Thanks, BT. I’m so glad to see that there will be a drilling ban. Maybe it will be the kick in the teeth Big Oil needs to clean up its messes, like, say, fracking in Ft Worth. Where you can light the water from the tap in several places.

Someone needs to tell Clare McCaskill that NO, no one is paying attention. But! the media might pay attention if Harry Reid called for the cots and the eggnog. He needs to hold a REAL filibuster — that would break through the holiday clutter of “news” our media is obsessed with.

“Obama and GOPers Worked Together to Kill Bush Torture Probe”

This alone makes Barack Obama the Worst President Ever.

The Democrats Wail

Wow, Salazar is still employed!?
Waddya gotta do to get fired over there, anyway?

From your Ezra link, there’s this gem:

The Republicans were never going to negotiate, and so holding these as chips would’ve simply meant never doing them. Better to do them unilaterally and get the credit

They want credit for the discretionary spending freeze, the stimulus tax cuts, the federal worker pay freeze. These are things for they think someone should shower the White House with accolades. By proposing them first — these hated, stupid wrong-headed approaches to policy AND politics — the White House thinks they’ve DENIED the Republicans “credit” for something the American people LIKE.

This is the most bone-headed political shop ever to inhabit the West Wing.

John Cole’s approving “the Jane Hamshers of the Left sums it up pretty well” link in a slightly earlier post of his was priceless. (This is a reference by John to an old squabble, John displaying a laudable sense of humor I thought)

From his Bush defender days to now, Cole is sort of like a mine canary in reverse. When you see him finally fall, you know that the worship zone has become too toxic for anyone even remotely sensible, most being long gone by now.

Losing John Cole…and Ezra Klein?

He’s even lost the Adulation Reality Based Community.

Mornin’, BT, pups

Temp dropped like a stone yesterday. Hate cold weather.

So right out of the gate Obama and his lackeys strangled any attempt to hold Shrub et al responsible for torture. I wonder how much pressure they’re putting on Spain to squelch the lawsuit over the killing of a journalist and cameraman in the Paradise Hotel in Baghdad. Talk about low lifes. These people are lower than whale shit. Motherfuckers.

Good Morning, BT and All Y’all
Can we remember that Obama ran his campaign thinking that being a DC outsider was a good thing? Can the Republicans be so arrogantly selfish that they really will shoot their heads off to prove they are right? Can I ask any more understandably naive questions?

“Obama and GOPers Worked Together to Kill Bush Torture Probe”

This alone makes Barack Obama the Worst President Ever.

I don’t know; the fact that Obama keeps a list of American citizens he has ordered be assassinated with absolutely no due process, what I call his “thumb down” list, has to rank right up there.

President Obama supports torture. This deceitful President is protecting the Bush torturers who are now the Obama torturers. The Bushie/Obama Stasi used torture to obtain false confessions to justify their Wars. This President is a war criminal as was the previous mass murderer President. Impeachment is in order.

The posters at HP, once a bastion of Obama love, are turning on Mr. Bipartisan. If a critical mass can be reached perhaps someone on the left can begin publicly challenging the inside the Beltway “conventional wisdom” and Mr. Bipartisan himself. Through his duplicity, inaction, and weak leadership he has earned a primary challenge in 2012.

I keep thinking that what Obama is doing by “looking forward” makes him complicit, i.e., also a war criminal just like Bushco. But I don’t have enough knowledge to be sure of that.

HP?

Interesting that Rachel kept citing “the beltway media” last night as making a huge deal out of the GOP’s letter about blocking everything over extending the tax cuts, when they’ve filibustered everything for 4 years.

And one of her guests (Merkley) said filibusters don’t work like everyone thinks they do, with the filibusterer having to keep talking even if it means reading the phone book.

Huffington Post

I noted that too. Made her look kind of, um, I’m not sure what adjective to use. Helloooooo?

Ah of course. Thanks. Never read it, didn’t think of it. I was thinking the company or the sauce.

Temp dropped like a stone yesterday. Hate cold weather.

Here, too. But it went from the high 30s to the low 20s. It’s all of 22 right now, and we had a little snow yesterday too. Roads were tricky.

Waddya gotta do to get fired over there, anyway?

The right thing, apparently. So it looks like we’re stuck with this pack of cretins, incompetents and gangsters.

Morning BT and Firepups.

A lot of people think filibusters should mean they have to hold the floor continuously, which I think Merkley is introducing legislation to require, and Udall has even more stringent legislation planned or proposed.

I don’t have any confidence the Dems will have enough spine to pass anything in the Lame Duck, including DADT.

Good morning all.

democracynow doing segment on U.S. torture revelations in the leaks docs.

and Mr. Bipartisan was able to work with the Republicans in shutting down investigations on torture of the previous administration. What a “leader.”

They better do something. What are they waiting for? What do they say about the person who has nothing to lose?

Wait: George Dubyah Bush said we don’t torture. Now I’m all confused…

Losing John Cole…and Ezra Klein?

John Cole and Ezra Klein have defended virtually EVERY stupid move that Obama has made over the last two years — and ridiculed real progressives for calling him out.

FUCK John Cole and Ezra Klein.

don’t have any confidence the Dems will have enough spine to pass anything in the Lame Duck

Got that right. The ones that got their ass beat prolly won’t even show up except to clean out their offices.

No credit for finally joining the real world?

Several years ago I thought the GOP just might go the way of the Whig Party. I now think it’s more likely that it’s the Democratic Party that will suffer that fate.

Every day there are new examples of caving and spinelessness, Obama and Dems. I dutifully went to the polls on Nov. 2nd, but I’m unlikely to go in 2012 unless we have a chance at replacing Obama with someone strong and progressive. Otherwise, why bother?

Yep. I saw that. Had a hard time sleeping last night, so got a latish start this morning & just catching up. Here’s the first thing I posted as a comment on Jeff Kaye’s torture diary this morning.

After having some overnight thoughts, I had exactly the same thought as Teddy. Just as you think you’d heard every evil of the USG, a new one comes up to hit you. I’m aware of this in a general way* and constantly alert to “you ain’t heard nothing yet” wrt politics, so I’m rarely surprised when the pols plumb new bottoms. But wrt torture, the W admin successfully buried new revelations after the release of the Abu Ghraib torture pics, O has managed to suppress any revelations of ongoing torture, and I have such emotional difficulties with torture, that I had forgotten that it would also be the case there. I now imagine that there are many other, more horrifying, tortures still to come to light.

*Decades ago, during the 1980s, an investment banking friend specializing in Latin America, had a hard time finding a suitable position. It was the aftermath of the second oil crisis, when many LA countries were in such trouble. So he finally took a job as prez of a bankrupt bank; it was a workout situation. I forget its nationality. Might have been Argentine. No dummy he, he thoroughly investigated its financials before he accepted. Several years later, I asked him if it were better, same, or worse that he anticipated. He looked at me, shook his head, and answered: “Worse. Much much worse.” It taught me an important lesson, which I have never forgotten, but don’t always think of when I should.

President Sarah Palin, that’s why you’d better bother!
/boosterclub

I agree. I’m thinking of the Prodigal Son story and the lessons therein. We need all the help we can get and if they’re coming out to the truth, that is a good thing.

Here’s how Obama got rid of secret CIA prisons:
1) Rename them “Intelligence Gathering Centers”
2) Continue business as usual
Obama is basically continuing everything Bush did – and worse – just he makes minor cosmetic changes to it for PR.

No. These two clowns are now castigating him for EXACTLY the kind of behavior that they have defended in the past. Along with MY and Drum.

It’s only now that Obama has painted himself and us into a corner for the next two years — only when we are truly fucked — that they are waking up. FUCK THEM.

Gotta get going on my day…see y’all later!

Some days I’m not sure even that would matter.

Second that. It’s one of my top annoyances when people who should know better finally wake up & smell the coffee. Too little, too late gets only condemnation from me.

You got that right, brother. She is truly and fiercely scary.

I think that had nothing to do with bipartisanship and everything to do with self-protection. I think Obama is guilty of the same things and so he’s trying to show if he treats ex-Presidential leadership that way he too will be treated that way when he becomes and ex-President…it’s elitism, not bipartisanship at work.

This bullshit that this behavior by Obama was okay for two years but is now unacceptable is too much to take. These guys have been wrong about EVERYTHING — HCR, FinReg, SS, you name it.

As I observed yesterday, I am seeing some increased criticism of Obama from both KO and Rachel. I think the proverbial rats (not that either of them are rats) are deserting the sinking ship.

Rachel also has been very critical of the “beltway media” lately.

And now I am really outta here. Enjoy your day, peeps.

Heh. One of the many bible stories I just don’t get. What about accountability as the only way of moving into the future, in several ways. Like: lessons for others to think more carefully beforehand about the consequences of their actions. Like: fairness, justice.

Yeah, if she became President she might unilaterally order assassinations without due process, continue Bush’s indefinite detentions, cut backroom deals with the healthcare industry, cover up and reward the oil companies, kill investigations into the Bush era…oh wait, that’s already going on with Obama.

Black Jimmy Carter?

More simply put: part & parcel of the way the PTB protect their own & leave themselves free to commit atrocities of their choosing without fear of consequences. Which are only for the small people.

You are allowed your personal judgement, but do you really think it’s better for people to stay blind? There is a power in truth. It’s important.

Obama uses “bipartisanship” as merely a cover for his elitism and corporatism. It’s a ruse for the masses.

Plus I don’t remember the Prodigal Son vilifying everyone else along the way. These guys all attacked the “Professional Left” for calling out Obama. Some worse than others. Reminds me of how some of them crawled back into acceptance as wonks after supporting the Iraq war.

Driveway guy just showed up. Gotta go tell him his new drainage system worked in yesterday’s rainstorm. Yeah! Will be back.

Those bipartisany Republicans keep handing Democrats a meal on a silver platter, and the Democrats keep on screwing it up. Imagine the possibilities…the ENTIRE Republican delegation in the Senate (and probably the House, too) has declared with certainty that they are going to be 100% predictable.

When one knows, with 100% certainty, what one’s opponent will do, the opponent is easy to smite. Will the Democrats do it? No.

In the sport of fencing, if you know with 100% certainty that your opponent will always use the exact same move, do you think you might be able to use that to your advantage? Will the Democrats do it? No.

The Dems need only to bring up every wildly popular hot-button issue and make the Republicans vote "no". Make the Republicans block everything. Bring up fifty bills every day, just do not bring up the tax extensions. The Dems need to figuratively spit in the faces of the Senate Republicans and say that the tax extension bill will be brought up dead last, after all other legislation.

But the Dems won’t do it…apparently they’re too cowardly, too corporate, too afraid of angering Fox News, too stupid, too owned, too corrupt. Take your pick(s).

NOT if they don’t admit they were wrong. If they admit they were wrong, I’m all for forgiveness.

But these guys are saying that Obama’s behavior was just fine for two years — and that all of their criticisms of the “Professional Left” were right. But now Obama’s behavior is just unacceptable. Bullshit.

We’ll just have to agree to disagree. This is one of those personal judgements, I think. I’ll continue to hold my beliefs.

As the GOP members scramble to out-extreme each other in order to get their mugs on FoxNews, don’t be surprised if one of them puts this before the 112th Congress:

No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up, on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

US KIA Afghanistan: 1,413

US KIA Irak: 4,429

Iraki, Afghan and Pakistani casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M

US MBS 2010: 41,540 and counting

State of Independence

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things

Namaste

As you should.

So if they come bowin’ and scrapin’, all sorry an’ shit sayin’ “You were right and I was wrong, boo hoo” it’ll be okay?

Necessary, but not sufficient, condition for revising one’s attitude toward them. Their future behavior must also evidence that they’ve learned their lesson. Might be other conditions too, which I’m not thinking about right now.

Same at the Great Orange Satan. His polls will fall like a stone as he loses his base.

As for me, I am trying figure out which stage of the 7 stages of grief I’m in. I’m past denial, seem to be working my way through anger. There’s no bargaining, so I might as well just go right to acceptance.

We no longer have a government. We have a kleptocracy. Our public services will effectively disappear over the next generation as those who usually supply them head for the lifeboats. Orszag is the canary in the mine. He bailed. I never thought I’d see the day.

re: test well – the only reason for that decision is the not-in-my-backyard syndrome.
re: worse & worse – as a poster on another site said “in deals with the devil, no matter what the terms, the soul is always part of the bargain.”
re: balloon juice link – comment 9 gave me my first good laugh of the day.

from the vapors, I smell a deal on DADT for anything the repugs are asking for this week. but don’t be surprised if someone goes rogue on that.

for some strange reason I woke up this morning thinking about GITMO being closed a year ago. oh, yea, that was just in my dreams.

I’ll sit with demi on this one.

It has now come to be fascinating observing media, ordinary folks and myself evolve at different paces to understand that this man, who now admits it, is nothing more than a Blue Dog DINO…. and not a very swift one at that. As I have said the message I optimistically take from the recent election is that the DLC/Blue Dogs lost, though he remains in office..

Likely because of my somewhat deeper understanding of the issues he lost me when I suffered the disillusionment around the health care debates. I think we need to cut some of the others slack, especially real Democrats trying to work with him, in taking longer. There is a danger in getting split off from the few friends our philosophy has in Congress if we can’t forgive some of their support of Obama, especially early on.

But these four years are bringing a tragedy that will not be plumbed for years that Obama is in office. He is literally giving the country over to the Davos men and local plunderers.

.

It would be a start. Do you read these guys regularly? I do. Them turning on Obama now is IMHO disgraceful.

Opportunism?

Exactly.

Once again, I am all for forgiveness and acceptance. We all have been wrong before. But the key issue here is can we come to some understanding with them? When the Prodigal Son returned, there was some expectation that he had seen the error of his ways — that he would not stray again.

Read closely what these guys are really saying. They’re saying that they were RIGHT all along — that Obama was RIGHT all along. (All the capitulation was fine.) And we were WRONG all along. (In calling out the capitulation.) But only NOW, Obama is wrong.

The question is not one of forgiveness or not. The question is, have they learned anything?

I recall long time Viet Cong coming to the realization that Uncle Ho’s path wasn’t the right one. While we kept an eye on ‘em, we didn’t make ‘em jump through all kinds of hoops for our own satisfaction.

I’m not for making anyone jump through hoops. I’m quite willing to look forward. And I don’t need an apology of any kind.

However, what I do need is some recognition that the behavior they are now castigating Obama for is exactly the same behavior that they have defended in the past. That can take the form of an enlightened answer to the question, where do we go from here?

If they feel that Obama must fight to preserve what’s left of the safety net, I’m with them. Let bygones be bygones. But if they feel that the retirement age can be raised — which some of them still do — then I do not welcome them back to the fold.

Oh well, it’s your anger. Neither Cole nor Klein give a rat’s ass. Knock yourself out.

I was wondering if he may just reach the point of becoming an R…he likes their company and bipartisanship so much, that would make sense to me. Wonder what he thinks?

I have been thinking the same thing. I thinkh is vision is of one big so-called center party. A “post partisan state.” He just might do it as an expression of that vision. There are here in the south a number of Blue Dogs now turning Republican (5 so far in Georgia)

I’ve long felt that Obama is nothing more than a hard-right NeoCon Republican. That’s just me, but I don’t even see him as BlueDog DINO. I see absolutely nothing in this empty suit that even vaguely resembles a Blue Dog… all Obama has done almost from day one (as in: 2 nanoseconds after the election was called) is kowtow to, capitulate & give in to Republicans… over & over.

The vast majority of the population wanted a Public Option: nada, zip. We got a watered down version of the Bob Dole HCR, and it’s not even as “good” as Mitt Romney’s MA plan.

The vast majority of the population, including the military, wants DADT repealed: believe me, it won’t be. Obama has waffled & capitulated endlessly on that.

The vast majority of the population wants the Bush tax cuts to end: believe me, Obama will make sure that those tax cuts – esp at the top – are extended indefinitely.

That’s barely the tip of the ice berg. WHAT in this picture of Obama even *remotely* resembles a traditional Democrat, or even a conservaDem??

Obama’s a trojan horse plant, and he works only for the Oligarchs… just like ALL Republicans do. IMO, of course…

Losing John Cole. Losing Ezra Klein. Losing BooMan. Who’s next?

The Peasants want leadership! The proles want a king!

Jeebus. You are the sovereign. Enough of the Hope for Messiah. Haven’t had enough “Change” yet?

Lead already.