It's a moot point anyways.. :D

Michale

Oh, that was just me having a weak moment and foolishly putting in on public display. It won't happen again.

Dang, that's another thing I'm falling behind on. OK, OK, tonight, I promise.

-CW

Any time I can help out a teacher with a lesson plan, I know I've done some good in the world.

:-)

Thanks for the kind words.

-CW

The line I jumped up and applauded was the one about "we cannot have people standing in line for hours to vote" -- I watched the speech three times during the week, and every time, that line got me to yell "damn right!"

:-)

-CW

I understand your skepticism. But I think Obama 2.0 has rebooted, somewhat. I mean, who got more of their bargaining position in the fiscal cliff deal? I'd rate it about 85% to 15%, Obama over the GOP. At the end of the speech, Obama admitted he's never going to get "perfect" legislation, but I think his negotiating tactics have gotten demonstrably better than, say, the health care arguing era.

He doesn't immediately give away half the store in his opening negotiating move, whereas he used to. He sticks to "lines in the sand" a lot better than he used to. And his stronger stance has shaken up the GOP.

While the budget will doubtlessly have compromises in it, I look more to the immigration proposals. Dems demanded a path to citizenship, and they (so far) have gotten it. The GOP isn't getting much of anything they want in the bill.

We'll see, we'll see... but I still say he's doing better on the negotiating front, than, say, the summer of 2010.

-CW

I tend to avoid mixing religion and politics in general, because it is such an explosive mix. But it's hard to read those lyrics and avoid the subject entirely. I mean, it is a "hymn" after all.

-CW

I think it's more of two things in concert: (1) Americans are tired of foreign policy after over a decade of war, and (2) most presidents try to get domestic policy initiatives in their second term, to cement their legacy.

But, often, foreign policy has a way of rearing its head and forcing second-termers to deal with it. Which will likely happen, at some point in the next four years.

-CW

That sounds quite fair to me.

I expect our exchanges from here on out to be quite pleasurable.

We would be grateful. :)

Tell ya what, Liz..

I'll ONLY make gratuitous partisan comments slamming the Left IN RESPONSE to gratuitous partisan comments that slam the Right..

How could it POSSIBLY be more fair than that??? :D

Michale

It's hard to be happy, considering all the vile and disgusting partisanship going on...

Well, you could, all by yourself, choose to put the lid on a good deal of the gratuitous partisanship we have to put up with around here.

We would be grateful. :)

Oh, you are definitely not alone in that type of thinking. Not by a long shot.

Misery must indeed love company.

Have a nice day!

Michale

But Carney said the president was speaking about his personal views and would not take federal action on same-sex marriage, which he continues to see as a state issue.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-01-22-17-39-22

As much as it pains me to say (not really :D), I think Michty called this one..

The more things change, they more they stay the same...

Michale.....

Apparently, I am not alone in "that type of thinking"... :D

Gallup: American Optimism Hits Lowest Point Since Carter Administration
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/01/22/gallup-american-optimism-hits-lowest-point-since-carter-administration/

Michale

It's hard to be happy, considering all the vile and disgusting partisanship going on...

Which is actually surprising, because I am usually a cup is half full kind of guy... :D

. I know the rest of us would. Find more happiness if you did that, I mean. :)

Now ya know how I felt during the Bush years.. :D

The game's the same. Only the players change.. :D

Michale

You have an extrememly cynical view of things. I think you would find more happiness if you could snap out of that type of thinking. I know the rest of us would. Find more happiness if you did that, I mean. :)

The problem is, more people are satisfied with being the takers and become risk averse...

I mean, seriously..

Why look for work or get a job when you can get a comfortable wage doing absolutely nothing but voting Democrat once every two years???

Michale

Check yer email.. :D

Michale

~joshua

Absolutely outstanding way to put it. When I heard Obama say this I applauded.

-David

Obama gave a great ceremonial speech. 'Speaker Obama' was out for all to see - indicating the policies he would like to pursue, with the courage and conviction he would like to pursue them with.

Sadly, we all know that Speaker Obama is just a fairytale (often used by the Right) and the real President Obama is one who compromises and backs down everywhere he can, before settling on a centre-right position that isn't left enough for Democrats or bat-shit-crazy far-right enough for Republicans.

A classic example: "We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great."

We will see how well President Obama sticks to the words of Speaker Obama in the upcoming fiscal sequester negotiations...

But seeing the utter partisanship that was the inauguration and the promise of 4 more years of the same bitter and vile partisan attacks??

Well, it appears that the Left has forgotten one of the most important of the Nietzsche quotes..

"When fighting monsters, one must take care not to BECOME the monster"

The Left has become all of the vile, deceit and disgust that they have always accused the Right of..

On the plus side, seeing a devout Lefty interject religion into politics with such reckless abandon is a rare site to see... :D

Michale

As an outsider looking in, though, it was all rather bittersweet, especially for someone like me who is interested in how the US interacts with the rest of the world.

Having spent the better part of the first term cleaning up the messes of years of mismanaged domestic and foreign policy, President Obama seems ready to focus on a domestic agenda to the virtual exclusion of continuing the work of restoring America's global leadership role. That, at least, is my first impression of the inaugural address today.

If that is what the future holds, then I hope that means the US will soon be completely out of the mess that is Afghanistan. It's just not worth it anymore, if it ever was.

As for the rest of us out in the world, I'm not sure we'll manage very well without strong US leadership, but what are we gonna do? Perhaps it's time for this outsider to turn a little more inward, too.

Good luck to us all!