Obama Showed What He's Learned & How He'll Govern

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/opinion/28thu1.html?ref=todayspaper

The Second Year

Published: January 28, 2010


The union is in a state of deep and justifiable anxiety about jobs and mortgages and two long, bloody wars. President Obama did not create these problems, and none could be solved in one year. But 2009 offered powerful and, at times, bruising lessons for a new president struggling to fulfill the seismic promise of his election.

Mr. Obama used his first State of the Union address to show the country what he has learned and how he intends to govern in the next three years.

He was right to make the creation of jobs and the reform of the far too vulnerable financial system his top priorities. And Mr. Obama made it clear that he would not be cowed by Washington’s venomous politics, his own mistakes, or the Massachusetts election into giving up on health care reform. It was a relief to see him challenge the Senate’s Republicans for their obstruction and his party for tending to “run for the hills” rather than wield the power of its majority.

Watching Mr. Obama, we were also reminded of the world’s relief that he is very much not George W. Bush. He is managing the necessary exit from Iraq. His decision to send more troops to Afghanistan was courageous and sound. On Wednesday, he rejected “the false choice” between security and the rule of law.

At home, Mr. Obama won an economic recovery bill that was too small but staved off an even deeper recession. He raised fuel standards for cars and appointed Sonia Sotomayor to a Supreme Court that had been drifting dangerously rightward. That is good, but not enough, and the president acknowledged that before Congress and the nation on Wednesday night.

Like Mr. Obama, we, too, would like to see bipartisan cooperation. But all too often Mr. Obama has underestimated the Republicans’ determination to block anything he proposed. When the economy was imploding only three Republican senators voted for the absolutely essential stimulus bill; none agreed to back health care reform or even vote to end a filibuster.

So it was good to see him get tougher and clearer about going forward. If the Republicans want to continue to block bills that the country wants and needs, he should let them filibuster so the public can take notice. We would have liked to have heard a more forceful demand — rather than a polite invitation — for the Republicans to either support his health care reform plan or produce their own plan, one that provides real security for all Americans and has a real chance to reduce costs.

snip//

His speech Wednesday was a reminder that he is a gifted orator, able to inspire with grand vision and the simple truth frankly spoken. It was a long time coming.

[Joe Chi Minh]

1. I still think that will depend on the health-care reform issue and his attitude

towards the insurance companies. The firmest safeguards need to be written into the legislation. You cannot put chronic recidivists on 'scout's honour'; especially if you are forcibly taxing the public - and not just retroactively with bail-outs - to finance the insurance companies' profits.

[tavalon]

2. He is truly a gifted orator

I became part of his campaign movement because of that. He hasn't yet proven to have any ability to govern. I hope that the second year will show him as a better leader, because we sure need it.

[Fire1]

3. "Saying NO is not leadershhip." He cannot pass legislation

only tell congress what he wants and sets out a clear agenda. I am convinced that the republicans have no intention of working to get anything passed that will help the american people. Everything he tries to do, they will cut him off at the knees. Disgusting.

[rhett o rick]

5. There are a number of things he can do without Congress.

He can stop all prosecutions of DADT. He can expand Medicare with reconciliation. He could close Guantanamo. He could stop domestic spying. He could stop rendition. He could reestablish heabus corpus and posse commitatus. He could tell us that he supports single payer even if Congress doesnt agree.
He could tell us he wants a strong public option in the HCR bill even if Congress wont give it to us.

There is a lot he could have done on his own in the last year beside give great speeches.

[depakid]

9. He could prosecute banksters, fraudsters and torturers

alongside many other corporate criminals.

How's that case against Peanut Corp. going after all this time?

Implicit in that is the immense power of the administrative agencies, but for some reason, unlike Republicans, the past two Democratic administrations have been reticent to use it.

[Fire1]

11. Let's start with 'reconciliation.' Here's the problem:

Hopefully this will give you some insight on this not so simple process, give you some idea why so much of W.'s legislation got through and why Obama is not willing to risk HCR entering into reconciliation.


http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_fifty_vote_senate

[rhett o rick]

12. Yes it sounds hard, so let's just forget it. Let the poor die in the streets.

Sorry, I am not aiming my ire at you. Just tired of hearing how hard it is to just be decent.

[tavalon]

16. What about the Democrats who refuse to use reconciliation

for the "healthcare reform" legislation. They act like their hands are tied unless they have a 60 seat majority in the Senate and well, that's disingenuous at the very least, it's deceptive at the worst.

[Fire1]

17. I suggest you read the article on this subject by Ezra Klein. n/t

[donheld]

13. +1

[rhett o rick]

4. I agree completely that he is a gifted speaker. I want badly to believe that he is going to solve

some of the huge problems that were dumped on him. I have been critical of him because I dont think the middle class has a lot of wiggle room. I personally know people losing their home and also work with a food bank and see people just getting by and some living in their cars. We provide info to them of friendly churches that will let them park their cars in the parking lots. We take them food but the children have to go to the bathroom in the bushes. I also personally know people the are out of work with no insurance and little hope. These good Americans need help soon.

I believed in Obama during his campaign and I personally spent money and many hours helping him win. But it's been almost a year and little help for struggling Americans. He makes great speeches but still escalates the war in Afghanistan and hasnt slowed the banksters speculation that has ruined our economy. And we desperately need single payer and he isnt fighting for that. He isnt even fighting for a public option.

bush* left him a mess, but he promised to fix it. I am looking for results. He hasnt stopped rendition and hasnt yet closed Guantanamo. He supports domestic spying, which is unbelievable.

It was a great speech but we need a FDR.

[Mike_03]

6. Babylonsister, so good to see you.

I am sorry to burst onto you discussion, but I was praying somebody here would recognize me. I left, came back, left came back, etc...

I hope you are doing okay.

[depakid]

7. He's learned to pine even more for "bipartisanship"

and how to effectively echo the Republican narrative, compromise away core progressive values (which he may or may not hold himself), tweak the noses of key constituencies, and advance ineffective half measures or counterproductive policies in his quixotic quest to get those mean old Republicans to come and work with him, like they did at Harvard.

Professor Westen pegged it in his piece today:

Years ago, a group of scientists known as Gestalt psychologists argued that the way we interpret the parts of something depends on the way we interpret the whole. Every introductory psychology student remembers the classic image they used to illustrate the point -- an image that can be seen as two faces or a vase, depending on which way you look at it.

And in that sense, the President's speech was either a thing of beauty -- an extraordinary appeal to his fellow citizens to overcome their differences and join in common cause despite them ("there is no red America, there is no blue America") -- or a masterful performance by a master chameleon who restored the ability of Americans, at least for a fleeting moment, to see in him whatever and whoever they hope he is.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-westen/the-state-of-the-union-is_b_440661.html

[democracy1st]

15. +1 great piece

[Mike_03]

8. I should have prefaced my post my praying you would even recognize me, lol

So much has happened since i left Du, but I miss you all so much.

[Cha]

10. Not sure Pres Obama has

underestimated the repukes obstruction..he did win a General election.

[Honeycombe8]

14. The obstruction started AFTER the election. I think O has the message now...

I hope. And has learned a lesson about things he thought he could overcome...like someone else's intent to destroy you.

I hope he's learned that, anyway.