Comments on The Ostroy Report: Why is My Party So Spineless?

For years I e-mailed and wrote letters to Pelosi a...

2009-12-18T14:54:18.151-05:00

For years I e-mailed and wrote letters to Pelosi and Reid saying that the reason people see the Democrats as weak is that they won't stand up for what they profess to believe in, not that they are not right wing enough. Americans respect fighters, even if they disagree with them. I don't see much of an answer. Any third party will merely elect republic ans, but that might not matter. I mainly voted for Obama because I thought he had a better chance of winning than Hillary, who pre-sold out in the Senate and blew the call of the nation by not running in 2004. Perhaps "change" will not come form with- in and we won't have any say in how it turns out. History suggests as much.

Why is everybody so surprised? The Dems ignored t...

2009-12-18T10:39:02.378-05:00

Why is everybody so surprised?

The Dems ignored their Constitutional duty and gave Bush, a President, power to start a war. They backed him from the beginning and on occasion when they didn't agree, they caved.

There was clue after clue during the campaign about how Obamaa would "govern". On this blog I and others and of course Ostroy pointed out obvious difficulties and urged support for Hillary. But even she seems weak these days.

I see no hope.

I don't know when it happened, but since I am ...

2009-12-18T08:27:29.505-05:00

I don't know when it happened, but since I am 62 it happened in my lifetime. The Dems have developed a case of political Stockholm Syndrome. Every time a GOPer says boo, they run in the corner and hide.

Sadly, I believe the problem is not spinelessness....

2009-12-17T20:55:23.613-05:00

Sadly, I believe the problem is not spinelessness. The Democrats are in the pocket of big business just like the Republicans are. The difference is that the Dems pretend to give a shit about the people, whereas the Republicans are more up front about screwing us.

The time is coming when progressives are going to have to face facts. We won't be leaving the Democratic Party - we'll just be recognizing that, to paraphrase Arlen Specter, the Democratic Party has left us. There are true progressives within the party, to be sure, but they are outnumbered and outmaneuvered by neoliberals and corporate shills - among whose number I count both the Clintons as well as Obama.

I don't know whether the Green Party is the answer, or we need to elect independents, or start a new party; but I fear the party of Jefferson is no more. Today's Democratic Party pays lip service to progressive ideals, while doing everything it can to preserve and defend the power of the same monied interests that are openly served by the GOP.

The looming environmental crisis will eventually lead to a worldwide economic collapse that will dwarf the Great Depression. If mankind survives, which is not guaranteed, then maybe we will get a chance to start over from scratch.

Thanks Barn...glad we see eye to eye on this one! ...

2009-12-17T20:46:06.297-05:00

Thanks Barn...glad we see eye to eye on this one! Hope all's well.

Sad to say, we're too nice. Starting in the 1...

2009-12-17T16:58:23.717-05:00

Sad to say, we're too nice.

Starting in the 1980s (Lee Atwater ring a bell), Republicans began going for the jugular to win at any cost. They sold their souls. Say to say, it has worked.

My mom use to tell me how rotten the Republicans were back in the 1950s so perhaps it is just the way they are

Hey Andy - Long time no comment. I have to say, I...

2009-12-17T16:45:09.217-05:00

Hey Andy - Long time no comment. I have to say, I'm finally 100% with you this time. Right on!!! Reconciliation NOW!!! Let's get that going around the internet. I'm with ya' buddy. - Barney

PS - I'll also spread the word about Adrienne's foundation. Great charity everyone. Pitch in if you can.

Let's face it folks. Obama had the opportunity...

2009-12-17T16:44:29.630-05:00

Let's face it folks. Obama had the opportunity to be one of the great American Presidents. He sounded the call to change in the election BUT, now what have we? Limp Leadership. Banks and Wall Street Fat Cats gorging at the public trough, More money spent on war and, more importantly, U.S. Soldiers killed for no reason other than KBR and Haliburton need to make more money. Jobs - every month losing more to out-sourced fat cat corporations with little help from the Government. Then there is Health Care - looks like the ordinary citizen will get the shaft and the fat cat Insurance Companies will make billions. No addditional coverage, no public pay option (like all other industrial countries), and in reality nothing for the jamoke on the street other than the traditional stick where the sun don't shine. Obama could have been great but he turned out to be just another poser for reform when in reality he is owned by the corporations and crooks.

I'm trying to make sense of all this.... You ...

2009-12-17T16:36:14.521-05:00

I'm trying to make sense of all this....

You are - in the same sentence - complaining of both the lack of public option/medicare expansion as well as the lack of competition?

Seems to me that the public option/medicare expansion approach is specifically intended to over time displace all of the private competition. That's why, for example, there were provisions that said that ANY change (co-pays, etc) to any policy meant that you had to go straight to the public option. That's a mechanism intended to kill the private companies since changes happen all the time.

Then your friend complains that Obama screwed up by trying to cooperate with Republicans? Now that one is a belly breaker. He never spoke to any Republicans seriously, other than the one or two he needed to pick off to hit 60.

Obama is in the spot he is in specifically because he has pushed forward with his own ideology regardless of the opposing thoughts of others. And it is coming back to bite him.