Setting The Record Straight on Romanoff v. Bennet, and why Obama Should Listen

by: peacemonger

Tue Dec 13, 2011 at 14:26:27 PM MST

Last week, before Andrew Romanoff endorsed Joe Miklosi in CD6, there was a diary comment on Pols which stated "Romanoff's Senate campaign was a disaster". That comment got under my skin, so I will set the record straight, for the sake of the tens of thousands of his supporters, as well as for the 2012 elections in Colorado. That may sound incongruous coming from one of Senator Bennet's earliest and most ardent supporters -- please hear me out.

First, a fast review of what happened, for those living under a rock, or out-of-state, from 2009-2010. Romanoff's Senate campaign was a study in contrasts. There were epic mistakes made, but in many ways, it was wildly successful considering  its tiny fraction of financial resources. The vast majority of activists and staffers who worked on it have every reason to be proud of what they accomplished.  

Rick Perry, Our Next President

by: saindenver

Fri Aug 12, 2011 at 09:56:24 AM MST

None of this apparently matters, though, because America is beginning the process of electing another Texan to be president. Gigantic tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, a trumped up war and a ruined economy from the last Texan seem incapable of dissuading supporters of Rick Perry.

His Saturday speech in South Carolina will make clear that he is entering the race for the White House and will spawn the ugliest and most expensive presidential race in U.S. history, and he will win. A C and D student, who hates to govern, loves to campaign, and barely has a sixth grader's understanding of economics, will lead our nation into oblivion.

How can this work?

Perry, of course, can't come right out and print bumper stickers that say, "Rick Perry -- 2012 -- Not a Mormon." But he doesn't have to. He's wearing his faith like a power tie while Romney stays quiet as a tabernacle mouse on the topic of religion. Romney has business experience and intellect that are not on Perry's resume' but he is from "Massatoositts..."

So much for Mitt

He goes on to describe how this will become a P-P candidacy, and having lived in Texas for 15 years and seen how this man has risen using his "Consevative" Democrat label and language to gain power in Texas, and then switched parties during the Bush ascendency, I think that he has to be taken seriously.

There is little hope that anyone can get enough votes were Obama to retire, so he'll run and lose.

The general election will, quite literally, decide the fate of a nation. Every time Team Obama criticizes the Texas economy for its minimum wage job boom, the president will be accused of attacking the working men and women of America. (Texas has created a large share of the new jobs in the United States in the last decade but studies indicate many of them are at places like Wal-Mart and Carl's Jr.)

President Obama will also get beaten up for presiding over the first bond rating downgrade in U.S. history as well as high unemployment. When the cold rains fall in early November next year, unemployed voters in places like Ohio will step into the booth and dream of a minimum wage job in the Texas sun selling fishing rods at big box sporting goods stores or working in call centers; they will vote against Barack Obama.

And in the process, they will write the epitaph to set upon the tombstone of history's greatest democracy: Perry-Palin, 2012.

I hope that this isn't true, but it sure seems to be credible.  

We may not want to support our likely nominee, but I think this is a worse case than the Bennet-Buck situation last year and for a lot more stakes.  I will be supporting the nominee and the party candidates.

What Makes A President Presidential?

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Tue Apr 19, 2011 at 06:27:34 AM MST

What makes someone Presidential? I am not talking about policy, since there is a lot (some of folks who don't agree with me will say almost none) of difference in policy, but that quality that makes you think of a president as the President?

Looking a back on the presidents I have been aware of in my life I am still not sure how to define that. We talk a lot about leadership. I have been really disappointed in President Obama's leadership. For all that he has achieved legislation that meets a carefully parsed description of his campaign promises; he has really not taken a lot of what look like strong stands.

It was, we are assured, a tactical move to have the president mostly stay out the process. I was willing to take that at face value at the time, but at this point given the disappointments in terms of other issues that really matter to me (torture accountability, full civil rights for gay citizens, EFCA) I don't really see him as a strong leader.

Still, is that what it means to be presidential? A strong man? President Bush, for all that he was a feckless clown, was willing to stand strong on issues. It got us into a totally unjustifiable war that is going to cost upwards of 3 trillion (3,000 billion) when all is said and done. He was so "strong" that he was wiling to tell the world, including our allies, that you are with us or against us.  

At the same time he suffered from some waffling and showed lots of signs of being pushed around by his own party. Take the nomination then withdrawal of Harriet Myers for the Supreme Court. It was a goofy and overreaching nomination, but the backlash from his own party caused him to get her to withdraw. I think that we wound up with a worse Chief Justice in John Roberts, who is at least smart to go along with being unfailingly conservative. Ms. Myers would have been such a dufus she would have never been made Chief Justice.  

Time to roll out the Obama/Clinton 2012 ticket

by: wade norris

Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:41:15 AM MST

This is not a new idea - it has already been written about and I have to agree with Mr. Hutchinson's assessment:

As Obama's VP in 2012, Hillary will bring the same top notch political qualities to the reelection campaign that she brought to the 2008 campaign. ... She will still be a role model and inspiration for millions of women young and old. She will prove that women can hold a top political power spot that requires providing valuable policy guidance and expertise on tough domestic and foreign policy issues...
Hillary will also bring another priceless quality to the ticket. She is not intimidated by the GOP smear machine.

Extending unemployment benefits

by: SpoonFighter

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 09:43:21 AM MST

If you're one of those poor bastards whose unemployment benefits are running out, you're about to get a reprieve. The late Sen. Byrd's replacement will be sworn in today, and unless one of the Democrats steps in front of a motorcade, gets locked in the Senate bathroom, or has an intern-related heart attack, they should have the 60 votes they need to overcome the Republican filibuster and extend unemployment benefits. (more)

"Face it, the system is rigged, and it's rigged against us"

by: MinistryOfTruth

Fri Jul 09, 2010 at 14:12:23 PM MST

Must Read Eric Alterman article about our kabuki democracy -- and what to do about it.

digbysblog.blogspot.com

     Face it, the system is rigged, and it's rigged against us. Sure, presidents can pretty easily pass tax cuts for the wealthy and powerful corporations. They can start whatever wars they wish and wiretap whomever they want without warrants. They can order the torture of terrorist suspects, lie about it and see that their intelligence services destroy the evidence. But what they cannot do, even with supermajorities in both houses of Congress behind them, is pass the kind of transformative progressive legislation that Barack Obama promised in his 2008 presidential campaign. Here's why.

thenation.com

    As for the "Here's why" and how to fix things part, one should go read the whole article at The Nation, and go below the fold for more.

Abe Lincoln: when "Corporations have been enthroned" a chilling prediction coming true

by: MinistryOfTruth

Mon May 31, 2010 at 12:56:59 PM MST

    I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."

-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
Ref: The Lincoln Encyclopedia, Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan, 1950, NY)

ratical.org

Bold text added by the diarist

(Note: The authenticity of this quote has been disputed, but I believe it is worthwhile to discuss nonetheless. The link I have provided is my proof of the validity of this quote, but I leave it to you, the reader, to decide.)

Almost 150 years later . . .

More below the fold

Turning the Oil Spill into a Jobs Bill

by: wade norris

Thu May 06, 2010 at 17:20:47 PM MST