Discussion for article #227344
We have a thoughtful President who is methodical and will get it right. Since the Congress refuses to work for the country, it will take time for our President to do this. He has to do everything alone after all.
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John of Orange calls it “raw politics.” But he would have called taking the action now “raw politics.”
Anyone else tired of RW politicians reading index cards provided by the Koch brothers?
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This is a bit of a fig leaf. He’s delaying executive action so that Pryor, Grimes, Nunn, Landrieu et al have a chance.
But I wonder whether the President is missing an opportunity to lay down the gauntlet to pro-reform voters: Get out to vote, flex your muscles, demonstrate to Congress that we need immigration reform.
Perhaps the White House didn’t want to cast attention on the political aspect of this decision. But I hope the national party and Latino groups will leverage it as a GOTV motivator.
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Honestly, this is smart politics and it’s the correct choice. Immigration activists need to understand that him taking executive action only feeds the Obama is a dictator meme that floats around right-wing circles, and will only fire them up for the election. He really has no choice. He has an dysfunctional Congress that can’t or won’t do anything, and an opposition party that will howl at the moon over every action he takes, big or small. Best to wait until after the election.
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“…I also want to make sure that the public understands why we’re doing this…”
Exactly.
And, as Republicans are so fond of asking, why compromise with people who are wrong?
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This isn’t a border crisis, it is a Congressional crisis. Obama needs to tell the American people that if Congresscritters refuse to do their job, he will do what he can without them. .
And while he’s at it, he needs to point out how few days these critters put in on their jobs. He would look a hell of a lot more presidential if he started going on the attack, confronting the right on their desire to drown the government in a bathtub, and then describe what the result of that drowning would look like. Bad roads? Get off your ass and fix it yourself, using your own materials. Social Security? Disappearing down a rathole in the next economic crash. Mom needing care for her Alzheimer’s? Keep her at home and change her diapers yourself. As things are now, Obama will not be able to community organize Congress into getting anything done.
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Once again, Republicans get precisely what they’ve been clamoring for, and once again, they bitch about getting it.
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ie: he didnt fall for the GOPs manufactured crisis/hysteria about immigration.
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Well, Mr Goatee didn’t disappoint. A thoughtful interviewer might have included the fact that Congress has not acted on immigration for the most craven political reasons.
OT, but when Chuck asked about the golfing after announcing the beheading of Foley, I was reminded of GWBUSH with this “Now watch this drive” after throwing out obviously insincere blather about terrorism. Oh, and perhaps he might have mentioned that Ronald Reagan, after finally being awakened and informed about the marines killed while they slept in Lebanon…went golfing.
I am so sick of the way this President is treated. I probably give him passes when I shouldn’t just to try to make up for the crap that comes his way.
I do, however, wish he was more aggressive in fighting the inappropriate criticisms. OPTICS…Bull Shit!
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Seeing that the polls are against them, the citizens are against them, and they won’t get any help from the lunatics in the Tea-Party this election cycle the John-Birch-Billionaires and Reich-Wing Oligarchs have turned to the last thing they have absolute control over: The News Media.
They kicked out David Gregory for not being “pure enough” and replaced him with Reich-Wing Stenographer Chuck Todd, and that STILL wasn’t enough so now they are adding Joe Scarborough to the mix to provide “balance” (!!!).
I also have noticed a distinct right-ward lurch in my local NBC and ABC TV news stations and BOTH local newspapers in the last week (owned by Gannet.) Suddenly the TV station is devoting 1/2 of their night-time news stories to right-wing-sensationalist-news bashing Obama and Democrats (and this is Minnesota!) straight out of FOX News, and they are ENDLESSLY promoting and doing fluff-stories on the lame GOP candidate for Governor Jeff Johnson. (the newspapers are REALLY bad about this.)
It is a full-court press to change the subject and “work the refs” before the election in November and it just might work.
People are very disconnected from politics due to the endless vitriol and vast sums of MONEY pouring in from out of state. Next door in Wisconsin it is even worse with the Kochs pouring money into Walkers campaign.
The concept of a “liberal press” is a sick joke.
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So he counters that meme by saying he will wait until after the election to take unilateral action?
How does that counter the right-wing talkingpoints? It actually increases them.
They will just make ads attacking the very same democrats claiming, just like the unpopular parts of Obamacare, the President will wait until after the elections to screw the country, etc…I can hear the them now "We can’t fight back with a democratic controlled Senate and “insert name” will be a rubber stamp to Obama’s unconstitutional executive actions, so if you want amnesty for millions of illegals vote for “insert name”…
In politics the easiest thing to do is just to do it and then let the other side bitch about it.
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Yes Schmuck Chuck, we get it. You’re still butthurt that rMoney didn’t win…
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People who think Obama is being “thoughtful” for delaying immigration are dummies. Remember in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, when he said he was going to make a decision on the pipeline. Were still waiting. But its ok he is being thoughtful
Yeah, he has been thoughtful on the pipeline for like 4 years.
I blame it on his liberal nut job advisor Valorie. She is the worst and needs to be fired. Let Denis M run the show. Denny is a great man and true leader. He should be Pres and not Obama! Denis 2016!!!
Um, yeaahhhh, that would look really, really presidential. Kind of like George W Bush-like presidential. We’ll smoke 'em out! I’m the Decider!
In fact, if you watch the press briefings and live speeches, the president has said all of the things you demand, although not in the way you demand it. He and his press secretary call out Congress, and specifically Congressional Republicans, at every opportunity. He has talked about bad roads and bad bridges – and stands in front of one while saying it. He talks about health care, he talks about taking executive action on veteran’s issues, on immigration, on minimum wage. He spent 45 minutes in a press conference talking about Congressional cutbacks and how Americans would suffer. It’s the reporters who think that tan suits and saying “mind meld” is the most important subject of a press conference. That’s not the president’s doing.
Perhaps he just isn’t crass enough for you.
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Yes. I also am already sick of Chuck Todd overload. Even if he were to be terrific at his job, he is just the moderator of a “news” program. In terms of this headline, when did Chuck aggressively grill Romney, McCain, McConnell et al?
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Lawmakers will have as few as seven legislative days before going home for the November midterm elections
. . . if all goes according to plan, a mid afternoon getaway on Sept. 19 that will extend until Nov. 12. Discounting the days with a late start or an early ending, Congress may have just four full workdays over the next nine weeks.
The president truly does have to do it alone
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Lawmakers will have as few as seven legislative days before going home for the November midterm elections
. . . if all goes according to plan, a mid afternoon getaway on Sept. 19 that will extend until Nov. 12. Discounting the days with a late start or an early ending, Congress may have just four full workdays over the next nine weeks.
But Boner looks good bleating about the president, the spittle really shines on his lips.
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