Thank goodness for Obama and Congressional Dems! Imagine if the GOP had it all right now.

[RBInMaine]

If the GOP controlled all branches of government right now, all 500 whacko riders ENACTED. Health Care Act GONE and replaced with CEO-Care. Planned Parenthood GONE.
Pell Grants GONE. HeadStart GONE. PBS GONE. EPA GONE. Consumer Protections GONE. And on and on and on and on. All this was STOPPED IN ITS TRACKS thanks to Obama and Dems. And the government stayed open averting a major national economic crisis.

Some serious perspective is needed here. Sure, there are cuts that we aren't happy about. But politics is the art of the possible and the doable given what you have to work with. The GOTeaPUKE Party WANTED to run the table. And more big fights are to come. But Obama and Dems DID damn well draw some critical lines in the sand, and now the GOTeaPUKE based is eating their own. Their very heads are exploding. They are calling right wingers like Boehner "RINOS" and threatening primary challenges all across the board. Bachman is outraising all others in their primary field, and oh how sweet that primary is going to be to watch. THE GOP IS HAVING A CIVIL WAR THAT IS GOING TO GET WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE. Just watch. We Dems have our ripples, but THEY are going to tear each other to shreds. THAT is one of the most wonderful effects of this budget deal.

THANKS OBAMA AND DEMS.

[pnwmom]

1. Imagining that makes me sick. No thanks! n/t

[RBInMaine]

4. Exactly why we need to keep perspective and give Obama/Dems some CREDIT.

[pnwmom]

24. Absolutely. n/t

[atreides1]

2. What makes you so sure....

...that it still won't happen? We still dodn't know where that 38.5 billion dollars of spending cuts is coming from.

[RBInMaine]

3. Do more research. I think the particulars have been published. The targeted riders FAILED.

[MH1]

6. "Details of the Bipartisan Budget Deal"

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/09/details-bipartisan-budget-deal

...

This deal cuts spending by $78.5 billion from the President’s FY 2011 Budget request -- the largest annual spending cut in our history. These are real cuts that will save taxpayers money and have a real impact. Many will be painful, and are to programs that we support, but the fiscal situation is such that we have to act.

The two sides agreed to cut $13 billion from funding for programs at the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services as well as over $1 billion in a cut across non-defense agencies, forcing everyone to tighten their belt. There will be reductions to housing assistance programs and some health care programs along with $8 billion in cuts to our budget for State and Foreign Operations. These significant cuts to the State Department and foreign assistance will mean we will not meet some of the ambitious goals set for the nation in the President’s Budget.

Our team also went after wasteful spending and earmarked, special interest programs including $630 million in earmarked transportation projects and at least $2.5 billion in transportation funding that is ready to be earmarked. We were able to cut $35 million by ending the Crop Insurance Good Performance Rebate, which gives successful farmers, who have no claims, a rebate for insurance premiums already subsidized by the federal government. In addition to these cuts, we were able to eliminate $30 million for a job training program that was narrowly targeted at certain student loan processors. We also looked to the Defense department for savings, and were able to identify $18 billion in cuts deemed unnecessary by the Pentagon. These types of cuts are what the American people expect out of their leaders in Washington.

...

[jaxx]

5. Lose we didn't. Compromise we did.

The fine art of politics, and it was well played on our side.

[mrcheerful]

7. That is about the best we can hope for damage control it isn't a new thing

I been watching it play out for 11 presidents now and its the same game as it was when the first president was in office when I was born, R's take away D's try damage control.

[jaxx]

10. No, it isn't a new thing.

It's why there are pubs and Dems.

[RBInMaine]

11. No, look at all that has been ADDED too. Healthcare, green energy, equal pay, and on and on.

[BreweryYardRat]

27. To the list of accomplishments, let me add hospital visitation rights for GLBTQ people.

A friend of mine was recently able to benefit from that bill's passage.

[Wait Wut]

29. Not sure how to phrase this...

"That's awesome"???? I feel like I'm saying it's awesome someone is in the hospital.

I'm glad that your friend(s) were able to share some time together under difficult circumstances. This was one of the accomplishments that actually brought tears to my eyes when it passed. Long overdue, but an important step in this fight.

I hope everyone is okay.

[RBInMaine]

9. Absolutely. So nice to hear others from the rational wing. :-)

[JoePhilly]

8. The Bush tax cuts would not only now be permenant, they'd be increased.

Kids with pre-existing conditions would still have no insurance ...

The list is long.

[fasttense]

12. But when Obama was elected, he had a Democratic House and Senate.

So, if the House, Senate and Presidency somehow went to the RepubliCONS then that means Obama lost the House, Senate and the White House to RepubliCONS. He would have to of given them all the power.

Your premise means that Obama has lost all that political capital he started with when he won the election in 2008.

Though with Obama's negotiation skills, I can see him doing it. I can just see the deal he would make. Look Boner, I'll turn over the Senate and White House to you if you just raise the debt ceiling, oh please, please, please.

Your premise starts out with Obama losing everything.

[mrcheerful]

14. The senate never had a veto proof majority the R's and D's shared the same amount of members with 2

independents who tend to vote with D's. One of those independents was Lieberman and we know who he voted with.

[RBInMaine]

19. They passed HISTORIC amounts of PROGRESSIVE legislation. Need the list, AGAIN?????

[pnwmom]

25. The Senate never had the 60 votes required for filibusters.

Lieberman was an Independent, not a Democrat, and he never hesitated to join with the Republicans when it would give him some attention. Once Kennedy died, we weren't even close.

[high density]

13. Don't worry, Republicans have another chance in a few weeks to do this all over again

when the debt ceiling has to be raised.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. Agreed. It's a horrible prospect. Rec. (nt)

[Logical]

16. Yes, Obama is better than a GOP president. n-t

[Fearless]

17. Imagine if any of them had spines and the programs we might still have.

That THEY gave up.

[RBInMaine]

18. Kindly YouTube Maddow for the laundry list of historic accomplishments.Have you ever been satisfied?

[Exilednight]

21. List of Historic Accomplishments

Cut Pell Grants
HCR without Public Option
Extended Bush era tax cuts
$630 million cut from transportation projects
$30 million cut from jobs training programs
Reductions in housing assistance programs

That's quite a list.

[mochajava666]

28. +1

Unfortunately, your facts fall on deaf ears.

There are none so blind than those that refuse to see.

[Exilednight]

22. Self delete: Dupe.

[Fearless]

26. I will NOT be satisfied until the wealthy pay their fair share and

The poor are supported properly. Is that a problem?

[mochajava666]

20. Horray! Selling out, and capitulation never felt so good!

Nice spin on reality.

[Keith Bee]

23. I dunno...we could use the oil we'd get by annexing Canada & Mexico

:evilgrin: