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Street art by Scot Lefavor. (photo: voteprime)
I’ve put the question to a number of people — if President Obama were to do five things tomorrow, what should they be?
The idea has taken root that the President is held captive by the need for 60 votes in the Senate, but his executive powers extend far beyond that. He can issue executive orders, rules and regulations, he has the power of appointment, and he can negotiate executive agreements with foreign countries.
Right now, the country is facing serious unemployment and foreclosure crises, among other problems. In his role as chief executive, without the need of congressional approval, what could Obama do immediately to address these issues?
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1. Appoint a special prosecuter to investigate crimes committed by the executive branch over the last 10 years. (Waiving all executive privelage on subpoenas.)
2. Stop bombing people
3. Urge Attorney General to prosecute all CEO’s of firms that hire undocumented workers
4. Begin closing all millitary bases around the world and bring the troops home. Have the troops rebuild americas infrastructure
5. Cancel all mountain top removal mining permits.
So many things but it is a start.
Issue an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Defense to immediately suspend all investigations and discharges under DADT, using his military stop/loss powers. Right now.
Biden said the deal was made that Obama wouldn’t do this in exchange for the Senate enacting ‘repeal’ — which didn’t happen. So, no deal.
Endorse Prop 19, Measure 74, and the other pot referenda on the November ballot.
Order all DEA raids on state-permitted dispensaries stopped. Withdraw federal support for raids by state enforcement entities.
Obama has boxed himself into a position of weakness, and I sense his friends and foes are aware of this.
That said, I would look at freezing all mortgage forclosures; halt or freeze consumer credit default issues with banks; cut the income tax in half for a year; initiate medicare for all; and the wars by beginning the exit from Afghanistan and Iraq (for real).
The crisis we are enduring means bold moves are required.
I’m waiting for the WHAT Should Congress Do thread
I’m still stuck on that dern Constitution
But he could stop wars, lawless imprisonment, warrantless spying, torture, prosecutions of whistleblowers, claims of state secrecy to deny rights and knowledge, signing statements, and making speeches.
Fulfill his Reneged-upon PROMISES, NOW! (Pick ANY 5)!! Better, ALL of DEM!!!
Resign.
hey Jane,
would love to hear some of the responses from that “number of people” :D
Implement a new WPA:
Created by order of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the WPA was funded by Congress with passage of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 on April 8, 1935. The legislation had passed in the House of Representatives by a margin of 329 to 78, but was delayed by the Senate.[1]
Headed by Harry Hopkins, the WPA provided jobs and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States. Between 1935 and 1943, the WPA provided almost eight million jobs.[3]
Until ended by Congress and war employment during 1943, the WPA was the largest employer in the country. Most people who needed a job were eligible for at least some of its jobs.[4]
Obama could take one for the team (the team being the people, not the oligarchy) – like a lame duck governor who commutes all the death sentences in his state, knowing he will become a political pariah. Obama could use every single tool at his disposal to do the kinds of things mentioned above over the next two years. Of course the oligarchy would replace him in 2012 – or perhaps sooner – but he could go down fighting. It will never happen because that has never been Obama’s role or his intention, but it’s fun to daydream about.
Decree that all elections from this moment forward will be publicly funded (I doubt he can do this but it would be nice).
A modern WPA could focus on infrastructure and Large Scale Wind and Solar projects.
The jobs ain’t coming from the Pirate Sector, no matter how much Obama, Blue Dogs and The Creeps(R) want them to.
40 years of tax cuts have lead to the offshoring of our jobs.
The question could as well be “What things will Obama do now.” Answer: Nothing. He and his have delineated what their beliefs are from FISA, rule of law, foreclosure and economic stimulus to dislike of the Democratic liberal base. The question you pose is moot.
Declare martial law. Arrest all Republicans.
Congress isn’t in session so there’s not much they can do right now, unless my calendar is wrong.
1) stop discharging under dadt
2) rescind personal mandate from insurance bill
3) demonstrate he will start hiring people with living wage infrastructure programs, even if it means they are not “private sector jobs”
4)de-certify blackwater
5) confirm habeas rights for all prisoners
1. Appoint a committee to investigate financial crimes committed during the RE boom and crash. Special prosecutors, full subpoena power, open timeline – the works. A Pecora Commission, essentially.
2. Freeze foreclosures nationwide.
3. Tell the Repubs that there will be no further compromises, while telling those on-the-fence Dems (and Holy Joe) that he’s going to start impeding funding to their states pending cooperation.
4. Order the Secretary of Defense to suspend any and all actions that pertain to DADT.
5. Immediately begin closing superfluous bases around the world. Shouldn’t be too hard to identify them. (Hear that, Germany?)
Bill Black’s response:
1. Appoint (on a recess basis) Michael Patriarca as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
[Mike was the OCC wunderkind who was in charge of supervising the largest national banks then served as head of the OTS' West Region where he served with even greater distinction. He has worked since that time in banking and insurance as a senior manager and consultant. He is known for his competence, integrity, and courage.]
The FHFA remains under the control of the (second) acting director. Both acting directors had served as the senior leaders of FHFA’s predecessor (OFHEO) and failed dramatically as regulators. FHFA is in a superb position to provide decisive leadership on a wide range of critical issues (e.g., finding the true losses on CDOs, the true incidence of fraud, and the true incidence of foreclosure fraud and abuse).
2. Appoint Paul Volcker (on a recess basis) as Secretary of the Treasury. Accept Secretary Geithner’s resignation.
3. Appoint James Galbraith as the Comptroller of the Currency.
Here are things that could be announced tomorrow and are critical, but couldn’t be completed in a day.
1. Direct the FDIC and the FHFA to conduct a scientific sample of the incidence/extent of losses, mortgage fraud, and foreclosure fraud and criminal referrals (and failure to file criminal referrals) by the regulatory agencies and institutions.
2. Create a national “hot line” to report mortgage and foreclosure fraud.
3. Direct each financial regulatory agency to make the filing of appropriate criminal referrals (by the agency and the industry) a major priority. Create a national interagency task force composed of the regulators, the FBI, and the Department of Justice to coordinate and prioritize investigations and prosecutions. Create a “Top 100″ list of the most significant cases.
You’re not happy with a Decider?
Excellent point, in other words. The reason that approval of the congress (RCP average) is at twenty-three percent, less than half that of the president, is that the people are smart enough to know that under our Constitution the Congress are the non-performers. It’s hard to expect the President to make up that deficit.
There are things that the President can and should act on, war being at the top of the list. Unfortunately it’s not realistic to ask him to admit all the mistakes he’s made and accomplish do-overs on FISA and health care, etc. Very unfortunate.
Getting back to the Congress, we’ve got an election coming up in which any intention to vote for any incumbent should be carefully considered.
That is very true. Obama sucks. Now he is sucking wind. Had to get imprinted by Rham and the Clintons. Now he’s fucked. Of course, he fucked us in the process.
1. Turn DoJ loose on the fraudulent document mills in the foreclosure debacle.
2. Order the military to suspend all discharges under DADT (you know what I mean).
3. Cut orders moving Petraeus to a new Pentagon climate science department and ship him to Antarctica to be in charge of counting snowflakes until at least 2013, then forbid him from retiring (it’s called a “bar to favorable personnel actions” – retirement is a favorable personnel action, as is being permited to resign – and it’s solely in a commander’s power to impose and lift).
4. Hire Eliot Spitzer to revivify and run SEC and give him his marching orders: “take your vengeance”. Coulda and shoulda done that 2 years ago. Tell the chiefs of the big investment banks and hedge funds they had better support this, lest they be designated as terrorists. (Not that different from the way FDR broke, saddled and rode Joe Kennedy, Sr., in his day one of the biggest practitioners of insider trading ever. FDR waved the threat of prosecution lest Joe, Sr. not support the creation of the SEC and the various securities acts.)
5. Order the declassification and release – unredacted – of all the OLC opinions and all the documents pertaining to the torture and warrantless wirtetapping programs.
End FICA (See: http://rodgermmitchell.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/ten-reasons-to-eliminate-fica/ )
Raise interest rates (See: http://rodgermmitchell.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/low-interest-rates-do-not-help-the-economy/ )
Reduce funding for the IRS
Really what he needs to do is go to war against the banksters. That doesn’t need any executive orders, just using his bully pulpit. Continuing to shore up Wall Street while people are losing hope and homes is insane for a Democrat.
He should order Gates to stop all DADT actions. He can use the cover of a moratorium on proceedings until the “study” comes back. He did it with offshore drilling, why can’t he do it with this?
As much as I want him to stop the wars and put an end to the excessive erosion of civil liberties, I don’t think that will do much in terms of politics. It doesn’t seem like many Americans really care.
My last thing (I know I haven’t done five things, but I’ve run out) is that he needs to make filling all of his appointee vacancies a drumbeat. Every day, multiple times, he needs to mention it in the press. He’s pissed away half his presidency (unless he gets a second term) without having a full staff. He’s an idiot for letting the Republicans obstruct him like that.
wow, thanks !
1) Stop declaring that he’s a king who can have his own Star Chamber
2) Have a consistent legal philosophy that honors the Constitution instead of a legal practice that is contradictory and just games the system to get convictions or lock people up and throw away the key without a trial
3) Along with #2, don’t have Gitmo North either if it just does the same things as Gitmo but in a different location – this goes for Bagram and other places as well.
4) Stop-loss Executive Order combined with stopping being such a jerk about it in general
5) Stop whining and blaming everyone else – you’re the President, so act like it.
Yep, my first thought. However:
1/get the hell out of Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries such as Columbia
2/Issue an executive order rescinding the anti-choice executive order from last year
3/Fire Geitner and all the Goldman Sachs swine
4/Start a Public Works program
5/Live up to the promises made on FISA, NAFTA etc and stop bloody lying through your teeth.
Isn’t congress in session due to Harry Reid’s maneuver to prevent recess appointments?
1. Pass ENDA
2. Repeal DOMA
3. Repeal DADT
4. Get a pair!
If he issued orders that DADT would no longer be enforced, the entire election picture would change. Of course, he needs to do lots of other things but just that one would make a big difference.
Resign.
What if….lots of what ifs. What’s he actually going to do? We all know that answer so we should all quit pretending like we have some or any influence on this pathetic excuse for a President. Retire and let someone take over that really wants change. He makes Jimmy Carter look like the strongest Prez ever. If he retires, he can still spout awesome speeches and have his family’s pictures all over the internet so people on DKos can gush over them.
That’s sort of what recess appointments are for, yes?
I know Reid made a deal with the Republicans to stop recess appointments from happening, but he could announce that he’ll do it at the next opportunity, and that the Senate shouldn’t deliberately disrupt his ability to do that.
Seconded.
He is not going to resign but I think Biden would be a much better prez. At least he has some fire in him – I’m tired of Mr. Laid Back and Cool.
For starters, he can behave and govern like a Democrat! — One “from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party” ~Howard Dean.
The rest might just fall into place.
Abandon the “look forward” meme and begin prosecution of Bush/Cheney/Rummy (et al) for war crimes.
WHAT WILL OBAMA DO?
Easy to answer—
What would Bob Rubin or Lloyd Blankfein do?
That’s what Obama will do.
Stop the wars and make DADT and DREAM irrelevant.
Push for publicly funded elections, instead of complaining about foreign interests bankrolling the Rs, while coddling virtually alien interests of Banking Cartels and Multinational corporations.
Look to Rafael Correa in Ecuador for guidance on what a Hope and Change is all about.
Dissolve the Fed.
Establish a Commonwealth Bank.
Perp Walk all who profited from the destruction of the US economy.
Close Guantanamo.
Really close it. Not another fake closure either.
Apologize to the American people for ever considering ordering the assassination of a US citizen.
Very good.
Former FDL contributor Ian Welsh had a good column on this back on August 29.
end DADT by executive order.
buy toxic assets at clearance prices.
Habeas for Gitmo and Bagram prisoners.
Work to save homeowners from foreclosure – implement HAMP in a way that works.
I may have gotten this wrong but I thought the senate agreed to no recess appointments? In any case, he should announce he will investigate fraud in the financial industry and particularly in the housing markets. But almost anything he does will be seen as a desperate attempt to swing the election. So he should take that bait and announce he will:
1 veto any attempt to cut SS or raise the retirement age.
2 Veto any attempt to give tax breaks to the wealthy EVEN if that means taxes go up on everyone. ( I think we have got to address this issue.)
3.Start a kind of WPA for infrastructure and announce he will ask congress to fund a second stimulus for that purpose and to reduce unemployment.
4. Announce he will seek amendments to the health care bill to reign in insurance companies and the obvious non-competitive nature of the bill.
5 Seek extensions of unemployment insurance.
6.establish a commission to look into financial fraud matters (as noted above)
7 reaffirm our commitment to begin withdrawal from Afghan.in 2011 even if Gates and Petraeus go nuts and resigns over it.
Reading some of the responses here, it seems some of us have no more idea than the Republicans regarding what the President can/should do.
1) Institute WPA2 – if in fact this can be done with an exec. order, putting people back to work rebuilding and refurbishing the country’s infrastructure.
2) Recall all troops from Afghanistan/Iraq, terminate all contracts with Blackwater (and any new incarnations of same), Haliburton et al.
3) Increase manpower at agencies gutted by BushII – inspectors, regulators, etc.
4) Close Gitmo.
5) – I’m not qualified or knowledgeable enough to suggest other remedies, as I personally do not know to what extent exec. powers can be stretched, however even the 4 I mentioned would both add jobs and decrease spending (on wars!)
My thought also – indeed given the cover of the 25th Amendment, just have a vote of the Cabinet that the stress is too much for him, and then resign. There is no Democratic Party as long as he is in office – it is just a weaker version of the Corporate party.
Ps I think it is time we did something for the working man. And to offset any increase in taxes he should announce he will seek an increase in the minimum wage.
So,
What we see is that the things he could do right now would threaten the nice little nests of the military-security complex and the banks. So, given that these two interlocked “institutions” own the congress, and apparently Obama, we can conclude that there is really nothing he will do. After two years of his craven servitude to the oligarchy, I assume that we think this is just an interesting test of just how bought out he and the Dems are. Since the only thing they passed before they left to complain about the teabaggers was a free ride for the mortgage “processors,” I think we can conclude that our bunch of “good cops” will merrily sell us out at every opportunity. Obama pocketed the legislation, so he could get the Party through the elections without yet another embarrassing admission of his fealty to the establishment. The bill will pass after the elections no matter whether the Kabuki dance puts the “good” or the “bad” cops in charge. What was it Axelrod said about the moratorium?
These are good. Somehow I managed to forget
6. Dismantling the Catfood Commission
7. Firing up a REAL program to begin restoring infrastructure.
- Appoint Dawn Johnsen to head the DoJ Office of Legal Counsel as a recess appointment.
- Close Guantanamo Bay’s “terrorist” prison, and free all prisoners who aren’t currently under indictment.
- Teddy P. already mentioned what he could do re: DADT, but lots of people know what he could do there.
- Put a consumer advocate in charge of investigating bank fraud at the DoJ.
- Announce withdrawal of troops ahead of schedule in Afghanistan and Iraq, and set the new timetable in motion.
- Say he was wrong yesterday, and call for a national moratorium on foreclosures until better procedures are in place.
Off the top of my head, at least. Like Arbusto @ 12, I’m really not inclined to spend a lot of time thinking about this, because it’s not going to happen. These are fairly dramatic changes, but they’re the sort of thing he needs to do to convince me that he “gets it”, IOW, that he actually understands and agrees that he’s been screwing up and he’s going to do at least some things differently.
I am not in favor of him trying to stop foreclosures but there may be other things he can do here. It is a rather difficult issue.
He needs to man up. His problem is perception. He seems above the fray. Not really involved. Not nearly angry enough. He could do enormous good to his base and everybody else in this election if he would explain that he didn’t cave on the public option and that it is the other side that is the problem. He would need to give us some of the details of how these disappointing things came about. If he can. Harry Reid for instance, may be a tremendous general in the trenches, rallying the troops and gaining hard fought victories, rescuing them from almost inevitable defeat, but he comes across as a wimp. And that’s why he is in trouble. Similarly Obama is too wimpy. Alan Grayson is a tough guy and we love him. Obama needs to man up.
” He could do enormous good to his base and everybody else in this election if he would explain that he didn’t cave on the public option and that it is the other side that is the problem. ”
You really want lies to take the day?
Hey, the dems are going to get wiped out this election. Might as well go big and play to your base just like the teas on the right.
Permanent moratorium on all offshore drilling, and stop auctioning off oil & gas leases on our public lands until industry works through the backlog of leases from the Bush administration (it will take decades).
A moratorium, by definition, is temporary. Stopping foreclosures on a long term basis would be a very bad idea, but there are astonishing levels of fraud out there now, and the federal government is completely uninterested in doing anything about it. A moratorium of six months to a year would allow the DoJ and regulators to figure out what they need to do, and start doing what they can within the limits of current legislation. It would, of course, also give Congress a chance to pass better legislation, not that such a thing would happen.
Not your calendar that’s wrong, but your blame-shifting certainly is! /bot
you had me at “Pentagon Climate Science Department”
Perhaps another question may be more salient:
What should influential blogs do to prepare for the imminent civil unrest due by the summer of 2011. The baggers are way ahead of the left which has been lulled into a dangerous state of hepey-dopey inertia.
Jane, this assumes that Obama is ignorant of his options. Perhaps he just doesn’t care. He’s very good at feigning concern.
I was trying to find where I read it, and to remember what it is called, but hasn’t some legal process been activated presently which by a technically keeps Congress in session during this recess, and which prevents Obama from making things like a recess appointment (which could possibly sway voters) until formal congressional sessions resume after the elections?
These are very good.
Yes, the Senate games are ridiculous. But I was trying to get at that Obama should make a political issue out of his appointees being stalled, not just get them in their jobs. Obama’s political standings would be a lot stronger if he’d learn how to tackle his opponents and then smash their faces in the dirt.
These are pro-forma sessions with adjournments in between.
there is a ‘Resolution Authority’ in Dodd-Frank – jes sayin’ :D
DISSOLVE the Catfood Commission!
I expect Obama to send in a swat team to free the Hungarian CEO that is being held criminally accountable for the Danube catastrophe. This brazen act by Hungarian authorities is a direct threat to unregulated corporate capitalism and consequently a threat to our way of life. It must be that the Hungarians hate our freedom.
And another thing-Everybody in this country is affected by the recession. Especially property owners who are seeing their equity disappear. If there was a way for the President to say to those owners “The market has failed you because of all the foreclosures that are happening for reasons beyond your control. It isn’t right that you should be losing so much value. So from here on out, appraisers can’t include foreclosures and short sales as part of the comps that are used in determining your home’s value. This will keep your property values higher. Since the market is artificially skewed by the recession, it is only fair that we put in this requirement, but it will expire in 5 years once the market has recovered sufficiently.”
Something like this will hit at the wallets of everyone, and then the President could point out that the Republicans are against you maintaining your property value, even though it was their policies that got us into this mess in the first place. And that if we elect Republicans the downward spiral of home prices will continue. A lot of the ideas here will incite retaliation of the far right, such as DADT and Gitmo, but they will have a hard time arguing against saving money, even though it goes against their free market ideas.
Going to defer and use pieces of others here.
1. WPA employment initiative as noted by hackworth1 above. Fully agree. Investment in current infrastructure needs in addition to a Manhatten style project on energy technologies.
2. Pecora Style investigation into the whole financial meltdown with criminal referrals and prosecutions …see your comment with William Black’s thoughts.
3. Stop bombing countries and cut military spending and funding for military contractors or military industries associated that destroy people or things. Cut defense spending by 10 percent minimum. Moratorium on funding any new weapons systems.
4. Invest in pre-k to college public education to make up for lost state funding and commit to a program that modernizes school infrastructure/and technology. Stop competitive race to the top program only provide and allow charter school funding if they ensure they will admit the same percentages of special education,ELL, and ESL students from the districts they’d be drawing students out of the public schools.
5. Shore up social security for many years beyond what it is now by letting Bush tax cuts for the top 1% expire and raising the cap above what it is now. Dismantle the Kitty Food Commission NOW!
6. Public financing of campaigns…enact legislation to fix Citizen’s United decision that severely undermines democracy.
Or restructure it as the Cat and Dogfood Commission.
Thanks, Jane.
He could start telling us the truth. Today.
would it kill him to speak to the hate that is driving the LGBT suicides ?!?!
as I said last night, his silence sadly reminds me so much of Reagan’s refusal to say the word AIDS
Press a constitutional crisis by recess-appointing to fill the DoJ and the federal judiciary, despite whatever foolishness Harry Reid agreed to with Mitch McConnell. It’s in the constitution; Obama has the right to do it. Harry Reid is simply thwarting his long-standing appointments, which the President has the right to make.
Incidentally, this would HELP Harry Reid’s re-election prospects, to see the president refudiating Harry’s Senate leadership.
Ted Rall published a list of things that Obama could do by executive decree, but won’t. See
Rall
All above are great suggestions.
I would settle for him doing three things (admittedly, a much lower bar):
–begin to define problems and ideal solutions from a progressive viewpoint,
–put forth the ideal solution in each area and take the case to the people,
–push for the ideal solution legislatively and let the chips fall where they may.
In other words, stop negotiating from weakness at the outset and take on battles that he might not win but are worth fighting for.
Like MLK — who paved the way for him — did throughout his life.
You think? If they are lies then it won’t do any good. If it makes sense it will help. It doesn’t sound like you would listen anyway but others might. I still believe in him. I have been around a long time, and he and the Dems have done remarkably well considering how things work in Washington. Further, unless we are behind him, we will revert to the Bush way, which I assume you are all for.
Read Firedoglake and Glenn Greenwald every day and govern his actions accordingly.
Good article here from BBC about the “disillusioned” left
I got more.
The thing is, in “real life” I’m legendary (or at least feel that way) as a fuckup – at work, in love, in life. Which is probably good for Obama b/c if I wasn’t (and didn’t have the tendency to cringe when reminded of my past fuckups) I’d run to take his job.
As it is, even as bad a fuckup as I’ve been, I still could do his job at least as well if not better than he.
Blue Texan’s regularly scheduled post is up: In Which Karl Rove Helpfully Demonstrates the Freudian Concept of Projection
End the debt commission, and end the sky-is-falling hysteria about Social Security that he is a contributor to; to deal with the 30 years from now funding issue, propose to Congress a measure to slightly modify the cap on contributions to Social Security.
He studies Reagan to learn how to govern – not FDR. Yet he sold himself as being to the left of Hillary – go figure.
How about:
1. consult his base.
2. base his negotiations on his base’s recommendations
3. implement his base’s recommendations
4. repeat as necessary
5. watch the blue dogs and repubs heads explode.
dearest scribe, I coulda written those exact words myself, and I’m an old. brokedown, unedumacated waitress :D
Good question. Here’s my list:
1) Formally end any and all assassination programs, targeting US and non-US citizens. Work towards arrest and prosecution of these individuals instead, emphasizing cooperative international law enforcement and intelligence sharing.
2) End all non-civilian trials for detainees and put them all through civilian courts. Abide by the courts decision regardless of what it is. Indefinite detentions, I’m looking at you.
3) Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate war crimes, 9/11/01 through to the present day.
4) Suspend the drone program.
5) Suspend discharges under DADT.
Totally unrealistic wishlist. Numbers 1 and 2 are the reasons why I won’t vote for Obama in ’12 should he run again.
yes. reinstate the LAW. right now, the criminals are running the show. here and everywhere. drug dealers, arms dealers, bankers, brokers, war criminals…
our lives are flipped upside down. it’s time for moral decision making.
Act like a pissed off Republican with a Democratic erection.
1. WPA, Ten year Ten Trillion dollar infrastructure improvements plan. A trillion dollars is 10 million jobs! The plan would include addressing the 2.5 trillion in shovel ready projects, plus the new infrastructure for the green revolution, plus the impact of all of the population growth in the next ten years. The first year (s) of this plan would involve gearing up the government to hire people to prepare the contracts, do the detailed design, etc. By year three we should be spending a trillion dollars a year on the USA.
2. Fire Patreus and order the drawdown of the US military globally. Why do we need a massive presence in Afghanistan, a massive army and a massive Air Force, when we have drones that can kill anyone anywhere piloted by someone in Nevada?
3. Fire all of the Rubenites and appoint the people mentioned by Bill Black above (in comment 18).
4. NET NEUTRALITY!!!!!!
5. FIRE THE BUSH APPOINTED US ATTORNEYS!
Resign.
1. Disband the Catfood Commission and have every Democratic candidate deliver a message that this administration will fix Social Security’s long-term problems without changes to benefit payouts or eligibility, and in fact will seek ways to expand those benefits without impacting the national debt.
2. Deliver a major address to the country reaffirming that we are on schedule to depart from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011. In your face Petraeus.
3. Appoint Joseph Stiglitz to replace Larry Summers.
4. Announce massive cuts in defense spending to reign in deficit spending.
5. Signal strong Administration support for a one year payroll tax holiday to take effect January 1, 2011. Push this through Congress beginning now.
1) Stop enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
2) Immediately convene a panel to review and possibly prosecute people for war crimes.
3) Immediately stop claiming the right to assassinate American citizens, (or any other human beings)
4) Propose and fight for REAL jobs legislation involving REAL renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly policy
5) Stop involvement in all foreign wars immediately including support for Israel’s slaughtering of Palestinians. Only if we stop reflexively backing everything Israel does can we be an honest broker anywhere in the middle east.
Truly there’s nothing he can do. He’s had plenty of time to do something but he did nothing. I believe Obama will go down in history as the Novelty President.
If he had such power he should audit the Fed.
One thing I thought of. Maybe he could cut all welfare spending.
You seem to have that thought a lot.
Bill Black is too modest, HE should be Comptroller of the Currency (I wasn’t even sure what that was until I looked it up).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_the_Comptroller_of_the_Currency
James Galbraith should be director of the National Economic Council (the job Larry Summers is leaving). Galbraith has been consistently, almost comically, ahead of the curve about the recession and what needs to be done. For example, he was warning Obama of the dangers of a stimulus package being too small in the summer of 2008.
http://www.creditwritedowns.com/2010/09/galbraith-thoughts-on-a-plan-b.html
In terms of what should be done, everything on Jamie’s list at the link, in particular his proposal for a full payroll tax holiday until unemployment is below 6%. Both employer and employee sides of the FICA tax total almost $900 billion a year in revenue that could stay in the private sector. Since no Republican can vote against a tax cut and expect to be re-nominated, that’s a lame-duck session vote the President would win.
Resign.
I know what;
1) lower the age for a buy in to medicaid to about zero years old
I think that would do the trick all by itself
Obama can use the television. One aspect of power that the executive has to a far greater degree than the other branches of government and other politicians is the ability to get a message on TV. When the President speaks, people listen.
Imagine Obama calling a televised press conference to say: “My fellow Americans, our wars in the Middle East constitute an international war crime for these reasons . . .”; or “The BP oil spill in the Gulf demonstrates the harmful public effects of deregulation and let me tell you why . . .”; or “State secrets and the legal classification of ‘enemy combatants,’ who in the past would have been considered POWs covered under existing domestic and international law, is a clear attempt by the executive branch to exist above the law and is therefore illegal and unconstitutional.” You can think of many more.
He wouldn’t even need to discuss remedies. The mere mention of any number of issues in a way that challenges the corporate version, and therefore their power, would potentially effect the public’s thinking, actions and ability to act, and discourse. Of course doing so would constitute political suicide. But then that begs the question, what does it say about our supposed representative democracy if doing so means the end of your political career?
To me, it immediately smells like bullshit when I hear a person in a position of power requisite to affect the institution in which they hold their rank to say, “My hands are tied.” But I guess that’s part of the value that accrues to power: the more you have of it the more able or likely you are to avoid a comparable level or responsibility.
Come out for Gays end DADT why the Tea Baggers were never going to vote for him any ways but Gays will same with Hispanic voters if he helps immigrants and opposes this if your brown you must carry papers law in AZ.
Jobs and Homes he needs to stop all foreclosures and create jobs, next tariffs.
End the wars to pay for this and get the vote of every solders family who wants their solder back home.
Cut military spending to only 20% more than Russia spends.
Because of pervasive unemployment and massive human suffering in this country, make sliding scale Medicare For All available immediately to mitigate this terrible problem.
Close the empire’s foreign bases, bring the troops home and put them to work along with millions of other Americans to rebuild this country’s infrastructure.
As soon as the banks provide the next “bailout crisis” (and they will) nationalize them.
Reading through this almost no one seems to connect with the real problems that everyday people encounter – jobs, jobs, jobs.
Almost all of the suggestions here revolve around revenge – investigate and punish Bush administration, investigate and punish the bankers, investigate and punish the military.
If we wonder why the tea partiers have so much attraction to so many people, you need only read this column. While all of our ideas are valid, they entirely miss the essential concerns of the American people – “it’s the economy, stupid”
He should do what he really wants to do:
Suspend Congress and declare himself dictator–someone who isn’t required to work with anyone who doesn’t agree with him.
This will please his base greatly and bring Dems home.
He should then declare himself the greatest President who ever held office–not just in the US, but President of any country. Why should he wait for the newspapers and book writers to do it? Take the bull by the horns and just do it.
Oh! He could have, in front of God, the TV cameras and everybody, installed President Carter’s solar panels on the White House.
Even if the President is only a figurehead—the guy who looks best on television—there are still many public efforts he could make, if only symbolic.
Jane
Please assemble these into a poll, and go about choosing the top 5.
Personal I believe, advocacy for:
1. Country wide high speed rail
2. Much mass transit
3. Tariffs on imports to bring imported goods costs to parity with our laws
4. Compulsory union or worker representation on boards
5. Strong advocacy for taxes at Eisenhower rates.
Indeed. A better, which is to say more practical, question might be, “What are WE going to do?”
1. Issue an executive order repealing DADT.
2. Announce a new ($100-200 billion) public infrastructure initiative using FHWA shovel ready projects to begin immediately.
3. Preemptively announce a veto on any bill that cuts Social Security or Medicare (i.e., bury the Catfood Commission report).
4. Announce a public education initiative similar to the original G.I. bill education option (tuition and living expense) for people exceeding 99 weeks of unemployment.
5. Raise taxes.
1. Start paying attention to what is going on in lives of lower & middle classes wrt job losses, downward pressure on incomes, foreclosures; and stop listening to the Masters of the Universe.
2. Ask Geithner to step down.
3. Start using bully pulpit to rally stressed middle and working class voters and progressives to push back against radical right wing and wealthy elite.
4. Articulate and adhere to a strong populist message.
5. Get advisers into his inner circle who are strong advocates of a populist message and policy.
One more: He could turn himself in to the International Criminal Court for prosecution as a war criminal and bring all state secret documents with him.
Why the hell would Reid make a deal with the GOP to prevent recess appointments? Is he worried that Obama might appoint someone even more toxic than his current team, or that he’d appoint someone who’s actually somewhat decent?
Announce that he will not run in 2012. Failing that, resign immediately. He has no credibility with the majority of Americans. He is second only to W. in the voting for worst (most ethically-challenged) president ever.
Be a man and [Edited by Moderators. No violence]
5 things to investigate ,try and imprison.
1 George bush
2 dick cheney
3 Don rumsfield
4 doug feith
5 paul wolfowitz
No this treason must be removed and corrected, republican traitors to the constitution wail about how un-patriotic we treat the traitors but they are treasonous traitors who to this day besmirch our constitution.
I got a call from the Democratic Senate re-election committee asking me for funds and to paraphrase the threat “avoid electing Republicans who would take away Social Security and destroy education”. I told them that I would consider voting for Democrats but not because of those ‘awful’ Republicans. I said that we already knew that the Republicans want to destroy Social security but what we need to hear is President Obama repudiating the Deficit commission’s call to lower benefits, to raise the retirement age and so on. President Obama picked many of the Petersonites who populate the commission. He might boost his colleagues’ chances as incumbents to keep their seats, if only he would repudiate the commission’s goal to knee cap Social Security.
Here’s a thought. TELL THE TRUTH! Tell us your real intentions toward this country. That your father, and those like him you have surrounded yourself with HATE America. He thinks we should fall a few notches so that the rest of the world, Africa, Brazil etc. can come up.
Re-start drilling for AMERICAN companies right now and stop funding the Mexicans and Brazil drilling in the EXACT same places you will not let Americans drill!
Tell us that ACORN, SEIU, Organizing for America are just front groups that lie, cheat, fraud, steal money and votes from the American people.
You say the Chamber of Commerce is funding with foreign money and want them to open their books, well OPEN YOURS! Why did you disable you internet locator during the election so you would not have to report WHERE your money was coming from? Where did it come from? Why the invalid names, and places, and the untracable debit cards? Open YOUR BOOKS Obama.
Why were there Mao ornaments on our Christmas tree last year? Why did you not go to Arlington? Why did you skip the national day of prayer but somehow seem to have time for a hugh dinner honoring the muslim holiday.
These are things the middle of the country are asking. You have had 2 years to prove yourself and believe me you have. There is NOTHING you can do now except what you always do and that is try to lie, cheat, fraud and steal some more of our votes through the unions and ACORN.
Hope you got a lot of em cause we are on to you!!
I suspect both these points have been covered
up,but here’s my take:
1) Either disband the deficit commission or
announce you will veto any cuts to SS that
Congress approves from it.Also,any unreasonable
VAT proposals.
2) Announce that you will veto any extension of
the Bush tax cuts to the rich (above $250K)
Announce both of these BEFORE the election.
I don’t currently receive Social Security benefits, but hope I live long enough to. Here’s something easy Obama could do that would shore up support from the Democratic base, older voters, and the AARP. Like many of the ‘best’ things Obama could do, he won’t do this either:
Your statement reminds me of something I saw on the ‘net a few days ago, possibly here at an FDL site but I don’t recall for sure. I don’t even recall the exact wording but here goes my less than eloquent rendition: “Hope is like a souffle. It can only rise once.”
Just curious — when you type that, do you mean ALL social welfare spending, entirely? Social security, medicare, aid to states? Corporate welfare, too? Tax breaks, tax credits, tax loopholes?
Or do you just mean aid to single mothers raising children, those who need money to feed their kids, money to get to work, money to have their kids looked after while they work?
I’m curious (a wee bit) about what counts as welfare spending to you? Cheney’s Secret Service detail? Liz Cheney’s? Chelsea Clinton’s?
10% import duty on chinese goods….
The problem, as you say, is that Obama himself picked many of the worst for the commission — why would he repudiate that which is his GOAL?
These are questions people are asking? No wonder this country is so fucked up. Jebus!
President Obama could announce that because of the overwhelming number of folks applying for PCIP (Pre-existing Condition Insurance Programs) in the twenty plus states who have started this program since October 1st of 2010, that he is creating a new national emergency health care fund to expand PCIP to any who would sign on to it.. The purpose of the new additional fund is to bridge the gap between the initial funding which is for 300,000 individual policies to pay for four million individual policies. There are estimated to be at least four million uninsured persons who are not eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or traditional health insurance due to their pre-existing conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and mental health conditions. He could access emergency funds through FEMA funding which is available to respond to national disasters and emergencies and terrorist attacks……He could ask for approval for these emergency funds when the politicians return in December. This could be a part of the campaign. Remember that PCIP is not free and is partially paid for through applicant premiums. The key criteria for this group is that they have no insurance, they have pre-existing conditions, they can’t get or afford private health insurance, and they are not eligible for public programs which already exist.
Pull us out of these two wars bcz we cant afford it. Honor his committment to the LGBT community and end DADT. And find a way to get 51 votes to extend foodstamps for the 99ers and a viable jobs plan. The problem with Obama’s first two years is that he gave his supporters nothing that they were afraid to lose. If he had pushed thru a Medicare for all health plan he cld say the republicans want to take away your health care. If he had a viable jobs program such as rebuilding the infrastructure he cld say the republicans want to take your jobs. If he had pulled us out of Iraq and Afghanistan he cld say the warmongers in the republican party want to keep us in endless wars. Unfortunately, he didnt do any of these things and now his rallying cry is the republicans will be worse than me. Hardly the stuff of winning elections. I dont feel sorry for the democrats at all, they had a once in a lifetime opportunity to show the country the difference btwn them and the republicans and they blew it bcz they were either too afraid or corrupt to try. Losing the congress to the republicans will be bad for the country but it shld provide the dems a valueable lesson in the future. You may or may not be able to rely on Wall Street for money but you never never never disrespect your base.
I like it
1. Explain to American Workers how American Corporations and small manufacturing businesses will ever stop shipping jobs to China when Chinese Workers are willing to work at 65 cents per hour. Don’t tell me Green energy will replace these jobs when I know Corporations are free to buy alternative energy equipment from overseas at a cheaper price.
2. Now that the Supreme Court has given Corporations and The US Chamber of Commerce the power to influence elections and keep wages and benefits low how will America’s growing number of “Have Not’s” afford medical insurance in the future. Let’s face the truth that globalization is splitting America into two camps.
3. Explain how education reform will ever reduce the dropout rate of students who don’t have the home support of parents and don’t see any future of a decent paying job as a reason to stay in school.
4. Stop dancing around DADT and end it.
5. Start building the high speed rails and make it affordable for all Americans to use including the “Have Not’s”
Re jobs:
1) Announce that the Justice Department will not approve any mergers until unemployment reaches 6%. Mergers are a number one way that people lose good paying jobs, and the customers of those companies who merge never receive any noticeable benefits from the mergers.
2) Push through a Federal law making it illegal for any company to use a credit report on an individual to make hiring decisions unless the particular position has direct control over cash or cash equivalents.
3) Penalize companies who advertise that no applicant will be considered for a job unless s/he already is employed. This is grossly discriminatory to those looking for work who were laid off due to downsizing.
4) Offer cash bonuses to companies making new hires of over-50 (age 50) workers. These are the people having the toughest time finding a new job.
Coming in way late to this thread after running some errands, and have not read ALL of the comments, but as of about #82 NOT ONE COMMENTER has seconded my recommendation to begin prosecutions of BushCo for war crimes. Have we forgotten already? Has this disappeared from our collective consciousness? If so, TOO BAD on us.
1. Investigate the crimes of the Bush/Cheney years and prosecute where necessary. Can’t move forward without wrapping up all that unfinished business.
2. Initiate a new public works program to get people working.
3. Freeze foreclosures. Investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud.
4. End DADT with an executive order. Period.
5. Expand medicare to cover all.
In that order, please.
O. could stop acting like a corporate REpublican, which is exactly what he has been doing since he moved into the White House. O. campaigned as a progressive Democrat, but as soon as he became President, he surrounded himself with zionist wall street banking criminals and has been doing their bidding ever since.
Dear Barack, if we wanted to have an idiot Republican in the White House, we would have voted for insane McCain and psycho Sarah. You, sir, are a fraud.
President Obama could announce that because of the overwhelming number of folks applying for PCIP (Pre-existing Condition Insurance Programs) in the twenty plus states who have started this program…
You have a gift for the Orwellian.
Enrollment so far is lower than we would have expected.” Goldman runs the Wisconsin state pool, as well as the federal plan in her state.
California, which has money for about 20,000 people, has received fewer than 450 applications, according to a state official. The program in Texas had enrolled about 200 by early September, an official in that state said. In Wisconsin, Goldman said they’ve received fewer than 300 applications so far, with room for about 8,000 people in the program.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEgRtk0mHPYZXphVrzr8Cf41vUZAD9IKC9U82?docId=D9IKC9U82
What could he do? Lots. (Many suggestions here.)
What should he do? Most of the suggestions here.
What will we do?
Zero. Zip. Nada.
Return the Nobel Peace Prize since you really like war.
Tee hee. It was my #1 too.
What can he do? Resign and apologize for being a horrible disappointment to the American people.
Make everything at Walmart 10% more expensive – that is sticking up for the common people.
And belatedly I see that Margaret has it on her list, too.
President Obama should call the 111th Congress into Special Session to deal with the employment and bankruptcy crises.
Harry Truman called the “do nothing” 80th Congress into Special Session in 1948.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=12967
1) Audit all the agencies to find all outstanding, unspent moneys, redirect them to a jobs program. Direct hiring of people, not a contractor.
2) Stop-loss DADT now.
3) Fire his entire economic team, except for Elizabeth Warren. Appoint her as HEAD of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
4) Hold all criminals in this administration and the last accountable, up to and including the POTUS.
5) Since number 4 includes Obama, resign.
Depends on how physically ill you are and how uninsured you are, does it not?
People are going to jump on these plans once they find out about them.
http://www.nybridgeplan.com is for New Yorkers. Once you are on a plan you can transfer to another state’s PCIP.
NY premiums are 362/mo for Upstate New Yorkers and 421?/mo for Downstate New Yorkers.
The plans only cover you from October 1st, 2010 to January, 2014.
If you are reading this and you are uninsured and ill, please apply and my prayers are with you.
See #106 . . . ?
In response to Jane’s question, David Swanson, cbl2 and Bill Black, I think both Obama and Congress shot us and put the final nail to our Majority and to my ‘enthusiasm’ by taking the outrageous act before scurrying out of town of agreeing to McConnell’s demand that there be NO recess appointments other than the small group allowed through by McConnell.
Was that not what happened??
Here again Reid and the WH must have agreed to this ‘strategy’, done right before an election where Democrats are expecting big losses, supposedly to protect the remaining nominations. Protect from what? An even smaller majority or no !@#$ majority at all??
Obama refuses to use the left side of his brain or the Left side of the aisle to help Democrats win. As with Emanuel, Reid and Hoyer, Obama wants more of what the Right can give him than we can. That explains the sheepishness of the lot, including the DNC, both Congressional campaign committees and, unfortunately, too many of our members.
For the next two years, it will be open season on what’s left of the Democratic party.
1. Disband the Catfood Commission. He created it, he can make it go away.
2. Take Bill Blacks advice on bringing law&order to our financial sector. Black has listed a great many things that can literally be put into motion tomorrow… no Congress required.
3. Take James Galbraith’s advice on how to return to a stable full employment economy.
4. End the government policy of hiring mercenaries (XE/Blackwater etc..).
5. Move to the exit/withdrawl/wrapup phase w/regard to Afghanistan.
The FEMA funds are available for their intended use without congressional approval. If the idea is to go back to Congress for a vote, there’s no reason to muddy the waters by robbing Peter to pay Paul. Besides that, considering there are at least 32 different PCIP plans (the 19 states using the federal PCIP plan plus 31 states that have set up their own PCIP plans), it’d be easier to just take up Grayson’s Medicare buy-in bill or scale up nationally Baucus’s Montana Medicare clause. But the President can’t take up expanding PCIP eligibity and funding, much less expanding Medicare without looking like a complete tool. Why would he waste a year on healthcare reform when more cost-effective options were available? And there’s no non-corrupt explanation for that.
Something that does make sense is a tax credit proposal Ron Paul made, 100% tax credit (against income and payroll taxes) for all medical expenses– insurance premiums and out of pocket costs alike. (Section 35). Paul doesn’t make it refundable for when medical expenses exceed taxes paid, but it should be. What’s sneaky about that its basically stealth universal healthcare. Since the US Treasury is insuring your healthcare expenses anyway, why even bother carrying private insurance? This was first proposed actually by Ford’s Treasury Secretary Bill Simon.
I don’t mean to be too critical, Tom. I like where your head is at. :o)
I second all of your suggestions but for the last one get all the countries in the world to pay in terms of either money or invaluable troop support since the trouble-makers there know no boundaries and are just influenced by medieval religious theology.
Urge Congress to remove individual mandates in HCR bill.
In addition add one more point that appoint Mr. Volcker as his chief economic advisor since I believe at this stage of his life he will advice for the country benefit rather than some corporate board room position or monetary benefits which look trivial in comparision.
I love your posts, Jane, but I think this one is a dead end. What’s the point of speculating on what the President could do? He’s not going to do anything to upset the establishment, he doesn’t even desire to. Digby and Joan Walsh and the rest of the blogosphere are going to rally behind the democrats regardless. I think a better question would be to ask what progressives can do right now to change the political norm.
Sorry, we crossposted, so I didn’t see this when I typed the above. And I’m sorry for the “Orwellian” part above, that was unkind.
I agree that for anyone facing a chronic or life-threatening condition, the PCIP plan is better than going uninsured. So I would not want to discourage anyone who could benefit from it from applying. I think the reason why relatively few people have applied for PCIP is because of affordability issues. And short of going to Medicare for Everyone, I think the simplest way to move the ball on that front is taking up Ron Paul’s “private option” 100% tax credit. It would essentially
socializefederalize healthcare costs. Once the camel’s nose is in the tent on federal funding, its a straightforward debate as to what’s the most cost-effective way to provide healthcare coverage.As for me, I’m a fan of expanding Medicare for the same reason President Reagan was. To repeat my new favorite quote, its “consistent with the Reagan philosophy of providing coverage where possible at the lowest possible cost.”
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-02-12/news/mn-2917_1/2
Don’t worry. These differences we have in tone and point of reference are rhetorical artifacts which are normal for all directional blog dialogue.
Get Hillary Clinton to address the Tea Party and tell them that the Republicans (the Blue Dogs too, but better not bring them up) want to continue to provide tax cuts to millionaires. This will drive up the deficit and will eventually come from cuts to your (tea baggers’) social security.
Both O’Donnell and Palin have praised Hillary. They wouldn’t dare say anything bad about her. I guess they hope to attract her supporters? In any case, use her to talk to the baggers…
But perhaps it is not realistic to think she’d address them because she is Secretary of State. But if the President could find someone to address them and bring them over to our side, maybe the concerns of the super rich hiding behind a faux populist movement would be brought to an end and Washington would finally figure out the problem is we need spending for jobs.
Why the hell is Reid blocking Obama from making recess appointments? There is such a road block that people like economist Peter Diamond have been blocked by the Republicans. Harry should not be the majority leader if he manages to get re-elected and the Democrats hold on to the Senate.
And the Senate needs to ditch the filibuster rule which can be done by a simple majority at the start of the new congress
One thing he could do unilaterally – since it would be revenue-neutral – would be to make available to all Americans both the Health Plan choices now available to government employees, at the same rates as those employees now pay, as well as Medicare coverage, at cost.
Why could he do Medicare For All? Because in spreading the risk pool over a much larger (and presumably younger) group of insureds, the cost and cost-predictability of providing Medicare coverage to seniors would decline. Inherent in the power to administer a legislatively funded government program is the power to seek and effect methods of operating that program at a lower cost to the Treasury. Medicare For All would be a cost-reduction program, nothing more, and if combined with a foreseeable (and widely trumpeted) reduction in FICA withholding rates, it would be awfully difficult for the fiscal conservatives to oppose. (Paging Ben Nelson.)
He could announce that tomorrow, and have it be effective as of the next Open Enrollment Period.
Warren Mosler should replace Tim Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury, as well. And Bill Mitchell should immediately be appointed as a consultant to the National Economic Council
1) WPA Version 2.0
2) Medicare-for-anyone-who-wants-to-sign-up, as per Auduboner’s suggest on 147.
(Assuming some justification, however, temporary, can be made under his emergency powers).
3) Fire Geithner. Hire Robert Reich or Paul Krugman.
4) Declare a holiday on home foreclosures.
5) Food stamp eligibility suffers from regressive and unfair ratings. End those (I know people who don’t qualify, or only can get like $15 a month, even when their income is $550/month for 3 people simply because of the county they live in). Expand food stamps.
6) Enforce labor laws! In this environment especially, employers can flat-out break laws and workers don’t dare complain.
StewartM
If I recall correctly, early on Reid said something like, “I don’t work for Obama”.
Glenn, is that you?? Don’t you have a TV show to do in a few minutes?
StewartM
Agreed. The NY High-Risk Pool is a great deal. Definitely jump on it if you are eligible because they only have funds for 15,000 people (maybe less). There are 2.8 million uninsured in the state. If you go by a rule of thumb that says 15% of uninsured are due to pre-ex, that means up to 420,000 people could be eligible for this program.
Don’t get me started. Obama agreed not make any recess appointments.
I don’t think he needs to do 5 things. He just has to do 1 thing that’s very surprising, and that speaks to the American people.
Honestly, calling for a nationwide foreclosure moratorium would’ve been one such move. Another would be to bring back the Works Progress Administration, which if I recall correctly was at first started by FDR through executive order because Congress wouldn’t fund it directly (much like this uber-lame Congress).
Putting people directly to work or easing their suffering was ALWAYS what he needed to do. FDR’s New Deal didn’t turn things around in 2 years, not at all. But he didn’t have to invent statistics on how many jobs would’ve been lost but for his programs. There were actual payroll records of millions of people hired to work on public works projects, and the voters gave FDR three straight elections of increasing popular support in Congress, even despite the ongoing Depression.
Republicans couldn’t argue the New Deal “didn’t work” when people could look at themselves and their neighbors and see they were getting paychecks from New Deal programs.
Here’s what Dean Baker’s recommending to Obama and the Democrats:
Take the Social Security Pledge:
http://www.truth-out.org/the-social-security-pledge-versus-old-politics64081
It’ll be tough for him to reject the advice of his own Cat Food Commission.
What a debacle that’s going to be! Is Obama going to triangulate between the liberal Dems in Congress and the Republicans by pushing for part of the radical Cat Food agenda, but not as much as the Republicans might want?
I fear that’s his reelection plan: “moderate” austerity. And leaving the Democrats hanging out to dry.
Even if the jobs are under a program like C.E.T.A. they would be a godsend. A modern WPA will have benefits for health and unemployment and will pay into Social Security and count toward it too. No more unpaid internships or make work. We have work that needs to be done and use for everyone’s skills.
Why not hang all the Democrats out to dry if they won’t take the pledge before the election? And let them turn the tables on Obama after the election and leave Obama out to hanging out to dry!!!!
The problem is the Republicans are likely to be in charge, if not directly, then certainly with enough conservaDems to have effective control of Congress.
Obama can cut any kind of deal he wants with them. Or, he can try and block all their cuts and threaten a government shutdown if they won’t fund things.
Given Obama’s past record, I’d bet on him cutting a Cat Food-light deal with the Republicans and leaving the Dems out to dry. They won’t be able to do anything about it, either.
What a rank amateur move. How did this man get to be President? Is he really a Democrat? This is just sickening.
If all of the Democrats in the House opposed cuts and raising the retirement age and signed the Pledge; and, if Obama then cut a deal with the Republicans in the House to cut Social Security, at least Obama would be exposed as the “destroyer” of Social Security. So far, few people have caught on to Obama’s deception in creating this commission despite FDL’s efforts.
1. Declare an end to the wars everywhere, bring our troops home, close all of the military bases in foreign countries, and sell the land upon which they are situated back to the nations in which they are located for a nominal fee;
2. Declare that from now on terrorists will be treated as a criminal law problem;
3. Disband the Catfood Commission;
4. Declare that lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people have equal rights with all citizens and repeal DADT & DOMA;
5. Declare a national moratorium on real estate forfeitures; and
6. Announce that he will not seek reelection in 2012.
Create a televised documentary explaining the need for stimulus spending to help reign in unemployment, effect of tax cuts on the deficit, the growth of income inequality, the depth of the mortgage crisis, the exodus of jobs to other countries, the relative costs of defense, health care, education, etc., and the legislation that has been blocked and remains on the table. Stand up in front of the people and explain the problems and what’s keeping us from solving them. It is his job.
Resign.
Use the bully pulpit of the presidency to push for
1. Raising the federal minimum wage to an actual living wage. Where I live for a single man with no kids that’s $12.36/hour whereas minimum wage is $7.25/hr. Nobody, not even down in Alabama, can live on $7.25/hr. Yes I know the standard excuse will be “But small businesses will go under”. Well, if you can’t afford to pay your workers a fair wage for their labor then you don’t deserve to be in business in the first place.
2. Passing the Employee Free Choice Act so that workers can much more easily unionize.
3. Raising taxes on the wealthiest 5% to 1950s levels.
4. Eliminating DADT and granting gay couples the civil right to (gasp!) actually get married.
And
5. Ask for and accept the resignation of anyone in your administration connected to Goldman Sachs, A.I.P.A.C., the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and the Bilderberg Group.
I would suggest resignation…….rather strange how everyone else missed the obvious.
Ooops! I wasnt the only one that thought of resignation! Sure are a lot of homosexuals pushing for dumping DADT on here…..
Most of these people need to get more……current. Repeal DADT …….. Prosecute Bush et al for war crimes………. Raise taxes. The only one I didnt see, and I didnt read them all, is Amnesty for all Illegals.
Is that all you can think of? Frankly I think you’d all be better served living in Europe, where all of the above (except the war crimes) exist.
Europe doesnt innovate much, ever notice that?
Great thread, thanks to all.
Demand that not one penny of tax dollars sent to the Pentagon go to pay foreign suppliers Security measure stirs defense firms: Pentagon spending bill includes provision to exclude foreign parts suppliers as security risk, worrying contractors
I think this kind of legislation can force the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, GOP and the blue dogs into a corner.
Mayonnaise prevents a Christmas tree from drying out and turning into a torch.
The best thing that Obama has done during his tenure is prove, for all time, that the two party system is entirely corrupt, and the Democratic party is a scam.
I regard this cynicism as a gift! America can now get over itself, and move on.
The best thing Obama can do, going forward, is get out of the way, while someone else leads. DO NOT RUN AGAIN!
Joe Biden, is that you?
They already have been for the last 40 years.
We effectively ended the policy of balanced trade under Nixon while still maintaining the dollar as world reserve currency.
Though we don’t officially recognize it as such, our endless trade deficits are a considerable form of tribute.
If Obama wanted to regain my confidence he would immediately call on the states to each implement foreclosure moratoria.
Then he would immediately institute emergency cramdowns/HOLC via the financial stability oversight cmte, in tandem with Warrens consumer panel.
he would also order FHFA to immediately introduce 1 pg streamline refi for all that are current down to 2%. On all GSE (FAN FRED FHA) loans we would need no credit score, income verification b/c taxpayers are ALREADY on the hook for reduced cash flow/losses AND we OWN FAN FRED FHA already.
if they fail to do this taxpayers will be saddled with amssive lawsuits, Obama will cram legislation to cover TBTF instead of bankruptcy cramdowns when he had majorities, AND pension funds will also need to be bailed out by taxpayers as more loans default.
fixing housing on consumer balance sheets also frees up $ for consumer spending, that pesky 70% of US GDP, and the big spending pie the rest of the globe is devaluing their currency to export to.
but he wont do the right, real, thing b/c he works for the squid
You are right on this aspect of paying for war. I did not realize this subtle shift till now.
BTW, one more item for President is
Can the cat-food commission or dis-regard this commission findings if President wants to do it the gracious way.
We know exactly what they will recommend since we know how they are selected by their known view-points. We all know commission findings will be exactly opposite if people like Gov. Dean, Jane etc. were on it and precisely that is the reason they are not invited. If they do anything to Social Security they will start a jumping off the ship trend to Green Party and the party started by Pres. Jefferson who I consider as the greatest US President and egalitarian who made America one of the idealistic places for anybody to live with imprint of his ideas on Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Constitution etc will no longer be one of the two major parties.
got me on a technicality!
will wait for the thread when session kicks off
1. Withdraw all troops from Irag, Afganistan, Pakistan, Germany, and Japan
2. Pardon and release all Gitmo detainees.
3. Pardon and release all federal prisoners convicted of marijuana possession or trafficking.
4. Not appeal injunction on DADT, withdraw appeal on DOMA.
5. Demand resignations of all US Attorneys held over from Bush.