Like many of you who once were or still are members of Obama's Organizing for America, I received a message from Michelle Obama this morning asking me to sign the President's 49th Birthday card. I signed it with some kind wishes, but also offered some tough love, inspite of the fact that some here have accused me of being an "Obamabot."
Look below the jump to see how an Obamabot offers some frank comments to a president who has not been able to do all I hoped for (mainly because of Republican obstructionism in the Senate), but is worlds better than the Republicans (imagine if Alzheimer McCain & Sideshow Sarah had won), and he is still the most powerful friend Progressives have.
Happy 49th birthday, Mr. President. Don't forget to brag, and I mean brag, about how you fought the wealthy, the powerful...the mentally unhinged!!!...to achieve even modest health insurance reform, Wall Street reform, and the beginning of resolution to the two wars you inherited. You get so little credit for saving this economy from another Great Depression, but your stimulus act put a parachute on the economy that created or saved up to 3.6 MILLION JOBS, according to CBO and council of economic advisors. You get no credit for this because the right wing has a well funded propaganda machine that spreads its lies and fear through Fox "News," right-wing-hate-radio, and unsalted nuts like Breitbart and Drudge. You also get absolutely no credit for getting almost all of the Bush Bailouts repaid, in record time and with record profits to the tax payers.
BUT, instead of standing up and using the Bully Pulpit to fight the distortions and demand that the Republican obstructionists give your agenda a chance, like the American people clearly wanted when they elected you, you have too often given in to compromise. Even Bush stood up and demanded his agenda--tax cuts for the wealthy--when he was (s)elected; and the Democratic majority in Congress backed down and gave it to him. So, use your powers of persuasion, Mr. President, to demand a SECOND STIMULUS to save jobs, especially for teachers, who face massive layoffs after funding to plug state budget deficits was just defeated in the Senate. Do not give in to the insane and dishonest arguments that we need to cut the deficit in the middle of one of the worst economic crises in our history. This is like trying to save water while your house is burning down. Yet, the Republicans have you and many others running around turning off the fire hoses. Remember that even if you do everything the Republicans want, it will earn you exactly ZERO Republican votes, it will ruin the economy, and it will drive away the swing voters you are hoping to attract by being a "centrist." It's time to fight, not compromise. That's how elections are won. If your "bi-partisan" deficit commission recommends that you cut Social Security benefits in the name of deficit reduction, call B.S. on that argument. If you give in, I simply can't support you on this, and that is one of the few things that would make me finally take your old, tattered bumper sticker off my car. But, if you stand up and fight, I'll fight along side you. I know this doesn't sound like a typical birthday wish, but it's the most valuable thing I have right now that I can share with you.
UPDATE:
An astute commenter to this diary provided this additional link about Obama's many other accomplishments. It's a good read:
http://nlonthedl.wordpress.com/...