Breaking: Obama is not president--yet.

[Blue_Roses]

Amazing huh? One would think it's a cold January day and he has already been sworn in to that office.

But where I sit--in the-god-awful-heat-of-Texas--he's still just a candidate--an awesome Democratic one at that--one who is working his ass off to become the next Democratic President, so that we can look towards a better future for us and our children. From all the "why isn't Obama doing this," or "I'm so disappointed in Obama" you would think he was already sittin' in that oval office.

But not so. In fact, the people here in Texas remind me of that everyday when I have to hear on the radio, in the grocery store, at the post office, how much they will miss GW and how bad they need to beat Obama, even if it is McCain.

So, let's step back and remember that Obama is one, ONE SENATOR, amongst many, who happens to see a better "tomorrow" and has fought a hard fight to get to where he is today. I for one am damn proud of him and Michelle.

[redqueen]

1. Yeah... all the "concern" is tiring.

I gotta wonder... do these people think McCain might be better?

Do they think we can get Kucinich in there?

Honestly.

[Blue_Roses]

3. I think a lot of the "concern" isn't for Obama...

some of it's blatantly obvious.

[book_worm]

2. Good dose of reality. Let's celebrate once he is elected and work hard to see that he is.

[DevonRex]

4. And are they criticizing all the other senators or just Obama? That

is what's telling in all this.

[Blue_Roses]

5. exactly--Harry Reid is the majority leader for God's sakes...

:eyes:

I think people who are "concerned" don't quite understand that little piece of info.

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Yep.

My sentiments exactly. I'm in Texas also.

[uponit7771]

7. You're right, we shoudn't get cocky.

[grantcart]

8. I guess some think that he should clean up every pile left by the Bush administration

before he even considers running for President.

[Blue_Roses]

9. and what a pile Bush will leave...

it's ridiculous for people to think Obama will be the "end-all" to what Bush has destroyed. It's going to take a lot of work and it's not going to happen in the time span many want--unfortunately.

[flaminbats]

10. hope and chaos..

The Republican Party is falling apart. I participate in a local chapter of a group called the SAR..Sons of the American Revolution. I recently attended one of those meetings for the first time in almost a year!

A year ago this group was so rightwing I left most meetings enraged. Almost every member was a Republican, a close friend of Roy Barnes and I were the only active Democrats in the group. Speaking out against Bush, the GOP, or the war in Iraq was considered "unpatriotic". :crazy: But that has changed dramatically!

One hardcore Bush supporter I knew now denies he even voted for Bush! He calls himself an independent and claims that Republicans aren't conservative. Whenever I mentioned my political opinions a year ago, those Republicans just laughed at me. But when I attended the last meeting, many of them asked who I voted for in the Presidential primary. When I told them I voted for Obama, some were interested in my reasons. None of them defended McCain when I criticized him, but many cited reasons that he should be defeated. Most of these members backed the war several months ago, and now view it as a devastating quagmire.

I think Obama can win, yet he needs to pick up disenchanted Republican voters who are rapidly growing in number.

[loyalsister]

11. It's hard to run from Congress

Now that we are in sports mode politics, we have to protect our candidate.
As soon as the GE election starts, the candidate should be defended at all costs so that the agenda is not compromised.
Turning around and piling on our own candidate ultimately compromises our agenda for the GE by weakening the candidate.
This is can be reviewed and changed as soon as the administration changes. Avoiding controversy that the majority of the population would find unappealing is the best thing to do while he is running for office. This sucks electoral politics suck and there are no easy answers but we have to do what is most likely to produce a win if we want a Democrat in the WH in the fall.

We should support and defend our candidate while he's running and save our scathing criticisms for after he is elected if he does not meet expectations.

[FrenchieCat]

12. We should be working to elect Barack Obama, not test him......

that period was during the primaries, and again after his election. Till then, testing of the candidate has got to be put on hold. Cutting off our nose to spite our face does not a Victory make.

[loyalsister]

14. Exactly

Frenchie, I think you will understand my confusion by the contrast between the protection and defense offered the former and hopefully future presidents.
Considering what we have been through these past 8 years!

[jgraz]

25. That's the galling part. There was no reason for this "test" to even come up!

Seriously, what the hell are the Democrats thinking? Why even bring this bill up right now. They'd already won the debate, and they'd already taken the hits in the form of attack ads. Yet they were determined to cave in to Bush on this. :banghead:

[mopinko]

13. exactly

as much as we are starting to think of him as our president, he can't fix everything that goes by in these last days.
and it is going to be hard. i suspect there will be a river of bullshit flowing through d.c. in the next few months, and unless he is an idiot, obama will just have to let a few turds float, and flush once he gets to the white house.
get on the bus people. be fair to our nominee.

[FrenchieCat]

15. obama will just have to let a few turds float, and flush once he gets to the white house

I never thought of this that way......but now that I do, it's the perfect illustration for what is happening. thank you for that imagery.

[jgraz]

16. This kind of spin is the most discouraging. It's wrong and it treats the voters like children.

Obama is not "just one Senator". He is the nominee of the party and, as such, is the most powerful Democrat in the country. One word from him and this bill would never see the light of day.

Just to reiterate: The Democrats had WON. They fought the fight, the braved the attack ads, and the bill went down to defeat. There was no reason that this bill EVER had to be brought up again.

So we're left with two choices: either Obama was in on this from the beginning and he's lying to us, or the Democratic party is even more broken than we thought. Either way, it's pretty damned discouraging.

[Blue_Roses]

17. have you totally lost your mind?

seriously? First of all, there is nothing "spinning" about my post but your childish response.

Second, "Obama is the most powerful Democrat in the country"? Really? No shit? Then what the fuck are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi? Not to mention Hillary Clinton? Bullshit.

You do realize that Nancy Pelosi is 3rd in line for the Presidency, behind, Dick, don't you?

Go spin somewhere else.

[jgraz]

18. Reid and Pelosi can't even fight against Bush. Do you think they'd dare defy Obama?

Really? You think they'd cave again and again to Rethug demands, but when it comes to the nominee of their own party, they'd tell him to go jump? Or they'd ambush him with a new FISA vote without so much as a phone call?

That completely strains credulity. Obama had to know this was coming and he had to have given at least tacit approval.

Or do you think that the Congress is just going to go behind his back and against his wishes, making him look weak right after he secures the nomination?

[Blue_Roses]

19. "Dare defy Obama"..."Obama is the most powerful Democrat in the country"...

you have elevated him to Super Man status. I guess he should just lift the roof on Congress and tell them to all get the fuck in line--and his cousin Dick Cheney too while he's at it:eyes:

Come on, seriously think about how "out there" you sound.

How old are you?

[DevonRex]

20. They'll even defy him when he IS the president. They like their

power, too, and rightfully so.

[jgraz]

21. When you drop the bullshit insults, I may decide to discuss this with you.

"How old are you?" What crap.

Quit acting like I just kicked your dog and try engaging in an adult conversation. You may actually learn something.

[Blue_Roses]

24. when you stop stomping your feet like a spoiled child in a candy store

then I TOO, will engage in an adult conversation with you. Until then, I think I'll take a pass on your type of "teaching" and stick to what I've learned in the last forty years of working in politics.

Oh, and if you would have kicked my dog, he would have bit the shit out of you.

[jgraz]

26. Well, I guess you're just too mature for the Constitution.

If you don't mind, I and the rest of the spoiled children will continue to stomp our feet about the rape of our civil liberties.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. Obama is arguably the most powerful Democrat in the country, but...

That doesn't mean he has absolute control over every other Democrat. He can't tell Pelosi and Reid how they should run their respective chambers. That being said, they should not have held the FISA vote so that Obama wouldn't have to go on the record or they should have at least separated telecom immunity.

[jgraz]

23. This is not about Obama running the Congress. This is about one very important bill.

And a key plank in Obama's primary platform. The idea that Congress would decide to undermine him like this without so much is a phone call is just too much to believe.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. I'm sure they made a phone call but I don't think he had the final say on this

They've been negotiating a FISA compromise for months and IMO the blue dogs probably demanded that it come to a vote so they could run for re-election on it. Pelosi and Reid caved to pressure within their own caucuses and that screwed Obama over.

[greguganus]

27. Link? n/t

[Blue_Roses]

28. to what?

conversations...:shrug:

[Cali_Democrat]

31. ...

:wtf:

[butterfly77]

30. Love your post...

K&R...

[suffragette]

32. This points to the importance of getting a solid majority

of Democrats into Congress with Obama, so they can work together to clean up the mess Bush and his regime has made.
They are leaving an epic mess, every bit as bad as the Augean stables and it's going to be a Herculean task to clean up.

And you're right, the first step will be getting him (and them) elected.

[slipslidingaway]

33. Obama is one of the few senators who has had media attention

on him for over a year and also gave speeches and held meeting across the country.

And as I've said over the past few days, and to a lesser degree back in February, if our party really wanted to defeat this bill, or strip the immunity clause, they could have rallied support from the American people in their travels across the country and interviews in the media.

Now Obama is the nominee, we had EVERY opportunity to bring this issue to the people.

Why did our party not do that???

We complain about the media, but do not always use it to our advantage and sometimes hide behind the media as an excuse IMO.

[Truthfulone]

34. Nothing can stop Obama

Today a new Rasmussen poll shows him ahead in New Mexico. In other swing states he's doing very well. I don't think anyone can stop him.