"Let's give President Obama what he needs and deserves! A Congress that will work with, not against.

[delrem]

This I thought was a clarion call, and the only call that Dems should listen to, esp those of the progressive bent.
It was posted by Kath1, and I didn't realize that it was directed only to the Barack Obama group, which I've been forbidden to speak.
So in lieu of that, I wish here to join hands.

[msongs]

1. let's give democrats a barack obama that will stand for democratic values against republicans and

that will help the congress part fall in line

[Octafish]

39. Maybe I'm wrong, but didn't Democrats control both the House and Senate in 2008-2010?

I also seem to remember President Obama had a mandate for change.

It was so long ago. I can't find it on GOGGLE.

[Hekate]

40. A popular meme, but not exactly accurate

[Octafish]

43. Oh. I'm sorry. Should I have written the 111th Congress, 2009-2011?

Here are the numbers:

Senate: 57 Democrats, 2 Independents, 41 Republicans.

House of Representatives: 255 Democrats, 179 Republicans.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/111th_United_States_Congress

So, technically, yes, I made a mistake in not being clear about the years.

Still, the error is not that big compared to the popular meme that there's nothing Obama can do because the House and Senate are/were/always have been under GOP control.

[darkangel218]

2. I dont believe is the Congress majority's fault ( or at least not entirely )

If POTUS had kept the promises he made as candidate Obama, things would have changed for the better.

In all honesty, he hasn't even tried. Bipartisanship is great, but America elected President Obama to move forward, not stagnate and even go backwords.

[delrem]

3. I agree with you and msongs.

It's a disaster.

[MADem]

4. The President does not make law. CONGRESS does.

The President can't "keep promises" if Congress refuses to write and pass the laws needed to make those promises happen.

He's not King Barack I.

[delrem]

6. He might not be "King Barack"

But he could try.
Instead we've seen what we've seen, experienced what we've experienced, and he has not substantiated much.

Let it not be forgotten, this battle over online privacy will be definitive for a long time.

( eta: I misspelled Barack Obama's name!!!)

[MADem]

10. He can't "try" to be King. He will sign the good bills that Congress sends him into law.

That's how shit--and change--happens.

Boehner's job is to not pass any laws; that's how he is "managing" the situation for his team.

There will be no changes to privacy laws without LAW. There will be no LAW without Congress passing a bill and sending it to the President for him to sign.

And that's not Obama's fault, either, though people here who don't quite grasp the process will blame him.

[delrem]

12. Nobody. not Anybody.

Would disappear the Pres. of the US like that.

Would pretend that the Pres. of the USA wasn't four-square demanding that the NSA should be circumscribed, by some fucking regulation.

It looks to be a difficult trick.

[JaneyVee]

19. He has far more promises kept than broken or stalemate. And has

Four more years to keep those promises.

[dennis4868]

7. You're dealing with

Typical emoprogs. Not going to get anywhere with them.

[MADem]

8. I certainly get the feeling that there are way too many people on this "political" board who slept

through their junior high civics and history lessons.

It's a bit disconcerting when people go on about this or that Constitutional amendment and don't have a clue as to how a bill becomes law.

[cali]

14. Now that's ironic- coming from you. YOU are blithely posting that the President

has little to do with the dem agenda in Congress. He has everything to do with it.

[MADem]

15. All appropriations start in the House. Boehner controls the House.

His job is to stop, dead, any legislation that will benefit Obama.

And he's done a fine job at it, to date.

Nothing "ironic" about that. More like tragic.

[dennis4868]

18. yep

many DUers think Obama can pass laws all by himself, including closing Gittmo without congress' funding it. People here want change NOW because after all, Obama can do it all by himself if he wanted to.

[cali]

9. I'm so tired of this King Barack crap. It's nonsense

The President doesn't PASS laws, he sure a shit has a lot to do with proposing law. He's the head of his party and when it comes to the democratic agenda in Congress he has EVERYTHING to do with it. Furthermore, he has an enormous amount of power aside from that. The power of the presidency has been increasing over the past 40 years.

No one is saying he's king. Now why don't YOU and others like you here, stop pretending that he bears no responsibility for his own policies and has little power.

[MADem]

11. Of course he doesn't "pass" laws. He signs bills into law.

If you are tired of the King Barack crap, don't perpetuate it.

There are 535 pairs of feet in Congress that need to be held to the fire.

Get busy. Put the blame where it belongs.

If he has so much power, as you keep insisting, why is Boehner managing to lead a Do Nothing House and the GOP is just fine with that?

What would you have him do? Go to the well of the House and beat Bonehead with his scepter?

Or would you have him do the odd Executive Orders, that are yanked the minute he leaves office? Yeah, those work great--NOT.

[cali]

13. Are you actually denying he proposes laws to Congress? bwahahahaha.

what bullcrap.

The ACA ring any bells with you? Hello? Any?

Yes, he has a great deal of power. That doesn't mean he can't be obstructed, but there is no doubt that when it comes to the Dem agenda in Congress, the President sets it. Period. No one actually argues that this isn't true except for apologists and ignorant folks.

And grab a tiny clue: Most Executive orders are NOT yanked the moment a President leaves office.

Tired of the apologist nonsense.

[MADem]

16. What year was that passed? 2010, wasn't it? March, wasn't it?

And what has CHANGED since 2010 when it comes to Congress? What happened that NOVEMBER that changed the dynamic in Washington? Hmmmmmm?

Class? Anyone? Buehler?

Boehner?

I'm tired of people who don't pay attention to what happens in Congress, spend all their time blaming the President, and then call people who point it out "apologists."

So I reckon we're even.

And so....Obama didn't yank that Bush executive order on stem cells, is that what you're claiming?

Yeah, because that kind of thing NEVER happens!

[B Calm]

17. BINGO!

[MADem]

22. Indeed--we need to give Obama a Congress that will help him pass laws, not obstruct him. nt

[lumpy]

34. Bravo

n

[Egalitarian Thug]

25. #4 on the list of blah, blah, blah bullshit excuses.

He lied every minute of the campaign and came in with a thoroughly corporate agenda, established the Goldman-Sachs White House, and reaped the consequences of those actions in 2010. Pretending he had no options is disingenuous at best.

Had the republicans nominated a Christie or any not-completely-batshit-crazy candidate that could reasonably be portrayed as moderate, he would have lost in 2012. How long does the Democratic Party royalty believe they can rely on the republicans to keep making the alternative so horrible that people will hold their noses, swallow the vomit, and vote for them?

I'm just so fucking sick and tired of people making excuses for his utter failure as a leader.

[lumpy]

36. Vomit

n

[Egalitarian Thug]

38. I believe :puke: is what you were looking for. n/t

[quinnox]

42. bravo!

It is nice to see an unvarnished blunt opinion like this one on the Du.

[lumpy]

29. Agree

n

[Whisp]

5. He hasn't even tried?

[treestar]

23. YOu are defending the Congressional majority? (Republicans?)

It's not their fault?

[Bluenorthwest]

33. Democrats are the majority in the Senate. Did that slip your beautiful mind?

Jesus.

[Safetykitten]

20. If magically every person in DC became a Democrat, he would still not get anything done.

[treestar]

24. that's just ODS

Ridiculous.

[Egalitarian Thug]

27. Unfortunately accurate. +1

[lumpy]

30. You are so wise.

n

[Nevernose]

21. What people forget about Obama and Congress

No, Obama cannot make laws, only sign the ones the worst Congress in American history presents him.

He can, however, issue executive orders, create and change regulations, run the Justice Department, and make appointments. There's quite a bit he could do without congress. Instead, we got people like Larry Summers and Arne Duncan, a war on weed and immigrants, and an Interior Department that thinks killing wolves is a God-given duty. We've got test drilling in the Arctic, a Keystone pipeline on the way, and a secretly negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership, and congress has joint to do with any of that. Given enough time, there are about a hundred other things I could come up with.

That having been said, I'm going to work my ass off getting good progressives elected next year, starting with the County Commision, moving up to the state house, and ending in Washington. I don't have a lot of faith left in presidential politics, but there is still a lot that the grassroots can do at lower levels.

[Egalitarian Thug]

28. And who gave us "the worst Congress in American history"?

The 3rd way, corporate leadership that runs the Democratic Party.

[ctsnowman]

26. CT did our part. eom

[Bluenorthwest]

31. There are no more Democrats I can 'give him' two Senators and a Rep is all we get.

All Democrats. It does not seem as if Oregon's Democrats are much supported by DU's center/right folks, they hate Wyden, hate Merkley, hate DeFazio....

[LWolf]

32. Okay.

Let's give him a fire-breathing leftist Congress.

He certainly needs and deserves it.

And so do we.

[AllINeedIsCoffee]

35. The only way people can honestly say Obama went back on his promises...

is if a bill reached his desk that was everything he said he wanted and he vetoed it.

[treestar]

37. Exactly, which is why they have to resort to

the ridiculous conceit that a true President arm twists or bullies or something in order to get what is supposed to be separate branch to vote for things they don't want.

[winter is coming]

41. Screw that. Let's give OURSELVES a progressive Congress. n/t

[NCTraveler]

44. Always a good goal.

Although I have become somewhat weary after the ACA. We negotiated away and in the end not one Republican voted for it. From the beginning many progressive groups were shut out.

Most of the progressive seats are safe. The only real place to pick of seats are in the more conservative districts. So we will be looking to add people who progressives themselves will have to negotiate against in their own party.

While I am very weary, I still see a major difference in a few areas. That is why I will still work to get democrats elected.

[Scurrilous]

45. K & R