Comments on: Yes. We. Did. Now we must…

By: selise

selise — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:32:47 +0000

my characterization was primarily about his policy proposals and actions so far. he has not been and is not now acting as a progressive.

i agree with you that i do not know what kind of president he will be - indeed he could turn out to be quite progressive (i hope!), but so far there is very little evidence (possibly none?) to indicate that will be the case. but as you say, anything is possible and imo, it is our job to help.

By: peony

peony — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:07:34 +0000

I suspect Barack may not be so easy to pigeonhole as you have done. Nobody knows what kind of president he is, including you, or what kind of president he will turn out to be, as the zeitgeist unfolds and manifests through the interplay of his presidency and the country.

By: openhope

openhope — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:49:28 +0000

selise @ 97,
Yes, his hands are dirty and it’s time to wipe the slate clean.
The story is that now he has seen the errors of his ways. Not good enough.
There are better faster stronger minds and it’s time to fire the old guard.
Let’s not forget the horrible programs of ”free trade’, welfare-to-work programs that ultimately make victims of single mothers, but more so of their children. The Clintons were heartless on poor mothers and children. Does the phrase Latch Key come to mind. Mothers traveling for hours to work at minimum wage jobs with no supervision of their children while they worked. We abandoned them under Clinton to have Prosperity.
We are better than this as a country. But sadly lacking behind the majority of industrialized nations.

By: selise

selise — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:30:43 +0000

larry summers was instrumental in the financial system deregulation that brought us a shawdow banking system, unregulated otc derivatives and set the stage for our current problems. i’m not keen on asking the people who screwed up to fix their messes – unless there is good reason to think they’ve has a serious change.

By: selise

selise — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:27:05 +0000

you think obama is more progressive than ike? there used to be lots of old fashioned liberal and/or semi-progressive republicans – and wish we had more of. lincoln chaffee is a contemporary example.

it doesn’t have to be a slur – unless all you know is the current batch of batshit insane republicans.

By: openhope

openhope — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:25:32 +0000

Well, Larry Summers also sits at the World Bank and stated in a memo that undeveloped nations could absorb more toxic waste dumping. Even though they’re not the benefactors of the “civilized” lifestyle all those toxins produce.
And then there’s being avid deregulation before he was against it.
I guess I just think that there’s better faster stronger minds than Larry Summers and all the CEO’s on the advisory list.
Which brings us back to vigilance, yes?

By: openhope

openhope — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:18:42 +0000

Oops, make that progressivemajority.org. Rock the Movement!!!
I’m actually going to a county commissioners meeting tomorrow. How DO they spend our tax dollars and who are our local people.
It would seem boring but our county health department is being forced to make cuts on an across the board county departments budget cuts.
I’m absolutely sure there’s better cuts countywide than the Women Infants Children programs, the water testing programs and the health nurse that counsels new mothers. Many new mothers are teenagers these days with no support.
And yet, the county sees fit to extend our ferry service against popular vote, at an enormous cost over run. Hell, our forced extra ferry runs could relieve the Health Department of the need to cut costs.
But we have new and powerful neighbors.

By: lokywoky

lokywoky — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:16:03 +0000

Wouldn’t it be absolutely totally cool if the whole world would adopt that? That nature has a right to exist?

I can dream!

By: lokywoky

lokywoky — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:11:57 +0000

I personally think the FISA was a political move. Voting against would just have given ammunition to McSlime. And it would not have changed the outcome at all. Same with the bankruptcy bill.

On the Larry Summers thing - yes he made a speech where he said something rather horrid. But if you read his actual record on women and fairness and everything he has a very good record. Anyway, that speech of his, as is usual in the media, was misconstrued. He was asking a question in that his actual belief is that women LEARN differently than men do in math and science. And that is true. One method isn’t better or worse, just different. And the reason that women don’t do well in math and science is because they are not taught properly, according to the different learning style.

Actions speak louder than words - and his actions speak volumes about how he really feels about women - and yes, in math and science.

That being said - he is being considered for Treasury - a post that has everything to do with finances and nothing whatever to do with women’s rights other than very tangentially. He has a brilliant mind, since he has held that job before, he knows where all the bodies are buried and all the skeletons in the closets - he knows how to get stuff done and who to talk to to make that happen. We need someone who will hit the ground running on day one, not someone who has to find out who is actually working there and fiddling around memorizing the personnel directory.

But you are right to get involved in something. And advocate for your positions. We all need to do that.

One other point. Obama is a Democrat. Probably not a progressive. Although progressives are ‘in’ the Democratic party for the most part - the two terms are not synonymous. As you well know. *g* Thanks for being an active volunteer!

By: openhope

openhope — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:51:47 +0000

I would love to feel the faith. But Fisa, the bankruptcy bill and Larry Summers loom large.
I’m more comfortable with ” Trust but verify” myself.
So I signed up with progressivemajority.com as a donor and an active volunteer. It’s a new day.
Better faster smarter.