Mr. President, it's time to find your comfortable shoes

[nashville_brook]

"Understand this, if American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a pair of comfortable shoes myself and I'll walk on that picket line with you as the President of the United States of America because workers deserve to know when someone is standing in their corner."

Mr. President, you were absolutely correct when you said that workers deserve to know when someone is in their corner. So, are you...in our corner?

Tonight the GOP in Wisconsin made a naked undemocratic power grab to deny unions the right to organize and collectively bargain. We need someone in our corner, NOW, Mr. President. We need leadership. It's not hyperbole that we're heading to the mid-1800's with regard to labor relations in this country. Are you going to sit idly by while corporate powers completely annihilate American workers?

Did you actually mean what you said in South Carolina in 2007 -- you know, about grabbing your comfortable shoes and walking the picket line "as the President of the United States of America"? Or, was that just so much campaign puffery? We actually need you. Right now. We don't need triangulation. We don't need to hear about how you're polling with the Chamber of Commerce crowd. We need action.

We need that person in our corner. We deserve that person in our corner.

We're asking you right now, do you stand with us, Mr. President?

[fascisthunter]

1. too bad we aren't millionaires, then maybe he'd represent us

[nashville_brook]

9. millionaires have the GOP...we have no one.

[JuniperLea]

2. He needs to stay the hell out of this...

This is the people's fight, not his. We need to put on our comfortable shoes and leave Obama to do his job.

[FLAprogressive]

4. +1 he will not sway anyone and I don't think anything he'd say or do would be sincere

[JuniperLea]

6. WTF... seriously...

W

[nashville_brook]

35. if he doesn't speak to the struggle WI, then, he loses what's left of his "sincerity" capital

seriously.

[Poboy]

17. 'I don't think anything he'd say or do would be sincere'

truth.

[nashville_brook]

10. are you afraid he might he get some dirty worker grease on him?

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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

[mike_c]

25. there's a LOT of anger about Obama's complicity in these attacks against workers....

He has been silent when we needed his voice, and has worked to appease and bolster our enemies. He has called us a "distraction from his message." He stands with Jeb Bush while working families lose their civil rights.

You've been a strong supporter of President Obama and I presume you'll continue that support for as long as it makes sense to you. I'm not here to convince you otherwise.

But try to understand that OUR anger isn't just "noise." We have been sold out by our own leaders over and over. This WILL end badly, one way or another.

My union is in a tough contract fight right now. We're organizing state wide demonstrations April 13. We ALL need to do more organizing and bring the sleeping giant fully to it's feet.

Solidarity!

[Poboy]

28. He has called us a "distraction from his message."

Now isn't that some shit. I despise that worthless worm.

[ClarkUSA]

46. Bullshit. Quote him and provide a link.

[nashville_brook]

49. question about your sigline -- how, exactly does Obama "have this"?

[Lorien]

61. ZING!

EXACTLY!

[Lorien]

65. LINK:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x600018

[ClarkUSA]

66. I don't see a quote. FACT: Obama never ever said that. You can't provide a quote.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

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

[nashville_brook]

59. wow -- you really shouldn't call people liars, especially when they're right.

:evilgrin:

[Lorien]

63. SOURCE:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x600018

[ClarkUSA]

68. This was about message control before a SOTU, so conflating it to mean anything else is garbage.

[mike_c]

70. that's lame....

Come on. That's embarrassing.

[nashville_brook]

32. the picket line is for the hoi polloi -- he must stay unrumpled

[Raine]

12. If that's the case then he should never have claimed

he would put on comfortable shoes and join implying this would be part the job he would do.

[nashville_brook]

13. exactly -- looks like he found his slippers, instead of his comfy shoes.

[bvar22]

27. No.

He found his Flip-Flops.

[DirkGently]

31. Zing!

[nashville_brook]

33. oh snap!

[Raksha]

44. DUzy!!! (Do we still have those?)

[Lorien]

56. ...

:rofl: :thumbsup:

[Bluebear]

79. !!!

[JuniperLea]

16. I'm not going to argue context... eom

[nashville_brook]

45. heh heh -- you can't "argue context" b/c the context is Obama's hypocrisy wrt labor...

soaring rhetoric about "standing behind working Americans" is gets votes, but when it comes to actually WALKING THE WALK -- suddenly that's not acceptable.

it's going to be a mean hat trick to get himself re-elected without the support of American workers.

[ThomCat]

22. He's the President of the United States, and he supposedly

Represents everyone, including all of those people out there who have the very clear feeling that nobody in government has been representing them for a long time.

Why the hell shouldn't the President go out that directly show that he stands with them? That would be a hugely powerful statement, and it would generate massive public support for the people, against the republican tactics that are being used to attack public employees and collective bargaining.

[DirkGently]

43. So his words meant what, exactly?

[nashville_brook]

47. he talks the talk (for votes) and refuses to walk the walk (when we need his support)

[DirkGently]

53. pun intended?

[Lorien]

55. Is he the people's representative or not?

If not, then why bother voting for him again?

[paulk]

62. his "job" as the leader of the Democratic Party

is to stand up for the principles of the Party, one of those main principles being support for unions and collective bargaining.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. He's nibbling canapes tonight, sipping a fine Sauterne

The guests are well-groomed in fine formal wear, all the best of the best. The music is wonderful. Shoes, very comfortable.

It's good to be the King.

[glinda]

8. Don't forget his wife's new necklace from MI. Next will be a ring from WI.

[glinda]

5. Wake up Obama.

[joshcryer]

7. President Obama: Stay out of Libya and stay out of WI.

Thanks.

[earthside]

11. Indeed. Where is he?

I think back to November 2008 and the very big Democratic victories across this nation -- a huge U.S. House majority and a theoretical 60-vote majority in the the U.S. Senate; a majority of state legislatures and governors (I think).

Where has it all gone?

Now, the very bedrock of what has made the modern Democratic Party is under serious attack.

I blame the Repuglicans, of course.

But, I also blame Pres. Obama -- he has squandered big Democratic majorities and a deep and broad desire for change away from the Bush/Cheney/neocon policies.

It's getting a bit late for him to put on those comfortable shoes.

[nashville_brook]

41. where has it gone? it was given away to the monied interests in drips then in gushes

[Angry Dragon]

15. He has his comfortable shoes on

He needs to put some work boots with steel toes and get to work protecting the American people
I don't know if he has any fight in him..........

[nashville_brook]

30. touche -- work boots are way more apropos

wonder if he has any. maybe we should do a drive to have some Red Wings sent to him.

[Angry Dragon]

37. He can afford his own

[nashville_brook]

39. yup -- but does he even know how to buy his own clothes, anymore?

remember Poppy Bush's confused visit to the grocery store?

[Angry Dragon]

40. I have seen pictures of him buying ice cream

so he might be okay

[Bluebear]

18. He walked with Jeb Bush days ago, how much walking do you expect him to do?

[nashville_brook]

36. eggsactly.

[ProSense]

19. The President has

is comfortable shoes on handling collective bargaining issues at the federal level.

"We actually need you. Right now. We don't need triangulation. We don't need to hear about how you're polling with the Chamber of Commerce crowd. We need action."

What does anyone think he can do to change WI law or Walker's mind? What action should he be taking? The mistake was electing that asshole Walker.

[Lorien]

60. That's the DLC talking point du jour: Run to the far right, ignore the job that

you're elected to do, then BLAME THE VOTERS because YOU GAVE THEM NOTHING TO VOTE FOR!

You can't have it both ways. Either the POTUS is a competent leader and representative of the people, or he's not, and doesn't deserve re-election.

And no one is falling for your attempts to distract with links that don't support your argument at all.

[DirkGently]

73. Excellent analysis.

[walldude]

20. Yup.. time to choose sides.. for real. No more of this

sort of wishy washy yeah I support them but I'm kinda busy shit. Obama has a chance to make a historic stand for the working people of this country. He could win back a lot of lost supporters by making the right move here.


Fuck I'm fucking Charlie Brown again, hoping Obama doesn't pull the football away.... again.

edit: K&R
:hug:

[nashville_brook]

38. there's choosing your battles, and then there's abdicating responsibility

:hug: backatcha!

horrified, we've watched while our President "picked his battles" by not picking any battles EXCEPT to fight for the Bush tax cuts at a time when supposedly we're in a budget crisis that requires the privatization of everything within reach of a governmental body.

so, here's his last shot and we're all Charlie Brown at this point b/c we want to see him do the RIGHT thing. this is about basic american values by standing against the fraud perpetuated by this corporate coup. he can do himself a favor and support American workers or he can be a one-term president.

[Boxerfan]

21. Woulda been nice if we had elected the President he said he would be

My faith was broken after he allowed the 250k tax cuts...That was sooo telling.

He's not walking anywhere-we are on our own.

Let me repeat that...

We are on our own.

[CrispyQ]

23. Love the comment in your profile!

"Money is the root of all Republicans."

It's becoming the root of too many democrats as well. You are right: We are on our own.

[derby378]

24. President Obama, GET YOUR ASS UP TO WISCONSIN AND FIX THIS.

Seriously. That is all. Honor your commitment and get it done.

[nashville_brook]

50. how humiliating, that he can't even find his voice on this - much less fix it

[Rex]

26. I've been saying it would be a win-win.

But some people around here think it would be lose-lose. At least we are a party of wide opinions; mine is that he should GO and give the best speech ever presented to Americans that work the dirt everyday. Say fick it to the comfortable shoes and put on some homeless mans bags and rubberbands...time for a humbling moment for Obama and the nation imo.

Millions of votes depend on it, but we shall see what we shall see.

[nashville_brook]

29. The two opinions reveal vastly different concerns btwn the two groups...

one is concerned with the survival of the American worker, and, of America itself.

the other is concerned with the talking heads on FOX News.

[DirkGently]

54. It would seem a golden moment to define the Democratic Party, would it not?

[Rex]

72. To me yes.

I think it could be a very defining moment, just we have to see who steps up and take it.

[DirkGently]

34. The video on Maddow was telling. Rushing, shouting down a loan dissenter. Lawless.

[nashville_brook]

42. there will be a legal challenge, and the courts will prove to be captured as well

[suffragette]

48. K&R

[hay rick]

52. K&R

[donheld]

57. It's very hard to march when you don't have a spine

I'm sure he has the shoes for it, but lacks the spine to make them of any use.

[cliffordu]

58. Time for the 'Liberal Media' to get their shoes on.

that would make a bigger difference.

[nashville_brook]

75. given that, it's no surprise that NPR was targeted by Brietbart's group.

[QC]

64. The president should stay out of Wisconsin.

He has no credibility on labor issues, and if he goes to Madison he will probably make some kind of sensible, pragmatic statement about how much Scott Walker loves America or some such.

It's best for him to stay away.

[Hubert Flottz]

67. Too late for the casuals...better put on the hard toes and start...

kicking some republican ass!

[nashville_brook]

76. shitkickers would be nice, but i'm thinking of someone else.

[JeffersonChick]

69. k&r

[Bluebear]

71. k/r

[Bryn]

74. K&R

Excellent!

p.s. we should all collect old comfortable shoes then throw them on whitehouse lawn. :)

[grahamhgreen]

77. Kick!

[FiveGoodMen]

78. ...and put them on, and take a hike.