Let me see if I get this straight

[Proud Liberal Dem]

Like it or hate it, President Obama actually wrote a jobs bill (whose numbers have been deemed "sound") and he has thrown his full weight behind it and trying to pressure Congress to pass it but the Republicans are blocking it in the Senate and refusing to even entertain it in the House not to mention the fact that they are spending most of their time holding various things hostage threatening government shutdowns and attempting to repeal everything that got past their obstructionism during the past 2-3 years. In response, President Obama has (correctly) been calling them out for their continued rampant obstructionism and the Republicans fire back by accusing him of "campaigning"?
:eyes: :wtf:

Maybe if Republicans in Congress actually lived up to their responsibilities and tried to actually do something productive for the rest of us, maybe Obama wouldn't have anything to "campaign" against them about, right? :shrug:

[benld74]

1. Just like an arrow!

[Cali_Democrat]

2. You nailed it

That's why you can't work with these people. There is no such thing as engaging in bipartisanship with people that want to destroy you.

The best strategy for dealing with the Republicans is flipping them the bird and calling them out for their obstructionism.

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. See post 13 ...

[great white snark]

3. I wish it were only Republicans accusing him of "campaigning".

I agree with your point, though. Spot on.

:thumbsup:

[polichick]

9. You think he's not campaigning? He'd be a fool not to under these circumstances.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. It shows, I hope, that he's had an "Aha!" moment, and realized that

you CAN'T compromise with these people. He may, or may not, get the legislation passed, but if it fails we know exactly who is to blame - the Republicans and Ben Nelson and Jon Tester. When 25% of the country is either unemployed or underemployed, they will find that obstructing employment is not a winning strategy.

This is how Obama wins re-election.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I think that the fight over the debt ceiling was the the proverbial "last straw" for him

Although I've supported him since day one, including his efforts to try to govern as a "President of all Americans", there is simply no doubt anymore that there are no honest brokers in the GOP left and those that might have been have retired or simply been brought to heel by their leadership and/or out of fear of being mercilessly pummeled by the Republican Tea Party. Frankly, I've had it with Republican politicians, especially those in Congress, and I'm glad to see President Obama call them out (something we know they don't like at all). President Obama certainly can't just be expected to sit on the sidelines for the next 1+ year as though he doesn't have to still govern this country for the remainder of his term. It's infuriating that the Republicans are now trying to convince us that putting forward proposals and fighting for policies that help people should now simply be dismissed as mere "campaigning", particularly when they sit around and do nothing (oh and take vacations) trying to, as one other poster described it earlier, "running out the clock". What chutzpah! :eyes:

[EffieBlack]

6. Republicans aren't the only ones accusing him of "campaigning"

Look at the folks right here on DU, whining about how the President STILL isn't doing enough while they don't say a peep about the Dems who are undercutting him.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. I agree

Sometimes I think that President Obama was dealt one of the worst hands of any recent presidents. I know that the Republicans hate all Democrats with a burning passion but the lack of Democratic unity and the willingness of the Blue Dog Dems to not only join the Republicans in their obstructionism but to actively work against him and the party in general is just plain bizarre. :crazy: Thankfully, President Obama didn't let that stop him from pushing through some important things but it didn't stop anybody from continuing to criticize and/or dismiss them. :banghead:

[CakeGrrl]

8. +1000

There are a chunk of comments on DU wondering if (or outright proclaiming that) POTUS is only doing decent things because he's in campaign mode.

Another case about corners of the Left sounding a lot like the Right.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. Maybe he's doing it in 'campaign mode', maybe not.

But at least he FINALLY doing it.

That's all I ever asked.

[1StrongBlackMan]

17. He's been doing it all along ...

Just in a very methodical, lawyerly fashion.

I think that President Obama has had to lead the people, slowly and in as non-threatening a manner, over, around and through, their suspicions to allow them to see what we are/he is facing.

If he had acted in this manner even months ago, his "campaigning" would have been dismissed as whining or excuse making.

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. bullshit. He's spent nearly 3 years catering to Wall Street, appointing

banksters to run the economy and neocons to run foreign policy - he has NOT been leading the people to see the validity of liberal positions.

Only NOW, when OWS is exploding across the country, is he starting to listen to the people. He, and his handlers, are getting worried that they are losing control. And the last mid-terms proved that they CANNOT count on liberals to hang in there because 'they have nowhere else to go". Blue Dogs were decimated because they could not hold the people they openly despise. In the next election, it will be LIBERAL dems who get elected. And gawd willing, Nelson and Tester are going to take a walk, too.

I don't count on Obama to do ANYTHING but be 'pragmatic' - so if liberals get control he will go along with them, just as today he's listening to the OWS. THAT is what will make the difference.

The Wall Street criminals have the money, but we've got the numbers and he knows if he doesn't listen his number is up and his political career is over.

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. See post 13. n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. I think ...

President Obama knew, and has known all along, what he was dealing with in the republican party. However, the people/electorate (including some democrats) have not acted as if they recognized it. And we all know that if he had called out the republicans early on in the process, it would have been dismissed as him whining or excuse making.

Every attorney worth his/her salt knows that one must lay a solid foundation before laying out his/her case. Sometimes it takes a great deal of patience ... much more than many are willing to exercise for fear of being called/thought weak.

I think his plan was/has been to slow walk the people/electorate into knowing what he knew.

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. Bullshit again. The PEOPLE have known for YEARS what the

republicans were doing. The PEOPLE have been saying since day 1 that he CANNOT compromise with them - not that he SHOULD not, but that he CANNLOT. They don't believe in compromise.

His 'patience' cost us the House in '10. Demonstrating some political will at the outset would have prevented that. In that first two years there were more than a couple occassioins when moderate republicans were willing to vote with Dems, but his unwillingness to pressure Blue Dogs negated that.

Do you REALLY think anyone could have gone through the last 8 years under Bushco and not known who the Republicans are?

[1StrongBlackMan]

22. Okay ...

I get your anger ... But please read what I wrote.

The American people HAVE NOT been saying since day 1 that he CANNOT compromise with them - not that he SHOULD not, but that he CANNLOT. They don't believe in compromise. A segment of the Democratic party has said this; but not "the people." In fact, a majority of the American electorate was critical of the highly partisan nature of politics ... And they were not in particular in whom they blamed.

Do you REALLY think anyone could have gone through the last 8 years under Bushco and not known who the Republicans are?

Yes, as of Nov. 2008, apparently 47.08% of the American electorate did not know who the republicans were. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2008#Nationwide_results

If President Obama had played it your way, he would have been, in the eyes of the American electorate, a part of the problem. The only rational strategy, given the state of the American electorate, was to demonstrate time and time again how "reasonable" he was and allow the American People to come to their own conclusion as to the unreasonableness of the republican party, even at the price of having some democrats call him weak.

And from your other post ... It seems that your timeline is amiss ... President Obama started "calling out" republicans long before OWS. Remember, he started by generically blaming congress, which got Democrats hot - but focused the American electorate on who was obstructing; then he slowing became more specific. He is how specifically calling out republicans.

And (this is really gonna blow your mind ... or permenantly consign me to the "All Star Obama Apologist" list), I think that President Obama's AJA strategy included NOT calling out the Senate blue dogs, so that they would do what blue dogs do ... vote with the republicans, thus defeating closure.

Why? Because look where we are. The AJA will be submitted part by part: money for infrastructure repair (jobs), money for re-hiring teachers (more jobs), and to pay for it, increased taxation on the wealthy. Now, and only now, are republicans in the position of having to actually defend NOT taxing the wealthy to create jobs.

It's a matter of strategy over tactics (and ego). And I'm am happy and proud that reason appears to be winning out over bravado.

[stevenleser]

23. Sorry, I call bullshit on YOUR post...

if you think the public would have appreciated an African American man as President coming out of the gate acting angry and/or confrontational toward Republicans and how they operate, you really do not understand race relations in this country.

If you don't get what I wrote here, there is no way for us to discuss this further.

[lunatica]

11. He's doing the right thing by bringing it to us

Because this is what he should do. If it means he's campaigning then that's OK with me since he's doing the right thing anyway.

He's also showing up the damn Republicans for what they are. And it give OWS more reason to stay in there for the long run. It also gives others reason to join the 99%. I'm glad he's out there pushing this.

[treestar]

12. Oh, like Republicans never "campaign"

:rofl: that's all they do!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. Exactly right treestar!

More hypocritical "projection" from them. :puke:

[Laelth]

18. Expecting Republicans to not act like Republicans is an exercize in futility. n/t

-Laelth

[Proud Liberal Dem]

19. Yeah I know

I wouldn't care so much about what Republican politicians say if they weren't able to con so many people into not only believing their BS but fighting for it and voting for it at the polls. :banghead:

[polmaven]

24. The only thing you didn't mention

is that full 64% of the American people agree with the president's jobs plan, including a majority of registered Republicans.