tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post7047171300296005842..comments2024-02-24T00:41:37.836-08:00Comments on The Buddha Diaries: Don't Dis the Dems....Peter Clothierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-65256274599677250812010-09-08T11:10:59.306-07:002010-09-08T11:10:59.306-07:00I volunteered for Obama's campaign here in Chi...I volunteered for Obama's campaign here in Chico California in 2008. I never felt more inspired by a Presidential candidate since Robert Kennedy. I don't agree with some of those on the left who say that Obama is a warmonger, a sellout, or someone who doesn't care about poor people. I also never expected Obama to be a Messiah or a witch-doctor or miracle-maker. However I do strongly believe that President Obama has not been strong enough in fighting for his programs. He is much to conciliatory towards the Congressional Republicans who simply want to bring him down. FDR, JFK, and LBJ never would have tolerated this. The economic stimulus package that Obama got passed is quite a bit smaller than it should have been because he and the Democrats didn't have 60 votes to pass a better bill in the Senate, when in fact the Senate Democrats have the power to abolish filibusters. The Vice President also can issue a ruling abolishing it. So while the stimulus package might be the biggest program putting people to work since the New Deal or the Great Society of the 1960's and while it put a lot of people to work who otherwise are not working, considering the dire circumstances now it is not enough. Obama should not have allowed the Senate Republicans to filibuster passage of more stimulus legislation and aid to local and state governments. Also I realize that Obama got the biggest piece of health care legislation passed since Medicare was enacted in 1965, but unfortunately too many people will not benefit from that until 2014. What President Obama should have done was to fight to get Medicare(using the term Medicare as everyone knows what Medicare is) extended to everyone which would have included dental, vision, and prescriptions. Had Obama seen to it that Congress adopted larger programs to reduce unemployment and extending Medicare to everyone, with at least a somewhat improved economy the Democrats would be in position to actually gain Congressional seats rather than be losing seats. These pieces of legislation should have been adopted with no filibuster allowed. The Democrats unfortunately blew a great opportunity. The Republicans having moved so far to the right, should be an irrelevant party now. In regards to the high unemployment and the poor economy, it's not enough for the Democrats to blame Bush. When conditions are bad, people blame the current party that holds power. Still I hope that Democrats and working people turn out to vote this November and hopefully with the Republicans being so far out in right field, Democratic loses will be at a minimum and that most of those loses will be conservative blue dogs who haven't supported their President or party anyway. Perhaps if we have a slimmer but meaner Democratic majority, more will get done in the next couple of years.Walterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10123482733562746178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-67920039214003835692010-09-06T08:15:29.120-07:002010-09-06T08:15:29.120-07:00Thanks for these comments, which certainly made me...Thanks for these comments, which certainly made me think. As usual, the results of my thinking appear in a new entry on the blog...Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-55990267805109945182010-09-04T14:19:23.202-07:002010-09-04T14:19:23.202-07:00Brave stuff Peter...keep it up.
MichaelBrave stuff Peter...keep it up.<br />MichaelMichaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10058693616240831085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-2429622159364477622010-09-04T14:09:08.573-07:002010-09-04T14:09:08.573-07:00i see mandt beat me to it. right on guys!i see mandt beat me to it. right on guys!rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554961854201609452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-16947865228939499532010-09-04T14:06:33.806-07:002010-09-04T14:06:33.806-07:00i'll respectfully disagree. i think he deserve...i'll respectfully disagree. i think he deserves all the opprobrium heaped on him and more. torture is now accepted national policy. the too big to fail banks are loaned money by the fed at close to zero percent interest and they turn right around and buy tbills at 3% or more. nice. can i get some of that? warrantless wiretapping goes on. whoop-de-do we got "mandated health insurance" as "reform." we have no more rule of law than we did with bush, either one. he will get some respect from me when he stands up publicly and loudly for his own advertised principles and for someone other than big business. and how about that alan simpson that he appointed to the commission to kill social security and medicare. <br /><br />yes he is a politician. no better than most. "marginally better than republicans" isn't good enough.rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554961854201609452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-88596029491922626702010-09-04T13:50:54.210-07:002010-09-04T13:50:54.210-07:00Moderating 'our' rhetoric is not an Americ...Moderating 'our' rhetoric is not an American trait or virtue. "The man's a pragmatist" in regard to rhetoric I would say pragmatism and mediocrity are their own reward, which is to say in times of historic transition, when the zeitgeist calls for greatness, Obama ofters paltry solutions. Obama, like Clinton; lacks the essential ingredient that can impede or halt the slide of America into fascism, and that is heroic greatness. Despite the gleam of Obama's sincere, narcissistic autobiographies he does not 'walk the talk.' At best he might be said to channel his inner Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius, thoughtful, brilliant and eloquent was still the master of an unyielding, brutal, viscious empire. Still, it might be considered a revolutionary act to vote Democrat against all odds to delay the inevitable.mandthttp://adgitadiaries.blog-city.comnoreply@blogger.com