I voted for Obama. I still support him. I want him to succeed. Moreover, I want him to succeed on his terms. He told us he was going to bring the country together. He stressed he was going to embrace both sides of the aisle. “It won’t be politics as usual,” is a phrase he often repeats. He told us intellectual honesty, backed by experts that at times would disagree with him, would be the foundation his decision making.
On February 5th, he spoke at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference. He repeated those words that conveyed his commitment to bring the country together:
I value the constructive criticism and the healthy debate that’s taking place around this package, because that’s the essence, the foundation of American democracy. That’s how the founders set it up. They set it up to make big change hard. It wasn’t supposed to be easy…I don’t think any of us have cornered the market on wisdom, or that do I believe that good ideas are the province of any party….They’re not expecting Democratic solutions or Republican solutions — they want American solutions…
This is not a game. This is not a contest for who’s in power and who’s up and who’s down. These are your constituents. These are families you know and you care about. I believe that it is important for us to set aside some of the gamesmanship in this town and get something done.
And we won’t approach these challenges just as Democrats — because we remember the look in the eyes of our constituents. We know even though they’ve been cynical, that they’re thinking, maybe this time is going to be different. They know we’ve got to overcome all these problems as Americans. And that’s why we have to work in a serious, substantive, and civil way, and we will keep working to build bipartisan support for action.
President Obama was speaking to House Democrats. His focus was the the economic stimulus package. The House, led by Speaker Pelosi, passed a bill that had zero Republican support. Man, you couldn’t ask for a better opportunity for Obama to help his loyalists understand that they had more work to do. He could have used his extraordinary oratory skills to prompt them to seize the opportunity. He could have challenged them to go back, collaborate with the Republicans, listen to them, put aside the resentment of the past several years, and come back with a bill that had the majority of both Democratic and Republican support.
“Let’s show the American people that we mean what we say,” he could have told them, “Let’s show the Republicans that we want the Stimulus package to be an American solution, not a Democratic one. Given the gravity of our economic crises, we must seek a bill that has majority support of BOTH the Democrats and Republicans. We need to get this done quickly, but I’d rather wait an extra week or two for us to win the support of our friends across the aisle than settle for a bill that divides our country. As I stand in front of you, my most loyal base of supporters, I find myself looking for a new breed of leaders to emerge–one that will be able to win the support of the super majority of all Americans, not just those who view themselves as democrats. Let us lead by example. Let’s use this economic crises to bring our country together–so we might use our combined force to fight the economic crises, instead of wasting our valuable energy to fight one another.”
Yes he could have done this. But, regrettably, he did just the opposite. It left me disappointed. It is making me wonder whether I have been deceived. Tomorrow, I will share with you exerts from this same speech so you can understand where I am coming from.
We are only a few weeks into Obama’s administration, so I am far from giving up on him. Don Gips–I hope you are reading this and, perhaps, you will be able to use your influence to help him understand how one of his supporters is feeling let down.
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Dan,
After last nights speech it is pretty clear Obama “appears” to still be in campaign mode. I will reserve total judgement down the road, but it is looking very clear to me, that he is starting to appear he is over his head & is simply overwhelmed. The first step in proving his leadership to me is putting a choke hold on Reid & Pelosi and putting a muzzle on Joe Biden. It is appearing that Biden & Obama only play nice in front of the public and there are indications that realtionship is already toast.
One things that angers me the most about Obama and the Democrats right now is the constant posturing that they had no skin in creating this mess. Both parties have their fingerprints all over this mess and both are to blame and when you constantly keep saying things like “the last 8 years” caused this mess I tune you out.
Both parties are greedy and power hungry and both parties have hurt us very bad. We have an electorate imo, that is has far too much ADD going on and plain too stupid to see that both parties have led us down this road.
The more OBAMA shouts the last 8 years and I inherited this mess, instead of providing true leadership, taking the lumps and correcting it, the more disenchanted the public will become.
He is no change agent and only appears to be paying back his set of friends, just as Bush did right up until he left office.
Oh and for his so called extraordinary oratory skills , last night he was flustered and stuttered and stammered just like Bush does. He was annoyed, conflicted, and contradicted himslef all over the palce on most things. For example: he cliamed the consumer as not a party to this mess, it was only the evil and greedy banks, then later he did conceed the consumer had skin in this mess.
Excuse me Obama, but Clinton started dereg of the banks and his Justice Dept forced banks to lower their standards and then bank greed took over.
I tune most democrats out completely because they tend to be far more hypocritical, engage in selective outrage, and outright lie as bad or worse than the Bush Administration about there involement and have proven to be less than stupid when it comes to fiscal matters. Until the posturing stops it’s a zero sum game.
How do you expect me to get behind a guy who claims ethics will rule the day and 3 or 4 of his Cabinet NOMs have failed to pay taxes, etc and then to add insult to injury your Spokesman tell’s us that in teh case of the Labor Secty it was her Husbands issue and we are not going to hold that against her!?!?!
If that had been a conservative they would ahve been crucified…
I was never condifent that Obama had the chutzpah to be President, because he was going to ahve to reign in his own party and so far his own party is more interested in pay bakcs and revenge then setting it aside and getting down to business. Besides the DEMs have held the majority in Congress and the Senate now for 2 years and what exactly have they done!?!?!?
Both parties need to go and we need to start all over again. We need the electorate to understand that free markets will work and we need to rely on ourselves and are neighbors more and give Washington less access to our wallets.
The move you describe–of throwing it back and asking for a plan both parties can agree on–that would’ve been a historically gutsy move to make a dramatic demonstration of what he’s been preaching. I think the results would’ve been an awakening to both parties–and a plan that might have a true chance to work. Brilliant. This plan borrows too heavily from the future–which is what landed us in this economic mess in the first place. There has to be a “true up” in our economy–we are only postponing it for another generation.
I am an independent and did not vote for Obama, partially because I was fearful of the Dems controlling 3 houses, and cringing at the thought that Pelosi would be setting the agenda.
Well, unfortunately my fears are coming true. Pelosi set this “TARP-2″ debacle in motion with the “Pork-Barrel” spectacle of our generation. Has anybody informed her its not about her (and other legislators) pet projects ? It is all about the American people, getting industries back into the game, hiring people & expanding. I think too many of these Washington insiders and lobbyists play us for fools.
As I mentioned, I did not vote for Obama. But, once the American people voted, he is my president. I would like him to put Pelosi and Reid in their place and tell them that He & the Adminstration shall set policy, not either one of them and their pork-barrel buddies…
Scott, I am still behind Obama and thought he did a good job last night. I agree with you that it is disappointing that he keeps pointing to the last 8 years and that he is blaming the Republicans instead of blaming government in general. The spending problem over the past eight years contributed heavily the mess. Why are we so quick to conclude that spending even more will make the problem go away?
Teresa–I agree. A correction is what we need. Trying to fight it could just make it twice as bad.
Bill—I agree that we need to get behind Obama. I am hopeful the speech he gave to the House Dems was just a rookie mistake and that it does not reflect what is going on in his head. Maybe he will learn from it.
Dan,
I should have added a disclaimer:
I did not vote for Obama either, I voted 3rd party this year after being a GOP supporter for years.
Now the “stimulus” is up to $2 trillion ?
I would rather have nothing now, let the firms fail that need to (remember, there are always buyers at distressed values) and take the pain now so our kids and grand-kids actually have a future…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090210/bs_nm/us_financial_bailout_34
Hard to believe, but in a matter of hours, they are now talking $3 trillion ?!?
Can someone say “runaway train ” ?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_go_pr_wh/economy_rdp
Bill,
wait until he has his first FDR fantasy fireside chat and tell’s everyday citizens that own private business they can only make so much, just as did for Fortune 500 TARP takers.
I personally think smoking is bad, but it’s a free will thing, that said, rumors are circulating that a stealth tax will be signed by executive order to take place in May that will raise federal excise tax on Cigs by .60 a pack and $6.00 a carton. Liquor will also have significant fed taxes raised as well as ammuniton and gun sales. All the work of Reid and Pelosi to pay for all their pet programs and the stimulus. I call it taxation without representation. and that is a clear cut and direct violation of the Constitution.
The liberals cried that Bush violated the Constitution, but the liberlas will now turn us from The United States of America into the United Socialist States of America!
at last count, 10 states have quietly issued Proclamations of their Soveriegnty under the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution through State Legislature actions, and now 11 others have plans to or and Oklahoma is, to my knowledge the only so far to do so on the Federal House and Senate Floors., while these are only symboilic gestures due to past case laws, like US vs. Sprague, it is still compelling that 10 states would still proclaim this, Oklahoma was the first, IIRC and others have now followed suit.
Why now are 21 states claiming this!?
Because, imho it is slowly starting to sink in that Obamantion and his BAU crew are not agents of change that is wanted or desired. Let NY, CA and NV do all they wish. Leave me and my okie brothers and sisters alone.
we need a wake up call!
I am still hopeful and optimistic that Obama will manage from the center. I think it will get a few black eyes early on before he sorts through how to do this effectively. But I believe it is his ultimate goal and will be his legacy.
Dan, time is the mirror of truth…I hope you are right.
In regards to Scott’s comments, understand what you are saying, but it will read more like “United States of China”. That is where we will be borrowing most of the money from, because we don’t have it…
Scott,
The sovereignty declarations started in 2008. Michigan was last month. OKL was in June 2008.
If you really thing that politics in DC are going to change while we face this crisis, you are not living in reality.
Also, pork is the life blood of politicians. They could no more forgo pork in a bill than a politician could stop lying or breathing.
You have to remember that it takes 2 to tango: the Republicans seem to be doing everything they can to mess around as well — again with little regard to what our nation faces. Didn’t a Republican just back out of the Commerce Secretary position? BI-Partisonship takes 2. I know Pelosi is a power-hungry crazy bitch, but then most of the esteemed members of Congress are whack jobs. (How many have had ethics violations, arrests, scandals, etc.?)
Personally, I think the Stimulus Bill should be pocketed and we say To Hell with Big Business. Fund the SBA and help small business. Big Business – like most telco and cablecos – is laden with debt and pension issues that taxpayers will be bailing out in years to come. So to heck with the “Stimulus Bill” and get some loans and grants in the hands of small businesses across America.
Peter, you are very cynical. If everyone thought like you, our entire country would crumble. Oh, wait, i guess it is crumbling.