Obozo is a puppet of the leftist elite. He has absolutely NO leadership abilities and no common sense. The only positive of his presidency is that he has re-invigorated responsible Americans to take back their government from the leftist swine inhabiting congress and the white house. I personally feel nothing short of armed revolt can save this country, but that is me (by the way, please feel free to join my militia).

Does anyone doubt that Greenwald is a fringe leftist?

The anger that Obama gets from the left wing of the Democratic party is remarkable given that the last two years have seen many of their dearest policy wishes implemented. Greenwald lives in a fantasy land if he thinks that Obama could have persuaded the more conservative Senate Democrats to vote for a more progressive version of the healthcare bill, and every single one of their votes was needed. The left really should be happy with the Democrats' legislative accomplishments over the last two years given the need to get people like Nelson, Lieberman, Bayh, and Lincoln to sign on to bills for them to pass. That said, while it is true that the left's unhappiness with Obama is mostly due to their completely unrealistic expectations of what Congress will pass, Obama's tone-deafness is also clearly partially to blame.

From what I heard of Obama's speeches when he ran for this office (although I didn't listen much because I dislike listening to blatent lies; I don't watch Survivor for the same reason), he pretty much tried to promise everything to everyone for free. No higher taxes except for the rich, better this, better that, all free.

Anyone who believed this was ummmm maybe naive is the best word.

Rich people have lawyers and accountants and tax shelters and connections overseas. They also have enough money that they usually don't have to make a lot more if they think most of it is going to be taken away by the govt.

This is why taxing them beyond a certain point isn't helpful. It can actually make things worse because rich people/corporations are usually the ones who hire people and pay them.

Ronald Reagan said that he was a Democrat until one day when he talked to his accountant who told him he would make more money (because of taxes) if he only did 2 movies that year instead of 3. He realized then something was wrong with the system. A 3rd movie would have meant hiring a lot more people, which would have been good for the economy.

I think part of the problem is that no one knows what Obama's going to do next, and companies want to save their money (fewer new hires, fewer and smaller raises) until they know if some crushing new regulations are going to hit them.

If Obama promised not to do anything with the econommy... no wait, the companies probably know not to believe him. Oh well.

Obama is summarizing the standard political speech for the liberal position: Life is troubling; We will save you; It will take some time, cost some money, and require your full cooperation.

→ A Political Speech: Troubling Times

I could go on. My staff has compiled a list of 463 of life's difficulties, and I am not convinced that we have listed them all. I haven't published this list, it is too depressing.

The good news is that I am ready to roll up my sleeves, sit down with the very best people who will work with the government, and deliver to you a better life. If we organize things in a different way, and all come together in support of this common good, we can finally get a grip on the situation and prosper in ways that are not even imaginable today.

I want to be realistic. My time in political office may not be enough to complete all of the changes that are needed. I can set the government onto a new path, and it will be the work of others from my party to continue on that path.

Obama is not a leftist.
He is not a rightist.

He is a corporatist. He serves the interests of the large corporations, not of the left wing, not of the right wing, not of the general populace.

I'll agree with the puppet part though.

Obama is an unrepentant Marxist. Just look at his friends, his real friends: Wright, Ayers, Dorn, Van Jones and the others.

And he's not a puppet. Yes, he can be influenced, but he believes himself to be his own man. We should be thankful that because of his past he has learned no leadership skills.

As for why his fellow leftists are unhappy, they didn't get what they where promised: end to Iraq and Afghanistan, end of Gitmo, public option health care. Given the Dem majorities in both houses of Congress, they should have gotten them.

But seriously ... have you ever heard a politician of any ilk ever take responsibility for their actions? Have you ever heard a single president in the last 200 years say "sorry folks ... I could have done better if only I weren't such a screw up?" Ain't gonna happen ... ever! That's the nature of politics. This is why we need small government; so that there is very little for which the politicians need to be held accountable.

Exactly, IRA, and the end of the wars, and Gitmo, and the public option DIDN'T happen even with both houses democratic, which makes one wonder if Obama is really interested in pursuing those lefty options. Either he isn't, or he is completely incompetent. Or both.