(l NP ) great speech Mr Obama

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Healthcare reform? Financial reform?  The stock market soared after both these "reforms" were enacted. Whew, close one!

Obama seems to have a deep-seated need for Republican approval.  Now, even he must realize how badly he's bungled everything.  Propping up the insurance companies and banks, sending troops to Afghanistan, speaking in favor of offshore drilling (he was called on that one!), and, even worse, presiding over the rise of a right-wing, racist faux-populist movement and being unwilling to counter it with a shred of genuine populist legislation.  Sure, he's got a lovely family and looks good in a suit.  I'd rather have Michael Moore or Dennis Kucinich or Al Sharpton.

LK

-----Original Message-----
>From: Robert Mahnke <rpmahnke at gmail.com>
>Sent: Sep 3, 2010 12:58 PM
>To: "Carvill, John" <john.carvill at sap.com>, P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: (l NP ) great speech Mr Obama
>
>I've been disappointed by him, and can go on about it, but I also
>think he deserves a lot of credit for what he's accomplished, starting
>with health care and financial reforms.  The prime constraint on him
>is Congress.  That's reality, not an excuse.  I think he is a
>pragmatist who will take what he can get from Congress and move on.
>This frustrates me, because the Congress's disfunction is a huge
>problem and Obama doesn't seem to want to tackle it.  But to reduce
>everything to Obama's personal failings or successes, and to ignore
>the role of Congress, seems myopic to me.
>
>There are also areas where he hasn't pushed enough, like in nominating
>judges or people to the FRB.  And then there's Afghanistan (re which,
>this is truly excellent and depressing:
>http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/08/impressions-of-afghanistan/62236/1/).
> So I don't mean to absolve him.
>
>On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 12:44 AM, Carvill, John <john.carvill at sap.com> wrote:
>>
>> > If the economy were in better shape, he would be able to do more, but it isn't.
>>
>> There is always some excuse. I remember people telling me - in *total* seriousness - "just wait until Clinton's Second Term, then you'll see. He has to be careful now, so he can secure a Second Term. Then he'll get really radical". Whereas of course, people like Bush and Cheney get really radical from the get go.
>>
>>
>>
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