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LIBERAL AGENDA

Obama Is Under Fire from the Left

Progressives beg POTUS to address climate change, Gitmo, drones, and gun laws

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by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t +

Image: AP

Now that Obama's safely back in office progressives have begun holding his feet to the fire over a whole range of liberal causes they fear he'll ignore.

The key issues include climate change, the drones program, gun control, government surveillance, bringing troops home from Afghanistan, and closing Guantanamo. The New York Times has started a series of lead editorials pitching "Goals for a New Term," which have included calls to shut down Gitmo and tighten up gun laws.

Some of these progressive goals will also appeal to the right, especially to libertarians who oppose the surveillance state, and would like to see see more government transparency, less of Gitmo, and a less cavalier use of drones.

However, criticism of Obama from the left probably won't make much headway on MSNBC: apparently it's bad for ratings. "There is a level at which coverage of Republican intransigence produces a visceral effect in the audience that is in some ways less conflicted and more pleasurable than critical coverage of President Obama," explains Chris Hayes, host of Up.

Via Politico.
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Which of these issues should Obama tackle first?

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122 Comments (view in Forum)

  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    The only thing obama should do, and the biggest thing he could do to help out this nation is to resign. If obama resigned today this nation might (key word: might) have a chance.
  • Big-R
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix The only way he is leaving early is to be impeached, then removed by vote. And neither is going to happen.
  • VCP
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix instead of an Eagle and a flag. How about a scaredy cat instead. Your President Barack Obama is here for another 4 years. Doesn't that make you just feel more secure knowing that?

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  • lawnmowrman
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    Every night before laying down for sleep I give the sky a full one finger salute coupled with the moon of my ass in hopes that a police drone is flying overhead.
  • RobertJHarsh
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    The Drone Gamer program needs to end. Nothing but these loser coward World of Warcraft gamers playing legalized murder on people. I would accept a program like this if it were used spareingly and only on the most critical of targets. Instead an entire war is being fought in Pakistan with these things and too many women, children, and other non-military people are being killed with them with Obama sending out a "sorry" email every few weeks. Sorry doesn't cut it. I find this type of murder most disgusting.
  • lawnmowrman
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    The drone program has turned the United States into a nation that engages in terrorism. Innocent people are killed, as you pointed out, in an effort to kill those that they deem guilty.
  • FFX_VA
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    Drones are just a tool; are you proposing we switch to F16's, cruise missiles, or sending in troops to do that job? Or just ignore the terrorists plotting attacks on Americans?
  • dances-weebles
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    @woodtick57 i would be more than happy if all wars were fought with swords, hammers, and war axes... oh, and that the national leader of any country which chooses to declare on another has to lead the first charge in every battle.

    either that or settle all international differences through the judicious application of a good old fashioned pie eating contest.
  • PNWest
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    The drone program is a massive success. We are able to send in drones into areas that it would be next to impossible to send troops into and kill high value targets. These drones save American lives and are much more cost effective than troops. Saving American lives is much more important than a few civilian casualties - especially in areas that hate America and would do the same to us in a heartbeat. If the Paki's don't like it let them send it their troops and get the terrorists - oh that's right - they would rather build them villas in Abbotabad.

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  • Neo_NtheMatrix
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    LOL. Funny.

    What about improving the economy? Is that not a liberal goal too? Why aren't they focused on that? They should be holding his feet to the fire to get unemployment down beneath 5%. Ahhh, but that might mean his base might have to go to work. Nevermind.
  • MissMostly
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix improving the economy????? Wow!!! What a freakin concept!! Wonder if anybody thought of that one. Way to go Neo! This could catch on..... Nah!!
  • Mbjhug
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    Even though all these are important, the climate change is one that affects humans on a global scale, and as such we should actively seek out ways to reduce our impact. It's not just USA that will suffer. If we want to act like world police, then we need to set a positive example for the rest of the world.
  • jessejaymes
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    The GOP is not going to allow Gitmo to close and you ain't seen nothin' yet if you think guns are going to be outlawed. That won't happen under any President in the climate of the USA today. Drones are how aerial wars of the future will be fought. Manned aircraft will be obsolete for 90% of purposes within another 20 years. That leaves climate change for the far left and that needs to be addressed.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    Actually I am much more concerned with repealing or curtailing surveillience, the patriot act, and other things that have impacted our constitutional liberties...
  • PoliticalSpice
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    @jessejaymes yea, the question on restroring civil liberties, at least that is what i considered it to mean when voting for it...i am probably what would be considered far left, but am a bit leary of climate change stuff as i see it as an argument to build more nuclear, and think it better to plant trees and do reforestation, conserve and switch to less carbon intesnse sources of fossil fuel (but nat gas fracking has its own dangers), and create infastructure to feal with the weather events that are starting to spread hurricanes, droughts, etc to areas that had not previously experianced such events. That and buy farmland in alaska and greenland!

    In the end i think the whole carbon issue will result in nothing mote than a new tax, which i don't think will be that effective. They won't take the serious steps needed. Sad, but true.
  • jessejaymes
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    @PoliticalSpice Bottom line honesty? I don't think anything is going to change. Once Rome ruled, England ruled, then America and it changes every few hundred years. I think we're done.
  • MRMacrum
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    First he needs to straighten out the Fiscal mess between him and Congress. Nothing else even comes up as the "first" thing to do other than getting our economy moving in a predictable way and hopefully positive way.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    Oh, you have no idea what left means. Obama is a liberal, at best, more often he is a moderate. Obamacare was a repub plan (Romney); his stimulas program was not even a weak copy of FDR's wpa program. his supreme court nominees were center left. I can think of several appointees by nixon and ford further to the left.

    The thing is the repub party has moved so far to tje right they do not know anymore what left is. Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Eisonhower, Gerald Ford would be drummed out pf the repub party today. They too would be considered liberals, by todays repubs...
  • Waynestew
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    None of those are pressing matters to me. The list should go:
    Jobs/Economy
    Budget
    Infrastructure update
    Immigration reform
    Welfare reform
    Renewable energies
    Then everything else.
  • bsking
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    I like a cm do something that he can actually control... like the weather.
    maybe while he's calming the sea he can just leave the Sun out for a while, 75 and sunny with a slight off shore breeze... that's just perfect. thanks Obama.
  • UnCommonBoston
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    The Patriot Act has got to go. It was created partially to be able to spy on progressive groups, like the Anti Iraq War movement. Anyone who was an activist in DC while Bush II was in office, knows about the misuse of the legislation. It enables the government to investigate American citizens without reason. It was to be a temporary measure! They used it to legally install cameras in our cities while we were not paying attention. Who knows what else they did? As a country, we would have never permitted all these cameras had we had any say in the matter. So many of basic rights have been taken away. Wake up America!
  • PoliticalSpice
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    One of the things they did was get all computers of banks, utilities, local, state and frd government to be able to seamlessly communicate....The only thing now preventing them from knowing everything about you now is the flip of a switch. That with the real ID act means privacy can now be totally abolished anytime they choose.
    This is not conspiracy theory, it is fact.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    @UnCommonBoston
    They are selfish idiots who fear paying $12 dollars more in taxes then they care about liberty and freedom. Most are so resentful of the thought that someone on foodstamps is getting a soda they paid for they cannot even see what is happening before there own eyes. Very sad.
  • UnCommonBoston
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    @PoliticalSpice Oh so true! Many of the blue state's do not receive all their federal money back in services etc. Basically, we pay for much of that stuff for the red states. I am okay with that, we voted for the stuff and can help pay for others to receive it. I am not okay with people who live in states that receive more in tax refenue than they pay bitching about the poor. We were protesting the privatization of Social Security in DC and these people from Kanasa were mocking us. I asked them how they plan to pay for retirement. I am all set and not dependent on the gov't (so not true, but it made a point), what would they do if that money was gone? I will happily pay the extra $12 so people don't starve and can have health coverage in other states, but I want my freedome back.(Honestly, how can these people call themselves Chrisitans? Jesus's major message TAKE CARE OF THE POOR! Also, do not judge others. Makes me sick) My bumper sticker "When Jesus said love your enemies, he proably meant don't kill them." Not that I want to preach, I just wish people would practice what they preach or just shut up.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    @UnCommonBoston
    Tell
    Me about it, having a debate with some texas moron on another thread, he complains about obama socialism. He is retired living onn social secuity, his son worsks in military, his daugter a govt contractor. And he hates the "lazies" on welfare, and proposed tax increases. Where does he think his money comes from???

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  • MarkJM
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    Where's the option for getting the Federal Government's fiscal house in order? We're over $16 Trillion in Debt (over a third of that under Obama's watch). How about reaching across the aisle and coming up with a viable solution to take on our national debt and get a balanced budget in place. Screw the social issues, they should be a very distant second at this moment...
  • MarkJM
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    @DerivePI I agree, Obama is practically on cloud nine at this moment, hence his bully-pulpit tactics. His budget plan calls for a five-fold increase in spending while only taxing the rich. I wouldn't have a problem paying more if the government got their heads out of their collective asses and addressed the budget/national debt. I think the next spending bill should have a five-fold cut in spending and an increase in revenue by cutting loopholes and taxing the rich.
  • S-N-A-F-U
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    OUR FOUNDERS WARNED US OF THESE PEOPLE WHO TRAMPLE OUR CONSTITUTION....

    You bet they did -- these men were smarter, more intuitive, dedicated and principled. When Public Education commenced dumbing down the electorate through liberal policies, such as putting a condom on a cucumber, and less emphasis on Civics and the Constitution; the end result is what our founders warned us of.....

    "When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."Thomas Jefferson

    "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."Thomas Jefferson

    "It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."Thomas Jefferson

    "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."Thomas Jefferson

    "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."Thomas Jefferson

    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."Thomas Jefferson

    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."Thomas Jefferson

    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants".Thomas Jefferson

    "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

    Thomas Jefferson"Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:'I believe that banking institutions are moredangerous to our liberties than standing armies.If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'

    "A departure from principle becomes a precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of society is reduced to mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering… And the fore horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."-Thomas Jefferson

    "We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt."- Thomas Jefferson

    "Allow a government to decline paying its debts and you overthrow all public morality — you unhinge all the principles that preserve the limits of free constitutions.Nothing can more affect national prosperity than a constant and systematic attention to extinguish the present debt and to avoid as much as possibly the incurring of any new debt."-Alexander Hamilton
  • Libertyiskey
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    The one you put about banking is the most important. If people would take the time to learn what the Federal Reserve does and looks at the amount of debt that has accrued since their founding people would realize why we need to do away with it. Ending the Federal Reserve means we have to stop the wars because we can no longer afford to constantly inflate and try to spend our way out of debt. It means the dollar will slowly because of the destruction that has happened to it from the Federal Reserve decreasing the value of the dollar by over 90% will slowly start to make a comeback when the government has to start being responsible for its money. If only people would take the time to educate themselves.
  • S-N-A-F-U
    !
    Methinks, that we have more important things on our plate, then closing Gitmo to combatants, and bringing them into civil courts costing the tax-payer millions more to prosecute -- turning the process into a day time soap opera. Instead of addressing our economy killing debt, they continue down that road of illicit spending, like a drunken sailor or shore leave in Hong Kong....x'cept its his money, not ours.....
  • lawnmowrman
    !
    Not every person here engages is monkey hear/monkey say. Some of the people, like Kenyo and martydotcom or something like that, are people that I want to read. They have their own opinions.
  • Buzzfriendly
    !
    Ahh the liberal mantra that is tiresome, overused, uneducated and utter nonsense comment. Its right up there with blame Bush and border control=racism.
  • Comment removed for Engagement Etiquette violation. Replies may also be deleted.
  •
    Think4Yourself
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    You should be happy that there are people on here that have thoughts other than "blame Obama, Obama is a socialist". I think it's easier (for conservatives) to agree with the biased right-winged new columns by Mary, than disagree.

    Maybe if conservatives proposed ideas on solving problems instead of blaming the President, people would not call you right-winged nutters.
  • Buzzfriendly
    !
    @Think4Yourself Philosophical differences here. The conservatives idea that I do agree with is that the people, not government are best at solving their own problems. You would think liberals would catch on to this idea. After all by the time the liberals have exploited enough of the tax payers money for their social program de jour they get booted out of office and the republicans take that money and give it to the military. So I am not sure why you guys keep wanting the government involved in everything.

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  • PNWest
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    A rarity this morning - I agree with you. I hope he does the right things and sticks it hard to the GOP but I can't ever vote for or against him again.
  • Thegrif
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    I think the less Obama does the better.
    Please Obama, you and your wife just keep taking vacations. Enjoy being President, keep livin large. Don't touch, or do anything, or say anything.
    America can't handle much more of your plan.
  • Thegrif
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    @mimi57 thing that cracks me up is Dems/libs are all for taxing the so called rich, but Obama won the states known for having the big money rich in them. Also find funny that lumped in there with so called rich is the small to medium business owner who's business earns 250,000, so now he gets a tax increase, then he can pay is employees, ins, vendors, etc. so by the time he does that, what the rich guy takes home 40,000. Also funny is the super rich cause they hardly pay anything cause they just keep money in some kind of tax shelter plan and live off a allowance of sorts. Dems are funny cause they are the party of the rich, republicans are the ones for the little guy. Also funny they say get off your butts republicans and give us a plan, well they did, and Obama says nope, insteed of facilitating the negotiations he goes on vacation, interrupted occasionally to champaign.
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