So much to say, so little time (and energy) to say it!  Honestly, that’s how I sometimes feel as I watch the political “landscape” in America.  I have a friend (an interpreter) from Russia who, quite naturally, is very concerned with the “flare up” in Ukraine.  One of her parents is from Ukraine, the other from Russia – and she’s been in America for at least the past 20 years.  Watching the reaction of America’s politicians to this “crisis” is much more difficult for her than it is for me – although, it’s REALLY difficult for me.  If you’ve read my previous post you know how I feel about the republicans who are continuing the ENDLESS assault on our sitting president.  As far as I’m concerned, the republicans wore out their OBSTRUCTIONIST “welcome” long ago.  But, when there’s a world crisis like this – for the McCain’s and the Graham’s and the others to be – essentially – propping up Vladimir Putin as the picture of a “leader” and calling President Obama names that can only be described as “red meat” for their IGNORANT base – we’ve all got much to worry about that these people (republicans) even have an audience.  (My apologies to my republican friends – but, it’s just not “American” to do this – I don’t care who the president is)

Keep in mind that the republicans who are relentlessly attacking Obama are minions to America’s “military industrial complex.”  As we’ve witnessed in Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s not a WAR that doesn’t thrill them – (and their benefactors)  If John McCain would have had his way America would have “Bomb, bomb, bomb”ed Iran and probably North Korea as well.  Of course, they are very selective in who they want to “bomb” – do you remember Bush/Cheney funneling tens of BILLIONS of dollars to Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan so that we could become bogged down in Afghanistan for the past 13 years?  That’s the same Musharraf who was funneling portions of that money to the very people we were supposedly fighting.  Of course, you didn’t hear ANY complaints from the likes of McCain, Graham, and the rest of the republicans back then.

Seriously, despite my reservations about President Obama and his decision to allow Bush/Cheney a “pass” from their transgressions while in office (and, believe me, the rest of the world will be bringing up Iraq to Obama as he attempts to bring sanity back to the Ukraine crisis) as I listen to him in contrast to the McCain, Graham, Rand Paul, etc. etc. crowd, it’s as if President Obama is the “adult in the room.”  He’s going about addressing this Russian misadventure in a measured and thoughtful manner – as opposed to the “shoot from the hip” republicans.  I hope the American people notice this – I really can’t imagine that a MAJORITY of Americans would side with the likes of John McCain or Lindsey Graham.  I’ve been a teacher for 20 years and as a teacher you learn to read people’s eyes – and both McCain and Graham, when spouting the so-called “talking points” of the republican propaganda “machine,” appear to be totally aware of their own lies.  As the saying goes, if you repeat the lie often enough, even the liar starts to believe it’s true. (although, they appear to be cognizant of EXACTLY what they’re doing)

This relentless attack on our president from the “right” is turning so many people off to the political process that it might just succeed at its goal – which is to gain a stranglehold on America’s government by any means possible.  As absurd as many of the attacks are, they are succeeding in TURNING OFF a huge portion of America’s electorate and just might win another election because the “liberals” stay home.  I just finished reading the second part of Blanche Cook’s biography of Eleanor Roosevelt which is focused on the 1930’s in America.  The parallel to today’s challenges are startling.  This lying, greedy, selfish, business oriented group – called back then by historians the “Robber Barons” – is nothing new.  Some of the same battles we’re having or are going to be having today, were part of the routine during Roosevelt’s years in the White House.

While I’m hopeful that President Obama will succeed in calming the international “waters” (actually, I always hope our president succeeds – I even wanted George W Bush to succeed) I’m concerned that the parallels of his approach to government is leading to the same mistakes FDR made prior to WW II.  I’ll try to explain.

While Eleanor Roosevelt was pushing a LIBERAL agenda in the 1930’s, her husband (FDR) was terribly pragmatic on MANY issues of importance to those people who were looking for progressive change (sound familiar?).  In fact, FDR led America right back into recession in 1937 because he became focused on balancing the budget at the expense of expanded JOBS programs and investment in America’s PEOPLE!  Up until 1940 FDR refused to support “anti-lynching” laws, he refused to condemn Hitler as Hitler ramped up the Third Reich, he tried to cut spending in order to “balance the budget,” and he was “landing” way too close to “conservatives” for the likes of people such as his wife.  The end result was FDR turned off his “base” (liberals) and in the mid-term elections of 1938 his party (the democrats) were “slaughtered.”  Does any of this sound familiar?

Well, what many democrats are worried about is an impending republican “takeover” of the Senate in 2014’s election (similar to the 1938 mid-term elections) which will allow them even more room to ensure that our sitting president “fails.”  Of course, my fear is that should this scenario “play out” President Obama will continue his agonizingly frustrating attempts to “placate” the very republicans who won’t rest until he’s considered a worst president than Bush/Cheney.  (Of course, knowing that history will have somewhat of a data driven sense of accountability, that seems impossible – with the exception of books written by republican apologists)  Unfortunately, it is Obama’s attempts at bridging the “gap” between the right wing of the republican party and his own base that is turning off LIBERAL voters and could lead to another disaster this coming November.

Many besides myself predicted what happened in 2010 (the republicans gained a stranglehold on the House of Representatives along with many state governorships and legislatures) because of Obama’s attempts to be a centrist.  This is where I so identified with Eleanor Roosevelt – and, I believe a majority of “every day” Americans do as well – we DON’T want to placate the right wing republicans.  We want to DEFEAT them.  We want them to crawl back under their rocks.  The problem, as I see it, is that with the help of a Supreme Court which somehow declared “Corporations are people my friend” and unleashed the corporate bank accounts on our electoral process, along with Obama’s continued attempts to stand in the “middle,” (which, I have to add, under normal circumstances would, at least by me, be considered admirable)  has led to a circumstance where, despite the democrats advantage in NUMBERS, (I feel) the republicans have the advantage in money and strategy.  The ONLY way democrats will “hold serve” in the Senate and continue to make gains in the House, is if they understand this is a WAR for the heart and soul of this nation.

President Obama needs to, along with democrats, draw a clear distinction – with no compromise – between the republican agenda and their own.  Democrats need to define their positions CLEARLY and push for popular support – they need to make the upcoming election meaningful.  Too many times I’ve felt as if the line between who I was “for” and who I was “against” was razor thin.  That MUST change if the democrats wish to defeat this right wing assault on our nation.  The republicans (with the help of the “liberal” media) have pushed the debate so far to the RIGHT that people like me don’t see much benefit in many of the democratic positions.  For example, I’m refusing to send ANY money (I don’t have much) to President Obama or many other “liberals” until the final decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline and the “Trans Pacific Partnership” (TPP) have been made.

The truth is, I don’t trust the democrats to have the GUTS to block these propositions.  I’ve read enough about the Keystone pipeline to realize their is NO significant benefit to “we the people” for this pipeline being completed, but there is SIGNIFICANT probability that it will create environmental problems that COULD border on catastrophic.  And, the trade agreement, TPP, is just further “recipe” for fewer jobs for our middle class workers and higher trade deficits for our nation.  More than likely, HIGHER profits for American “multinational” corporations which they will “invest” in places like the Cayman Islands in their seemingly unending effort to avoid paying American taxes.

All of this is the natural progression of a political system that allowed Ronald Reagan into the White House almost 35 years ago, and for some reason, despite all the national debt problems, trade deficit problems, jobs problems, social safety net problems, (and more) “we the people” still have failed to recognize that we MUST REJECT this “me me” philosophy and return to the “we” philosophy that created the greatest middle class in the history of the world following WW II.  For 30 years after the end of the second WW there was a strong degree of bipartisan agreement in America that we were obligated to “pull together” in an attempt to support the Civil Rights movement, end poverty, provide education to all, “fix” the environment, and support our people from “the bottom up.”  It was Reagan who pioneered the “Top down” approach (at the time they called it “trickle down” economics – I’ve always called it “trickle up”) to government and it was his administration which began the assault on the “New Deal” which pulled America out of the Great Depression.

Bush/Cheney ALMOST put us into another Great Depression and I’m beginning to think that until that happens again people might be willing to continue voting in republicans.  I hope I’m wrong on that last sentence – but, I believe we need a STRONG leader in the White House who relishes the challenge of fighting off the big money coming from the Koch brothers, Wall Street, and many in America’s so-called 1%. (I realize that many members of America’s financial elite are not affiliated with the republicans – or, at least today’s right wing version)  I get why President Obama wants to bridge the gap between “right” and “left,” but until he remembers that he was voted in to implement “The change we can believe in” and, if it’s not too late, lead the FIGHT against this right wing juggernaut, liberals will continue to be turned off.

Republicans are publicly claiming President Obama is “weak” because of his unwillingness to send troops to fight the Russians (unbelievably as that seems) – but, in my mind, the real reason they believe he’s weak is because he’s allowed them to walk all over him – and, he keeps “reaching out” for that elusive “grand bargain.”  If they are right, he’ll cave on Keystone XL. he’ll continue his support of the TPP, and he’ll ultimately keep trying to reach an agreement (any agreement) on the budget that will turn democrats off.  (like agreeing to cuts in Social Security and Medicare)  If he wants democrats (and independents) to support him he needs to take the FIGHT right at the republicans.  Hit the road and lead a populist assault on the republican ideas!  When it’s clear that President Obama is against Keystone and the TPP and for increases in Social Security and Medicare his supporters will mobilize.  Take those FIGHTS along with fighting for JOBS, INVESTMENT in infrastructure and people and BARNSTORM America – I believe he still has time to be considered a STRONG president and set the precedent for a generation of progressive ideas as America (and my children and grandchildren) progress into the 21st century.