they did the right thing...

[islandmkl]

and we grouse about the circumstances, think they 'look like fools', etc...

they did the RIGHT THING...that is ALL it is about...or have you forgotten?

goddam, people...you want to win a popularity contest, not try to keep things headed in the right direction...

so the WH got played...goddam, they only have about half the country fighting them...

they did the right thing....

[DevonRex]

1. It doesn't matter here. nt

[texastoast]

2. Yes, it does

For the few seeking perfection in our president, well, they are just deluded.

[DevonRex]

5. I hope you're right. But I've not seen much evidence of it today.

Or yesterday. Or for the past week, for that matter. Once again I'm wondering how many actual Democrats are on this site. Oh well...

[dionysus]

37. i think the actualy number would be surprising, don't you think?

I'll get Wadsworth to study this in his spare time...
:hi:

[DevonRex]

40. I think so, too. Wadsworth would probably make quick work of it.

He's really good with numbers, if I recall, especially up to 100.

[Luminous Animal]

3. Yes, they did. I am glad that Shirley Sherrod fought back and her allies

around the net (including those on DU) had her back.

I hope that the Obama administration learns a lesson from this debacle.

[sufrommich]

4. They did the right thing and hopefully learned the right

lesson from it. Do not play nice with the teabaggers.

[derby378]

6. The WH doesn't have the luxury of being played

A lot of people are saying this should have been a great day for Obama since he signed that Wall Street reform bill, but the big headline he has to deal with is Vilsack's apology to Sherrod.

Measure twice, cut once. Good Rastafarian wisdom for our administration officials to heed.

[Raven]

7. Remarkable, human, decent, humble,smart move. I'd say it was

an Obama move. Good man, our President. Stupid mistake but he's human in case we forgot. She's a class act too.

[Booster]

8. The right thing would have been to check the stupid story out.

They didn't do that and admit it, so they really didn't do the RIGHT thing. They're doing the right thing right now.

[driver8]

15. Exactly!

They did the wrong thing, first -- in fact, they really fucked up!

Now, they look like spineless jellyfish...

[scarletwoman]

9. They only did the "right thing" after one of their own did the WRONG thing.

The REAL "right thing" would have been to defend Sherrod from the beginning.

so the WH got played...goddam, they only have about half the country fighting them...

How the hell is that a defense? If you already know you have enemies out to get you, why would you allow them to make you react impulsively?

Instead, someone decided to immediately throw Sherrod under the bus at the first shot across their bow. The "right thing" would have been to circle the wagons, protect your own, and FIRE BACK AT THE FUCKING ENEMY.

sw

[bigmonkey]

11. But they have limited resources, and they have to delegate.

In retrospect, the resources should usually have been allotted differently. This is always the case. I think you're seeing a structural problem that's persistent as singular errors committed serially, hence deserving individual blame.

[scarletwoman]

16. I have no idea what you mean about "the resources should usually have been allotted differently"

As far as I'm concerned, only one "resource" is needed -- one simple, unmistakeable message from the top down, all the way through the entire organization: "Thou shalt protect and defend thine own people from right wing accusations, and first and foremost and always thou shalt thoroughly investigate such accusations before taking any action."

A simple rule that would forestall all necessity of having to apologize after the fact.

sw

[bigmonkey]

34. It's not a situation where a "simple rule" would help.

Vilsack may have thought, for instance, that he was vigorously defending the executive branch by firing Sherrod quickly. And what about the Fox News countdown that will start when a situation is investigated? How long does "thoroughly" take? How much in the way of resources to devote to that investigation?

I'm not saying you're wrong in emphasis, but I think you're oversimplifying, and have become angry at your own oversimplified characterization. A Democratic party that was in the habit of fighting back would have better skills for quick triage for the treatment of these incidents, that's for sure, We'd agree a lot more under those conditions.

[scarletwoman]

35. It took less than a day to expose the Breitbart video for the hatchet job that it was.

How was that too long for Vilsack to wait before brainlessly reacting by precipitously firing Sherrod?

If the Dems are too damn cowed or too damn stupid to understand the nature of their enemies, what the fuck good are they? Why the hell make excuses for such glaring cowardice and incompetence?

[bigmonkey]

36. Impatience.

The adage "cutting off your own nose to spite your face" comes to mind.

[LAGC]

13. Well said.

We need a little more of that, FIRING BACK AT THE FUCKING ENEMY.

A little more spine from this Administration would be grand.

[ljm2002]

10. They did the wrong thing.

Then they did the right thing. Or that is, they did the best thing they could do now, after having done the wrong thing.

I'll give big credit for the apologies by Vilsack, and by Gibbs on behalf of the White House. Sure. But I'll still slam them for their pathetic lack of judgment in letting Breitbart lead them around by the nose in the first place. The fact that this is the third such incident makes it that much worse.

They are very skittish and eager to please when it comes to Breitbart, Faux, Blue Dog Democrats, Republicans, and the right wing noise machine. But when it comes to progressives, they don't give an inch. Funny that. But I'll tell you what, this habit of theirs makes me, a progressive, much less eager to leap to their defense.

[BootinUp]

14. They are eager to please Americans

There are a lot of Americans that will come around to trusting Obama over time, but not if his administration acts like 100% partisans. Thats basically what you don't seem to get.

[scarletwoman]

17. Americans respect strength. When you give in to your enemies you look weak.

Americans don't trust politicians, they don't trust government. But they DO respect strength, they DO respect taking a stand.

[BootinUp]

20. I don't see how your point in any way

addresses my point. Not in any fucking way at all.

[scarletwoman]

27. Okay, let me put it a different way -- who's going to trust someone who looks like a chump?

Perception is everything in politics. The Administration looks like they got played and then had to backpedal. That's not a good way to inspire either trust OR respect.

[BootinUp]

28. If you want

you can also look at post 24. Or not.

[girl gone mad]

21. When is that going to happen?

All empirical data seems to indicate that Republicans and Independents like Obama less and less as time goes by.

[BootinUp]

24. Probably not tomorrow

and probably not until jobs start returning. But similar to how Clinton was eventually very popular and trusted on Government issues, Obama can easily get there in my opinion.

The real problem with this incident is that it appears Vilsack and the people who work for him simply didn't do their jobs well in firing her. The average American doesn't care that the story aired on Fox at this point, and doesn't know who Brietbart is and doesn't care too much (yet). The issue is they fired her without knowing the facts. Thats incompetence, stupidity, whatever.

[sufrommich]

23. Protecting people against right wing lies is not acting too

partisan. It's the right wing in this country who are voting against this country's future who are acting partisan.

[BootinUp]

25. Maybe something in post 24

will be a suitable response to you. Suggest you read it with an open mind or not at all.

[ljm2002]

32. Not sure I get your point...

...when you say "They are eager to please Americans". Do you mean, Americans as distinguished from progressives?

In any case, the willingness to throw people off the deck at the merest whisper from Breitbart and his ilk, hardly inspires trust.

And to talk about them acting like 100% partisans? I think you and I have been watching a different administration over the last year and a half.

[girl gone mad]

19. That's what is so frustrating.

They will attack liberals non-stop if we dare to fight for what we believe is right.

Yet, whenever some right wing whack-job says "Jump!" they say "How high, sir?"

[Curmudgeoness]

12. Yes, they did do the right thing, and acted quickly, but

as any employee knows, it is only fair to have a conversation with you about an issue and hearing your side before deciding that you have to resign. No one ever asked her what this was all about. It is so sad how easily any of us could be destroyed with lies.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. "Oh, I'm sorry. I placed the knife in your back because I was duped."

"The next time I'm duped, I'll be sure to consult with you first."

[Curmudgeoness]

22. It is not the same thing. Everyone has jumped to a conclusion

that, upon later thought, was wrong. I am sad that this happened the way that it did, and think it was handled improperly. But you are making it worse than it was.

[islandmkl]

26. only doing the right thing 'after doing the wrong thing'...is not exactly the point...

of doing the right thing...if someone has to do the 'right thing' the first time, as if the only time, then who stands to that standard?

focusing on the wrong thing, not righted, is one thing...but to dismiss doing the right thing as some goddam 'cover your ass' is folly...

you want perfection, make the model...if you want this administration to not have any fuckups...by the way, where is your model for that?...than you will continue to not be merely disappointed, but most likely disaffected...

every damn administration in our history has had MAJOR fuckups, and this is merely a barometer of the publics' critical measure 'at the moment' of Obama...let me know if this creates some damage come November...

while Sherrod supporters, white and black, continue to promote her merits and Breitbart and his like are shown to be nothing more than modern Goebbels who play their audience for dupes...

yeah, they may have done the 'wrong thing' in a 'this moment is the end of all matters' perspective...but the right thing is far more important to achieve, regardless of the course it takes to get there...

[scarletwoman]

29. Who "stands to the standard " of doing the right thing the first time?

How about someone who knows what the hell they are doing and what they actually stand for.

I DON'T think that's too much to ask.

[islandmkl]

30. no room for error?

not a fast enough response...to long to respond...

i want a better president, a better person to be president...'know what they are doing'?...

we all like to micromanage situations that we have no comprehension of the true complexities thereof...not to make any excuses...but just what exactly do you need them to stand for?...and you expect them to maintain your standard with no possible errors...

you don't ask much...you just ask for theory to somehow always trump reality...

you think you don't ask too much? maybe you should say you expect too much...especially from humans, let alone leaders...they are merely trying to guide our course, and your reaction is somewhat evident of a 'satisfy me now' attitude that permeates much of our society...which helped lead us into this whole Sherrod debacle...

what would you have said if after two days Sherrod's comments were not finding refutation...would have been calling for her head, too?

yes, they jumped too fast...but they moved just as fast to right things...and how many of us on the left went to both sides of this issue in a matter of 24 hours?

[scarletwoman]

31. Yadda, yadda, yadda. How about just a modicum of strategic thinking that dictates not jumping when

the right wing raises a ruckus until all the facts are in? Why is that too much to ask?

[ljm2002]

33. I would agree with you except for one inconvenient fact here...

...which is that this was not the first time, nor the second time, that this happened. It was the THIRD time. At that point it is just a mistake, it is political malpractice and deserves to be called out. Now don't get me wrong, the real villain in the piece is Breitbart, aided and abetted by Faux News pretending to be a news reporting organization. I would dearly love to see them both taken down. But all that said, it is simply undeniable that the administration did not cover themselves with glory in this episode.

[EOTE]

38. Correction. They did the wrong thing and are now trying to clean up after their mess.

I'm not going to be extremely appreciative that they're now trying to rectify things after they fucked up so badly. I might be a little less upset if they didn't fall for the right wing lie machine in the first place. It's not like they had reason to believe they were dealing with trustworthy folks.

[Iggo]

39. First they did the wrong thing.

It was so wrong that they needed to do the right thing.