Kind of slow in here so I thought I would stir the pot with this op-ed by Michelle Goldberg from The Daily Beast in regard to Halperin's recent offensive remark about Obama. I was particularly taken by her summation of the Grand Old Party,
Today’s GOP is a congeries of Birchers, fundamentalists, nativists, and gold bugs that considers longtime conservatives like Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch unacceptably left-wing. Right now, it is playing a game of chicken with all of our financial futures, counting on the widespread fear that it really is crazy enough to unleash financial Armageddon, and the knowledge that the Democrats are not.
Pretty much hits the nail on the head. I would like to think that Obama now realizes there is no middle way with the current Republicans in Congress, and that he has to take his message public, especially since he is bidding for a second term. I thought his speech was a good starting point. No more backroom deals.
I agree that Obama should take his message to the people and forget about courting Republican support for anything.
ReplyDeleteThe Republican Party has shown time and time again that it will always stick with a strategy too long, and I see no reason to believe that won't happen again. I'm convinced the current decision to hold everyone hostage will blow up in their faces. I just hope that happens before they do any serious damage.
I always thought Halperin was a Republican sympathizer, although I don't recall exactly what he said a few years ago that brought me to that conclusion.
ReplyDeleteMika and Joe egged him on to say whatever was on his mind, which wasn't much! Mika laughed. He didn't give any back-up as to WHY he thought Obama was . . .
I suppose it was the allusion to Congress being late with their homework, as he alluded to his daughters not having to pull any all-nighters. I thought it was a great jab, and I hope Obama keeps this up. He has to seize the offensive, especially now with so much dissatisfaction with Republicans' so called "pledge."
ReplyDeleteI assumed that Halperin was the Republican side of Game Change -- which I really enjoyed reading by the way.
ReplyDeleteObama did seem to get under the republicans' skin with that remark. I have been following Ezra Klein in the Post -- he sends out a little update every morning -- and he wrote that if Obama went public it meant that there was no deal in the works. Looks like this was the "going public" signal. I wish Obama would do more of this, but I don't think it's in his DNA.
Obama has prided himself on being a conciliator. He went out of his way, I thought, to bring conservatives on board when he picked his administration. Fat lot of good it did him. The same conservatives who supported the bailouts and stimulus plan are now some of its most vociferous opponents.
ReplyDeleteI'm particularly bemused by Huntsman, who was Obama's Ambassador to China, and in many ways a moderate. Seems he turns out to be nothing more than a political opportunist, now using his "experience" in the Obama administration to discredit Obama. Doesn't appear that he is gaining much traction however.
Republicans seem to be fawning all over Bachmann, who in many ways is even worse than Palin. But, Ed Rollins is doing his damnedest to make her a viable candidate.
Republicans are awfully thin-skinned to be offended by this. They are always offended anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt never ceases to amaze how easily the Repugs take offense, in spite of the abuse they dish out on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteClyburn better watch out, he might get tar and feathered when he returns to South Carolina,
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/leading-democrat-says-gop-tax-argument-flawed-113135744.html
I wish they would quit beating around the bush and keep pushing the fact that they are protecting things like corporate jets. Why is that considered a legitimate business expense? Seems like there should be at least some limit on what can be deducted at the taxpayer's expense. Not to mention that many of these large corporations benefit from taxpayer subsidies to begin with.
ReplyDeleteThink of all the investments in basic research and training of graduate students that corporations benefit from. This is where a large portion of the wealth comes from -- from investments in science, medicine, infrastructure, even the public airwaves -- all of that is supported (or used to be) by the government. Not to mention the bailouts of the banks when they can't control their greed. But still they don't want to pay taxes. Astounds me.
I don't imagine anyone wants to pay taxes, but what gets me is how Republican leaders so adamantly defend these tax cuts for the rich knowing full well there is no way to balance the budget, much less reduce debt without reinstating many of these taxes. The much ballyhooed Ryan plan failed to balance the budget. He still ran a projected deficit over 10 years even with all his domestic trimming. This should have been a clear indication that the Bush tax cuts are untenable, instead the GOP'ers try to whittle away at Medicare, as if these social services were ever the culprit in the economic meltdown.
ReplyDeleteInstead of bringing banks back under legislative control, the damn Republicans in the House are doing their damnedest to trim what little banking reform was passed. The banks were the real culprits and yet they don't want them to have any accountability.
Meanwhile Frank Rich and Robert Reich lambast Obama, as if he is responsible for this mess. What can you do when half of Congress stonewalls the political process? Obama has to make this campaign issue number one, bringing as many Democrats back into Congress on his coattails in 2012.