Rep. Weiner ( D. NY): Obama Is 'Not a Values Guy'

[Divernan]

Weiner, a well educated fellow, makes a good analogy that waiting for Obama is like waiting for Godot, referring to Samuel Beckett's play where the characters sit around waiting for Godot. A messenger from Godot arrives with the news that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that he will surely come tomorrow. And the characters keep waiting. Next day, same story. Weiner concludes the Dems in Congress will have to start taking the initiatives that are not being taken by the White House.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/anthony-weiner-obama-not-a-values-guy_n_836664.html

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and a handful of other House Democrats expressed deep frustration with President Barack Obama's leadership on Wednesday, saying he needs to do more to set the direction for the progressive movement.

"On our side is this weird squishy affirmative sense of what government should do and how we're opposed to this cut and that cut, rather than saying, 'Here are the things: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, environment and education. We're not cutting those. Those are off the table. That's non-negotiable,'" said Weiner, adding, "We haven't really done that very well. That's because the president fundamentally -- he's not a values guy. He wants to try to get the best deal for the American people and that's virtuous in its own right, but it becomes very difficult to make a strategy. There's been much greater global strategy thinking on outlets, frankly, than at 1600 Pennsylvania."

When asked by The Huffington Post whether what's happening at the state and local level with labor unions and budget battles would rise to the national stage, Weiner said that the leadership of national officials -- including the president -- will be essential to push the issue forward.

"It is now pretty clear to me -- I'm not saying this is pejorative -- the president, he doesn't animate his day by saying, 'All right, what is the thing that has me fired up today? I'm going to out and try to move the ball on it.' He kind of sees his job as to take this calamitous noise that's going on on the left with people like us and on the right on Fox News, and his path to being a successful president, in his view, is taking that cacophony and trying to make good, level-headed, smart policy out of it and moving it incrementally down the road. That's nice. That's a good thing. We need that, obviously. The problem is there's no substitute for someone really leaning into these values questions. "

[Divernan]

1. Rep. DeFazio (D-Oregon) questions whether they can put steel in Obama's spine.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/anthony-weiner-obama-not-a-values-guy_n_836664.html

And Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said he hoped his party would stand together on the fight to raise the debt ceiling later this year. Since many of the more hardline Republican freshmen will vote against it as a matter of course, DeFazio predicted, GOP leaders are likely to need the cooperation of Democrats and may be open to compromise.

"Republicans are going to have a hard time getting the votes," he said. "The first people who are going to get hit are the people on Wall Street, the bond houses and others, who are the biggest supporters of Republicans. So I think we have tremendous leverage on the debt limit. We should say there will not be a single Democratic vote on the debt limit until we put everything on the table. We're willing to look at any spending, but we also have to look at revenue."

DeFazio added that he hopes Obama stands with congressional Democrats rather than agreeing to a compromise with the Republicans, as he did a few months ago on the tax cuts.

"The problem is the negotiator-in-chief and where he'll end up, and whether we can put some steel in his spine," he said. "I assume he caved in on taxes in December because he was blackmailed on the treaty with Russia with nuclear weapons, which was absolutely critical. But that's pretty pathetic also."

[davidinalameda]

4. don't you have to have a spine first

before you can put steel in it?

[bvar22]

68. Obama has a spine.

Nobody makes it to The Top in Chicago without a spine and nerves of steel.

Obama has a spine, and is using it well to protect the interests of his owners.
The Top 2% should be very happy with Obama,
and will probably grant him a 2nd term.




Who will STAND UP and represent THIS American Majority?
Platitudes, Rhetoric, Empty Promises, and Excuses are meaningless now.

"By their WORKS you will know them,"
And by their WORKS they will be held accountable.

[Vincardog]

2. BO needs to get over this 'middle muddle' and at least act like he has some progressive values.

[ProSense]

3. "Dems in Congress will have to start taking the initiatives that are not being taken" by the WH

That would be great. Congress needs to do its job as a co-equal branch. I also completely disagree with Weiner.

The President made a great case in his press conference.

It's ironic that Weiner can say this as the person always demanidng that President Obama give up his values on issues involving Israel, what exactly does he mean?

<...>

Continued Weiner: "It is now pretty clear to me -- I'm not saying this is pejorative -- the president, he doesn't animate his day by saying, 'All right, what is the thing that has me fired up today? I'm going to out and try to move the ball on it.' He kind of sees his job as to take this calamitous noise that's going on on the left with people like us and on the right on Fox News, and his path to being a successful president, in his view, is taking that cacophony and trying to make good, level-headed, smart policy out of it and moving it incrementally down the road. That's nice. That's a good thing. We need that, obviously. The problem is there's no substitute for someone really leaning into these values questions.

<...>

Members of Congress always have opinions, then they vote against funding the closure of Guantanamo. As for taking the initiative, start there.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vaberella]

9. Weiner voted against closing Gitmo?! I'm not really surprised by that. n/t

[treestar]

25. If he did that, he can't claim the progressive mantle

[bahrbearian]

20. A party with no leader?

[pscot]

34. If you don't know where you want to go

you'll never get there.

[Divernan]

5. Rep. Kucinich (D-Ohio) waiting for Obama to stand up for workers' rights.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) was also at the gathering and later added, in reference to labor and budget battles, "The only regret I have is that the White House isn't fighting back against this. It's one thing to say, 'Well, I stand behind the workers -- how far behind, I don't know.' It's another thing to say, 'I stand with them and in front of them to protect their rights.' And I'm waiting for that to happen."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/anthony-weiner-obama-not-a-values-guy_n_836664.html

[vaberella]

7. Everyone who is not these guys knows Obama is fighting back.

All of the Unions are on Obama's side.

[bahrbearian]

19. Probably not the union members

[vaberella]

48. I guess you've been ignoring the posters the protestors are carrying supporting Obama.

Many choose to ignore them.

[bahrbearian]

66. I've seen them protesting Walker none supporting Obama

Don't put your signs in their hands.

[stevenleser]

73. Sorry, Vabarella is right, I've seen many pro-Obama signs in coverage of the Wisconsin protests

The union members are pro-Obama.

[jefferson_dem]

14. Weiner, DeFazio, Kucinich...

Bless their little hearts. All three of them.

[Raine1967]

28. LOL! I miss Atlanta right now. eom

[treestar]

26. So introduce a bill or something

If it's a federal concern. Wasn't Kooch elected to represent a district? Do they want a federal role in state legislation?

[Arkana]

43. Dennis Kucinich is speaking like a man who has never taken the oath of office.

[vaberella]

6. A Weiner...Obama put out his plan long before the Repubs did.

An extremely progressive bill. The Republicans rejected it. But the budget bill needs to start moving forward and common ground needs to be made. I don't see how this is to hard to understand.

[elias49]

10. Weiner's a pretty good guy

he has grit. Without being strident. (Usually)
Stay on it Rep Weiner!

[bahrbearian]

11. Primaries

[jefferson_dem]

13. Are for losers...

And troublemakers.

[MessiahRp]

41. Glad you're so anti-democracy.

Only cowards fear primaries. They do so because they know that their guy, the one they are a lemming for, will be exposed by his own side for what he is. The opponents may not win but the magic cloak will be pulled away and Super Obama, as you see him, will no longer exist.

I doubt anyone will primary him for the same politically pathetic reasons you fear it so much, but if ever a President deserved a primary, it's this one.

Rp

[jefferson_dem]

58. Now now...don't give up yet.

Perhaps LaRouche will jump in and make you happy.

[jefferson_dem]

12. "trying to make good level-headed, smart policy out of it and moving it incrementally down the road"

Fair assessment, imo.

[Hawkowl]

70. Trying and failing

It's a bad strategy and it's yielding bad results. All it does is give the rethuglicans 85% of what they want, and they STILL hate Obama. The banksters are in more control than ever under Obama. The Pentagon is bleeding us dry in both blood and treasure, and you NEVER, EVER, hear Obama planning on any substantial military budget cuts. He is an apologist for torture and war crimes and has emboldened future criminals with the free pass he has given to the previous criminal administration. Obama will go down as the most disappointing President in the last 100 years. He had the opportunity to really deliver the death blow to the Rethuglican party. Instead he has decided to revive it in the hopes of apparently merging the DLC corporate interests with the now extinct moderate rethuglican agenda into a virtuous one party system a la what!?!? China? The former USSR? Cuba? All he is doing is destroying the Democratic party. THAT will be his legacy. He will be known as so many unprincipled politicians of the past are known as enablers of disaster and chaos. President Buchanan and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain come immediately to mind.

The sooner the Democratic Party is rid of this worthless, corporate, money mongering whore, the sooner we can rebuild the party in its traditional values of Labor, Farmers, and tight regulations over the sociopathic rich.

[msongs]

15. dems at all levels need to pack up their white flags for good nt

[craigmatic]

16. Wiener tells it like it is.

[whathehell]

21. Damned right...I'd take him for prez over Obama any day. n./t

[ClarkUSA]

31. Then you don't want to close Gitmo, just like Weiner.

[Duke Newcombe]

36. Yes, because the U-Hauls...

...are out in front of the gate already because of the President's leadership on the matter. :sarcasm:

[ClarkUSA]

37. Because Congressmen like Weiner voted against closing Gitmo.

You do know Congress is a co-equal branch of government, right? Because they refuse to fund the closing of Gitmo, it cannot be done. What do you want President Obama to do? Pay for it out of pocket?

:sarcasm:

Grandstanding do-nothing safe-district limousine "liberals" like Weiner don't put their votes where their mouths are because of political expediency. But they sure enjoy seeing themselves on TV shows. I only wish someone would ask Weiner where his "values" were when he voted against closing Gitmo.

[zalinda]

38. They voted no because

there was not a plan in place on what to do with those at Gitmo. And Weiner wasn't the only one.

"Democrats lined up with Republicans in the 90-6 vote that came on the heels of a similar move a week ago in the House, underscoring widespread apprehension among Obama's congressional allies over voters' strong feelings about bringing detainees to the U.S. from the prison in Cuba."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/20/senate-votes-to-block-fun_n_205797.html


But if that is all you got against Weiner than fine. I'm sure any one here disappointed with Obama can rattle off 10 BIG things that Obama did or didn't do that has hurt the 'lower' class.

zalinda

[ClarkUSA]

39. Wrong. Weiner voted no because he is from New York and no one from NY would dare vote otherwise.

In other words, he's gutless when it comes to putting his "progressive values" where his big mouth is.

This is why:

"underscoring widespread apprehension among Obama's congressional allies over voters' strong feelings about bringing detainees to the U.S. from the prison in Cuba"

It's easy to point fingers when you are a do-nothing TV hog of a Congressman from New York City.

[zalinda]

52. I guess the 90-6 vote was just incidental? n/t

[xxqqqzme]

71. The ONLY reason

"voters' strong feelings about bringing detainees to the U.S." is because the whorporate media told them to have those feelings over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over...see that's how it works.

[whathehell]

54. There are actually issues besides Gitmo to be concerned with

or haven't you noticed?

[vaberella]

62. It's funny you say that.

When we so-called "cheerleaders" say that...we're shunned and are said to be making excuses for why the President fails on leadership.

[whathehell]

64. Actually, it's not..

and I'm sorry you're little feelings are all hurt 'n stuff, but

you may need to design your own "Obama Underground"

You see, this is the DEMOCRATIC Underground and we are

loyal, not to People, but to Principles...Who knows?

someday you may even comprehend the concept.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vroomvroom]

51. Actions speak Louder. nt

[whathehell]

53. You are speaking

out of your ass...You don't know me

and have NO idea of how long I, like most

here, gave Obama the

"benefite of the doubt".

Do NOT attack my character

because I, like most here,

have lost faith in Obama.

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whathehell]

60. Do you always tell people you don't know at ALL who "they are" when

they disagree with or are disappointed in your hero, Obama?

You come off like some childish hero worshiper who

strikes out blindly when his "idol" is challenged.

Please grow up.

[vaberella]

63. I don't know...you tell me...you seem to know better than I do.

Do I seem childish? Childish behavior begets the same, I would imagine. Striking out blindly--"idol"---a very laughable statement.

As for the last part. I'll do that when the world around me seems to get a clue...you included.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

69. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vaberella]

56. Until he's President of course and then you'd toss him under the bus too. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

17. There is at least ONE way where Obama is like God...

... "Obama helps those who help themselves." The message was "Yes we can!" not "Yes, I will do it ALL myself!"

Rep. Weiner (whom I adore) is perhaps overdue in review of the Constitution, in which, nowhere does it state that it is the Executives responsibility to lead the Legislative branch. Quite the opposite. Perhaps she should spend more time helping to rally the votes .... or realizing they're not actually there, then presuming Obama is going to run the Fed. government Cheney style.

[PurityOfEssence]

46. Two more: nothing bad that happens is his fault, and everything good that happens is his doing

He's good because he's good; his actions don't really matter.

This one goes to eleven.

[Imagevision]

47. nothing bad that happens is his fault...? - BP. investigation dropped was Obama's doing

Obama pulled the plug on the scientists investigating Gulf oil fiasco and allowed BP. to investigate themselves.

[PurityOfEssence]

67. To the acolytes, this was yet another brilliant bit of 3-D Chess

To them, all ills come from others.

[Cali_Democrat]

18. After watching Obama as Prez for 2 years now, it's hard to know what his values are...

...and what he stands for. Is he for tax cuts for the wealthy, indefinite detention, wall street banksters and extrajudicial killings?

Many of his most fervent supporters will say he doesn't stand for those things, but his policies say otherwise. Of course they will say that compromise was necessary, but you shouldn't compromise your values and constantly adopt Republican positions.

[polichick]

33. You're right - people may project their own values onto him but his policies...

...don't clearly indicate his values.

[ClarkUSA]

35. Unlike Weiner, President Obama actually wants to close Gitmo. Weiner voted against it.

Isn't it great that a coalition of good government groups has awarded President Obama for his transparency during Sunshine Week?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=630635&mesg_id=630635

Obviously, they know more than Obama's opponents.

[vi5]

22. "Off the table...."

For the right, what they say is "off the table" (defense spending, wars, and more wars, any tax increases on the wealthy, guns, etc.) truly is and always will be off the table. And Democrats (Obama in particular) has absolutely agreed and solidified into gospel truth that those things will be off the table.

Now what Democrats good, solid Democrats like Weiner want to be "off the table" (social security, medicare, medicaid, the environment and education)......well to Dems like Obama.....they want to put everything on our side on the table without ever asking the same of the Republicans.

I'm tired and I'm done with it. And no amount of stupid, moronic lists of Obama's "accomplishments" (I wonder if how many times they just copied and pasted "committed to" or "pledged to") or cutely named web-sites are going to change that.

[DCKit]

23. I believe he's more like F.D.R. (paraphrased) - "I know you're right, now make me do it."

As much as the House got accomplished between 2009 and the beginning of this year, the Republicans were still able to prevent far too many bills from even coming to a vote in the Senate. Mostly (and very unfortunately) in many cases, with only the THREAT of a filibuster.

WTF????

[MessiahRp]

42. People worked hard to try to make him do things..

You know what he did? Ignored and then later attacked the base. All while cuddling up to his right wing buddies to give them everything they wanted in bills.

That whole line was total bullshit when he said it.

Rp

[treestar]

24. So he's in Congress, why isn't this guy proposing a bill or something?

Wasn't he elected to represent his district? Why does he expect Obama to do it?

[howmad1]

27. Act like a Democrat!

A simple answer to a simple question.

[vaberella]

59. Well Weiner has failed to do that a time or two. n/t

[treestar]

72. So why doesn't he act like a Democratic congressman

and introduce a liberal bill?

And try to get it to pass? Why is he waiting around for the government's other branch to do his job?

[LeftyAndProud60]

29. Democrats eating their own yet again. Wonder what a Huckabee presidency will look like? NT

[Tatiana]

30. Weiner makes sense. I tend to agree with him.

I think it's time Congressional Dems stopped looking to Obama as their "Dubya" and start crafting their own strategy. The President can choose to follow them or not.

Obama is certainly not the values-oriented leader I hoped he would be, but if Congress stepped up to the plate and did their job, we wouldn't be complaining about Obama giving away the store to the Republicans. He stepped up because Congress wasn't getting anything done.

Times like this, I miss Teddy Kennedy.

[ClarkUSA]

32. What has this guy ever done in Congress but mouth off and go on TV shows?

Besides vote against closing Gitmo, of course.

[Moral_Imagination]

40. If this clown was president

he probably would have sent troops to keep Mubarak in power.

[Tarheel_Dem]

45. Our very own Michelle Bachmann. He & Kooch try to out red meat each other.

They're great for local politics, and they can afford to throw bombs because of their safe districts, but neither of them would last a millisecond on the national stage. Just ask Kooch. :eyes:

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Faux pas]

55. I love that Weiner guy! Logic and common sense go a long way

with me....but then....I'm easy. ;)

[catgirl]

61. Weiner is a loose cannon

And his ego gets the best of him at times (like this for example). I think he likes to see his name in the paper.
Sorry, but that;s my opinion on him.

[Vidar]

74. Bravo Rep Weiner.