From Cenkon Saturday:
It's time to stop playing nice with Democrats. Good cop-good cop doesn't work. We need a bad cop. We need a strong progressive wing to keep shouting "no deal!" every time the White House wants to concede (which will be every time).
You can ignore this, blame me and go hug the president one more time, but you won't be doing your side any favors. If you actually care about policy and progressive priorities, you must get tough with the president right now. There is no next time.
I've had quite a few days to be angry. Now I'm done. Instead of focusing on what's wrong with this President and why he is so timid in the face of an aggressive, relentless opposition, I believe real action is a better use of my time.
I've come to the conclusion that I no longer have a President or party that holds one scintilla of the values I have. While the republicans never have, the democrats, either through closed-door bargaining or mere cowardice, are just as contemptible in this measure.
Sure. Not all of them. I'd never blame Dennis Kucinich for voting against my interests but you know what I mean.
I agree completely with Cenk. We need a bad cop. A bad cop doing what's good. There is no middle ground here and the window of opportunity is very very small. What's also important is to understand that the Tea Party didn't need to threaten the right by saying they would vote democrat. That just plain wasn't going to happen - yet they became a huge force for change.
President Obama is more than a weak leader for the democratic party. If he is honest about putting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security on the table in this next 2012 budget battle - and he goes about it the same shameful way he's done in the last two "battles" - we are in serious, serious trouble as a nation. These programs have stood the test of time, been defended by our party for decades and were considered - and should be considered - untouchable in their purest forms.
You want to address the fraud in these programs? Fine. Hire people to find and prosecute the fraudsters. You want to talk about how Bush's plan is expendible? Fine. I agree.
But the republicans have NO INTEREST in doing what's right for these programs. They want to dismantle them completely. Only a fool would think otherwise. My fear is we have a fool in office who STILL honestly believes he is dealing with just brokers. If Obama figures he can offer the above changes as a fig leaf to sit at the bargaining table he will be opening up a Pandora's box that, like in past "negotiations", will strangle and suffocate the entirety of these programs. He's got to defend them as is, then make minor concessions at best.
Most importantly, we have to make this President understand that our words and actions have consequences. When there is a march on Washington, we have to be there. When there is a call to bombard democratic representatives with calls and emails (in a disciplined manner with some initial message that identifies us as a unified group), we need to follow through on it. We need to send out Press Releases (PRWeb is a great resource at $80 per press release, but you can also use FreePressRelease.com as a suppliment).
We need to organize either through this site or a particular Facebook page (I am trying to set one up. Will take a few days to put together something appropriate if this will be that space, but I'm more than open to the idea of someone with greater clout than me creating a portal).
We need to be as sewn-up in our use of these tools as revolutionaries in Mideastern countries have been when organizing protests to their governments.
Lastly, I know there are those out there who still believe this President is fighting the good fight for them. I know how hard it is to admit to yourself you might be wrong. But you have to accept that your dream of change with President Obama is over. He is NOT the change we can believe in.
We have to be. No one else, unfortunately, will.
Not being overly dramatic here. Republicans want to destroy this country. They don't see it that way, but they have never been known for their foresight or compassion. We are out here alone. Fortunately, most of this site understands the weight of what needs to be done.
Maybe it's time to take the strength of Daily Kos and actually put it to use as a consortium for something other than endless banter and entertainment.
All ideas are welcome - and while I will be working toward this goal individually I can hardly do this alone.