In for $15.

Thanks, Boo.

Josh Koster’s presentation about online campaign advertising strategies sort of got overlooked in the Dan Ellsberg/Michael Moore/Matt Damon hoopla the other day.

I asked him back for another session. It is really one of the most cost-effective ways to reach a large group of people with a targeted message available to us. Our ads have already been seen hundreds of thousands of times by people who are likely to be receptive to the message and take action. I want to keep people up on what we’re doing with it and to be able to learn from Josh how they can use it on their own local campaigns. It has tremendous possibilities for use on everything from local anti-fracking campaigns, to ballot initiatives, or even school board campaigns campaigns for example. In addition to things like Senate or House elections.

Not a lot of people know how to do this well, or even at all. Josh is one of the few.

Fred Upton’s niece is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

Heh. Seems like an odd bullet point?

“Fred Upton’s niece is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model”

Then I totally refuse to go out with her! Not even if she begged me!

And 62% say tax the rich!

Ads are a good part of an overall strategy, but must be combined with direct action. Weren’t ads used before? What were the outcomes?

There’s an October DC demo. Nothing says “No to cuts” like millions of marching, charging people, yo.

http://october2011.org/welcome

When Portman was elected, I issued a warning I’ll re-issue now: If you think Boehner is bad, wait till you get a load of Portman.

Portman is a pure GOP tool and he’s on that panel because he’ll do exactly what he’s told to do. He will slavishly serve anybody who can advance his political future. He has no ideas of his own as far as I can tell, but he will act as an advocate for whatever the leadership desires. In Ohio, he was considered a member of the caveman caucus, which is like the Tea Party but more aggressively anti-female and anti-anything that might benefit someone other than a rich white male.

Essentially, this means that Boehner has put himself on the panel.

Boxturtle (The difference between Portman and a GOP tool is that Portman is much more loyal to GOP dogma)

If blow haired tv village media idiots were in the same tax bracket as the middle class you would see thousands of stories on raising taxes on the bracket above them

“Odd” is about the politest word I’d use for it. That and “irrelevant”.

There is no place to hide for the Democratic Party in this one. At the end of the day a Democratic Party controlled Senate and a Democratic President must agree to put cuts to the Big 3 into law.

No matter how they try to spin it, they are going to split the Democratic base and expose that the only three dimensional chess this President is playing is with his own base.

Constitutional Option Avoided; Constitutional Crisis Provoked

A new beast has emerged called alternatively the ‘super committee’ or the ‘Super Congress.’ Under the deal struck between Obama and teabaggers, 12 legislators, six from each House and six from each party, will have to identify deep cuts in federal spending, which cuts must be ratified by each House of Congress and then signed into law by the President. If the 12 legislators fail to agree, then automatic cuts will be painfully endured in both the defense and civilian sectors.

There is just one colossal problem, there is nothing in the Constitution suggesting the propriety of such a system for lawmaking …
Article:
Constitutional Option Avoided; Constitutional Crisis Provoked

And jobs are ignored as part of Obama’s strategy:
From robert Reich on Huff Po:

I’m told White House political operatives are against a bold jobs plan. They believe the only jobs plan that could get through Congress would be so watered down as to have almost no impact by Election Day. They also worry the public wouldn’t understand how more government spending in the near term can be consistent with long-term deficit reduction. And they fear Republicans would use any such initiative to further bash Obama as a big spender.

So rather than fight for a bold jobs plan, the White House has apparently decided it’s politically wiser to continue fighting about the deficit. The idea is to keep the public focused on the deficit drama — to convince them their current economic woes have something to do with it, decry Washington’s paralysis over fixing it, and then claim victory over whatever outcome emerges from the process recently negotiated to fix it. They hope all this will distract the public’s attention from the President’s failure to do anything about continuing high unemployment and economic anemia.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/obama-jobs-plan-_b_923053.html

476 AD — when will a white horse be appointed a senator?

Since only 2% fall in the “rich” catagory, I’m suprised it wasn’t closer to 98%.

My grandpa was an active member of the democratic party. He’s bound to be rolling over in his grave right now. The poor and the working/middle class no longer have a voice in our government. This is not going to end well. We just might have a very boisterous democratic convention next year. Lots of pissed off people in my neck of the woods.

Ponied up. Smart move with the microtargeting.

Related both to jobs as well as the Catfood Commission, it looks like Obama and his political advisors are building a Wooden Badger:

I’m told White House political operatives are against a bold jobs plan. They believe the only jobs plan that could get through Congress would be so watered down as to have almost no impact by Election Day. They also worry the public wouldn’t understand how more government spending in the near term can be consistent with long-term deficit reduction. And they fear Republicans would use any such initiative to further bash Obama as a big spender.

So rather than fight for a bold jobs plan, the White House has apparently decided it’s politically wiser to continue fighting about the deficit. The idea is to keep the public focused on the deficit drama – to convince them their current economic woes have something to do with it, decry Washington’s paralysis over fixing it, and then claim victory over whatever outcome emerges from the process recently negotiated to fix it. They hope all this will distract the public’s attention from the President’s failure to do anything about continuing high unemployment and economic anemia.

This is the same strategy Obama pulled with HCR by claiming HCR was his jobs plan. Assuming for the sake of argument that it wouldn’t be politically wise to not fight for a jobs plan, it still is awfully stupid to associate the Catfood Commission II as creating a jobs plan. By prentending to get a jobs plan that then doesn’t create jobs, it makes you look bad…look at what HCR did to Democrats in 2010.

I don;t so much have a problem with the “super committee” as I do with “automatic cuts”. That needs to go to the SCOTUS. Not that I don;t already know how THAT will turn out. But it needs to go anyway.

hey Jane Hamsher -

am confused about something – I asked downstairs – will try more carefully worded here

if Cat Food II is deadlocked, triggers (which purportedly don’t touch Big 3) go in to effect – so how will Obama keep his promise to oligarchs and their proxies (IMF) to cut Safety Net if triggers are deployed ?

So basically, Obama’s strategy is to convince the country the Tea Party is right, then try to claim credit for being to the right of them.

So the White House political advisers are going to mislead people into thinking the deficit and not unemployment is the problem to win an election?

On that basis alone the president should be impeached.

despite all the ‘sheeple’ talk, people already know unemployment is the problem, see 11/10 Mid Terms :D

At first glance, I thought this might be an ad campaign that would have little effect due to the anti-safety net bias of the Catfood II members already named. However, I learned so much from Sunday’s webinar with Josh Koster about how specific internet ad targeting can be, that I really believe that anyone who can, needs to contribute to this campaign.

Jane is right, the only pressure point on Catfood II members is their colleagues in the House and Senate who face tough re-election campaigns. They are the only constituents these neo-lib and con bastards will listen to.

This is a brilliant idea, and I will be throwing some coin in the pot when I get paid on Monday.

Me too.

Yes we’re part of the October 6 day of action. Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese will be doing a webinar presentation on it for us in September.

So basically, Obama’s strategy is to convince the country the Tea Party is right, then try to claim credit for being to the right of them.

That’s the most succinct description of Obama I’ve ever heard, Surtt.

The White House’s occupant’s attitude toward the working class, elderly and poor reminded me of these song lyrics.

You got no money
You got no power
They think you’re useless
And so you are puuuuuunnnnk!

I don’t see it deadlocking. When was the last time the Democrats refused to give the Republicans everything they wanted?

When compromise becomes the goal in itself, it facilitates the abandonment of any other principle you might have had.

That’s pretty damn pithy, I agree.

Yea!

Pretty soon they will not only not have a voice, they won’t have a vote. I predict that measures are coming down the track that will disenfranchise anyone on government aid, including Food Stamps and unemployment insurance. We’ve already gotten this from the resident trolls, who I understand got it from Rush. I haven’t the faintest idea as to the constitutionality of such measures, but if states can permanently disenfranchise felons, I don’t see the logic that keeps them from disenfranchising those who ‘suck of the government’s teat’.

That really was the icing on the cake of my day.

Well, as Jon Walker said to me this morning, “Obama’s pivot to jobs lasted a grand total of about 12 hours.” That would explain it.

Which reminds me, have to call Kevin Zeese. Have to ask him something first, but i think everyone would like it.

thank you ! I would take you to the betting window anytime :D

Reid appointed one of the most corrupt Dems in history of man, Max Baucus, to the super committee. I guess birds of a feather do flock together -

“None of these 6 Senators is up for reelection soon…”

Surely it’s just a coincidence.

McCaskill iced mine

The very top 1 or 2 percent are the extremely wealthy, most of the rest of the top 10% benefit from protecting the very top (and hope to get there themselves). The remaining 90% – 62% = 28%, which if I remember correctly is roughly the percentage who still supported Bush after 8 years of abject failure. Which is to say, they’re some combination of uninformed and/or irrational.

(The math is so overly simplistic as to be silly, but I think the implication is still worth noting.)

I think most of us know its a foregone conclusion that the DC Dems. and their butt buddies the Retardicans are going to throw the general public under the wheels here. They’ll do some cosmetic cutting to the Imperial War budget mostly so the Corp. media can provide them cover. All or most of these cuts though will be restored quietly behind the scenes a few mos. later. Can’t have the terrorists emboldened by weakness can we?

Yea, old Max again. His appearance is chilling isn’t it?

Is it a good idea to publicize it early and often so that as many people as possible can make arrangements to be there?

Ironically, Max may be the best of the bunch. He’s proven cranky in the past about anything that usurps the power of his committee.

That’s why I have to call Kevin.

;)

I have never been to DC and wonder how far out of town we will need to go to get lodging, unless we are going to do a tent city.

Logistic information will be important. Can we park out of the city and take public transport in? With the crowds we hope to have mobility will probably be a nightmare.

Not sure of the relevance of “Fred Upton’s niece is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model’, but thank you very much for the link.

Unless there is a coalition of liberal/progressive/radical organizations that are willing to organize direct on the street actions nothing will ever change.

Obama is a passive leader, yet benign in nature.

Great news!!!

Jane wrote: “When compromise becomes the goal in itself, it facilitates the abandonment of any other principle you might have had.”
—–
You ought to copyright that and print some bumper stickets. That is the motto of the NEW American democratic party and Obama.

Did you make that up?

Arendt had something to say about that

“For God’s sake! It will be a Junta, a body without legitimacy. It would be better to leave decisions to members of Congress; true, they quarrel even in a dirty way, but eventually they must always be accountable to their constituencies. This committee created out of nothing, without political controls, worries me a lot.”–James Galbraith in Il Messeggero, 8/10/11

Congress as we know it was Abolished on 8/1/11

Jane, I just contributed $50. I’m not sure we can impact this, but I am going to help you try.

Do you remember the good old days when the Dems in congress were “just keeping their powder dry” ??

They are too lame to even trot that out any longer.

I’m in. Stop these SOBs. Thanks, Jane and FDL.

Jane, your pieces scare me too.:-)
I sent what I could afford too.

I remember when the democratic party had some cajones.
“Useless and Clueless” now.

Enabling committee marks the end, just like Germany 80 years ago.

When have 6 democrats held as firmly as any 6 republicans ?

We’ll hear we tried and only one sixth of us gave in, we really worked for you this time though.

Anybody believe we will corral the Magnificent Mindless ‘Merican Murder Machine to some sane level, ssure.

BULLSHIT to giving our social security to support the military and the endless wars.

Jane wrote: “When compromise becomes the goal in itself, it facilitates the abandonment of any other principle you might have had.”
—–
You ought to copyright that and print some bumper stickers.

or…

Despair.com could do a poster showing Obama.

Caption: Compromise

Subtext: Because you’re too big of a wuss to argue with howling lunatics.

Someone has got to change the left’s protest tactics to direct action tactics.

I’ve been telling you this for a long time. Years Look at the what the kids just did in Wisconsin. The whole world turned their attention to Wisconsin, and it did not cost the protesters a dime.

You can’t buy a solution to corruption. I don’t care how clever the ad buys are. You just get buried in bigger and bigger mountains of right wing cash.

The left MUST HIT THE STREETS! NOW!

Every traitor / tyrant who voted for this needs to go. NOW!

Do not lend any sort of credence to this treacherous body of traitors.

Seems Obama chooses the path of least resistance, whether that path is good or not. A leader, beset by foes in all directions makes his own path. So, one is left with two conclusions–either Obama is more interested in giving Granny the shaft (eww, sorry) than creating jobs, or he is too weak to fight for what America needs.

Yes we’re part of the October 6 day of action. Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese will be doing a webinar presentation on it for us in September.

Excellent; they both walk the walk. Both were members of the Baucus 8. (Margaret speaks up early in the embedded clip, and that’s Kevin starting at 3:38 and ending with reference to the the “Blagojevich Senate.”)

Wouldn’t that be capitulation instead of compromise ?

Compromise suggests he got something for the things he gave up.

I wonder if there is some legal action that could be taken to put this Junta on ice for a while?

Fred Upton is notoriously anti-EPA. Many Michigan pols are in the pocket of Dow Chemical.

Wouldn’t that be capitulation instead of compromise ?

Capitulation works for me, too.

with Obama, i don’t think he knows there’s a difference.

There is a vacuum where a President should be.

Yes, that giant sucking sound we hear is our president.

Sucks, huh. The dscc just sent me a whiny fundraiser email screeching Rove and Koch and yelling boo! I replied when they pass the Employee Free Choice Act and repeal the Bush tax cuts I’d be happy to donate.

I’m sorry. I don’t know either. I’m staying with friends in Rockville. I’m not involved with the organizing, I’m just trying to publicize it so the turnout is massive.

Please go to this website for more info.

http://october2011.org/welcome

…or when they actually start to listen to middle and low income people. THEN we’ll donate.

I won’t just donate but I surely would buy an overpriced T-Shirt with a picture of the Tyrant Of The United States (TOTUS) or his CatFood II co-conspirators on it with the message they are destroying Social Security. Can FDL Action produce a line of devastating bumper stickers and T-Shirts to fund some ads?

hmmm, yes those terrible kock brothers.. well the DCCC was busted for soliciting funds from the Kochs, and they made some hay out of it.

http://www.kochfacts.com/kf/letter-to-senator-patty-murray-chair-democratic-senatorial-campaign-committee/

I think the webinar and info that Jane is getting together will give us the information we need. Thanks for helping to get the word out.

“The debt deal will make things clear. The President is not a progressive — he is not what Americans still call a liberal. He is a willful player in an epic drama of faux-politics, an operative for the money power, whose job is to neutralize the left with fear and distraction and then to pivot rightward and deliver a conservative result.”–James Galbraith, Deutsche Welle, 8/8/11

It’s the Banks. We must injure them beyond repair, just as they are now attempting (successfully, so far) to do to our democracy via this puppet president and his traitorous collaborators in the Congress.

It is Fascism 2.0

There is public transport from several areas outside the District. The Metro and, if memory serves, Gray Line Buses (take them from outlying tourist areas to downtown DC).

There are lots of little Mom-and-Pop budget motels in the area outside the Beltway as well. Not sure how many hostels may be available, and I’m wondering if any churches might be persuaded to turn their buildings into crash space?

For the hardier types, there should be camping in nearby state parks and up on Skyline Drive.

That sounds about right. Of course, the public wouldn’t understand. Zero bought into every aspect of the narrative and it is too late to change it. Plus Zero can’t fight about anything.

I read somewhere that statement was the second version, the first was something about the sounds your wife would be making after her job went south.

In other words, Obama is either a coward or a traitor. Either way, he is a jerk and a lousy president.

Do you have links?

So much for the pivot to jobs.

At least the horse would be blameless.

Right On!

I just got one, too. This is what I am printing up right now to send back to them:

When the Democrats pass the Employee Free Choice Act, repeal the Bush tax cuts and promise not to cut Social Security and Medicare, I’d be happy to donate.

In other words, quit selling us out!

the point is, your never going to speak to her. the class of people who become “swimsuit models” for SI , in part because grandpapa or uncle is a senator, dont mix with the likes of you, and they dont care what you had for lunch. enjoy your catfood

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15295143,00.html

That is the issue. Those low and middle income people are unwilling to invest in the government and are thus ignored. If we expand the tax base and get lower income families to contribute to the federal budget they become more important block of voters.

I havn’t gotten mine yet, but then I’m not their favoorite former contributor anymore. I’m gonna tell them I am going to contribute to Jane. Sorry, no money left.

Are we going to have a ‘Pups” canopy to meet?

I actually signed up the other day so I could send back an unhappy reply to their request for money.

Umm, maybe I’m reading you wrong. shouldn’t we be asking some of the wealthy to pay more taxes first?

Yes indeed. With the Obamadmin the means justify the ends!

I got a tax refund today – $1.38. I guess some elite will go hungry due to this awful payment to a middle class person.

You want the people that already pay all the taxes to pay more? Whats wrong with getting every American a vested interest in what the government is doing rather than pinning the responsibility to finance the nation on the backs of a few?

Thank you! That is a devastating article.

The last paragraphs:

And the President too is a young man. Unlike say Lyndon B. Johnson or Jimmy Carter, when his term ends he won’t be able simply to go home. He’ll need a big house in a gated suburb, with high walls and rich friends. And a good income, too, from book deals and lecture fees. He may be thinking about that now.

The good news is: it won’t save him. For if and when he ventures out, for the rest of his life, the eyes of all those, whose hopes he once raised will follow him. The old, the poor, the jobless, the homeless: their eyes will follow him wherever he goes.

Obama will become a pariah like O.J.

Maybe we could recruit Galbraith to challenge Obama?

So… six Representatives and six Senators, collectively representing only a small fraction of the entire American citizenry will negotiate (almost certainly behind closed doors) the budget and tax changes to be submitted to a deliberately hobbled Congress for up or down no-amendment vote.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this is blatantly unconstitutional. We have officially moved into the realm of Taxation Without Representation.

This isn’t hyperbole either: Many of us, myself included, live in states whose Reps and Senators are not included in this ‘Super Congress’ junta. There is no opportunity for our elected Congressional delegation to have any input on what is proposed or approved. They can only vote for or against it…and should it fail, we get massive automatic cuts, but (surprise!) no tax increases.

I’ve already had several… ‘conversations’ with DNC and OFA fundraisers, expressing my extreme displeasure.

remember your not going to a football game.dont expect them to make it convenient for you. im glad your going, thank you.

Still full of shit, I see.

http://www.hostels.com/washington-dc/usa

I have never objected to paying my FAIR share of taxes. I do most certainly object when the rich pay nothing. Why should the middle pay for gov’t services when the rich simply enjoy the benefits of OUR money. Get real.

No you do. We want the 1,450 corporations who paid NO taxes to pay their fare share. Grow a brain.

*g* point taken!

He’s a sycophant for the rich, an Okoch.

Warren Buffet told Brokaw: “I’ll bet a million dollars against any member of the Forbes 400 who challenges me that the average (federal tax rate including income and payroll taxes) for the Forbes 400 will be less than the average of their receptionists.”

It’s morally repugnant to require that practically destitute people carry more weight than the extravagantly rich. I’ll grant that the government should be forced to cut the Defense and Security State to bare skeletons. Politicians are basically selling government functions to higher priced contractors. That should stop.

Is this your view, or are you trying out a neofascist.org talking point?

What can these people do that Mr. O and the leaders of Congress couldn’t? This seems so foolish, wasteful, unconstitutional and retarded.

What’s wrong with the wealthy paying their fair share. Even poor people pay SS and medicare taxes. The rich often pay – - zero.

Still want to punish growth and innovation I see.

The only innovations that rich do is to find more places to become rentiers, or parasites on the system.
The innovations and ideas come from the bottom, but these actual inventors can’t find the funding to bring them to fruition on their own, so they have to sell them or seek vulture capital.

The small business loans that ZeroBama laid out as part of his stimulus and/or Jobs program isn’t lending at all to the potential up and comers since the super rich hoover up the funds masquerading as small businesses through LLC’s. It’s a racket for the rich.

American Small Business League

Go read the Kevin Drum article that Jane linked to in the article. The pols don’t listen to anyone but the uber wealthy. How much do they pay you to post this crap?

The problem is that your philosophy does just that! Social mobility is being shredded just like the social contract. What does that leave us? A bunch of spoiled brats without a clue who believe their own press releases. Sorry your mommy told you that this planet is your private little play thing.

Here’s the financial worlds idea of innovation: CDS: The WMD’s of Financial Destruction.
Warren Buffet figured this out before the crash and sounded the alarm, but it was willfully ignored by the innovators and government regulators. There were a lot of declarations that the “fundamentals were strong.”
Afterward they said that no one saw this coming so we must compensate the banker geniuses for their losses. Now they’re trying to stuff the bill down the throat of the most powerless.

my check will be in the mail and it will be for than 15 dollars..thanks!

The “powerless” aren’t paying any bills to begin with. Instead they are enjoying subsidized lifestyles. Subsidized health care, subsidized housing, subsidized transportation. Time to stop giving these individuals a free ride.

Our Coward in Chief Obama is up for relection and if SS MEdicare and Medicaid gets cut I no longer have a reason to vote for him…OUT Mr Obama and I am really at a point where I don’t care if Michele Bachmann gets elected,,,yes people of her ilk are not worthy of being President but neither is Obama and Obama is the one who lied to us and he is the one who wants to bring dark days to us…

The powerless just can’t afford lobbyists. They’ve paid into the Social Security Insurance Trust all their lives. They are not “subsidized”.

You could make the case for unfunded Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage, and even Obama care because the whole intent was to secure a captured market for private insurance companies profit.

Government should/could pool the public buying power to get the best return for the money spent, a thing that most Americans want if explained to them: Single Payer Health Care. That doesn’t make granny a free loader. That makes Government a bad actor, as it no longer looks out for the commonweal: the idea behind a great society. Instead its brokering the sell off.

The 1,450 corporations aren’t paying any taxes, their owners are the ones enjoying subsidized lifestyles as they pay a lower percentage than the rest of us.
Everyone knows that taxes are for little people (see charts). The super rich buy loopholes from the congress.

According to Newt Gingrich (he didn’t say this publicly, but in a meeting at a think tank), it’s the “centrist” presidents that are the most effective in achieving mutual policy goals. We might be better off with a wing-nut fundie President than Obama, because the Democratic Congress would be obstructionists, just as the TeaParty members are now.

I agree – the game is the cuts to SSMM

Obama is determined to cut Social Security and Medicare – indeed his extension of the Bush tax cuts was to get a reason for those cuts.

http://my.firedoglake.com/papau/2011/08/10/extending-the-bush-tax-cuts-in-2010-to-get-socsecmedicare-cuts/

There will be no use of the trigger

Indeed because I so want the trigger to be the result, I can be certain it will not be (I think I am now fully in tune with Obama’s reality).

Say what – when 90% of the wealth and income is in the hand of 20%, how do others get influence – by paying more taxes? – you must be kidding me.

The Koch brothers wrote a check for tens of millions for the Wisconsin recall – and they will have influence. Their tax history means little.

Besides almost everyone pays a tax on income – the Federal tax on income is via FIT and via the SS payroll tax. Everyone is part of the system.

a “canopy”..?

“Obama is determined to cut Social Security and Medicare – indeed his extension of the Bush tax cuts was to get a reason for those cuts.”

i think you have that reversed…

The US government is the largest contractoree in the world.

Now that the election is back within the margin of error the Republicans will steal it through electronic vote manipulation. Florida in 2000. Ohio in 2004. Pennsylvania 2012

My theory? He’ll let another mandatory budgeting issue become a “crisis” and use that for Cat Food Commission III, aka Sooooper Dooooooper Congress, aka Committee of the X-Number Caesars, aka, Obama’s Little Politburo.

He has a budet to get passsed, may need another debt ceiling increase before he’s out of office in January 2013. And if he does get reelected, better watch out as he’ll have no need to lie to the voters any longer.

No, it’s not reversed. Obama had plenty of room last December to get the Republicans to pass a debt ceiling increase when he was giving away the store to them, the Bush Tax Cuts extension. He gave them more than they had dared to ask for, but all he got in return was one extension of unemployment insurance and nothing for the 99 Weekers going off unemployment insurance. He even created an agreement which ended up making the very lowest earners pay slightly more in taxes!

How’s that for Dem prez? Coddle the rich and stick it to the poor!

Obama needed to extend the Bush Tax Cuts to have a strong financial argument, the big debt and growing deficit, to go after SocSec and Medicare/Medicaid, possibly other New Deal and Great Society social safety net programs. He held off on the debt ceiling increase because he needed to gin up a “crisis” to force the Dems into cutting SS/MM. Without a “crisis,” most Dems would not touch the crown jewels of Democratic legislative accomplishments. Obama boxed them in. Succesfully.

I think that the Tea Partiers went further than Obama thought they would, and that did put the US in danger of default. The last minute agreement PO’d S&P, worried international finance centers, and made both Obama and Congress look reckless and feckless.

But a very big but, Obama did get his ssecond bite of the Cat Food Commission apple, his Super Congress of the many nicknames. This is set up to force Congress to vote for one poison or swallow another with the triggered automatic cuts (which I think will be better for us non-wealthy people, but Obama may take the Dems over the cliff with him).

Had Obama let the Bush Tax Cuts sunset as scheduled, there would have been much more tax revenue filling the Federal coffers, there would have been a much lower debt ceiing increase, and it would have been difficult to gin up the necessary “crisis.”

Obama is a good negotiator for what he wants to accomplish. He maneuvers his own party into corners, making them vote against their own constituents’ best interests. He is a stealth candidate, albeit with many indications of how he would govern. Which is as a conservative.

He wants to outdo St. Ronnie is “transforming” the government and this nation.

He does not work for us.

We will suffer for his election to the presidency.

LOL

Thanks you so much. Brian will work hard to put it to good use.

If you can’t vote against the committee, vote against the ones on your ballot.

No party and no candidate that blames Social Security and Medicare for the global financial collapse and puts the burden on the sick and the old deserves your vote.

Or…a Dementor of Democrats, sucking out not only their souls, but their spines and their brains….

With SocSec and Medicare/Medicaid crippled or destroyed, the lesser Dementors will be unleashed on the non-wealthy of this nation.

Thanks for the article, which I somehow had missed. It was reprinted at Alternet. Here is the alternet url for the article, which really bears reading in full:

http://www.alternet.org/economy/151949/how_obama_is_neutralizing_the_left_and_tilting_rightward

However, please note that the “path of least resistance,” for Obama, is always, always to the right. Ever rightward.

It’s where he wants to take this nation. What looks like capitulation is his cover for selling out Democrats and his voters.

I think Obama fears any programs which could have been or were done by FDR; they are like kryptonite to him. I think he despises liberals and will do nothing that they want, if he can help it.

He has resisted real jobs programs from Day One. He spoke about jobs during the primary and GE in general terms, iiirc, nothing specific.

Changing patent law is about as far as he will go. Oh, yeah, and trade treaties which facilitate shipping jobs to cheap labor countries. But, that helps those he is working for. He does not work for us.

That’s probably the best thing that can be said about him.

The degree to which Obama hated the public option can now be evidenced as he puts medicare on the chopping block while feigning the notion that no cost-containment alternative allows him to prevent taking draconian measures.This commission is another Obama set-up that ,as always, has been shrewdly cultivated so he can win by losing.