President Obama's Dangerous Game of Politics

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The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails us. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.”
-- Author Unknown

Karl of CA 11:07PM March 11, 2010

The Obamabot Censors are desperately trying to erase and avoid the main issue, unemployment, which will ironically cause Democraps to lose their jobs by the dozens in eight months.
But, the reactionary Obamabots and the other socialist ideologues infesting the Democrap Party cannot escape the following main lesson of American Political History: Unemployment is poison to political power.

Obamabuster of TN 2:11PM March 10, 2010

And, I guess medical care will descend to Third World Standards, thanks to Obama's obsession on imposing Canadian-style Obamacare on the American people, despite massive opposition.
"No beds in Canada forces mom to Montana Michelle Lang, Calgary Herald Published: Friday, August 17, 2007 A rare set of identical quadruplets, born this week to a Calgary woman at a Montana hospital, are in good health and two of them were strong enough to be transported back here Thursday."
And it Canadian-style health care is so wonderful, why did Canadian Premier Danny Williams recently travel to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami for his heart surgery, instead of having it in his own Canadian health-care system? There is only one anwer to that question. Williams knew where to go to get the best healthcare possible and the healthcare system that the Democrats, including Obama, are so eager to destroy.

Philliproy of TN 1:44PM March 10, 2010

Are politicians ever going to do something for the good of the country and not themselves or their party.

John Nowak of NC 11:48AM March 01, 2010

Really? Zuckerman doesn't want the head of the Democratic party to participate in politics, especially the politics of character assassination and greed that the Republican would like to revert to the cronyism that created this Great Recession. OK didn't you learn anything about the GOP gurus of deregulation and Republican laisse faire that afforded clowns like Madoff to rip folks blind. It pretty sorry that the only values you have are the dollar signs you see in deceiving and lieing. But values won't matter after corp bucks take over the country.
So now Zuckerman wants to run for office. Well, he's already taking the big bucks to tote the corporate line, no questions asked - no lie too bold, so why not get the fancy office paid for by the taxpayers, too.
Zuckerman is just making it clear to anyone who doesn't already understand it, under the Citizens United ruling Corporations will be running this country lock-stock and barrel. And Zucks going to get rich off of it, no matter how spineless he'll become.
So politicians will have a sense of duty are S-out luck and better just forget politics, because politics will now be the dictates of corporate cronyism. Zuck's already turned a to the yellow journalism of repeating Republican talking points verbatim. Media like Zuckerman's will be profiting big time off delivering the views from the new corporate juntas running the country, and forget any concerns about the American people unless they are consuming what corporate clones want.
Fat lies and wacko fear mongering is no way to go thru life, Zucker, unless of course you have to sell your soul to make up for Madoff cleaning your clock.

John of KS 12:53AM February 25, 2010

I agree with all your comments, Mr. Zuchkerman. You are an honest man and have the best interests of the country at heart, unlike those incompetent & corrupt politicians running our government. I do not share your political philosophy, but I have great respect for your ability to verbalize what many Americans across the political spectrum are thinking. I am no longer a New Yorker, but would support you whole-heartedly if you decide to pursue public office. Thank you for your eloquence and veracity.

Trisha of PA 8:38PM February 23, 2010

Mort, you are right on the money with your analysis of the climate and deadlock in Washington. To me, Obama was bound to come down a peg, because there was so much expectations for him to change Washington, and because he did not keep his promises, what happened is that it is status quo, even worse than under the Bush Administration. With very political experience and no business experience, Obama is floundering trying to please his base, and he is losing the support of the country. The jig is up. The President's rigid ideology will certainly have an affect on what gets done in the halls of Congress...Politics is give and take, and if you go into something with a rigid agenda with the notion that It is My Way or the Highway...you eventually will lose the confidence of the American people....It is deadlock...totally. This is what is happening to Obama...and he refuses to govern from the center...Americans do not like radicalism in any way shape or form. Either from the left or the right..so he trying to govern as a left wing liberal will not do him any good...it will only alienate those who put you in power. He thought he had a mandate to fundamentally change our society...he did not. He had a mandate to change how things are done in Washington...not our society. So, what does he do, he chooses a bureaucratic, bloated, monstrosity of a healthcare bill written by the radical liberals as the centerpiece of his administration, and he found out the hard way that the people did not want it! They wanted the out of control spending stopped; they wanted jobs; and they did not want their healthcare overhauled...The people woke up from their sleep, and are now actively taking part in the political process, much to the chagrin of this administration. Once awake, you cannot put a sleeping giant to sleep once he awakes...Pandora is out of the box...and now to keep opposition down, there is name calling on each side; and there is bribery; chicanery; and mistrust...so it causes a stalemate...If Obama had concentrated on jobs; shrinking the debt; he would be riding high; but he took the liberal/progressive stance and there he stands at the podium on Thursday, with an attitude of: "Take it or Leave It." and there will be no movement or compromise...it is impossible...there is too much bitterness. Mort, we do not want this monstrosity of a bill. The only way to end this stalemate, is to start over and I doubt that Obama will move toward that agreement...so Washington remains the same.

tressa of NY 4:14PM February 23, 2010

now that TeamObama has spent a year of "THE LEARNING CURVE" - do you suppose in 2010 we will FINALY be able to start addressing the more pressing problems in America?!
however the more time that passes - the more one begins to suspect that the passing of Senator Kennedy dealt a major blow to the Obama Presidency. Kennedy was not only Obama's MENTOR in the Senate but also the one who literally pushed the young inexperienced junior senator to run in 2008! Kennedy would have not only continued to be President Obama's "strongest adviser & supporter" but TeamObama was counting on KENNEDY to steer their ambitious agenda through the Senate and assure it's passage by Congress. unexpectedly bereft of Kennedy's clout and COUNSEL - perhaps President Obama was left floundering around over his head this past year . . . hence contributing to the distracting dithering and general lack of firm leadership?
in regards to a few of the comments here:
one cannot be BOTH a socialist AND a fascist {they are ideologically opposed - not that those who throw out tags are truthfully concerned about definitions}
AND Obama's maternal grandmother - as a retired VicePresident of the Bank of Hawaii - hardly lived in "substandard housing" . . . however his paternal aunt does live in public subsidized housing in Boston - well beyond the expiration of her visa {to his credit/or discredit Obama has chosen to stay out of her extradition hearings! yet one wonders if the President can't find a new country willing to grant her asylum AND then at least help her pay the rent?! perhaps part of the bigger disconnect}
sometimes ya gotta question whether the bloggers honestly have even the foggiest notion of what THEY want other than what the talking bobble heads and spin masters tell them they should . . .

tiger lily of DC 8:08AM February 23, 2010

This piece represents exactly what many are thinking and feeling; right on target. From Obama's failure to recognize what really is important to the public (the economy), to Congress' arrogance, ineptitude and corruption of the political process, to the real concern over the COST of health care, to the need for constructive deficit spending away from control of the politicians, and the impending failure of the Republicans to seize this opportunity as they remain the "party of NO"..
Well done, Mort. It is not too late, but it will be soon if these morons we voted for continue on their current self-indulgent paths.

Frank of CA 7:17PM February 22, 2010

This reader has been reading U.S.N&WR for 50 years commencing as a child to LEARN about the WORLD and the politics of America.
Later, as one who went on to work in the Congress as a director for the leadership, it has become clear that the U.S. is being HAD by the corporatists who are being subsidized by the American taxpayers.
The President is not leading. The Congress is failing. The Supreme Court is legislating from the bench. And, Americans are VERY angry for good reason.
All this president had to do to put this nation back on track was to use IKE's model; build a new infrastructure based on highways, bridges, green electrical power; education; and a NEW Manufacuring base (i.e. elimination of NAFTA, WTO, etc.), and the implementation of Anti-Trust Legislation against the Banksters to re-regulate them.
All of this MESS occurred because the "mantra" DE-REGULATION was sold in Big Business' corporations as IF deregulating would solve the problems. In fact, deregulation was tantamount to putting NO referees on a football field with no rules, and then the FANS wondered WHY there really was a disaster on the field.
Well, the U.S. DEREGULATED big business, and look at the mess. Of course, Big Business would cheat and lie and steal for profit. Profit IS the purpose of the corporatists. GOVERNMENT IS supposed to be the regulator, the governor on an engine that will fail without controls. And, today, the U.S. Economy has now suffered that internal failure and is now paralyzed.
The "dangerous game" that the author discusses commenced during the RWR Administration through GW Bush. The Obama Presidency has been taken over by the corporatists because there is nothing in the Obama' background for him to understand HOW the corporatists operate. He had NO business background; hence, Big Insurance, Big Pharma, the Banksters, took HIM down and US for a "ride" to destruction.
There is an obvious way to REPAIR all of this. But to do that, the BELTWAY crowd will have to be ignored and/or replaced by persons NOT from D.C. or the corporatist' owned government branches.
As one who was a director on the "Hill," and left there in disgust, it is clear that the U.S. IS in real trouble. The answer does NOT remain on Capitol Hill, but in the citizens of this nation who have had enough of the sell-out of their country and the futures of their children.
This president who does NOT have a clue, has on his staff persons who will not or cannot make the changes that American citizens demand.
All of this was caused by the DE-REG Mantra commencing on the "Hill" in 1979 as RWR was about to run for the White House. That is the genesis of this break-down. It is 30 years in the making. This president just does not know what it is or how to deal with it.
Fortunately, there ARE some who do know, IF the president and/or his staff would just answer their phones or e-mails.

GC of OR 12:27AM February 22, 2010