President Barack Obama has pledged that he would not accept help from “super” political action committees — denouncing them as a “threat to our Democracy.” That pledge, like many of his civil liberties pledges, has now gone into the waste basket. Obama has now called on supporters to load up the Superpac funds — erasing any difference (again) between him and his Republican rivals.
Once again, Obama supporters are blaming the GOP for the flip-flop — arguing that Obama had to lower himself to their level. Two former Obama aides are organizing the effort just as a former aide organized Romney’s controversial SuperPac. For about a week, I have noticed leaks going into the press about how Obama staffers are warning about the expected dirty attacks that will come from the Romney SuperPac. It now appears that those stories may have been placed in anticipation of this flip flop.
What is interesting is that Obama is not lacking funding. He is hauling in huge contributions. Yet, principles seem to be the first to go in this Administration when it is not politically convenient. What they have lost (beyond credibility) is a campaign issue. They could have run on the corporate influence on our political process. What is left is the cult of personality surrounding the President: it is not the principle, just the person.
Source: CNN
Roger Gunderson (and others), you couldn’t be more wrong. But I’m not going to waste my time with a long winded post on why American politics is inevitably a game of lesser of two evils. You think John McCain would have done better? You think Willard would? Those are your choices.
As for debt, blaming Obama for a debt that is almost completely Bush’s is typical GOP troll BS.
Go educate yourselves on the debt:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/obamas-and-bushs-effect-on-the-deficit-in-one-graph/2011/07/25/gIQAELOrYI_blog.html
When O took over, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month and GDP was NEGATIVE 9%. To say he’s done nothing, or made things worse, is the kind of GOP disconnect from reality that got us into Iraq and all this debt in the first place.
If Professor Turley doesn’t like this President, he’d hate Willard. Willard’s foreign policy team is a who’s who of Dick Cheney’s best friends. Willard wins, and it’s back to torture as an interrogation tactic.
Anyone who thinks Obama should fight KKKarl Rove’s money with one hand tied behind their back is really wishing for Willard to win. And that’s just pitiful.
Sad but I agree with Rafflaw.
(Frank – http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_90/Records-Show-Ron-Paul-Trips-Paid-Twice-212118-1.html?ref=corg
Records Show Ron Paul Trips Paid Twice
House Appears to Have Reimbursed Congressman for Trips That Were Also Paid for by Other Groups )
Obama had no choice but to accept SuperPac money. what is good for the goose is good for the gander. With the millions in secret money piling up on the Republican side, he would be stupid to not accept it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/obama-the-most-polarizing-moderate-ever/2011/08/25/gIQArzcRwQ_blog.html Explains a lot of what is going on.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/02/obama-quasiendorses-constitutional-amendment-to-limit-113707.html Frank, Obama is “low” because he wants an even playing field? Romney supports Citizens United. Not going to argue about Paul as many of his supporters are bitter because his campaign has gone nowhere. Guess they could not convince their fellow republicans to vote for him.
Anonymously Yours 1, February 7, 2012 at 11:26 am
Dredd,
I think I read something about Obama sending back $200,000 of supporters/grifters money because it was tied to some drug dealers….. where are the Obama supports voicing concerns over this… should he keep it?
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That was a stroke in the proper direction, setting a heading back upstream from where we have drifted. It was a good example of rejecting degeneration.
I only want to criticize “going with the flow” when it is a further degeneration of America.
That keeps me quite busy lately. Hey D.C. bring me a vacation!
Character of swathmore mom: she posts links of anti Paul info on the “fork” post earlier and when confronted with reality check links she goes onto other posts and posts the same links again . No matter a character like her will support Obama and justify his actions no matter how low !
I am not surprised at all . A constitutional law “professor” who signs NDAA and the way he signs it , has no respect for his oath or for any other thing , as long as he wins . Just like attempting Robbery is ok if the Robber succeeds .
Dredd,
I think I read something about Obama sending back $200,000 of supporters/grifters money because it was tied to some drug dealers….. where are the Obama supports voicing concerns over this… shouldhe keep it?
“Also, my fellow Greens have not completely embraced the idea that we need to focus on the local races to put ourselves in the public eye better. When we (and other alternative parties) become normalized then we have an actual shot at the big desk. Until then, it’s damage control.” (Christine Noble)
You are so right! Local is where one has the most influence and the best place to start building on that influence. It’s also the best place to learn and develop the skills needed.
The real threat to our democracy is corporate money buying elections. Citizens United helped to make a bad situation much, much worse.
Right. What democracy? We’ve never had one. We’ve never had a direct vote in what affects us, we elect representatives to do it for us. We don’t get to pick who we can vote for, that’s done for us. Many don’t get the opportunity to vote. We no longer (did we ever?) get an honest count of the ballots. Just as in the “democracies” of ancient times, the deck is stacked so we think we’re effective participants but we’re not.
Follow the money. Doing so will show that there are not two teams, one of the people, one of the corporations. We must break free of ideology. We can do this by examining what is really happening.
It was so interesting to see posters responses to the super bowl commercial. That was drivel in the service of a large corporation. If we examine what actually happened during the auto bailout, workers got screwed and the corporate heads again made out like bandits. Union contracts were busted and their pay was cut.
Look out for corporations bearing celebrity feel- good commercial “gifts”!
Clint’s calls for working together were met by posters here with the same old, evil Republicans, good president that most Democrats engage in. This is only the mirror opposite of die hard ideologues on the right who claim it is evil president verses good Republicans. Someone has to be wrong here. Maybe its ideologues on both “sides”? Look at what these people are actually doing. By removing party labels and simply looking at behavior, the truth is glaring right at us. Certain behavior should not get our support, no matter what party label is attached to it. Neither Obama nor any major Republican candidate deserves or has earned the support of the people. They do not serve our interests, nor do they care about the general welfare of people or the planet. The fact that people on each side are unable to see what is actually going on is a function of how powerful propaganda is. That commercial was corporate propaganda and so are these campaigns.
I fail to see what Obama has got to make America better. He’s broken most of his campaign promises, continuing Bush’s agenda, given our money to the elite through bailouts and stimulus’s, continued two stupid wars, and drove us farther in debt. This man is has done a lot of damage to America.
As much as I don’t like it I also understand why they don’t want to be handicapped and play by another set of rules, and thus cede the advantages to Karl Rove’s Crossroads and the Koch Bros SuperPac. Obama’s team knows he has to play hardball. Look what Romney’s SuperPacs did to Newt.The rules changed with CItizens United, and Obama was not the one that changed them.
What Democracy?
WELL ?
Be careful there Mssr. Turley, you may have “firebagger” epithets thrown your way. I agree completely with you, by the way. This kind of behavior is why the culture wars have become so important. If he rejected the Super PACs and fought for the working class, a lot of blue collar Republicans would probably come over to his side. Since he does not, the Republicans can run on the “gays/feminists/atheists/Muslims/dog whistle reference to PoC” are ruining “our” way of life platform.
Of course I am left voting for him anyway, since those folks would love to make it legal for folks to arbitrarily punch my queer self right in the face because my very existence is a threat and somehow oppresses them. Also, my fellow Greens have not completely embraced the idea that we need to focus on the local races to put ourselves in the public eye better. When we (and other alternative parties) become normalized then we have an actual shot at the big desk. Until then, it’s damage control.
We’ve stopped watching football. Maybe its time to stop watching elections.
More evidence that General Wesley Clark was correct when he said a coup had taken place in this country.
Since the coup, it seems that keeping one’s word is as “quaint” as the Constitution of the U.S.eh?