Eugene Robinson: A Record You Can Believe In

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/11/03/a_record_you_can_believe_in_98992.html

A Record You Can Believe In
By Eugene Robinson


WASHINGTON -- It's been a year since a healthy majority of American voters elected Barack Obama to change the world. Which is precisely what he's doing.

Like many people who desperately want to see the country take a more progressive course, I quibble and quarrel with some of President Obama's actions. I wish he'd been tougher on Wall Street, quicker to close Guantanamo, more willing to investigate Bush-era excesses, bolder in seeking truly universal health care. I wish he could summon more of the rhetorical magic that spoke so compellingly to the better angels of our nature.

But he's a president, not a Hollywood action hero. Most of my frustration is really with the process of getting anything done in Washington, which is not something Obama can unilaterally change, nimbly circumvent or blithely ignore. One thing the new administration clearly did not anticipate was that Republicans in Congress would be so consistently and unanimously obstructionist -- or that Democrats would have to be introduced to the alien concept of party discipline. It took the White House too long to realize that bipartisanship is a tango and that there's no point in dancing alone.

Step back for a moment, though, and look at Obama's record so far. His biggest accomplishment has been keeping the worst financial and economic crisis in decades from turning into another Great Depression. Yes, the $787 billion stimulus package was messy, but most economists believe it was absolutely necessary -- and some believe it should have been even bigger. Yes, Obama continued the Bush-era policy of showering irresponsible financial institutions with billions in public funds. Yes, the administration bailed out the auto industry -- and we actually heard the president of the United States reassure Americans that General Motors warranties would be honored.

But these and other actions convinced the financial markets that the White House would do anything to avoid a complete meltdown. The economy grew at a rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter and, while unemployment may not yet have peaked, the odds of a strong and fairly swift recovery have greatly improved.

Responding to the crisis required creating an enormous fiscal deficit that Obama will spend years trying to cut down to size. But not even the most conservative economists recommend attacking the deficit before the economy is stabilized on a path of growth. Only Republican demagogues think that's a good idea.

On national security, Obama moved at once to categorically renounce torture -- a big step toward removing the ugly stain that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney left on our national honor. It looks as if Obama will miss his self-imposed one-year deadline for closing the Guantanamo prison, but a delay of a few weeks or months will be worth it if the administration succeeds in developing a comprehensive legal framework -- consistent with our ideals and traditions -- for bringing terrorism suspects to justice.

Obama should have supported a full-blown investigation into apparent Bush-era violations of national and international law. And, at a minimum, he should allow the limited torture probe ordered by Attorney General Eric Holder to follow the evidence wherever it might lead.

But at least the administration is on schedule in withdrawing combat troops from Iraq. I don't think Obama knows the right answer on Afghanistan; I'm not sure anybody does.

Obama's months in office have been so action-packed that it's easy to forget some of the historic steps he has taken: Nominating Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic, to the Supreme Court. Going to Egypt and speaking directly to the Muslim world about cooperation rather than conflict. Embracing multilateralism as the template for U.S. foreign policy in the new century. Accepting the scientific consensus on climate change. Investing in "green" jobs and education reform as key engines of economic development.

And then there's health care reform. I've been impatient with Obama's strategy of letting Congress take the lead on writing legislation, but he's brought us to the brink of truly meaningful reform much faster than anyone could have imagined a year ago. We still have some fighting to do over two words -- "public" and "option" -- but it looks clear that the principle that everyone is entitled to health insurance, a Democratic Party goal for at least six decades, is about to become law.

Quite a record for 287 days: All that, and a Nobel Peace Prize, too.

There is a common sense to his writing that always leaves me with a bit of a smile.

I have to also cut him some slack because I think the difficult times we live in will forge his Presidency. I think the times of FDR's administration forged his. I think the mettle of a person must be measured by their legacy after they've done their job, not by onlookers long on criticism and short on pitching in with a mob.

I like Eugene, so his opinion is very important to me. Gitmo is perhaps the ONE thing the President will receive a lot of flack over to which there were the most obstacles. I mean, one can make an argument that that the stimulus wasn't big enough, he had direct control over that .... but it's not like he can FORCE the prisoners to go to other countries or FORCE state side prisons to take them. (At least until now.)

I wonder what Eugene thinks that the President should have done differently. I need to go a'Googling.

concerning Gitmo; maybe the fact that he set a deadline that probably won't be met could be considered mild criticism. I blame that on all the asshats who couldn't possibly accept scary terraists in state-side max. security prisons, places from where no one has ever escaped.

.... he prob. should have left that out of the argument. lol

I mean, I realize a writer has to address both sides of an argument, but I wish he would not have included that one. You and I both know the President ordered it closed on like day two and MOST other men/women who had just been sworn in would not have done that. It was a very ballsy thing to do even within the Democratic party. This "controversy" over not closing it by the deadline (if that is what happens) is perhaps one of the most manufactured controversies of his admin and it bothers me that Eugene brought it up.

Like I said, I'm going to see if Eugene has addressed the matter more fully somewhere else.

The day I see Eugene argue one side of an argument rather than state his opinion honestly is the day I stop listening.

fairly.
KnR

High expectations tempered with a realistic view of what he's up against in Congress.

sure they're things that could've been done better or you wish moved faster, but overall it been a very good first year.

Thank you, Eugene Robinson..I'm so appreciative that we were able to have "this year".

In sea of Left madness.

there is so much shark jumped crazy shit posted here

:thumbsup:

...to remind myself on those days when I'm feeling down.

that everyone is entitled to health insurance, a Democratic Party goal for at least six decades, is about to become law."

If the "principle" that everyone is entitled to "health insurance" is the best the Democratic Party can do, then, words fail me.

Overall, it's a fair minded assesment, but that last paragraph just kills me.

governing the country don't even agree to that principle, things become a little harder. the principle is where it all starts, hopefully the implementation won't be a total failure, and give people with no hope, some hope.

My complaint is that the focus in on "health insurance" rather than on where it should be, and historically has been, health CARE. Somewhere, somehow, quite recently, the focus changed from one to another, and not for the better.

Good for Gene! Laying it out so plainly.

and many of his accomplishment have gone unheralded, or overshadowed by the most contentious issues such as Health care and Afghanistan. I like what Obama said on Letterman - that all the problems that come to his desk are the hard problems that no one else can solve easily.

OBAMA 2012!!!!

I haven't seen anything on the Healt Care front that isn't just more of the same, with a convenient cadre of combatants fighting for entertainment.

and people who have lost their insurance after developing serious illnesses.

Both of the bills will provide essential relief to these people.

that would take effect immediately.

Have you read the 1900 page bill yet?

To be honest, I don't expect anything good from it, because I want Universal Healthcare or nothing at all.

We've spent way too much on the Military to be conned into anything less.

Who was president when the $787 billion stimulus package was passed? Reinflating the bubble isn't fixing the problem. economists believe it was absolutely necessary -- and some thought that guaranteeing the mortgages would solve the peoples problem and the banking problem too. But the bankers Obama kept and hired on, found a way to fix the banks, restore the bankers bonuses, and leave the mortgagees holding the bag. Yes, Obama continued the Bush-era policy of showering irresponsible financial institutions with billions in public funds. The economy grew at a rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter while we continue to produce less intrinsic value.

If it wasn't for the manifest depravity of the Bush administration, denouncing torture would be nothing at all. Has he ended extraordinary rendition? Not exactly. Has he signed an extension of the civil rights usurping Patriot Act? Has he continued the secrecy policies he campaigned against?

Obama should have supported a full-blown investigation into apparent Bush-era violations of national and international law. And, at a minimum, he should allow the limited torture probe ordered by Attorney General Eric Holder to follow the evidence wherever it might lead. Gene is correct here.

How about the right question on Afghanistan: How will we know we're done there?

For real change Obama found middle of the road jurist to offset the radical corporatists appointed by the last guy. Accepting the scientific consensus on climate change? Surely we shouldn't be praising people for simply not being stupid?.

After conspiring to undermine change with Pharma behind closed doors, Obama gave power put in his hands by the voters over to the very party the voters had just taken it away from. The result being enhanced revenues for those standing between the people and world-class health coverage, higher costs for all the payers, and a lot of bullshit about what a fine bill it is. Change doesn't take 1100 pages.

Even McCain would have looked better in many respects than the last guy. Being not Bush might be enough to become president, but is nowhere near enough to be a good and effective president. Just as Bush took that 9/11 unity and wasted it by grabbing for more power via usurpation, Obama has squandered his "I'm Not Bush" unity, trying to gain more power by giving what he promised to his supporters over to his opponents. You're welcome to your faith, but to have trust would be delusional in the face of experience.

Master Plan (OR the plan of the Masters') Is working perfectly.

After eight years of Bush, Americans do not want to bother thinking about things. The Nazi torment has ended, and Obama is not only President, he is coherent and personable. These key facts affect the idea that to look deeper is to approve of Bush...

But beneath Obama's facade of Mr Nice Guy, lurks a man who took a 62% voter mandate, a 76% indication that Americans want REAL HEALTH CARE REFORM and then he stalled. He stalled while no one is Congress had one decent strong talking point idea. (Except for Conyer's HR 676, on HCR.)

Instead Obama was all conciliatory -- visiting town hals across the nation and sputtering out such incredibly insipid statements as "Well, uh, the Public Option is only one tool and may not even be in the finalized version."

Meanwhile Geithener and Bernanke continued the Plunder. Geithner asked late on a Friday not too long ago for yet another increase in the nation's debt limit - we had already gone past the last debt limit of twelve tril. (This request got little news coverage.)

What has occurred is an absolute coup. The "Nazis" supposedly have resigned, but keep in mind, they have not fled. The Dems are the New Republicans, except even Nixon would have never allowed the eleven trillion dollar and counting Geithner/Bernanke raid on Main Street.

And most Americans keep kidding themselves. Which is possible to do until you lose your job. Or until the day that will eventually come when the Second Wave of The Crash occurs. This time Main Street is penniless, jobless, and homeless, and there will not be any way at all to restore that resulting Second Crash non-economy!

drinking "koolaid" because he has a view that differs from yours.

Cheap shot.

run of the mill Democrat to accomplish. I had higher hopes i guess.

"A run of the mill Democrat".


For over 100 years... a time that included 7 Democratic Presidents.... *NO* action was taken on health care reform.

This President is taking it on.


You have no sense of perspective or history.

"...it looks clear that the principle that everyone is entitled to health insurance, a Democratic Party goal for at least six decades, is about to become law...." Huh?

Apparently I've been hanging around the wrong Democrats because I've never heard that principle

Oh I've heard about the principle of "health care'

And "entitled to health insurance" is a bit different than "mandatory health insurance" as currently proposed

Unless my dictionary is wrong. Mr. Robinson is a smart man and I'm sure he understands the difference.
Confusing.