Discussion for article #242345
They both look like they are ready for Halloween, tired, cranky and on the verge of collapse. Welcome to American Democracy.
Paul and Cruz are just plain scary with the destruction and terror they want to bring to this country and the poor.
Happy Halloween.
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Rand Paul…a spoiled little brat. I would imagine that everyone who knows him personally took the news with a straight face when Paul told them of his intention to run for President.
Held that facial expression until Paul left them.
And then collapsed in uncontrollable laughter.
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So, how come the article doesn’t mention that Rubio, the media darling of the moment, voted “no” on the deal?
That means that each of the 3 Repub presidential candidates currently in the Senate voted no. That should be disqualifying right there.
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Depending on who says it, that no vote will be mentioned later. However the best part of the show will be Marco’s reasoning as to why he voted no.
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Consider what this agreement means.
President Obama and the Democratic Congressional minority have just gotten nearly everything they wanted from the Republican majority, and have protected their funding and policy priorities from what was expected to be a Tea Party/Freedom Caucus gut job.
No more hostages or shutdowns until at least 2017.
Last week President Obama publicly vetoed the Republicans’ NDAA bill and sent it back to address military preparedness and to remove accounting tricks to hide wasteful and unneeded military spending.
Several weeks ago, President Obama and the Democratic Congressional minority were able to uphold the Iran nuclear deal despite majority opposition, because earlier this year they insisted that they would only agree to a Congressional “review” that led to a vote on disapproval – and not on an approval, which would have been unlikely or impossible to achieve.
Also, early this year, a bipartisan bill which ended the Medicare “Doc Fix” passed with comfortable majorities – after being kicked down the road for more than 15 years.
It’s still early, but we may finally be turning a corner on government by crisis and hostage taking.
Too often we get disappointed seeing the short-term political gains the Republicans have reaped in recent years by demonizing the scary black man President Obama: winning both branches of Congress and a majority of state governments, and successfully blocking much of the Democrats’ agenda.
But here’s the good news: the Republicans are losing – and deep down they know it – and President Obama is winning.
Obama, in his even-tempered, professional way, is prodding moderates and independents to rethink their political ideologies, encouraging Democrats to sharpen their focus and rethink their priorities and strategies, and inviting independents and moderate Republicans – and even conservatives --to join him in crafting sensible compromises and solutions to the problems that face us all.
In doing so he is exposing and isolating the extremists as those unwilling to do the hard work of self-government.
It has been a long game, yes, and maybe not as immediately satisfying to some Democrats and liberals who would have preferred him to play the part of the stereotypical angry young black rabble rouser.
But with his economic policies that laid the groundwork for recovery, in his domestic policies that protected – and expanded – the social safety net, and in his foreign policies that ended the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon and the neocon policy of preemptive wars and which pivoted our focus from the Middle East quagmire to the increasingly important Pacific Rim, he is reviving the dream of the American Century and confronting the illusory neocon dream of American Empire.
And when the history of this era is written, President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid will be lionized as the most productive and progressive force in a generation.
What they achieved in just a brief period of time with a small Democratic majority, and with razor-thin votes in Congress, hasn’t been matched since the early years of LBJ. And what they’ve done to protect their priorities since the Republicans won majorities in Congress has been remarkable.
Much remains to be done. This work will take years and future administrations, but the groundwork is being laid. And Obama is preparing and inspiring a new generation of leadership with his management style, which the Republicans deride as “leading from behind” but which is actually a progressive form of leadership that involves a sharing of power that comes from mutual respect and not domination over others.
It is not apparent now, but it will become apparent in retrospect a generation from now, that we are living in the Age of Obama.
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Why do I always get things rammed down my throat in the middle of the night?
Randy, your optimism is grounded in reality, of course there are those that can’t get past their personal pet peeves but on balance, President Obama has turned the tide and changed our direction and collective future.
This is the age of Obama but also the age of not Bush and no more neocons. The contrast makes President Obama all that much more amazing and accomplished. Without the massive failures of Bush and his team of neocons, President Obama might just be a great President ; ) instead of a freaking amazing one.
And, here’s a biggie and something to look forward to, he is still President for another year. The man is on a roll and we are there with him. It’s nice to experience and we should stop and soak it up occasionally.
It is almost unimaginable what he would’ve accomplished sans the teabagging caucus and old Bushies but still, this either makes him more respected or deserving to be for what he has saved us from, gotten done and for proving that it could be in spite of the dead weight.
Our next President will not start in the chasm that Barack had to and therefore should be able to not only continue with what Barack has begun but start other new and helpful programs and work on ridding the bad ones forever.
IOW, the age of Obama will be seen as much more than just his two terms, it will be an ongoing legacy.
Finally, how’s it going Randy, it’s been a while and Happy Halloween.
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There’s only one downside to this deal: it gives the RWNJ’s in Congress enough “cover” to let them get through the 2016 election. Without this deal, we’d have been treated to the spectacle of more obstructionism, a possible shutdown, and maybe even a default. That would have made the Republicans look awful, perhaps leading to their ouster in 2016. But now, those of us on the left are still stuck with pointing out what the wingnuts will probably do if they’re reelected.
Yes, Leftflank, it’s been a while. The summer silly season is over and politics is back in season.
Things are going well, thanks, and you?
Cruz said the Republican majorities in both the House and Senate had given Obama a “diamond-encrusted, glow-in-the-dark Amex card” for government spending.
OK ? So you lost, Cruz ?
That’s a feature, not a bug.
We need to overcome the allure of the hit-and-run politics of personal destruction, snappy one-liners, and the preference for fiery, divisive rhetoric over hard work. That would be much more preferable to plunging this country into chaos once again.
Also, this approach has leverage behind it: The Republican party is becoming increasingly alarmed by the destructive extremists who have “gone rogue,” and with campaign season now upon us, this leverage can be useful in separating what I believe are a majority of lawmakers who sincerely want to get things done for the betterment of the country, and the extremists who would rather just argue and hold back progress.
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Perhaps. But I can’t shake the feeling that it gives rise to the “wingnuttery hasn’t failed - it just hasn’t been given a chance to work” argument. “We elected this bomb-thrower last time, and none of the terrible things we were warned about actually happened. Let’s send him back for another shot.”
Let’s face it - the people who sent Ted Cruz to the Senate like “the allure of the hit-and-run politics of personal destruction, snappy one-liners, and the preference for fiery, divisive rhetoric over hard work.”
Workwise-very well, personally-a major hiccup that has disrupted everything else.
It isn’t the first time that life has changed directions for me and I’m experienced enough unfortunately to know that after a while, good things come. That’s life.
But, I don’t want to dwell on that and really just want to go along with your enthusiasm, it pretty much matches mine and being positive is all that really does much good anyways.
Think about the reality of 8 more years of having the White House and really I’m thinking at least 16 more. Pretty awesome and inspiring.
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Good luck with whatever it is you’re dealing with, Leftflank.
And you have the right idea – keep a good thought. I find that it helps.
Agree, but those people represent a minority. We need to gain the support of moderates and independents – as well as Democrats and liberals – and we need to convince them that our ideas and approaches are better.
Thanks, luck probably has a lot to do with it and so does fate. I can’t fight either.
I don’t have to worry about the nation staying afloat anyways, that’s a good thing and a segue back to the topic at hand : )
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Excellent post, Randy. I believe President Obama is a transformational President and will be seen as such in the future. By having a long game our President was able to keep a clear perspective on his goals and has achieved more than anyone would have hoped under the obstructionist GOP. By rising above the petty actions of the hateful Republicans our President has shown the GOP for what they are.
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Best of luck with whatever problems life has thrown your way (this time). I love your outlook. I agree that life is a series of set backs and life lessons. Have to admit I have been surprised at how these “life lessons” don’t even slow down as we age. Hang in there, Leftbank.
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Totally agree RollinNolan, and thank you.