Not surprised. Change Americans wanted, change they are getting. Obama in 45 days has made great progress in reversing 8 years of anti-science ignorance, utter economic recklessness and assaults on the Constitution by the worst president in recent American history.

No but I am shocked at the Justice Department Memos that were written by Gonzalez and others in the Bush Administration. Did you know that they actually wanted to suspend the first ammendment? Talk about a dictator!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/187342

"Are you at all surprised at the scope and speed by which President Obama is enacting his liberal agenda?"

No, I believe this administration is using the current economic crisis to their advantage. I don't think Obama minds that the Dow is tanking, it's oppertunity to enact his socialist agenda.

I wonder if he cares that many middle class people own 401K plans....I don't think he does.

We elected a very radical leftist for a President.

its not anti science, its protecting human life at the earliest stages. ESCR will NOT cure anyone. Adult Stem cells are an ethical source and are available w/o having to destroy a tiny human being at his/her earliest stage of life.

Bystander,

Wouldn't you agree that overlooking important scientific advances(ASCs) to promote those that have no proven track record (ESCs) is anti-science?

Utter economic recklessness. Obama has outdone in one month what it took GWB 8 years to do.
Have you noticed the stock market? Or are you too distracted by our fearless leader entertaining with $100/serving imported steak and flying himself and his wife to Chicago for a Valentine's Day dinner, all at yours and our expense. Where is some fiscal responsiblity and respect for the taxpayer? When he flies all over the country promoting his agenda and listening to Harriet Hughes' blubbering for a handout, who do you think is paying for it? Bingo.

Doesn't he realize the great climate catastrophe certain to doom us all when he flies two jets to Chicago? Are there no restaurants in Washington D.C. or was it the WH kitchen staff's nite off?

Change? I must admit this is the first I've seen a tax cheat in charge of the Treasury.

YLT,

Ever hear of The Fairness Doctrine? Talk about dictatorship. The first thing a dictator must do is find a way to silence opposition.
You might advise Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who called for hearings on this doctrine, and who has a serious conflict of interest with her husband's involvement with liberal talk radio, that perhaps she should concern herself more with the antics of her husband, who was caught dallying with a prostitute, and concern herself less with what the American people listen to.

On a lighter note, I read there is a shortage of clowns in Britain. Seriously.
We have a huge collection of them in Washington DC that I would be more than delighted to send to them.

Posted by: Yo La Tengo at March 7, 2009 9:37 AM

'Did you know that they actually wanted to suspend the first ammendment? Talk about a dictator!'

http://www.newsweek.com/id/187342

------------------------------------------------------

ylt,

About 65 years ago the Japenese bombed Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt ordered the arrest and interrment of thousands of Japanese-Americans, many of whom were U.S. citizens. Some were 2nd and 3rd generation Americans.

Over 100 years ago, in the midst of a civil war, President Abraham Lincoln suspened writ of habeas corpus and ordered journalist who were openly critical of his presidency arrested.

President Bush, asked his advisors how to proceed after the attacks on 911 [Did you google 911 yet?]

They gave him their best judgement of how he could respond to the clear and present danger. Just because they gave him advice did not mean that he agreed with all of it.

Suggest you consult with a dictionary as to the definition of 'dictator'.

When you do, then give us some examples of how Bush behaved as a 'dictator'.

For some recent examples of universally recognized 'dictators' see Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, Baby Doc Duvalier, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin.

yor bro ken

Ken 10:38am

FDR put American citizens in concentration camps based on little more than a racist mentality. He also did this over the strenuous objections of his wife Eleanor.
Talk about violating the Constitution!
We shouldn't be surprised that FDR would not give his moral leadership or backing to anti-lynching legislation, also supported and promoted by Eleanor, and it failed to pass.
BTW the outnumbered Republicans supported it.

Mary,

Good points as usual.

Techically, FDR may not have violated the constitution. If Congress had declared 'war' and we were operating under a state of emergency, then the constitution may have already been suspended.

While what Roosevelt did in regard to the Japanese Americans was morally reprehensible, it may have been legal.

I believe the SCOTUS ruled the interment was 'constitutional' at the time.

I wonder why German-Americans were not interred as well.

Did the Germans enjoy the 'benefit' of being caucasian?

yor bro ken

Interesting that as headlines are coming out about adult stem cell research breakthroughs, BO is rushing the ESCR funding. It is all about turning on the federal faucet that does not turn off.

BO is following Rahm's advice. You never miss the opportunity to take advantage of a crisis. While everyone is distracted with the money crisis, BO will push through his radical social agenda.

You know I was thinking about BO. The first six years of his life he was raised by a single mom who was an atheist. Then he went to Indonesia with his mom and Muslim stepfather where he was educated at Muslim schools, then shipped back to HI to be raised by maternal grandparents who were at best agnostic. During his teen years he was mentored by a man who was a communist....then went to very liberal schools in the mainland after high school graduation. He only hooked up with Wright to be established as an authentic black candidate and used that church as a power base and by his own admission did not regularly attend. What do you expect of this man. The real tragedy is so many people voted for him. We must pray for a miracle to change him. Maybe befriending Rick Warren may be a good thing

Correction

Some German and Italian americans were interred during WWII.

yor bro ken

Ken, 11:15am

An interesting point. Thank you for the correction. Do you know of any source that says the Constitution may be suspended in time of national emergency? I'm curious because I never heard of such a thing.
The fact that the SCOTUS would support this doesn't cut any ice with me. The SCOTUS has a long history of finding whatever they need to find in the Constitution.

Ken 11:32am

I have heard that also, though it was certainly not on the scale of the imprisonment of Japanese Americans. According to one TV special I saw on this, it was indeed largely based on racial and ethnic prejudice against Japanese Americans and mayors,governors, and citizens of coastal states wanted them out. I just know that none of my German relatives were imprisoned.

re: Mary on the Fairness Doctrine :

Even a rightwing website run by the American Family Association admits that the Fairness Doctrine is dead in the water - the dems don't support it.

Thanks for the urban legend update though.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=429794

YLT,

Don't be so sure. It doesn't matter who supports it in congress. All Obama has to do is appoint someone to the FCC who does support it.

Ever hear of Sen.Dick Durbin? He recently tacked on a rider to the DC voting rights bill, S160, which is "to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure the public airways are used in the public interest".
Obama's FCC can interpret these regulations in any direction it wishes.
This may well enpower Obama's FCC to prematurely pull the broadcast licenses of stations that do not meet these new "guidelines".

I suggest YLT that you google "Sen.Durbin and the Fairness Doctrine".

Bystander jokes "[obama]...has made great progress in reversing....utter economic recklessness.

HAHA! Are you freaking kidding me? Seriously, how much has Obama spent? How much new debt do we have? How much has the stock market tanked?

You have GOT to be kidding me. Everything else you said was a load of crap as well, but this one takes the cake!

Yes, Lauren, in your Faux Noise fantasy world the economy was robust and the Dow was at 14,000 on 1/20/09, thanks to Bush. Sean Hannity sez so!

Unfortunately for the RushLimbican party, most voters have an attention span of more than 3 minutes and remember the reckless deficit war spending, tax breaks for the ultra-rich and non-regulation of the last 8 years that started the recession more than a year ago.

YLT, Mary's right. Localism serves O's purposes better than the Fairness Doctrine.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/11/obama_declares_war_on_conserva.html

Posted by: Mary at March 7, 2009 11:46 AM

'Do you know of any source that says the Constitution may be suspended in time of national emergency? I'm curious because I never heard of such a thing.'

--------------------------------------------------

Mary,

I aplolgize. My 'tin foil' hat was not positioned correctly and as a result the communication link with the mother ship was so distorted I resorted to ad lib in an attempt at coherence.

I am serious now. Really.

I over simplified and/or overstated the 'suspension of the constitution'.

The internment of the Japanese-American is a good example. Though the constitution was still in effect for the rest of America, it was not for the Japanese-Americans who were 'interned'.

This injustice occurred and was maintained because few 'good people' did anything to resist it. It took SCOTUS four years to come to the aid of the interned ones.

It was not till the 1980's that the survivors or their heirs received show of contrition or any compensation from the US government.

Article 8, Section 9

'The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.'

Though the 'constitution' is not suspended, 'due process' is certainly delayed, if not denied, until the tumult has passed.

I know we live in an imperfect world and sometimes circumstances conspire against us and we are forced to make tough decisions very quickly and then have to justify those decisions long after the fact.

Our fellow man is our last line of defense against our lesser angels.

yor bro ken

Bystander, first of all this whole thing started when credit and mortgages were given to people who couldn't afford them. That was a liberal agenda, not a conservative one. Conservatives were warning of a disaster for years but Barney Frank and Co. ignored the warnings and praised Fannie and Freddie.

Of course, the larger point is that regardless of past spending, it is beyond absurd to claim that Obama has exercised any measure of financial restraint. He basically allowed Pelosi to write a blank check, doing more to indebt our country in 30 days than Bush did during his entire presidency. In fact, if Obama's magically works (and it would be magic since he's not using acurate numbers) it would STILL be an increase in total debt over the Bush years.

Ken 2:25PM

Thank you for the info. An excellent post.

I wonder if Article 8 Section9 was used as a "justification". I'm sure our Founding Fathers never meant this to include the indiscriminate rounding up and imprisoning of thousands of men, women, and children solely because of their ethnicity!

Bystander: "Unfortunately for the RushLimbican party, most voters have an attention span of more than 3 minutes and remember the reckless deficit war spending, tax breaks for the ultra-rich and non-regulation of the last 8 years that started the recession more than a year ago."

Bush gave a tax break to EVERYONE who paid taxes, Angel-Puddin'. Those who gnash their teeth about Bush's "tax cuts for the RICH!" are lying by omission.

I guess when he said change he meant change. Who knew a presidential candidate would actually keep his word?

Leah: "Who knew a presidential candidate would actually keep his word?"

Too bad he hasnt kept his word on transparency, bipartisanship, earmarks, breaking with lobbyists, appointing non-insiders to key positions, repairing foreign relationships...

Jasper, "I don't think Obama minds that the Dow is tanking, it's oppertunity to enact his socialist agenda."

You do realize that this whole situation will probably cost him a second term, right? That, historically, it will probably be HIM who gets blamed for this even though it just fell into his lap? Let's remember, when he started campaigning-- America was NOT in this kind of shape. He's not a psychic.

Mary, Obama has said over and over he does NOT approve of the Fairness Doctorine. Just because a couple random senators do, doesn't mean anything is going to happen. It would be very unpopular, and right now I don't think that many people want to risk their seats. Also, I just recently went to see Dick Durbin talk back home (he's my senator) and he was actually asked about the Fairness Doctrine. He sprecifically said he doesn't support it.

Ken,
"When you do, then give us some examples of how Bush behaved as a 'dictator'."

How about declaring war without a congressional vote. OoOoh.

Maria,
Really? You're just going to say Obama went to "liberal schools"? Don't you mean Columbia and Harvard? You say it as though he went to these completely radical schools. If you'd look back a little, you'd notice that Bush may have got his undergrad from Yale, and then he finished school at *hold on* the crazy liberal school Obama went to, Harvard!

Josephine 11:21am

Obama doesn't have to support it. He need only put someone on the FCC who does. Concerning Durbin, please refer to my 3/7 12:13PM post. Also Fedup's 1:24PM 3/7 post.

Posted by: Josephine at March 8, 2009 11:51 AM

Ken,
"When you do, then give us some examples of how Bush behaved as a 'dictator'."

How about declaring war without a congressional vote. OoOoh.
------------------------------------------------------

Josie,

Try again.

Congress voted to authorize el presidente Bush to use military action against Iraq/Saddam Hussein.

Congress abdicated it's constitutional responsibility. In my opinion Congress should have voted up or down on a declaration of war in general and against Iraq and/or other named or un-named enemies.

But even if Congress had not authorized the president to act, he could have done so on his own intiative. It is an established constitutional principle.

Congress would have had to over ride his decision by some 'legislative' action.

Balance of powers, checks and balances, and all that stuff.

Liberals have such an aversion to 'war'.

Kind of like men and cleaning the toilet.

yor bro ken

ps: Josie, based on your recent posts, I think I am beginning to understand why your superiors do not want you to be deployed.

In 1969, my draft lottery number was 38 and I was called for my pre-induction physical. A kind military physician took pity on me and chose not to send one as foolish as myself rushing into a place angels dare not tread.

I would have been threat not only to my own well being, but my fellow soldiers.

He 'found' a problem with one of my ears which my own ear, nose and throat specialist had failed to identify just a few days prior.

Or maybe it was just divine intervention.

yor bro ken

We had troops in Iraq before congress declared it a war. We had troops in Afghanistan before congress declared it a war. How about YOU try it again.

"ps: Josie, based on your recent posts, I think I am beginning to understand why your superiors do not want you to be deployed."

What in the WORLD are you talking about? Which of my superiors doesn't want me deployed? You're pretty much just making up stuff, now. It's kind of sad. Maybe you should stop?

(BTW, Ken, my current unit was deployed to Afghanistan September 20th, 2001... war was declared October 7th.)

I just wish someone would keep Obama from talking... every time he talks the Dow tanks more...

Josie,

POTUS is the CIC. He can send troops anywhere he chooses.

Congress authorized the incursions, either before or after the fact.

Only Congress can make a 'declaration of war' on behalf of the USA.

If an attack is in progress you cannot wait for Congress to convene and make deliberative decsision to respond.

Bill Clinton ordered miltiary action several times during his administration.

It was not dictatorial.

It was self serving. A convenient diversion to his dicktatorial action in the oral orifice.

Forgive the crudeness, but if the shoe fits.

yor bro ken

ps: Maybe I misunderstood your previous post but I believe you indicated your superiors had deliberately delayed your deployment to Iraq by sending you to 'schools' or additional training.