US POLITICS: AMERICANS, PLEASE WELCOME YOUR NEW PRESIDENT... SCOTT BROWN!

not that im saying thats what hes doing here

just that it would be a familiar strategy

"Obama needed to be George Scott at the beginning of Patton"

everyone needs to be more like that imho

paul krugman was at any point an Obama fanboi?!?

That's his thing, for sure, but I don't see how it works in this case. The best hope was to pass it in the House, but house dems are falling off like flies on the left. Trying to water it down AGAIN in the Senate for Snowe or Collins seems like the worst idea of all time. Would his plan be to wait 3 weeks, and then "lead" by signing a bill that just has the basic stuff that everyone agrees on - no more denying coverage for previous conditions, etc - but none of the (already watered down) more progressive elements that are sorely needed?

xpost

haven't followed this too much (too depressing), but isn't this what happens with obama all the time? he absorbs hit-after-hit, is accused of being too soft, unable to counterpunch or attack and so forth. then, after the other side has "punched itself out," so to speak, he steps forward and delivers a speech that galvanizes support and rallies the troops. he did this in the primaries, the general election, the big speech in favor of the stimulus. i hope and assume he'll follow his pattern and do it again.

but who knows? maybe it will be pres. brown/vice president palin.

Seriously thought the first post would be Brown's centerfold picture from Cosmo

Sorry, I'm not trying to be dense, but what am I missing with how the "wait and the lead" approach can possibly work this time (see my post just above)? I'm probably just missing something really obvious, but I don't see how he ever gets back the house dem votes that he's losing now if he waits a few weeks.

he gave his big health care speech already! then the dems proceeded to waste more time and make more concessions to insurance companies/conservadems like lieberman and nelson, which depressed the hell out of the base, who rahm emanuel told to f*** off basically, which helped rally them no doubt

here ya go michael

http://i38.tinypic.com/im8n02.jpg

that picture is disturbing.

Sorry, I'm not trying to be dense, but what am I missing with how the "wait and the lead" approach can possibly work this time (see my post just above)? I'm probably just missing something really obvious, but I don't see how he ever gets back the house dem votes that he's losing now if he waits a few weeks.

― CATBEAST!! (Z S), Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:12 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

IF this is the strategy hes playing hes not going to wait a few weeks, hell wait a few days

anyway i hope you guys all called your congressman today!

dont tell anyone but i called my congresswoman AND my old congressman

i live in the city of taxation-without-representation, my congresswoman can't even vote

one of my US senators (the guy running the DSCC) is at least mouthing the right words about fighting and shit. OTOH, he cut his teeth in Hudson County, NJ (a political sewer that even Clay Davis from The Wire would find too nasty).

my mom called - we are doomed

tidbits:

"hey that guy quit today (note: she's referring to the TSA nom) because he had such a shady past"
"well mom he was being held up by the GOP and.."
"oh no he wasn't"

http://i46.tinypic.com/11algyt.jpg

then, after the other side has "punched itself out," so to speak, he steps forward and delivers a speech that galvanizes support and rallies the troops

The State of the Union speech is in 1 week.

http://i46.tinypic.com/2uiac5f.gif
sorry

THAT IS DISTURBING

politics is disturbing

lol Chuck Todd today made the same point: his WH sources told him that the Oval Office was going to let the right wing talk itself to death in the next couple of days before Obama swung into action on Friday or Monday.

WH sources have been in communication with me, too, which is how i know their strategy

Do the group of progressive house senators who made it clear today that they would not vote for the senate version of the bill know of his plan?

they communicate with me through my dental fillings.

eh. best-case scenario progressive reps are essentially giving moderates some cover inna overton window kind of way. frank has already walked back his comments. i imagine that fairly universal liberal base outrage over ppl tryna scuttle healthcare + more or less unanimous feeling among even center-left pundits had a lot of effect.

Tr.: progressive reps are chicken-hearted and gutless.

j/k -- got to get HCR

frank, btw, probably has been kind of harsh about this since his district went half for brown last night--hes probably a lil scared

according to my mom Frank has been president for 9 years now

don't worry y'all just got this email from my pal mitch : )

Matt --
Yesterday's disappointing election results show deep discontent with the pace of change. I know the OFA community and the President share that frustration.
We also saw what we knew to be true all along: Any change worth making is hard and will be fought at every turn. While it doesn't take away the sting of this loss, there is no road to real change without setbacks along the way.
We could have simply sought to do things that were easy, that wouldn't stir up controversy. But changes that aren't controversial rarely solve the problem.
Our country continues to face the same fundamental challenges it faced yesterday. Our health care system still needs reform. Wall Street still needs to be held accountable. We still need to create good jobs. And we still need to continue building a clean energy economy.
The President isn't walking away from these challenges. In fact, his determination and resolve are only stronger. We must match that commitment with our own.
But it won't be easy. Real change never is. For that reason, I am grateful you're part of this fight with us.

Thank you,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

ed rendell just told rachel maddow, look we don't NEED 60 votes to pass this thing, we need 51. we only need 60 to break a filibuster, so let's get this to the senate and let them filibuster if they really think that's what they want to do, let them explain to the public why they are holding up reform, and if we lose at least go down fighting for something we believe in. maddow's like RIGHT ON.

omg that guy mitch emails me all the time

BACK OFF HE'S MINE

hands off pal

Yesterday's disappointing election results show deep discontent with the pace of change

^^ love this line btw, obamas facebook used it too

i mean how can you NOT be discontented with the pace of change

there is no american voter who is saying right now, "change is going at exactly the right pace"

it's like gw bush saying the 06 midterm results show the public desire for a stronger commitment in iraq

(sorta, as a political strategy)

kind of ambiguous, considering that one of the conservative/independent complaints about HCR (and other parts of obama's agenda) is: SLOW DOWN. (i think this is BS but hey maybe some of those grumpy independents got the email and were like, ok they get it! the pace of change has been too fast!)

yeah its ambiguity was my point

SLOW DOWN = "i don't have a legitimate complaint, please stall until everyone forgets what they were doing!"

it isn't intended to be ambiguous. it's intended to turn the focus away from democratic fumbling, ineffective leadership, distasteful horsetrading, etc., and make the debate about gop obstructionism.

Please slow down until the 2010 elections! thank you!

oh jeez guys i was just making a joke anyway

hahahahahahahahahaha

there is no american voter who is saying right now, "change is going at exactly the right pace"

I'm saying that, over and over like a mantra, but mainly just to piss max off

as mantras go it's pretty soothing tho tbh