Quote :

"There is no motive whatsoever to compromise when Republicans can be painted as obstructionist AND bills are still passed and appointments are still made, without being "watered down" an ounce."

haha. are you high? the health bill has been watered down. quite a bit, actually. remember the public option?

[Edited on March 30, 2010 at 3:07 PM. Reason : ]

3/30/2010 2:55:19 PM

I never remember there being a remote chance of the public option being passed, because the support for it wasn't there. The only way the bill ever could has passed is without the public option.

3/30/2010 3:18:49 PM

So what if the health care reform ended up looking more like RomneyCare than a public option. Alot has still been accomplished. There was the Presidents Question Time first with the congressional GOP, but also with the dems, and a Youtube Question Time.

They are working on a series of small/incremental (the GOP preferred way of doing legislation) jobs bills, the president advocates for science in our schools, they passed the student loan reform, he supports stem cell research, the president ordered a return to the Army Field Manual rather than enhanced torture techniques, he supports repealing DADT this year, the president signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, he signed a bill to expand veteran benefits, he signed kids tobacco legislation, he signed a major land protection act, and we finally have a time-table (a word fiercely opposed by the last administration) for getting out of Iraq.

3/30/2010 3:35:44 PM

We just had a speaker come in to talk to us about our premium renewals at work and she was describing how the legislation will change costs on our next policy year, May 2011.

We're going to be paying a lot more

3/30/2010 3:55:33 PM

^^ why do I feel like you are a kid reciting the answers for the test he is about to take? did you just take a big gasp after typing that?

Quote :

"They are working on a series of small/incremental (the GOP preferred way of doing legislation) jobs bills"

what, the stimulus wasn't a jobs bill?

Quote :

"the president advocates for science in our schools"

yet ignores it in policy like AGW and Yucca.

Quote :

"they passed the student loan reform"

by lumping it in with another massive bill on something completely different.

Quote :

"he supports stem cell research"

and has gummed up the works in that field significantly, according to NPR

Quote :

"he supports repealing DADT this year[quote] and has FINALLY gotten around to doing something about it... [quote]the president signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act"

whoopty-fuckin-doo

Quote :

"he signed a bill to expand veteran benefits"

after suggesting we gut them and send them all to private hospitals

Quote :

"he signed kids tobacco legislation"

just what we need, more nannying

Quote :

"he signed a major land protection act"

whew!

Quote :

"and we finally have a time-table (a word fiercely opposed by the last administration) for getting out of Iraq."

yay, we finally have a time-table for surrender!

3/30/2010 6:19:56 PM

I realize this thread is about the credibility of our president.... which I have not. Hear me out, maybe I can offer the same thing I've been posting in every thread in TSB

Quote :

"We've avoided another depression, the Health Care Reform campaign promise is delivered, the student loan reform promise is delivered, the president advocates for science in our schools, he support stem cell research, the president ordered a return to the Army Field Manual rather than enhanced torture techniques, he supports repealing DADT this year, the president signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, he signed a bill to expand veteran benefits, he signed kids tobacco legislation, he signed a major land protection act, and we finally have a time-table (a word fiercely opposed by the last administration) for getting out of Iraq. You can keep calling that socialism/communism/end of the world if you want, but I like this world a lot better than one ruled by President McCain and Vice President Palin."

3/30/2010 6:27:41 PM

^^your little quips are neither insightful nor conducive to the discourse. i do, however, find it hilarious and ironic that Supplanter seems to get on your nerves, considering that you are easily the most insufferable poster on this forum, and he does not exhibit the insolence that you seem to be hell bent on demonstrating.

[Edited on March 30, 2010 at 6:39 PM. Reason : ]

3/30/2010 6:35:26 PM

It is more of a running total than recitation. Ever since the thread & claims that he'll go down in history as a do nothing president I started that list and add a little to it each time.

3/30/2010 7:38:57 PM

http://www.obamapromisewatch.net/html/report_card.html

3/30/2010 10:02:16 PM

Quote :

" Ever since the thread & claims that he'll go down in history as a do nothing president I started that list and add a little to it each time. "

This is what happens when people try to make brash predictions in the first year of a presidency. I don't think the left has even figured out obama's true temperament yet, let alone the people on the right.

3/30/2010 10:40:44 PM

Quote :

"About half of the letters, Obama said during a recent speech, "call me an idiot.""

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033004260.html?hpid=topnews

3/31/2010 12:05:14 AM

doesnt it seem that if he wants to do the health care and a lot of other things that they should kind of pick a handful and then accomplish those and then move on. how much money we are spending on vehicles in the Military to run 50% on biofuels and for the energy and health care and student loans and so on and so on.

there are so many of these things that are upping our budget and its just gonna get worse

3/31/2010 11:34:27 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100402/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mining_reform

Quote :

"Environmentalists blast Obama mining rule reversal"

Quote :

"The administration asked a federal judge Tuesday to dismiss a challenge by environmental and community groups to a rule that lifted a restriction on how much public land companies can use. The groups are also challenging a 2008 rule that says companies aren't required to pay the going rate to use the land . . . . . The dispute stems from the interpretation and enforcement of the 1872 mining law, which has changed little since Ulysses S. Grant was president. The law made it easy to stake claims and buy public land for mining, in part to encourage westward expansion. Critics of the law argue it is outdated and was never intended for the large mining operations that tie up thousands of acres of federal land in the West without paying fair market value. The Clinton administration, in its waning days in 2000, issued a policy saying that mining companies' use of land should follow the law's ratio of 5 acres for processing and waste for every 20 acres of mining claims. The Bush administration quickly eliminated the acreage restriction and issued a rule in 2008 saying that companies don't have to pay fair market value for public land not directly used for mining. The policy came despite a 2003 decision by the U.S. District Court in Washington that companies should pay the going rate. Mining companies already pay rock-bottom prices to stake claims or buy public land for hard-rock mining, critics say. The 1872 law also gives preference to mining over other uses of the land, they say. "

weak sauce

4/6/2010 10:42:50 AM

his first pitch on opening day at the Nationals game: not credible

4/8/2010 8:01:42 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremonial_first_pitch

Quote :

"The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team. At some point, this morphed into the guest standing in front of the pitcher's mound and throwing towards (but rarely reaching) home plate, though sometimes he or she may stand on the mound (as a pitcher would). The recipient of the pitch is usually a player from the home team."

4/8/2010 8:38:57 PM

yeh that was a pretty wild throw. my guess is he's never thrown a baseball in his life, and threw a few dozen times to practice earlier that week or something.

just glad he got the ball to the guy

4/9/2010 3:00:32 AM

He was clearly throwing the eephus. Credibility +1

4/9/2010 7:29:12 AM

But he can nail a three pointer.

Fuck off.

4/9/2010 9:19:50 AM

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/exclusive-president-obama-nukes-palin-confederacy-iran/story?id=10324813

4/9/2010 9:57:40 AM

Quote :

"Obama said that Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's proclamation designating April "Confederate History Month" without a mention of slavery was "an unacceptable omission" but one he has now acknowledged. "

Gov. Bob should have simply stated that he hadn't read the complete bill yet. What DC politician could criticize him on that?

Quote :

""If the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff are comfortable with it, I'm probably going to take my advice from them, and not from Sarah Palin," he said. "

More like: "If the people who work for me, those who can be fired at my whim, agree with me...then I'm comfortable with that. I don't consider anyone's opinion valid who doesn't work for me."

4/11/2010 11:17:25 PM

looks like he has hit his all time low in polling. So much for that health care bounce huh fellas.

Its really ashame that he will probably get reelected. Losing congress, or at least one house, will be all he needs to go back into a victim role. Good lord, for over a year we heard how the republicans were blocking everything, despite having NO power. LOL

4/12/2010 9:09:30 AM

Except the power to block things, obviously. LOL

4/12/2010 11:16:22 AM

Quote :

""If the people who work for me, those who can be fired at my whim, agree with me...then I'm comfortable with that. I don't consider anyone's opinion valid who doesn't work for me.""

Except she's an idiot. Why would anyone trust her opinion on anything?

If you do that you might as well take the opinion of Joe D. Chucklefuck on Mayberry Avenue in Kentucky.

4/12/2010 11:20:43 AM

jbw, I guess you missed that whole supermajority thingy they mentioned occassionally. Thats ok, facts can be a bitch to deal with.

4/12/2010 3:17:10 PM

Quote :

"Thats ok, facts can be a bitch to deal with."

So can Senator Lieberman.

4/12/2010 4:50:23 PM

Who ran under the label of and belongs to the Connecticut for Lieberman party. But I agree with eyedrb, the Democratic party really ought to be more ideologically monolithic if the GOP is going to try to filibuster, hold nominations, and obstruct everything.

4/12/2010 5:10:54 PM

again, that is just an excuse. Liberman couldnt stop anything by himself. You had a super majority until the late elections. BTW, didnt they pass this healthcare mess without a single republican vote? OMG, the republicans are stopping everything we are trying to do....(really doesnt hold water for those paying attention.)

4/12/2010 7:45:16 PM

back when they had 60, 1 dem votes with the GOP, it is over....thus The Cornhusker Kickback,The Louisiana Purchase II, Floridaide, etc....they had to pay (basically) there own members to vote the way they wanted them to vote...these were the conservative to moderate dems. Now if they had 65 seats they would of been able to do anything. It seems that the Sen. Brown might be a moderate GOPer, which is shocking that one was elected now giving the extreme conservative or nothing attidute.



[Edited on April 12, 2010 at 9:46 PM. Reason : w]

4/12/2010 9:42:24 PM

Quote :

"More like: "If the people who work for me, those who can be fired at my whim, agree with me...then I'm comfortable with that. I don't consider anyone's opinion valid who doesn't work for me.""

I bet that's all the justification you needed when Shrub was in office. Tis a shame when you use such a weak argument.

4/12/2010 9:59:34 PM

Quote :

"Americans are now pretty evenly divided about whether they would rather have Barack Obama or George W. Bush in the White House. 48% prefer Obama while 46% say they would rather have the old President back. Bush had atrocious approval ratings for his final few years in office, particularly because he lost a lot of support from Republicans and conservative leaning independents. Those folks may not have liked him but they now say they would rather have him back than Obama. 87% of GOP voters now say they would prefer Bush, a number a good deal higher than Bush's approval rating within his party toward the tail end of his Presidency. Democrats predictably go for Obama by an 86/10 margin, and independents lean toward him as well by a 49/37 spread. These numbers suggest some peril for Democrats in making Bush a focus of their messaging this fall. A lot of folks who contributed to the former President's low level of popularity now like Obama even less. Figuring out a way to make voters change their minds about the current President would be a much more effective strategy for Democrats than continuing to try to score points off the former one. http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/04/obamabush-nearly-divided.html Read more: http://jackbetts.blogspot.com/2010/04/obama-v-bush-close-call.html#ixzz0l6TVOCST"

4/14/2010 3:15:25 PM

In a shocking twist, a survey where:

-79% of the respondents identified themselves as not liberal
-64% were over the age of 46
-75% were White

said they were evenly divided over Barack Obama and George Bush.

I'm shocked, frankly. Just... shocked .

4/14/2010 3:31:47 PM

what does race have to do with anything?

4/14/2010 3:36:19 PM

You think those statistics are not representative of the voting population? Queer.

4/14/2010 3:37:14 PM

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ieRl-aeFR6tUPV_ChEXYfIMNmCRgD9F30QJ00

Obama's approval rating hitting all-time low. End of an error: 1/20/2013.

4/14/2010 4:09:26 PM

^

Quote :

"Obama's approval rating hitting all-time low."

From the link:

Quote :

"The poll says 49 percent of people now approve of the job Obama is doing"

All time low in the same sense that if the record high for rain for a specific day of a year is 2 inches, and this year we had 2.01 inches, that is an all time high.

On most polls the President's approval rating has been hovering around 50%, give or take 5 points, for about 10 months or so. That on one poll he dropped to 49% approval may be statistically significant, but is in no way practically significant.

On Gallup when the president had a temporary 5% bump as HCR passed, they said that was too small to be fundamentally different, so I'm inclined to believe that a 4% drop on a different poll says even less. I just don't buy that 49% approval is the end of this administration when he's been hovering around that number 10 months.

4/14/2010 6:06:08 PM

^
Just wait. Amnesty, cap n tax, foreign policy... all on the horizon..with Obama bound to advocate the positions that will cause his support to plummet even more.

4/14/2010 10:29:07 PM

^ Good lord man! You sounds more and more like Hannity with each passing day!

4/14/2010 10:38:58 PM

Tax Day 2010...

4/15/2010 10:01:10 AM

I'm always skeptical of Rasmussen polls, because 1) they only put their strongly numbers in an easily sharable graphic format, and 2) they're skewed conservative.

^But you do realize that shows a dip in strong disapproval and an increase in strong approval as it leads in to today right?

Granted all these polls are meaningless, he's hovered around 50% give or take about 5 points on every poll for 10 months (including on Rasmussen, whose non-strongly numbers are there even if they aren't easy to find or put in a graph). If he breaks into the the 60s or drops into the 30s on approval rating then there is something to talk about.





[Edited on April 15, 2010 at 1:35 PM. Reason : .]

4/15/2010 1:14:45 PM

Quote :

"Views of the US around the world have improved sharply over the past year, a BBC World Service poll suggests. For the first time since the annual poll began in 2005, America's influence in the world is now seen as more positive than negative. The improved scores for the US coincided with Barack Obama becoming president, a BBC correspondent notes. As in 2009, Germany is viewed most favourably while Iran and Pakistan are seen as the most negative influences. Nearly 30,000 people in 28 countries were interviewed for the poll, between November 2009 and February 2010. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8626041.stm

America thought of in a positive light again. That's not such a bad thing, right guys? Someone surely can convince me otherwise.

4/19/2010 9:12:47 PM

Quote :

"Germany is viewed most favourably"

Wow, huh... good for Germany. They went from being considered about as unambiguously evil as any country can be to being the most popular in the world. And it only took 60 years, give or take.

4/19/2010 11:17:44 PM

Hmmm... Israel 19% ... Germany 59%

Deutchland Uber Alles...eh?

4/20/2010 9:49:10 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8623930.stm

US presidential couple earned $5.5 million last year

They be rich!

Quote :

"In 2008, the Obamas earned $2.65 million."

4/25/2010 9:55:40 PM

That's rich?

4/25/2010 11:53:42 PM

chunk of change more than i'm makin. oh well.

4/26/2010 12:32:20 AM

Breaking news: Bestselling authors who also earn six figures at their normal jobs may earn a total of seven figures combined.

More at eleven.

4/26/2010 8:27:53 AM

I thought the Pres earned 7 figures outright now.

*insert joke about Bush not understanding the paycut he took to become Pres*

4/26/2010 8:45:48 AM

Quote :

"That's rich?"

Id say earning 5.5M a year is rich. I suppose you make a gagillion times that though, so this is pocket change to a man like you.

4/26/2010 9:15:36 AM

I mean it's doing pretty good, but there are people in charlotte who make 10-50 times more. And shit, I wish I made that much, but then again, I'm not the most powerful man in the world.

4/26/2010 7:11:57 PM

there are very few people that make that much in a year. My taxes said I was in the top 5% of all filers and we make well under 150k.

You also have to consider we pay someone to hit a baseball 25M a year. LOL priorities.

Wouldnt it be interesting to know how many millionares are made after they get elected.

4/26/2010 8:38:58 PM