's another subject, I guess.

I see your point but to our Vets and active duty personnel, it's not fake.

Could we use illegal instead?

Calling Grover Norquist: off with their heads!!!!!

are either ignorant or dishonest about what's going on with themselves and those around them, puts ANY effort at risk of being undercut, BETRAYED (sound familiar, all?) by "others" while the "good" Republicans that you might try to work with claim Plausible Deniability in regards to where our mutual failures might come from.

BULLSHIT!

Cut them loose, we can do this without them.

and yell out that the emperor has no clothes, and that the GOP position is malarkey!

Even longer if they don't spend some time rethinking their ideology.

The GOP has targeted the President since he was elected four years ago and has continued since his reelection in November 2012.

To this citizen and Veteran they disgust me beyond words and have no clue to Constitutional Law. They are in fact as law makers just a joke and the whole lot should be thrown out of Washington.

Their only job is to embarrass the President and that is about it.

their only policy position is more war, less taxes, smaller gov't. Even when they don't define what any of those mean. They just say that and get reelected.

Take to the airwaves and the internet. Keep up the pressure from everywhere and get Big Dog out there as often as possible. People love him and he's just really good at getting the points across.