I just have to give this a thread of its own. I am flabbergasted. hate for the President is

[kelliekat44]

blinding even once clear eyes, even on DU.

I never thought I would see the day when the US was fighting unions just like the old USSR.WOW!

First the elite use the working man as cannon fodder to protect their investments under the guise of fighting for freedom and democracy and then they use their protected wealth to insure that workers will never have job security or reasonable social safety net they used to have. Yes, our country is changing for the worse and it's not Obama's fault. Look in the mirror voters...you get what you vote for or don't vote for.

[Glitterati]

1. I have NEVER voted for cuts to food stamps

EVER.

Yet President Obama has cut them TWICE in less than a year. He signed 2 separate bills cutting them.

So, excuse the hell outta me while I question just why the hell someone thought/thinks I DID vote for that.

[rbrnmw]

2. That was forced on him by the House temper tantrums

he's only one man. They would have put this Country in a serious position of total economic collapse had he not signed it. There is no line item veto.

[Glitterati]

3. You're excuses simply don't matter.

People are starving and this President made that worse.

End of discussion.

[kelliekat44]

6. But the facts do matter. Food stamp cuts are going to be reversed...just pay attention. nt

Grasping for straws ...

[Glitterati]

8. No, grasping for FOOD, thankyouverymuch

Reversed? Really?

More of that magic unicorn thinking by the Obama Cheerleading Squad.

Seriously, excuse me for not believing in your special, magic fairy dust, OK?

Not. Clapping. Louder.

[Demisall]

59. Obama has a Cheerleading Squad?

[lark]

151. Welcome to DU

Yes, there are so many people at this site that think that Obama walks on water that they even have their own name - Obamabots.
Obama didn't sign food stamp cuttings twice, never (really didn't mean it) proposed reducing the rate of pay for Social Security, isn't promoting anti-worker and anti-enviroment TPP, Edward Snowden is a criminal, spying on Americans without cause is OK when Obama's government dos it, etc. etc.

[AgingAmerican]

158. Oh yeah

And they cheer even when things go wrong

[bravenak]

87. What have you done to fix things in our economy so that people can eat?

I remember that republicans fought to cut food stamps.
And early childhood education.
And school lunch.


But that's cool keep blaming Obama for all the stuff that was messed up before became president.


I guess you were in a coma for the first few years while the economy was crashing and hundreds of thousands lost their jobs every month.

It's sad that you think things are worse now than they were when Bush left office.

Funny how Obama is the only president held to such a high standard.

[freshwest]

216. Expanding that was the first stimulus. in 2010, ppl sat on their ass, are reaping that.

Obama has been fighting a civil war since November 2010 that was declared by the GOP before he took the oath in 2009. Easier to hate him, than look in the mirror.

[EC]

107. So I guess it's totally Obama's fault?

The House Republicans that forced this get no blame in your book? Pretty myopic.

[kelliekat44]

12. The President didn't make it worse. The GOP did that. nt

[Glitterati]

14. No, ma'am

the PRESIDENT signed that bill.

He shares in the blame.

One stroke of the veto pen would have changed it.

The President refused to use that veto pen.

That makes him responsible.

[whathehell]

24. Thank you.....n/t

[Glitterati]

26. You're welcome

Just stating the facts.

[whathehell]

180. I know, but

at times, there are many here who don't want to state them.

[deutsey]

34. +1

[Autumn]

42. You know darn good and well the buck stops at

least 500 yards from Obama.


good post He is responsible.

[bravenak]

91. Bullcrap!!

That's all I have to say.

[freshwest]

217. Veto the bill, cut all the food stamps off, and SS and the ACA. Default. Guess that's okay for some.

[great white snark]

226. It's insane because it is ok for some.

Rather make some amorphous feel-good far left stand and let everything go down the crapper.

Thankfully IMHO the craziness comes from outside the Democratic party.

[freshwest]

228. Yes. it's becoming more obvious everyday. Too bad they aren't honest enough to say so. n/t

[Maedhros]

127. Here is a list of vetoes by President.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_vetoes

Here are vetoes (both regular and pocket vetoes) for the last 50 years:

Kennedy: 21
Johnson: 30
Nixon: 43
Ford: 66
Carter: 31
Reagan: 78
Bush I: 44
Clinton: 37
Bush II: 12
Obama: 2

The two bills vetoed by Obama were:

December 30, 2009: Vetoed H.J.Res. 64, Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes. Override attempt failed in House, 143-245, 1 present.[35]

October 7, 2010: Vetoed H.R. 3808, the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010. Override attempt failed in House, 185-235 (280 required).[36]

Notably, neither of these vetoes were overridden.

One would think with such a recalcitrant House sending such offensive legislation to the White House to sign, that the number of vetoes by the President would be much higher. Obama and Bush II stand out on this list for the very significantly smaller number of vetoes compared to their recent predecessors. The next-lowest number belongs to Kennedy, who occupied the White House for only one (incomplete) term.

As with other policies (e.g. single payer/public option), the issue isn't that the Republican Congress forced the issue, it's that Obama doesn't try to fight.

[awoke_in_2003]

211. Clinton should have at least had 38...

and vetoed NAFTA. Yes, people are going to say it passed with a veto proof majority. I ask- "what ever happened to principles?"

[kelliekat44]

138. A veto this time would have hurt many more people. And guess who would have been screaming here? n

[Demisall]

176. This must be the time when the blinders go on and

some start yelling Obamabots.

[rbrnmw]

181. hmm where was it I saw the term obamabot???

on some right leaning website please don't use it here there is enough hate on President Obama already

[sheshe2]

206. He learned it here rbrnmw. Quick study don't ya think!

Lark

151. Welcome to DU

Yes, there are so many people at this site that think that Obama walks on water that they even have their own name - Obamabots.
Obama didn't sign food stamp cuttings twice, never (really didn't mean it) proposed reducing the rate of pay for Social Security, isn't promoting anti-worker and anti-enviroment TPP, Edward Snowden is a criminal, spying on Americans without cause is OK when Obama's government dos it, etc. etc.

Hmmm indeed.

[Demisall]

225. +1 nt

[freshwest]

238. Yep, I came to DU from a mixed RW-LW website to find some of them were here, too.

Of all the names Obama and his supporters were called there, the only one left out was the n-lover one.

On the mixed site, they said I must be black or not 'all white.' A poster called me an overemotional, irrational black person for quoting Frederick Douglas on DU.

I've seen all of them used here. Obamabot, Barry, Obummber, Democrat Party, authoritarian swooners, Chicago machine politician, cheerleader, sheeple, blind followers and other slurs. Who said those first in other places were RWers.

And the term 'feminist' used in the same tone as Rush's 'feminazi' and calling black websites gossip pages, and saying people who dispute assumptions are too PC - a familiar RW slur have been used, too.

All of that is acceptable to the DU3 jury pool now.

[Skittles]

231. LOL

looking for my x ray glasses so I can see through you

[freshwest]

239. Yes, that's common. Thanks for seeing that. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

230. Vetoing that bill would have created an economic crisis the likes of which the world has never seen.

You cannot be serious, you wanted the president to deliberately destroy the economy of not only this nation, but every other country on the planet?



Vetoing that bill would have been the the single most irresponsible act done by any politician in history.


The Teabaggers WANTED him to veto it, doing their dirty work just to fuck with Boehner because they couldn't stop him themselves, crashing the dollar and destroying this nation in the process.


Massive stupidity.

[Demisall]

233. +1 nt

[rbrnmw]

16. my children and I are in really bad shape because of the cuts

but I put the blame squarely on the teapublicans where it belongs, not the POTUS.

[Glitterati]

20. Your blinders are hurting your children

All but NINE Democrats voted for that farm bill.

A Democratic President then chose to sign it rather than veto it.

Democratic Cheerleading Squads are killing people.

[JaneyVee]

22. If he didn't sign it NO ONE would be getting food stamps.

THAT was the alternative.

[Glitterati]

23. Not true

the existing bill would have remained in effect until new legislation replaced it.

How silly.........talk about grasping at straws.

[JaneyVee]

27. The farm bill expired after 5 years, it wouldn't have been an immediate

Crisis until a couple of months. Then it would have been a crisis.

[Glitterati]

28. Simply not true.

More magic unicorn wishes.

[JaneyVee]

45. OMG. Yes, it's true. An expired farm bill would have led to skyrocketing food prices

Which would have in effect made the purchasing power of food stamps far less. Milk for example would be $7 a gallon.

[Glitterati]

54. MILK Only

the farm bill only kept in place a special provision for dairy farmers.

Desperation really doesn't look good on you.

[jeff47]

73. Because dairy products are not used in a massive variety of other food. (nt)

[grasswire]

174. don't look now...

...but milk prices are expected to rise dramatically this week. Dramatically.

[Sunlei]

227. I think milk would be $12+ a gallon without our gov. keeping reins on the dairy industry

I read recently on an Australian business site, USA dairy industry exports are up 10% in a year. The Australian dairy industry was concerned because they also have a large dairy industry. Dairy product exports have always been big business in NZ and Australia.

It's all about profits for the dairy industry. Looks like our American dairy industry plans to ramp-up exports of dairy much higher than only 10% of domestic production. They can raise the price for domestic milk continue with the same domestic profits and add more profits from exported dairy.

Plus the dairy industry can lobby in the USA to keep regulations on any small dairy competition who would offer lower priced milk to consumers. For example the raw milk dairy regulations or local county regulations that prevent small local livestock businesses from opening.

[olegramps]

90. Really why do you insist on being wrong.

[jeff47]

32. No, the old law had an expiration date written into it.

So no, the old law would not have remained in effect.

[Glitterati]

36. Not true

Nice try, though.

The only thing the farm bill legislation was pressing for was milk prices.

It was ALREADY 4 YEARS past it's renewal date.

[jeff47]

39. The bill funding food stamps was a continuing resolution. It had an expiration date. (nt)

[Glitterati]

41. And the CR would have been renewed

Just like it had for the last 4 years while there WAS NO FARM BILL.

[jeff47]

47. Nope. It ended in January.

And since the Democrats and Republicans came to a budget deal, it was not renewed.

[Glitterati]

53. And if they HADN'T come to a budget deal, it WOULD BE RENEWED

you really are trying hard to push that magic unicorn dust around aren't you?

[jeff47]

55. Yeah, just like it was when there was a government shutdown.

Oh wait......

you really are trying hard to push that magic unicorn dust around aren't you?

The magic unicorn dust is believing the Republicans would just pass another CR. The crazies were setting up for an even longer shutdown when the last CR expired, and the leadership was not going to be able to rein them in.

That's why there was a budget deal - Republicans could no longer control the crazy, and could not have passed another CR.

[Glitterati]

58. Soo....explain this, please

the farm bill was 4 YEARS past expiration.

And, why weren't all these skyrocketing food prices in effect for those 4 years?

Are you telling me that we can expect to see a 4 YEAR rollback on food prices now that Obama signed the farm bill cutting food stamps?

Yeeeeeeeeeee hawww!

See how that magic unicorn dust works? It makes us all silly as hell.

[jeff47]

67. Because I'm talking about food stamps, not "skyrocketing food prices".

And food stamps were covered by the CRs during those 4 years.

The "skyrocketing food prices" would be because the old farm bill set an expiration date for the "new" milk subsidy formula - that expiration date was after the end of the other parts of the farm bill. Thus the bill could be "4 YEARS past expiration" but still having effects.

That subsidy formula expiration date was about to pass, resulting in going back to the "old" milk subsidy formula. The old formula would result in ~$8/gal milk.

See how that magic unicorn dust works?

You mean it changes the subject when your argument about food stamps isn't working?

[Glitterati]

78. Wow. Just. Wow.

Food stamps BUYS food.

Just in case you didn't know.

I thought that was a known fact.

In fact, they can ONLY buy food. No toliet paper, no soap, no toothpaste.......if it's not edible, it's not eligible for food stamps.

[jeff47]

85. And that's utterly irrelevant to that post.

But it's always entertaining to watch someone flail about searching for an argument.

[EC]

116. man...you are an obstinate one aren't you?

Listen and learn for a change instead of insisting you are correct. Usually when there is only one (or a few)believing something...it's wrong. Please try and understand what is actual instead of told to you. You're acting like a typical tea party person. They believe what they want to believe ignoring facts.

[mikeysnot]

154. "magic unicorn dust" ???

good luck with that....

[olegramps]

105. You have absolutely no basis for such a claim.

They used the cuts as ammo with the threat that if it was not signed that they would have not voted for a CR.

[former9thward]

60. What was the date?

[jeff47]

71. Sometime in January for the last CR.

The budget deal reached in December supplanted it, so I don't remember what the actual date was.

[jtuck004]

117. That's the same BS reasoning we were given as to why we had to pay criminals

in the banks money while they went about foreclosing on 10 million families.

Still BS excuses. They just didn't have the spine to stand up for the people that are the most vulnerable, and instead walk on them.

[Scootaloo]

203. Funny how all the things he can't chessmaster out of are thing s that fuck the poor, innit?

[GoneFishin]

212. Yep. He always has the words, rhetoric, and fight in him for things benefiting the 1%.

A coincidence I am sure.

Much like Keystone XL and TPP benefit the international mega-corporations and the 1% such as the Koch's who stand to make 100 billion dollars.

No bully pulpit for food stamps and SSI cost of living increases for people living on the edge. But he'll fight many members of his own Democratic party to ram through TPP in cooperation with the Republicans.

Nothing weird about that.

[Marr]

215. That's always the excuse.

It's why one party plays 'bad cop'. Cut it or it'll be gone completely. Over and over.

[okaawhatever]

142. The farm bill leveled the playing field. Why should children in certain states be

entitled to food stamps other children aren't?

[olegramps]

88. It not an excuse, but rather the fact of the matter.

Perhaps you agree with the Repukians who would throw the nation into an economic disaster. The only way that the Democrats can succeed is to get the working class to the polls and take back the reins of government from nitwit the Teabaggers. Not only nationally, but in local and state government.

[ann---]

131. Agree with you 100%

Actually, Obama lost me way back with his allowing more drone strikes instead of stopping them like any good president would do.

[certainot]

146. the 'left' cannot collectively claim to 'have obama's back' as long as it collectively ignores the

right's best weapon don't expect much. the left dems liberals give the right a huge advantage and great bargaining position to force compromise and insanity because we let 1200 stink tank coordinated radio stations yell whatever they want all day.

it's like they put carnival barkers on every corner and stump in the country and they yell all day liberals are sluts and thieves and their ideas are treasonous and liberals just walk by with their fingers in theirears. and we expect our reps to stick their necks out? and 40% or so of those soapboxes have our state funded college sports mascots logos on them.

how can the left honestly expect their reps to go all the way while letting right wing radio blast that 1% crap to 50 mil a week with no response?

considering the time lost on global warming, ignoring rw radio is the biggest mistake in political history.

analyzing and evaluating dem reps and presidents as if rw radio isn't kicking liberal internet ass is absurd, but it happens all day on the liberal blogs.

[certainot]

164. were you old enough to vote for obama the first time?

just wondering. have you really been paying attention to politics outside the last few years?

[cheapdate]

223. Here are all of the senate democrats...

Last edited Sat Feb 22, 2014, 11:54 AM - Edit history (1)

who voted to stop final passage of the reconciled 2014 Agricultural Bill:

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Kirsten Gillabrand (D-NY)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Robert Casey (D-PA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

The original house bill was sent back from the senate and went through several rounds of reconciliation before the final senate vote.


All of the remaining senate Democrats and Independents approved of the legislation. Including such liberals and progressives as Al Franken, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Ron Wyden, Patty Murray, and Diane Feinstein, to name a few.

Was it because, like the president, they're OK with starving people?

Or was it because in a forced negotiation they recognized it was the best deal they could get with the house GOP and the looming alternative was no food stamps for anyone?

Have you ever been in a formal negotiation? Would you like to try negotiating with the house GOP? They're crazy, you know.

[snappyturtle]

7. OR...he could have vetoed it....even if the margins weren't in his

favor it would have been a good move in respect to his base.

[jeff47]

30. And thus food stamps go to zero. (nt)

[Glitterati]

33. Not. true.

Period.

[jeff47]

37. Yes true. Funding for food stamps was in a continuing resolution that expired. (nt)

[Autumn]

52. And that would have given him a chance to take it to the American people.

[snappyturtle]

76. Bascially "yes" but his veto would have been over ridden anyway

because the bill passed with a big margin. The farm bill aside, it just
seems to me that the President doesn't use his pulpit to his or our
advantage.

[sabrina 1]

29. We have the Senate and the WH. Imagine if Republicans had that kind of power!

I know what would happen. We would be told the exact same story we hear every time an issue like this passes. 'Dems couldn't help it, Republicans have the WH and the Senate, or did you forget that little detail'?

Enough with the excuses. Winning appears to do nothing for Dems. And that is a fact.

[upaloopa]

49. Usual excuse

If he cannot do anything why is he there?
I heard no Obama speeches decrying cuts in food stamps. I saw no threat of veto.
Just crickets coming from him.
Why is he pushing TPP while claiming support for middle class jobs?
Why is he supporting the NSA spying on US citizens violating the 4th Amendment.
Before you call out patriotic Dems here on DU take a look in the mirror at someone who stands for nothing!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

56. Exactly, and some people just don't want to get it. They prefer to think

the President is causing this all by himself.

[freshwest]

218. Easier than looking in the mirror. Complaining and not voting tin 2010 did this. n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

236. Yep. Voting is very important. It scares me to think some do not vote. nt

[zeemike]

109. So he gave into the hostage takers.

He had the veto pen and the bully pulpit and did not use it....no more excuses.

[pangaia]

143. Then I think he should say exactly why he did what he did and whose fault it was.

[roguevalley]

152. he's the most powerful man in the world. Other presidents were surrounded

to and they took a sword to the fraggers. His biggest mistake was not getting the employment numbers down. when he decided to go after medical care and not employment first he shot himself in the foot.

I have been called a hater just for disagreeing with Obama. I will always disagree with the President when I feel he's wrong. If that makes me a hater in the eyes of 'true believers' then so be it.

[SMC22307]

183. That is EXACTLY it... not getting the unemployment numbers down first.

He and the Democratic Party blew it. Massive infrastructure/green energy stimulus, get more Americans working and headed back to fat and happy, and there wouldn't have been so much resistance to Obamacare.

[AgingAmerican]

157. Total economic collapse if he didn't cut food stamps?

That sounds like something from a Republican position paper.

[freshwest]

220. It's called a CR. Not signing it means default. Remember what would have happened the last time?

Last edited Sat Feb 22, 2014, 04:26 PM - Edit history (1)

16 Ways Default Will Totally Screw Americans

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110218177

Cruz and Paul were still hoping he wouldn't sign so they could try out what they wanted to do last time:

Debt Ceiling: 'Chaotic' choices on 100 million payments

Less than ten days away, the scenario described here is what the GOP wants:

Debt Ceiling: 'Chaotic' choices on 100 million payments

By Jeanne Sahadi - January 7, 2013

If Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling soon, the Treasury Department will be forced to make drastic, no-win decisions on how to honor tens of millions of legally owed payments every month...

Prioritizing interest payments means Treasury must choose from more than 100 million monthly payments and would not be able to pay 40% of the dollars owed...

Much more at link:

http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/07/news/economy/debt-ceiling/index.html

Those expecting veteran benefits will lose those in November through shutdown or with default:

5 million will lose veterans' benefits next month if shutdown stretches to November

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=616482

...Rand Paul, who said that not raising the debt limit could be reframed as “a pretty reasonable idea.”

Even Senator Tom Coburn says it wouldn’t be so bad to miss the debt-limit deadline and face a “managed catastrophe.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3820816

Does anyone here recall what happened last October and that Paul Ryan voted against the CR this year? That these other goons wanted to play with default again?

The only solution to this is the same one that Democrats failed on in 2010. That is to get out and vote these nihilists out of office.

Every seat in the House is up for grabs this year - the campaign is being filtered to us daily in news reports we discuss here. Each one should be measured as to their intent, which is to demoralize Democrats, as all of the media is owned by a handful of far right billionaire who pay people to create spin that will do so.

They will use any technique they can to demoralize Democrats so they can continue on with their dirty work. Obama cannot do this by himself, and he has said this from 2008.

Perhaps for you or others here at DU, the fallout from default would not be a catastrophe. For others, that period when it was being threatened was very harsh.

There is no line item veto that is available to Obama. He also cannot sign an order to spend money when the budget in its entirety is being held hostage.

[Cha]

193. Facts don't matter to

President Obama haters. They call them "excuses" when they are facts.

[ProSense]

4. Wrong,

"Yet President Obama has cut them TWICE in less than a year. He signed 2 separate bills cutting them. "

...he did not "cut them TWICE in less than a year."

The fact is that the increases under the stimulus expired last year.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024539986

[Cha]

194. I'll say this again..

facts don't matter to the haters.

But, thanks for bringing the facts on board.. I appreciate it.

[kelliekat44]

13. And please don't change the focus of my original OP. That tactic is one used by the GOP

when they can't frame the debate.

[Glitterati]

15. Oh honey, that IS the debate

We can't clap louder when we're starving because of his cuts to food stamps.

[JaneyVee]

21. Republicans wanted $40Billion in food stamp cuts, Democrats wanted none.

The ONY way the bill was passing would be a compromise of $8Billion in food stamp cuts ver a decade. It was either he signed that bill, or no one gets any food stamps. Vote out the Republican Taliban.

[Glitterati]

25. Please quit repeating that lie

the existing legislation about food stamps remained in effect until replaced.

That farm bill was YEARS overdue. If your lie was true, there would have been NO food stamps for years.

[jeff47]

35. Food stamps were being funded by the continuing resolutions that also expired.

So yes, no bill, no food stamps.

[Glitterati]

38. No bill, more CRs

But, nice try.

More unicorn magic dust.

[jeff47]

44. You mean the CR that is now expired?

More unicorn magic dust.

It's odd that you think funding is magic.

Food stamps were funded by CRs. Those CRs are all expired. What, specifically, do you think would cause food stamps to be funded without them?

[Glitterati]

46. More CRs

Seriously, that lie is seriously silly.

[jeff47]

51. Nope. Budget deal reached in December. No more CRs.

The last one expired in January.

[Glitterati]

66. More unicorm magic dust

no longer worth any other reply.

[jeff47]

69. Because hurling insults isn't changing reality?

[Glitterati]

75. Here's what is insulting....

equating disagreement with hate.

That's the insult.

But, you folks keep it up. You're accomplishing just one thing - turning off Democratic voters. Shaming DEMOCRATS for trusting Democrats.

[jeff47]

82. And where, exactly, is the hate you claim?

Go ahead and quote me.

I'll wait.

Or is "magic unicorn dust" supposed to be a compliment?

But, you folks keep it up. You're accomplishing just one thing - turning off Democratic voters. Shaming DEMOCRATS for trusting Democrats.

We don't control the House. Insane Republicans do, with a slightly-less-insane leadership. That leadership wants to keep their jobs more than they want to feed the hungry.

There's only so much we can pass until that situation changes, since House rules give the leadership absolute control of that body. Demanding that Obama veto the bill doesn't fix that.

Instead, a veto results in a situation where the Republican base is thrilled ("Those evil 'welfare queens' have been cut off!!!&quot . That means the Republicans would be LESS likely to pass anything fully funding food stamps. It would be very upsetting to their base to give back such a victory. With the tenuous grasp on power that the Republican leadership holds, a bill to fully-fund food stamps after a veto could not pass. People starving? Republicans do not give a damn. That means no pressure to fix it.

The only fix for this is electing more and more importantly, better Democrats. In the meantime, all we can do is limit the damage. Don't like it? Well, get us a time machine back to 2010 so we can get more "marginally attached voters" to vote.

[Glitterati]

92. Did you read the subject line of the OP?

See the word hate?

Yeah, there it is.

[jeff47]

179. Boy, you're reaching very far.

So hatred of the President is the reason why Obama didn't veto the Farm bill.

Perhaps you should blame the word "the" for it. Makes about as much sense.

[rbrnmw]

84. it is an election year your Democratic bashing is wrong

and I am a member of the Democratic Party not the democrat party

[Glitterati]

97. So accusing Democrats of hating a Democratic President

isn't bashing Democrats?

Oooookkkaaaaay.......anything you say.

But, really, you might want to read the subject line of the OP.

Oh, and I use PROPER english, and use "Democratic" in it's proper context.

[rbrnmw]

103. you are bashing the POTUS on a thread

about being sick of all the hate directed at the POTUS perhaps you should read the OP and stop trying to derail it with you uninformed opinion.

[Sheepshank]

89. you keep throwing out "Unicorn Magic Dust"

without realizing that you are throwing into the wind and getting it all over yourself.

You honestly believe that without any further action everything would continue without change, all by itself for the rest of forever?

Talk about magic unicorn dust crappola.

[CaliGal]

163. Nicely said....nt

[olegramps]

100. I would suggest that you are devoid of the facts.

[JaneyVee]

40. Yes, it would have remained in effect, but not replacing it would have

Somewhat disastrous effects on the price of food which would most likely equal more of a cut to the purchasing power of food stamps. For the record, I'm against any cuts to SNAP, but our side doesn't control the House and the Prez already threatened a veto of the Republicans plan of cutting $40Billion.

[Glitterati]

43. One product. Milk

the only product threatened with price increases over the farm bill was milk.

Period.

[JaneyVee]

50. Milk, produce, dairy, meat.

[Glitterati]

62. Oh good! Price rollbacks coming!!!!!!

Whooooooo hoooooo!

So, since the farm bill was 4 YEARS past due, and it caused all those prices to skyrocket, we can now expect a rollback of 4 years of price increases!!!!!!!

OMG, then, seriously, these cuts to food stamps won't matter, now, will they?

YEAH!

(I'm high on all that magic unicorn dust being spread about in this thread)

[former9thward]

64. Just Milk.

People will survive without milk and probably be more healthy because of it.

[Progressive dog]

63. The Farm bill expired and was extended

so you are wrong. It would have required another extension to remain in effect, and extensions require votes in the same Congress that wanted it changed. If it had expired, then just like unemployment extensions, SNAP would have ended. Notice the "Congress" would only allow a one month extension in December,
This is from "The Finger Lakes Times"

Dec 29, 2013 - The federal Farm Bill has received another extension that will carry farmers and consumers through Jan. 31.

[Cha]

197. So many people running around with with a little bit of knowledge about this and that..

not really knowing much at all.

[bravenak]

96. You ain't starving!!

Starving people have no internet. You can't eat internet.

[Glitterati]

104. ROFL, I didn't say I was

How nice that you only concern yourself with those who AREN'T starving.

I know lots........

But, I never claimed to be.

I'm not on food stamps, tho.

I do care for those who are, however. Deeply.

[bravenak]

106. You care enough to blame the president.

Instead of the republicans who fought tooth and nail to cut food stamps.


I think you are full of stuff and nonsense.

[Glitterati]

112. ROFL, making up more facts to suit your agenda

This is a Democratic message board, with the OP about "hate" for the President.

While I don't hate the President, I disagree vehemently with his action of late - specifically the cuts to food stamps (plural) AND the chained CPI. Not to mention his continuation of Bush's wars.

I have no need to blame Republicans for anything............their blame and responsibility is ASSUMED.

But, no one, despite your grasping at straws, can justify the behavior of THIS President in these topics.

And, since, I am desperately trying to stay ON TOPIC to this thread, I have no reason to discuss Republicans.

[bravenak]

186. I'm on food stamps.

We just got a cut. Mine were cut by 26 dollars, and I'm not fucking starving. I plan my meals so it lasts until the end of the month and usually have something left over at the end for emergency milk or whatever. You can't tell me nothing about the program I'm using, and I don't think u really care about us, you just need a cudgel to attack the president with.

Ask me anything about poverty programs, since I've either been on them at birth, or been on them at some point in my life.

Chained CPI is not a thing that's actually happening right now, so what the hell ever.

He's actually ending Bush's wars, no need to lie like that.

Let's discuss food stamps since you care so much about people like me who use food stamps that your willing to go all balls to the walls in support of us by attacking us and the president.

[rbrnmw]

111. I hope this is sarcasm

because people on foodstamps may be in an area where wi-fi is free (apartment buildings trailer parks) they may have a very old computer or they may be using a computer at their public library.

[Glitterati]

115. It's not. It's called desperation.

Looking for any excuse to "blame" disagreement with this President and the Democratic party as "hate" or Republicanism.

AKA desperation.

[bravenak]

189. You are not simply disagreeing.

You are blaming. Period. And I'm the one that sounds desperate? Sounds like your magical unicorn thinking has a flaw in its performance of logic.

You do sound like a republican, I didn't say you were, but if the shoe fits, wear that mutha.

[davidpdx]

221. I think the shoe does fit

The person seems like a LTT. Worst of all they have served on a jury over 50 times.

[bravenak]

187. No it's not!

I'm on food stamps and I have to have my sister pay my internet. I live in a place where there is no free wifi ( alaska) unless you're at Starbucks or Walmart.

She/he has been on here all day, so I'm pretty sure it's not cause they're hanging around the library.

I got my food stamps cut too, surprisingly im not angry at the Prez, I'm pissed at a Don Young my congressman who doesn't like wetback, or black people, or poor people, since he and his buddies in congress were so excited to cut food stamps that the president had to make another deal with them.

Anybody thinking the president can just use his magic veto pen and solved everything is guilty themselves of magical unicorn thinking.

[Cha]

198. Yeah, we get a lot of that "magical unicorn thinking" around

here. I call it ODS.

[bravenak]

201. The ODS is so strong up in here, I can taste the bitterness.

Too many people believe in magic. Barack Obama, the magic man. One stroke of the pen and he can fix it all. I bet he wishes he could just use a magic pen and fix the world. Even if he did, the hatebots would be mad he didn't do it yesterday.

[TheKentuckian]

160. Republican lite turns Republican regular with logic just like this

"They aren't poor they've got refrigerators and air conditioning".

[bravenak]

185. Blaming the president for everything.

Sounds more republican than I ever could.

[TheKentuckian]

192. I'm not so sure that was pretty good. Able to express it without even mentioning a politician or

party is a lot more impressive. That is transcendent in proclamation of ideology. Politicians come and go but ideas are much harder to change so I think you hit a grand slam right to the heart of the underlying philosophy.

[bravenak]

195. You need to break that down for me.

Don't understand what you are trying to say to me at this time.

Willing to listen,though since you're from Kentucky. My Grandad was from there.
I hear Obamacare is going splendidly out there, is it true that poor people are receiving healthcare for the first time in years in your state? I read a story about a man finally getting his diabetes treated after years of not being able to qualify for Medicaid, because of Kentucky accepting the Medicaid expansion. Do you feel like it's making a difference in your community?
My state wont expand Medicaid, because Sean Parnell is like Sister Sarah's baby brother. Straight up dedicated to business, and expansion of oil drilling. I wish we had your governor.

[Bobbie Jo]

57. OFFS

What disingenuous, simplistic nonsense.

There is no honest discussion here.

[aquart]

79. Correct. Lotta ignorant, screeching hysteria, though.

NONE OF WHICH WOULD BE NECESSSARY IF SO MANY DEMS HADN'T PREFERRED POUTING TO VOTING IN 2010.

Obama ain't perfect. Oh, the shock!

But the bloody fucking NERVE of anyone trying to put these cuts on Obama's head instead of where it belongs: the insane Republicans. You know, the ones so many of you keep claiming are no different from the Democrats.

[rbrnmw]

129. and many are telling folks to stay home in 2014 too.

How can any member of the Democratic party advocate staying at home after what happened in 2010?

[Cha]

200. Oh really? Well they won't be around here during election time..

they have to go back into the woodwork.

Vote for Democrats.

Winning elections is important — therefore, advocating in favor of Republican nominees or in favor of third-party spoiler candidates that could split the vote and throw an election to our conservative opponents is never permitted on Democratic Underground. But that does not mean that DU members are required to always be completely supportive of Democrats. During the ups-and-downs of politics and policy-making, it is perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about the Democratic officials we worked hard to help elect. When we are not in the heat of election season, members are permitted to post strong criticism or disappointment with our Democratic elected officials, or to express ambivalence about voting for them. In Democratic primaries, members may support whomever they choose. But when general election season begins, DU members must support Democratic nominees (EXCEPT in rare cases where were a non-Democrat is most likely to defeat the conservative alternative, or where there is no possibility of splitting the liberal vote and inadvertently throwing the election to the conservative alternative). For presidential contests, election season begins when both major-party nominees become clear. For non-presidential contests, election season begins on Labor Day. Everyone here on DU needs to work together to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of American government. If you are bashing, trashing, undermining, or depressing turnout for our candidates during election season, we'll assume you are rooting for the other side.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=termsofservice

[sheshe2]

207. Thank you for posting that Cha! nt

[Cha]

208. Yeah,

I found it!

"If you are bashing, trashing, undermining, or depressing turnout for our candidates during election season, we'll assume you are rooting for the other side."



she

[sheshe2]

210. Bingo!

That graphic says it all!

Cha~

[neverforget]

219. Except that Democrats voted in 2010. The base turned out. The reason why we lost was

because we lost independents. Blaming the base for not voting in 2010 is wrong.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010-midterms-political-price-economic-pain/story?id=12041739

The Republicans relied on differential turnout. Among Tuesday's voters, 46 percent voted for Obama in 2008, 45 percent for John McCain -- an election Obama won by 53-45 percent. Thirteen percent of Obama voters defected to Republicans for Congress, while 8 percent of McCain voters favored Democrats. And among other voters -- the 8 percent who either didn't vote, or voted for someone else, in 2008 -- Republicans won by 57-36 percent.

GOP candidates scored better than they have in decades among some key demographic groups. Consider:

Women voted 49-48 percent for Democratic vs. Republican House candidate -- the best for Republicans among women in national House vote in exit polls since 1982. Obama won women by 13 points in 2008.

Democrats and Republicans were at parity in self-identification nationally, 36-36 percent, a return to the close division seen in years before 2008, when it broke dramatically in the Democrats' favor, 40-33 percent.

Swing-voting independents who, as usual, made the difference, favored Republicans for House by a thumping 16 points, 55-39 percent. Compare that to Obama's 8-point win among independents in 2008. It was the Republicans' biggest win among independents in exit polls dating to 1982 (by two points. The GOP won independents by 14 points in 1994, the last time they took control of the House.)

We barely won women and we got thumped by independents. That's why we lost.

[laundry_queen]

224. You won't get a response

They prefer to keep repeating the same lie, because it makes them feel better. Kinda reminds me of another type of person who does that.

[neverforget]

234. I know. Sometimes the truth is

hard to accept.

[davidpdx]

222. The head screecher even showed up in the thread to grace us with

their presence.

[FSogol]

126. Exactly. n/t

[leftynyc]

81. It sounds like you don't understand how

our government works. The President can only sign laws after they've passed both houses of congress. Blaming Pres Obama is lazy, simpleminded thinking.

[Cali_Democrat]

94. Bernie Sanders voted for those same cuts. nt

[kelliekat44]

140. Stop bringing in inconvenient truths. nt

[okaawhatever]

139. No, Obama has not cut them twice. Stop lying. The stimulus expired. It was a temporary

measure with an ending date, congress couldn't get an extension passed. What was the other cut? The one where they stopped 16 states from calculating their food stamp benefits differently from all the other states? The one even Elizabeth Warren signed?

Your not excused. Lies like this never are.

[okaawhatever]

155. Please don't tell lies about the President. He didn't vote to cut food stamps twice.

The first was the end of the stimulus. Did President Obama sign an end the stimulus bill? No, the stimulus was enacted with an expiration date. That date came and the food stamp stimulus package ended. PERIOD. The second portion was in the farm bill and it leveled the playing field and forced the 16 states and D.C. to calculate their food stamps the same way every other state does. That had the effect of cutting food stamps for some in those states, but one has to question how much of a cut it truly is when the recipients were only forced to play by the same rules as everyone else.

[bahrbearian]

169. But your working on it ,right. Whose next? Al Jazerra.

[pnwmom]

178. You think he should have vetoed the bills? Apparently YOU don't care about unemployed people,

that is, the millions of unemployed people who would have then been denied an extension of their unemployment benefits if he vetoed those bills.

If he'd vetoed those bills he'd have been vetoing the extension of unemployment insurance benefits. That was the only choice in front of him. It was a poison pill.

Are you certain you would have vetoed those bills? Don't you care about the unemployed?

[cali]

5. I don't hate President Obama but I think his economic policies largely favor

corporations and the wealthy.

That deserves a lot of criticism.

[kelliekat44]

10. He is pragmatic. Just watch the next two years... nt. We all have something to bemoan

but overall, I think he has been a great President.

[Wilms]

18. Never mind Obama. I see "future President" written on Chelsea's face and in her demeanor.

And anyone who recognizes pragmatism would agree!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023730725

That said, what's most dear to me is my Justin Beiber poster. Got it on the wall over my bed.

Not that I don't swoon over Obama, mind you.

[upaloopa]

68. Watch the next two years? I remember last year hearing the

second term would finally be a turn to the left. So two years on and we have cut that to the last two years.
Open your eyes. We do not have a progressive President. We have someone who is good at talking about progressive issues but not delivering on them.
We have a weak stimulus and an a free market health care bill and a dead terrorist leader from the first Black Predident. That is the legacy.

[sheshe2]

209. Lot's more at the link!

1. Appointing two Supreme Court Justices: When people consider their presidential voting decision, most don’t consider that amongst the most important and enduring presidential responsibilities is the president’s ability to appoint supreme court justices. This is arguably a president’s biggest opportunity to influence his country, because Supreme Court justices sit until they retire or pass away, so the impact of his decision generally will last many decades beyond his years as president. Obama has been fortunate enough to have two Supreme Court Justices retire in his first few years in office and he has managed to secure both of his nominations through wise selection and political skill. He has added two Democrats, replacing two moderate Democrats in the process. If a Republican has won the presidency instead, we would now be looking at an unbalanced Supreme Court with six conservatives and only three liberal judges – a balance that would have been in place for many many decades. In the appointment process, Obama also introduced needed diversity to the bench with two more women on the court, bringing the count to a record three women sitting, while also introducing the nation’s first Hispanic to the Supreme Court with his choice of Sotomayor.

2. Passing Universal Healthcare: Obama accomplished what no prior Democrat could in expanding coverage to 32 million more Americans while simultaneously reducing the deficit by an estimated $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years. It delivers on every provision of the Patient Bill of Rights that Bill Clinton unsuccessfully tried to get passed, including making it illegal to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and capping out of pocket expenses when people get sick (so people don’t go in to bankruptcy after getting ill). It helps shift our medical system’s focus to preventative care by covering the cost of early warning tests so our doctors find diseases before they are too advanced - avoiding larger medical expenses down the road and requires the largest and richest American companies to provides insurance for all their employees. It attempts to lower health care costs by forcing all Americans to have medical insurance and pay their fair share so the system is more efficient – similar to how all Americans need to have car insurance – while providing tax credits to help the poor and small businesses afford this coverage. It increases competition by creating marketplace exchanges to make it easier for small businesses and those without insurance to shop and compare plans. It funds co-ops who can offer competitive insurance plans and provide further competition for insurance companies. It allows insurance companies to offer plans across state borders further increasing the supply of competitive plans. It provides funding, infrastructure, and support to automate, digitize, and unify the country’s outdated medical information system reducing system-wide costs, improving care, and increasing productivity. Perhaps most importantly, it sets up an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify and root out medical system waste, fraud, and abuse and includes many pieces of reform that will reduce the most wasteful medical system practices.

3. Financial industry reform: The most sweeping financial industry reform legislation since the Great Depression, this legislation tries to correct those industry issues that helped create the current recession we are still digging outselves out of. It provides a system to allow the government to break apart large financial institutions that threaten the economy, creates a council of federal regulators to coordinate the detection of risks to the financial system, subjects a wider range of financial companies to government oversight, creates a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to help protect citizens from unscrupulous practices, and reins in banks’ ability to trade in risky financial instruments such as credit derivatives.

4. Preventing a 2nd Great Depression: While preventing a depression is not sexy and certainly is reactive, history may say that this is still one of his most important accomplishment to date. The vast majority of economists and experts say that the nation had a high chance of slipping in to a Depression had this stimulus not passed along with the innovative actions of the Fed. Obama has worked with Bernanke and the Fed, put a team of some of the best economic minds around him, helped save America’s 3 major car manufacturers from going out of business, passed the largest economic Stimulus Bill in the nation’s history, and executed other legislative changes to keep liquidity flowing in our economy, save jobs that would have otherwise been lost, and fund areas of our economy that are strategic and important for our long term economic competitiveness including health care, education, green energy, science, and infrastructure.

http://3chicspolitico.com/president-obamas-accomplishments/

Open your eyes!

[ann---]

134. Pragmatic means

republican-lite. He has kissed so much GOP butt since the day he was elected to his first term that it makes me want to vomit.

[ProSense]

11. That's

"I don't hate President Obama but I think his economic policies largely favor corporations and the wealthy."

...complete nonsense, but that's not going to stop anyone from pushing that bogus argument it to justify their own constant anti-Obama spin.

The Stimulus worked.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024539986

ARRA and the Earned Income Tax Credit

Update May 31, 2013 — This page has been updated to reflect the fact that the EITC changes under ARRA, which were to expire at the end of 2012, were extended through December 2017 by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

Update Oct. 31, 2011 — This page has been updated to reflect the fact that the EITC changes under ARRA, which were to expire at the end of 2010, were extended through December 2012 by the Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2010.

The earned income tax credit is a refundable credit intended to help people who work but earn modest incomes. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides a temporary increase in the EITC for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children. In 2013, the maximum EITC for this new category is $6,044. ARRA also increased the beginning point of the phaseout range for the credit for all married couples filing a joint return, regardless of the number of children.

In 2013, the credit begins to phase out at $22,870 for married taxpayers filing a joint return with children and completely phases out at $43,210 for one child, $48,378 for two children and $51,567 for three or more children. For married taxpayers filing a joint return with no children, the credit begins to phase out at $13,310 and completely phases out at $19,680.

These changes applied to 2009 and 2010 tax returns under ARRA, and were extended by the Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2010 to apply to 2011 and 2012 tax returns. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extended these temporary ARRA increases for five years through December 2017.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/ARRA-and-the-Earned-Income-Tax-Credit

Krugman: Obama and the One Percent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024391415


The heatlh care law also raised the payroll tax for high income earners and taxed investment income.

Net Investment Income Tax

A new Net Investment Income Tax goes into effect starting in 2013. The 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax applies to individuals, estates and trusts that have certain investment income above certain threshold amounts. The IRS and the Treasury Department have issued proposed regulations on the Net Investment Income Tax. Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail or hand delivered to the IRS. For additional information on the Net Investment Income Tax, see our questions and answers.

Additional Medicare Tax

A new Additional Medicare Tax goes into effect starting in 2013. The 0.9 percent Additional Medicare Tax applies to an individual’s wages, Railroad Retirement Tax Act compensation, and self-employment income that exceeds a threshold amount based on the individual’s filing status. The threshold amounts are $250,000 for married taxpayers who file jointly, $125,000 for married taxpayers who file separately, and $200,000 for all other taxpayers. An employer is responsible for withholding the Additional Medicare Tax from wages or compensation it pays to an employee in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year. The IRS and the Department of the Treasury have issued proposed regulations on the Additional Medicare Tax. Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail or hand delivered to the IRS. For additional information on the Additional Medicare Tax, see our questions and answers.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Affordable-Care-Act-Tax-Provisions

[kelliekat44]

17. Don't fall the reframe here. My original post is what i want to focus on. Thanks for your comments

but these tactics by ...you know who and others to push the discussion only in the direction they want to rail against is getting very old.

[Bluenorthwest]

70. What was the focus of your OP? When I see the word 'hate' being thrown around I think of

what heterosexuals are doing to LGBT people in Uganda, Russia, Arizona even. I do not see political disagreement as 'hate'. I think it is a disgusting misuse of a powerful word. I have to wonder when I read an OP like yours what do you call open violence against minority groups, do you say 'that's just like disagreeing with Obama!'. Do you think beating people then jailing them for life is equal to saying 'I think your trade policy sucks'? Seriously?
Hate. A word privileged straight and affluent folks toss around like a nerf ball because they never, ever have to face the real thing. This week, of all weeks. Sickening.
Divisive, hyperbolic and tone deaf to the international current events.

[Cali_Democrat]

99. Obama is the most pro-LGBT President in history...

and it just burns you up, don't it?

[Bluenorthwest]

191. I worked hard to elect him and I'm thrilled with many things he has done along with LGBT

activists to advance equality. What I don't care for is the use of the word 'hate' to describe political disagreement. Which is what I said. I was born into a Democratic family who supported him in Illinois from the Statehouse onward, I have voted for the man 4 times. I support and work for Democrats, Barack Obama is the best politician I have ever seen. He is also the most useful to those of us who know how to work the way he works. Several of my personal long term political goals have been accomplished with Obama. None of those goals were met by standing around playing love songs to Obama, nor could they have been. That crap is not what he wants, he wants friction, which is how things get fired up, ready to go.
My comment here was not about Barack Obama, who is a great man. It was about posters here who use the term 'hate' to mean 'you don't agree with me'. Pumping up rhetoric around political discussion is the path to unhinged and undemocratic culture, such as we see in Uganda and in Arizona. Thinking poorly of a trade agreement is not hate. To keep calling it that is an act of betrayal to the democratic process, to your neighbors, and to those very real humans around the world who today will die or suffer great loss because of actual hate heaped upon them.
My criticism here is for DU posters, none of whom qualify to hide behind Barack Obama. He does not use such absurd hyperbole. He knows such rhetoric is unwise and unhealthy. If you support him so strongly, I wish devoutly you would pattern after some of his traits and methods. He is kind spoken even to terrible people. Some who say that they are 'supporters' of him more than others are speak venomously even to their fellow Democrats, the very people who made Obama President of the United States.
If you support him, imitate him and stop using hype up bullshit rhetoric that never leads to anything good and often leads to horrors.

[cali]

9. His economic policies largely favor the wealth and corporations and

his appointments all too often reflect that.

I don't hate him at all, but I don't like a lot of his policies- from his drone policies (do you know what those policies are?) to the TPP.

[Maedhros]

135. I'm with you. "Hatred" or "love" for a politician is irrelevant.

What matters is what that politician does.

I judge actions, not people.

[BlueCaliDem]

19. ODS born out of ingrained racism has got a LOT to do with it, kelliekat.

Even in a VW auto manufacturing plant in Chattenooga, Tennessee, no matter what America's propaganda outlets are saying.

And although President Obama can't be blamed for America's hatred and loathing - on both sides of the political aisle - of a black man in the White House, we can't deny that hatred for his skin color has worked against him and this country.

The ingrained racism that has infested this country like the HIV virus since the Civil War has played and continues to play an important role in the rise and resilience of racist Teabaggers and Republitarians, which was skillfully coddled and utilized by millionaires and billionaires who have been pining for the overthrow of the U.S. Gov't and the usurping of the U.S. Constitution since, well, the Civil War and the end of legalized slavery.

The palpable racism and xenophobia among a large segment of the American populace is the problem. The disrespect they were taught by loving parents to show "the others" continues to manifest in the ugliest ways against this president and his family, and it's made large parts of the populace so rabid with it that they'd vote against their and their family's financial interests just to satiate their innate hatred for that black man in the White House.

Directly, no, President Obama can't and should never be blamed for other people's prejudices. But it's hard for me to see that his skin color had nothing to do with electing racists and xenophobes to the People's House after 2010 that's now driving the change for the worse in our country.

[sabrina 1]

48. So what caused the 'hatred' for Bush? I didn't hate him either, but his policies, which

are mostly still in effect, are what I hated. Most people are not so invested in politicians personally these days, considering how many problems they have, loss of their jobs, homes, the futures of their children, the realization they cannot afford college for the children, that the LAST Thing they are thinking of is politicians.

This nonsense won't win any votes if that's the purpose of it. But keep it up if you think it is a good campaign strategy to DISMISS the suffering of the poor and call it 'racism' or whatever other nonsensical phraseology you can come with.

I find it disgusting the way in order to protect political parties in this country, the people are simple laughed at. Something I thought was done only by Bush supporters back then.

[BlueCaliDem]

72. Weren't you around in December 2000? How can you, as a Democrat, forget?

That's when my deep loathing for Duhbya began as it did with many, many, MANY other Democrats and sensible Liberals because he and his cronies, his brother, and his daddy's pals on SCOTUS disenfranchised Jewish and Black voters - mostly Black voters - in Florida - a State VP Al Gore actually won despite their attempts. I'm surprised you'd already forgotten that. Fancy that.

And today, every single Republican and Republitarian hates Duhbya for "his policies" - i.e., they weren't conservative enough and they didn't kill the middle-class fast enough. So you're not unique in that. Hatred for Duhbya is universal on both sides of the political spectrum - and for the same reasons. But I was there from the get-go, ever since December 2000.

And you are 100% wrong to believe that "most people" aren't invested in politicians. That's pure bull, and you know it. So stop selling that milquetoast meme.

NO Democrat, least of all this president, dismisses the poor, but if you don't believe (and I know you do, so stop it already) that his skin color has got nothing to do with the rise of the Teabaggers and Republitarians in this country . . . I might have a bridge to sell you in Gravina, Alaska.

[sabrina 1]

98. Oh, I remember 2000 and I remember why I despised Republicans. Loathing is not

an emotion, for human beings that is, that I experienced. All I wanted was for the criminals, war criminals, Wall St. criminals to be held accountable in proportion to the crimes against the people, against humanity, they were guilty of, for the lies they told to get us into war.

But we were, amazingly, told to forget all that, worse, to look the other way as these crooks were rewarded.

I remember why we worked so hard to put Democrats in power, THOSE were the reasons, or some of them.

But we got Republicans nominated to Security and Defense positions, keeping in place the very policies we loathed and were told to shut up about it.

Then we saw the chained CPI placed on the table by a Democratic President.

We were lied to and told that this would not cut SS benefits. No one told us THEN it was just a big trick Dems were playing on Repubs. Nope, we were slammed for insisting that the chained CPI WAS cuts to SS.

When that defense no longer worked, because people are not STUPID, we got the 'has he done it yet' distraction.

Now it's an election year. Liberal groups and SS advocacy groups have slammed Dems for this betrayal. So it's suddenly 'off the table'.

For now. Until after the election. We are not stupid, most of us don't loathe people, we loathe policies and we loathe being taken for fools.

We pressured Dems to get the Chained CPI off the table, at least for now.

Facts are facts and no amount of convoluted, ever changing excuses changes facts and we are all older and wiser than we were a decade ago.

I don't care whether politicians care or don't care about whatever, being pragmatic about it, all that matters is that WE care and that WE put enough pressure on the to make sure the serve the PEOPLE, not the Corporations who fund them.

[ProSense]

74. Oh please,

"So what caused the 'hatred' for Bush? I didn't hate him either, but his policies, which are mostly still in effect, are what I hated."

...that's just lame and inaccurate. Look around at how the good things that Obama does largely goes ignored, if not dismissed outright. Yet if something hasn't been accomplished yet or didn't turn out as one hoped (see the Farm bill), especially due to Republican obstruction, it's used to bash the President over the head.

One of the silliest statements I've seen in response to Republican obstruction is basically: Yeah, we know Republicans are bad, that's to be expected, but Obama isn't even making the case.

That's so absurd on the face of it. The President has traveled all over the country many times pushing his case for years in high-profile speeches.

To acknowledge Republican obstruction, and then expect the President to magically overcome it, without compromise, is absurd.

I mentioned the Farm bill as a good example because despite the knowledge that Republicans were pushing big cuts and that Democrats in the Senate had already voted for cuts, the outrage didn't reach critical mass until the bill was sent to Obama. Then it, a bill negotiated by Senate Democrats, was used to bash him over the head.

[Iliyah]

102. Dem's keep the Senate and re-take the house

and many of the slashing will be restored.

I'm constantly seeing RW propaganda on this site. The regurgitation of the RW talking points, which in RWers minds will keep many from the polls just out of frustration which is a win win scenario. After the 2014 elections we will have the same bullshit tactics that will further eff up Americans but alas guess who gets the brunt of the blame fueled by corporate media and yours truly some DUers.

[SMC22307]

61. Simplistic. What caused the "hatred" for Clinton? Carter?

JFK?

Obamacare is the primary reason we lost "the People's House" in 2010. And since Obama is now speaking up about 2014, he knows it'll again be an issue.

Read "What's the Matter with Kansas?" Folks have been voting against their interests for a lonnnnng time, well before black Obama.

[rbrnmw]

95. EXCUSE Me??

Obamacare is the problem?? JFK, Carter, and Clinton were treated just as badly??? Please explain? President Carter was the first to call out the racists for their hatred of the POTUS.

[SMC22307]

144. Well, one was accused of murder; another, um assassinated.

Carter was relentlessly attacked: dumb Southern peanut farmer, micro-manager, weak on defense, radical environmentalist, bad for the economy, and I forget all what else. Racism is A factor; it's not the ONLY factor. Are people on this site very young, or very new to politics?

DUers seem to be in denial about how much hatred of the ACA led to 2010. And in case you hadn't noticed, the Koch brothers and AFP are pouring zillions of dollars into states with close 2014 midterm races. Don't say you weren't warned. Obama and the Democrats better hit every fucking state in jeopardy, and sell the ACA as to why it's a GOOD thing for the country. Cuz you know the haterz!1!! are gonna vote. In droves.

[BlueCaliDem]

108. And you dare call MY post simplisitic when yours is so superficial

it goes beyond simplistic thinking?? Or do they call that wishful thinking?

What caused the "hatred" for Clinton? Carter?

You dare compare the "hatred" for Clinton and Carter to the visceral hatred against President Obama?? Really? Whoa boy. You need to do some serious research, specifically on the alarming rise of racist hate-groups when Obama was elected.

The hatred against President Carter was because he was a DEMOCRAT, and Corporate America worked HARD to get their puppet Reagan into the WH - even to the point of illegal activity.

The hatred against Clinton? Same crap. He was a DEMOCRAT, with the added baggage that he dare unseat a Republican, a Bush, no less, and made him a one-term president. But both Clinton and Carter were presidents in a time when people were still reliant on corporate news media that did their damnedest to propagate every single Democrat as the devil incarnate. Successfully.

Clinton won a second term because he wore the moniker "the first black president" - and all minorities felt a kinship with him. He would've otherwise been a one-termer like Carter, too.

Even in 2012, and according to a Pew Research study, America's corporate propaganda outlets have worked diligently to get away with using the power of the pen, airwaves, cable networks, and broadcast to crush President Obama by consistently giving him the lion's share of negative coverage compared to Mittney and other Republican candidates - with Rick Perry receiving the most favorable coverage.

Fortunately for Obama, minorities of all shades, and some really sensible Liberals, didn't listen. Most get their news online anyway, and with MSNBC separating the wheat from the chaff (another and very important variable not open to either Clinton or Carter in their days), their scam on the American people failed.

Also, let's not forget, the Teabagger Party only rose to prominence under the presidency of a BLACK man. So let's stop deluding ourselves into thinking skin color has got nothing to do with it. This isn't Europe, where that can be safely debated. This is America, land of the KKK, White Supremacists, White privilege with a history of horrific treatment of all people of color.

[SMC22307]

148. Yes, SIMPLISTIC.

Racism is A factor; it's not the ONLY factor.

"Sensible Liberals"?

[Bluenorthwest]

77. Your HIV reference is very much in need of context, as is you preaching on prejudice. You:

"Gay marriage is for me unthinkable, but Civil Unions have my 100% vote. I believe that marriage is something done in churches, and the Bible does speak negatively about homosexuality.
However, allowed to be "married" by a Mayor, or a power-invested civil servant for gays, and lesbians, is right, and good.? "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1352110

[QC]

121. Don't forget GeeGee.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023137494#post232

[SMC22307]

162. Do they really think that's clever?

They must, because it's used at this site with some frequency: GeeGee, GiGi, GG. Interestingly, most of it comes from the BOG, all while wrapped in the rainbow flag...

[QC]

168. In fairness, most junior high children would find it screamingly funny

for someone to refer to a gay man by a woman's name, and that's pretty much the level of maturity we're dealing with here.

I'll never forget the first time I logged in to DU and found a thread where people were posting pinup photos of politicians and sighing and swooning over how dreamy they were. Not only the president, but even the likes of Arne Duncan and Jason Furhman. It was a whole new DU.

[SMC22307]

170. I missed that thread, thankfully.

The swooning reminds me of the movie "The Candidate" with Robert Redford.

[QC]

172. There were many, many such threads.

For a couple of years, they were practically a DU institution.

The only thing more embarrassing than the swooning was when the swooners tried to discuss policy.

I will never forget a thread about Paul Krugman's assertion that the president's stimulus proposal was too small. Though Krugman supplied plenty numbers demonstrating that lost demand was much greater than the proposed stimulus, one of the more giddy fans confidently declared that the real issue here was simple jealousy, because Obama undoubtedly got a lot of female attention in college and Krugman presumably didn't, being such a geek and all.

Hard to know how to reply to something like that.

[SMC22307]

177. Wow, that's pretty pitiful.

I do seem to recall a post somewhere about Krugman being a dud a cocktail parties. Which *totally* convinced me that he knows nothing, and all hail Obama. (I guess that's how it's supposed to work?)

[SMC22307]

156. "Gay marriage is for me unthinkable,"

WOW.

[Skittles]

232. that's the way hypocrites think

gays can get on the bus, as long as they sit in the back

[kelliekat44]

137. Except that these people have been voting against their own interests long before Obama came on the

scene. They did it before out of sheer ignorance. Now they do it out of sheer hate.

[SMC22307]

165. "Pro-life" voters, many willing to gun down doctors and blow up abortion clinics...

vote against their interests out of sheer hate. "Values" voters are nothing but hate. They hate gun-grabbin' libruls, environmentalists, gays, the ACLU, San Francisco, the East Coast, intellectuals, Muslims, hippies, the '60s, etc. This has been going on LONG before Obama hit the scene.

Again, racism is A factor; it's not the ONLY factor.

[kelliekat44]

173. You are correct. nt

[2naSalit]

31. I take issue with your

claim that disagreement equates with hate. Not so! I voted for BHO every time but I certainly don't give him carte blanche on every issue. He NEVER did anything to reel in the banksters after they robbed us blind and still allows them to do so and he has signed too many Bills that contained poison pill legislation (poison for us not anyone with a million bucks or more) and his leadership on environmental issues is abysmal.

So I have many more grievances but hate is nowhere close to my high level of disagreement.

Need some hemostats to remove those scales from your eyes? Got a pair right here.

[SMC22307]

65. You never thought you'd see the day when the US was fighting unions?

Really?

[JustAnotherGen]

80. I hate that we had to

Subsidize crop insurance. That's what it came down to. . .

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/09/republicans-we-were-too-nice-to-the-hungry.html

Republicans hate domestic spending, but their hatred is not completely indiscriminate. Some programs offend them more, and others less. The general pattern is that social programs offend Republicans to the degree that they benefit the poor, sick, or otherwise unfortunate. The struggle over the farm bill is not the biggest policy dispute in American politics, but it is the one that most clearly reveals the priorities and ideological identity of the contemporary GOP.

The farm bill traditionally combines agriculture subsidies (which hands out subsidies to people on the arbitrary basis that the business they own produces food as opposed to some other goods or services) with food stamps (which hands out subsidies to people on the highly nonarbitrary basis that they’re poor enough to likely have trouble scraping together regular meals). Conservative Republicans revolted against the normally automatic passage, insisting that the cuts to food stamps — $20 billion — did not slice deeply enough. Last night the House rectified its failure by cutting food stamps by $40 billion.

The putative rationale for the food-stamp cuts is that eligibility standards have loosened, or that it encourages sloth. Jonathan Cohn makes quick work of these claims, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities makes long, detailed work of them. Click on those links if you want a blow-by-blow refutation. The upshot is that food stamps are a meager subsidy, of less than $1.40 per meal, for people either stuck in very low paid jobs or unable to find work at all. Their cost has increased because the recession has increased the supply of poor, desperate people. Republicans have offered specious comparisons to welfare reform, but that law both offered funds for job training and was passed in a full-employment economy. Neither of these conditions holds true of the GOP’s food-stamp cuts, whose only significant result would be the first-order effect of making very poor people hungrier.

CNN reported last night that Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, a Republican supporter of the bill, received a daily meal allowance of $127.41, or 91 times the average daily food-stamp benefit. Lucas is also notable as a recipient of the agriculture subsidies his committee doles out: He and his wife have collected more than $40,000 worth.

Direct Link to the House Agriculture Committee:
https://agriculture.house.gov/bill/agricultural-act-2014


Bill Summary - http://agriculture.house.gov/sites/republicans.agriculture.house.gov/files/pdf/legislation/AgriculturalActSummary.pdf

Repeals Direct Payments and limits producers to risk management tools that offer protection when they suffer significant losses.
•Limits on payments are reduced, eligibility rules are tightened, and means tests are streamlined to make farm programs more accountable.
•Strengthens crop insurance, a successful public/private partnership that ensures farmers invest in their own risk management.
•Provides historic reforms to dairy policy by repealing outdated and ineffective dairy programs. Offers producers a new, voluntary, margin protection program without imposing government-mandated supply controls.
•Reauthorizes and strengthens livestock disaster assistance.
•Supports small businesses and beginning farmers and ranchers with training and access to capital.


And what really sucks about this? There is now zero transparency about who 'wins'. You know? Like all of those Republican legislators from rural districts - oh like - I don't know - the Dishonorable Frank Mr. Lucas with his $40K in handouts. And I highly doubt small family farms and upstarts are going to receive a thin red cent from this.

The Republicans will do anything they can to cheat me when I pay my taxes.

[progressoid]

83. Critcizm = hate? Got it.

[beerandjesus]

124. Nailed it.

And that's why I don't post much on here, even though I'm on every day.

I don't feel like bickering about silly shit with people who, at the end of the day, are my allies.


And this OP is silly, silly shit.

[Puglover]

159. Silly silly

hyperbolic divisive shit.

Same for me. I read DU daily. Most of the time with eyes in the rolled position.

Totally agree.

[alarimer]

86. Criticism does not equal hate.

Yes, there is actual hate, but it comes from the right. I do not wish to minimize that.

However, every time there is substantive criticism of Obama's policies (some of which actually are Bush's policies, held over, whether you choose to acknowledge that or not), such criticism is equated to hate, which is absurd.

My vote and support is ENTIRELY dependent on what they do and say during the campaign as well as what they do after being elected. I do not and will not simply vote for someone because they happen to have a D after their name. And that includes the president.

For me, Obama has been mostly disappointing. I would not vote for him again, given the opportunity. But that doesn't mean I hate him. I don't like him much as a politician. As a person, I'm sure he's nice enough.

[valerief]

93. What would life be like if Bill Clinton hadn't signed the Modernization Act of 1999

which allowed for the commercial and investment bank merger and the creation of credit default swaps which allowed for 2008 economic collapse and the trillions in debt? Well, maybe no different, as the PNAC coup and 9-11 fix was already in which led to massive war profiteering, still ongoing.

But maybe...

[bravenak]

101. Not to mention welfare reform.

It hurts the poor to this very day.

[JustAnotherGen]

110. Exactly

Along with the class of 94 . . . It was no biggie then - but then again - things were "different" back then. The 'victims' were the 'others' and that was just hunky dunky aok fine.

[bravenak]

188. Now it's everybody, so it matters more than when it was just us or gay people being screwed.

DADT was another screwup that Obama had to fix. Imagine being a surviving spouse of a military person who was killed in action under DADT. Kept surviving spouses silenced and poor with no recourse.
I'm sure we can go back in time an pin it on Obama.

[corkhead]

113. I voted for "Hope" and "Change"

Frankly, I don't feel that I got the latter, and I KNOW didn't get the former.

[Cha]

196. Then you'll have to take that cork out of your head and study up on what's really has been

done during these last 6 years.

[corkhead]

235. I am not blaming Obama

He just sold me a product he couldn't deliver. Frankly, I'm not sure anyone can, hence my discouragement

[Pretzel_Warrior]

114. The regulars on DU routinely attacking Obama are miserable souls

They pretend that a)Obama can wave a magic wand and affect change without congressional support, and b)some of their personal hardships are their own damn fault and blaming Obama solves nothing except as an outlet for chronic complainers.

[rbrnmw]

118. "Some of their personal hardships are their own damn fault"?

I take exception with this part of your post and would like to hear an explanation.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

122. It means what I said. I'm not going to detail

The litany of woe I have heard here, but some issues were clearly out of a poster's control such as being laid off and finding new employment hard to come by.

Other problems that have been mentioned are more due to the individual's failure to take corrective action in their own life.

Or do you believe 100% of the problems people have are externally caused?

[Phlem]

123. ...

-p

[progressoid]

130. Agreed.

[Phlem]

133. lol!

Dude you got me giggling like beavis and butthead. I need to steal that image if you don't mind.



-p

[progressoid]

150. Take it!

I found it a couple weeks ago. Came in handy sooner than I had imagined.

[bullwinkle428]

153. Wow, I guess I should have expected the "bootstraps" meme to start

getting pushed at some point here. Didn't think today would be the day, though.

[TheKentuckian]

166. Statements like this show the transition from Republican lite to Republican regular

"These lazy bastards need to take individual responsibility for their lives, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and stop blaming others for their own failures".

[Pretzel_Warrior]

214. Most Dems in the U.S. would agree

[JI7]

204. they get most upset when Obama doesn't do the horrible thing they kept saying he would

[Walk away]

119. Does anyone actually believe that if there was a Democratic majority in Congress...

that there would be a bill that included cuts to food stamps? Does anyone believe that the President was happy about having to cut a deal that included those cut?

Then why not stop whining about it and focus your energy on getting rid of republicans in Congress and every other level of government? Constantly harping on the fact that, even with the Presidency, Democrats aren't strong enough to protect our safety net is going to get us nowhere. The 2014 elections are the only thing that will save the poor children who need that food.

[JustAnotherGen]

120. I know your topic got derailed

By me included -

But until it gets really really bad - those IndieTeaps aren't going to wake up. Maybe when a few realize that they voted against their own way to eat - they will see the light?

In the meantime - I DO believe there is something that happened a few years ago that drove the already weak minded off the rails. Their insanity has 'colored' my world view with it's shrill bleating from the likes of people like Cruz and the Pauls and Sister Sarah Alaskastan. That's the prevalent thought pattern that is beginning to take over.

And as a result - I'm hardening my heart towards others and moving towards a position of - If I'm not for me, then who will be?

I understand that the entire way to keep Democrats in office is to cater to a very narrow cross section of white males in America - but if you don't dance with the one who brung ya - she'll keep a slot on her dance card open just in case something better comes along.

And right now - I'm not convinced that the way the parties are and general beliefs today - will be the same in ten years.

[Phlem]

125. yet everybody on this site voted for him at least once

if not twice. Yep we hate him that much.



-p

[kelliekat44]

141. I think you don't really know who posts on this site now. And surely you exxagerate when you say

"everybody."

[Phlem]

145. Did I say now?

"I think you don't really know who posts on this site now."

Of course, I was in the process of exposing a new members bullshit when all of his posts disappeared, apparently a troll.

"And surely you exxagerate when you say everbody.

*see reply to first comment*

I think the man I voted for twice is not the man in office right now and I would venture quite a few people agree with me.

-p



PS I'm sure you remember his acceptance speech when he uttered for the first time "I'm a new Democrat". Third way much?

[grahamhgreen]

128. No, we do t get what we vote for. They lie:)

[Zorra]

131. I always vote for the best candidate that has a chance of winning in general

elections. The candidate who has the greatest possibility of making some progress. This is always a Democrat. The opponent of the Democrat is always a regressive republican, and there it is always a 100% sure thing that the republican will be responsible for social, economic and political regression. Republicans in office mean less than zero progress.

That in no way means that the Democrat I vote(d) for was the best person for the job, just that they were the only pragmatic choice under the circumstances.

[840high]

136. I don't see

hate. Disagreeing is not hate.

[NRaleighLiberal]

147. Lockstep worship of a person never does any good. What we stand for here at DU

are particular policies and principles. If we don't fight for the appropriate policies and principles, then we are just as bad as those on the other side that hang on every word of their own particular faves.

I respect and admire our president and acknowledge what he is up against. But I will never, ever back away from criticism of any elected leader if I have differences with issues or approaches.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

149. In a democracy, it is the peoples' responsibility to hold public servants accountable.

Even if they have a (D) after their name.

[OnyxCollie]

161. Obama gave 140 characters worth of union support.

140 characters. That's the limit. Do you think he's got a magic wand or sumptin'?

[muriel_volestrangler]

167. What are you talking about? Can you give us a clue?

I looked up 'Obama' and 'unions' on Google News, and I get:

Obama weighs in on contentious union vote at Volkswagen plant

President Barack Obama on Friday waded into a high-stakes union vote at Volkswagen AG's plant in Tennessee, accusing Republican politicians who oppose unionization of being more concerned about German shareholders than U.S. workers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-autos-vw-election-idUSBREA1D1DP20140214

So, Obama is pro-union there. Are you saying there are DUers opposing both Obama and the unions on that?

Or is it this, from today:

Big Labor’s Mounting Feud with Barack Obama

The AFL-CIO, Teamsters and construction trades unions are pressing for administration approval of the Keystone XL pipeline between Canada and the Gulf Coast to create thousands of jobs for their members. But so far, Obama has shared the concerns of environmental groups that the pipeline won’t produce many permanent jobs and could pose an environmental threat.

Major labor groups say the Affordable Care Act is undercutting union-sponsored health insurance programs and will encourage employers in the long term to cut workers’ hours to avoid having to provide them with health insurance.

They complain that Obamacare may end up “destroying” the union’s multi-employer health plans. Under the administration’s current interpretation of Obamacare, union members with so-called “Taft-Hartley“ non-profit plans would not be entitled to tax subsidies available to others; they might also get hit with federal taxes to help offset the cost of those subsidies.

Organized labor is also strongly opposed to two proposed free-trade agreements that the administration is trying to push through Congress on a fast-track basis. Displeased with the impact of NAFTA and other major trade agreements, labor leaders fear that the new ones could hurt local jobs and industries.

- See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/02/19/Big-Labor-s-Mounting-Feud-Barack-Obama#sthash.eQlUq9NV.z1WnURBl.dpuf

Which stance are you upset about? I just can't tell from your OP.

[Rex]

175. I would like to know too. I've never heard of Obama being against unions.

But maybe I am reading the OP wrong.

[Orsino]

171. When our best hope is also part of the problem...

...more than mild disappointment is going to ensue. When a president fails to acknowledge fundamental problems, he is actively working against at least some of our interests. When his policies appear to be securing his own retirement rather than ours, how are we not to take offense.

I'm not saying he isn't more or less the president he ran as, but every passing day makes him less the president we desperately need. Time really is running out for a chief executive who gets it, and isn't afraid to say it.

If he and the rest of our candidates weren't orders of magnitude better than the other party's, i wouldn't vote Dem, either. Hate is one possible response to the sad state of our post-Citizens part, and I can't say that the haters are wrong.

I just still feel like siding with hope, until the last of it is beaten out of me.

[whathehell]

182. Stop equating "hate" with disagreement and/ or criticism.

PBO is a charming, very likable man, and I truly doubt if ANYONE on this board "hates" him.

It's silly and childish hyperbole to equate disagreement with personal hatred.

[winter is coming]

190. +1. It's a credibility-destroyer, as far as I'm concerned. n/t

[whathehell]

205. Yes it is. Thanks. n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

184. Iirc, you're "flabbergasted"

about once a month. <yawn>

[L0oniX]

199. More false flag hair on fire bull shit!

No one here on DU hates Obama ...get that through your head. Why do you want to turn this into something it isn't? Get a life.

[nadinbrzezinski]

202. Next time I will bring a bigger bowl

and some extra butter.

[kelliekat44]

213. Long thread and no one seems to want to deal with the OP. Sad. Another hijacked thread. nt

[Enrique]

229. people asked what you are talking about regarding unions

i don't think you answered.

What was the union part about in your OP?

[L0oniX]

237. Why not join the BOG? They might agree with you.