Sorry Obama, many think that this is the most corrupt period in U.S. History

[Skwmom]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by one_voice (a host of the 2016 Postmortem forum).

Obama in his recent speech:

But, relative to the past, listen, I’m confident we’ve got enough rules and checks to prevent anyone in my Cabinet from siphoning whiskey tax revenue into their own pockets like President Grant’s administration did. Until FDR went after the ward bosses of Tammany Hall, they controlled judges and politicians as they pleased -- patronage, bribery, and money laundering. It’s not as easy as it was to whip up tens of thousands of phantom votes, whether in Chicago or South Texas.

From the Teapot Dome to Watergate, history tells us we should always be vigilant and demand that our public servants follow the highest ethical standards. But the truth is that the kind of corruption that is blatant, of the sort that we saw in the past, is much less likely in today’s politics. And the Justice Department and the media work hard to keep it that way. And that’s a very good thing. So we don’t want to romanticize the past and think somehow it’s a difference in the people being elected.

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Funny that he should bring that up b/c I've been talking to young voters who took American History and they think that the government corruption they are seeing today far exceeds anything that they learned about in school. The corp media, the guardians of ethics in govt ? And the Justice Dept that did NOT prosecute ONE wall street crook.... He should hire a new speech writer.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/10/remarks-president-address-illinois-general-assembly

Update: By period I don't just mean the 7 years Obama has been in office. This has been going on for years. However, it has just gotten steadily worse. And when speeches like this are given it really makes people wonder..... Oh, and the Democratic Establishment embracing the Clintons and their way of doing business in blunt terms, makes the whole party look like a bunch of damn crooks.

To CLARIFY: People are realizing that MANY of our politicians (REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS) are bought and paid for and do not represent the people. Look at the studies which show who our government has served (and it's not the people).

[yourout]

1. It certainly is the most corrupt in my lifetime.

And we only have one chance to stop it before the big crash.

[dsc]

2. that is utter bullshit

sorry but unless you were born like last week that is total bullshit. Assuming you are old enough to vote (ie born in 1998 or earlier) you at least saw a government that outed a CIA agent, fired federal prosecutors for political reasons, gutted the voting and civil rights divisions of the justice department but somehow Obama who has had zero, count it zero, people in his administration investigated let alone indicted is more corrupt. Really?

[bettyellen]

4. no sense of history. another called Clinton the worse president since Reagan. Where is this

uninformed bullshit coming from?

[still_one]

14. I will hold my tongue, but obviously they are ignorant of so much, it makes them look

ridiculous. The Clinton administration was instrumental in stopping the Bosnia War, and their involvement in the Northern Ireland Peace negotiations was invaluable.

They facilitated the North and South Korean Sunshine talks, and worked so hard getting Israel and the Palestinians to the negotiating table, which as we all know was completely thrown away when bush took office

and of course the most obvious difference, that only a fool wouldn't recognize is the Supreme Court appointments of Reagan verses Clinton. I guess those that make these dumb ass statements must feel that there is no difference between Ginsberg and Scalia.

I am going to stop while I am ahead

[madokie]

20. Betty

When you look at bills track record I can see how some think that. Hell I'm beginning to think that myself and not too long ago I thought the sun rose and set in bills ass. This has been a big change for me and I'm not taking it lightly nor laying down.

[vdogg]

55. Right wing talk radio would be my guess.

[yourout]

5. Really depends on your definition of period. To me it's the last 35 years.

[dsc]

8. again, you lived through the Bush administration

that was within the last 35 years. And again you are claiming that Obama is more corrupt that that. BTW at 35, that goes back to 1980 so you lived through trading arms with hostages.

[yourout]

9. I am not railing on Obama.

I am speaking to the last 35 years as a whole.

[bettyellen]

15. So - equating Obama with Bush 1+ 2, as well as Reagan. WOW. I thought you gave a shit about war.

[TTUBatfan2008]

26. Zero people investigated?

What about the current FBI investigation of Obama's former Secretary of State?

[Stallion]

7. How Long Has Your Lifetime Been

its past your bed time

[kcjohn1]

3. Biggest Obama

Failing is the lack of honesty with voters about how corrupt the system is. He consistently is telling us (rightly) the GOP does not want to govern and they are just being obstructionists. He never says why. He gives us the impression that these politicians are just doing it for personal reasons and its just one big fight, and we can still find common ground if we just all play nice. Ridicolous!

The irony is that GOP is not playing ball because of the tea-wing end which just hates anything Obama. If this was the old GOP they would have struck many business friendly deals with Obama (e.g Big Bargain). I think that Obama's biggest frustration with the deadlock brought by GOP.

[brush]

16. Huh? Read that again. It doesn't make your argument or much sense.

[brush]

6. It always seems that way. I wouldn't go so far

Just remember the last administration. Cheney was the VP and his corporation, Halliburton, was getting no-bid contracts in Iraq to over bill the US treasury one thousand-fold.

Now that's corruption.

And I'm racking my brain right now to think of any scandal in the Obama administration.

Can you think of one?

[Skwmom]

10. Let me define period. n/t

[brer cat]

17. You defined it in your OP as the Obama period

before you decided to update, which didn't really help much. You have no knowledge of history if you are accusing this administration of being corrupt. Some days I think I have wandered into a RW forum.

[FSogol]

18. Yes indeed: "Some days I think I have wandered into a RW forum."

[madokie]

23. I'm with you on that

"Some days I think I have wandered into a RW forum."

[Skwmom]

25. The WHOLE politcal system is corrupt. It has been corrupted by money and no longer works for the

people. Was Joe Biden not being truthful when he said that nothing would be done for the middle class UNTIL the influence of money was gotten rid of (or something to that effect).

[randome]

31. Really? The WHOLE political system? Everything must go? Except for Sanders, of course.

Geeze, I don't know, I kind of like public voting and the way the EPA is trying to do its job and NASA and the Social Security Administration and the way Democrats rail against obstructionist Republicans...but I'm betting you see them all as corrupt, right?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)[/center][/font][hr]

[brer cat]

45. Spin, spin.

You wrote the OP trashing the Obama administration--own it. I am trashing this thread which is exactly where it belongs.

[pacalo]

11. The most corrupt times were BY FAR during the GWBush rigged terms.

[Skwmom]

30. The Bush family is disgusting and such good friends of the Clintons. n/t

[pacalo]

47. Were we taken for a ride...

:sigh:

[Bobbie Jo]

12. Interesting edit.

A little helpful coaching going on here.

[SidDithers]

13. LOL...

just a bit, eh?

Sid

[Skwmom]

21. No. I was just clarifying my comment to explain it did not start in Obama's term.

If I thought that it had, I would NOT have changed my comment.

[Bobbie Jo]

27. Of course.

It fits now, so you're good to go.

[FSogol]

19. Unrec. What a load of utter nonsense.

You know we can see your edits, right?

[Skwmom]

22. Yes. I do know. So what. I CLARIFIED my comment based on a response. As they say, the truth hurts

[FSogol]

24. Pretending the Democratic party is corrupt while ignoring GOP obstruction and malfeasance

seems like something a Republican would do. It is more suitable for Drudge, Rush, or Briebart. Wonder why it shows up on DU? What could it be?

The truth does hurt.

[Skwmom]

28. MANY in the REPUBLICAN and DEMOCRATIC party are corrupt. We are trying to clean up the Democratic

Party. The Republicans need to focus on cleaning up their own party.

Oh, and pitting Democrats against Republicans so they'll support whoever wears this label is NO LONGER working.

[FSogol]

32. LOL, Thanks for the explanation of why you never atack the GOP.

It has always been transparent.



PS. as usual, you are 100% wrong. We aren't trying to clean up our party, we are trying to win the White House in 2016. That what the election is about. By winning the White House, we can nominate more liberal supreme court justices as they retire/leave as well as promote the Democratic party platform. Nonstop attacking of Democrats will just lead to President Trump and put the country (thanks to the USSC) back for decades and decades.

[Skwmom]

39. I have been on this board for a long time. I have spoken out forcefully against the Bush regime.

They will be CORPORATIST judges if a corporatist President wins.

If you think the Supreme Court nominations are going to deliver the Whitehouse to ANY Democrat you are sadly mistaken.

[FSogol]

41. Too bad you forgot about Bush when proclaiming Obama as the most corrupt.

[TTUBatfan2008]

29. Shrug

Other poster said the whole system is corrupt. This includes the GOP. I would think on this website that we are all very aware of GOP corruption. The Republicans are 100% owned by corporations. The point is it's not just the GOP.

I feel sorry for anyone who buries their head in the sand. Corruption is not exclusive to one party. Teddy Roosevelt said corporations should not be allowed to donate money to political campaigns. Both parties take a ton of money from corporations and billionaires. It is impossible that the money has zero effect.

[FSogol]

34. We are trying to win an election. Pretending we are corrupt is a non-winner.

[TTUBatfan2008]

40. Pretending?

More like telling the truth. There are millions around the country who see it and are tired of it.

[RiverLover]

33. "pretending"??? wow

Talk about denial.

Our party is completely purchased by Big Business. Look no further than all the endorsements & superdelegates pledged for the cash cow candidate who leads in Moneyed Interests' "donations". Legal bribes.

Just how far down do you want this country to go, anyways? As long as the team with your stripes "wins".

Winning with a thoroughly corrupt & purchased politician is not winning.

[Skwmom]

35. They think speeches will cover up the truth.

[FSogol]

37. That doesn't make any sense. What speeches?

[FSogol]

36. Would President Trump be a win for us? How about President Cruz?

Pretending is the correct word. No doubt that the system needs changing, but we need to wini it to be able to change it. Attacking the Democratic party will not win the election for the Democrats.

[RiverLover]

42. Our party doesn't stand for ANYTHING other than not being as bad as them.

War for profit
Trade, for lower slave wages & loss of our middle class
Charter schools
Monopolies
Banks writing their own oversight legislation
Fossil fuel companies controlling the EPA
Massive cuts to food assistance for the poor
Massive hikes in rents
Lower wages & more hours across the board

^^^^ All things the Dems do right along with the repubs.

It has to STOP somewhere.

This is a revolution.

[FSogol]

44. Our party is not the same as the GOP. If you can't see that, then nothing will ever help you.

[LuvLoogie]

38. That's President Obama to you.

All Democratic leaders are now being thrown under The Revolution's borrowed bus.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

43. Black man takes the fall for everything at DU. Typical.

[RiverLover]

48. We all voted for the black man.

Many of us put our heart & soul & utter faith in him & worked VERY hard to help get him elected.

He disappointed us, because candidate Obama wasn't real.

Don't be calling this racism, its the opposite. We judge the man, never the skin color.

[redstateblues]

50. Trashing our Democratic President on DU is disgraceful

Considering the mess Obama was handed by Bush he has done a great job. You have been listening to too many Trump speeches.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

52. And blaming him, too, so it doesn't matter.

[Orsino]

46. Corruption has been redefined as freedom.

It's not only legal, it's protected fairly well against any laws we might be able to persuade Congress to pass.

Only the Supreme can undo that.

[redstateblues]

49. What a ridiculous uninformed post

[RiverLover]

51. No corruption here, folks. Moneyed Interests haven't taken over our govt.

Just our imagination.

Move along & enjoy the greatest country in the world!

[speaktruthtopower]

53. Fewer power centers now...

directing the corruption, with manufacturing driven off shore. Also the integration of the most able minorities (including Jews and Catholics) into the formerly WASP elite power structure has had the unintended consequence of co-opting effective criticism.

[Stellar]

54. Perhaps those youngsters haven't learned to read yet?

Let's try a video...

[one_voice]

56. Locking..

It is the consensus of the hosts this doesn't meet SoP for GDP. Better suited for GD.

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