Monday, December 06, 2010

Embarrassed to be a Democrat

(image via Toothpaste For Dinner)

Today everything I feared about our party has turned out to be true.

From the AP:
Brushing past Democratic opposition, President Barack Obama announced agreement with Republicans Monday night on a plan to extend expiring income tax cuts for all Americans, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and grant a one-year reduction in Social Security taxes.
So, we get those toxic tax cuts, the very ones that managed to drive us into this awful recession over the last 10 years, for another two years. Due in large part to our President. You can pretty much count on it being a permanent tax break for the wealthy, because by the time it comes up again, we'll have some GOP dingbat like Sarah Palin fouling the Oval Office. Then, it'll NEVER go away!

At this point, I'm starting to doubt that it's possible to change our party from the inside. What's the point of being a Democrat if we insist on behaving exactly like the fucking Republicans? I'm seriously considering quitting the party altogether. Maybe it's time I apply for free agency, like a fifth-year NFL running back.

We lost, which is bad enough; but we did it to ourselves, which is infinitely worse.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This wasn't our undoing as Democrats. We didn't help matters and our president certainly didn't help matters. But, perhaps he is playing for the other side and perhaps he always did.

This was planned out from the get go. Like al qaeda the republican conservative corporate machine plans 10-20 years in advance. They are patient. Liberals are short sited because we get caught up trying to fix all of the current issues.

Perhaps Obama was allowed to win the presidency and his disastrous presidency is an assurance of another 20 years of republican rule.

Than again I just may be crazy.

newswede

lakezoarian said...

Stuff like this just seems to prove right those Theorists that wonder about the idea of "Deep Politics," or control of our government by something other than what we see on the surface. As a life-long Democrat it hurts to say that. If Obama is just "following orders," it starts to make a little more sense.

Here's my greatest hero from two years before things caught up with him. April 27, 1961:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpmi7dBet0c

The relevant part begins at 1:37...

CT Bob said...

I mean, I knew Obama was a conservative Democrat, but Christ, I wish he'd do something that actually helps the voters who put him there!

I'll vote for him again, only because I know any GOPer they run against him in 2012 is likely gonna be the metaphorical second coming of Heinrich Himmler.

West Haven Bob said...

Once again, I must say we've only ourselves to blame.

But....beyond that (as it serves no useful purpose), I wonder why the DEMOCRATS can't take a page out of the ReThug playbook; and simply block all legislation until we get what we want from our limp-noodle-in-chief.

vagabondblogger said...

I don't totally agree with this concession either, but a deal had to be made, and the Republicans don't give a shit about anyone other than the millionaires. So what about the unemployed? And the tax credit for people paying for college tuition (like mine?) And also the 30% income tax decrease for the middle class? None of this gets us to anywhere, but more debt, but it does benefit the people who need a boost more than the rich do. My guess is this is all the Republicans ran on in the mid-terms and this is all they have. If they think they've gotten the best of Obama, then they have something coming. I was more concerned about cutting off unemployment benefits, than letting the millionaires keep their money. Sometimes it's nice just to have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and clothes on your back.

CT Bob said...

Why the House Dems didn't use their majority to pass a separate unemployment bill from the tax bill, I'll never know. Then the GOP would have been the Grinches who stole unemployment by filibustering it to death.

But the Democrats are far too wimpy to do anything that radical. It really makes me nauseous. I have absolutely no faith in them anymore.

Rocco J. Frank Jr. C. E. & Michael Vecchiarelli M.A. said...

No one believes me when I say there is no difference between the Republican and Democratic Party. The same wars, tax breaks for the rich, the same guantanamo, the same the same the same.

Nice to see you are finally waking up!

Rocco Frank Jr.
Join the Independent Party
Make a statement

CT Bob said...

While you may be right Rocco, there's still that hope we can somehow change the party from the inside.

But your ideas are starting to sound more and more convincing.

Jim said...

Bob,

Two weeks after your post, do you think laying the ground for a productive and cooperative lame duck was worth it? Do accomplishments since the (admittedly lousy) tax cut compromise make up for the extension for the rich? I think we can be quite sure that not one thing would've overcome the threat of a filibuster with the tax cuts still looming.

CT Bob said...

So we should have let the Republicans be the bad guys rather than the Democrats caving in on all counts. When people's unemployment started drying up because of the Republicans, it would have been their fault.

And the myth of the "fiscally conservative GOP" can now finally and forever be put to rest. Nearly a trillion more piled on top of our already spiraling deficit, yet not a goddamn PEEP out of them! Hypocrites, all of 'em.