Obama needs to change his campaign slogan from "Yes We Can"

[Democrat 4 Ever]

to "Yes We Can But We Probably Won't" I'm tired of the wishy washy, mamby pamby way of Obama's administration. We have the will of the people, the presidency, the House and Senate, and we have campaigns promises but that is all as of today. I don't care it has only been six months, I want action and I want it today.

I am proud to call Obama my president but he is failing to deliver in so many ways just by trying to play patty cakes with the Repugs. Is the campaign such a distant memory that Obama and his team have already forgotten you can't play nice with the rethugs? It is not in the Repugs' DNA or vernacular so forget them and get busy getting the things we were assured would be top agenda items when Obama ran.

With a stroke of a pen he could end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." One single signature. Period.

He could call his Democratic Senators and Representatives and say in one single one sentence - single payer health insurance, public option - what ever you want to call it - get it done. Damn the rethugs and the insurance companies - full steam ahead - TODAY.

He could demand accountablity on war crimes - not kangaroo courts but true, real investigations in how our laws and our Constitution was shredded in the last eight years. The American people have the right to know what happen and more importantly assurances that it will never happen again. Letting these actions stand just guarantee they will happen again during the next Rethug administration.

Obama is playing it safe and already looking toward 2012 but if he doesn't live up to his "Yes We Can" he could lose the House and the Senate in 2010 and then every issue will be moot.

Get busy legislating or get ready to lose. It is time for the Blue Dogs and the Yellow Dogs and what ever else they call themselves to put job security on the back burner and do what is right for this country. The hell with partisan politics there is too much at stake and I, for one, am tired of waiting. The American PEOPLE have spoken.

/rant off

[WyLoochka]

1. If the "dogs"

blue and/or yellow would just vote to pass the frigging health bill with a strong public option - they would be re-elected with wide margins.

Because that is what the people want and that is what would fix the broken system.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

2. Exactly. But I guess they love that money from the insurance

companies too much to think about people like me who desperately needs health insurance.

Is there anything the DU Activist Corp could be doing? I've called the President's Comment line, I've called my Senators (McConnell and Bunning - you can imagine how well that went) and I've called my Representative Brett Guthrie (his office said they didn't know where he stood on public insurance, yeah right.)

I need health insurance for a serious health issue, I lost my job due to the economy and I didn't qualify for any type of unemployment insurance - this government is really working for me, huh?

I don't mean to make this personal - I'm one of the lucky ones, I have family who love me, I'm able to look for work, I have a roof over my head and a car to drive if I get a job but, damnit, I've worked hard my entire life and now I'm expected to beg for scraps from the Obama table when it comes to important issues?

/end of rant but still pissed!

[robinlynne]

6. sems to me that every congressperosn who recieved any meny from health insurance companies or pharma

should not be allowed to vote on health issues period.

[chimpymustgo]

40. You should post a thread: check in if you have called your Sen and Rep about HEALTHCARE.

and specifically a PUBLIC OPTION.

[Butch350]

45. K&R

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. K&R

[Gman2]

4. That is pure crap! The dems need to say OH< YES< WE DID! And leave

the rethugs to declare, Oh, No you diiint!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

5. I'm not sure what you mean by OH YES WE DID?

Get him elected? What is pure crap? My opinion or the waffling on the issues? Sock it to me.

[robinlynne]

7. I think that was a joke! (no you didnt...)

[donheld]

17. Or Yes We Will

With or with out you (repuglican'ts"}

[galloglas]

8. "We REALLY wanted to!!" ???

"But, hey, this is Washington! This city is really windy!" (Blow-Back)

[mopinko]

9. useless flamebait. nt

[Gman2]

10. My ASSS! Oh, yes we did, refers to doing what the friggin people elected us to do

Let the party of NO, use victimmy language to shield from the reality. The rethugs got nothin,

[salguine]

26. The truth is never flamebait.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[elocs]

44. Whose truth? Does one side or point of view have exclusive rights on the truth?

To the sanctimonious and self-righteous that would appear to be the case as they are absolutely certain that theirs is the one and only truth. This point of view is not exclusive to Republicans because I read it often here.

[bvar22]

11. Happy to K&R.

GET IT DONE!
No More excuses!


"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, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[emilyg]

12. k/r

[Jester Messiah]

13. Yes, it's just that easy.

Obama is a president, not a king. While he is powerful, he still has to work within the system. He has to get cooperation from the Senate and the House; handing down edicts like a god will only ensure that it doesn't happen.

[moodforaday]

14. Jon Stewart put it like this

a few weeks ago:

Yes We Can (but that doesn't necessarily mean that we will)

Both your version and his seem about right to me.

[elehhhhna]

15. I prefer "guess we can't"

[The Straight Story]

16. How about "Yeah, we could" (nt)

[HamdenRice]

18. "I want action and I want it today" -- And that my friends pretty much sums up the level of analysis

that too many people are limited to.

Forget the fact that the presidency in the US is not an elected monarchy. Forget the fact that legislation has to get through Senate, a chamber of 100 egomaniacs, most of them millionaires, the leading of which has always been described as "herding cats." Forget the fact that the Democratic majority is illusory when you count conservative Democrats.

"He could call his Democratic Senators and Representatives and say ... get it done"

And after the hysterical laughter ended on the other end of the telephone line, what then, pray tell?

"He could demand accountablity on war crimes..."

Just curious. How long do you think it took the Mandela administration to investigate the crimes of the apartheid regime -- the ones that had already been documented by the Goldstone Commission before Mandela even took office and that had been plastered across South African and international newspapers?

Five months? No, it took almost two years just to get the legislation to create a Truth and Reconciliation Commission -- and Mandela had a complete majority in Parliament such that all his bills were virtually guarantted passage -- and it was almost three years before the first hearing.

Oh, I forgot. Mandela must have been a failure.

"Get busy legislating or get ready to lose."

You do realize that "legislating" is the job of Congress, right? Not the president. You could look it up. It's in something called, "The Constitution."

"I want action and I want it today". Wow. How profound.

[kenfrequed]

25. A number of points

A. I think presidential pressure on those members of congress actually does have some impact. I don't think it would be likely that hysterical laughter over the line would be the result. No one here is writing a script for the telephone conversation that the white house aids or Obama himself would be using to round up support in congress for single payer. Holding an enthusiastic person here to those words either suggests either simplicity on your part or a desire to flirt with the straw-man.

B. I doubt you honestly think the president has no pull in influencing legislation prior to it arriving on his desk. I think the only reason for your oversimplification of the office, down to its constitutionally mandated minimum, is an effort to get a technical win that we both know has no basis in political reality.

[Jakes Progress]

34. What? A president can actually do something!

But if he used his immense popularity and profound oratory skills to sway, cajole, or shame congress into action for the people rather than for the corporate fats, he might lose some political points that he could use for.... uh.... oh, I don't know, but it might be something really cool that could come up. You know, something more important than war, torture, health care, equality. We can't waist our political capital on those things when we might need it later for really important stuff.

Yeah, better to just wait. Maybe use the DU cheerleader slogan "Wait? Yes we can."

[havocmom]

29. BRAVO!

And if Obama took the 'my way NOW' attitude and OP wasn't 100% in agreement with Obama's way, one could easily predict much complaining about how Obama was acting like bush, acting like a dictator, and such.

Too many people have a Burger King Mentality: they want it their way and in under a minute.

[AngryOldDem]

38. I want it ALL! And I want it NOW!

All I can say is, it's easy to govern and legislate while anonymously sitting in a comfy chair behind a keyboard.

Funny, not once did I hear Obama say that all would be right with our world by June 23, 2009. I do recall him saying that it was going to be a long, hard road back to respectability, both at home and abroad, and that it would take hard work and sacrifice on everyone's part to achieve that.

Therein lies the rub: Some here are microcosms of what is basically wrong with society. They want the benefits of "change" without any of the hard work and sacrifice that go with it. Obama inherited a virtual trainwreck of foreign and domestic policy that dates back at least to Ronald Reagan. The short- and long-term memory deficit that some here display is astounding, just in and of itself.

Between this place and Congress, I think Obama has been set up to fail. Nothing the man does will EVER be enough. So folks, if you all think you can do better -- get busy on your campaigns. Iowa and New Hampshire 2012 aren't that far off. Time's a wastin'.

[nightrain]

19. I'm also very disappointed with Obama's style.

We definitely need some bolder action, particularly on healthcare. We could get single payer, but it's more like "No We Won't".

[JTFrog]

20. Whatever you say Veruca.

I want action and I want it today - "Daddy, I want a pony!"

:eyes:

[salguine]

27. You know what? YES, I DO WANT A FUCKING PONY. AND I WANT THE PONY TO BE

NAMED "HEALTHCARE". YES, I WANT A FUCKING PONY.

How's that for your next T-shirt slogan, DU?

[SammyWinstonJack]

32. +1

:applause:

[JTFrog]

33. Better slogan: "Daddy, I want another pony."

The ihateobama crowd will always have a reason to pout.

[Jakes Progress]

35. Easy potshots when you already have a pony.

And health insurance and the right to marry.

Too many cheerleaders have the same mentality as all those in the 80's who used to be Democrat but became republican because they got money.

The I-got-mine-to-hell-with-you crowd found it easy to tell others to wait and stop complaining about wanting the same rights. We hear it here too: "I got insurance so you should shut up and be happy for me".

[kenfrequed]

46. Feh

Vercua Salt already has a damned pony and healthcare too.

I never thought I would have to put up with members of my own party that would belittle the needs of the working poor and their families for the sake of political convenience.

This "Verca Salt/ I wanna pony crap" is great if you already have money and healthcare. Try thinking about someone less fortunate for a friggin change.

Making the poor sound like whiney little rich-bitches. Wow you do Frank Lutz proud. Congratulations, the Republican party and the Insurance industry thanks you for your good work.

*raspberries*

[JTFrog]

51. I have no silver spoon in my ass. I want all of those things too.

But I'm hardly going to post a petulant tantrum on a democratic message board declaring the President a failure after his few months in office. Those are the ones that are sharing their straws with the Republican party.

[kenfrequed]

53. Oh really?

Sorry but using that pony crap meme or the Veruca thing sort of undercuts whatever real actions you have taken, or at least the perception of what you have done.

I email, write letters, and call my congress critters. This place I just dump a random errant comment occasionally.

[Richardo]

21. You don't know shit about shit

Lotsa recs, though, so I guess that's good.

[Jakes Progress]

36. The OP acknowledges your mastery of shit.

But his post was about the lack of progress on important matters for the welfare of the people of the United States. He seems to have a much better grasp of that subject than yours.

[Richardo]

47. It's a simple-minded diatribe...

...being recommended by the simple-minded.

[Jakes Progress]

52. Again, we bow to your mastery of the simple-minded. nt

[ihavenobias]

50. +1

Some people (who leave insulting, non-substantive one-liners) aren't worth debating, trust me. I'll leave it at that.

[OhioChick]

56. +2 n/t

[whistler162]

22. Or be more acurrate...

"Yes, We Can BUT not in the blink of an eye!"

Instant gratification is neither instant or gratifying.

[The_Commonist]

23. "Get busy legislating or get ready to lose..."

You really don't know what you are talking about.
The president does not legislate.

[PurgedVoter]

24. Well, we will see! K&R

Look at the health care story. Even on our side it is a story. Since the VP breaks ties, we need only 50 votes. We don't need to go nuclear, let them try and hold it up while 72% of the nation wants decent health care. This issue alone will tell us if we need to be really careful on the primaries and kick out the DINO's.

I'm seeing a lot discussion sounding like 'Democratic Party, Love it of Leave it!' Forget that.

I am not leaving my party. I am more loyal than ever, vote Republican, Hell NO!

But as we see Republican lack of values creep into our party, we need to fight it. The DLC and Blue Dogs need to start thinking about what is good for our country, and not what is good for our country clubs. We need to be picking them out during the primaries if they go against the health of the nation. The Public Option is good preparedness against plague and germ warfare/terrorism. Anyone against it, is against national security.

[salguine]

28. Why would you, or anybody, stay loyal to a party that keeps fucking you over? I'm not

saying you should bail on the party, but to be honest, I really don't see why people don't abandon it in droves. True, the Republicans are worse, but the last real, truly progressive action the democrats took that brought sweeping change for the better was the Civil Rights act of 1964. Yeah, there have been small things since then, but I'm talking about big, forward-thinking things that changed our whole society. I'm talking about the kind of action that falls under "doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do, even though it runs counter to the prevailing winds of the times." Will we ever see that kind of four-in-the-morning courage again?

[Buzz Clik]

30. You're tired of his administration after 5 months? Christ, are you in for a long stretch.

Maybe if you focused on the things that Obama has accomplished?

Nah, forget it. You'd rather bitch.

[Occam Bandage]

31. Psst. The campaign is over. Now is the governing part. nt

[Orsino]

37. Modern US politics is wishy-washy by design.

The Obama Administration is demanding what it thinks it can, and abandoning or compromising on the rest.

I don't think we ought to insist that our president spend all his political capital in any one place. He's a powerful persuader, but his is a single, lonely voice when fighting the powerful inertia of The System.

[HamdenRice]

57. "powerful persuader, but his is a single lonely voice"-That's why Roosevelt called in bully pullpit

Teddy Roosevelt was probably the most powerful president of the 20th century after Franklin Roosevelt. And unlike FDR, TR created powers in the presidency that had no precedent, while Roosevelt basically imported the powers and policies of New York governor Al Smith to Washington.

Yet TR said the main power of the presidency was that it was a "bully pullpit." (point of info: he didn't mean "bully" as being able to bully people, but in the slang at the time "bully" meant very good, as in "jolly good sermon.")

In other words, the main power of the presidency is not that he can dictate that anything get done. It's that the president can use his single, lonely voice to go over the heads of Congress and "preach" directly to the people. That's really what the presidency is -- except when authoritarians like Nixon and Bush try to abuse it. And even when they tried to seize powers, they found that they had over-reached.

[Orsino]

58. Yeah. The Roosevelts were opposed by a few print and broadcast media outlets...

...that still showed some deference to them as presidents. The forces Obama opposes feel freer to lie, and they own our eyes and ears for the twenty-three hours a day he can't talk directly to us.

[Imagevision]

41. Obama can't allow the previous administration be proven to have committed war crimes

and Karl Rove, we don't want his under oath answers to be made public do we? (which is the only reason the MSM and government stopped the proceedings)

[Vidar]

42. Very well said. Recommended.

[emulatorloo]

43. Call the White House and Congress rather than filling up DU with more hyperbole

White House Phone Numbers:

Phone Numbers

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: [phone]

TTY/TDD

Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

---

You can find your Senator and Congress Person's numbers online.

[noiretextatique]

48. just do it

like the republicans did. let them whine and bitch on tee vee all they want.

[caseymoz]

54. To my thinking, he's inexperianced, and he knows it.

Which means he is moving carefully and depending on the people around him. It is going to be a while before he actually becomes bold. He has common sense.

We elected an inexperienced person. This was known when we elected him. He will learn. As he does, we'll find out who we really elected. I'm optimistic.

[subcomhd]

55. Do you really believe this?

"He could call his Democratic Senators and Representatives and say in one single one sentence - single payer health insurance, public option - what ever you want to call it - get it done."

Really?