It’s President Obama Who Needs to " STOP COMPLAINING ’" And GET To WORK

[Segami]

:smoke: :smoke: :smoke:


" President Obama’s speech to the Congressional Black Caucus’ annual meeting this past weekend shouldn’t have even been news. As a whole, it was unremarkable. He offered up his now-standard talking points for his belated jobs bill—Republicans are hypocrites on taxes, we’ve gotta have shared sacrifice, pass this dead-on-arrival bill now, and so on. He peppered it with his usual code-switching for black audiences, prominently dropping his g’s and letting his old campaign-trail swagger shine. But all in all, it was nothing special—except for two things that tell us a great deal about this president and his relationship to our community.



The first thing is a bit of lecturing Obama couldn’t resist tacking onto the end of his address. “Take off your bedroom slippers,” he bizarrely ordered, “put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC.” That remark transformed the speech from a weekend news bite into a week-long discussion about the president’s relationship to a community that remains his strongest supporter.



The remark was largely understood as a jab at Rep. Maxine Waters and others in the Black Caucus who have grumbled recently that the White House is ignoring the growing gap between black unemployment and that of the rest of the country. Waters responded by calling the president’s comment “curious” and suggesting he “got off script and got a little bit beside himself.” Tavis Smiley, another routine Obama critic, was more blunt. In a conversation with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee after the speech, Smiley argued the president would never say such things to other allied communities that have complained far more vocally about the White House’s policies on gay rights, Israel or immigration.



But President Obama has always enjoyed lecturing black people. Absent his much discussed campaign speech on Jeremiah Wright and his fumbling “beer summit,” the only time he’s been willing to touch race has been to show up at black events and tell us to take more responsibility for ourselves—as fathers, as home owners and now as laggard troops in his war for reelection. The president has also long been dismissive of black criticism, and maintained that posture during a BET interview Monday night, in which he shrugged off the fact that “a handful of African American leaders” have complaints. “They were critical when I was running for president. There’s always going to be someone who is critical of the president of the United States,” he said. “That’s my job.”


cont'


http://www.truth-out.org/its-president-obama-who-needs-stop-complaining-and-get-work/1317733471


.

[brooklynite]

1. Unrec'd

No objection to saying the President needs to show more leadership, but saying that he "enjoys lecturing black people"?

[Avalux]

2. What's with the three sunglassed smoking smilies?

I guess you think you're cool posting this crap.

[liberal N proud]

3. And when he works with the GOP

It will be said that he caved to them.

He can't win!

[Bake]

7. When has "working with the GOP" ever gotten him ANYTHING?

Other than what the GOP already wanted, that is.

Obama likes to lecture black people, liberals, and apparently anyone who doesn't fall in line with his "bipartisanship."

:puke:

Bake

[liberal N proud]

10. Outside of calling the GOP out - that is the only work he can do

They say no to anything he put forward.

He tried to compromise and got burned on every one.

So again, he can't win, he will catch hell from the left, he will catch hell from the right and everything in between regardless of what he does.

There is no making America happy these days.

[Bake]

18. Obama could make me happy very easily.

All he has to do is start acting like a DEMOCRAT. Stop taking Wall Street money. Stop bending over for the Rethugs.

See? That was easy!

Bake

[Bandit]

13. A Democrat can no longer "work" with the GOP

It is their way or the highway... They dictate, they don't negotiate with...If Obama signs anything you can bet it will be a Republican Policy....Republicans will not allow anything else to hit his desk..

[JoePhilly]

4. More from the perpetually disgruntled.

[EFerrari]

6. Colorlines is a group of journalists and activists that cover race.

http://www.colorlines.com/about

[JoePhilly]

24. Why provide a link to a site that is not the link to the actual article?

After Obama's CBC speech, there were, as usual, a set of complaints from parts of the left.

Obama can't burb and not get attacked.

A better gauge of Obama's support after that speech might come from those who were there.

But screw that, let's let pundits and observers decide what people should think.

Here's an idea ... have you watched his remarks at that event?

DU has become "Perpetually Disgruntled Central". No matter what the guy says or does, it was wrong.

Its endless.

The outrage machine runs 24/7 ... and the stuff it spits out, lands here on DU daily.

[EFerrari]

26. Because I wanted you to see exactly who you were trashing.

Wasn't that obvious?

The link to the article is in the OP.

[JoePhilly]

28. I went to the link in the OP ... so what?

Its clear from sentence 2 and 3 that the author has an agenda.

"He offered up his now-standard talking points for his belated jobs bill—Republicans are hypocrites on taxes, we’ve gotta have shared sacrifice, pass this dead-on-arrival bill now, and so on. He peppered it with his usual code-switching for black audiences, prominently dropping his g’s and letting his old campaign-trail swagger shine."

I read the rest, and it was more of the same nonsense.

The only folks doing the "trashing" are the folks who wrote, and now forward that article.

But I do agree ... that article is trash.

[EFerrari]

29. Which reminds me, I haven't forwarded it yet. Thanks. n/t

[JoePhilly]

33. I'm sure those who will accept your forward of this will be thrilled.

I suspect that love this nonsense or you would not forward it to them.

[EFerrari]

35. I've don't think I've ever seen such open contempt on DU

for social justice activists who work the race beat.

Congratulations.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

39. Are "activists" above being called out on their inaccuracies?

Obama referenced the Civil Rights Movement in the speech, which puts the "stop complaining" line in complete and total context:

Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can't stop marching. Even when they're turning the hoses on you, you can't stop. (Applause.) Even when somebody fires you for speaking out, you can't stop. (Applause.) Even when it looks like there's no way, you find a way -- you can't stop. (Applause.) Through the mud and the muck and the driving rain, we don't stop. Because we know the rightness of our cause -- widening the circle of opportunity, standing up for everybody's opportunities, increasing each other's prosperity. We know our cause is just. It's a righteous cause.

So in the face of troopers and teargas, folks stood unafraid. Led somebody like John Lewis to wake up after getting beaten within an inch of his life on Sunday -- he wakes up on Monday: We're going to go march. (Applause.)

Dr. King once said: "Before we reach the majestic shores of the Promised Land, there is a frustrating and bewildering wilderness ahead. We must still face prodigious hilltops of opposition and gigantic mountains of resistance. But with patient and firm determination we will press on." (Applause.)

So I don't know about you, CBC, but the future rewards those who press on. (Applause.) With patient and firm determination, I am going to press on for jobs. (Applause.) I'm going to press on for equality. (Applause.) I'm going to press on for the sake of our children. (Applause.) I'm going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I am going to press on. (Applause.)

I expect all of you to march with me and press on. (Applause.) Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. (Applause.) Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do, CBC. (Applause.)

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

Many CBC members are themselves veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, and the reception to Obama's speech was overwhelmingly positive -- there's even video proof. They saw the parallels with yesterday's struggle and today's.

But instead of pointing that out, too many people here will trot out Cornel West or some "activist" from a minor website to somehow prove that Obama views black people with contempt or some other hyperbole.

Personally, I'll take the views and experiences of people who were actually on the front lines (many CBC members) instead of some random blogger.

[Bobbie Jo]

48. AS USUAL, this will be completely ignored.

The willful ignorance and deliberate twisting on display here is ridiculous.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

50. Yep.

And I have no problem at all with people criticizing Obama, but when they're presented irrefutable facts like this and can't respond, that proves that it goes much further than legitimate criticism.

[sabrina 1]

45. Why not start actually adressing the issues raised by such people

as Maxine Waters and John Conyers, and other Democrats who have been around fighting Republicans far longer than this President? Do you think that the policy of dismissiveness of anything from Democrats, has worked? Has there been, eg, any attempt on the part of the President to work WITH Democrats the way he has gone out of his way to work with Republicans?

He believes in bi-partisanship and compromise. Has he tried it with the actual Democrats in his party at all? What compromises has he offered them?

He has admitted to constantly giving Republicans 'a lot of what they want'. Why? THEY are the ones who continue to whine not matter what he gives them.

Why not give Republicans a reason to whine and give them nothing at all and start working with his own Party instead?

But to keep slamming his own party, followed by his some of his supporters, makes no sense and has accomplished nothing at all.

Can you address the reasons for Maxine Waters' concerns at all or is she, as the president implies, just a whiner? Knowing the issues she raises, I can't see any way a thoughtful, intelligent person like this President could possibly think that.

Republicans yes, but no Democrat could seriously dismiss her concerns and simply tell her they all need to 'pull yourselves up by your bootstraps'. Why is he using Republican frames? That isn't going to sway anyone in his party.

This President badly needs new advisers, seriously. This stuff is straight out of the Republican play book on how to 'deal with LIEberals'. He's sounding more and more like them every day, as are some of his supporters and it is a guaranteed failed tactic.

[tblue]

14. More from the perpetually gruntled.

How do you like his latest move (letting collectors have our cell phone numbers)?

[JoePhilly]

22. That has exactly what to do with this?

Nice use of "switch topic" ...

Although, my question to you is ... WHICH collectors and what are they collecting? Do you know?

I do.

[tblue]

40. Yeah, I do too.

You don't have to engage. I really do not care. If you're gruntled you're gruntled. You put people down and then get nasty when we call you on it. The president says stop complaining. Have you ever considered he might be talking to you?

[Bluenorthwest]

5. What bullshit

'president would never say such things to other allied communities that have complained far more vocally about the White House’s policies on gay rights'
Yeah, he only tells gay people that he does not see us as worthy of equal rights, that his God also sees us as unworthy, that straights are sanctified by God and we are not, that straights have a 'spiritual element' to their relationships that we do not have, that our civil rights should be left up to the States, and that raving hate speakers who call for war on us while accusing us of murder are 'good, decent and moral people' worthy of being his surrogates whom we must compromise with at his table.
Want to trade?

[EFerrari]

9. Go send it to Kai Wright.

I bet you get a good response.

[CoffeeCat]

8. President Obama does need to get to work....

We're in the throes of an economic crisis that needs his leadership, and I am not seeing it. I know what leadership
from President Obama looks like. I saw it for months during the campaign.

We don't need ideas or some programs. We need a full-on, FDR-style jobs and rehabilitation program that Obama fights
like hell for while taking it to the people. That's what needs to be done.

But he won't do it. Has Obama done some good things? Sure. But this is an emergency on par with the Great Depression.
The people need help.

The banks screwed so many people--churning out their mortgage assembly lines--that allowed them to roll those mortgages
into securities and sell them on secondary markets. This is where the banks made all of their money and they did it
by purposely doling out mortgages to anyone and everyone. Now, 25 percent of all mortgages are underwater.

What about a REAL solution--like helping those people?

What about shovel-ready projects? Our roads, bridges and infrastructure are crumbling in every city? How about making a
case for a national program that would fix these things and employ many people? Take your case to the American people
and fight for it?

Obama does none of these things. Yet, so many have excuses for why he's not doing the things he should be doing. He won't
fight for the right things. Where's the passion that we saw during the campaign?

And yes--telling people to "take off their slippers" and to "stop crying" is abusive, in my opinion. Obama has lectured
Progressives and talked down to them before in a similar way. I guess when you vote for someone, believe their promises
and then voice your concerns when those promises are ignored--it's a bit disheartening to be wrist-slapped as if you're
some adolescent who is told to get out of their jammies and quit whining.

Anyone who makes excuses for rhetoric like that, has blinders on. What if Dick Cheney or Paul Wolfowitz showed up to the
Black Caucus and told that group to "take off their slippers and quit whining". Would you really be defending it? Is
it because Obama is black? It's ok to be abusive to a room full of African Americans if you're black? I'd say Obama has
a lot of nerve--especially when he's the one with the power to change things the most--but he won't because he doesn't want
to upset the big, bad Republicans or offend his corporate-overlord-donor base.

President Obama needs to get his shoes on, all right--the ones he wore during the campaign--which might spark some sort
of action on his promises. How about closing Guantanamo like you said? You positioned yourself as someone who was
measured and thoughtful when it came to war decisions--but now we're in Libya--a country that the neocons wanted for
years. How about reinstating Habeas Corpus as you mentioned? How about booting out the Goldman Sacs scum from
your inner circle? How about holding BP accountable for their disaster? How about an FDR-jobs program? How about helping
our education system instead of toeing the line on NCLB and marching toward privatization--which is a right-wing path?
How about a healthcare reform bill that wasn't written by the health-insurance lobby--one that contains real reform that
doesn't have greedy sociopaths making profit-centric decisions about our lives and deaths? How about standing up to the
oil companies and truly investing in alternatives? How about requiring that big corporations, like GE, pay at least $1
in taxes???? How about saying something--anything--when the unions were fighting for their lives in Wisconsin? Those
people were the bread and butter of your campaign! The list goes on...

He doesn't fight for what is truly important. We get crumbs every once in a while--but Obama is not addressing the big problems
of this country or standing up for the people who voted for him and believed him when he dragged around that banner of "Change"
during the campaign. He appears to lack the will, or the interest, in fighting the good fight.

Really tired of people making excuses for him.

[TBF]

11. + a million. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

36. + another million

[phleshdef]

12. Barack Obama works more in a year than you keyboard pounders probably will your whole lives.

[Scurrilous]

19. Amen.

:thumbsup:

[SomethingFishy]

27. LMFAO... I'll put my scarred calloused

hands up against any well manicured President to see just who "works" harder. You and I apparently have a very different idea of what the word "work" means. What the President does may be very draining but it's not "work".

[phleshdef]

31. I would never suggest that blue collar America is lazy. Far from it.

But if you thinking running a major enterprise like the United States of America isn't work, you are about as clueless as it gets. Just because its not of a physical nature doesn't mean anything.

[EFerrari]

30. This is the kind of asinine contempt that has whittled away support

for this president for three years. Good going.

[phleshdef]

44. If you base your support on political opinions coming from anonymous people on the internet...

...then I don't give a shit about who you support. Anyone that makes their judgements based on that obviously isn't capable of thinking about the issues in an important or serious way. So I don't take their views as anything all that important or serious. What I think or say has nothing to do with Obama. I'm a hell of a lot meaner than I'm sure he would ever advocate anyone being. And thats fine by me.

[girl gone mad]

32. He's spent more time golfing and vacationing in the last 3 years..

than I have my entire life.

[phleshdef]

43. Obama, objectively, has a solid fucking work ethic as a President.

Whether you agree with his decisions or not, there is no way you can sell the "lazy, vacationing, golfing" President story with any measure of credibility. And thats coming off the most grueling 2 year campaign for President that was probably more taxing than it has been for any candidate before, just because of the sheer nature of everything that went down during the 08 primaries and general election. Any journalist thats been near this White House will vouch for Obama as a hard worker, with long days, juggling a million things at once.

[Bobbie Jo]

49. When you find yourself resorting to RW talking points...

to defend your POV, you have demonstrated that you'll use anything that fits no matter where you find it.

[bhikkhu]

15. Another POS distortion of an inspiring talk

The best response to this is to ask people to watch the speech, watch the people there, and make up your own mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swlaZJ2RbBw&feature=youtu.be

This whole line is nothing but the usual Rovian tactic - where your opponent is strongest and most effective, make some crap up and repeat it over and over and over again.

[Solomon]

20. Exactly. I was there and I can't stand reading what people

say about it who weren't there. Really makes me sick. There was a lot of cheering and high fiving. Wake up the next day and assholes talking about he was lecturing black people. Trying to make us get mad at him. Ridiculous.

[bvar22]

16. Double Standard?

Can anybody recall Obama using that tone and language with the Blue Dogs (DLC, New Democrats, 3rd Way)
when they were obstructing the Health Care Reform or any of the other Progressive elements of ANY proposals in the last 3 years?
.
.
.
I can't.




You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity with The 99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Octafish]

17. Exactly, bvar22.

President Obama has kept his powder dry for what once were his biggest supporters -- the Liberals, the Progressives, the Democrats from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party. Now I get to enjoy lectures and condescension from his supporters who've labeled me a member of the "Professional Left."

[ChiciB1]

25. You Got bvar22... Hey, Revving Up For 2012! Christie's Out Now & He

may tone it down. It would be nice if he didn't. It would be nice if he had done this from the get go.

But it is what it is. What YOU said bvar22.

[leftstreet]

21. +1

Good point

[Rex]

23. I just heard 4 or 5 DUers heads exploding after reading your headline!

At least 4.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

34. Some more out-of-context bullshit.

Here's what Obama actually said:

The future rewards those who press on. With patient and firm determination we will press on. I don’t know about you CBC, but the future rewards those who press on. With patient and firm determination, I’m going to press on for jobs. I’m going to press on for equality. I’m going to press on for the sake of our children. I’m going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on. I expect all of you to march with me, and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes, shake it off, stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying, we are going to press on, we’ve got work to do.

See what a difference that makes? The way the media (and DU) only quoted the last line makes it look as if Obama just went to the CBC, told them to stop complaining, and then left. The full speech (which I've linked to below) is actually a rousing one in which he references the Civil Rights Movement and the state of our country and how to move forward.

But instead, DU has become lazier and lazier over time, refusing to actually read past the headline and instead, leaping to false conclusions and hyperbole with an intensity that would make Tea Partiers envious.

So if you actually want to read what Obama said, here's the actual speech:

http://www.thegrio.com/politics/transcript-president-obamas-speech-at-the-cbc-foundation-gala.php

[Number23]

37. Unrec. God, I wish people would let this go

Al Sharpton and Rep. Cummings who were both there say that the vast majority of attendees were on their feet and supporting this president. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=258&topic_id=11247&mesg_id=11248 And this is what we all heard right after the speech was given. Attendees called his speech a "home run" and a "slam dunk."

This desperate and seemingly unending attempt to spin this as "Obama lectured black people" is tired.

[Skittles]

38. THANK YOU

[chill_wind]

41. Sharpton then uses the "double standard" meme to go after critics

in the CBC dismissively as former "Clinton supporters." Quite the heavy handed treatment.

WASHINGTON—The Rev. Al Sharpton said he will lead a march in Washington next month in support of President Barack Obama's jobs plan -- and he dismissed blacks who criticize Obama over high black unemployment as having backed Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008.

As Sharpton announced plans Wednesday for the Oct. 15 March for Jobs and Justice, he was asked whether there is a double standard in failing to hold Obama accountable for joblessness among blacks. The leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., has said there is and that had President Bill Clinton failed to do the same, black leaders would have marched on the White House.

The double standard, Sharpton said, is that most black politicians who publicly criticize Obama did not initially back his 2008 presidential bid -- they supported Hillary Clinton, who is now secretary of state.

Sharpton: Obama critics backed Clinton in 2008
September 28, 2011
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2011/09/28/sharpton_obama_critics_backed_clinton_in_2008/

Obama supporters charge that some of Obama's more vocal black congressional critics - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and Rep. EmmanuelCleaver (D-Mo.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus - were Hillary Clinton supports who are now engaged in a policy of "I told you so."

"Ordinary (African-American voters) are hurting and want action, but they are not going to abandon ship and are not the ones who are all but saying (Obama) sold-out," said a Democratic staffer for a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. "That's coming from people who didn't back Obama from the start."

But any political message will have to compete with the reality on the ground, Obama's critics said.

The jobless rate for African-Americans is at 16.7% compared to the national rate of 9.1%.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll last week showed Obama's "strongly favorable" ratings among African-Americans dropped to 58 percent, down from 83 percent five months ago.

Obama right to tell Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to 'stop complaining':
Rev. Al Sharpton
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/09/25/2011-09-25_obama_right_to_tell_congressional_black_caucus_foundation_to_stop_complaining_re.html#ixzz1ZMGiUPws


Here's the video of Al at the National Press Club taking his shots at Waters and Cleaver a couple days after the Obama speech: "Double Standard"

September 28, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0J4am5rnY&feature=player_embedded

"I think the double standard is... most of who you're talking about supported Clinton against Mr. Obama." Rev. Sharpton said. "So the double standard is that when we did march when Clinton was president, I led the march on racial profiling....they weren't in the march. So maybe the reason they think nobody marched on Clinton was because they missed it."

The night before, he used his own show to send the same message to them:

"I'm not telling you to shut up. I'm telling you don't make some of us have to speak up!"

When the last Democrat was in the White House, Bill Clinton, there was a lot that I disagreed with. He brought the crime bill, that brought back the death penalty in the federal government. He brought the welfare reform bill, which hurt, in my opinion, a lot of our communities. He did things that I felt was detrimental to our community. Even had an arch-conservative, Dick Morris, run his re-election. You said nothing! You didn't have any kind of loud voice. Now, you go from who some of you call a black president to a real black president, and you talk about "unleash us" and let me at 'em and all of that. And then when he responds you act like he hurt your feelings, or you don't know who he's talking to. Let's be fair: if you gave a pass in the past, why are you so vociferous now? I'm not telling you to shut up. I'm telling you don't make some of us have to speak up!

Video-
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44677967#44677967

Not a new theme for him to be critical of some the CBC, even before any their policy objections to the sugar coated Satan Sandwich debate even happened. Here he was in May saying the CBC shouldn't rock the boat, taking aim again at "critics".

I will be the first one to say that there are very real, very troubling and very complex obstacles facing the Black community in the United States. From health care disparity to unequal access to education, to high incarceration rates and more than double the national average unemployment percentages in many areas, we as a whole have every right to question policy and government. The need for President Obama to address these issues and more cannot be underscored, nor should it be. But what we cannot begin to do is blame Obama for many institutional barriers that were in place long before his presidential aspirations were even a thought. We cannot deal with them in a way that unfairly targets him or our concerns. These issues must be undeniably dealt with -- but they must be dealt with strategically.


My colleagues in the civil rights community and I focus on many of these dilemmas on a day-to-day basis. For example, last year we orchestrated a massive demonstration in Arizona against a draconian immigration bill, and in the nation's capital tens of thousands marched with us as we held a 'Reclaim the Dream' rally to commemorate Dr. King and counter Glenn Beck's distortion of his legacy. And throughout the decades, we've successfully conducted countless protests against police brutality, unemployment, gun violence and more. It is absolutely fascinating
however, that the president's most vocal critics at this juncture were not present with us during those rallies and were not in the trenches with the people. They want to assign the masses to do the tough work so that they may go to the halls of power themselves.

Obama, the Black Agenda & Reality
05/20/11
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-al-sharpton/obama-black-civil-rights_b_864672.html

[FrenchieCat]

42. Well,

On the FB group of about 1300+ black folks where I post, some who were there that evening, they had no problem with it.....in fact, the overwhelming majority loved it.

So we will do as we always have, put on our marching boots and save the few weak asses who can't seem to do anything but search out things to groan and moan about while trying to instigate us into the very worse position as their personal passion.

This horse has already been beaten by the White Folks trying so hard to get Black folks mad last week. Between y'all, Cain and AP mass propaganda wire service, y'all might just peel off about .005%. Feel proud. After that hard work, if you are successful, y'all can cry and moan some more when a Republican has his foot way up y'all asses. Just don't look for us then.

[Rex]

46. Those are bizarre statements. Bedroom slippers?

Let him tell that to the kids that go home to dirt floors and domestic violence every dam day. Tell that to their families. They live in particle board houses and have nothing left to 'suck up' but more massive poverty and diseases associated with poverty.

[Bake]

47. I'll take off my bedroom slippers when he puts on his "comfortable shoes."

Because I don't think he's got any. All talk, no backbone.

Bake