A Party in Denial
Glenn Greenwald
NYT (excerpt)
The notion that Obama’s policies are too “liberal” for the country is simply absurd, given that these are exactly the policies on which he successfully campaigned. But the central pledge of the Obama candidacy, beyond any specific issues, was his vow to change the way Washington works. It is his failure to do that which has become the party’s greatest liability.
A candidate who railed against secret deals and lobbyist influence negotiated this health care plan in secrecy with industry lobbyists, got caught entering into secret deals with the pharmaceutical industry, agreed to abandon his commitment to drug re-importation and bulk price negotiations in order to please the pharmaceutical lobby, and cavalierly refused to abide by his promise to conduct all negotiations out in the open.
Worse still, two of the most popular provisions — the public option and Medicare expansion — were jettisoned, leaving the insurance-industry-pleasing provisions as the bill’s dominant features.
When one adds to that the subservience of the administration’s top financial officials to Wall Street and the lack of programs designed to aid struggling Americans, the perception has arisen that Democrats are both guardians of the Washington status quo and loyal only to powerful interests. That has allowed the corporatist G.O.P. to masquerade as populists and monopolize populist anger.
(More here -- page down.)
NYT (excerpt)
The notion that Obama’s policies are too “liberal” for the country is simply absurd, given that these are exactly the policies on which he successfully campaigned. But the central pledge of the Obama candidacy, beyond any specific issues, was his vow to change the way Washington works. It is his failure to do that which has become the party’s greatest liability.
A candidate who railed against secret deals and lobbyist influence negotiated this health care plan in secrecy with industry lobbyists, got caught entering into secret deals with the pharmaceutical industry, agreed to abandon his commitment to drug re-importation and bulk price negotiations in order to please the pharmaceutical lobby, and cavalierly refused to abide by his promise to conduct all negotiations out in the open.
Worse still, two of the most popular provisions — the public option and Medicare expansion — were jettisoned, leaving the insurance-industry-pleasing provisions as the bill’s dominant features.
When one adds to that the subservience of the administration’s top financial officials to Wall Street and the lack of programs designed to aid struggling Americans, the perception has arisen that Democrats are both guardians of the Washington status quo and loyal only to powerful interests. That has allowed the corporatist G.O.P. to masquerade as populists and monopolize populist anger.
(More here -- page down.)
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1 Comments:
My God, where does Vox Verax get this stuff? Yet another collosal misreading of the Massachusetts election. Obama campaigned on hope and change - platitudes that tug at the heart but have little, if any, connection to reality. People are realizing the reality of his policies and they don't like it. Not. One. Friggin. Bit. Of course, the hate-mongering, fringe, kooks on the left like Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow like his policies, but those of us who have to foot the bill for these trillion dollar budgets, bailouts, failed stimuls plans that we were told without would lead to 8% unemployment and afterward unempolyment went over 10%, the behind-closed-doors legislation let alone a Congress that doesn't even read the bills they write, government take over of health care, backroom deals for political benefactors, and on and on.... and Greenwald has the effrontery to say that Obama's policies as president are what he campaigned on?!!! I just sit here and shake my head - these people just don't get it. People voted for Obama because he was the hip candidate - he carried a blackberry, he was on Facebook, he talked of having 'skin in the game', he had an electrifying persona and a message that resonated with young people. None of which, however, connected to any realities that I am aware of. WHich is why his star power does not translate to other candidates in his own party. He's 0-for-3 (0-for-4 if you include Chicago's failed bid for the olympics) in campaigns since his historic election. It's because the masses DO NOT LIKE HIS POLICIES!!!
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