dear President Obama, regarding the start treaty, see what bipartisanship has brought you

[spanone]

absolutely nothing

nada

zip

ziltch

i applaud your intentions, but.......



DeMint Says He’ll Force Reading of START Treaty

Sen. Jim DeMint says he will force a 15-hour reading of the START nuclear weapons treaty when it comes up for debate later today, which could mean today’s session of the Senate will stretch overnight and into the dawn hours.

Usually such readings are waived, but Mr. DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, is an ardent critic of the treaty and intends to object to dispensing with the reading.

Democrats estimate that will take 15 hours, and say the reading can’t be stopped unless there is a unanimous agreement of all senators to do so.

The START accord would cap the deployed strategic arsenals of Russia and the U.S. at 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers apiece. It would provide for a resumption of on-site inspections of the two countries’ nuclear weapons facilities, suspended a year ago when the original START expired.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/12/15/demint-says-hell-force-reading-of-start-treaty/tab/print/

[TwilightGardener]

1. I actually place the blame where the blame lies--on the assholes who are obstructing.

But have fun blaming the President.

[spanone]

2. have fun yourself

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. "Blame Obama First"

seems to be the new M.O. I bet the Republicans are having a good laugh seeing members of the President's own party doing their dirty work for them because of THEIR obstructionism. The corporate media, unsurprisingly, seems to be helping them with this as well by putting blame for any and all failures on Obama and failing to mention Republican obstructionism.

:puke:

[TwilightGardener]

7. It's odd, specifically in this instance--the Repubs will block anything

that smells like an Obama achievement, it has nothing to do with anything Obama does or doesn't do, says or doesn't say. They are stalling consideration of a very important treaty out of spite, and the poster blames Obama for that spite. It's just weird to me.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. I don't get them

The Repubs AND the people blaming Obama for it being stalled. :eyes:

[That Guy 888]

16. The pukes will always blame the President ...

the reason Dems blame President Obama is that he keeps reaching out to goppers. Publicly, humbly asking for bipartisanship, which has not, and will not happen. Is this his only tactic? It's wasted his time in office so far.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

18. Not really

He still got a lot accomplished and the Blue Dogs (and Lieberman) in the Senate have created almost as many headaches for him as the goppers. Even before Scott Brown won Kennedy's seat, his agenda was being frustrated and his agenda was being delayed by some members of his own party. I should also point out that bipartisanship and changing how Washington works was one of the things that Obama explicitly campaigned on in 2008 and, I guess, he seems determined to continue to try. We knew that we weren't getting just a liberal version of Dubya, right or a reincarnation of FDR and/or LBJ, right? :shrug:

[Bandit]

9. It isn't the assholes that are going to sign the Bill into Law

Yes Republicans have been obstructing but they have a strategy and it is working. Obama is the one that is allowing their strategy to work.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Their strategy is to play the Senate rules to prevent voting on this treaty.

How is Obama allowing "their strategy to work"? You want him to storm the Senate and kick Jim Demint in the giblets?

[Bandit]

13. Yes that is exactly what I want

Kick him hard too.. If Obama had not signaled that because of their obstruction he would bow to their wishes, they would maybe consider their efforts weren't working.. they are working and for Obama to accomplish anything in the foreign policy area he has to at least succeed in passing a Treaty that supposedly is a Republican created Treaty in the first place. If he can't get this done then his entire foreign policy platform is finished. Republicans know this and because Obama gave in so easily they will continue with their obstruction..Obama can do absolutely nothing about it now because he already surrendered.

[TwilightGardener]

14. They've been obstructive from the start. This has nothing to do with

the tax bill or anything else Obama has done, besides simply having had the gall to have gotten elected President as a Democrat. This is just more of the same. Obama could be cooperative--they'll obstruct. He could declare himself Emperor--they'll obstruct.

[Bandit]

15. This has everything to do with making Obama a failure

This is a make it or break it for his foreign policy..This was a gimme. Something that EVERY major Republican heavyweight is for. If Obama can not get this through then he can not get anything through.

[dennis4868]

3. again, liberals blaming....

Obama for repub obstructionist....only in America!

[atreides1]

4. When you can get a good deal

Why not obstruct. The President has already shown that he's more then willing to compromise to "help" the American people.

So, the repukes will continue with this strategy, because they know that a little ways down the road, they can ask for just about anything and it's a good bet that they'll get it.

And with the House soon to be in Republican control, the list of goodies that they will get will be almost endless. All for the sake of "helping" the American people, and "National Security"!

But you're right the president should not be blamed for the obstruction of the Repukes.

[dennis4868]

5. nope....

I will blame the party that obstructs....not the guy who is working hard for the middle class....no other president in the history of the country had to deal with a fillubuster on EVERY vote in the senate....we are being held hostage by the repubs and you choose not to blame the hostage takers.....

[spanone]

8. yes, i LOVE republicans.....

[somone]

12. He is SOOO owned now

He couldn't get a resolution honoring Mother Teresa without giving them another round of tax cuts

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. Pffft...DeMint has already dropped the whole thing

claiming that delaying the debate until Thursday is the same as the 12 hour reading (i.e., he was getting spanked so badly that he retreated with the lamest excuse imaginable).

Next.

[KharmaTrain]

19. And You Expect To Pass This How?

This bill is a foreign treaty that requires 67 votes to ratify. Even in the best case scenarios no party has had that much dominance and thus this level was set to assure there would be a bipartisan consensus.

So would you prefer we wait until there are 68 (always gotta count on one defecting) Democrats in the Senate to put a lid on the proliferation of nukes and passing a treaty that all who have read it say is a good deal?

While I'm critical of this administration for bending over too far to appease an opposition that has no intentions to negotiate or do so with good intentions, this treaty needs to pass and will require rushpublican votes to do so.