OT: FOX News and the oil blowout

[eavesdropper]

[quote=afx114]For a guy without a lot of political experience, he sure has had quite a bit of success in getting his agenda passed: stimulus plan, healthcare, and now DADT. That’s three fairly large agenda items pased in only 1.3 years of a four year term.

The jury is still out on many other elements of his stated agenda, but I don’t see how anyone can argue that Obama hasn’t been successful (in the strictly political sense) so far.

Experience McSchmearience.[/quote]

Yes, these agenda items have been passed. However, I would have a difficult time attributing their passage to the President’s political experience and skill. To wit:

Stimulus Bill (Feb 2009) was passed less than a month after the inauguration (i.e., still the “honeymoon” period). House vote: 246 (all Dems) to 183 (176 Repubs, and 7 Dems). Senate vote: 60 (58 Dems & 3 Repubs) to 38 (all Repubs).

Health Care Reform Bill (March 2009): House vote: 220 (all Dems) to 207 (Repub 174, Dems 33); Senate vote: 56 (54 Dems, 2 Ind) to 43 (40 Repubs, 3 Dems).

DADT (May 2010): House vote: 234 (229 Dems, 5 Repubs) to 194 (168 Repubs, 26 Dems).

These are largely straight-down-the-line party votes. While I find the Republican inactivity to be reprehensible (I’m really steamed over my tax dollars going to pay politicians to simply sit around and block votes, especially at such a critical time), I think that Obama and the Democrats could have used many situations to their advantage. There have been so many squandered and misspent opportunities.

I’m sorry. While I don’t agree with the Republican Party’s strategy and actions much of the time, and believe that much of what they’ve engaged in over the past several years has spread and intensified the polarization of our nation, I can’t remember them ever missing an opportunity to accrue political capital. And distasteful as that may seem to some purists, it’s absolutely essential to the achievement of a political party’s goals.

Based on the numbers I’ve included above, what’s going to happen to the President’s agenda when the Dems no longer have a majority?

[NewtoSanDiego]

I’m sick of liberal whining. Fox is certainly fair and balanced.

This is Obama’s Katrina, no way around it.

This is also a failure of government regulation. This administration essentially dropped the ball, all their talk of regulatory reform, shows that they did nothing this past year and 1/2 at the Mines and Mineral Mgmt Agency

The voters will make their assessment

NSD

[NewtoSanDiego]

I’m sick of liberal whining. Fox is certainly fair and balanced.

This is Obama’s Katrina, no way around it.

This is also a failure of government regulation. This administration essentially dropped the ball, all their talk of regulatory reform, shows that they did nothing this past year and 1/2 at the Mines and Mineral Mgmt Agency

The voters will make their assessment

NSD

[NewtoSanDiego]

I’m sick of liberal whining. Fox is certainly fair and balanced.

This is Obama’s Katrina, no way around it.

This is also a failure of government regulation. This administration essentially dropped the ball, all their talk of regulatory reform, shows that they did nothing this past year and 1/2 at the Mines and Mineral Mgmt Agency

The voters will make their assessment

NSD

[NewtoSanDiego]

I’m sick of liberal whining. Fox is certainly fair and balanced.

This is Obama’s Katrina, no way around it.

This is also a failure of government regulation. This administration essentially dropped the ball, all their talk of regulatory reform, shows that they did nothing this past year and 1/2 at the Mines and Mineral Mgmt Agency

The voters will make their assessment

NSD

[NewtoSanDiego]

I’m sick of liberal whining. Fox is certainly fair and balanced.

This is Obama’s Katrina, no way around it.

This is also a failure of government regulation. This administration essentially dropped the ball, all their talk of regulatory reform, shows that they did nothing this past year and 1/2 at the Mines and Mineral Mgmt Agency

The voters will make their assessment

NSD

[afx114]

Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.

[afx114]

Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.

[afx114]

Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.

[afx114]

Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.

[afx114]

Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.

[Jim Jones]

[quote=briansd1][quote=eavesdropper]
Well, strictly speaking, you are a consumer of the oil industry, not an employee. But I’m nitpicking for nitpicking’s sake. I like to blame it on the nuns who beat me at the orphanage.[/quote]

Nitpick away. 😉

Yes, as a consumer of the oil industry, I’m farther removed from the oil industry; so I have more leeway to criticize the oil industry than a government employee or contractor criticizing the hand that feeds.[/quote]

Brian,

Your attitude is exactly why the US in the the current position with a unresponsive and largely corrupt bureaucracy. If you are not watching and criticizing the oil industry and the government employees or contractors regulating it you have failed in your duty as a citizen just as many of us have. A large portion of this country thinks the same way you do. This is why people why have the government we do.

This country is governed at the will of the citizenship and should reflect the will of the people at all times, not just in times of crisis. Remember Quis custodiet ipsos custodes. Who is responsible for watching the watchmen? Why it is us.

[Jim Jones]

[quote=briansd1][quote=eavesdropper]
Well, strictly speaking, you are a consumer of the oil industry, not an employee. But I’m nitpicking for nitpicking’s sake. I like to blame it on the nuns who beat me at the orphanage.[/quote]

Nitpick away. 😉

Yes, as a consumer of the oil industry, I’m farther removed from the oil industry; so I have more leeway to criticize the oil industry than a government employee or contractor criticizing the hand that feeds.[/quote]

Brian,

Your attitude is exactly why the US in the the current position with a unresponsive and largely corrupt bureaucracy. If you are not watching and criticizing the oil industry and the government employees or contractors regulating it you have failed in your duty as a citizen just as many of us have. A large portion of this country thinks the same way you do. This is why people why have the government we do.

This country is governed at the will of the citizenship and should reflect the will of the people at all times, not just in times of crisis. Remember Quis custodiet ipsos custodes. Who is responsible for watching the watchmen? Why it is us.

[Jim Jones]

[quote=briansd1][quote=eavesdropper]
Well, strictly speaking, you are a consumer of the oil industry, not an employee. But I’m nitpicking for nitpicking’s sake. I like to blame it on the nuns who beat me at the orphanage.[/quote]

Nitpick away. 😉

Yes, as a consumer of the oil industry, I’m farther removed from the oil industry; so I have more leeway to criticize the oil industry than a government employee or contractor criticizing the hand that feeds.[/quote]

Brian,

Your attitude is exactly why the US in the the current position with a unresponsive and largely corrupt bureaucracy. If you are not watching and criticizing the oil industry and the government employees or contractors regulating it you have failed in your duty as a citizen just as many of us have. A large portion of this country thinks the same way you do. This is why people why have the government we do.

This country is governed at the will of the citizenship and should reflect the will of the people at all times, not just in times of crisis. Remember Quis custodiet ipsos custodes. Who is responsible for watching the watchmen? Why it is us.

[Jim Jones]

[quote=briansd1][quote=eavesdropper]
Well, strictly speaking, you are a consumer of the oil industry, not an employee. But I’m nitpicking for nitpicking’s sake. I like to blame it on the nuns who beat me at the orphanage.[/quote]

Nitpick away. 😉

Yes, as a consumer of the oil industry, I’m farther removed from the oil industry; so I have more leeway to criticize the oil industry than a government employee or contractor criticizing the hand that feeds.[/quote]

Brian,

Your attitude is exactly why the US in the the current position with a unresponsive and largely corrupt bureaucracy. If you are not watching and criticizing the oil industry and the government employees or contractors regulating it you have failed in your duty as a citizen just as many of us have. A large portion of this country thinks the same way you do. This is why people why have the government we do.

This country is governed at the will of the citizenship and should reflect the will of the people at all times, not just in times of crisis. Remember Quis custodiet ipsos custodes. Who is responsible for watching the watchmen? Why it is us.

[Author]

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