Same Memes, New Names

Posted on 12/30/2009 at 12:17 pm by Bob Cesca

BooMan makes an interesting point about certain progressive blogging circles:

…if you are waking each morning to blog about what a bunch of corporate whores the Democrats and the president are, you haven’t really adjusted your style to the new situation in Washington. In fact, you are effectively denying that there is a new situation in Washington. You just brought over what you were doing during the Bush administration and turned your guns on the Obama administration.

I don’t know how prevalent this is, and there’s no way of knowing for sure. But I can certainly see evidence that it could be happening — perhaps motivated by comfort, traffic or a genuine dislike of any political leadership regardless of ideology. Some people are just more comfortable shouting at the rain.

And just to be clear… Accountability is mandatory. I think there are more constructive and effective ways of going about it. Every job requires a unique set of tools. You don’t use a hammer on a Phillip’s head screw, etc, etc…

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  • roxsteady

    Sadly, it continues. Now Hamsher is cheering having gotten Dennis Kucinich to open up an investigation of Fanne & Freddie. She’s actually soliciting donations to Kucinich for his bravery. I posted that they’d all better save their money until he actually gets results. I suggested that if these are the same people who promised to fight for a public option but, didn’t, then why give them anything? It’s really sad what has happened to Jane. She appears to have lost her compass. She’s grasping at straws. How does this help her initial healthcare cause?

  • roxsteady

    And what’s going to happen if this bill is improved? Will she try to take credit when she was trying to kill the bill?

  • http://politicalpartypooper.wordpress.com/ Political Party Pooper

    my focus is on the House and Senate. The President can’t change them, only our elected Senators and congresspeople can. Maybe President Obama overreached when he said he was going to change the way business is done in Washington, because most people took that to mean that lobbyists and special interests would no longer be able to unduly influence members of Congress. I don’t see where he has any power to change that.

  • http://www.bobcesca.com Bob_Cesca

    @PPP:>>>>Maybe President Obama overreached when he said he was going to change the way business is done in WashingtonYou’re probably right. Then again, it’s always good to set lofty goals. Raises the bar on what can be practically achieved. That’s what guys like Stranahan don’t get. If I say I want to be a millionaire by age 40, but only get to 500K, it’s perhaps more than I would’ve achieved by striving for a lesser number. President Obama set the goal of “changing the way DC works” — if he only gets halfway there, it’s probably a better marker than not setting the goal at all.

  • Jan

    At least Jane actually got up off her butt and STOOD UP FOR WHAT SHE BELIEVED IN and is taking an immense amount of heat for it. If someone or alot of us had done the same thing 6 months ago maybe we wouldn’t have every single democrat caving in and leaving us with a shitty health care bill.As far as Freddie and Fannie I say Bravo. Sitting around bitching, signing petitions, calling and email really didn’t do a damn bit of good- Obama refused to get off the mark and the dems caved in.I may not agree with Jane on her tactics but I must admire her bravery for trying to shake it up.

  • http://exoevolution exoevolution

    Wall Street rolls on “unchecked” after the greatest heist in history, endless war keeps getting more endless (more Afghanistan, next stop Yemen?), Big Pharma & the Insurance Companies continue to give us PROFIT-care not HEALTH-care, our so-called “public servants” seem to be more owned & controlled by their corporate John’s than ever, jobs? forget about it, etc…. Please help me see the Change We Can Believe In.I was & am an Obama supporter, but when does it get to feel like Yes We Can!?!?I know Obama has only been on the job a short time & inherited one disaster after another, but it seems to me that Wall Street, War & a Corporate owned government still rule, with no end in sight!When do WE get the CHANGE part that Obama spoke about so elegantly & forcefully in the campaign?

  • http://politicalpartypooper.wordpress.com/ Political Party Pooper

    Bob, are you still arguing with Stranahan?

  • http://www.bobcesca.com Bob_Cesca

    @PPP: Yes, on Twitter. But not as often.

  • staci

    @exoevolution: Just wondering, but is there a reason that you (as well as many others) never mention what the poor and middle class did get while Wall Street was being bailed out? I happen to be unemployed — I absolutely appreciate the changes to the COBRA payments that have happened under Obama. Also, the extra $25 per week in the unemployment benefit — I know, it’s not much, but it’s not nothing either. How about the extensions to unemployment, the payroll tax cuts (again, not much but better than a poke in the eye) or the fact that quite a bit of the bailout money has been paid back? One last thing, and this one drives me nuts — Hank Paulson came to the Congress with a three-page document to give out $700 with no oversight other than his own. Obama and his folks got it to where Bush could only GIVE away $350 and left the other half for Obama. With his half, there were at least some restrictions put on the money and the taxpayers had some degree of accountability. Obama hasn’t been perfect, but he hasn’t been the fuck up that many on the left are now claiming either.

  • http://exoevolution exoevolution

    staci – I am not saying Obama is a “fuck up”. Yes, Obama is FAR BETTER than McCain/Palin or bush/CHENEY.But, there has been virtually no changes to Wall Street more than a year after “the heist”, still more endless war, more PROFIT-care, less jobs, etc.Am I missing something must doesn’t Wall Street, Endless War & Corporate Profiting off human pain & suffering still rule?? Yes we have gotten some “crumbs”, while the “banquet” is still being served to the usual suspects, the top 1%, with the approval & votes of the corporate owned politicians, ALL the Republicans & a significant portion of the Democrats.staci – Please answer this – What does “Change We Can Believe In” mean to you????

  • bibimimi

    Centerists and Leftwingers attack a Republican president. Left, Right and Center ALL attack a Democratic president.It’s like bringing a strongly-worded letter to a gunfight.

  • Bull Schmitt

    Some 69½ million people voted for President Obama.In the history of the Daily Kos site, there have been about 250,000 users signed up. (Myself included)Yet they think they represent the Democratic base.

  • Bull Schmitt

    Pardon the double post, I should have added that of the 250,000 ‘Kossacks’, I doubt more than 5,000 of them are activists that organize people outside of election campaigns.Yet they feel free to call the President a sellout.

  • staci

    For me, change was electing the guy that once in charge, would speak on an issue and I could TRUST what he says. Change was accepting that even though Obama would have to play by Washington’s rules, in the end he would get the best deal possible for the country as a whole. Change was having the guy in charge represent me and my community of folks who never seem to get listened to — you know, the worker bees. I didn’t buy into the whole “Obama is a liberal”, so I haven’t been as disappointed as some on the left. If I can get this out of Obama, I’m a happy girl.Now, what did change mean to you?

  • http://exoevolution exoevolution

    staci – CHANGE to me means “CHANGE”!!!That means “really” CHANGING, 1. Corporate Rule of America & Corporate “ownership” of “our” elected officials 2. Ending the “insanity” of Endless War that squanders close to ONE TRILLION dollars “per year” fighting guys with “box cutters, airline tickets, non-exploding undies, a handful of people that hate us for Americas unholy EMPIRE!” 3. Taking back America from the super rich & the soulless Corporations must done if there is “any” HOPE for We the People!!I believe MILLIONS of Americans voted for Obama not for “incremental” tweaks to a rotten system, but instead voted for true “transformational” CHANGE to end this nightmare of AMERICAN EMPIRE, THAT is what is draining America of our future, our very lives, our 60+ year quest for EMPIRE is killing us from within.In Denver at his acceptance speech Obama said one word that rang true, that said it all, Obama forcefully said “ENOUGH!” MILLIONS of Americans believed him!When will YOU have had “ENOUGH!”??????????

  • staci

    Okay, exo, please tell me you’re working the funny bone with numbers 1 and 3. Those two aren’t change as much as a very active imagination. People can be bought for relatively small amounts of loot, so fighting against all of the lobbyist cash — we’re in the crapper on that one. Don’t misunderstand, I would love to see both of those but it will take more than both hope and change for those to happen. Number 2, I’ll reserve judgment on the endless war comment until I see what actually happens in July 2011. Obama is pulling out of Iraq, maybe not as quickly as you and I would like, but it’s happening.Doesn’t progress always happen incrementally? Most of these so-called progressives are really leap and bounders with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. Did you guys (they) really buy into the whole messiah thing? I heard Obama with the Enough line, and I agree, but I also realize the power of the almighty dollar. Unless he is willing to pay more than the various lobbyists to our corrupted Congress folks, the only people that can help us is us — the voter.

  • http://exoevolution exoevolution

    staci – No I am NOT “working the funny bone with numbers 1 & 3″.Corporate “ownership” of our government is THE GREATEST threat facing America FAR GREATER than al Qaeda!!!! If this is not dealt with then the unholy-land of greed Wall Street, the corporate owned Pentagon where the dogs of endless war are unleashed, the corporate owned brothel of Washington DC & the corporate owned media the voice of lies & fear will continue its assault on We the People until the Declaration of Independence is revised to read “We the Corporations”.This has “nothing” to do with Obama being “the messiah” – this has “everything” to do with Obama representing the Corporations, Endless War, Corporate Empire “OR” standing up for We the People & making it clear that his campaign slogan Yes We Can was not just a slogan but instead a battle cry against the soulless democratic devouring Corporate Empire.Incremental change is a LIE. Dr King was told the same LIE. Dr. King was told, “Don’t rush racial change”. “You want to move to fast Dr, King.” President Obama would not be president today if not for Dr. King. Dr. King was dedicated to ending the insanity, the cruelty, the lies of two things 1. Racism 2. War.America has made great strides regarding racism, with still more room for improvement. But America since Pearl Harbor has become increasingly “addicted” to the utter INSANITY, of WAR & EMPIRE. Since WWII America has spent TRILLIONS & TRILLIONS of dollars & killed millions of people throughout the world. Can you name one war after WWII that America has won? I say none! The Cold War lasted 50 years, Russia proved to be a paper tiger, they could barely feed themselves. Russia met their end in Afghanistan. Today America has a broken & weary Army. America is broke & the only things we make in America are LIES on Wall Street & endless war against people who could just as well be living 1000 years in the past. Yet with all our missiles, planes, computers, bombs, the height of 21st century technology we can not win!If Obama is to become a great president & “earn” his Nobel Peace Prize, he must challenge the evil, the stupidity, the colossal financial & human waste of WAR, just a Dr. King fought against RACISM!Endless War & Corporate Empire are deadly viruses killing not only our futures but our very souls.ENOUGH!

  • staci

    I’m not disagreeing with you, I just don’t think what you’re asking for will be delivered and especially in the time frame you seem to want it in. Can you actually, with a straight face, say that Obama is on the side of the corporations; that Obama wants the US fighting two wars? Really? If so, why?Incremental change, to me, is not a lie. I’m thinking of programs like Social Security, welfare and even Civil Rights. None accomplished everything the first time out the chute. MLK didn’t get everything he wanted with one year of speeches – not even close – and let’s not forget that he was not president. He had the good fortune to be able to focus on his one issue BUT it still took the people to effect the change he was seeking, and it will take the people to effect the change you and I would like to see. Obama can’t do jackshit but try to blaze a path for coming administrations and hope that the next guy we put in will forward his agenda. We must vote in the lawmakers that reflect our views and until we do that, we’re screwed no matter who may be president.

  • http://exoevolution exoevolution

    staci – Wow! You say “for coming administrations”. There is NO TIME! WAR & GREED are killing us “NOW”, not in “coming administrations”.Dr. King gave his “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963. The major Civil Rights Laws were passed by 1965.Social Security was passed rather “quickly” by FDR after the Great Depression.You ask, “can I say with a straight face that Obama is on the side of the corporations;” “that Obama wants the US fighting two wars?”My answer is look at Obama’s “ACTIONS”. What has Obama done?First, Wall Street gets all they want with NO new regulations, over-site or most importantly “prosecutions”. Wall Street ROBBED America, especially hard hit was the middle class, but then Wall Street was bailed out first by the Republican “Corporate” Party & then Obama continued the “payoff”. It does not matter “if” they pay back the money or “if” they committed the heist of “all-time”, they got away with it! They are criminals, still waging financial crimes against America, with Presidential immunity.Secondly, is ENDLESS WAR of Corporate Empire continuing or not? Be Honest! Do we “really” need to spend close to ONE TRILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR on “defense”?The July 11 2011 date of supposed “withdrawal” in Afghanistan is as big a LIE as WMD in Iraq! The Corporations want & live for ENDLESS WAR!Thirdly, are Corporations still going to PROFIT off the pain & suffering of our fellow Americans? You betcha! America the “only” developed country in THE WORLD, that has PROFIT-care not HEALTH-care! Am I wrong?staci – You keep talking about “voting”, another LIE – 95% of incumbents get re-elected to serve their corporate masters, I believe that both the 2000 & 2004 elections were STOLEN in Florida & Ohio. Until we take the MONEY out of politics, with “real” “public” campaign finance reform, votes are another big LIE!”Public” campaign finance reform, “Public” option in health-care, we desperately need MORE PUBLIC POWER & less PRIVATE CORPORATE POWER. Where is Obama on this?staci – your focus on “coming administrations” tells me you are either a Republican Corporatist or “afraid” of an America ruled as the founders intended by WE THE PEOPLE!YES WE CAN!