December 22, 2010
— DrewM Charles Krauthammer wrote about this last week and that was before DADT was repealed and START was ratified.
Now that the lame duck has wrapped up, Obama Comeback Fever has gone to 11!
Greg Sargent of the Washinton Post is practically giddy over it all.
So this afternoon, the Senate voted to ratify New START after months of partisan wrangling and passed the bill giving health benefits to 9/11 heroes after, well, years of partisan wrangling. This, on the same day that Obama signed the repeal of don't ask don't tell, a civil rights milestone. All in all, a pretty productive day.It's obvious enough that Obama's rebound was remarkable, in that he has defied expectations of gridlock to rack up a fusillade of major accomplishments that have placed him in a stronger position than many expected. But there's more: It turns out he will also emerge from the session with far more kudos from the public than Republicans have earned.
To Democratsliberals I say, enjoy it while you can.
To Republicans/conservatives on't buy the hype.
Yes, a lot got done partially because of the RINO sellouts Ace talked about earlier but mostly because the House was still controlled by the Democrats. The legislation that passed looked very different if Boehner was the Speaker instead of Pelosi.
Obama is getting a lot of credit now for being "bipartisan" and "getting things done" but he only had to deal with a handful of Republican Senators. It was easier to cut deals with a handful of mushy Senators, some of whom aren't coming back (by Robert Bennett, Judd Gregg and Kit Bond).
From the tax deal to a medium term Continuing Resolution, the lame duck was about playing defense for Republicans. You wouldn't have known it judging by the press coverage but Harry Ried is and will be the Majority Leader, not Mitch McConnell. John Boehner hasn't broken down in tears while grabbing the gavel from Nancy Pelosi's hands just yet.
Majorities matter.
Everything changes in two weeks. The House alone won't be enough to undo all the damage the Democrats and some fellow traveling Republicans have done in the last two years but it will be a start. The terms of the debate will change and Obama will be forced into taking and defending unpopular and liberal positions again.
Posted by: DrewM at
04:48 PM
| Comments (105)
Post contains 398 words, total size 3 kb.
Posted by: str8 outta at December 22, 2010 04:51 PM (dwOwg)
Posted by: steevy at December 22, 2010 04:52 PM (ROcaa)
When's the fucking shooting war start.
Posted by: Unclefacts, Confuse A Cat, Ltd. at December 22, 2010 04:53 PM (eCAn3)
Posted by: The Dread Pirate Neck Beard at December 22, 2010 08:52 PM (wOtDN)
Why the hell would they need 67 votes?
Posted by: Oldcat at December 22, 2010 04:54 PM (z1N6a)
Posted by: str8 outta at December 22, 2010 08:51 PM (dwOwg)
Hey, the guy's a shrink. Maybe he has some nefarious mind-fuck in store for the libs. Last time I watched the Wizard of Oz, I swear I saw Dr. K behind the curtain.
Posted by: Ombudsman at December 22, 2010 04:55 PM (c1oyg)
Comeback my ass.
It's actually perfect timing with the holidays.
People will be stuck in shit traffic with even shittier weather only to see 'American Recovery & Reinvestment Acts' clusterfuck signs everywhere.
People are still asking what's most important -- where in the hell are the jobs??
Posted by: laceyunderalls at December 22, 2010 04:57 PM (HKj3n)
I wrote something similar in the other thread. The lame duck didnt hinder the Democrats after the election, it emboldened them. They dont have to worry about electoral consequences. Red state Democrats will fall in line.
Also, there are some bitter Republicans who feel spurned by conservatives making the moderate block larger and more defiant. Murkowski has become the liberal Republican in the caucus. Bennett is busy giving the Tea Party the bird and I dont think Voinovich is happy about the fate of his friends.
Posted by: swamp_yankee at December 22, 2010 04:57 PM (3DIBw)
Posted by: Rajiv Vindaloo at December 22, 2010 04:59 PM (BZ2Bm)
Posted by: Nighthawk at December 22, 2010 04:59 PM (wai1i)
The cry for 2012 will be, "It's the economy (jobs!) stupid!"
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at December 22, 2010 05:01 PM (c0A3e)
Poll an unemployed person his thoughts on START or DADT.
They'll probably look confused as to the first question and they'll just shrug to the second.
Posted by: laceyunderalls at December 22, 2010 05:01 PM (HKj3n)
And there's always the border....
The Traitor-in-Chief has been damn lucky so far. His minions in the MSM have been able to lie for him for two years. But he strikes me as a human who doesn't learn from reality. He's only one arrogant Executive Order away from disaster.
But his Big Win in the past few days did give Pissy Chrissy Matthews his semi-annual erection, I'm sure.
Posted by: MrScribbler© at December 22, 2010 05:02 PM (Ulu3i)
Posted by: CrustyB at December 22, 2010 05:04 PM (qzgbP)
Posted by: Ronster at December 22, 2010 05:05 PM (9q4PA)
The GOP will do nothing to reverse it, nothing.
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:05 PM (+sBB4)
They'll probably look confused as to the first question and they'll just shrug to the second.
Posted by: laceyunderalls at December 22, 2010 09:01 PMBeing unemployed myself -- and Osama Obama gets a little of the credit for that -- I'll say I'm somewhat "meh" on DADT, mainly because it was senseless. IMO, having gays serve in the military is not in and of itself bad, but any push to liberalize the UCMJ or the way the military does what it does (and that will happen, thanks to the fucking libs) is dangerous and destructive.
START? The Mohammedan Mouthpiece and every member of Congress who let this piece of shit go through should be indicted for treason.
Posted by: MrScribbler© at December 22, 2010 05:07 PM (Ulu3i)
Posted by: Rajiv Vindaloo at December 22, 2010 05:08 PM (BZ2Bm)
Posted by: steevy at December 22, 2010 05:09 PM (ROcaa)
Posted by: Ronster at December 22, 2010 05:12 PM (9q4PA)
Starting with the 80% of the country that self-identifies as conservative or moderate, while Barry governs as a liberal. We stopped the worst of the lame-duck agenda, and are poised to move things in our direction. It won't happen overnight, but the ship of state is turning. Be of good cheer.
Posted by: pep at December 22, 2010 05:14 PM (8lSIO)
Posted by: Rajiv Vindaloo at December 22, 2010 05:14 PM (BZ2Bm)
Posted by: KZnextzone at December 22, 2010 05:15 PM (KV50p)
We can never let up, ever. This is the lesson.
Posted by: journolist at December 22, 2010 05:17 PM (LwLqV)
Get used to it. It's what we all wanted, remember?
Posted by: navybrat at December 22, 2010 05:17 PM (zBUlJ)
Posted by: steevy at December 22, 2010 05:17 PM (ROcaa)
Posted by: pep at December 22, 2010 09:16 PM (8lSIO)
Krauts a scandi? that explains alot
Posted by: robtr at December 22, 2010 05:18 PM (hVDig)
After the glorious tax deal, a lib friend of mine was in hysterics, claiming he wouldn't vote for Obama again. I told him, "Another quaalude, you love him again." He'd be back in the fold in a week.
Sure enough, today he was singing to his photo of Obama, "Baby, come back, you can blame it all on me. I was wrong, and I just can't live without you."
Posted by: Jingo at December 22, 2010 05:18 PM (JlBmQ)
Posted by: The Dread Pirate Neck Beard at December 22, 2010 09:09 PM (wOtDN)
The GOP will do nothing in 2012/13 either. They are like the girlfriend that led you on in high school. Socialism is here to stay, comrade.
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:19 PM (+sBB4)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2010 05:20 PM (tJjm/)
Posted by: pep at December 22, 2010 09:16 PM (8lSIO)
FUCKIN SKANDI
Posted by: Unclefacts, Confuse A Cat, Ltd. at December 22, 2010 05:20 PM (eCAn3)
I say let him believe his own press coverage. Let him have the holiday off. He'll come back after the New Year and be every bit the loser he's been over the past two years -- maybe even more.
He is a Fuck Up. His mother was dirty hippy dippy fuck-up and his dad was degenerate commie fuck-up. It's in his DNA. He doesn't know how to be anything but a fuck-up.
Posted by: laceyunderalls at December 22, 2010 05:20 PM (HKj3n)
just finished a major modernization of their nuclear forces, and ours are 35 years old and haven't been tested outside of a computer simulation (uh, climate change, anyone?) for almost as long. The whole thing smells to me, and another thing I know for sure is that liberals don't give a damn about national security if they can trade it for a few votes short term. Correction, they don't care about it at all.
Posted by: West at December 22, 2010 05:22 PM (lgK3r)
Posted by: Diondrum at December 22, 2010 05:22 PM (Eqa5p)
Those 2 words shouldn't be in the same sentence, unless you have been to every gym in America.
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:22 PM (+sBB4)
Posted by: Emperor Palpatine at December 22, 2010 05:23 PM (ROcaa)
Anyway, that is how Steven Spielberg will spin things.
Posted by: elliot m at December 22, 2010 05:23 PM (pDWjd)
Posted by: stuiec at December 22, 2010 05:24 PM (EjyHt)
Posted by: exceller at December 22, 2010 05:24 PM (Z7Znk)
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at December 22, 2010 05:24 PM (61b7k)
Posted by: Apologetic California at December 22, 2010 05:24 PM (8VZ5l)
No question at all.
But he's a fuck-up who has been coddled, advanced and protected by people who are much smarter -- and therefore much more dangerous -- than he is.
The snake of American Totalitarianism still needs to have its head cut off, and Osama Obama is the head.
Yes, I mean "cut off" only as in "cut off from power and authority."
Posted by: MrScribbler© at December 22, 2010 05:24 PM (Ulu3i)
Posted by: Bawny Fwank at December 22, 2010 05:25 PM (6KMA1)
Posted by: steevy at December 22, 2010 05:27 PM (ROcaa)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2010 05:27 PM (tJjm/)
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:28 PM (+sBB4)
No, January 3rd, 2011.
Which is why the fiends got most of their garbage bills through - the Calvary hasn't arrived yet.
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at December 22, 2010 05:28 PM (c0A3e)
Somebody put me some knowledge here. So yesterday, I hear Cavute's sub interview the 'Stache. They talked about how Ebola is leading us into international law, where we have to answer to some third-world dictator, but would have no recourse.
Then I see the repeat of The Constitution Show on Beck with Judge Nappy and Glenn reminding viewers that "We the People" have the power to overturn a tyrannical govt whenever we wish.
So my question is, during the next two years, if Zero gets a deadlocked SCOTUS and allows for international law to influence whatever he's trying to cram down our throats, will it really be hard to get out from whatever is signed on our behalf, OR, since our Founding Documents give us an "out" clause, can we just say, Eff you. We're Americans. We're not honoring the agreement made by a guy who dishonored his oath to the Constitution?
Posted by: RushBabe at December 22, 2010 05:29 PM (qxsyW)
been coddled, advanced and protected by people who are much smarter
Of course.
And it goes to why none of this 'comeback' nonsense even matters.
Most of his appeal was the fact that he was oh-so-very-smart. Law review don't you know. College professor adjunct to boot! just Grade A smarts. and his speeches, oh my goodness, the eloquence!
Bloom's been off that rose for quite some time and there's no way to get that magic back.
He'll never be anything but an unmitigated failure.
Posted by: laceyunderalls at December 22, 2010 05:29 PM (HKj3n)
Posted by: mpfs at December 22, 2010 05:30 PM (3TjSM)
He wont. Recall the story from earlier this year where we might not even use nukes to retaliate in the event of a chem/bio attack?
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at December 22, 2010 05:30 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2010 09:20 PM (tJjm/)
< That is absolutely right. Politics has forever changed with the left's power base of progressives in media and liberal think tanks and now in every branch of government - unified to advance an ideology at the cost of good-faith and fair dealing, the will of the people and the constitution.
An unwavering commitment to principles must be pursued.
Posted by: journolist at December 22, 2010 05:31 PM (LwLqV)
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:31 PM (+sBB4)
Posted by: Roger at December 22, 2010 05:32 PM (tAwhy)
Barack Obama hails 'season of progress'"If there's any lesson to draw from these past few weeks, it's that we are not doomed to endless gridlock," Mr Obama said. "We've shown in the wake of the November elections that we have the capacity not only to make progress but to make progress together."
Posted by: momma at December 22, 2010 05:33 PM (penCf)
Posted by: laceyunderalls at December 22, 2010 05:33 PM (HKj3n)
An unwavering commitment to principles must be pursued.
Posted by: journolist at December 22, 2010 09:31 PM (LwLqV)
Not to mention that more radicals than ever are in every nook and cranny of the federal government and the military, plus they know lots of "top secret" info. They will sabotage the next GOP admin. WikiLeaks is a primer.
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:34 PM (+sBB4)
Posted by: RushBabe at December 22, 2010 09:29 PM (qxsyW)
I am not sure what you are referring to but we are governed by our constitution. Until it is amended it's the law of the land. For Obama to agree to some overriding document would be unconstitutional.
Regarding the supreme court though, they can do whatever they want it seems. Once they rule the only place to go is the street if Americans aren't happy with it.
Posted by: robtr at December 22, 2010 05:34 PM (hVDig)
Posted by: Socialist Media-Whores at December 22, 2010 05:35 PM (THQxs)
I was thinking the same thing myself. Where is the downside for the GOP? I doubt there is a large coterie of citizens out there who really want the government in charge of the internet. What politician will want to defend that? I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.
Posted by: pep at December 22, 2010 05:35 PM (8lSIO)
Posted by: getreal at December 22, 2010 05:36 PM (+6REq)
Posted by: gm at December 22, 2010 05:37 PM (ABUrf)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2010 09:(tJjm/)
What about the Bush tax cuts, omnibus spending bill and DREAM Act, I'll take 60% from a Republican in a solid blue state like Massachusetts or Delaware over 0% from a radical leftist like Martha Coakley.
Posted by: swamp_yankee at December 22, 2010 05:37 PM (3DIBw)
And down the memory hole it goes.......
Posted by: The Mega Independent at December 22, 2010 05:38 PM (5I0Yr)
Posted by: Diondrum at December 22, 2010 05:39 PM (Eqa5p)
"Everything changes in two weeks. The House alone won't be enough to undo all the damage the Democrats and some fellow traveling Republicans have done in the last two years but it will be a start. The terms of the debate will change and Obama will be forced into taking and defending unpopular and liberal positions again."
I want some of what you're smokin'.
What, precisely, gives you the indication that "everything" is going to change?
The media was all-in on Barky in '08 and they're still all-in. Plenty of so-called Republicans and conservatives and the ever-elusive "moderates" are dying to vote for this guy again.
As Journolist (The Moron) said up thread, never ever let up on any of these assholes.
Posted by: Burn the Witch at December 22, 2010 05:40 PM (fLHQe)
Her womb is so polluted that she can't be punished with a baby...
Posted by: BarryO at December 22, 2010 05:41 PM (5I0Yr)
I am not sure what you are referring to but we are governed by our constitution. Until it is amended it's the law of the land. For Obama to agree to some overriding document would be unconstitutional.
It's the "One World Governance" crap he's so dreamy about. Have you noticed when Obama and Pelosi say they're quoting stuff from the Constitution, they're actually citing the Soviet Constitution, where " a house is a basic human right," A job is a basic human right," etc. ?
While it's not a Constitutional matter per se, notice how the Congress and the Courts told the FCC to back off the net neutrality. They just ignored it.
Bam and Holder and their new ATF guy are jonesing for a UN agreement on personal firearms. What's to say he doesn't go the dictator route on this too? They just ignore what they don't like.
Posted by: RushBabe at December 22, 2010 05:42 PM (qxsyW)
Posted by: sickinmass at December 22, 2010 09:39 PM (1rflU)
Did you used to write for Jimmy Carter? I am going to go get my sweater.
Posted by: robtr at December 22, 2010 05:42 PM (hVDig)
I keep waiting for someone to convince me that America hasn't been Socialist since 2009. You're not helping.
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:42 PM (+sBB4)
Here's how stupid Krauthammer is: real people who actually work for a living have to spend on: gas for their cars; electricity bills and gas bills; groceries; clothing. That's the main part of their expenditures. Its going up and up and up due to Bernanke throwing money at everything and Chinese demand and decades of anti-production laws in the US.
Hence super-tight commodity prices (particularly energy) moving up (already) to $4 a gallon (out here in CA) and totally negating for average folks whatever minor fiscal stimulus was accomplished with a two year extension of the Bush Tax Cuts and the one year payroll tax reduction of ... 2%.
Krauthammer's a full retard. He can't grasp the fact that Average Joes don't have drivers and assistants and six figure incomes from Fox News.
Obama will live and die by the question "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" The answer for most is no. Older guys laid off (past say, 40) will NEVER get rehired at the same wages/responsibility. Outsourcing/H1-Bs will continue with Joe Straight White Guy first fired and last hired. Unemployment will stutter along at 10% nominally (more like 20% real) as the US is hammered by high labor costs in services (done cheaper by a factor of 8 to 10 in China/India/SE Asia) and has limited manufacturing growth (about 9% of Jobs and GDP currently).
Look, Krauthammer and Voivonivich and the like are the enemy as surely as Chris Matthews and Obama are the enemy. They are part and parcel of a post-American, post National elite who have as their primary allegiance others in their class (like neo-feudal lords) and despise Nation and Tradition and everything else.
DADT? Yeah that's a disaster. Because most gays are like Bobby Trendy far more than John Basilone, and will be a flamboyant, drag queen disaster, as protected class folks untouchable. Like Muslim jihadis in the military? Wait till you get gays in there like in the Catholic Priesthood. There is only one reason a "fabulous" group like Gays would join the military and a desire for camoflauge and MRE isn't it.
Posted by: whiskey at December 22, 2010 05:42 PM (L03mw)
Posted by: CoolCzech at December 22, 2010 05:43 PM (tJjm/)
Posted by: Cherry π at December 22, 2010 05:45 PM (+sBB4)
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at December 22, 2010 05:53 PM (bxiXv)
Posted by: Mush McConnell at December 22, 2010 05:54 PM (6KMA1)
Considering we have 42 Senators and a super minority in the house, we did get wins on the ominbus spending bill, DREAM Act and a partial win on tax cuts.
The Dems could have passed DADT at any time, but decided to wait until after the elections to help Blue Dogs. That was not a big shocker.
The passage of START sucks, but guys like Johanns, Isakson, Alexander, Corker, Bennett, Lugar, Murkowski were just as reponsible for its passage as Republicans from blue states, where Obama and his policies remain popular. Purging the Mike Castles would not have stopped it.
So the Dems dont have to worry about elections and kicked it into hyper-drive. I dont think things are as bad as they could have been.
And things will change in two weeks.
Posted by: swamp_yankee at December 22, 2010 05:54 PM (3DIBw)
Posted by: The Mega Independent at December 22, 2010 06:01 PM (5I0Yr)
Posted by: Diondrum at December 22, 2010 06:04 PM (Eqa5p)
Oh yeah, Thad Cochran voted for START too.
No matter, we dont blame Republicans from red states only Republicans from states where Democrats rule and Obama is very popular.
Posted by: swamp_yankee at December 22, 2010 06:05 PM (3DIBw)
Posted by: RushBabe at December 22, 2010 09:29 PM (qxsyW)
RushBabe - allow me to answer.
Man has been endowed by his creator certain inalienable rights. Freedom and the pursuit of liberty. Liberty is thus acrosanct. The law of equity and later torts and our legal system is based on justice whose foundation is based on reason anchored in the ultimate of precepts - that man endeavors to be free and to pursue that which his benefactor endowed, liberty.
Liberty is something our founding fathers knew would be under constant threat. The founding fathers rightfully knew, as Plato wrote, that man is a Political Animal whose nature is prone to corruption. Our system is imperfect but our understandings are not.
The Declartion of Independence and the Constitution were not written in pretextural terms. They were explicit and written in literal terms based on the noble gift of liberty.
In sum, we are a free people, designed by our creator to pursue liberty and freedom as enunciated by our founding fathers.
Posted by: journolist at December 22, 2010 06:08 PM (LwLqV)
103.
Sorry elections have consequences. Deal with it. They had two years to do whateve they wanted. In two weeks, they cannot initiate anymore legislatoin. The stampede is over. We will also have the power of the purse and investigative powers. We can start squeezing them, drying up funds, and holding hearings.
The battle will lie in Senate appointments (gee I really wish we had a few more Republicans) and Obama's pending abuse of agency/regulatiy powers.
Posted by: swamp_yankee at December 22, 2010 06:10 PM (3DIBw)
Posted by: Mush McConnell at December 22, 2010 06:17 PM (6KMA1)
You're fucking delusional. Your squishes have not yet begun to fold n flop. Two more years of the same Other then engaging in hyperbole and acting hysterical, name one piece of the Obama legislative agenda that is going to pass the House.
Posted by: swamp_yankee at December 22, 2010 06:21 PM (3DIBw)
Kratos,
Calvary is where our Lord was crucified.
Cavalry might of saved Him if St. Peter had some.
Posted by: bigred at December 22, 2010 06:22 PM (cX9pO)
Posted by: Jeff at December 22, 2010 06:29 PM (HSLMa)
Posted by: rrpjr at December 22, 2010 06:59 PM (M+fXw)
the EPA regulation, he aims at 'fundamental transformation, who understands this,
Huckabee, Romney, Daniels. (they think it's about the budget) it is, The Zadroga
bill was a violation of the agreement made with the original 9/11 claims, Feinberg
should remember he administered it, is he saying he was wrong, Why do you think the NRSC backed Murkowski and Castle and Grayson, they didn't want to upset
the applecart.
Posted by: justin cord at December 22, 2010 07:19 PM (c0+w5)
de-fund this administration ...
Posted by: Jeff at December 22, 2010 10:29 PM (HSLMa)
You bought into that Bagger shit too? Fucking chump.
Posted by: Jim Badass DeMint at December 22, 2010 07:21 PM (EL+OC)
Posted by: pep at December 22, 2010 09:14 PM (8lSIO)
34 30 @19Seek help. Really.
Posted by: pep at December 22, 2010 09:09 PM (8lSIO)
Check the front of your underwear for cheetos dust. Really.
Posted by: The Dread Pirate Neck Beard at December 22, 2010 09:14 PM (wOtDN)
Check the basement drain for leaking sewer gas really.
Posted by: Krazy Kat at December 22, 2010 07:51 PM (Vqtet)
Krauthammer's genius is that he saw this coming and decided to jump out in front of the (predominantly white and liberal) media parade, with his baton of castigation and his whistle of reproach, so he gets the credit. Well played, sir.
Sadly, for his own "side" in this debacle, his maneuver represents an own goal. It makes him look good, but costs his own team points.
Posted by: K~Bob at December 22, 2010 07:56 PM (Lsd4q)
Posted by: Brian at December 22, 2010 09:52 PM (sYrWB)
. This DC elite worked for Walter Mondale .He has rebranded himself as a supposed conservative to get worked in DC where eveyone is a Democrat.
Fox lets him play this pr game but fall for his scam.
Posted by: bert at December 22, 2010 10:18 PM (LJeqA)
The same people (Obama, the Dems and the suck-up media) who thought passing health care was such a huge success are now congratulating themselves for all the lame duck "accomplishments."
With the exception of extending the tax cuts - why exactly should unemployed Americans losing their homes and their life savings care about repealing DADT or ratification of START?
Posted by: Suzy at December 23, 2010 10:37 PM (swULW)
Posted by: Ex Dem at December 24, 2010 01:39 PM (2nR+j)
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Posted by: str8 outta at December 22, 2010 04:49 PM (dwOwg)