Here is the Problem, President Obama has no one in his administration

[akbacchus_BC]

to be his pit bull. Rahm, no! President Kennedy had his brother and if it were not for Al Sharpton, President Obama would be roasted. He needs a pit bull and sorry to say, no one is stepping up.

President Obama, just do what your heart feels right. You are doing good but just get out of Iraq, Afghanistan and close Gitmo, please!

[HughMoran]

1. I don't think Rahm is getting it done

I often wonder if he's the right person for that position.

[akbacchus_BC]

4. I do not think he is. Sometimes I wonder why President Obama picked

him, an effing left over from the Clinton Administration! He could have done better!

[HughMoran]

13. I don't care where somebody is from, so long as they get the job done!

I don't do lifelong smearing of people just because they worked for a particular President, I leave that to others. The fact that he's not getting it done is my concern. Obama may need a shakeup at some point in the near future. I predict it.

[akbacchus_BC]

14. Well, I agree with you. But please show me a link to where anybody in

Congress is backing President Obama, who shouting for him, except for us on the internets?

[HughMoran]

15. Nobody is yelling for his head

...but Obama may be a little perturbed at the advice he's been getting lately.

[pundaint]

24. How do you back a leader who doesn't lay out a firm position?

You first must take a stand, then folks can be with you. He always waits to see where the support lies before he says anything specific at all. And then he changes it if the wind switches. Leadership describes the end-state, and drives the process towards it. Obama says Ok, let's go, where to?

[gateley]

2. Biden advised against Afghanistan - I wonder who convinced Obama to do otherwise. nt

[akbacchus_BC]

6. I don't know, but President Obama should have gotten the fuck out of

Afghanistan and draw down troops from Iraq. Don't you think am pissed? The world was so positive when President Obama got elected but it seems he has lost his direction from what he campaigned for!

Just saying!

[avaistheone1]

41. For sure.

These people have been fighting for thousands of years. How the hell can anyone fix it but themselves?

It's on them, not us.

Obama get out!

[patrice]

3. That's a good idea. He needs a bad cop. Who could do this?

[XemaSab]

5. Hmmm, I wonder...

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Drunken Irishman]

11. Don't think Dean could play the bad cop well...

It has to be a real asshole. A true dick. Someone with no soul.



Okay...maybe not.

[akbacchus_BC]

12. You are so wrong! If only this President had two people to fight for

him, it would make a huge difference. The media hates him!

And only a few of us on the internet are talking out but who hears us?

[akbacchus_BC]

7. Perhaps, Al Sharpton, who knows. All I know he has no one backing

him except for us on the Internet!

[patrice]

9. Sharpton could DO it! Dr. Dean is too busy working from the outside.

[akbacchus_BC]

10. Patrice, I really fault President Obama for not holding on to Dean!

Dean is a good guy and our President made a big mistake!

[patrice]

16. I think an essential thing about this man Obama is how much value he places on

our own self-development. We have to become strong to be the appropriate foil to his position within the system. Triangulation requires 3 factors; you could calculate those 3 various ways, but let's say it's: corporations, Obama, and grassroots Americans. We're supposed to stand up FOR OURSELVES, not depend too much on Obama to be our hero. The President will respond to that strength *IF* he sees it.

Dr. Dean is playing a role in this process through Democracy for America's support for Unions, right now in Arkansas, organizing, along with the likes of Move On, and True Majority, and others. Unions in that state are deciding whom they will back in November, Blanche Lincoln or another candidate. I think they should do what is best for the Unions without too much concern for what the rest of us think about it. The unions are part of how American grassroots will get strong enough to take their appropriate role in the triangulation that drives social issues and the legislative process and if that means that they support BL (for a while) in order to stay in the mainstream and, thus, build membership, I say so be it.

[akbacchus_BC]

18. Patrice, I so agree with you but you know the corporations want to

get rid of unions and they have been eroding workers rights from time immemorial. All am asking is for President Obama to know whom his base is and support them. If Unions get screwed, then workers will be homeless!

I hope you understand where am coming from! President Obama needs to step up and back Unions, that's all am asking and I think he is but not forceful enough!

Look around you, only Europe has better Social care, here in Canada, we have a PM who is trying his best to erode medical care and get rid of Unions.

These pricks whom we elect are for corporations! Enough said!

[patrice]

21. I agree. I would love to see him be much more forceful. I think he will back Unions to

at least some degree, when he sees that there is something there to back. Something about whom he can say to his corporate constituents, "No can do! My Union constituency won't let me!!" He can't do that right now, because unions aren't strong enough to scare corporations with their ability to affect the vote.

[akbacchus_BC]

26. When did President Obama said he is not backing Unions?

[Starry Messenger]

31. When he applauded the firing of all the teachers of Central Falls High School.

It was a pretty well-covered story here.

[akbacchus_BC]

38. Starry, then go protest! March, do what Martin Luther King did and

keep us informed. Get your yourself and classroom to March.

None of us on here can come to your aid as we live to darn far away!

[Starry Messenger]

44. Darlin' you asked a question and I answered.

You didn't ask what my level of activism was on this issue, you just acted as if you are totally ignorant of what is going on in this country on the subject of union busting. And yes, I know several of you are too far away to come to our aid. That doesn't stop the value judgments on our dissatisfaction levels here in the states, but the concern is touching.

[patrice]

46. He hasn't. That is what people around here claim, because EFCA has not been a priority &

because of what Rahm E said about the Arkansas primary.

My point is that the President is playing his hand close to his chest until Unions (and/or certain other factors) play to his hand. It's part of his basic social philosophy of requiring that folks get strong enough that they can do what needs to be done politically for themselves, which will, incidentally, give them more viability in the long run so that they can survive as a power after he has left office.

[amborin]

45. really twisted backwards logic there!

[patrice]

48. Please be specific.

[HughMoran]

17. Mario Cuomo

[akbacchus_BC]

19. Hugh, don't beat me up, am on your side!

[patrice]

22. How old is he now? He used to be a pretty good orator!!

[akbacchus_BC]

23. LOL

[HughMoran]

30. 78

Maybe he's a little old to beat people up :D

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

50. Nancy Pelosi.

She's already hated and her seat is safe. I have long wondered why she won't play the role they're depicting her as in the first place.

[grasswire]

20. unleash Joe Biden

I keep wondering what a Biden speech would have been like tonight.

I do believe he has what it takes to inspire public confidence right now, and Obama should turn him loose to clean up this SNAFU.

[akbacchus_BC]

25. Grass, I hate to say this, but nobody except us on the internets have

been backing President Obama. Have no idea where Biden is but he for sure not pit bulling our President.

Blasted President on his own! I would have given up if I were him, calling Sarah Palin to take over the fucking mess!

[grasswire]

27. I think Biden is being restrained

I suspect that they have him muzzled, so the "message" will be maintained.

[akbacchus_BC]

29. Grass, by whom? I hope he is not selling out now, he was always an upfront guy!

If VP Biden selling out, then we are fucked!

[grasswire]

34. think back

The chief of staff in any administration never wants the VP to outshine the president or to get more press attention. I sure don't think that Biden is selling out. I think the Obama people want to make sure he is staying number two. That's the way it always is in a WH.

[akbacchus_BC]

40. You are paronoid!

[Hawkowl]

28. Howard Dean

Dean scares the shit out of rethuglicans and he has massive political power with his 50 state strategy/personnel.

He could be a formidable arm twister/power broker with Congress. He could promise or withhold organizers and boots on the ground for re-election time. He could scare congressman and Senators into line by threatening to field true progressive popular candidates.

Rahm has merely promised money-- or tried to bribe challengers with administration positions. Very weak.

Not to mention Dean has a discernible code of ethics, Rahm is a piece of shit ball of vomit who worships money.

[akbacchus_BC]

32. So my question to you is why did Dead not get a position in the President

Obama administration? After all, his strategy helped Obama win the Presidency!

[jgraz]

35. One word: Rahm.

And interesting typo. Freudian?

[Hawkowl]

37. EXACTLY!

Obama had a choice. He chose the status quo, the DLC and shoved Dean, and what passes for the left in the democratic party, aside.

However, I think until and unless Rahm's minions completely blow the mid term elections, his job is safe. He fucks up the mid terms and he's out on his ass.

That's why he should switch to Dean. Rahm has failed from day one.

[akbacchus_BC]

42. Politics is so complicated! Are you insinuating that President Obama

choosed Rahm over Dean? I have to admit that I was shocked that Rahm even got a pick in the Obama administration!

[avaistheone1]

43. I think so too.

[jgraz]

33. The problem is Obama has no one in his administration to the left of Rahm Emanuel

Obama's always reaching out to and compromising with those to his right. When have we seen him reach out to those on his left?

[akbacchus_BC]

36. That's the frigging problem, we got caught up in the hype and we

never asked. I can be excused as am from Canada, but why you Americans got duped again if you thought Obama pissed over you? I truely mean that! Best fucking President you all got and shitting on him like there is no more tomorrow, then go get back bush and sleep happily ever after. Assholes!

[akbacchus_BC]

39. J, sometimes I wonder if President Obama have any idea that the

left exists!! Seems to me that he has surrounded himself with centrists and that is when am not sure if he knows how he is going to be mislead.

I just know that he knows what he is doing and am backing 100%.

I know you do not share my sentiments but we can agree to disagree!

[bigwillq]

47. Whose fault is that?

Obama did pick everyone in his administration, correct?

[vaberella]

49. He can't close Gitmo b/c of the house and every gov official saying,

"we won't take your terrorists." What the hell do you want him to do, create a prison at the base of the WH?

[ljm2002]

51. Rahm *is* this Administration's pit bull...

...more's the pity, since he sees fit to do the pit bull act mostly against progressives and leftists, rather than against the Blue Dogs and the rabid right wingers.

[Jennicut]

52. You mean like Cheney?

How does anyone think Bush got what he wanted? Cheney.

Clinton got what he wanted by going along with some Rethug ideas.