This is allegedly the raison d'être of Barack Obama. Is it a noble goal, sure it is and it is something each and every one of us wants. Reaching is how Obama plans to start change. So, why can't we sever the party BS and work together? We, Democrats and Republicans, can learn to compromise on things like taxes, regulations, entitlements and healthcare. Certainly the people men and women who defended George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to the death can see the more humane side of governing.
Do I think this is possible? No way! Do I wish it was possible, I sure do because Republicans do have a lot to offer, as their minds see things that Democrats can't process. However, that same energy in Republicans that make them so good at math and understanding financial concepts is part of who they are and what they are.
Careful, don't jump across the aisle........
Where I take issue with everyone who supports Obama, is in the fact that they don’t play out what will happen when Obama tries to play nice with political terrorists. They naively believe it will work. I want to push everyone to isolate the issues and try to project what will happen when we reach over for each of the battleground issues.
Taxes:
First look at this chart that I stole from Jamess’ great diary, entitled "Big Business Put John Edwards On Notice" http://www.dailykos.com/...
I wish the author of this chart extended the tax rates passed 2003 where we would see a top marginal bracket of 15% on Dividends, Long Term Capital gains and hedge fund operations. But look what happens after each huge tax reduction for the rich. In 1929 we had a depression. In 1987 and during the Bush 41 years we had recession and stagflation. And now with our new 15% entitlement for the super rich we are either in recession or at its door.
So, in comes Barack Obama, the "new uniter not a divider" and what happens when he tells the Republicans he wants tax reform that will negate the Bush tax cuts before they expire after December 31, 2010. Let’s look at this opportunity for a standoff.
We Democrats want the 10% "low income" bracket to remain. We do not want the marriage penalty back, we want to get rid of the Alternative Minimum Tax and we want tax fairness. We also want the super rich to pay their fair share so that we don't go bankrupt.
Republicans want something altogether different. They not only want the 15% tax bracket to remain for Dividends, Long Term Capital and Hedge Fund Managers they also want their tax lowered to 15% in interest, rents and short term capital gains and everything else. They are not looking up at all, even though they came from a top marginal bracket in the 90% area. 90% to 15%. 90% to 15%
So where will there be compromise? I say they will not compromise and they certainly will not do it for Barack Obama. I don’t think they’d do it for god damned Abraham Lincoln if he returned from the dead. Do any of you believe there can be bipartisan compromise even though this lunacy of trickle down economics is killing us for the third time? Look at the chart!
I think Obama is pulling our chains because he knows damn well he won’t get the GOP to budge and certainly he’d be the last one to do it. Unlike John Edwards and even Hillary, he talks about no specifics because if he did, he'd be impaled on the lunacy that Republicans will make nice on taxes. They take pledges on no new taxes. It is in their blood.
Iraq:
Where will reaching across the aisle get us over Iraq? Where has it gotten us so far? Is it not true that the "reach across the aisle" congress has approval rating lower than Bush’s? Instead of banging on the damned Republican over-sized heads the congress is reaching over, giving the appearance that whatever is our nation's problem is created by us all. That's how you make a bad situation worse. Sort of like a John Kerry campaign.
Then these bastard Republicans go on all the talk show to trash the life out of and to ridicule all the Democrats. What we need to do is reach over and yank those to arrogant imbeciles out of the White House and then target Republicans who are allowing our kids to die for no reason. Meanwhile Obama, who so appalled at our going into Iraq on the warnings of Condoleezza Rice, joined his friends Harold Ford and Joe Lieberman to confirm her for Secretary of State and then voted to keep the war going over and over again? Is that what he calls change now? I call it lies and hypocrisy
Social Security:
Ha! There will be compromises here because Obama will give away the store. They’ll probably lower benefits and up the ages. As it is, it is an abomination that middle and upper middle classers are paying over a million dollars during their lifetime just to have the privilege of receiving $2,000 a month with no residual value if they die. Putting in all that money for 44 years, now it’s about $13,000 between employee and employer plus huge compound interest, to fund the underpaid part time employees of Wal-Mart and companies like them who pay no SS taxes on their billions and trillions of dividends is sick. Maybe the kids will vote for Obama but the middle and upper middle classes may prefer someone who won’t sell out the store. We know that if he wants to compromise, we’ll get so screwed. He already screwed us with Rice and not filibustering Alito.
Industrial Regulations:
They want none. Zero. Nada. They are happy with the market eventually maybe taking care of the corporate evildoers. They think it’s cool what Enron did. They don’t want clean water, clean air, clean banks and clean drug companies. They are premiere extortionists who will sell out to the highest bidder. We had some of those but it’s their majority. So, how is Obama going to change America in the area of regulations?
Summary
There are so many areas where his candidacy is a hoax. I am not concerned about promises made during a campaign; you can never depend on them. In Obama, I don’t see a fighter. I see a putz who got the kids and the Nader crowd and when people hear the cliches that we have to come together and stop the toxicity, they pay attention and believe the BS. The only thing wrong with their fantasies is that change and real compromise will not happen until the most evil members of the Republican Party are gone from congress and I don’t think it can be done by someone who starts off the discussion offering compromise.
Everyone says they can’t understand why Americans vote against their interest. They do it because they are never taught how they are getting screwed. Edwards is telling them and it makes the plutocracy very nervous. If you want tax reform, you have to have the guts to tell the American people that they have been fooled, lied to, cheated and scared by the most selfish legislators on the planet and then you have to explain how bad it has been. It is much too late for compromise; now it is time for action, the truth and educating the American people about what is in their best interest. Obama is not the one and Hillary is too macho-establishment. Edwards is the only one who really wants change and he will devote his life to making sure it will happen.
Once again, look at that Top Marginal Bracket Tax Chart and you have to realize how rationally corrupt the Republicans are. Look at what they allow to go on. The know trickle down doesn't work but they like it better this way. They are incredibly vain and love it when they can appear "better" than everyone else.
Obama may be a great candidate for a primary but he will be eaten alive in a presidential campaign. His compromises on where to put new roads in Illinois will pale in comparison with the war for National Greed. We cannot afford the Obama experiment now. We need John Edwards.