It’s sadder still that the Dems control the Presidency AND the Senate and their game of preference is to misdirect, to try desperately to move the conversation away from their failings to the Republicans. Maybe it’s something to think about that at leat some in the Republican Party are telling their leadership they’ve had enough of “old school” politics.

Obama MUST be challenged to a Primary. Is there no Democrat in the country, no Governor, no super-wealthy individual, no celebrity willing to stand-up up to the opportunity? Is there no Democrat anywhere who will tell Obama and the world he – not Palin, not Gingrich, not the Tea Party – is the GREATEST disappointment of our times?

Personally, I will NOT vote for Obama REGARDLESS who runs against him. Worse, I will not waste my vote, I will vote to unseat him. He is that big a disgrace.

These candidates are an embarrassment of riches to behold, like unto Jethro’s daughters before the fountain.

“A bride, a shawl… choose one, not all”.

I agree. Nuthin but free entertainment. Don’t mean nuthin.

On another note, somebody just posted two 300+/- word entries that look to maybe be nike shoe ad’s, but they’ve been translated by a really piss poor program from who knows what,into well…..you couldn’t describe it as english.

No wonder the majority of Republicans would prefer another set of candidates, don’t know if this means they want someone less crazy or more crazy.

Obama should be a one-termer but it’s beginning to look less likely. More and more people are seeing that there’s not a helluva lot of difference in the two parties.

I believe, in the next “election” that it is even more important to support our local, progressive, candidates than it is to worry about which particular puppet will end up in the oval office.

We have to build/rebuild the progressive movement from the ground up as it is obvious that the, so called, liberals in Congress have gone to the dark side and, as you point out, it will be difficult to find even one viable candidate to primary The Big Zero.

Whatever one thinks of the Koch partiers one has to admire the way that they have taken over politics from dog catcher on up and we have to do the same damn thing if we want to take back america from USACorp.

Philosophically a worthy endeavor. Pragmatically, too little, too late. Too far off the rails for the ballot box to cure. Tinder waitin’ for the spark. Will the crazies ignite first? Or enough join us? Civil disobedience only solution now though.

I’m still predicting a Republican in the White House in 2012, probably Jeb Bush. I realize this isn;t exactly cheering news, but it would stop Obama;s ongoing destruction of the Democratic Party, which is the factor that most people ignore (cf. Ted Kennedy’s seat, the historic reversal in generic polls, the enthusiasm gap, and the recent shellacking). I think the Obamacrats are quickly bleeding the life out of the Democratic Party. The Dems probably can’t beat the Repubs in anything at this point.

Much as I love the concept, a primary challenge would probably be unwise. Obama’s political behavior toward his fellow Democrats is pure Chiacago school. Any Democrat who primaries the Obamanator can look forward to having his or her reputation thoroughly destroyed.

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!

Expecting the American people rise up against USACorp is an exercise in futility.

Good morning, pups. It’s Collins and Kristof today. In “The New Anti-Abortion Math” Ms. Collins says with Texas producing a huge chunk of our nation’s future work force, the state’s problems are of interest to us all. What do I worry about Texas producing? More Bushes. Mr. Kristof, in ” ‘Three Cups of Tea,’ Spilled,” says whatever one thinks of the accusations against Greg Mortenson, the author of “Three Cups of Tea,” he was right about some big things.

Here they are.

The coffee and tea are ready, and I’ve got banana pancakes this morning. I’m off to feed kittehs, even the one who jumped up on my desk and somehow managed to turn off my computer earlier this morning. I still can’t quite figure out how he did it… Have a great day.

Hope not. Cause expecting to infiltrate the corrupted system and change it from within is futility as well. Especially for national level elections now days, they are being stolen with impunity, in broad daylight, with the blessing of the courts.

If dirt poor, uneducated Tunisians, Egyptians, Libyans; why not us?

Thanks, and you definitely want to keep watch on what develops in TX, it will infect you all too soon. See; fracking, with huge emphasis on disabling EPA and its protections.

That’s why the mods are such a treasure.

“Obama’s ongoing destruction of the Democratic party.”
Barry has certainly been a monumental disappointment, but the Democratic party as a whole has been pretty damn disappointing in recent years. As they consume more and more corporate cash, they have left the base in the dirt. Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but when a Republican president flagrantly violates the Constitution and the Democratic party takes impeachment off the table, then Barry does the same damn thing and the GOP makes no move to impeach, it just looks to me like we ‘Muricans are getting scammed. I see little hope for our future. All great civilizations fail, so will this one. If in fact it was ever great.

Especially for national level elections now days, they are being stolen with impunity

Exactly. Local elections we can still control to some extent that is why the effort must be placed there.

Frankly I would love to see americans rise up to slay the mighty USACorp Empire but I also believe that it is not realistic to expect…also it woud be long fought and bloody. Koch tea partiers, with guns, shooting progressives on sight would not lead to regime change but only to less people and by the hundreds of thousands. USACorp will not sit idly by and let it happen. No, we have to take back this country one local vote at a time changing the election rules and the Congressional make up until it is our favour.

Perhaps we will fail to rise up as nomolos is resigned to, perhaps the MOTU will build a bubble this time beyond bailing out, perhaps they already did and the 300 – 600 trillion in toxic assets hidden out there somewhere are about to cause an implosion that just takes out the top heavy portion of this unsustainable system.

“A good person will resist an evil system with his whole soul. Disobedience of the laws of an evil state is therefore a duty.” Gandhi

Saw that the other day and thought it very appropriate for today’s world.

Tea party already dying. Right wing working class will join with us, they are not stupid, just misled, when it flat out comes to providing for their families, they will come around. Police and Army will not fire on us, they are us. Some will be killed in skirmishes, but as in Egypt, police and Army will cross over.

Amen

Gee whiz Collins has something right for a change.

In my state, NH, our, nominal, democratic governor has said he will not veto the draconian House budget that tramps over the constitution, women’s reproductive rights and tears away any safety net for poor families, the mentally disadvantaged and children in poverty. He is catholic and therefor anti-woman. He is a wimpish little man, a supporter of the chamber of commerce and an anti-union “business before people” proponent. Basically he is a child of the DNC/Clinton philosophy.

Join with us for what, to reelect Barry?

Good Morning.

I agree that Obama needs a primary challenger but let’s not kid ourselves. The Banking cartel wants to keep him. They are slowly working their way around the world and will soon put Geneva and Zurich out of business.

Right wing working class will join with us, they are not stupid, just misled, when it flat out comes to providing for their families, they will come around.

I agree but it will be a lot easier to persuade them to vote their local interests than it will be to take up arms and fight. Now, if the local voting method does not prove fruitful, you may well find them in the streets.

As for the police and army refusing to support USACorp I fear you will be sadly mistaken as the fascist Homeland Security ‘merca uber alles is well and truly entrenched in the psyche of those that want to carry a gun and wear pretty little uniforms with shiny badges and buttons.

Agreed, however the votes won’t matter until something is done about the blackbox program to make elections whatever they want them to be.

My comment was serious. Don’t know how to respond to that. Did you read the comment before responding? My impression had been that most here at FDL were serious participants.

Or is this a long standing private thread or something? No sweat of my back if you’d prefer I go away.

Shorter Bobo on the Donald:

The proof of a billionaire is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it’s wealth.

25 meant as response to 21

Individual commenters are not to be taken as representative of a whole community, please.

I resemble that remark.

Heh. Last I knew, FDL was not a private preserve.

I’m off to feed kittehs, even the one who jumped up on my desk and somehow managed to turn off my computer earlier this morning. I still can’t quite figure out how he did it

Hah! My cats type, turn the computer off and on, can tell it is time to wake me in the morning (4:30am), and can even type a string of JJJJJJJJJJJs or $$$$$$$$$$$$$s or sometimes llllllllllllllllllls.

It’s hard not to get angry sometimes.

I used to be disgusted
Now I try to be amused.

Smart Kittehs! Mine just swats at moths and knocks everything off tables.

From an article by David Runcimen, linked to by Yves Smith:

Yet time may be one of the things that the reformers do not have on their side…This, again, is one of the traditional critiques of democracy: while decent-minded democrats are organising themselves to make the world a better place, the world has moved on. In a fast-moving financial environment, it is usually easier to assemble a coalition of interests in favour of relaxing the rules than one in favour of tightening them. Similarly, it’s easier not to enforce the rules you have than to enforce them: non-enforcement is the work of a moment – all you have to do is turn a blind eye – whereas enforcement is a slow and laborious process.

Agreed. They will either become corrupted or marginalized. There’s no way to fix this at a local level. They are destorying Michigan with or without local governments approval.

BTW, what’s Newt gonna gird — his loins? Uh-oh, we’re in trouble now.

Here in Arizona, legislature just adjourned. Sent 86 bills to Gov’s desk.
SB1322 requires all municipal govmt’s to put out all services for bid to private contractors, all. Same goal as Michigan, different treachery used to achieve it.

Maybe Newt could try the Donald Trump way and get richer through bankruptcy?

Donald Trump’s Companies Filed for Bankruptcy 4 Times

Bankruptcy laws were changed back in 2005 so as to make sure that anyone who’s in serious financial trouble can be punched and kicked by creditors as he or she goes down.

Sorry, Newt. Building the appearance of success on borrowed money – what Trump did… badly – is not an option anyway, seeing how there’s the small problem of the difficulty of finding someone to extend credit as a result of the near collapse of the economy in 2008.

Attaturk’s got an idea for sweet number 4: Michelle Bachmann’s got $2.2 million. She’s nuts and, unlike Newt, actually believes shit like the stuff that comes out of his head. Fortunately for Newt, he has no respect whatsoever for the institution of marriage and can start looking for number 5 even before he ties the knot with number 4.

In response to nomolos @5:

I admit to being part of the problem, as I live in a relatively left-leaning city(Tucson)yet I spend almost no time researching up and coming progressives-in-training.

Your point about the right’s battle plans are spot on. Look how much damage they’ve inflicted just by crashing the School boards. Of course, our electing school board members is not conducive to seating school policy-wonks/experts anyway.

But he’s such a “great campaigner.” Unfortunately his vision of “governance” is fatally flawed and I agree, he’s a disgrace.

Good morning all and things are looking up.

Remember how we were screwed with the housing bubble by the owners ?

It looks like the owners have a classic gold bubble they are blowing up which will wind up with some deflated wallets and egos. Should be entertaining .

Good analysis in this discussion about all the dead ends to changing the monster America has become. All the usual paths will get the progressives and the people no where.

The only chance is that the capitalists will implode their system and it will all come crashing down. We’re headed there now. The only question is… Is what will happen when the dust settles? Will the fascists take over and step out from behind the curtain? Or will the people then form a new progressive democratic non money and corporate interest driven society? Hard to tell… what to expect from desperate people in desperate times to come.

While I support all the usual means of democracy… none of them are bearing fruit… We don’t HAVE a democracy. We have an hypocracy.

Yeah, deserting sick wives, and then shutting down the government, under Clinton, while having an affair at the same time Clinton was, is not going to go over well with most voters.

The only way it won’t go over well with most voters is if the opposition (that would be us) bang on this topic every single day until he cries ‘Uncle’ and gets the heck out of the race.

The problem is, there’s no one highly regarded out there that will take this on. It’s why we are where we are. We cannot expect MSM to do it; we can’t expect those outside the MSM to carry the message, because they’re disregarded as nuts.

Only in America could the guy that marshalled the forces to impeachment of a sitting President have his own ridiculous behavior buried and ignored.

Remember Rush Limpballs is fed to our troops on a daily basis.

The biggest wingnuts we have at work are all collecting military pensions.

(I am waiting for the opportunity to point out they are the biggest socialists I know :)