The USDA fiasco was a turning point for me

[jah the baptist]

I love this president and I say that without qualifications. But it is time for him to start taking it to his opponents. He has had to compromise on a lot of things due to the structure of our system like the entrenched nature of corporations and monied interests. The rules of the US Senate are also anti democratic and our party is home to moderates and conservatives so a Democratic majority will not necessarily bring the changes we want. That is all to clear.

But the fearful freakout brought on by the likes of Glenn Beck was pathetic. The president and his administration did the right thing after the facts came to light and I applaud them for that. But this should be the wake up call for them. Those in the fever swamp will come after him no matter what. Can you imagine Lyndon Johnson firing someone because some crazy Bircher went after a federal employee? Hell no. I love Bill Clinton too. But the precedent for this was set during his term. Can you imagine anyone having the gall to subpeona Lady Bird?

Hell to the NO.

As I write this Karl Rove is raising corporate money to run a smear campaign against all things Democratic in the fall. It is time to cowboy up, tighten up the old chin strap and get out there and hit someone!

[tabatha]

1. Don't you think that the right will love the fight

and twist everything into a loss for Obama.

No Obama has to concentrate on what he has to do - govern.

I think Breitbart came out very badly after the USDA fiasco - and Obama did nothing.

[jah the baptist]

2. Sure he needs to govern and the President does need to seem above it

but others can do it in his stead.

Loose the hounds!

There needs to be a sustained coordinated offensive attack against these people like the one they are engaging in.

As James Carville once said

It is hard for them to hit you whith your fist in their face.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I agree

Breitbart is the bad guy here. Not Obama and not the USDA. Without that edited video, Shirley Sherrod wouldn't be a household name today.

[jah the baptist]

5. I disagree and very much distrust those who try to make the administration the bad guy on this.

But it didnt cover itself in glory here. This needs to be the moment they pivot and start punching. They were initially played for suckers and that needs to STOP. Politics is a full contact sport.

[havocmom]

7. Amen!

They were reactive and hit themselves in the snot locker with their jerking knees. The Leader Of The Free World and his appointees need to knock that crap off.

[jah the baptist]

10. LOL I like. Thanks nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Here's the bottom line.

The only way to usher in the world most DU'ers claim they want involve steps they will not take -- 1917 steps. 1789 steps. 1848 steps. 1861-65 steps.

That's the only way to 'necessarily bring the changes we want'.

How bad do you want that change? 1917 bad? 1789 bad? 1848 bad? 1861-65 bad?

If the answer is 'no', then you're left with slow, incremental change, with backtracking and failures along the way. And then you have to change what the world you want is.

There is no tertium quid.

If the answer is 'yes', you shouldn't be on message boards -- there are other things to do.

[jah the baptist]

6. The first step is to stop playing nice with people who are cutting your throat.

Obama needs to channel LBJ.

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. Another dreamer...

...dreaming of a politics without politicians, and a past that never was.

[Lost4words]

14. +1

[metapunditedgy]

12. Obama can't use the bully pulpit because it would start a World War???

If he says, "Oh, wait, I remember I said in my campaign that health care is a right, not a privilege," you think the British are going to invade? (Or maybe the Brits would invade if we started prosecuting BP execs under US law, LOL.)

Thanks for summing up the sad state of current rhetoric, though.

[AnArmyVeteran]

9. LBJ knew how to lead congress, Obama doesn't.

LBJ was a powerful force who could always find a way to make a distractor in congress to vote for a bill LBJ wanted. But Obama seems to be unable to affect anyone in congress. And by constantly compromising to republicans when he KNOWS he isn't going to get a single vote is pure crazy. The bills that finally passed could have been a lot more progressive if the democrats in congress hadn't caved into the republicans on every bill. And Obama could have twisted some arms and actually led the charge against republicans on each bill, but he didn't and I have no idea why not.

Obama could stop the enforcement of DADT in the time it took him to write his signature on an executive order, but he isn't even doing that. He promised he would but it's a year and a half into his presidency and still nothing. He needs to get rid of most of those advising him and start to lead. With all the caving done by the democrats in power you'd think they were a team of spelunkers.

Having said the above, I still support Obama and he's a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

[jah the baptist]

11. Right on. I agree with most of that. nt

[secondwind]

13. WE NEED TO START FIGHTING BACK!! n/t

[jah the baptist]

15. yep

we will either hang together or hange seperately
b franklin

its hard for someone to hit you when you have your fist in their face
j carville