Obama's record? Dang good!

[kstewart33]

Andrew Sullivan:

On policy: ending the US torture regime; prevention of a second Great Depression; enacting universal healthcare; taking the first serious steps toward reining in healthcare costs; two new female Supreme Court Justices; ending the gay ban in the military; ending the Iraq war; justifying his Afghan Surge by killing bin Laden and now disentangling with face saved; firming up alliances with India, Indonesia and Japan as counter-weights to China; bailing out the banks and auto companies without massive losses (and surging GM profits); advancing (slowly) balanced debt reduction without drastic cuts during the recession; and financial re-regulation.

Yes, there have been failures. The election of Scott Brown; the 2010 mid-terms; the surrender to Netanyahu and AIPAC; the botched and ill-conceived war in Libya; the failure to embrace Bowles Simpson up-front; the collapse of cap and trade (maybe not such a bad thing anyway).

But notice what hasn't happened. Where are all the scandals promised by Michelle Malkin? Where are his Katrinas and Monicas?

Link: http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/

[Name removed]

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[Firebrand Gary]

3. Ironically, wasn't the site originally pro-Obama?

Not that it matters.

[Vanje]

8. It was a pro-Democratic website

Now its pro-"Democratic" president vs pro Democratic principles

[KittyWampus]

9. I've noticed some DU'ers are no longer ignoring that "list" and openly mocking it.

[ixion]

11. It's quite worthy of mockery

given that it's pretty much BS.

[FLAprogressive]

47. Exactly. Most of the "accomplishments" are appointees or proclamations.

[FarLeftFist]

18. And what about pretty much EVERYTHING Beckkk has said/fear-mongered!

NONE of it came true. No socialist, no racist, no "far-leftist", no communism, no evil hidden agenda, no disregarding the Constitution, no corruption, no scandals, etc etc. When will the RW wake up and realize they are living a lie and being spoon fed pure unadulterated HATE?!

[CelticThunder]

2. Prosecuting the Bush administration war criminals...oh, wait.

[Firebrand Gary]

4. Obama has done a pretty good job so far. We still have a ways to go.

But all in all, he's done pretty well.

[spooked911]

6. No, he hasn't-- except very superficially

deeper down, it's terrible

[Fire1]

17. All roads lead to Rome. You may not agree with varying views

on how to get there but the objective is the same. So, don't admonish someone else for their opinion. Theirs is as accurate as yours. If it's that bad go join the tea party!

[dennis4868]

20. I agree....

when he gets all this (www.whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com) then I will say he has done an INCREDIBLE job in the face of 24/7 fillubuster threats...ohh wait a minute....

[Vanje]

10. no

[spooked911]

5. these sorts of lists are always highly selective

Obama has far too many bad things, that aren't even listed

[johnaries]

34. OK, where's your list of the "bad" things. No, his record isn't perfect

but most of the "bad" things either weren't his fault or is empty rhetoric. The good he has accomplished FAR outweighs his failures.

[Name removed]

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[gratuitous]

7. Wait, what?

When did the U.S. stop torturing people? And in terms of "ending" a torture regime, it's not enough to stop pulling fingernails and waterboarding folks (which we apparently haven't), it's necessary to investigate the episodes and prosecute the wrong-doers, those that gave the orders and pursue it as far up the line as the investigation leads.

Prevention of a second great depression? Not sure that's actually happened, yet. And the neoliberal economic model being followed certainly isn't very reassuring that a second great depression isn't in the offing. Of course, that leaves aside the whole notion that if it isn't as bad as it could have been under the worst possible scenario, is it a "success" that only tens of millions instead of dozens of millions are suffering?

Universal healthcare? Again, when was that? Universal healthcare was negotiated away before negotiations even started. Maybe Andy Bareback has forgotten 2010, but not all of us have.

Yes, two female Supreme Court Justices. Not to be sneezed at. However, when fully qualified candidates like Godwin Liu have been denied a seat on the federal bench because of insufficient advocacy from the very top, the highly visible successes are badly undercut by the less visible failures.

As to ending the gay ban in the military, I see that as less a product of any deliberate action on the part of the administration than by the fierce advocacy of gays in and out of the military.

The Iraq war is over? That would be news, indeed, particularly to the military personnel and the mercenary retainers we have there.

The Afghan surge is justified by the murder of bin Laden? And we're all disentangled now from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and we saved face? Mr. Sullivan really needs to lay off the hallucinogens before composing a column is all I can say.

Head hurts too much to keep reading this codswallop.

[ixion]

13. Indeed. codswallop is exactly what it is

and a headache is a healthy reaction. That list is utter nonsense, for the most part.

[Vanje]

12. Andrew Sullivan is not a Democrat.

Andrew Sullivan is not a liberal.
Andrew Sullivan is a fiscally conservative libertarian who broke with his Republican brethren when he was outed as a gay, and they would not let him into their club any more.

[Name removed]

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[Vanje]

14. Andrew Sullivan also loved GW Bush...

....during his first term.

[City Lights]

15. When did he enact universal healthcare?

:shrug:

[ixion]

19. He didn't... just like he didn't

end torture or the coming depression. Which is why that list is rubbish.

[dennis4868]

23. This is why I love DU

hyperspeculation and bullshit....hahaha! FACTS ARE MEANINGLESS!

[ixion]

45. ...

whatever :eyes:

[dennis4868]

21. By 2014...

almost all will have access to affordable health insurance...and he would have been able to cover more people if not for DINOs and repubs (i know i know here we are suppose to blame Obama for that :-( )

[City Lights]

24. So "enacted universal healthcare" is a bit of a stretch. eom

[dennis4868]

26. well if you are saying that...

it means 100% of the people will have health insurance, then no. But I have lived in countries where they had universal healthcare and still not everyone has it for one reason or the other.

[City Lights]

28. I'm saying that access to health insurance does not equal universal healthcare.

And regardless of how either of us define it, it won't be accessible to all until 2014, so it couldn't possibly have already been "enacted."

[dennis4868]

29. huh?

[EFerrari]

32. Not a stretch, a lie. n/t

[KG]

36. baldfaced.

[KG]

37. affordable?

:rofl:

[Chimichurri]

16. Andrew Sullivan is a Republican. It's no wonder he's a fan.

[dennis4868]

22. no, he's not...

he left the repubs because of Bush and the repubs thugs in congress...if you read his blog you would know that...making shit up at DU...shocker...NOT!

[Chimichurri]

33. He went around for years defending Bush and his wars - so that is not made up.

I could care less that he's had an epiphany. The fact remains that
he could no longer defend the indefensible and turned coat. As only an opportunist would.

How Did I Get Iraq Wrong?
I seriously misjudged Bush's sense of morality.
By Andrew Sullivan
http://www.slate.com/id/2187098/




http://mediamatters.org/blog/200912040010

[TheKentuckian]

38. He prefers the Bob Dole and Poppy Bush types and he picked dead on with Obama.

[housewolf]

27. He's not a Republican

He used to be. GWB & his policies drove him out of the GOP. He's been a strong Obama supporter since 2008 and voted for him for Prez.

[ibegurpard]

30. he just found a "Democrat" whose policies he could support

that's what happens when the Democrats become conservative and the Republicans go beserk.
But don't try to say he's not a Republican

[nashville_brook]

40. +1

[housewolf]

51. He may still be a fiscal conservative,

but he's left the Republican Party and registered as an Independent. Socially, he's very liberal.

Being fiscally conservative doesn't make one a Republican. It makes one fiscally conservative. And there's more to being a Republican than being fiscally conservative.

[Chimichurri]

59. if by fiscal conservative you mean spending like a drunken sailer then pinning it on the next guy

then, yes he is.

He defended Bush policies until it was no longer fashionable to do so.

[QC]

55. He better not be voting for anyone, as he is not a U.S. citizen. n/t

[EFerrari]

31. This list is extremely dishonest. Pathetic. n/t

[KG]

35. please. compulsory health insurance is in no way shape or form 'universal healthcare'

most of the rest of the list is bullshit too.

[TheKentuckian]

39. What is up with posting conservatives on here by the Obama SuperFriends?

This shit proves where you guys are coming from.

[Name removed]

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[Number23]

43. Kicked and rec'd. Lots of pieces like this being written lately

Very, VERY encouraging.

[Kermitt Gribble]

44. Lol! Thanks for the laugh! n/t

[Creideiki]

46. Obama made a record? What does he play? Or does he just sing?

Or tap dance?

[KG]

50. It's got a good beat; you can dance to it.

I give it an 80. :P

[Karmadillo]

58. Take a step to the right and a step to the right and a step to the right and

a step to the right and a step to the right and a step to the right--avoid details--and a step to the right and just keep on going.

[Desertrose]

48. Wait...what? This ain't right.

Ending torture or just redefining it? Has Gitmo closed? Have I missed something? don't we still send prisoners off somewhere for rendition?


Wait...UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE?? I must have REALLY missed something.


Who made this BS list anyhow?

[Starry Messenger]

49. I'm glad we have the neocon vote all tied up.

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

52. "The election of Scott Brown; the 2010 mid-terms" he doesnt get to own this

will give him the others. the supreme court decided these and he is doing what he can to shift that balance.

[Tx4obama]

53. Here's a LINK to a huge LIST which includes citation links

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html

[inna]

54. Sullivan is an idiot - and a right-winger, btw. No wonder he's happy with Obama.

[TomCADem]

56. K & R!

[Marr]

57. So a Republican who was left behind by the GOP sometime around 2006 likes Obama.

And that's supposed to be a good thing?

[Aerows]

60. It's way too soon to claim we avoided a 2nd Great Depression

We are just getting started on one. Look at the housing market, the job market and the stock market.

[Morning Dew]

61. the failure to embrace Bowles Simpson up-front

That should be on the win list