Barney Frank on Pragmatism & President Obama:

NYC Liberal

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Wed Jul-28-10 10:04 PM
Original message

Barney Frank on Pragmatism & President Obama:

Edited on Wed Jul-28-10 10:29 PM by NYC Liberal

Commencement Speech, School of Public Affairs (May 9, 2009)

Understand that the more deeply you hold your ideals, the more you are morally obligated to be pragmatic. Because ideals that are not implemented do nothing but make you feel morally superior. They never fed a hungry kid, they never cleaned up a polluted river, they never built a road that got people anywhere. So yeah, you should be pragmatic after you are idealistic. Pragmatism in the service of idealism is what you need. Idealism without pragmatism is just a way to flatter your ego.

http://www.american.edu/media/20090509_School_of_Public_Affairs_Commencement.cfm

He also had this to say about President Obama & the critics who think Obama is Superman and can just get any bill he wants passed:

I would say to the president, look, I sympathize with President Obama. He’s been criticized by some of my liberal friends. We didn’t get a public option and we didn’t get the other things we wanted. That wasn’t his fault. The economic recovery bill, the stimulus — it wasn’t as big as it should have been. That wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t get the votes. But with regard to appointing Elizabeth Warren, that’s his decision. No one can stop him from making it. And I hope he will appoint her.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/23/frank-stop-elizabeth-warren/

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POAS

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Wed Jul-28-10 10:15 PM
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1. He repeated that point

Edited on Wed Jul-28-10 10:15 PM by POAS

and expanded it somewhat on Maddow tonight:

“We have this unfortunate view that if you are passionately idealistic and committed to a set of views, then you somehow must be unrealistic and if you are someone who is hard headed and understands how to work the political process then you must be someone without values. That's a terrible division, in fact if you are idealistic then you, it seems to me, that you are morally obligated to be pragmatic because otherwise your ideals never get to help anybody, and Elizabeth Warren is an exemplar of that.”

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Cha

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Wed Jul-28-10 10:30 PM
Response to Original message

2. Great! Its seems we have more than a few leaders including President Obama

who are big fans of being pragmatic.

"Morally obligated"..how logical, Barney Frank.

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yowzayowzayowza

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Wed Jul-28-10 11:08 PM
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3. OMG!!1! OMG!! Gawd himself is a pragmatist:

MSNBC: Obama on House health vote: A vote's a vote

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, long a supporter of Medicare-for-all, voted against the House Democratic bill in November because it did not go far enough in creating a robust government-run plan to compete with private insurance. But Kucinich said in a press conference that the bill coming before the House represents the best chance to expand coverage to the uninsured, even if it does not include a public plan.

Kucinich said his decision was a combination of pragmatism and concern about the impact that defeat of the health care bill would have on Obama's presidency.

"You do have to be very careful that the potential of President Obama's presidency not be destroyed by this debate," said Kucinich. "Even though I have many differences with him on policy, there's something much bigger at stake here for America."

Headz er gunna splode.

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NYC Liberal

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Wed Jul-28-10 11:18 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Oh that awful PRAGMATIST!

LOL!

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Cha

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Wed Jul-28-10 11:20 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. yowzayza!

:rofl:

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Political Tiger

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Wed Jul-28-10 11:37 PM
Response to Reply #3

7. Oh dear!

The ELMer Fudds are gonna have to throw Dennis and Barney under the bus now!

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Political Tiger

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Wed Jul-28-10 11:34 PM
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6. "Idealism without pragmatism is just a way to flatter your ego."

Ain't that the truth!

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bobburgster

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Thu Jul-29-10 02:51 PM
Response to Reply #6

13. I loved that line too!

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NJmaverick

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Thu Jul-29-10 08:27 AM
Response to Original message

8. Wow, this is some outstanding material

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treestar

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Thu Jul-29-10 10:12 AM
Response to Original message

9. Bernie will be under the bus soon!

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POAS

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Thu Jul-29-10 10:35 AM
Response to Reply #9

10. Barney? n/t

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treestar

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Thu Jul-29-10 11:51 AM
Response to Reply #10

11. Barney.

Why was I thinking of Bernie Sanders? Not reading too well today!

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quiet.american

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Thu Jul-29-10 02:00 PM
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12. It can't be said any clearer than that. nt

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Number23

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Thu Jul-29-10 08:43 PM
Response to Reply #12

16. It's just a shame that something that seems so much like common damn sense

has to be said at all.

This sentiment should not be news to anyone who considers themselves even moderately intelligent or well-informed.

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quiet.american

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Sat Jul-31-10 12:50 AM
Response to Reply #16

17. Indeed, N23. nt

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bobburgster

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Thu Jul-29-10 02:54 PM
Response to Original message

14. Did you post it in General Discussion?

I would love to read what all our idealist friends have to say about his comments.

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POAS

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Thu Jul-29-10 03:17 PM
Response to Reply #14

15. There is a post

in GD that quotes Barney from last night Maddow Show.

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