“What you are seeing now is what he always wanted to be,”

[Clio the Leo]

Bottom line. Yes, anti-war activists first noticed the President in his 2002 speech http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech">blasting Bush for ignoring Afghanistan by invading Iraq so in that way, he became a savior to the far left. But he burst onto the national stage by giving a speech reminding us that this country is http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm">greater in unity than it is in division. To discount any bipartisan effort as betrayal is an insult to the REST of his base who ALSO got him elected.

Obama makes the sale
By: Glenn Thrush
December 17, 2010 04:33 AM EST

Democrats are about to surrender the House. Republicans are pinching themselves for getting a tasty tax deal with an estate-tax cherry on top. And liberals say President Barack Obama is the biggest sell-out since Bob Dylan went electric.

Yet for all that drama, President Barack Obama closed the most impressive sales job of his presidency a few minutes before the clock struck midnight on Thursday –winning House approval of a broadly popular tax-cut and unemployment extension opposed by the extremes of both parties.

If the past two years has been spent ramming though Obama’s ambitious and often unpopular policy agenda, whatever the cost, the past two weeks has been an exercise in salesmanship and compromise – some would say capitulation — unlike anything he’s pulled off as president.

“He’s done a damn good job selling, as good as anything he’s ever sold,” said Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), with a chuckle, a few hours before the measure headed to Obama’s desk after passing by a 277-to-148 margin.

“My problem is trying to figure out exactly what he’s selling.”

In a word: himself.

<snip>

“What you are seeing now is what he always wanted to be,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a longtime Obama ally. “In his heart, he’s a pragmatist, not an ideologue, and he’s a lot more personally comfortable with being able to engage Republicans and not be as divisive.”

And he’s not done. There’s at least the possibility that Obama will achieve two other victories with the cooperation of the GOP: Passage of the New START treaty and repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on gays in the military.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=F2380C08-E43C-D544-4CEED6153E79C775

[BeyondGeography]

1. The country is unified?

OK.

[xchrom]

2. you're winning -- and you're insulted. tough to be you. nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. That's Making A Virtue Out Of Necessity

“What you are seeing now is what he always wanted to be,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a longtime Obama ally. “In his heart, he’s a pragmatist, not an ideologue, and he’s a lot more personally comfortable with being able to engage Republicans and not be as divisive.”

My opinion was and continues to remain that was the best deal he could cut with the wolves at the door...

[BrklynLiberal]

5. I guess my question would be: Why were the wolves allowed to get so close to the door?

No one knew there were wolves out there????????

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. That's A Good Question

I have read a lot of your posts and can see your frustration.

I am a big fan of the "it is what it is" school of thought... IMHO, we got here because the economy sucks and the voters punished the "ruling party". If the Repubs were in power they would have got the same shelackin that they got in 06 and 08 when the economy started to suck and then really sucked.. With a lot more Repubs coming into power this is the best deal we could have got. It was either a flawed deal or an even more flawed deal in January.

What kind of deal do the compromise's opponents think we could get in the next Congress?

[BrklynLiberal]

9. It will only b downhill from here on in..for the middle and working classes and the poor.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but I do not see the repukes relenting at all. They already have control of the media, and they will soon have control of the entire government it would seem.

The willfully ignorant and the furious fearful will guarantee their dominance.

The repukes will do whatever it takes to maintain that control. We will be carried back to the days of the early 20th Century..
but it will be more complete due to the total control of the media and technology that will soon take place, instigated by the repukes.

First they held the unemployed hostage, then they held the 9/11 responders hostage...They have no shame, and no qualms about doing WHATEVER it takes to get their agenda in place.

I feel frightened for my future, and that of my children and grandchildren.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. The Dems Are On Their Heels Because The Economy Sucks And They Are In Power

When the economy improves our position will improve.

[BrklynLiberal]

14. I wish I could be as sure as you seem.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. The Danger Is The Economy Doesn't Improve And Our Position Remains Weak

But that's too horrible to contemplate. But even then the Repubs don't have any solutions and we will come roaring back in 014.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. He can now join the long list of politicians who lied to get elected...

and I can join the long list of idiots who believed the lies, or at least only heard what I wanted to hear and believed THAT.

[Beetwasher]

6. Everyone Who Gets A Paycheck Is Getting A "Raise" Courtesy Of Obama

and people onUI have been given their lifeline. With few exceptions most people are going to appreciate that.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. The appreciation will diminish as they approach time for Medicare, Social Security, or

should they need ever any of the other so-called "entitlements" that are going to be dismantled.

Penny wise, pound foolish. Immediate gratification.....sacrificing long term benefits.
Not a good formula for a healthy country or healthy population.

[Beetwasher]

19. Unsupported Bullshit Assertion, Unless You Can Show Me Your Crystal Ball

Your opinion is not a predictor of the future and you have no evidence that the program is going to be dismantled.

[COLGATE4]

13. Yeah - some "raise". A pittance more in exchange for the

beginning of defunding of Social Security. And, if history shows us anything it will be that 99.9% of them don't even notice they got the great "raise" Obama suckered them into.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. This Is What I Don't Get About "Obama Wants To Kill Medicare And SS" Argument

Even his enemies concede he's a smart man. Why would he want to kill programs that enjoy huge popular support?

[Beetwasher]

20. Unsupported Bullshit Assertion, You Have No Evidence Except Your Opinion

That this will lead to the defunding of the program.

[WI_DEM]

7. The far left and the far right are going to be more united than ever in hating Obama over the next

two years.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. LOL. The far right has less reason to hate Obama than the far left does.

[msongs]

17. yawn anoher liberals and progressives are haters thread. oh well nt

[Bluenorthwest]

18. Perhaps the OP or Senator McCaskill would care to offer the

'Pragmatic' definition of the word 'sanctified' and the comparison of some minorities as lacking in this sanctification as explaination of why those minorities should not share equal rights?
Define 'sanctified' in terms of pragmatism. Give it a shot. Tell me how one can be a faith based Christian expressing dogma as civil law, and also a Pragmatist? I mean, using the actual English meanings of the words, dictionary wise. Pragmatist means a specific thing, as does Christian. In most churches, Pragmatism is seen as heresy, because it denies all that can not be proven, and makes value judgements based on results of an action, not upon dogmatic belifes about that action.
A Pragmatist says an action is good if the result is good. A Christian follows a list of rules and regulations, such as ' marriage is a Sacrament', based on nothing but dogma. Can not have it both ways. One can not be a faith based pragmatist.
A person who opposes the rights of others due to dogma is an ideolouge. Period. McCaskill is as always, improvising the language and the truth to fit her needs.

[Clio the Leo]

21. To quote columnist Karl Frisch....

"we have waited 16 years to dump DADT. .... The fight for ENDA begins Monday."