I found it really interesting to be reading the Op-Ed of the New York Times and seeing Paul Krugman pointing out the folly of President Obama’s “tax deal” with Mitch McConnell and the republicans while the title of the next column by David Brooks (conservative columnist) appeared to be applauding it (I write “appeared” because I just can’t bring myself to read much of David Brooks anymore).  My first thought:  The republicans don’t have much to choose from for a presidential candidate in 2012 – maybe they could get Obama to switch parties.  Of course, I’m saying that in jest, but I’m honestly feeling that the way things are playing out, Obama will be a long shot to represent the democrats.  The disappointment with him, from the left, is reaching new heights seemingly each day.  I’ve been trying to point out the “error of his ways” for almost two years now – prefacing almost every rant with “I’m hope I’m wrong” – and, almost every prediction is proving true.  The most devastating one was that “liberals” would not vote in the previous election.  They (we) are simply tired of the “same old same old” and, that is precisely what Obama is offering – apparently unaware of this himself.

As I drive around I listen to “progressive” talk radio as much as I can tolerate it.  This past week I’ve been listening to Obama’s de facto “cheerleader” Randi Rhodes rationalizing each and every decision he’s made in an attempt to help us “liberals” “get it.”  “We have to do this or the sky will fall” – well, that’s not the exact words, but that’s the same kind of logic which has forced one bad decision out of Washington DC after another.  Personally, I’ve had enough of that kind of logic – and, in fact, coming from the people I supported in 2008 makes it all the worse.  The truth is, NO, President Obama did not need to negotiate with the “hostage takers” – ie the republicans – over extending the “Bush tax cuts for the rich.”  The line had been drawn in the sand LONG AGO over that one – and, it didn’t take more than stupidity on the democratic congress by not bringing this to a vote prior to the election and a president willing to do anything to make it look as if something’s getting done in our government – to cave in to another disastrous republican “demand.”

This nation is hemorrhaging debt at a rate that is making everyone’s head swim, yet this latest “deal” – from the republicans who based their recent retaking of the House on lowering the debt and the president who’s “debt commission” just finished their work – will add close to another TRILLION in just the next two years.  Additionally, if there’s anyone out there who think’s this “deal” doesn’t fit EXACTLY into the long range plans of the republicans, well, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell to you.  I’ve taken only a superficial look at the published details of the “compromise” and I can see numerous “holes” from the democratic perspective and a HUGE “light at the end of the tunnel” from the perspective of the republicans.  To put it mildly, I’m not that impressed with President Obama’s long range thinking on this “deal.”

I’m a sixth grade school teacher (in my “day job”) and have learned over the years that you don’t negotiate with bullies.  And, the republican party is dominated by political bullies.  This is nothing new and the Obama administration for some reason decided that by “reaching out” to these bullies “bipartisanship” would be the order of the day in our government.  Pishaw!  Even I could figure that one out.  You don’t get bullies to “relent” through negotiation.  The American people didn’t put Barack Obama in office to negotiate with these republicans and their contemporaries, he was elected to CHANGE the entire culture of Washington.  I “get” that Obama sees that as an atmosphere of cooperation, but you don’t just get to that point by wishing for it.  You DO have to draw some lines in the sand – and President Obama has failed to do that on occasion after occasion (starting with the no investigations of Bush/Cheney which I won’t get into this time more than to say that was the first MAJOR blunder!)

I realize President Obama, along with his supporters like Rhodes, believe he’s accomplishing much in his term in office.  They will point out the stimulus bill, the health care “overhaul,” the regulations of Wall Street to name a few of the legislative accomplishments.  What they don’t understand is that the general “climate” has changed hardly at all and the republicans are still essentially running the government – despite their minority position in congress.  (all of the Obama “accomplishments were far less than they could have been had Obama chosen to fight the republicans instead of placate them – I still don’t think he understands how much support he’s lost by pandering to the GOP) 

Rhodes will tell you that the republicans can’t “govern” (and, I wouldn’t disagree with that) and that they’re simply all about “power.” (I also TOTALLY agree with that)  However, with that as a given, why are we (“liberals”) constantly standing on the “sidelines” – our support apparently being taken for granted – while “our” president is constantly kissing up to and negotiating with the “enemy.”  And, if you don’t believe the republicans are the “enemy” then you’re probably either wealthy or you’ve been listening to Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Lars Larsen, and the other propagandists from the “right.”  If President Obama can’t make a stand on the issue of tax cuts for the “rich” at this point in America’s history, when is he going to make a stand?  Additionally, I find it stupid for a president to put himself in a position where his own party is forced to vote his “compromise” down.  Why would you negotiate with the other side without consulting your own side?  He’s been assuming those who voted him in will support him since day one of this administration.  I, personally, pointed out right from the start that I’m not going to be blindly loyal.

A couple posts ago I wrote that if President Obama “caves” on the tax cuts “I’m done.”  At this point in time I certainly feel “done.”  But, at the same time I still have that hope that the president will somehow understand what is happening to him and us as he continues what I’m sure he sees as an earnest effort to move our government forward.  In the process he seems to be almost oblivious to the FACT that the publicly stated number one goal of the republicans is that President Obama be a one term president.  EVERYTHING they do is calculated to destroy his presidency – and, it appears, they are quite good at what they’re trying to accomplish.  It’s almost to me as if it’s a “men against boys” scenario developing.  I really hate to put the republicans in the “men” category there, but they will obviously do anything they can to undermine this president.  Let’s take a look at a few of the “holes,” as I see them, with Obama’s latest foopah.

Let’s take scenario number one – suppose the economy gets a bit better in the next two years.  The republicans will continue their ridiculous claim that the ONLY thing that stimulates the economy is tax cuts (I’m sure that if they take back the White House in 2012, deficits will no longer matter – AGAIN – either).  Additionally, the proposed extension of the tax cuts is for 24 months, but the unemployment extension is for 13 months and it doesn’t include the so-called 99ers – people who’ve been out of work for over two years.  So, in essence, we’re just putting off the inevitable for the more recent unemployed and our president has  accepted the demise of the 2 MILLION 99ers as of today which will grow to something approaching 4 MILLION by the end of next year.  Is the next step for the Obama administration to go along with the likes of Sharron Angle or Jim DeMint and claim that the unemployed are “lazy?”  The reality that I see is the tax cuts will ultimately be made “permanent” which is a key component of the republican long term strategy to undermine Social Security and Medicare.  I believe when it comes to these items, Obama and the democrats are always one step behind the republicans – and the republicans are DROOLING at the thought of getting their hands on the social security trust fund and TOTALLY privatizing Medicare.  I’m convinced their plan is to succeed in this before the American public figure out what they’re up to, and by then it will be too late to stop them.

Scenario number two – suppose the economy doens’t get any better or gets worse.  We’ll be listening to the republicans blasting Obama for the raging debt for the entirity of the next election cycle and the democrats won’t be able to fight back because they will have been the party in power when these tax cuts were extended – which, if you haven’t heard – will raise the debt 900 BILLION over the NEXT two years.  Once they vote in this compromise, they are no longer be the “Bush tax cuts” they become the Obama tax cuts.  And, if I understand the proposal correctly it includes a cut in payroll taxes for social security and a nice tax exemption for inheritance taxes.  Maybe in the next election we’ll have ALL the candidates arguing for more tax cuts.  Pretty soon the republican position will be no taxes at all – just have the government print whatever money it needs to function and the rest of us will fight over the scraps.

There’s more scenarios – how about this one?  Say the economy is stimulated by the extension of unemployment insurance for the next 13 months and things pick up a bit.  That will get us to the election year.  Do you really think the republicans will extend these benefits  again next year when they have the tax cuts locked in for another year after that and they can make them permanent by winning in 2012?  If the unemployment insurance is as “stimulative” as the democrats and Obama claim, then the republicans will simply allow it to expire prior to the next election year assuming that the economy will then head downward and increasing the likelihood their MAIN OBJECTIVE, Obama being a one term president, will be achieved (the republicans are counting on the “low information voters” to come through for them again on this scenario – along with the “liberal media” and Fox).  It’s as if President Obama is helping them with this scenario.

Here’s my favorite scenario.  Suppose the democrats in congress FINALLY make a principled stand on something and vote the entire mess down.  Force all the tax cuts to expire including MINE!  Force the next congress to address the needs of then MILLIONS of American middle class families who will be paying for some of the services they’re receiving now free gratus.  For example, there’s been a tiny percentage of our population fighting in Afganistan and Iraq for nearly 10 years now.  I keep driving around seeing cars with “right wing” bumper stickers all over them along with “support our troops” signs.  Do they really believe “supporting our troops” means sending them endless times into the quagmires of Iraq and Afganistan?  I honestly find myself flipping some of these people off.  “We the people” have been asked to make nary a minute of sacrifice since these “war” efforts began.  We’ve borrowed every cent spent on the “wars” and we’ve turned our backs on the wounded soldiers as they return home deja vu Viet Nam all over again.  End the tax cuts for EVERYONE – that will eliminate the argument for giving tax relief to the “rich” who don’t need it and pay for at least part of our war machine.

Maybe if we were paying for the occupations of Iraq and Afganistan the American public would  actually “support our troops” by bringing them home.  Seriously, we’re absolutely going broke as a nation, our economy is in a shambles, and yet we’re still continuing our attempt at policing the entire world.  Find me one republican who will argue for decreasing the defense budget of the United States (OK, Ron Paul is a republican :o).  Find me a republican (or democrat for that matter) who would be in favor of a miniscule tax on Wall Street transactions (like .25 cents/transaction) and I’ll show you a politician who has a rare sense of accountability when talking about acutally balancing our budget and holding those responsible for our present downturn to face up to their actions.  I suggested a gas tax once Obama took the oath of office – with the money going to repair the infrastructure of this nation which is falling apart.  It is a provable FACT that China is going to pass us by – and soon – at the rate we’re going as far as investing in and improving their nation’s infrastructure.  A gas tax would encourage people to use less gass – therefore encouraging alternative means of transportation – and no one can argue that we don’t have a pressing need to repair our bridges and roads – or build new alternative forms of transportation.  We’re even buying our sources of green energy (windmills and solar panels) from foreign nations instead of producing them ourselves.  If the government wants to provide tax incentives to business, it should be in those areas to give us a fighting chance at avoiding slippage into second class status.

There’s plenty of areas that people on the “left” can agree with the “tea party” movement – but, the “tea partiers” have chosen to align themselves with the republican party.  It will be interesting to see the clash they will have once the new congress is in session.  President Obama would be far better off letting these “Bush tax cuts,” ALL OF THEM, expire as they were originally intended and “call” the republicans on their obstructive behavior.  Get the battle underway RIGHT NOW!  Force the next congress to “show their true colors” and lets, as a nation, get on with the “pain” that is inevitable.  I feel like our president is trying to prevent us from having to experience a more severe economic downturn – but, it’s just a matter of time the way we’re going.  And, just like many of us were predicting disaster in Iraq, we were predicting disaster in the housing market (for several years once the sub-prime mortgages hit full swing), we’re predicting disaster with Social Security and Medicare if the democrats don’t wise up.  Yes, Social Security is solvent for the next 30+ years, but it could be solvent forever with a few “tweaks.” (simply raising the income level where people pay the “tax” would do the trick) Plus, Medicare should be adequately funded and available to all Americans – the sooner we get to that situation the better off we’ll all be.

If President Obama sets these republicans up to get ahold of the Social Security trust fund through this continued “caving” to their ridiculous plundering of our economy he will be remembered as a failed president – no matter what he accomplishes.  The republicans are up to NO GOOD and the sooner Obama realizes that the better off we all are.  When they talk about getting their “country back” it’s an issue of color – no doubt in my mind.  President Obama has a large contingent of “liberals” literally chomping at the bit to support him once he realizes the real war for this nation is the one “within.”  I don’t know if it’s too late for him, but I certainly hope not.  He’s allowed himself to be manipulated by the Generals (Afganistan and Iraq) and the republicans who consider him a pushover.  It grieves me to write that, but it’s time for Obama to become the leader we thought we were voting for.  And, if he decides the task is too daunting (I can see that as a possibility) then I believe he’ll be proceeding (as he has been) with a lot of “liberals” remaining on the sidelines.

I want to conclude with a final thought – In 2006 democrats were voted in to stop the Iraq war – it’s still going on, they couldn’t muster the courage.  Nancy Pelosi took “impeachment off the table” and then after the 2008 election Barack Obama chose to “look forward instead of back” ignoring the crimes Bush and Cheney should have been impeached for.  Additionally, Obama who was elected to change the “culture” of Washington DC surrounded himself by the very types of people the voters were tired of and he’s been negotiating with the “enemy” (GOP) ever since.  How can it be a surprise to anyone – let alone Obama himself and his supporters – that he’s lost the support of his “base.”  When Rahm Emanuel called me (and other liberals) “f___ing retards” I knew what lay ahead.  Now, it’s Obama himself expressing his displeasure with “liberals” as idealistic – as he negotiates away the “store” with little to NO “fight.”  None of that is what I personally voted for!  I look forward to the day when America has a leader capable of challenging her people to pull themselves together – and make the sacrifices necessary – to restore the fabric of this nation.  We can’t do that without dealing with the misdeeds of the past and we can’t do that by continuing to allow Washington to be the most corrupt national capital in the world.  Congress can’t be expected to “fix” itself without strong leadership from the White House – and, at the present time, I don’t see that happening soon.  Just the fact that people like David Brooks are showing support for Obama should help to put this all into perspective.  (you can read his article by clicking here) Brooks would have us believe the republicans are innocent and Obama’s building consensus with people who want to destroy him is mindful.  I’m sure Brooks understands the best way to ensure Obama is a one term president is to encourage him to continue on this present republican-lite path!