I was going to ask if we can start saying nice things about President Obama again

[Mortos]

But I can see no matter what he does, some will find ways to complain about it find a dark side to bitch about.

Thank you President Obama for making the repeal of DADT happen.

Make no mistake about it, our Democratic President made this happen. He reversed a policy created by Bill Clinton.

President Obama made health care reform happen when Bill and Hillary Clinton got lambasted by it.


President Obama is smarter than we know and he is going to continue to make things happen in ways large and small.

I love our President, always have.

[Codeine]

1. +1 nt

[redirish28]

2. Yeah but if isn't going to enforce what was just passed than what good is it?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=34993&mesg_id=34993

[originalpckelly]

6. It will be enforced.

The problem I see with this act, on reading, is that spouses will not be able to get benefits like straight couples. So there is still discrimination going on.

[pacalo]

70. A soldier's benefits should go to whomever he/she designates as beneficiary

so I don't understand how the government could deny the soldier's documented wishes. I haven't read the information at the link, & nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to how mean & lacking in common sense the Republicans can be.

[Mortos]

7. That is bullshit

it's not true. DADT discharges stopped months ago because of President Obama. Please stop shitting on him for today.

[Codeine]

8. Stop spreading your disinformation.

Your agenda is showing.

[redirish28]

20. I have no Agenda!

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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

[bluestate10]

57. Ooops. Sorry, I thought it was Julian Assange worship. My bad. nt.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[phleshdef]

11. If he wasn't going to enforce it, he wouldn't be coming out and publically hailing it as...

...the end of the need for gays and lesbians who serve to "live a lie". Do you really think Obama is stupid enough to make a big deal out of something like that if he was just gonna continue the policy? He would be downplaying it if that was his intention. You can think what you want about Obama's policies, but you can't honestly think he is that politically stupid.

The Pentagon has a plan for implementing the repeal. The repeal will occur in conjunction with that plan. And there isn't a damn thing wrong with that.

[treestar]

17. This is just like the "Iraq war is not really over" BS

It takes time, it takes a process, and the emotional four year olds refuse to accept that.

[phleshdef]

22. They want instant gratification and the world doesn't work that way.

[treestar]

15. You sure don't require much to get excited

goodness, gracious.

[redirish28]

31. When you have friends who are suffering because of who they are than it does make one fight for them

But it seems if I am not COMPLETELY on the OBama Love Float I am EVIL or I have an AGENDA

[Codeine]

37. You were demonstrably wrong.

You spouted off without a single fact. You got called on it. Deal.

[redirish28]

Whatever! Take a look see at this!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/12/senate_poised_to_end_dont_ask.html



Even if the bill is passed this weekend, the ban on gays in the military does not end immediately, and military officials and activists continue to warn that gay men and lesbians serving in uniform should not make public declarations of their sexual orientation until the law is officially repealed.

According to the legislation, the issue would rest entirely with Obama and top military leaders, who must inform Congress in writing that they have reviewed the findings of a Pentagon study regarding an end to ban and that the Defense Department has drafted the policies and regulations necessary to end the law. Those changes must not impact troop readiness, cohesion or military recruitment and retention, according to the law.

Once the written notice is submitted, 60 days must elapse before "don't ask, don't tell" is officially repealed. During the two-month window, lawmakers are likely to hold hearings to review the Pentagon's policies and procedures for accepting openly gay and lesbian troops, according to congressional aides familiar with the matter
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

BUT I"M WRONG HAVE ME BANNED IF YOU DON"T LIKE ME

[Codeine]

49. And it will be repealed.

And the fact that I dislike you will not result in your being banned. A shame, that.

[redirish28]

53. BUT ON OTHERS THREADS IT HAS BEEN INDICATED HE IS GOING TO GO SLOWLY

[Codeine]

56. The law requires sixty days.

AND ALL CAPS MAKES YOU LOOK SILLY!

See? Looks ridiculous.

[redirish28]

63. EXPLAIN THIS ARTICLE

http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/12/white-house-wont-commit-to-hal.html


AND IT IS ANOTHER THREAD ON DU


SO DON"T COME AFTER ME


YOU CAN HAVE BANNED FOR NOT BEING ON THE OBAMA LOVE FLOAT OR IGNORE ME


I WANT THIS GUY TO BE THE PRESIDENT HE PROMISED TO BE!


HE HAS SHOWN A LOT OF FAULTS AND HAS CONTINUED AND IF NOT GONE BEYOND BUSH POLICY AT TIMES HE TAKES ONE STEP FORWARD THAN THREE BACK IT SEEMS.

[Codeine]

66. Nobody has been discharged under DADT in months.

It's fucking over. Give up. And release that poor capslock key.

[LooseWilly]

104. Plenty of people are still in the process of being discharged.

Do you have some sort of link to some tangible report saying that the military is no longer discharging under DADT? Do you have a link to a tangible & credible report that the DOJ is no longer processing separation papers under DADT as a matter of policy?

Or are you just saying that no new high-profile LGBT folks have been nabbed lately? (So relax... if the news hasn't reported any new war heroes being discharged, then it's all good...)

If someone can find reference to a single case in the last two or three months of a person being discharged from the military under DADT, will you humbly apologize and beg forgiveness for being wrong and not knowing what you're talking about? Maybe in all caps?

[Codeine]

106. This is the information I have.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/11/30/dadt.discharges/index.html?eref=edition_us

I'm always open to new information and have in fact apologized when wrong in the past. Never in all-caps, however. That would be silly. :hi:

[treestar]

95. No, you are just easy to get onto the hysteria bandwagon

DADT will end after a process.

[bluestate10]

54. The Department of Defense released policy changes last month

freezing DADT dismissals. The Marine representative to the Joint Chiefs is fully supportive of repeal and implementation. My guess is that the Marine Commandant will fall in-line and carry out orders to implement policy changes. This is a great day for those people that are gay and want to serve and this is a great day for our nation. This straight salutes the brave gays that fought long and hard for a change in the policy.

[Tx4obama]

58. There have NOT been any discharges under DADT since at least October 21st

See info here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=570614&mesg_id=570672

[LoZoccolo]

3. The people who said he was not going to repeal it can say

sorry.

[tblue37]

40. If he had done it by executive order, then the next president in could just as easily reinstitute

discrimination by executive order--and there is no guarantee that the Repubs won't win in 2012 or 2016. By getting repeal of DADT through congress, Obama makes sure it is a law rather than a reversible executive whim.

I am so, so happy for our GLBT friends who want to serve their country openly. This is a great day--in fact, you might say it is another big f***ing deal!

[bluestate10]

62. The President does not have the EO power that allowed Truman to

integrate the US Armed Forces in the 50s. EO for policy on the level of DADT was taken away decades ago.

[tblue37]

69. I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. I was so accustomed to seeing

people slam him on DU for not removing DADT by way of executive order that I just assumed they must know that he could do that.

[Tx4obama]

87. There is a BIG difference between the Truman and Obama situation because...

When Truman issued an executive order there wasn't a law on the books that had been enacted by Congress regarding segregation in the military.
But regarding DADT - Congress had voted and enacted DADT into law, so it was Congress that needed to vote for the repeal of DADT making the 'law' null and void.

[LooseWilly]

105. What does that mean? "EO on the level of... was taken away decades ago."

That makes no sense. The separation of troops under DADT takes place under the guidance of executive policy.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/654.html

10 USC §654 (b) Policy.— A member of the armed forces shall be separated from the armed forces under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense if one or more of the following findings is made and approved in accordance with procedures set forth in such regulations:

The Secretary of Defense reports to the Commander in Chief— the President. If the President wants to set an EO for the Sec. of Defense to re-formulate the "regulations" he prescribes... then the terms of separation can become whatever the President wants them to be, regardless of DADT.

The President just needs to have the cajones to face the vitriol that FOX News would generate.

I'm curious to hear how you see the EO power of the President on the subject having been "taken away decades ago"?

[LoZoccolo]

110. In other words, people want president Obama to be

Captain EO

[malaise]

108. +1,000

GObama!

[MadMaddie]

4. The Naysayers will never be happy

As President Obama checks off his campaign promises on his list the naysayers go and find another campaign promise to bitch about. For the items that he does check off they say that the accomplishment is not good enough.

This has been a good week for President Obama and the Democratic Congress.

[Hello_Kitty]

13. When something good comes out of Congress it's the President's accomplishment

Whereas a poor result is solely the fault of Congress.

The loyalists are just as guilty of wanting if both ways.

[treestar]

No, they both get credit

But the naysayers often assign Obama the blame for what the Senate would not vote for.

The guilt on that double standard is really reversed.

[Hello_Kitty]

61. No, your blind spot notwithstanding, there is a double standard on your side too.

When something bad happens, Pres. Obama can't take any blame because the votes weren't there. Something good, it's a major accomplishment for Pres. Obama, and not simply something that had the votes.

Reminds me of how religious people attribute everything good to the glory of their deity but he's invariably MIA when bad things happen.

[MadMaddie]

21. I will kindly disagree with you

The Democratic Congress should have voted on the unemployment benefits before the last election and Thanksgiving. President Obama urged them to do it before the election and the holiday's. So it it President Obama's fault that our Democratic leaders failed to act?

[Hello_Kitty]

73. Look, we have a test case today. DADT repeal passed but DREAM failed.

DADT is considered the Presidents accomplishment now. So does he share any blame for the DREAM Act failing?

[MadMaddie]

75. Who stopped the Dream Act?

Again, the Republicans are assholes and anti everything.

President Obama supported the Dream Act but he is not on the Congress Floor. It is up to Nancy Pelosi and Reid to to get theis bills moved to the next level.

If President Obama made a deal or some compromise on something else to get it passed then we would here that he compromised.

I do get dissapointed but I am able to at least enjoy a victory before moving on to the next issue.

[Hello_Kitty]

76. And cannot the same be said of DADT? eom

[Bluebear]

88. Well played!

[Aramchek]

23. Obama would have been the one blamed if this failed. And you know it.

It is only fair that he gets credit since it passed.

Let go of the hate for a moment and see what was just accomplished.

[Hello_Kitty]

55. Not by his loyalists. Y'all would be blaming Congress.

And you know it.

[Aramchek]

78. you're talking about a hypothetical. I'm talking about what actually happened.

You just can't let go of your bitterness, even in this moment of victory.

It's sad, really.

[Hello_Kitty]

86. Okay, here's something that happened today. The DREAM Act failed.

Who is to blame?

[treestar]

94. Congress, since President Obama would have signed it.

And had they passed it, they could get credit with him.

[Hello_Kitty]

96. Thanks for proving my point, treestar. eom

[treestar]

98. No, your point is that President Obama is to blame no matter what

If Congress does not pass what you want, you blame the President. If it does and the President signs it, you refuse to credit the President. Congress exists or not depending on how it turned out.

[Hello_Kitty]

99. No that's not my point. It's your strawman projection

For example, I don't blame President Obama for the DREAM Act failing. I blame Congress, specifically the 5 Blue Dogs who refused to approve cloture. At the same time I don't consider DADT repeal to be a massive accomplishment of his. I give the credit for that to Congress.

It is YOU for whom the President can do no wrong.

[treestar]

93. Exactly. FCOL, they want it both ways, don't they?

[Hello_Kitty]

103. No, YOU want it both ways.

You give the credit to any success coming out of Congress to the President, while acting like any bad outcome is solely the fault of Congressional dysfunction.

We had the perfect test case today. DADT passed and the DREAM Act failed. DADT is a huge accomplishment on the part of the President. Because the votes were there. The DREAM Act going down (because 5 Democratic Senators voted against cloture) is, OTOH, shut up! The votes were not there!

[Marr]

101. I've noticed that-- isn't it odd? n/t

[bushisanidiot]

5. +1

and the "yeah, but.." "concern trolls" can go suck it!

He's kicking some ass in his 1.85 years in the white house. I am looking forward to seeing his star shine even brighter in the next 2 years!

[FLyellowdog]

9. I love him MORE!nt

[Mortos]

27. Nuh Uh! Barack is my straight crush...back away from my man.

[treestar]

12. Some people are determined not to be happy

It's the only possible explanation.

And the people blaming him for it 100% are not around to give him total credit, either.

[WillyT]

14. I Have No Problem Congratulating The President On This Accomplishment

Just wish I could do it more often.

Good job today, President Obama!

:applause::applause::applause:

And thank you too, GLBT community and all activists, netroots and otherwise, for all the hard work and pressure you applied to get this done!!!

:yourock:

:toast:

[Lyric]

16. I give credit to the GLBT citizens, soldiers, and their allies

Without THEM kicking and screaming and refusing to STFU--no matter HOW many times they were told to by "our" side--this never would have happened.

This is a victory for the PEOPLE, and particularly for the loudmouth "leftbaggers" that DU loves to hate. Obama gets an assist, as do the House and the Senate.

[Safetykitten]

18. Very well said!

[treestar]

26. OMG. So when you were NOT getting it, then it was because all of

them did not work hard enough? No, then it was all the President's fault.

Keeeeeeeeeeeerist.

[Marr]

107. Is it really that hard to understand?

It takes time to move the establishment to act on an issue like this, of course. When they do something, that's great-- they deserve credit for responding to public pressure and acting. But the notion of repealing DADT, and the energy that made it an item on the agenda, didn't exactly originate solely in the White House and the Democratic leadership.

I'd say they deserve credit for being good, effective representatives on this issue. However, public pressure (something that the more devoted party loyalists openly urged against) was necessary in order to make the politicians act.

Do you believe otherwise?

[Aramchek]

33. Even with all that effort, it never would have happened without the right person in the White House.

The People assisted, but Obama and the Congress are the ones who made this into Law.

[Zenlitened]

91. Agreed.

[Bluebear]

111. Well said

[sabrina 1]

114. Don't forget the Log Cabin Republicans who took it to court

and won. Will the DOJ still go forward with tryting to repeal that decission now?

And of course thanks to the judge who called the ban unconsitutional as it clearly was.

And thanks to the President for supporting all those who worked for so long to get this done.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Start THE FIGHT right up again, why don't you?

Us whiny drug besotted left-purists praise our party and our leaders when they do good and damn them when they don't. What we do not do is mindlessly cheerlead every gyration.

[treestar]

28. Oh so today there will be no "mindless cheerleading."

Can't be positive about anything.

[Warren Stupidity]

34. WTF?

The OP is a freaking attack on me and others here who refuse to pretend shit doesn't stink. I praise when praise is due and don't when it isn't. What part of that do you not understand?

[treestar]

92. So not praise it due today?

do tell!

[Warren Stupidity]

109. what?

are you drunk?

[bushisanidiot]

36. "Mindless cheerleading" vs. "mindless constant knee-jerk concern"

Jeezus! We just got a MAJOR VICTORY!

I for one, am ECSTATIC and will be celebrating with my gay friends tonight!!

[Warren Stupidity]

45. A major victory indeed, which is being praised wide and far on this board

across the divide here. Except for a handful individuals on both sides determined to keep the fight going. For example, the OP.

[WillyT]

30. LOL !!!

:rofl:

:yourock:

:hi:

[Mortos]

38. There are people in this thread and every other one on this topic

sowing the seeds of doubt and bashing the president. Make no mistake there are some who won't be happy or satisfied unless President Obama resigns no matter what he accomplishes due to real and perceived insults and failures.

[Warren Stupidity]

41. That may in fact be true, but the OP is shit stirring bullshit.

[Mortos]

65. How is it stirring bullshit

To point out on a day when Democrats and Liberals should be having a celebration in the streets about the incredible success of our Democratic President that many can't even hold their critical tongues and continue spread hate, lies and doubt about what this means?

If we can feel free to be vehemently critical of the president when he screws up, we can feel comfortable about calling out members of DU who do the same thing.

[Warren Stupidity]

74. How about celebrating with the vast majority here instead?

No - you have to start a fight. How was your OP not shit stirring?

[WillyT]

47. Ok... NOW Who's The Drama Queen ???

:wtf:

:banghead:

Remember... this is DEMOCRATIC Underground... NOT Obama Underground!

:shrug:

[BlueCheese]

29. It's really unfair...

... to say that this "reverses" a Clinton policy. Odious as it is now, DADT was actually progress at the time it was implemented--before that, gays couldn't serve at all. Clinton wanted gays to be able to serve openly back in 1993, but was stymied by both parties in Congress. (I'm looking at you, Sam Nunn.)

Why is it that it's always Congress' fault when something gets stuck, but Obama's credit when something passes? The credit here really goes to the gay rights community. Legislatively, I'd give the credit this time to Lieberman, Collins, and Reid, but they're the ones who capitalized on the public sentiment that the LGBT community has been cultivating for decades.

[AndrewP]

46. The general memo here on DU is that Bill Clinton did everything wrong

[BlueCheese]

52. I realize that.

It was predictable as the sun rising that once ending DADT passed, people here would be rushing to give Obama all the credit--the same people who keep telling us that the president isn't the king and can't make Congress do anything.

As JFK said--victory has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan.

[TheKentuckian]

32. You can say as many nice things as you like and I'll join you as I feel appropriate.

A step toward equality is to be celebrated but it doesn't negate other problems or concerns nor does it mean that we don't have further to go on this one but the step is an awesome one.

[Richard Steele]

35. I give credit where due, and criticism when deserved. This is a good thing, so "+1" for Obama. nm

[Scurrilous]

42. K & R

:thumbsup:

[butterfly77]

43. No...

Now they are blaming him because it passed.

[bluestate10]

44. I am beginning to retake a cottoning to him myself.

Obama scares me at times, but he is establishing an impressive list of policy accomplishments. He has my full support, even when he scares me I will think that he will come through in the end, sort of like the calvary.

[jaxx]

48. Yes We Can.

And I'm with your thoughts 100%

[WiffenPoof]

50. You Know...It Is Getting Old

I am a vocal critic of the President. However, I have and will continue to praise him when he participates in promoting progressive ideals.

Are there people here that will never give the President the credit he deserves....well, I suppose so. However, I am convinced that most of the criticisms of the President are specific and not gratuitous. I frankly don't care who the President is when it comes to policy...it could be Bush or Obama. If the President does not adhere to progressive or Democratic principles, they deserve to be called out. This is still America isn't it?

-PLA

[Warren Stupidity]

51. " This is still America isn't it?"

Actually I hardly recognize my native land anymore. When did we all get so scared and stupid?

[WiffenPoof]

59. I Don't really Know...

...It isn't the country that I was raised in, that's for sure.

Wasn't it Teddy Roosevelt that stated it was our patriotic duty to criticize our elected officials and our government when it deserved it? In fact, didn't he say that it was treasonous not to?

Yet, we have arrived at a point where when we cricize the government we are called "America Haters" and "Blame America First." I hold to the idea that we are actually MORE patriotic than those who think we are traitors.

-PLA

[BlueCheese]

64. I think it was TR, yes.

[pacalo]

60. Obama certainly should get props for this. No argument here.

And all Democrats & a few Republicans should get credit, also. It's a good day for civil rights.

P.S. I would have recommended your post if not for the contentious, divisive remarks, which drew the focus away from a long-anticipated, major victory for civil rights. As I was reading all the comments & "name-removed" posts, I saw more poster vs. poster comments due to the tone of the OP, which should have been a sincere plea to give Obama credit.

[sendero]

67. As long as it has nothing to do with money..

.. Obama has permission from his masters to do whatever. They don't give TWO SHITS about gays or anything like that.

Notice that for all of Republcan's talk about their number one hot button issue, ABORTION, that they accomplished NOTHING about it. That's because they don't care about social issues, those are only for rallying the idiot sheeple.

[Left of the Left]

68. Question

Since if this had failed it would've been blamed on Congress and how ungovernable it is, why should we be giving Obama credit? What did he do other than risk it staying in place by appealing the court decision? If he wouldnt get the blame, why should he get the credit?

This is a great moment, and who gets credit is really secondary to everything else, but your post ignores reality.

As to it being a Clinton program, yes that's correct, this was the alternative to an outright ban which the republicans were pushing at that time. People that have since said gays can serve at the time didnt support it, like Collin Powell. The country is further along now thankfully and things will hopefully keep getting better, in terms of gay rights.

As to healthcare, yes the Clintons were beat on healthcare. If they had simply made backroom deals with the insurance industry sacrificing key aspects of it, and then sold everyone else out by mandating coverage while doing nothing to bring down cost, then they could've been just as successful as OBama has been. Unfortunately some Democrats stand for something and don't sell out the party. Those bastard Clintons.

BTW, in the coming years when Obama and the repubs work feverishly to trim that deficit and slash SS, Medicare and who knows what else make sure you give him proper credit for those victories.

[Mortos]

71. And you prove my point but today

Lalalalalalalala I can't hear you.

Give me an O

Give me a B

Give me an A

Give me an M

Give me an A


What's that spell?

That's me cheerleading our President in case you missed it.

[Obamanaut]

112. If one spells it, can the 'president' prefix be left off? Or should one

also cheerlead a

Give me a P

Give me an R

Give me an E

and so on.

Otherwise we're only spelling OBAMA and there are those who consider this disrespectful.

[Bucky]

77. Welcome to DU, LOL

Your facts, I fear, are not convenient to think about. So instead I will accept today's little gradualist victory.

Don't forget to kick up some dust when predictions come true.

[bhikkhu]

72. Goldfish & Republicans...

can forget one moment in the time it takes to get to the next, and cheer the morsels they are fed one day while forgetting months of bitter pills.

I am not fond of complaining, but a $1 trillion dollar hole in the deficit, largely benefiting the already wealthy, is not going to go away soon. As our crippled-up government hobbles along, I just heard today that two outstanding teachers at my daughter's high school may have their departments eliminated before the end of the school year due to budget shortfalls. Music and theater have been a beautiful part of the life of our school and our town, but they are heading for the dustbin, apparently. This after years of cutbacks everywhere else...

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

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

[madrchsod]

80. you betcha!....

it`s our duty to constructively criticize who ever is in power. that is what we are required to do as a citizen. whether it`s the president,senator ,rep,or the local mayor it`s our duty to keep them honest and work for the good of our country.

he did the right thing by letting the process go to the legislative bodies and they did the right thing by getting rid of the act. this is how government should function.

savor this victory, it could be a long time before this process happens again

[Jeffersons Ghost]

81. here's a K&R for showing guts

[Fla Dem]

82. I say "GOOD FOR YOU" Obama, Pelosi and Reid!!!

All three of them had to have their act together to get this done. A three legged stool would not stand with only 2 legs. And a thank you to all the Democrats AND Republicans who voted in favor. A good deed at Christmas time.

[chaska]

83. Oh, dear god....

[Bluebear]

102. :nodding:

[mstinamotorcity]

84. You are not alone!!!!!!!

Only narrow minded fools are on the side of ignorance. Those are the infamous Keyboard Warriors. They sit back and try and draw people into their misery,it loves company. I personally don't give a fuck if the President takes a crap on the Whitehouse rug. I will vote for him again.He has done more for my country and has worked harder than any other President with this much opposition against him.To all those who have a problem with him, Go piss up a roach!!!!And to those who still respect him and the office he holds, you are in good company!!!

[Edweird]

113. I hear ya, FDR was only facing a MILITARY COUP while Obama has

a guy with no chin that says mean things and an orange fellow that cries at the drop of a hat to contend with. I can see how "He has done more for my country and has worked harder than any other President with this much opposition against him." is totally justified and not all a ridiculous exaggeration.

[Dappleganger]

85. Thank you, Mr. President!

Now please go back and fulfill your other promises to the rest of us, we are all still waiting.

[panzerfaust]

89. I would like to thank him for

the 30" LCD display that I just bought for my computer.

Truly, I would NOT have bought it, except that I will be paying many thousands of dollars less in taxes next year than had he not caved on not extending the tax cut to those families making more than 250K - though I would have preferred a somewhat higher cutoff :)

I did not WANT to pay more in taxes (who does?) but the fact is that I do support progressive taxation, and recognize that I am fairly well off because of the society in which I live and thus think it not unreasonable that I pay more in taxes than someone who does not make as much in order to support that society - though I would prefer to be able to 'ear-mark' my taxes so they do not go for repression at home and abroad.

The real question is why can I not see which side of the bread the butter is on and do not simply become a Republican? Certainly, here in Texas, it would give me a wider circle of friends.

The answer, in part, is because I do not think that a society is best served by there being a huge disparity of resources between the least and the most fortunate - a view that the president apparently does not share.


Libertie, Egalitie, Fraternity

Yes, there were problems as the Révolution turned to paranoia and fear, but the Ideals are those for which humanity should strive.

L'homme est né libre et partout il est dans les fers: Man is born free, yet everywhere is in chains.
The president's caving to the obere Klasse strengthens those chains.

[Dawgs]

90. Looks like we don't have a choice.

Skinner is locking any posts that are negative today.

[nadinbrzezinski]

97. On this bravo

on the Obama tax cuts, not so much.

And if you have a problem with people who can think on their own, and not engage in the ra-ra brigade... oh well.

[Enthusiast]

100. No.