Ross Douthat. Idiot.
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In a truly asinine opinion piece today in the New York Times, some knee-jerk Democratic Inside Washington Kiss Ass hack has taken the “liberals” to task for demanding more from Barack Obama. This is part of a new “inside Washington Democratic” chorus. Here is the money paragraph….
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This is the same Barack Obama, after all, who shepherded universal health care, the dream of liberals since the days of Harry Truman (if not Thomas Paine), through several near-death experiences and finally into law. It’s the same Obama who staked the fate of the American economy on a $787 billion exercise in Keynesian pump-priming. It’s the same Obama who has done more to advance liberal priorities than any president since Lyndon Johnson.
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To which one can only say... Wha....?
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One can argue or not about the “universality” of universal health care, but I will give you that. As for the economic work, that was great – although not liberal or conservative – just good government as shown by both W Bush and Obama were for it. As for the laughable line that he has advanced liberal priorities more than anyone since Lyndon Johnson, I call bullshit Mr. Douthat.
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But I did NOT elect Obama to “advance liberal priorities”. I elected him to do what he said he would do and believed in. During the campaign Mr. Obama said he would close Gitmo – he hasn’t. He said he would roll back Bush’s executive oversteps – he has grabbed even more power. He said he would get us out of Afghanistan because it was an unwinnable war, but he has escalated this into what is now the longest American War in history – still with no clear strategy to win – except send more troops. He said that the Gitmo prisoners would get trials – there are multiple pathetic examples that he has abandoned this (here) (here) and (here) to name a few. He said that the executive branch overstepped the law in spying on Americans – he has defended this and expanded it. He promised to protect whistleblowers – but he is prosecuting them! He said he would be a “fierce advocate” for equal rights for gays – instead his justice department filed a brief that compared fags to incestuous child molesters to justify keeping us from getting married.
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Unlike the cheap ass shots the writer takes at those of us want to hold the President to his promises, I am not hitting Obama for things he needs Congress for. I elected him because I liked what he said he would do. He has – at best – not done it, at worst done exactly the opposite. That is - oh what is the word for it - LYING! So don’t set up straw man arguments to explain that we non-Washingtonians are children who don’t understand how the big world works (which is EXACTLY the same line Ann Coulter used on Bill O’Riley – which just proves the contempt that all Washington insiders consider how non-insiders think).
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Don’t put words in my mouth – especially simpleminded words to make me look petulant. I am angry because I was lied to by the man I elected. And, I made my decision based on large part by NOT voting for the liar. I certianly do not expect politicians to not be able to keep all their promises, but I did not expect the 180 degree turns from this man. And dispite what Ross Dipshit says, thatis a valid reason for disillusionment.
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PS - I told you Hilary would be better!