Anyone else feel the "blame congress" meme is crap?

[whatchamacallit]

It now seems to be the default response whenever Obama's record is questioned. Sure, it's a zoo up there now, but what about the first two years? if congress is the problem, you can blame democrats for hamstringing Obama before the midterms (Ironically at odds with calls to elect more democrats to congress).

Closer to the truth

While there is plenty of obstructionism, you can't blame congress for blocking things the president doesn't bother to champion. At an ideological level, the president doesn't seem to share many progressive's biggest concerns. I'd be more inclined to blame congress if the president bloodied his knuckles. No... I'm pretty sure the president going in the direction he means to. He and his supporters need to own it.

[here_is_to_hope]

1. Spot on.

Every one has an excuse, a bit tired of excuses.

[Vincardog]

2. He and his supporters need to own it. But it is much easier for him to blame those damned LIBERALS

For not rushing out to support his right leaning agenda.

[Arkana]

45. He's one man.

Congress is 535 elected officials who are used to getting their own way.

[Vincardog]

51. The President of the USA is powerless yeah right. Was JFK or LBJ or aWoL powerless? That would have

more of a ring of truth if he was not helping to push the agenda in the WRONG direction.

[Arkana]

52. So you're in FAVOR of a more unitary executive, then?

You know, as long as they're pushing programs you're in favor of?

Just wanna be clear.

[Vincardog]

53. Do make the argument that we have a choice between a dictator and wanting a real advocate?

I want candidate OBAMA to replace the version we have in the WH.
This is not a black or white choice . I do not buy into your false choice.

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. You nailed it

I tend to be more inflammatory, but you are correctomundo. Our president isn't OUR president.

[Romulox]

4. It's basic "good cop/bad cop"--a cheap psychological trick.

It's also known as "the unreasonable partner" routine. You see, the President would like to stand up for so-called "progressive" values, but he's got this "unreasonable partner" (Congress) who simply will not let him do so.

It's a schtick that can impress only children and sleep-drived petty criminals.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[provis99]

15. hmm. trying to figure out what Obama is doing is hatred?

Ignorance is strength, peace is war...

[Skidmore]

5. ......

:eyes:

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Sivart]

32. That's because

You talk as if a government shutdown is a win for the working people of American........AND IT IS NOT!!!!!!!!!

Its not about the bullshit that goes on in washington that this place eats up constantly.....

Chuck todd might think this is a win for this side or that is a win for the other side, and I couldn't care less.

Its about the actual results that I see in my middle class life.

[Shandris]

48. And that's the problem.

It's the results you see in your middle-class life. Those are relatively easy, and they've been Republican grist for years. "Yeah, see that tax cut? Who's got yer back?"

One large problem is that most people are completely incapable -- by design, if you ask me -- of seeing the larger picture; of understanding that 'now' is NOT necessarily better than 'later', and virtually NEVER better when its a Republican 'now'.

A government shutdown will suck badly, and people will see it and get pissed the first time they can't go get something done. Now who's going to get blamed for it is the million-dollar question. Probably whoever gets blamed the loudest, so we better damn well hope we've got our shouting voices on.

[Buzz Clik]

7. During the first two years, we had a Dem Congress that caved to the GOP at every turn.

Any progress that was made on key issues was made despite them.

We'd be making far better progress if they were interesting in something other than getting re-elected and linin their pockets.

No doubt, Obama gets his share of the blame, but to give Congress a pass is silly.

[whatchamacallit]

12. Many would follow

if Obama would lead. They say the fish stinks from the head down.

[Buzz Clik]

16. Okay. Your mind was made up before you posted. We disagree. The end.

[whatchamacallit]

23. It's taken awhile

to arrive where I am now. The president escorted me.

[Buzz Clik]

27. ... but you give Congress a pass.

Effin' brilliant.

[whatchamacallit]

33. Not at all

They deserve blame for blocking actual legislation. They can't be blamed for what Obama doesn't bring to the table.

[uppityperson]

29. We hardly find any persons of good sense save those who agree with us.

http://www.aphorism4all.com/all_aforism.php?all=all
I am finding lots of really good aphorisms here. And a bunch of crap.
We mingle in society not so much to meet others as to escape ourselves. (Henry Wheeler Shaw)

[uppityperson]

25. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Stinky fish bodies smell as much as head

The fish stinks from the head down only if your nose is on the head.

Pithy aphorisms aren't always applicable.

If fortune wishes to make a man estimable, she gives him virtues; if she wishes to make him esteemed, she gives him success.

[TheKentuckian]

8. The Administration and the DNC pushing back when the worst were targeted

and siding with the traitors negates much of it. The backroom deals cripple the meme even more. The vast majority of appointments to high level positions speaks volumes.

You can't do much about Congress anyway if that piece of it is about protecting incumbents and squashing more liberal challengers. Once that mode is entered, we are stuck playing three card monte as far as accountability goes.

I think the idea is to blame Congress but refuse to make them accountable as to maintain the status quo.

[gimama]

10. yes, You're right on

altho some of us dems/libs/progressives
refuse to see/admit it
& direct some venom at those who DO see & post the reality..

thanks for saying what needs sayin'!:hi:

[Sivart]

11. Not only is it crap....

but when he ran, he acted like he was going to elevate things above the partisanship......he was going to transform washington.......so in my eyes, this is the challenge he wanted.....now it is his scapegoat. Its chicken shitted, if you ask me.

And it doesn't fly with me at all.

[Angry Dragon]

13. .............

:popcorn:

[xchrom]

18. if you've got extra -- i've got beer. nt

[Angry Dragon]

22. Here you go

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[xchrom]

24. ...

:toast: :beer: :toast: :beer:

[Bobbie Jo]

26. The Orville Redenbacher of DU.

[Angry Dragon]

41. Just trying to pick my fights better

[uppityperson]

30. Things to read while we wait and watch...

http://www.aphorism4all.com/all_aforism.php?all=all

[uppityperson]

14. not me. Unrec.

"you can't blame congress for blocking things the president doesn't bother to champion. " Yes. I can. I can and do blame republican congress for automatically blocking pretty much everything any democrat wants.

[JuniperLea]

40. Yep

And to say otherwise pretty much smacks of a lack of understanding the process. How the hell is Obama supposed to harangue a Republican House into anything? Ridiculous.

[Edweird]

17. Of course it is. It's 'passing the buck'. Notice how it's not

"what-the-fuck-has-CONGRESS-done-so-far".
It's "what-the-fuck-has-OBAMA-done-so-far" - but when it comes time to be held accountable for RW policy being advocated and passed over and over, all of a sudden the president is as weak as a new born kitten and being beat up on by that mean old congress.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. No power over congress? Somebody should introduce him to the veto pen.

Seems like that got left out of the "checks and balances" his supporters like to trot out.

[whatchamacallit]

34. Yep. (nt)

[dionysus]

20. i blame the GOP for fillibustering every bill. you can blame obama if it makes you feel better.

[emulatorloo]

21. So you don't think there are three branches of Government?

[Donnachaidh]

35. when all three work to destroy the social safety net -- no

we haven't had a TRUE separation of branches for years. And it's accelerating, thanks to crazed republicans and do nothing Dems who want to polish a legacy with the bi-partisan dishrag...

[bvar22]

28. It is convenient.

"Strong and successful presidents (meaning those who get what they want - whether that happens to be good for the country or not) do not accept "the best deal on the table". They take out their carpentry tools and the build the goddam piece of furniture themselves. Strong and successful presidents do not get dictated to by the political environment. They reshape the environment into one that is conducive to their political aspirations."

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/17

When LBJ "didn't have the votes",
he went out and GOT The Votes.

No, Virginia, The Health Insurance Reform disaster
was NOT "All Joe Lieberman's fault".
He merely Took One for Team DLC.



Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
Rhetoric, broken promises, and excuses mean NOTHING now.
"By their WORKS you will know them,"
and by their WORKS they will be judged.

[EFerrari]

31. LBJ used to pick people up and shake the votes out of them.

lol

[emulatorloo]

37. Great picture.

On the other hand didn't LBJ have a larger number of persuadable Republicans than we have now?

[bvar22]

43. LBJ needed extra room in the crotch of his trousers too.

(True Story)
I wonder if there is a connection?

I wish Obama would discontinue his obsession with Reagan,
and start reading about LBJ, Truman, FDR, Eisenhower, and Teddy Roosevelt.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their works you will know them."

[Wilms]

36. Is it the fault of Congress...

...that Obama prosecutes whistle-blowers like it's sport? That he's OK with Bush era wiretaps and torture?

:shrug:

[FiveGoodMen]

38. Yup. There's something about a river in Egypt...

[Rabblevox]

39. I blame congress plenty. I also blame Obama plenty. He did not NEED congress to do much of what...

he promised. Especially in the area of civil liberties, he could have undone much of BushCo's damage via executive signing order. He not only refused to do that, he CHAMPIONED a far more invasive Patriot Act. I'll vote for him again, no doubt. But I'll vote holding my nose, and under no illusions that he gives a shit about the constitution. He is without a doubt the WORST democratic president since Woodrow Wilson.

[iemitsu]

42. i agree with you rabble.

the worst democratic president since the democrats took over the progressive reins.
in fact this is probably the end of the democrats being champions of progressive values.

[Arkana]

44. It's not crap--you can blame Congress for a great deal of what has happened.

[killbotfactory]

46. If the most progressive legislation could get past the senate Obama would have signed it into law.

And then you would be bitching about how it didn't go far enough, and how Obama isn't a sellout because we didn't get single-payer, or he didn't reduce the defense budget by 50%, or how he didn't string up wall-street execs by their dicks in a public square and whip them with whips made from hundred dollar bills...

[craigmatic]

47. The irony about Obama is that he used the blame congress excuse more when democrats controlled it.

Now you barely hear him say a negative word about congress.

[SidDithers]

49. pfffffffft...nt

Sid

[spanone]

50. congress wouldn't fund closing guantanamo...i guess that's Obama's fault

unrec

[Raine]

54. EXACTLY, I'm so sick and tired of this pass the buck crap

that the dems and repukes do, take some responsibility for God's sake! :mad: It's nothing but a game they pull on us, I'm not falling for it anymore. :argh: