If you had to pick one statement that concerns you about President Obama most, what would it be?

Like everyone else, I'm trying to figure out what I think about his method of operation. Often, he sends double messages, saying one thing and doing another. Knowing he has to deal with Republicans, who put their party ahead of the country's interest, I try to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Take the gay issue. Though he says he doesn't endorse gay marriage, there is definite progress in that department. Not just with marriages, but in the military.

Can I live with a president who says one thing but does another? Yes, I can. As long as the benefit goes in my direction. But, it's not always going in my direction, so I wonder what's the tipping point for me. What is the one thing that will keep me from voting in the next election. And now, I'm asking you the same question.

and gave the GOP hell. So good on him.

You would think with all the spam emails I get to increase penis size, that the obvious benefit of adopting the metric system would be a selling point.

he needs to stand up for something he believes in, so far very very little show of serious support for much of anything.

at a meta-level, hence his support for Gay Marriage is subsummed into his commitment to Civil Rights for ALL Americans. Technically, that's the most absolute thing he can do for this issue. Any less legally based support from the President would only be USED AGAINST THE ISSUE ITSELF by those who really do hate him, BUT massive grassroots' support lined up behind the foundation of Civil Rights will make this issue about this issue, rather than about Obama.

te, both really very useful rhetorical efforts.

Obama is negating decades of civil rights progress that was done at the federal level. Black Americans wouldn't have civil rights if it had been left up to the states.

That's a problem with meta-positions, so I do have some sympathy for what you are saying.

One thing is certain, he can't do much without enough political support and the bar in that regard seems to be unusually high for this president, so we have a strong self-fulfilling prophecy going on on this and several other issues.

that until enough states embrace an civil rights issue there simply will not be the support at the national federal level to tackle the issue. That is the general trend of civil rights in the country. The hard step is moving the concepts from the point where there is mixed support in the states to a federal program. Rarely can you do something universal without starting with that base. I think Obama understands civil rights history and I think the main issues of his office, trying to get equal pay for equal work and trying to get gay families some type of legal standing have been progressed during his time in office, I think the civil rights issue of class is still slipping. It's really up to the citizens now. How much ground swell of support are these issues going to get. The more support we give them, the more support politically our elected leaders can give.

Shouldn't everyone at DU bash the president constantly for not being Dennis Kucinich? Why would we want to elect someone who has a chance of actually staying in office and trying to push this country back to center? Let's destroy him and run Bernie Sanders! That'll work!

On these topics and others I don't trust that his motives and his behind the scenes efforts to match his speeches. From the first week in office on

* "no lobbyists" EO the first week followed by an exemption the next week and many more to follow,

* his order to all agencies the first week to be more open & transparent. Followed but no meaningful change in FOIA responses and increase in whistle-blower prosecutions

* his fight to keep WH visitor logs secret (even after loosing in court 2 times)

* meeting at Starbucks so visitors don't show in the WH logs (at least rumored but given the point above there's probably something to it)

* the pharma deal he denied at first

* EFCA, DOMA, DADT, Gitmo, the wars, etc.

He has complete control over the first 5. Others depend on Congress but the first 5 make me wonder if he's really making an effort on them or just a lot of talk. I don't even know what to say about Geithner - but having him there doesn't make me trust the administration in anything he's part of.

with those efforts because of the shear size of the Middle Class.

.... why are we talking about just (hanging onto) "protecting" Medicare/Medicaid? Why aren't we talking about taking care of MORE people who need it? Our elderly population is increasing due to the Boomers, our population of children in poverty/needing healthcare, food & education is increasing due to W's reckless fiscal policies ... why are we only talking about keeping status quo instead of taking America toward her next great steps as a humane country?


:shrug:

that Medicare NEEDS reform. It's an old program and has never had anything but tweaking around the edges "to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse".

There's tricks to be played in facility surveys and with CMS reporting systems that largely go under the politically acceptable heading of "Risk Management" and that stuff DOES go on, some of it coming from highly paid consultants. In not-for-profits, Medicare can be used to make a tax-exempt entity look real good and that can result in big salaries (from tax-deductible contributions) for people who either have little or nothing to do with actual CARE or they obstruct it for their own agendas and blame the negative consequences on Nurses and CNAs. Then, because national staffing shortages are so dire (CNAs, for example, typically make maybe 10-12 $$ an hour for one of the absolutely MOST difficult jobs EVER) . . . staffing shortages are so dire that, as long as you don't have a felony on your record, you can go anywhere in this country and get another job tomorrow, which fact results in NO ONE EVER challenging the system that produces these problems.

The nurses in my family say they would not organize for higher pay or higher benefits. What they really REALLY want are professional environments that allow them to do their professional best, so they can go home and get some sleep at night.

efficiency by means of which private insurers can be legitimately criticized.

At this point I am frustrated and offended by his refusal to just step aside already. He clearly doesn't want to be there or do any of the work to earn the right to stay there. He really needs to acknowledge that and hand the job off to someone else, for the sake of the country.