Tag: President Barack Obama

What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been

What a long strange trip it’s been for America.  And it keeps getting stranger by the minute.

Jon Perr at Crooks and Liars warns:

Last year, the Roadblock Republicans of the 110th Congress set the all-time filibuster record.  Forcing 104 cloture votes by October 2008, the Senate’s GOP minority easily eclipsed the old mark of 61 filibusters.  And now, fresh on the heels of “elated” and “celebrating” House Republicans’ refusal to provide a single vote in support of President Obama’s $825 economic recovery package, Senate Republicans are now suggesting they will filibuster the stimulus bill.

As NLinStPaul notes in her analysis of this filibuster threat, ThinkProgress has reported the latest in Republican obstructionism:

While Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions offered a none-too-thinly veiled threat of a GOP filibuster (“I think its going to take 60 votes to pass the bill”), Arizona’s John Kyl said he would explore “whatever parliamentary possibilities are in front of us.” Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) promised to join the effort, announcing, “I would be a part of it.” And on Thursday, Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told Robert Siegel on NPR that a filibuster of the Obama package passed by the House could be in the cards.

In what cards?  These cards?

Tarot Cards Pictures, Images and Photos

Rush Limbaugh and a deck of Tarot cards, that’s all the RePugs have left.

 

Bloggers’ Role In Obama’s Bottom-Up Presidency

What is our role in an Obama administration? If some diarists criticize or question Obama, some commenters will urge we remain silent and give Obama some breathing space because he is a very intelligent man.

However, that is NOT what President Obama wants from us. Quite the contrary, President Obama has stated repeatedly that he wants bottom-up politics to effect the real changes needed on issues facing our country. Having Obama in the WH is not enough, he needs our help to implement a progressive agenda that will not be greeted with open arms in Congress.

In order to determine how we can implement bottom-up politics, I checked out Obama’s community organizer background to look for some guiding principles. Some kossacks may be surprised to learn that President Obama is relying upon us to organize on issues with groups across the aisle where no core principles are removed from the table so that we can bring pressure on him and DC to take the right actions. In other words, he wants us to object when we disagree and he will listen.  

Trials for Torturers

Re-banning torture is fine – but it’s hardly enough.

The-Whole-World-is-Watching

Torture is one of those words that is just too easy to say.  The facility with which it slides off the tongue belies its terrible gravity.  

The act of torture is cruelty personified.  It is easily among the most horrific deeds of which we are capable.  What could be worse?  Murder and genocide I suppose…but little else.

One Does Not Simply Walk Into Mordor

After a long day of projecting confidence, after reassuring Americans that we can deal with all of these crises, once that’s been done, once you reach the sanctuary of the White House family quarters and you’re alone, Mr. President, are you frightened?

Barack Obama Pictures, Images and Photos

You’re an intelligent man, you see what’s happening so you must be frightened.

But I don’t think you’re frightened enough.  I know what hunts you.

In their hearts, millions of Americans walked beside you down Pennsylvania Avenue on Inauguration Day, but one cannot simply walk into Mordor and call it change we can believe in.  Bush and Cheney have burrowed their orcs into every agency of the federal government. Their uruk-hai still infest the Pentagon and the NSA.  They have 55 million Gollums, they still have more than 200 Wormtongues in Congress and five Nazgul on the Supreme Court. They want their Precious back, their Ring of Power, if they have to destroy what’s left of America to get it back, they will.    

No.  One does not just walk into Mordor.  There is evil there that does not sleep.  The great eye is ever watchful.  

Change of Culture at VA Called For

From: Veterans for Common Sense

During Confirmation Hearing for New Veterans Secretary

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) questioned Retired General Eric Shinseki, President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs, about challenges facing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Senator Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and an outspoken leader in fighting for veterans’ benefits and care, discussed changing the overall culture at the VA, improving care for women veterans, and working to make the VA a more proactive agency. Secretary-Designate Shinseki”s nomination is expected to be voted on by the full Senate as part of a package of Obama administration nominees on January 20th.

The Road Forward

Note:  I normally always post here at Docudharma first, but yesterday I ran into problems with my youtube code.  Took until this morning to resolve it with On The Bus’s kind assistance.  Thanks OTB.  ðŸ™‚

I laughed, I cried, I laughed as I cried.

Congratulations America.  Congratulations President Obama.  And congratulations Docudharma, DailyKos and the Netroots.

I have prayed for a legitimate reason to be proud of my country.  That prayer has been answered.

Bob Dylan – Shooting Star

Our Long National Nightmare is Over…and now…

Tuesday night we were all fixated to the polls. We all cried (or at least I know I did – it was John Lewis that broke my dam on that front). I even cried yesterday, and I wasn’t the only one. Here in Blue Connecticut there were many tear stained faces, many relieved looks, even a pervasive, genuine happiness.

I bought the paper with Obama’s picture on it and the caption, “Mr. President” at the grocery store. The young woman ringing me up said, “I’m really glad he won yesterday.”

Obama’s remade the electoral map. Now it is time for us to remake our ideological maps – or specifically, I would advocate, completely rip those maps into shreds and start over.

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