Change We Can Et Cetera

[filkertom]

Mother of God.

Not so very long ago, we used to wonder not merely what but how many offensive, obnoxious, stupid, and/or illegal things BushCo would do on any given day.

Now?

• Obama To Rescind "Conscience" Rule
• Interior Secretary Salazar Cancels Oil Shale Leases On Public Lands In Colorado, Utah, And Wyoming
• Obama Announces Combat Mission In Iraq To Be Complete By August 31, 2010, All Troops To Be Out Of Iraq By End Of 2011

And, in case you hadn't noticed it, remember the family-planning stuff that got cut out of the stimulus because Repubs were terrified people might have sex or somethin'? Slipped into the 2010 budget.

Holy FSM.

Thoughts?

Comments

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Thoughts? Generally pleased. That's about as coherent as I can be about feeling like I've woken up from a nightmare to find that I was back in America after all.

As in the Donald Duck cartoon

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Der Fuhrer's Face?

[peachtales.livejournal.com]

Good to see.

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

Now we wonder how long it will take to clean up the crap left from the previous occupants. (Admittedly, they won't get it all, and will leave some of their own, but they'd have to try pretty damn hard to be anything other than a net improvement....)

[saganth.livejournal.com]

It's the light at the end of the tunnel and it is NOT an oncoming train! HOORAY!! :)

[joshuwain.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit light-headed. It feels like we're speeding ahead at Mach-5. It's a really good feeling!

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

People are going to hate me for saying this, but...

Figures it'd take a black guy to help the Democrats find their balls again!

[arensb.livejournal.com]

And wouldn't you know it, the only thing anyone wants to talk about is the size of his package.

[ericthemage.livejournal.com]

Good on the conscience rule. The troops should be home sooner, not later. Although it sounds like the troops will be going to Afghanistan.

[alverant.livejournal.com]

Conscience rule is too easy to abuse. I'd like to see our troops out of Iraq soon too. As for Afghanistan, if Osamma bin Laden and the Taliban are there, we should be there to fight them.

[reyl.livejournal.com]

Your prez is kicking ass and taking names. For about 30 secs into the presidency I was wondering if he was really going to be able to change anything. Then BAM. The only thing he hasn't done is tell the states to marry gays. And I'm seriously holding my breath. It's like he took a list of Biggest Pet Peeves About America and is slashing them one at a time.

Though I did think "We're gonna cure cancer!" was a bit over the top ;)

[holzman.livejournal.com]

There were, no doubt, people who thought Kennedy announcing "We're gonna put a man on the moon!" was a bit over the top. If you don't set the goal, you can't achieve it. Why not aim high?

[ebenbrooks.livejournal.com]

Yes, here's my thought: Go, 'Bama, Go!

That's what James Taylor said....

[nightmarewriter.livejournal.com]

...during the Campaign.

[jeffr23.livejournal.com]

I know this is Kos's (or some Kos Diarist's) and not yours, but...

Isn't "so-called" and the sneer quotes together at best highly redundant, and at worst technically canceling one another out like a double negative?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Point. And I wrote it that way. So I've fixed it by getting rid of "so-called". (I forgot that that's one of the dumbest phrases of all time.)

[emiofbrie.livejournal.com]

I'm still a little wary....I don't regret voting for Obama (because overall he is doing well) but I'm wondering if this is because either (a) he actually is doing these in stages and will get to the lesser-known stuff later or (b) he's only going hard on the bad stuff the mainstream media reports on and therefore the masses know about, in order to make his admin look good.

I've been reading that while we'll be out of Iraq, we're still going to remain in (and send more troops to) Afghanistan, which is just as much of a quagmire, and he authorized military ops in Pakistan too...

Also, Guantanamo may be closing, but what about the other 'secret' torture prisons? Haven't really heard much about the others closing.

And then there's his admin's (so far) kid gloves approach with Israel. We've levied sanctions against countries with far less human rights violations than the current apartheid situation in Israel.

Like I said...we have had real change in a lot of ways, but some of the changes we NEED to improve our foreign policy just are not being realized yet.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I know, I know, I know. I will point out that the dude's been in office for 38 days. If certain things aren't addressed in another four to six months, then I'm gonna get really cranky. But we are just starting the clean-up.

Yes!!

[liddle-oldman.livejournal.com]

This morning on news radio (which I had on for the traffic report), I heard our (Massachusetts') putative phantom governor, Mitt "Mittens" Romney, declaring that Obama's economic plan was a failure because after four years we'd be 600 billion in the hole. My thought is, they're still finding infuriating and irresponsible things to do and say. (Yes, I opened everything in your kitchen and spread it on the walls, but you're the one with the messy kitchen!)

Second, Martha Barnette on A Way With Words commented that Obama had beautiful handwriting. I declared, cheerfully, "Of course he does!" I'm still (as I've said before) writing "Mrs. Leslie Obama" over and over in my notebook and drawing little hearts all around it.

[baphnedia.livejournal.com]

He's been touched by a noodly appendage and is therefore blessed!

[redneckgaijin.livejournal.com]

Once Obama stops using "state secrets" to block lawsuits over warrantless wiretaps, extraordinary rendition, torture, and imprisonment without habeas corpus...

... and once Obama stops actively blocking investigation into the crimes of the Bush administration...

... and once Obama comes out with healthcare reform that does NOT require all Americans to purchase corporate-run, maybe-we'll-pay-maybe-not health insurance...

... and, most of all, until Obama actually calls for laws and/or constitutional amendments to undo all the power grabs Bush and Cheney successfully made for the executive branch- which, at the moment, he shows no signs of even interest in doing...

... then, and only then, will I celebrate.

Until then, I'm grinding my teeth, trying to be patient, and holding off on ordering my "Impeach Obama" bumper sticker.

I didn't vote for Obama because of Iraq, the economy, the environment, or abortion. I voted for him because I want the imperial presidency not merely halted but decisively rejected. Right now I do NOT see that happening.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Understood, and to a large extent agreed. As I mentioned last week (I was gonna post on it, but things got a little crazy), I've definitely got some problems with some of Obama's team, tactics, and strategies. There is a lot of good he's doing... but there's some shit that's gotta be stopped. And it's going to take long-term activism to stop it.

[skemono.livejournal.com]

Also, this: U.S. Will Give Qaeda Suspect a Civilian Trial

The Justice Department, in an abrupt change in policy from the Bush administration, is preparing to bring terrorism-related charges against a man identified as an operative of Al Qaeda who has been held in a military brig for more than five years, government officials said Thursday.

The charges would move the case of the only enemy combatant to be held on American soil, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, into a civilian criminal court. The Bush administration had argued that he could be held indefinitely without being charged.

[redneckgaijin.livejournal.com]

And, by moving the case into the criminal courts, the Obama administration prevents any federal court from ruling on whether or not a President can hold someone indefinitely without being charged.

Which means Obama has reserved the power to do so.

Combine this with the DoJ's continued attempts to block the writ of habeas corpus for Bagram's prisoners, and it does not give me confidence in Obama's views either on the great writ or on the limits of executive power.

[rmeidaking.livejournal.com]

I'll believe it when it happens. Meanwhile, the financial sector is still collapsing. I'm hoping that computer security is still a growth industry - or at least stable. I'm feeling affection for the Conficker worm - it means my family's core income is probably secure for another few months. Anyone who isn't an Amish farmer probably has cause for concern.

[gelfling-flys.livejournal.com]

If only we could be as good as the Amish farmers.(or the Shakers for that matter.

The Pagan farmers are working hard and being worried about the economy.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I've still got issues with some things, some of which are mentioned below.... but at the same time? he's a lot better than the joker we threw out.

I think my big pet peeve right now is he really needs to cut down on the whole security theatre thing.

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

That would go a long way toward making me happy as well.

[madrona.livejournal.com]

Flying Spaghetti Monster nothin'. Right now I'm happy enough to see a little actual Jesus (Yeah, remember him? Friend of the poor? Blessed are the peacemakers? Anyone? Bueller?) back in DC.

Also, we have opportunity to say Secretary Salazar. This amuses me.

[karjack.livejournal.com]

I'm continually surprised, but it's a pleasant surprise, so hooray!

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of people all around the Tubes who are jumping down Obama's throat for this, that and the other, saying variations of McCain's line "that isn't change we can believe in." The president is certainly fair game for criticism; I thought so when Bush was president and I don't see any reason to think otherwise now. He has certainly done some things differently than I would have, and some things I don't think he should have. But I'm not him; I don't know the political pressures he's under, and politics being the art of the possible, I don't know what's possible in Nineveh-on-the-Potomac. And I in fact realize that, were I in his shoes and were I to follow my own advice that I so freely give him, I would probably end up with things in worse shape than they are now.

But so many people ignore the places where change has happened. The things you mention above. Announcing the closure of Guantanamo. Rescinding executive orders that have harmed the country. Declaring that Americans do not torture, and so far as I can tell, meaning it. Lilly Ledbetter. Hilda Solis for Labor Secretary. Even seriously mentioning the possibility of addressing climate change, education reform and health care reform instead of paying them lip service and then passing Orwellian laws that do the opposite of what you think they would. On and on and on and on. And all in less than 40 days.

He isn't Santa Claus. He hasn't given me everything I've wanted. But I saw the alternative, and I would rather have maybe 30% of what I want in as short a period of political time as it is possible to get that 30%, than have the 0% I can guarantee you I would have gotten under a hypothetical President McCain.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Pretty much.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Overall, I'm very happy with Obama so far, though I do disagree with some of the choices he has made.

Watching the Republicans come all over fiscal responsibility has been hilarious when it isn't infuriating. And watching Jindal try to hold volcano monitoring up to public ridicule... I grew up in the Pacific Northwest; I was about 15 when Mt St. Helens blew, and my parents were away climbing a mountain that weekend. I knew it wasn't Helens because nobody was allowed near Helens because of VOLCANO MONITORING, which was why I didn't panic when they were 8 hours late getting home that night. Jindal is an ass.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Someone (IIRC, a Republican from Alaska) noted that Jindal's ridicule of money for volcano monitoring suggested that perhaps he'd also be open to not monitoring hurricanes. No, he said? Oh, well, then...

Jindal is a jerk, and with luck, this appearance has chopped his chances in the 2012 Presidential race down to, or close to, zero.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

I'm glad for all the halts the new administration put on the crap BushCo tried to shove through in the waning days of the last presidency. Specifically, today I'm grateful for that because it's bought us some more time out here to convince people that shooting every wolf in sight is not a good thing.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Two points:

(1) So far, I'm only seeing language to the effect that Obama is going to overturn the My-Religion-Is-More-Important-Than-Your-Health Clause. While this pleases me, I'm reserving my celebration until I hear that he has actually done so.

(2) Chasing links from that one, I came across the following paragraph in a HuffPost article:
The ostensible new leader of the Republican National Committee, Michael "Hip Hop" Steele, also thinks that the party has veered way too far left, this week leaving open the possibility that the three moderate GOP Senators who voted for the Obama stimulus package could face retribution. "Oh, yes, I'm always open to everything, baby, absolutely," he told an interviewer when asked whether he may withdraw funds from those Commie Republicans ("Baby?" It was on Fox News, but still). Is it any wonder that moderates everywhere are mulling party changes?

To which my immediate response is, Baby?!! Was the reporter in question male or female? The choice of language says something nasty about Steele in either case, but the exact type of nastiness differs.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

"'Baby'!? Vot iss diss 'baby'!?"

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

Good news, so far. Yay!

But (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/feelings-of-despair/) the (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23krugman.html) banks (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2970532c-0421-11de-845b-000077b07658.html)...

And California is going down the tubes (http://www.calitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=8183).

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

FSM! All hail His Noodly Appendages!