This brilliant Balloon Juice post calls to mind this March 2011 video again
Dennis G (Balloon Juice): Compromise. That word in the title is a dirty word to many. It seems to put teabaggers and firebaggers in a suicidal rage and can make partisans of all stripes a wee bit queasy. And yet, compromise is at the heart of our system of government. All progressive progress since 1776 has come through a series of hard and often bitter compromises. To reject the very idea of compromise is to reject the idea that Government by the people, of the people and for the people is a good thing. Because there are a lot of us with many different views and ideas of how to move forward. Some of these ideas are good. Some bad. Quite a few are horrible. Some only improve when tested against other ideas. The best ideas are tested by compromise and improve over the years.
Of course everything I just wrote is heresy if you view compromise as an evil in and of itself.
This is especially true if you’ve narrowed your political world view to the lens of a favorite single issue (or two) and force all of your thinking and reactions through the force rigidity that their talking points demand. If that is how you view the world then the notion of compromise is simply vile. Now, some would argue that this view of compromise as the great evil is evenly distributed between the left and the right or between Democrats and Republicans. That is, of course, pure bullshit. Yes, the Left/Democrats have their Firebaggers, but these folks are a tiny grifter minority whose main function seems to be to lighten the wallets of the gullible. Most Democrats view compromise the way Teddy Kennedy viewed it – as the best way (and the only way) to get things done….
Full post here
Thank you gobrooklyn
The Obama Diary 
This was a wonderful analysis. I agree with every word. I’ll end with the salutation we must all use from now on,
Courage,
Irrational Obama Hate Turns The Far Left Into Fox News Progressives
July 25, 2011
http://www.politicususa.com/en/far-left-fox-news
Thanks Christi – I was just about to post this article!
I really like historian Doris Kearns Goodwin who was on MTP Sunday.
GREGORY: Doris, sometimes satire can be the most damning in terms of summing up where we are. And The Onion newspaper, the satirical newspaper, has this headline this week. Headline: “Congress Continues Debate Over Whether Or Not Nation Should Be Economically Ruined.” If the question is whether Washington is broken, make the case that the answer is yes.
MS. DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN: I think there’s no question it’s broken. You know, our country was created on the principle of compromise. Think about it, the states vs. the federal government; Senate vs. House; North vs. South. And some–I remember once one of the old framers was asked, “What are the three principles of this new government you’ve created?” “Well, the first is compromise, the second is compromise,
the third is compromise.”
I love her. I have always hoped that Obama would ask her to write his biography. I know he met with her on numerous occasions while running for the presidency. Thanks for the nod.
I have always liked Doris Kearns Goodwin, she has always had great words of wisdom.
I like her and another historian, Douglas Brinkley. Either of them would be fantastic as the biographer for President Obama.
Uta, Oh, I love him too. Both of them are smart and likeable people.
Definitely, their words are always very inciteful but never leave you dumbfounded. I love their work
Chipstick and gobrooklyn, Thanks for the Balloon Juice piece. It is so true.
your welcome. Always like to push common sense articles.
Great article gobrooklyn. Thanks for this. Compromise has always been at the heart of our republic. Without compromise you’re left with chaos and you’re stuck in a quagmire. Dealing with an individual or individuals who don’t seem to grasp that concept makes for a very unpleasant working or personal relationship.
Compromise and facts are foreign concepts to fleabaggers.
It seems the only compromise a teabagger knows is cutting of his nose to spite his face!!!
Compromise and fact are dirty words to fleabaggers.
Wow, did you come up fleabaggers? I love it.
Very helpful read on the Reid plan:
http://thinkprogress.org/yglesias/2011/07/25/277811/harry-reid-calls-house-republicans-bluff/
The more I read about the Reid plan the more I relax. I know we don’t really have any details but there is a consensus of reporting — I don’t know if they’re just parroting each other or if indeed this is sound information.
There had to be some reason why Pelosi felt she could get somewhere with this proposal late last week. Yes, the Republicans could cheer “No New TAXes” in the plan, equally excoriated by the looney left. But this may truly be a deal that moves the ball down the field.
So the only reason Republicans can say “no” is because they want to deny Obama a ‘win’, their real agenda is the destruction of Medicare, and how dare we actually count the money we save from their unfunded wars in a positive way. Or they’ll default. Bring it on.
There is also a reason why they call it the “Reid plan” but it clearly has PBO’s stamp on it. If the PL and/or the GOP know that PBO is for it, they immediately stake out a position against it. It’s part of the ODS that afflicts primarily RW and PL.
this is a fantastic piece.
The Confederate Party – I think that says enough.
If you think you can have a bloodless (especially your own blood) revolution – we in Europe have a failed example just right at hand.
My beloved brother died December 5, 2000 at the age of 65. He was a valiant Democrat. My only solace was that he didn’t have to see the Supreme Court install George W. Bush and he didn’t have to witness 9/11. He was my best friend in the world.
He was often called the ‘Mayor of Old Town’ in Chicago where he lived, worked and talked to people, engaged people. He would always say to me, if each of us got 5 people to the polls who wouldn’t normally vote, we’ll win the war.
Five people. An attainable goal, under any circumstances.
WE have to do something in a massive amount. people can’t march or protest. we have to creat something will ring across the world. i feel helpless like im not doing something more.
Another great chart:
The Chart That Should Accompany All Discussions of the Debt Ceiling
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/07/the-chart-that-should-accompany-all-discussions-of-the-debt-ceiling/242484/
The new Boehner spin: cut, cap and balance was a ‘bipartisan’ solution.
First, go throw up. Then we should probably discuss how to fight this b.s.
I know I listened to a teathug talking to Chuck Todd about it being a ‘bipartisan’ solution and they are being thoughtful about the whole situation and not partisan. When Chuck said only 5 dems voted for it. This teathug said it was as bipartisan as the Stimulus bill. They are such a load of crap.
thanks P.M. Carpenter:
“Yesterday, one could hear the unstrategic yelps of the activist left — Obama is selling us out again; Harry Reid is his errand boy; all is lost; the Senate majority leader’s sketchy, “unbalanced” proposal is just what they expected; and so on, and so on.
Lord, grant these morons a clue. I’m beggin’ Ya.
In consultation with President Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, what Reid is formulating, based on reports so far, is but an extraordinary political deceit; i.e., he’s calling the “no-taxes” coven’s bluff. His $2.7 trillion in spending cuts are largely savings from two wars already winding down, and though no new revenue is proposed, Medicare is left untouched.
A triple and brilliant pretense: one that gives Republicans what they claim to demand — unembellished cuts consistent with the debt ceiling’s lifted height — while ripping the message-war rug of 2012 right out from under them.
And about this the left howls in disgust. Unbelievable (almost).”
Sometimes I don’t think they even read anything. They look at the headline and/or read other people’s comments and just start yelping.
And they have the gall to talk about the Teapartiers.
Go figure.
The key will be to get it to a vote in the Senate ASAP. Either the GOP blocks it with their 60-vote cloture gimmick or they let it go to a vote and vote against it as a party (we’d have to hope the Dems only lost at most three votes – Sanders and Sherrod Brown would surely bolt, but the rest could potentially hold). But if it was allowed to go to a vote it could pass, so I think the GOP would block it.
Once the GOP blocks it, it will allow for the Dems to block any House bill that is sent up by Boehner. And if it isn’t blocked and passes it goes to the House to die.
GOP get exactly what they wanted and they still can’t say “yes” to it. They’ll cry “smoke and mirrors” – so Dems really need to get the messaging out behind this and really push it the next couple of days.
can legislation originate in the Senate and then go to the House? I thought it had to be the opposite?
I’m not sure on this. If there is no tax revenues and this isn’t a budget than I think it could be a grey area.
The Repubs are going to be left with a willingness to let the United States default on its obligations because they weren’t allowed to decimate Medicare.
frankly, this is, in some ways, better than just “they’ll let us default rather than raise taxes on the wealthy”, because that’s included. They have struck their hard bargain — there are no tax increases. If the Reid deal, if it ends up being substantially what we’re hearing, is unacceptable — on what terms? You WANT the debt ceiling hanging over our heads in another six months? How does that calm the markets down. Americans want this resolved. The only other reason is that unless Medicare, SS (and I hope) Medicaid cuts are cut, you people won’t be happy.
Which brings us back to your resolution to not increase taxes on the wealthy.
This is one hell of a corner to be in, Republicans.
thanks for posting this Chip. Dennis G. is so very level headed. The comparison he used really frightened and angered me because the media should be pointing these things out and voters should have recognized the crazy long ago. I also enjoyed Obama’s quote on the article that he was reading. He knows what’s being said about him and is able to see through the bull shit rather than apologize for his already reality based view points. A lot of people like to claim Republicans have guts and all that but which party runs to apologize to talk radio hosts and bloggers when they say something not in line with right wing ideology? Republicans. You ever hear Obama running to Rachel or KO to apologize for doing his job?
It seems like in our US violent, macho environment compromise is a show of weakness instead of greatness. The noncompromising figures in movies and books are considered heroic. It seems we need education in how to get along instead of in how to win.
Now this fool is talking about impeaching the President:
http://www.thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/07/25/277893/rep-king-says-obama-will-be-impeached-if-government-defaults/
Republikkkans are holding the country hostage, but PBO should be impeached? What planet are these people from?
It’s the newest GOP plan, get their bill to the Presidents desk and he needs to sign it. It’s their reading of the 14th amendment that America must pay it’s debts – if PBO didn’t sign it than he’s going against the constitution and it would be impeachable.
If I was a Republican I would feel so ashame, so sick, so terrible to see what have become of my party.
Did anybody catch Pres. Obama speech at the Hispanic lunch conference? MSNBC & C-SPAN had techincal problems…
If you can could you link me to it? Thank you much?