Before Nine: 2012

Watch The Skies

Tea Partei's Le Gouvenour Perry Lovin' Him Some Freedom™

Herr Obama is set to deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress within a week, about the economy and "job creation". Two days ago, he ~~showed clearly how disconnected and in confusion his White House is~~ lost yet another PR battle with the Rethugs, by seeming not to care if they were upset he asked to address Congress on the same night as a Rethug/Tea Partei Prestidential teevee debate in Teh Carolinas -- and then caving in to President Boner and rescheduling his speech, after Boner threatened to cry and not drink his ~~Viagra-laced Bourbon~~ milk.

If you're a thinking Dog, I would pay very close attention to what Herr Obama says in this address. The speech will be a re-election kick-off in all but name, and (because this time it really is about the Economy, stupid) all the major themes of his 2012 campaign will be laid out in that speech.

The reason I would pay attention to the broad themes he presents in this particular speech is, we'll know immediately whether Obama will change course, admit that continuing down the cut-deficits-without-new-taxes road is suicidal for America (particularly in light of the most recent NFP report from yesterday, and reports from Europe on the effects of Die Neue Austeritie), send out a call to arms that the Democratic Party needs to be a Progressive party and mean it; or, if he is going to "stay the course" and continue to Fluff The Banksters And The Rich.

(Image: ©2011 Mr Fish)

Herr Obama's domestic performance has been dismal, almost nonexistent. So many voices are clamoring for the U.S. government to start spending our way out of this crisis, because interest rates on loans it would take for a massive public works program a la the NRA - WPA (for example) would be close to zero.

They are also saying that to cut spending at this time will drive the economy from a Recession into a Depression -- that all the talk of 'bond vigilantes' and 'the Confidence Fairy' (last seen being gang-banged by Larry Summers, "Timmeh!" Geithner and "Little Capo" Blankfein) is counterproductive to the nation as a whole, and essentially bullshit.

If Mr. Obama appears before Congress and, uh, "declines" to stand up to Rethug blackmail and abuse; if he continues to treat America as a center-right country instead of one that will respect and follow strong leadership in a time of real crisis; and delivers a speech full of payroll cuts and strengthening patent rights, and free and open navigation of all international inland waterways or some such crap as the road to prosperity... well, we should just turn the country over to the nazis and go home -- and remember, church attendance in the New America will be mandatory.

Sadly, that's what seems set to happen. Today's NYT:

People familiar with the White House’s planning say Mr. Obama will focus in his speech on the specifics of his immediate job-creation plans, but leave the details of his longer-term deficit reduction program for later. They say he does not want to dilute the political impact of his jobs message with controversies, especially with his Democratic base, over deficit-reduction ideas like raising the eligibility age for future Medicare recipients.

The signals from the White House suggest that Mr. Obama’s agenda will not be so bold as to satisfy many liberals clamoring for New Deal-style programs... Expected ... is an extension for another year of the payroll tax cut for workers that Mr. Obama and Republicans agreed to last December... Mr. Obama has been considering whether to seek an expansion of the payroll tax cut for employers. And he is expected to propose a separate tax credit for employers who increase their payrolls.

The total cost could reach several hundred billion dollars. But the White House figures that tax cuts have the best chance of Republican support...

Yet Republicans say they oppose another round of stimulus measures, a stance consistent with their argument that Mr. Obama’s original $800 billion stimulus package was a failure...

"Does not want to dilute the political impact of his jobs message with controversies". Yeah; why stand up for your principles when it's simpler to compromise?

Herr Obama has chosen to follow someone's advice in these matters, and cave in to the Rethugs and the Tea Partei -- who are the only ones demanding that the government follow their policies, do what they say, or else they'll shut down the government. Whenever they want. They're stupid, greedy and self-serving bullies, and need to be taught a lesson so severe that at the end of it, they'll wish they'd never heard of Democracy (not that they don't wish that now).

An observation -- the Rethugs, the Tea Partei, the right-wing blogs; Lard Boy and Mikey Wiener and Little Eric Cantor and the Koch Brothers and the rest of them... they say they don't like liberals -- people who hold specific viewpoints antithetical to their own.

They don't like the people -- they've demonized the Left through Little Rupert's sewage factory for nearly twenty years; a friend of mine said in conversation that "the Right uses the word 'Liberal' the same way the Germans used 'Jew' in the thirties", and I don't disagree with the basic sentiment behind that observation.

(Image: ©2011 Mr Fish)

To the pugnacious, gun-totin' American Right, Liberals are second-class citizens; the Right believes that they are the victims in a liberal-controlled world. Ultimately, using the imagery of patriots fighting tyranny (or cunning, Free ~~White~~ People fighting a "Zionist occupation government"), in the minds of the Right it will be fine to do anything to the hated liberals that they want.

It isn't about divergent points of view, with notions of mutual respect; they don't like the people -- and see nothing wrong with that.

They listen to the shrieking of a Mikey Wiener, or the sanctimonious blubbering of Lard Boy; or the endless droning of Bill-O on the ~~Goebbels~~ Little Rupert Network, and think to themselves yeah; yeah, ain't that th' truth ; yeah, we gonna get those motherfuckers, some day, man... someday... -- and see nothing wrong with the violence inherent in that point of view.

Ninety per cent of any historical revolutions have been about dehumanizing the enemy, to the degree that you can seize their property, restrict their ability to work, imprison them and eventually take their lives. But it begins with language, and it ends with a line of bodies in a muddy ditch.

(COMEDY RELIEF / UPDATE: TPM reports that just before Sarah Palin (parent of a child with Down Syndrome) made a much-anticipated speech in Iowa this past week, a Los Angles-based right-wing comedian named Eric Golub told a joke that compared left-leaning political ideology to "special needs children."

After praising Little Sarah on raising her son, Trig, while continuing a political career, Golub said, "For that reason alone, the left should worship Sarah Palin and adopt her as one of their own. Because the leftist 'haters' are an entire political ideology of special needs children.")

However, we keep waiting in vain for a champion; Obama certainly isn't FDR, and he isn't going to fight back against the Thugs.

He's already proven that, many times. And yes, I'll hold my nose and vote for him when the time comes -- but only because he will probably be running against Le Gouvenour Placard, Mssr. Rick Perry, Dumber Than A Bag Of Hammers, who if made President wouldn't stop until at least two guns, and Jesus, is in every American garage and school and courtroom and bedroom.

So, we'll watch with mounting horror as Herr Obama bends over for the Right, yet again. But we will none of us be surprised.

Mehr: Yes, indeed. We elected someone for whom 'The Art Of The Deal' is looked upon as a virtue -- only, that requires you succeed in getting something for your side in the negotiations.

Remind me, please: Why did we elect this person? And, we're only going to re-elect him because the alternative is worse? And exactly why is this in any way good?

Just wanted to get that clear.