Alan Greyson is wrong!

[dennis4868]

He says that Obama does not have anyone advising him who is progressive.

Well take a look at this list that has gotten done which I consider progressive:

1) A $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps.
2) A $1 billion in funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) that is intended to revitalize low-income communities via "Job training and placement assistance", "Financial literacy programs", et al, to helping families become self-sufficient.
3) A $2 billion in new Neighborhood Stabilization Funds that will allow ailing neighborhoods be kept maintained.
4) A $1.5 billion in Homelessness Prevention Funds to keep people in their homes and prevent homelessness.
5) A $5 billion increase for the Weatherization Assistance Program to help low income families save on their residential energy expenditures by making their homes more energy efficient.
6) A $4 Billion program, The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, "authorizes funding for federal school meal and child nutrition programs and increases access to healthy food for low-income children."
7) As part of the HCR bill, subsidies will be available to the uninsured and families with income between the 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty level($14,404 for individuals and $29,326 for a family of four).
8) Estabilished Open Doors to end the 640,000 men, women and children who are homeless in America by 2020.
9) Increased the amount of federal Pell Grant awards so that funds are available to those with less access to have opportunity.
10) Provided $510 Million for the rehabilitation of Native American housing.
11) Expanded eligibility for Medicaid to all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($14,400 per year for an individual).
12) Providing assistance to low-income workers through the Earned Income Tax Credit giving millions of working families the break they need.
13) Education being the way out of Poverty, kicked off the "Race to the Top", a $4.3 billion program, that rewards via grants to States that meet a few key benchmarks for reform, and states that outperform the rest.

These are just a few of what are notable actions that have been taken by this Administration. The commitment of this Administration to fighting poverty can not be mistaken even under the circumstances we live in today, which is a dismal economy that is trying to catch its life line back in the game.

The entire article is here....http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2011/01/things-obama-has-done-for-poor-that.html

In this day and time, there arer some liberals who will never be satisfied with a Democratic President.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. But there is no agreed upon definition of progressive.

Many see the HCR bill as a gratuitous give away to the Health Insurance Industry and ignore parts of it.

Many see there is a threshold that must be met for something to be progressive, and incremental changes do not qualify.

I think this is a great list, but it will change few minds. A real definition of progressivism is necessary before we can make that decision.

[vaberella]

12. That's really the crutch of the issue. Progressivism has no parameters or is a political position.

Unfortunately on DU. I have seen people equate liberal = progressive----which is 100% false.

[Ozymanithrax]

16. Equating liberal and progressives is an entirely false assumption...

but it has been common since Reagan successfully made liberal a dirty word. Many deicded rather than fight Republican redefinition of liberal they would just call themselves progressive.

[ClassWarrior]

2. Maybe so, but Alan Grayson is right.

How does a list of (arguably, in some cases) progressive policies passed by Congress demonstrate that Obama has someone advising him who is progressive?

:eyes:

NGU.

[Myrina]

13. Thank you.

n/t

[rfranklin]

3. Race to the Top is not progressive...

it is part of the corporate program to privatize education and get their hands on more government funds.

[OHdem10]

4. Republicans will help the poorest of the poor.

What is more important, all serious policies have
been Right of Center Policy. Policies are what
have impact on the whole country.

[zalinda]

5. Those things mentioned are the crumbs to shut up the left.

The big things are necessary to turn this country around are still going toward the right, and is being steered by the corporations.

All the money given to the corporations far, far, far exceed those given to us peons. And it's nice to 'help' the communities, well a few of them at least, but then what? Where are the jobs? Obama has said that it is not the government's responsibility to create jobs. So, a few hundred thousand may get a temporary roof over their head, and some children will eat better, but that's putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Millions and millions of people are suffering in this country, and trillions of dollars are going to bankers, or war profiteers or some other big corporation, which is handing out million dollar bonuses to their executives.

What don't you understand? The rich are still getting richer, and the poor are still getting the crumbs. Only now, we have Obama, the Democrat figurehead, sprinkling down the crumbs. I'm sure if we searched, we could find 13 things that Bush did for 'those less fortunate'.

It doesn't matter if it's a Democrat or a Republican, making sure that the rich are rewarded and the poor are treated like beggars, is not a progressive principle.

zalinda

[Confusious]

6. "Race to the top" is "Race to the bottom"

What about taxing The rich, ending the wars, fixing the slime on wall street.

[Arkana]

7. Don't bother.

Those achievements "don't count" because the FDL Firebombers said they don't count.

[bigwillq]

8. And so is your spelling of the man's name.

It is Alan Grayson.

[dennis4868]

9. thanks for that really important....

correction....that added alot to the debate....hahahaha!

[bigwillq]

11. So I take it grammar is not important to you.

:P

Was just letting you know how to correctly spell his name.

I'm sure you won't mind if I spell President Obama's name

Barahack Obama, now would you?

:rofl:

[paulk]

10. fascinating site you've linked to

referring to the site

there seems to be a real hatred of "progressives" among Obama's most ardent supporters there...

almost like progressives shouldn't be part of the Democratic Party

like they, somehow, don't really matter

there's this real undercurrent of hero worship running through the comments

a feeling that their support for Obama is not particularly based on policy


really shortsighted, imo

[Hello_Kitty]

14. The guy who runs that blog wrote the whiniest OP on Kos

Totally blaming the 2010 election on liberal bloggers. He's delusional in his reverence for President Obama.

[paulk]

17. "reverence"

that's the word I was looking for...

[Enrique]

15. that list doesn't address Grayson's criticisms

in fact I'm sure Grayson could add a lot more accomplishments to the list. He was there the whole time and voted for all those things.

[Caretha]

18. Oops

I closed this thread before I could unrec it, so had to come back and vote unrec on another "circle jerk" thread by someone who doesn't know how to spell Alan Grayson's name.

Proceed with the circle jerk. :)