Danny Doom’s Booze Cabinet

Okay, need any further proof? Nope, me neither. That summit was a farce. Basically, the Democrats and Obama have wasted a year-plus trying to get the GOP to work with them on this. And yet, six more weeks he’s giving them?!? Why? Why bother? You could put in tax cuts for the rich, outlaw abortion and throw in a war with Iran and they still wouldn’t vote for it. They have no interest in giving the appearance of success for the Obama presidency. And passing a healthcare reform bill would be a success.

It’s over. Pass the bill, ram it through, whatever. Funny that term, “ramming it through.” I’ve never heard of an over year-long debate preceding anything that was “rammed through.” If only the Iraq War debate were so. Man, I’m so sick of politics.

Let’s put it this way: if the roles were reversed the Democrats would have helped the Republicans pass healthcare reform AND begged them to throw in an illegal bullshit war for them to vote for. And it would have been done in three months.

A thought, as the health summit has begun today:

Are Democrats, as they exist today, the only group who can take a resounding election victory and a 60 (now 59) to 41 majority and interpret it as a need to, time and time again, reach out for bipartisan support before doing anything? I respect Obama’s attempts but at some point it has to be quite obvious that these Republicans have no interest whatsoever in agreeing on anything the Democrats propose. Come on!

Okay, I’m back and bigger and better than ever. No time, really, to prattle on about bullshit but I’m going to have to take back what I said last week or whenever about that nutbag (who shall not be named). There was a moment where I thought “Oh god, she’s going to keep gaining credibility in the media and suddenly be considered a real candidate and be taken seriously and next thing you know, boom, she’s president.”

But that was stupid. There isn’t the slightest chance in hell that’ll happen. In fact, after watching some clips from the wackjob conference (that she didn’t even attend) I think this whole conservative wave is completely overblown. These people really are fringe characters. Let’s forget about it and focus on the right-wing Democrats who are stalling Obama. There’s the real problem.

I’m not sure why Democrats should be upset with Evan Bayh retiring, any more than they should be upset about losing the 60 vote super-majority in the Senate. They didn’t anything with it while they had it, no thanks to Mr. Bayh. What’s the big difference now?

Not much to add on this besides what Bill Maher said here. Right friggin’ on.

We give Obama a hard time on the left for not getting everything we want, but it’s good to read this report and get some perspective:

This Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive since the Great Society 89th Congress in 1965-66, and Obama already has the most legislative success of any modern president — and that includes Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson … Most of this has been accomplished without any support from Republicans in either the House or the Senate — an especially striking fact, since many of the initiatives of the New Deal and the Great Society, including Social Security and Medicare, attracted significant backing from the minority Republicans.

So yeah, that’s not so bad. Amazing how the media controls the message. But let’s get healthcare going and DADT repealed and we’ll be getting somewhere.

A quick reaction to some of the speech’s highlights, for me:

At the beginning of the last decade, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a one year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. That was before I walked in the door.

Way to lay it out there. Sad that people need to be reminded; even sadder that they won’t listen.

To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills.

Um, yeah. That can’t be said enough, loudly enough, again and again. Grow a pair.

I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change…

Nice. A jab to the lower right abdomen.

Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.

A little more force would be useful here. It must be done!

We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August.

Not soon enough!

This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.

Just make it happen, this is silly.

The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates into silly arguments, and big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.

Yeah, they turn to FOX. The number one cable channel! Ah, depressing… Anyway, we just have to ignore the nuts and get the dummies to do something for once. Let’s get it done!

In what universe must someone be living to believe that the Democratic Party is controlled by “the Left,” let alone “the furthest left elements” of the Party?

- Glenn Greenwald

Oh, no need to get into it all, just another common theme that needs to be shattered on a regular basis. Getting tired of this…

The very idea that an administration run by Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel and staffed with centrists, Wall Street mavens, and former Bush officials — and a Congress beholden to Blue Dogs and Lieberdems — has been captive “to the Left” is so patently false that everyone should be too embarrassed to utter it.

Yet no one seems to be! It’s one thing for the usual right wing nuts to run with it but to hear the conservative Democrats…ah, I don’t know what more to say about it. This is the real kicker though:

All that said, and as horrible as the Democrats have been all year, the most amazing — and depressing — aspect of all of this is how Americans have so quickly forgotten how thoroughly the Republicans, during their eight-year reign, destroyed the country.

It’s sad, but I pretty much agree with what this person wrote to Sullivan:

I can’t remember the last time I felt such overwhelming rage toward a group of people as I have felt toward the Republican Party and the conservative movement since President Obama’s election…I simply cannot grasp what motivates these people, what compels them to thwart even the smallest attempts to clean up the enormous destruction they wrought under Bush and Cheney. Irresponsible, hateful, mendacious, sleazy, destructive – these words do not even begin to describe them.

Maybe not rage, but certainly great frustration at the system and its ability to impede progress. But really, as much toward the Democratic party and its amazing inefficiency.  This election in Massachusetts tomorrow appears to be a nail in the coffin of health care reform, and if so, well, it’s really a pathetic epilogue to the death of Ted Kennedy. Talk about spinning in the grave…

With a candidate like–what’s her name? Coakley?–and a party as testicle-challenged as the Democratic Party, Obama needs no enemies. Or, as Jon Stewart just said  as I typed this (paraphrased): It’s not that the GOP is playing chess and the Democrats are playing checkers; it’s that the GOP is playing chess and the Democrats are in the nurse’s office because they glued their balls to their leg again.