Robert Reich: Pyromaniacs on the Potomac: The Problem With Obama’s Second Term

[marmar]

Pyromaniacs on the Potomac: The Problem With Obama’s Second Term
Thursday, May 16, 2013


Six months into a second term and the Obama White House is on the defensive and floundering: Benghazi, the IRS’s investigations of right-wing groups, the Justice Department’s snooping into journalists’ phone records, Obamacare behind schedule, the Administration’s push for gun control ending in failure.

Should the blame fall mainly on congressional Republicans and their allies in the right-wing media, whose vitriolic attacks on Obama are unceasing?

After all, the only thing the GOP stands for – the sole mission that unites its warring factions — is an unwaivering determination to block anything the Administration seeks while distracting public attention from any larger issue.

But surely some of the seeming disarray is due to the President, whose insularity and aloofness make him an easy target, and whose eagerness to compromise and lack of focus continuously blurs his core message. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://robertreich.org/post/50579769872

[MrSlayer]

1. I agree. They should have never gotten away from the jobs push.

Here we are with Wall Street zooming and so many of us still struggling, still waiting to recover from 2008.

I agree that these guys are floundering around and have no real core message. Personally, I thought the whole gun thing was a complete waste of time and political capital.

They should be focused like a laser on jobs and infrastructure and shaming the Republicans publicly for not doing anything about it instead of dicking around with things that do not help job growth. Unless you work in a gun factory I suppose. Those guys are eating well.

[xchrom]

2. du rec. nt

[1-Old-Man]

3. I think the next 3.5 years will be worse than the preceding 4 years.

And the reason the President's first term was so bad is what makes him a sitting duck now that he is in his second. He did not stand up and fight the Republicans right from the start and now he simply does not know how or can't. The Republicans, on the other hand, are well seasoned warriors who have mastered the ability to marginalize him, and they do it to the detriment of the entire nation. Wh are in a horrible situation that was born of a horrible situation and will continue to be a horrible situation.

[pipoman]

4. When/if Reich decides to admit

his betrayal of labor when he had the power to help, and becomes active in fixing the disaster he helped create, I will listen to what he has to say..until then he is just another lying traitor to the American people and should be treated as such..with complete disregard..