Dissident Voice: In Obama We Trust

"Why does big labor 'trust' Obama, or the Democratic Party, except by default (not the worst defense)? Where’s the New Deal for non-auto workforces, or poor people outside New Orleans, or millions of hurting Main Streeters. Is $75 billion budgeted for foreclosure relief enough? Cash for Clunkers succeeded, but whether such costly subsidies simply enable staggering dinosaurs – or delay the worst – remains to be seen. Check out Obama broken promises (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/promise-broken/); the president didn’t end income tax for seniors making less than $50K, toughen rules against revolving lobbyist doors, create a $3K new job tax credit, or allow penalty-free hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts. Over a trillion dollars for bankers and brokers, ungodly billions more for unpopular, failing wars – and small change for workers (modest tax cuts, health benefits for needy children). In short, average Americans feel besieged because they are besieged.

"So far, this president and his party (it’s never just about Obama) are hitting under .200, timidly battling for their own agenda. Is this shocking from a low-achiever, ex-junior senator close to Big Ag (ethanol producers), coal and nuclear energy, softer on health care and more hawkish on Afghanistan in primaries than Hillary? Obama the ambitious politician won statewide office thanks to the Chicago machine, then brashly ran for Congress (and got thumped), before lucking out when his GOP Senate foe imploded. Notably, the president rode one premature anti-war comment into effective anti-Iraq rhetoric, wrote an elegant, cagey manifesto, The Audacity of Hope, gave a great ’04 Convention speech, and leaned right in Democratic primaries. No complaints or excuses, folks: what we got is what we saw, if we looked behind his glitzy, brilliant campaign."