Where?s Sam?
by Janice Van Cleve
In the Lord Of The Rings, Frodo staggers alone up the difficult path into
Mordor when he is jabbed by Shelob's stinger and, in the words of the orc,
"he goes limp as a bone-fish." Sam comes to Frodo's rescue and with courage
and determination, defies the evil spider - even at risk to himself - and
sends her crawling back into her hole.
Yesterday President Obama stung the Democratic Party and all his Progressive
supporters across the country by caving in to Republican demands for tax
cuts for the rich. Are we and our Democratic senators and representatives
going to ?go limp as a bone fish? too? Are we going to whimper away from
the one sided bargaining table and whine that this is the best we could get?
Where?s Sam when we need him?
Obama tried to frame his "compromise" in a press conference today by saying
he could not put unemployed workers at risk. Excuse me, but it was not the
President nor the Democrats that put unemployed workers at risk. It was the
obstructionist Republicans. When there are so many really important matters
on the table ? election reform, nuclear treaty with Russia, a defense bill
that repeals ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell?, environmental protections from the BP
oil spill, judicial positions to fill, and on and on ? the Republicans held
the people?s business hostage to fill the pockets of their super rich
supporters.
What did they get? Rush Limbaugh will get a $2,000,000+ windfall for
another two years. Glenn Beck will get a $1,500,000+ windfall for another
two years. [Newsweek and NPR]. You can bet they won?t be giving that money
to food banks or tent cities. They will use it to buy more ammunition to
sink Obama. Meanwhile the unemployed worker with a family to feed will get
her measly benefits extended for only thirteen months.
What did Obama give away?
1. Continuing the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans will add $70
billion to the national debt each year. In other words, we will borrow $70
billion from the Chinese government each year and give it to Rush Limbaugh
and his cronies [Politics Daily].
2. Seniors and retirees got slammed. Most of their incomes are too low to
benefit from the tax breaks but the added national debt sinks the value of
their bonds and stops their Social Security cost of living increases ? at a
time when their medical costs are skyrocketing [US News & World Report].
3. In fact 5 to 6 million Americans who have already exhausted the benefits
they received in 2008 and 2009 will not be eligible for this extension.
They are still left out in the cold [San Diego Examiner].
Reactions to Obama?s cave in to Republicans has been swift and strong:
Rep. Michael Capuano of Illinois said ?I cannot imagine why he conceded so
much in return for so little.? [Boston Herald]
Joe Scarborough of MSNBC, former Republican Congressman from Florida, said
he is always in favor of tax cuts "But when we are this deep in debt, and we
have this many people unemployed, and we need to get working class people
back to work, I can't imagine a more inefficient way to spark a recovery
than giving tax cuts to people like myself who will put it in the bank and
feel better about myself because I'm saving some money." [News Busters]
Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent from Vermont, is vowing to do all he can
to block President Obama?s tax cut compromise. He is threatening a
filibuster. [Talking Points Memo}
Adam Green of Progressive Change Campaign Committee warned that this
compromise alienates Obama?s best supporters. ?Democrats are representing
98 percent of the people and Republicans are only standing for two percent.
We need a fight, and the American people deserve a fight.? He said one
field organizer told him there is really no point in voting for Obama in
2012. [ABC News]
Reaction on Wall Street was swift as well. Treasury bonds tanked at the
thought of all this new debt that the Obama/GOP tax cut would cause.
President Obama?s reaction to the firestorm of criticism was to call
Progressives ?sanctimonious.? That's the thanks that Progressives, seniors,
youth, community organizers, and donors get for believing in the Change he
promised?
So where is Sam? Is there a Democrat in Congress who is not ?limp as a bone
fish?? The answer, my friends, is that we must rise up and become our own
Sams. We must find the courage to stand for our Progressive values even at
the risk of challenging our own Democratic Party. If Tea Baggers can force
the Republicans to dance their tune, Progressives should get the Democrats
to start towing a Liberal line.
?The only thing in the middle of the road, Mr. President, are a pair of
yellow stripes and dead armadillos.? ? quote from the King County Democrats
organizing convention, Dec 4, 2010.
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Janice Van Cleve is a Precinct Committee Officer in Seattle. |
