Many people have argued, repeatedly and vociferously, that the president could attain better outcomes by demonstrating more leadership, by asking for a whole lot more than he could realistically get, and by taking his case to the American people. If he would stop trying to get along with Republicans and, instead, take them on with hot rhetoric, he would get more done and be seen more favorably by the public.
As he then went on to say, the White House is now doing what they wanted.
They called for a Joint Session of Congress and called for a Jobs Bill that is a lot more comprehensive than anything that is actually likely to pass. The president went on the road,... and did his best to sell his bill. He ramped up his rhetoric and directly blamed the Republicans for their obstruction. He didn't preemptively offer to water down his bill, but repeatedly called for the whole bill to be passed, and passed quickly.
And now we're hearing this kind of bullshit from Minority Leader McConnell.
[T]hat’s their explicit strategy — to make people believe that Congress can’t get anything done.
And how do you make sure of it? By proposing legislation you know the other side won’t support — even when there’s an entire menu of bipartisan proposals the President could choose to pursue instead. The President can govern as though this is the congress he wants or he can deal with the congress he has. Along the first path lies gridlock and along the second lies the kind of legislative progress Americans want. And as for Republicans, well, we’ve been crystal clear from the outset that we prefer the latter route.
Yep, the guy who is personally responsible for the "party of no" strategy is now accusing President Obama of "gridlock." Can you spell p-r-o-j-e-c-t-i-o-n?
So where are those "baggers of fire" who have been screaming about this for years? Are they calling McConnell (and other Republicans who have been saying the same thing) out? Do they have the President's back on this?
A quick perusal of their websites shows lots of stories about Occupy Wall Street and a few about the crazy shenanigans of the Republicans at the so-called "Value Voters Conference." But not a peep about President Obama or the attacks being hurled at him by Republicans.
And they wonder why he doesn't listen to them.
There's a certain type of personality which has a deep-seated need for something to complain about, and feels deprived otherwise. When the condition they've been complaining about is rectified or shown to be not as bad as they thought, they lose interest, because it's no longer serving its psychological purpose to them.
ReplyDeleteAs for the problem of the Occupier movement sucking up all the attention and enthusiasm that should have gone into pressuring Congress on the AJA, that's a broad problem across the whole liberal blogosphere, even on blogs that have long been pro-Obama.
With the increasing union involvement with the Occupiers, I hope that the AJA will soon be on their agenda, so that all that energy will be channeled in a useful direction. But the poutragers and LiarDogFake will always be caviling from the sidelines, no matter what Obama does.
Oh, and McConnell is beneath contempt. The guy who has at least twice said that stopping Obama from being re-elected is the Republicans' number-one goal, now accuses Obama of intransigence?
ReplyDeleteExactly right on. Daily Koch couldn't be bothered with action diaries to rally calls/emails to Congress to push the AJA. They're all show horses, not work horses. Now they have their newest navel gazing to "distract them" than the AJA isn't as pure as OccupyWallStreet so that now has their undivided attention.
ReplyDeleteThere is literally dozens of OWS diaries a day - how many were there to push the AJA?
The President is basically begging folks to contact their Congress/Senator and is getting nothing from the nutroots. Piss on them an a pox on all their houses. They've been exposed as nothing but whiners who need something to complain about rather than getting anything done.
And then they'll whine when the AJA doesn't pass and how weak the President is because he couldn't get it passed. And next time the President compromises with the GOP and doesn't go on a speech tour they'll bitch how he's a caver.
#OWS will fade away in a couple of weeks because there is nothing by which to gauge success because there is no mission statement or targeted goals. It's just a bunch of folks airing ununified grievances to the clouds above. There is no Fox News to push this "movement". It's epic navel gazing, a pie fight in real life.
You have Ratigan, Moore, Smiley, West, Klein all trying to claim leadership roles. You have John Lewis not allowed to speak in Atlanta's OWS. It's being co-opted by the Obama Haters who want it to be their own tea party so they can exploit it for their personal gain like many grifters did in the tea party.
Newest hero Jesse Le Greca is a online beggar who would post a diary blasting Pres. Obama and they ask for donations so somebody would pay his rent for him at DK. Than he'd write a somewhat positive one and again ask for donations. I wonder if his diary list has been "cleaned" just like the diaries were that blasted Rep. Giffords in the days before she was shot. So when the mainstream go looking for who Ministry of Truth is they won't find his ranting and ravings and begging for money.
Great article; and Infidel753 - (wish I were a better writer, but since I'm not I'll just say): your comments are profound, crystal clear, could not be more accurate.
ReplyDeleteRhoda
Rhoda - I agree with you wholeheartedly. Infidel's comment is profound, crystal clear and accurate.
ReplyDeleteAnd Infidel - what you say really taps into my issues with the poutragers. For a long time now I've recognized that I have an extreme reaction to whiners. Its because I cannot tolerate a victim mindset and that's exactly what I see in people who want to complain but never engage in solutions.
Infidel753, I couldn't co-sign your comments enough, and Smartypants, thanks for another great post.
ReplyDeleteebogan63.
Thanks ladies! My Senators and Congressman are all Democrats and presumably on board with the AJA already, but they'll be hearing from me, just in case they need encouragement. Let the poutragers curse the darkness, we'll light the candles.
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