Obama is hiding his pro corporate agenda? Wow! He’s not doing it very well.
Zed.

I agree. I agree completely.
And yet, when faced with Grassley’s ‘kill Gramdma’ Iowa speechifying in August, Obama offered Chuck a hand in friendship, spoke glowingly of his commitment to process, and reminded the Left that ‘we come here in a spirit of cooperation.’

I no longer know which way is up.

Obama does not have the courage to fail. He just isn’t willing to put anything on the line.

So am I supposed to hate Solicitor General Kagen because the liberals hate her or because the conservatives hate her? As a mere citizen I’m confused…

well, not so much.

Yep. Makes me wish I could challenge him to a game of poker. Bet he’s really crappy.

And, in similar vein, how long will we continue to rely on the Democratic Party to be our champions and lead us to the Promised Land?

Watertiger!

Got to say that Obama is both obviously a corporatist like Clinton and marvelously inept as a politician. Sort of the worst of all worlds (except he is still better than McCain).

You’re not “supposed” to do anything, other than evaluate her from sources of information you trust and make your own decision about whether or not to support the nomination. It won’t really matter in the end though unless you have a Senator in your pocket. ;-)

Obama falls for it because he’s one of them. A corporate plutocrat and nothing more.

Don’t know about you, but I have not looked for anyone to lead me out of the wilderness for a very long time. I just keep trying to lead the Democrats out of the darkness of the DLC & fellow traveler corporatists..

Me too.

You and I both know from life, “don’t bet the same as those who’d bet against you” and if they hit you, not to take it lying down. Maddening.

I’m afraid I’m all out of hope these days; I’m ’bout ready to give up on politics. I’m just plain getting sick of this crap–reading about it, thinking about it, writing about it, watching the lies proliferate beyond all logic and understanding across the blogosphere…

makes you kind of wonder what nightmare he’s got in the wings if Kagan’s nomination gets shot down.

I don’t know about you but I stopped trusting the Democrats decades ago, if indeed I ever trusted them. Imagine that Republicans are orange with black stripes. Democrats would be black with orange stripes. WTF is the difference? The Democrats are marginally more sane but no less corrupt and self serving.

Sunstein!

Nudge me with your best shot!

From what I have seen so far, he is not real big on the “plan B.”

right Obama is so overtly pro corporate, i’d have to close my eyes not to go blind by his “carefully subdued” Pro Corporate agenda. Obama’s pro corporate shine is brighter than the sun at noon.

i think Obama figures he can out corporate the Republicans using his “savoir faire”/chess moves by playing their games. just that the Republican don’t want to share with him. or anyone else for that matter. that pisses them off mightily and effectively shuts the door on all “bipartisanship.” and i really enjoy watching them slap him silly.
anyone who scams America deserves to be slapped silly.

it is most enjoyable to watch the Republicans act like Republicans in the face of such outright deception and corporatist behavior. the republicans see someone trying to play their game. make nice and all that. play by Republican rules. exposes both of them for who they really are.

Kellie! smooch!

unless you have a Senator

[SOB] I’m from Georgia, and thus lumbered with Isakson and Chambliss…

All my political problems aside, I’m not quite so willing to start hurling brickbats this early as everyone else here seems to be.

As I’ve commented elsewhere, Obama could nominate Reagan’s zombie corpse and the GOP would object vociferously. “He negotiated with the Soviets! Appeaser! Gipper hated America when he was alive and only wants to eat its tender juicy brains now!”

i’m getting a tad fed up, myself.

True dat.

No worse than Cornyn and Hutchinson. My best pirate ARRRRRGH!

Truly. Everyone but Obama seems to realize that….

Yeah, that’s what we’ve all been doing, for a long, long time. How’s that working out for us?

You are supposed to make up your own mind.

But you knew that, right?

PS ‘ello aquakitten!

You have a viable alternative? The unfortunate reality is that the American political system makes it almost impossible to mount a credible third party challenge at the national level. In most places the same is true at the state level. There are simply huge structural barriers to prevent it (in part at least, intentionally as the established parties do not want any serious competition).

‘alloooo, Teddy!

another day, another 75¢ await me in the morning, so i must bid you all a bon nuit.

I was sampling the Dear Leader cheerleader comments over at TPM earlier. There was a recurring theme to the effect that any progressive who objects to Kagen or any other Obama policy is an extreme leftwing nutbag.

Think about that… the subtext is that they approve of Obama for governing from the RIGHT.

Incredible.

Sure, but the problem is that we are not seeking other avenues to get where we want to go. We just keep strolling down the same old dead-end avenue, and complaining about it. We all get to demonstrate our wit, insight, and understanding, but we get no change in the real world, where it counts.

niters

Personally, I find Kagan an unimaginative and unappealing but not unexpected choice. I’m not much of a fan of establishment Democrats though. Obama could have made a worse choice but that’s all relative. When you have people like Thomas, Scalia, Roberts and Alito on the court, that bar is set awfully low.

Night.

Okay, I’m impressed with those two morans. However, Saxby can be VERY SPECIAL. You gotta sit up and take notice of a Senator (no, really… he is one…) who’s willing to stand up on his hind legs and say this:

“the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would very likely create an unacceptable risk to those high standards.” Which is why letting gays serve openly in the military would, of course, lead to the snowball effect of permitting “alcohol use, adultery, fraternization, and body art.”

Next rational step? MAKE TATTOOS ILLEGAL!!!! I’m not sure, and I certainly don’t want to brag, but I think Georgia wins the Stupid Senator award.

What do you suggest? I can only cast one ballot at a time. I’ve never been much of a rabble rouser and even my participation in my old shutting the economy down idea would be pretty irrelevant right now as I’ve been unemployed for over a year now.

We would have to cashier at least half of the serving military if we banned tats, and all the rest of them, if we banned the other stuff.

That’s why is should have nominated a bonafide lefty to provide some balance.

I can actually imagine Roe v Wade being overturned, not because of the hardcore conservatives on the bench but because Obama failed to nominate any liberals to effectively oppose them.

Yep. They’re all certifiable but we’ll be up all night if we get into a debate about who has the crappiest Senators. I’m willing to call it a draw. :-)

But really, come hell or catastrophic oil disasters, the Republicans are not going to get on board with anything, or anyone, that Obama puts on the table.

Of course! The R party’s job this season is to naysay R party policies so the D party can dramatically squeak them into law and get Go Team Democrats to do a victory dance even as the middle class gives ground to the rich yet again.

Have to agree.

That’s why is should have nominated a bonafide leftie to provide some balance.

I agree but I’m not the president. (This country should have it so good)

Ding! And Roe wouldn’t be the only issue.

‘Never bet on a sure thing when the person you’re betting with knows enough not to’ and ‘Never draw to an inside straight’.
Bet O doesn’t know either of those.

And I dont’ trust the D party to do anything right or anything for anyone to the left of whatever mythical point they currently consider to be the center. Which unfortunately includes about two-thirds of the people who voted for O.

It may seem off topic but I have a hunch that it is not… Can someone please explain to me the McKaren Furguson Act of 1945 in terms if:
1. Insurance Isnt commerce so:

That is not entirely accurate. R party’s job this season is to naysay former R party policies. Today those policies are far too liberal for the Republicans. Hell, they would call Nixon a commie, if he were president today.

It’s going to have to be either third party or revolution. Which do you think will be more difficult?

I say try third party first. I think third parties usually fail because they draw their issues too narrowly to command a majority. I’ve been thinking about a centrist third party that should have great appeal now because both majors are rightist. And a move to the center would be a huge improvement over what we are getting now.

I’ve laid out some ideas for what issues such a party might adopt as a platform. Still a work in progress, very much so, but anyone who’s interested can see my Comments #49 and 51 following David Dayen’s May 8 post on Bob Bennet’s ouster in Utah.

I’d be most interested in getting feedback on the concept, or suggestions on how to improve or refine it.

Exactly! That and his wealth are the parents of my desire to play poker with him. ;-)

That’s okay; I think Tricky Dicky would be too liberal for the Dems, too.
It’s a sign of how far the parties have moved to the right.

As long as you lose the idea that it needs to be centrist, you can try it.

His mediocre SCOTUS nominees could very well end up inflicting the most long lasting damage of his mediocre* presidency.

* What can I say? I was feeling generous.

Please see my Comment above at #47.

Yep. And people are forgetting oh-so-quickly how militarized and security state driven our last Presidential election cycle was.

There is going to be another Denver/Minneaoplis cycle in 2012, only in different cities. I’m willing to bet the security will be even tighter.

And does this administration think the McCain/Palin rally types of ’08 will be any kinder to him? And who do the geniuses in the WH think will favor the Prez incumbent in the MSM?

Obama is like some kind of anti-Hamlet in this regard. I mean really.

And sadly, the polling data all show that the majority of Americans are well to the left of any of them on most policy issues, just as they have been for 30 years.

As we liked to say in Oklahoma when I lived there, ain’t but two things in the middle of the road: dead armadillos and yellow stripes.

It’s ugly but Rahm is right. Progressives are much more likely to vote anyway, even though the party establishment has given us every reason not to. It’s the insanity coming from the Republicans. We just can’t tolerate the idea that those bobble headed assrockets could be back in charge. ONLY a viable third party which will attract the enthusiasm of every progressive AND negate or diminish the fear of a “wasted vote” will make any of the mainstream people take notice and treat us as anything other than spoiled, cheeto eating bloggers.

Centrist is just a label, and means different things to different people. In #47 above, I cited a place where you can see the specific issues I envision for such a party. Take a look, and let me know what you think of those specific issue.

LOL

now that was a spot on comment. :-)

Obama knows the result of his actions just as any lawyer knows the answers to any question he asks in a trial – and if he did not want his actions to help corporations he would not do what he is doing – namely offering the GOP compromise after compromise so that the “Democratic Party position” is so far to the right we effectively have the GOP/corporations/rich running the Whitehouse.

Obama is like some kind of anti-Hamlet in this regard. I mean really.

I like that.

About 20 years ago our city council distributed survey forms asking residents what could be done to beautify the city. I recommended they hire people to teach squirrels to look both ways before crossing the street.

Oh, please, spare me the hoary old country sayings. Take a look at the issues I cited in #47 above, then tell me whether they could command a majority.

OR, contemplate the idea that being on the extreme right or the extreme left just means you are closest to falling off the edge.

It is all about the Benjamins. It is almost impossible for a third party to raise enough money to effectively compete. If we had meaningful campaign finance reform to limit the big money and maybe have public financing, it might be possible, but neither party has any interest in doing that.

This is weird. On my screen, #47 is my comment, though I also see a comment from PJEvans referencing yours:

In response to razorbrain @ 47 (show text)

As long as you lose the idea that it needs to be centrist, you can try it.

When I hit “show text” all I get is a gray line. Never seen that phenomenon before.

Well, he is. He won’t avenge (his father’s death), is perfectly FINE with the “dumb show”, has ennui where he pretends action, has Axel-krantz and Guilden-Rahm on his staff; I mean REALLY!

And nominating batshit-crazy Ophelia to the FCC?

Federally-funded campaigns, no private donors above $100 by law, no PAC money. I think even the anti-incumbent Teabaggers would sign on for that program, maybe even especially. Everything else is so upside-down.

I’m aware but that’s what it’s going to take, especially after the recent SCOTUS ruling. Something tells me that neither political party would be much outraged over corporate spending to kill an upstart party.

Excuse me, but I am a fucking socialist. I have no interest at all in anything that smells of centrism. That will just give us more of the same horseshit we have now. As to being on the edge, I have spent almost 60 years there and am quite comfortable. I just wish the rest of you would wake up and join me.

…the snowball effect of permitting “alcohol use, adultery, fraternization, and body art.”

That is the Army now…! ;-)

2 things:
One, instead of referring to a post in text, link to it, or write a diary.

And two, keep your elbows in a little tighter, please.

True. Kagan is probably savvy enough not to be confused by the differences between email, instant messages, and a pager.

The two major parties might suck at governance but they are masters at protecting their turf. The hoops you have to jump through just to get your candidate on the ballot in most states can be nearly insurmountable.

That has been the Army (and navy) for all of recorded history.

Oh I thoroughly agree. I was impressed by the metaphor is all. :-)

All those typos … no wonder no one responded.

mccarran ferguson act of 1945:
as i understand it it decided that insurance wasn’t commerce therefore not subject to anti-trust; also decided that states regulate insurance.

insurance commissioner are appointed so it’s all political, and insurance
is risk – state regulated, politically controlled risk.

with the repeal of glass-steagall: no holds barred horse trading, influenced but not managed by the fed.

this mccarran-ferguson act…this anti-trust issue and intentionally controlled chaos…this health reform initiative…this smoke…these mirrors.

please explain

Also true. That is the kind of thing I meant about structural obstacles (as well as the whole money thing).

I’m with Greenwald on this one- this is who Obama is, this is what he believes in. He’s not getting yanked around by Republican pranks, he uses Republican pranks as cover to pretend that he picked the “middle” ground- i.e. the position that allows him and his cronies to be rewarded the most by the money players for defending the status quo.

I’m there. Let’s have us a Big Pinko Socialist Picnic, where we give food away to anyone hungry who happens by. The wingnuts’ heads’ll explode.

Signed,
A Proud, Unrepentant, Unashamed Liberal-Progressive Hippy since the 1960s (although I was way too young for Woodstock).

I have no interest at all in anything that smells of centrism.

Hear! Hear!

Didn’t want to impugn the navy… Now, Jo Fish might…! ;-)

The wingnuts’ heads’ll explode.

After they’ve eaten, of course.

Agreed. The people who think he is being yanked around by the Republicans are just as delusional as the ones who think he’s playing 11 dimensional chess. Greenwald is spot on as usual.

Y’know, technically it’s only adultery when all the participants are married (to other people). Everything else is fornication.

Yours truly,

The Biblical Terms For Hanky-Panky Sheriff.

My father was a SeaBee (with a tat and a taste for rum and bourbon).

Signed,
A Proud, Unrepentant, Unashamed Liberal-Progressive Hippy since the 1960s (although I was way too young for Woodstock).

I’d sooooo be in love with Becca if I was a Lesbian. ;-)

Hear Hear, Sherrif!

The Biblical Terms For Hanky-Panky Sheriff.

I thought that was “Arpaio”

“The sheriff is a- (DONG!)”

Well pups, it’s time to lay my head down to sleep. Tomorrow’s another day and though I don’t expect it to be better, I have to hope it will be or go mad.
Oyasumi Nasai kagi koinu!

I can never remember, is Joe’s official title “Grand Dragon” or “Imperial Wizard?”

Night. Sleep in peace.

Night, lady!

Sorry dear, already married. ;-)

Well, not in the eyes of the Feds or the State I live in… *sigh* Near 13 years together and the nice Census gal who stopped by last week would only put us down as “unmarried partners”. Still, it was a small step up from the 2000 census when we were recorded merely as unrelated housemates.

I heard it was Supreme Dick Headed Douche Bag.

Some might characterize this behavior as “eleventy-dimensional chess”; I wonder whether it’s not so much cleverness as it is fear of failure.

chess.

but we’re not on his team.

Time for me to toddle off. The grading continues tomorrow. With luck, I will be done by Friday and have a bit of time off before summer school starts.

Golden slumbers, Margaret.

One can hope the DoJ’s Civil Rights Div. will dig up some prosecutable offenses against his racist arse…! They’re certainly looking now…! ;-)

M’eh. Story of my life. Wouldn’t make much difference if you were single though. I had a relationship with a woman once and it was very special and I still care for her very much but it just isn’t me. Good night all. Out! :-)

Sleep well. Hope you have a good supply of red markers.

Aloha, Dr. D and Margaret…!

Seems like it should be a slam-dunk. (Where have I heard that before?)

Wasn’t one of the federal prosecutors who got shafted by Gonzo’s DoJ in Arizona?

Glad you’re in a Good Mood tonight.

Feeling better, demi? Hope you had a groovy Ma’s Day.

“And he’s proud of his cause and the battles he’s lost,
And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross,
And he likes to be known as he angry young man.”

Billy Joel

We’re turning fascist, and you scream for socialism? Try getting back to the center FIRST, then push left. You can’t get there from here, friend, as much as we might all want to see it happen.

Yes, Paul Charleton. By all counts (cept AbuG’s DOJ), a tremendous United States Attorney.

I did and I worked 8 hours today, so I must be feeling better. Not well enough to swallow all the glib and micro managing though. :(

I’m sorry, I’m practically computer illiterate; I don’t know how to make a link (hangs head). Wish I did, gotta learn.

My elbows are under control. Everybody here is a friend. ;-)

Not ready to write a diary yet, still working on refining the concept.

I’m thinking it was Iglesias in NM.

The new US AG in AZ who replaced Napolitano is a dude named Dennis Burke – who I know really well from high school.

We all know that, but it’s got to be done. Easier than making a silk purse out of the pig’s ear that is the Democratic Party, I believe.

Easier if we choose issues that can command a majority because they represent universal values of regular people and not divisive social issues.

I’d like to know what you think of the issues I’ve thought of–follow the crumbs from Comment #47 above lol.

Woops – newt at 105 is right. There was a few after Napolitano after she became governor.

*heh* Thanks…! Like Kelly, I was thinking of Iglesias, too…! ;-)

Of the “You can’t handle the truth…” Fame…!

Highlight some text in your comment with a mouse-click/drag, then click on the icon in the toolbar (second from the right) that looks like two chain links. Next paste in the url you want to link to. Done.

Thanks for the superior recall. :)

How to do a link. If I can, anyone can.
Type a word, like my #47. Then highlight that. Then, click on the link (it looks like a chain, in the blue bar in the response box. copy the url, the words in the box at the top, starting with http) and copy that into the box that appears when you click on the linky icon. Say Okay. And, voila, you’re done.

~~~razorbrain – Instead of driving others to a post from days ago, go to that post, copy the text from that comment, and paste them into a new comment here.~~~

Here, have some Kahlúa chocolate cheesecake, then get some sleep. Shouldn’t push too hard until you’re completely recovered (or skimp on chocolate).

Talkabout a wanker: I recorded those hearings and seminars, and used to listen to them on CD in my car.
I practically know that testimony by heart.

You can owe me a diet cola, dear. :)

Going to call it a night, sweet dreams to all.

It’s easy to remember Abu G’s testimony… “I don’t recall…!” ;-)

If you’re heading out, I’ll save the cola for tomorrow. You can share my Tazo Calm tea if ya want. Peaceful ones.

Thanks for trying, and I dearly hope it’s just that my eyes are closing that’s keeping me from understanding the kind attempts to educate me. Giving up for tonight, I’ll learn tomorrow when I’m fresh. Promise.

Love and peace to all, and to all a good night.

That it was.
I never had so much fun as listening to, of all people Arlen Specter, literally take AbuG apart at the joints.
On one occasion, he told Gonzales that his answers in a SJC hearing were ‘actionable’.

I think Georgia wins the Stupid Senator award.

I think Oklahoma is in the game. [I was counting the Total Stupidness of both senators combined.]

Truly? You might want to consider getting out more. *g*

No doubt.

Where was the ‘action’ for any of the cabal…? Turdblossom, Addington, Meirs, Goodling, ad nauseum…! How does a blowjob and a cum stain produce more action…?

I know with certainty that your questions are rhetorical, and I am replying only as a courtesy.

:-P

I offer Peter Gabriel and “I Don’t Remember” as supporting testimony. Without objection, so entered into record.

*heh* But of course…! ;-)

My tea’s getting cold, which means I should probably head for the horizontal position soon.
PS I thought David Iglesias showed some spine when he spoke out about his getting fired.

My favorite Peter Gabriel…!

USA Geek-Alert!
McKay, Inglesias, Charlton and Lamm – all former United States Attorneys, all fired by Chimpco, all spoke here in January this year.

Me, I’m just a lawnmower.
You can tell me by the way I walk.

i didn’t make cds but i did do these:

Senate Committee on the Judiciary – January 18, 2007

Senate Committee on the Judiciary – April 19, 2007

Senate Committee on the Judiciary – July 24, 2007

Great video.

I spent a lot of time in my car in those days…
And I remember those pages very well.

Rather ironic that it was held at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law… One of the deciding votes in Gore v Bush…!

And one of mine…

Hey, stranger…! How’re ya doing…? *g*

Haven’t read comments yet, but WT-this is the game Obama and Corporate America is running.

Pick a candidate, right of center. Let opposition slam them as too liberal, and compromise further right than the original candidate was.

It’s a simple game, been explained over and over the past year and more. Patterns are replete with the same game.

We get Kagan, or we get worse.

We don’t get Diane Wood.

And the SCOTUS drives farther right, and good bye Brown v Ed (see David’s Charter Schools Gambit below), good by Roe v Wade. Good by maybe, even segregation issues. Women’s vote? How far back will they go?

Buh by Social Security (about all me and mine have left after the market has killed us since ’01).

Adios Medicare, which me and mine will need the minute we quit working.

What happens to everyone on the dole? Welfare?

Never mind unemployment, as long term unemployed begin to outnumber recent unemployed, and are not even eligible for it.

Shit looks bad, out here, amongst the masses.

And the rethugs got very little to do with it, any more than the dem’s do.

They just play to their piper, they enact the legislation, they legalize the theft.

Any kabuki upon the part of being against a nomination, or Obama, is just kabuki.

Obama is the villian, as much as the rethugs.

That’s the script, not the kabuki of rethugs opposing Obama, or the dems.

I keep thinking of this vote, and it makes me weep.

I don’t recall if Justice O’Connor ever opined on the USA firings, but I imagine even the doctrinaire Conservative in her was repulsed.

Wow, pups went vidtastic early tonite, I see . . . .

I’m annoyed with Obama too, but to call him an inept politician is more than a little silly – He did manage to get himself elected president, after all…

ooooooo

hey CT. been v busy. am now very tired. i think i already blew my one link a day back to my site…. if the mods will approve, i’ll show you what i’ve been working on. otherwise will wait until tomorrow.

how’s life in paradise?

oh, i’m late… must go say “hi” to ES.

The radical right will treat her like she’s a radical lefty, even though she’s a piss poor moderate in my view. Obama’s middle of the road decisions and policies just keep moving things further to the right – and kowtowing to the corporate elite. Disgusting.

he is a whimp

he will go down in history as a weak president like carter.

we needed a roosevelt we got a carter that gives great speechs.

but then we could have had mc war and be fighting iran right now.

but five blacks in the white house the southern states are going nuts.

even the tea baggers are going nuts.

the many faces of racism has come to america.

If Bill Clinton were a corporatist, the corporate media would not hate him. This is logic; it can help you.

Not a compelling argument.

A point of reference for y’all:

http://stopmebeforeivoteagain.org/stopme/chapter02.html

New to posting here, long time lurker. Big time fan of FDL. Tried to get the link do-dad to hook this up but it ain’t co-operatin’. Copy the address into your browser and it oughta go.
http://stopmebeforeivoteagain.org is their main page. Click on the home page here for further info.

This little ditty describes the perpetual ratchet cranking things to the right. I find the dude that wrote this a bit too pessimistic, but it’s pretty hard to argue with his premise; seems pretty accurate to me and appropo to the discussion of this thread. Obama’s illustrating his point nearly perfectly. Viewed through the Overton Window, I don’t know if I can believe what my lyin’ eyes see anymore.