McCain: GOP will debut 10 promises

By GottaLaff

See that blog title up there? It's from The Hill, and at first, I thought it was a joke. Why? Well, to begin with, because the GOP doesn't keep promises, so keeping 10 will be a monumental challenge for them.

Also, it's a stretch to think they could come up with 10 anything, let alone promises:

McCain said Republicans would craft a list of 10 legislative pledges which they would seek to enact within the first 60 days of taking back control of Congress, if they were to do so in this fall's elections. [...]

The Arizona senator said that those 10 promises could include things such as a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, and absolute cuts in federal spending.

He forgot one: Obstruction.

But check out all the assumptions: 10 pledges. Within the first 60 days. Taking back control.

This is laughable. The pledges J-Sid claims the Rushpublics will make are as empty as their health care plan.

Then again, consider the source.

VIDEO: Obama promised

By GottaLaff



Thom Hartmann sent his listeners here.

Obama promised a public option (July 17, 2009)

"Any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange -- a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, costs, and track records of a variety of plans -- including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest."

Obama said mandates weren't the answer (February 5, 2008)

"I mean, if a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house. The reason they don’t buy a house is they don’t have the money."

Thom sounded hopeful about the campaign for a "public option hero", the idea that one Congress member can make a difference and get a public option into the health care bill. I'd explain further, but of course, I was interrupted mid-explanation and missed a lot of what he said.

If you were listening to Hartmann, please fill us in on the details in Comments.

UPDATE, liveblogging Hartmann, trying to get more on what I said above:

This is why so many Dems who should know better, like Bernie Sanders, are saying, "Pass the bill!"; same with some of the Progressive talk show hosts who have been saying, "Pass the bill, pass the bill!" Get it to conference and force Reid's, Dorgan's, Schumer's and Obama's hand. That's where they can put pressure on Lieberman, Landrieu, et al.

Rahm is going to have to pull out all the stops and fight for a good public option.

Big Insurance and Big Pharma are talking about this.

Maybe it's the Congress people who are playing chess.

He's hopeful, saying it's our last chance to do something.

"Dear Mr. Obama: Just do it."

By GottaLaff

Via the L.A. Times:

Dear Mr. Obama:

I am afraid there has been a misunderstanding since that election in 2008, during which 66,882,230 Americans cast their votes for you. Perhaps one of your trusted advisors has given you bum information. Maybe they told you that we voted for you -- walked, marched, prayed, fund-raised and knocked on doors for you -- because we hoped you would try to reunite the country. Of the total votes cast that long-ago November day, I'm guessing that about 1,575 people wanted you to try to reconcile the toxic bipartisanship that culminated in those Sarah Palin rallies.

The other 66,880,655 of us wanted universal healthcare. [...]

We did not vote for you to see if you could get Chuck Grassley or Michael Enzi to date you. The spectacle of you wooing them fills us with horror and even disgust. We recoil as from hot flame at each mention of your new friends. Believe me, I know exactly how painful this can be, how reminiscent of 7th-grade yearning to be popular [...] Out of nowhere, I thought to ask [an adorable guy] if he liked me in the same way I liked him.

He said, in so many words, no.

And Mr. President, that is what the Republicans are saying to you: They are just not that into you, sir.

This may have thrown you for such a loop that you have forgotten why you were elected -- which was to lead your people back to the promises of our founding parents. [...] [Y]ou gave us your word that you would help restore the great headway we had made on matters of race, equality and plain old social justice. [...]

After eight years of Bush, and then the Palin nomination, we were battered and anguished and punch-drunk. But in rallying behind you, we came back to life [...]

You said you would push back your sleeves and begin, that it would take all of us working harder than we ever had before, but that you would lead. [...] You would do battle with the conservatives and insurance companies. You said in your beautiful way many times that this was the overarching moral and spiritual issue of our times, and we understood this to mean that you took this to be your Selma, your Little Rock.

I hate to sound like a betrayed 7-year-old, but you said. And we believed you. Now you seem to have abandoned the dream. That is why moderates and liberals and progressives like myself all seem a little tense this summer. It is time to call your spirit back. We will be here to help when you get back from vacation. We want to help you get over the disappointment of Mr. Grassley's cold shoulder, of Mr. Enzi blowing you off, even that nice Olympia Snowe standing you up. We can and will take to the streets again, march and hold peaceful rallies, go door to door, donate to any causes that will help get out the truth of what a public option would mean. But we need you to shake off the dust of the journey and remember the promises of Dr. King, and we need you to lead us toward what is no longer so distant a shore.

Do it for Teddy Kennedy, boss. Do it for the other Kennedys too, for Dr. King, for Big Mama, for the poorest kids you met on the trail, the kids who go to emergency rooms for their healthcare, do it for their mothers and for Michelle. Just do it.

Trusting you, Mr. Obama

Anne Lamott [and Laffy]

Attorney General Holder's Very Important Promise

By GottaLaff

I am inclined to trust Attorney General Holder on this one:

As Attorney General Eric Holder left an appropriations subcommittee hearing on Thursday I spoke loudly from the third row as he prepared to leave the room:

"We need a special prosecutor for torture, Mr. Attorney General. Americans like the rule of law. The rule of law for everybody."

He replied as he approached and walked by, surrounded by bodyguards:

"And you will be proud of your country."

I was joined by others in replying simultaneously:

"Yes, we want to be proud of our country. We're ready. No need to wait."

Holder knew exactly what it would take for me to be proud of my country, and he told me directly that I would be.

Let's hope he wasn't crossing his fingers.

H/t: Chris

VIDEO: MSNBC's Contessa Brewer slams House Republicans

By GottaLaff

This goes with my post down thread, in which the Rushpublics had absolutely nothing to say after raising stratospheric expectations, somehow seducing MSNBC enough to cut away from President Obama's live online townhall meeting. That would be the very same townhall at which he actually presented concrete ideas and listened to America's concerns.

Contessa was rightfully miffed. This was the same ol', same ol' Party of No offering nothing more than a lame "stay tuned" for more obstructionism. Enjoy the video:

ObamaMeter update: Promises kept

By GottaLaff

I posted about this site a few days ago. Here's an update:

No. 125: Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq

On "my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war".

No. 239: Release presidential records

"Will nullify the Bush attempts to make the timely release of presidential records more difficult."

No. 241: Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.

"Will issue an executive order asking all new hires at the agencies to sign a form affirming that no political appointee offered them the job solely on the basis of political affiliation or contribution."

No. 427: Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees

"Barack Obama will issue an executive order banning registered lobbyists or lobbying firms from giving gifts in any amount or any form to executive branch employees."

No. 503: Appoint at least one Republican to the cabinet

Interview with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes": Question: "Will there be Republicans in the Cabinet?" Obama: "Yes." Question: "More than one?" Obama: "You're not getting any more out of me."

14 more promises are "in the works". One is "stalled", and there has been one "compromise". None have been broken.

This is what "mission accomplished" really means.

Promises, promises

By GottaLaff

Via Ambinder, we see that P.E. Obama is not even officially president yet, but he's already kept two promises:

The St. Petersburg Times's PolitiFact has compiled a list of 498 promises. Two have been fulfilled even before the inauguration -- one -- that $3,000 tax cut -- is stalled.

Here's the short version:

Tracking Obama’s promises

• Promise Kept 2

• Compromise 0

• Promise Broken 0

• Stalled 1

• In the Works 9

• No Action 498

PolitiFact has compiled about 500 promises that Barack Obama made during the campaign and is tracking their progress on our Obameter. We rate their status as No Action, In the Works or Stalled. Once we find action is completed, we rate them Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken.

There are 26 pages of promises, each with a little image like the ones below:

No. 59: Invest in electronic health information systems

"Invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records."

No. 503: Appoint at least one Republican to the cabinet

Interview with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes": Question: "Will there be Republicans in the Cabinet?" Obama: "Yes." Question: "More than one?" Obama: "You're not getting any more out of me."

Obama's choices

By GottaLaff

Marc Ambinder makes it easy to see what P.E. Obama's up to. Here are the basics. Go here for a few more details:

-- choosing Democratic comity and spending over a thinner, broader coalition by reducing the profile and scope of his tax cuts

-- choosing health care over national cap-and-trade, at least in year one. Just watch this one....

-- promising to solve the entitlement quandary by commission and consensus, rather than by proposing. Note that Obama and other Democrats, during the campaign, referred to Social Security and Medicare as promises to keep, rather than "entitlements," which transfers the moral responsibility onto the government. Now it's back to "entitlements." [...]

-- favoring journalists. Is the New York Times is out, and the Washington Post are in. Certain conservative voices are in, others are out. Some liberal bloggers have the administration's ear; others get no love. [...]

-- ignoring press fretting over a harried transition. Gallup finds that 83% of Americans surveyed believe that the Obama transition has been a success. [...] Americans are growing slightly less pessmistic and slightly more optimistic about their futures. (I said slightly.)

Keep track of Obama's promises at National Journal's Promise Audit.