grantcart
grantcart's JournalWith the list of President Obama's policy and political successes growing daily a conundrum
for the critics on the far left in the blogs and the internet.
The President's forceful move to script a new strategy for the Defense Department moving away from the 60 year old premise of a two theatre war and establishing sharp cuts into the DOD is just the latest of a number of major accomplishments.
A recess appointment to a Cosumer Protection Agency (a twofer - hard core critics confidently predicted that neither would happen), major increase of federal involvement into individual health care, ending DODT, removing all troops from Iraq, and so on.
The conundrum is now playing out for posters who are reflexive critics on various discussion boards, either these changes 1) are not actual substantial changes or 2) they are actual substantial changes but only happened because we typed really aggressive posts (while pressing on the keyboard really really hard) and held the President's feet to the fire.
The contortions that are involved are really quite funny. Its hard to tell which are parodies and which are actual pretzels.
Of course the more obvious option that their overheated hyperbolic criticism was wrong just never occurs to them.
If you missed it try and get the video, the WP update is here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-announces-new-military-approach/2012/01/05/gIQAFWcmcP_story.html?sub=AR
[h1]
Obama announces new, leaner military approach[/h1]
The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a new military strategy that shifts the Pentagon’s focus towards Asia and says the country’s dire budget problems necessitate a more restrained use of military force and more modest foreign policy goals.
The strategy will almost certainly mean a smaller Army and Marine Corps as well as new investments in long-range stealth bombers and anti-missile systems that are designed primarily to counter China’s military buildup. It explicitly states that America can make due with a smaller nuclear force.
. . . .
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters that a revamped U.S. military “will be smaller and leaner, but its great strength will be that it is more agile, flexible, ready to deploy quickly, innovative and technologically advanced.”
The document does not include details of what the Defense Department should cut as it seeks to meet the administration’s goal of trimming defense spending by about $480 billion over the next decade. If Congress cannot come to an agreement on how to cut the federal deficit, the Pentagon budget could be forced to shrink by as much as $1 trillion.
Obama to Appoint Cordray as Head of Consumer Bureau
Many many many critics of the President were saying just the opposite, that he wouldn't make a recess appointment.
Don't expect that this will see much light of day in GD as GD has already opined that such a move would be impossible, but here is what the media is advising;
http://www.nationaljournal.com/obama-to-appoint-cordray-as-head-of-consumer-bureau-20120104
"My hope and expectation is that the Republicans who block this nomination come to their senses," Obama said at the news conference. "And I know that some of them have made an argument, we just want to sort of make modifications in the law. Well, they are free to introduce a bill and get that passed."
But the Senate did not make any amendments to the power Cordray would have as head of the CFPB, focusing instead on year-end deals for the remainder of December. Without a leader, the CFPB has no jurisdiction over banking institutions, which include mortgage lenders.
Obama is scheduled to make his first public appearance of 2012 on Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. in the suburbs of Cleveland -- Cordray's home state.
66 (Revised Landslide addition)
30,015 Romney 2012
29,949 Romney 2008
After spending millions of dollars and campaigning for 5 years Romney is going to get 66 more votes than he had 4 years ago. That is going to work out to about $ 100,000 per additional voter.
He made the amateur mistake by moving to NH so even if he has a big win there it will be discounted as a 'favorite son' result.
He has now antagonized the best political bomb thrower in the business, Gingrich is going to be completely focused and unleashed.
With 27 proportional primaries and no reason for the top 4-5 to drop out ( too bad Pawlenty) no one is going to get the 51% of the delegates before the convention (in reality it is impossible in a competitive race if there are three candidates).
The field will narrow down consolidating the anti-Romney vote.
They will all focus on him now.
Romney is the front runner who has no where to go but down. He is unable to pick up supporters from other candidates when they drop out. He doesn't really have close associations with the Republican inner circle.
People don't like him and he is a terrible campaigner, the more they see him the less they like him. His reciting the words of America the Beautiful is an embarassing attempt to be folksy. He can't name anybody that makes him laugh since the 3 Stooges.
Said it before, not going to be Romney, it will go to the convention and there will be a draft for a Republican Governor, and the Republicans will start over again with people that actually win elections.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/100252986
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