So Manny... why are you so pissed off all the time? Things are actually pretty good.

[MannyGoldstein]

163. SCHIP expansion added 3 million or so people to Medicaid, IIRC

And passed with bipartisan support.

*I* think it passed with Republican support because it was at the start of Obama's presidency, a time when Republicans were scared. They had just gotten a serious spanking at the polls, and were afraid of what the new President might do to them.

Instead of whuppin' Republicans upside the head to show he was in charge - which is, sadly, the only way to deal with schoolyard bullies - Obama invited them to the White House for beers, listened carefully to their insane ramblings, and started negotiations by meeting them half way.

Republicans quickly learned that Obama was not to be feared, so they ran all over him.

Frankly, we have no way to know whether the country we have today is the country Obama wanted to have or not. But if we assume that he wanted a better outcome for the 99%, then I think the first place he screwed up is by not dealing with Republicans the way they need to be dealt with. Most of today's Republicans are not our friends - they are a pack of wild animals.

There are other issues too - listening to people like Summers instead of Krugman, fighting tooth-and-nail to preserve banker bonuses, mooning FDR Democrats instead of listening to us, etc. These all contributed to where we are today.