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It's the ineptitude, folks.

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Home » Discuss » General Discussion: Presidency Donate to DU
 
Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-07-10 11:29 PM
Original message
It's the ineptitude, folks.
The source of the anger, it seems to me, is not no much the compromise itself. It's the months and months of sheer incompetence that led us to this point.

The Democratic leadership --Congress AND the White House-- has completely and utterly failed us, by letting this "hostage situation" develop in the first place. That's a painful realization, for any but the most politically jaded.

And so the argument that "it is what it is," that there was no other choice but to make a deal, lest the unemployed get slaughtered... well, while that's true, it's of very little solace.

Same goes for the argument that there's no way to rewind the clock, that the reality of the moment is all we have: true, but hardly comforting.

And neither is much of an excuse. really, because the next thought that naturally occurs is, "Why continue to support such incompetence at all?"

That, it seems to me, is what all these threads are in effect asking. This is a real heart-and-soul moment for millions of long-time Democratic voters, whether you approve or not. They're asking whether Democrats are worth supporting in the future, or whether the risks and costs of creating an alternative are worth bearing.

They know the arguments against voting third-party. But they also know that they've been utterly let down by the party they put in control of the House, the Senate and the White House.

They've heard the retorts saying "the votes weren't there" on one issue or another. But they also know that they elected leadership not merely to find consensus, but to build it, using all the very powerful tools at their disposal.

They know perfectly well how "the system" works. And they know perfectly well when it's not being made to work on their behalf, because those they entrusted with the task are unable (or unwilling) to do so.

And so they're left to wonder, "What now?" What comes next from here? I don't claim to know the answer. But I think it's important to understand the question.
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brentspeak Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-07-10 11:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. Give at least Pelosi some credit for resisting Obama's craven deal n/t
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emsimon33 Donating Member (904 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:28 AM
Response to Reply #1
12. She is the only leader that the American people can count on
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Skink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-07-10 11:33 PM
Response to Original message
2. The White house probably twists arms when they want to delay these things/
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ProSense Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-07-10 11:33 PM
Response to Original message
3. The hostage situation was set up in 2001 (tax cuts)
and executed in 2007 (economic collapse).

There was an opportunity to make the best of a not good situation a few months ago, but Democrats chose not to take advantage of it.

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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:22 PM
Response to Reply #3
17. On this we agree:
Edited on Wed Dec-08-10 01:22 PM by Zenlitened
There was an opportunity to make the best of a not good situation a few months ago, but Democrats chose not to take advantage of it.


Although I would argue that the opportunity was present over a much longer span of time.
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COLGATE4 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:11 AM
Response to Original message
4. Obama definitely wasn't ready for prime time. Now, it's showing.
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RufusTFirefly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:11 AM
Response to Original message
5. Ineptitude? Baloney!!
Wake up and smell the coffee.

The "spineless" and "incompetent" memes need to be put out to pasture once and for all.

"We" didn't pass a middle-class tax-cut because we weren't in charge. The kinder, gentler version of the corporate butt-lickers was. And we aren't their constituents.

If this wasn't obvious to one and all some time ago, I hope it's finally sinking in.
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:20 PM
Response to Reply #5
16. You make an important point. - n/t
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FrenchieCat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:12 AM
Response to Original message
6. Yep.....ours!
And our lazyness,
and our air of entitlement of
not having to do a single thing
but always blame one man.
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displacedvermoter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:23 PM
Response to Reply #6
18. You forget to say "one BLACK man"
isn't that the point now?

Isn't bringing up his competence now a racial code? Is that the new paradigm in Obama Defense against any and all criticism?

Pitiful!
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:26 PM
Response to Reply #6
20. The careful reader will note...
... that the OP directs criticism at both the President and the Congress.
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displacedvermoter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. I was referring to post #6
and she never directs criticism at the President.
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 02:00 PM
Response to Reply #21
22. Understood. :)
:)
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bigwillq Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-09-10 06:38 PM
Response to Reply #20
25. But why should she bother reading
Edited on Thu Dec-09-10 06:40 PM by bigwillq
when all she wants to do is play the race card. :eyes:
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Divernan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-09-10 02:47 AM
Response to Reply #6
23. We are blaming the man in charge, as in the buck stops there.
Edited on Thu Dec-09-10 02:48 AM by Divernan
"We" are typically lifelong Democrats who donated (that means gave for free) our time and our money to the point of real sacrifice to get Obama elected in both the primary and final elections. In my work with many other volunteers (99% white), I did not encounter a single racist. We shared many recollections of our individual efforts to fight racism and promote integration in years gone by.

"We" are typically not merely lifelong Democrats, but politically active(as in local and state Democratic committeemen and women, local government elected/appointed officials, judges of elections, etc.) politically sophisticated, lifelong Democrats who well understand political machinations in Washington.

"We" are typically far from lazy and for the past two years have been increasingly, desperately phoning and emailing Congress & the White House, and posting on the net to urge all concerned to follow through on Obama's campaign platform.

The President of the United States has long been internationally known as the most powerful man in the world. Tragically, the current president's essence has been captured by one of the cartoons posted elsewhere on DU ("The Cartoonists respond, day 2, posted by n2doc) , showing Obama and 3 other men sitting around a table playing poker. Obama says "I fold." Boehner, sitting across from him says "He hasn't finished dealing the cards yet!"

OP makes the cogent point that we don't elect presidents to FIND consensus. We elect them to BUILD consensus.

And please explain to me your take on what I & many commentators call the poison pill Obama put into this package. That is the 35% cut in social security withholding, cheerfully labeled by Obama as "the payroll tax holiday". This cut was never placed on the table by Dem. legislators, even the Blue Dogs. The Democrats have never, I repeat NEVER, agreed to, let alone, suggested reducing the payroll taxes which fund social security. As FDR said, "We put those payroll contributions there so as to give the contributors a legal, moral and political right to collect their pensions and their unemployment benefits. With those taxes in there, no damn politician can ever scrap my Social Security program." Well, Obama outfoxed FDR, didn't he?

The biggest problem with this "holiday" is that it seriously undermines Social Security. And who first suggested it?
None other than the sworn enemies of retirement benefits on Obama's Deficit Commission. And I remind you, it was Obama, and not members of the Congress, who formed this Deficit Commission, and then explicitly authorized it to address Social Security - which doesn't affect the deficit.

I refer you to a detailed & powerful analysis of this whole mess by Richard Eskow at Huffington Post.

www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/obamas-tax-holiday-a-pois_b_793526.html


"Flash-forward to 2012: The "holiday" is set to end. Republicans aren't likely to acknowledge that this was a temporary program, any more than they did with the Bush cuts. Any attempt to let the 2% cut expire will be spun as an "Obama tax hike" on the middle class. In order to believe this "holiday" is really temporary, you have to believe that Obama and other Democrats will be willing to take that kind of heat, under enormous pressure in an election year. Any takers?

"Extending this 2% cut would gut Social Security's finances forever. But whatever happens, look at what Social Security's enemies will have accomplished:
(1)The "lockbox" principle between Social Security and the overall budget will have been erased forever. A relatively small infusion of cash into the trust fund will be the poison pill that erases the "trust fund" principle. Once the program has contributed to the deficit, it's no longer separately funded;
(2)The enemies of Social Security will have painted a bull's eye on its only source of funding. People will see it as a "new tax" -- in a year when the economy's not expected to have fully recovered;
(3)They'll be in a position to argue, once again, that "America can't afford" to provide financial security for middle-class seniors;
(4) What's more, would-be cutters like Maya McGuineas and Alan Simpson have made it clear that they'd love to get their hands on the $2.6 trillion in Social Security's Trust Fund to use it for other purposes (like covering the debt that was run up by tax cuts for the wealthy and a couple of wars). This will give them their chance.


"How do you think all of this is going to play out? My guess is that the 2% cut will be extended for even the richest Americans. After all, 94% of the working public would see their payroll tax go from 4.2% back up to 6.2%. Can't you see the campaign ads now? "Democrats want to increase your payroll taxes by fifty percent!"

(End of quote)

Who here on DU can possibly defend this underhanded, stealth attack on Social Security?
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-09-10 06:36 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. I think it's important, though, to assign blame where it's due: everywhere.
The entire Democratic leadership, Congress included, is guilty of political malpractice here.

:hi:

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VMI Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:14 AM
Response to Original message
7. The President has displayed weak leadership.
He was not ready for prime time.
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ProSense Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:20 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. "He was not ready for prime time." I
Edited on Wed Dec-08-10 12:26 AM by ProSense
completely disagree.

- In June 2009, U.S. Forces occupied 357 bases. U.S. Forces currently occupy 121 bases, and are expected to reduce that number to 94 bases by the end of August.

link


...He canceled a weapons program that was bloated, unnecessary and totally irrelevant to either of our current wars, the F-22. Why even mention the cancellation of a single weapons system? Because that never happens. Weapons systems never get canceled. The F-22 did, which is itself a miracle.

link

U.S. corporations are on track for the biggest earnings growth in 22 years and the stock market is headed for its best back-to- back annual gains since 2004

"U.S. achieves biggest one-year deficit reduction in American history"

Trade Deficit in U.S. Shrinks as Exports Climb to Two-Year High

Obama announces trade deals with India worth billions

Big Win for the Obama Administration

Netanyahu agrees to Obama plan of 90 day settlement freeze.

US, South Korea Reach Highly-Coveted Trade Deal

Fed's massive data release offers new insight into financial crisis

Elizabeth Warren Recruits Dodd-Frank Enforcers From 50 States

What About the Obama Tax Cuts?

Commemorating World AIDS Day

Obama Administration’s Achievements

One of the best President's ever. It's not his fault that these are chaotic times.


On edit, obligatory calling out the right:

Obama: Fox News is 'destructive' to America

Obama slams GOP for obstructing economic progress

Obama Blasts Republican Economic Policies: GOP 'Snake Oil' Could Jeopardize Economy


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TwilightGardener Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:18 AM
Response to Original message
8. The votes weren't there. Among DEMOCRATS.
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:19 PM
Response to Reply #8
15. That's why I make the distinction between finding consensus and *building* it. - n/t
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dave29 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:22 AM
Response to Original message
10. Run. Please. Lets see you do better
:hi:
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paulk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:26 AM
Response to Reply #10
11. what are you, in 3rd grade or something?
make a grown up argument
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VMI Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 12:29 AM
Response to Reply #11
13. C'mon....that was substantive substance.
:rofl:
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Zenlitened Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 01:24 PM
Response to Reply #10
19. *snort*
So much for representative democracy, eh? True citizens keep their mouths shut! :eyes:

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budkin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-08-10 09:03 AM
Response to Original message
14. Exactly
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