The Left's Selective Praise Posted by Michael Cohen

The other day, my blogmate Shadi Hamid raised a point on his Twitter feed that's been gnawing at me as well; "Why do liberals get excited when politicians defend things that are pretty basic & should be beyond question - like, um, the 1st amendment?"

Shadi was of course referring to President Obama's speech last Friday defending the Ground Zero Mosque and the glowing, initial response it received in the liberal blogosphere.

Glenn Greenwald called it an act "that deserves pure praise"; Mark Kleiman says Obama's remarks made him "proud to be an American citizen" and Greg Sargent said it was one of the "finest moments" of Obama's presidency. And there was even more where that came from.

Call me and Shadi cynics, but "meh." It's not that I'm unpleased by what Obama said, but jeez this is what Presidents are supposed to do. Hell, George Bush stood up for American Muslims repeatedly - and, to some extent, in language more forceful than that used by Obama. I understand that the Burlington Coat Factory Mosque doesn't exactly have a great deal of support among the American people, but upholding basic American principles like religious freedom sort of comes with the job description of being President of the United States.

But what I find striking about all this momentary praise from the left is that it seems a bit more effusive than the praise that Barack Obama has received from these same allies for his actual legislative accomplishments. (And in no way do I mean I to focus these comments exclusively on Greenwald, Kleiman and Sargent).

Now I realize that the health care bill didn't contain a public option, which of course invalidated the entire effort (#sarcasm). However, it seems to me that ensuring guaranteed health care for 30 million Americans is a pretty significant progressive accomplishment - in fact, it's a heck of a lot more momentous, and more difficult to achieve, than simply delivering a speech extolling the virtues of religious freedom.

Now granted the health care bill is not perfect and there are legitimate areas for criticism in the final legislation. But for tens of millions of working class and middle class Americans (you know the people that liberals are nominally supposed to be fighting for) this bill is a critical step forward in ameliorating America's growing inequality gap and could literally make the difference between life and death for many of them. In short, it is precisely the sort of landmark, incremental and yet initially imperfect social legislation that has come to define significant progressive, legislative accomplishments throughout American history.

So there is something that tends to rub the wrong way about such unconditional praise for Obama's speech in support of religious freedom, but tepid praise - even anger - for legislation that fulfills what has basically been the policy lodestar of modern progressivism for six decades. Of course, this isn't even to mention the president's efforts to pass various pieces of legislation that improves regulation of Wall Street - including the creation of a consumer protection agency - revamps the student lending program and puts more resources into education reform, public transportation and other progressive priorities.  (And to be sure, praise for these efforts has little to do with Barack Obama; it has to do with consolidating support and mobilizing public opinion so that Congress will not only maintain support for these programs but build upon them. To paraphrase Clemenceau, legislating is too important to be left to politicians.)

Along these lines, in a smart piece in this week's Nation Theda Skocpol makes a good argument about nature of liberal disappointment in Obama's significant policy accomplishments:

Since the 1960s, progressives in the United States have often been more interested in racial, gender, foreign policy, cultural and environmental issues, and not so concerned about socioeconomic redistribution. So it is perhaps understandable that for many upper-middle-class progressives, who cluster on the East and West Coasts, the past two years just look like failure.

This isn't to say that cultural, environmental and foreign policy issues are unimportant (after writing for more than a year about our failed Afghanistan policy the importance I place on these issues should speak for itself). And this isn't to suggest that the left should stop focusing on "unpopular" issues like torture and rule of law abuses where the president needs to have his feet held to the fire. But liberals do great harm to the causes they care most deeply about if they ignores the bread and butter issues that not only animate American politics, but matter so much to lower and middle class Americans for whom progressivism must speak. Because after all, if we don't, who will?

The left should and must applaud the President when he speaks up for religious freedom and against the bigotry and intolerance directed at Muslims that is an all too prevalent part of our national discourse. But when he accomplishes the more difficult task of bringing social justice to millions upon millions of Americans shouldn't the praise from his nominal supporters be even greater and more enduring? 

I fear sometimes that my progressives compatriots lose touch with what it is exactly we're fighting for.

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I'M PROUD OF YOU LABOR!. Keep standing up. The lives and health of all the American people and the World are in serious jeopardy.

Further, unemployment healthcare benefits are critically needed. But they should be provided through the Medicare program at cost, less the 65% government premium subsidy provided now to private for profit health insurance.

Congress should stop wasting hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money on private for profit health insurance subsidies. Subsidies that cost the taxpayer 10x as much or more than Medicare does. Private for profit health insurance plans cost more. But provide dangerous and poorer quality patient care.

It's over. Tell congress to get the healthcare Merchants of death and injury out of the American peoples lives for good. 2010 is about THE PUBLIC OPTION!

And that CORRUPT! UNDEMOCRATIC! filibuster must GO! NOW!

Alan Grayson Honors The Dead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV9TRoYMtjs&feature=player_embedded

Alan Grayson on Healthcare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpQ2MNaSDo&feature=player_embedded

Ron Sparks HealthCareReform http://youtu.be/kqlBFRJh4Cw

John Garamendi - The Public Option http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyBTEke68aQ&feature=player_embedded

I want to commend all of you for working so hard and being so strong at helping the whitehouse and congress begin to address our U.S. and Global healthcare crisis. You have been AWESOME! my fellow Americans and peoples of the World. America and the World is better and safer for it. My greatest pride is the knowledge that I am one of you. And that you really get it. You really understand the importance of it all.

There are some potentially very good things in the healthcare legislation. Especially with the reconciliation fix’s. The Democrats, Bernie Sanders and the Whitehouse did a GREAT! job of fighting to produce the best healthcare legislation that they could. They have earned all our strong support. And we should give it to them.

But it was your relentless pressure and hard work that made the difference. Whatever good comes from this healthcare legislation, America and the peoples of the World will have each of you to thank. You were smart, creative, courageous and relentless. You fought together for the best legislation possible. And when you had to, you fought alone. No matter who stumbled and fell you continued to push and forge ahead. Fighting for the lives and health of the American people and the World. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR-SELVES :-)

It may come to pass that future generations will look back on us and say that we were ALL Americas Greatest Generations. And that healthcare reform was our finest hour. You should be proud of our leaders President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and the many other Democratic and independent fighters for the people in congress. They proved them-self worthy of the leadership of a GREAT! PEOPLE.

But we are not done yet. This was just the beginning of healthcare reform, not the end. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, ARE NOT! divided on healthcare legislation. The vast majority of you have been consistently crystal clear that this legislation does not go far enough. You want a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE!! available to everyone on day one. And you want it NOW!

YOU MUST NOT ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE TO STAND WITHOUT A STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION CHOICE! AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.

WE THE PEOPLE have been crystal clear that we want an end to dependence on for-profit healthcare and the for-profit proxies called private for non-profit healthcare. The American people want the CHOICE! of a strong Government-run Public Option to replace their need or dependence on healthcare providers whose primary motivation is profit. Rather than providing the highest quality, easiest accessible and most affordable medically necessary healthcare possible. This is what the rest of the developed World has. And the American people want it too. They want healthcare ASSURANCE! Not, for-profit health insurance. And they want it NOW!

Now is the time to continue the push for a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone that wants it on day one. Rationally it’s clear what we have to do to get this done. SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS that supported you with a Public Option choice, and REMOVE as many republicans as you can. Not one republican in congress was willing to step across the isle to support a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE!! available to everyone on day one. NOT ONE! Let no candidate prevail this November that does not support a Strong Government-run Public Option.

47,000 AMERICANS die each year from lack of healthcare. 120,000 die from treatable illness that don’t die in other developed countries. Hundreds of thousands of you are dieing from medical accidents in a rush to profit. And Millions of you are injured. Millions more are driven into bankruptcy. All for the privilege of paying two to three times as much as any other people in the developed world for healthcare. HOGWASH!

Additionally, tens of thousands of you and your children were killed and millions sickened and injured from a terror attack with H1N1 (swine flu). Released on the American people and the World by the for-profit healthcare industry. All in an attempt to panic and frighten you into accepting the oxymoronic criminal enterprise of private for-profit healthcare (The most costly, deadly, dangerous, and disgraceful product sold in America). H1N1 is still sickening people and killing them. Especially children, the young and the middle aged. And there will be a third wave. These are the terrorist you need to worry about the most. Even the so-called international terrorist would not do something so INSANE! But greed driven medical profiteers would and did.

Apparently as far as republicans in GOVERNMENT are concerned, YOU! my fellow Americans – CAN JUST DROP DEAD! Including their own family members. Fools!... Hundreds of thousands of you, and possibly millions of you will die from the long-term effects of your infection and poisoning with H1N1.

So my fellow Human Beings. Rest-up, Take good care of the basics (Balanced nutrition, hydration, exercise, rest and POSITIVE emotional supports). Then wade back into the FIGHT! for a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone on day one. Drug re-importation, Abolishment or strong restrictions on patents for biologic and prescription drugs. And government controlled and negotiated drug and medical cost. You must take back control of your healthcare system from the Medical Industrial Complex. You MUST do it NOW! This is a matter of National and Global security. There can be NO MORE EXCUSES.

God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings. I’m glad to know of you. And proud to be one of you.

See you on the battle field.

Sincerely

jacksmith – WorkingClass :-)

[Dan Kervick]

Skocpol's criticism is obtuse, frankly. What world is she paying attention to?

From where I sit, it is precisely those parts of the Democratic party that are most focused on economic justice and redistribution that are the most disappointed with Obama. If you're in the progressive caucus; if you were hoping for single payer health care at best or a public option at least; if you were hoping Obama would break up the big banks; if you were hoping for more stringent regulation of business and an all out attack on the legacies of market fundamentalism and extravagant, wasteful profits; if you like the idea of government imposing a 20 to 1 rule on corporate salaries, and strict caps on bonuses; if you wanted a bigger stimulus package and a larger commitment to public investment; if you wanted more direct assistance for the unemployed, and more direct government activism in building jobs; if you want a lot fewer guns and a lot more butter - well then, you are likely to be very disappointed with Obama.

On the other hand, if you are a mainstream, moderate upper middle class liberal - in the media or advanced degree professional class, say - who cares a lot about the famous liberal cultural "isms", but is in no great hurry to have the government redistribute lots of your income downward - well, these people seem to love Obama greatly.

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So there is something that tends to rub the wrong way about such unconditional praise for Obama's speech in support of religious freedom, but tepid praise - even anger - for legislation that fulfills what has basically been the policy lodestar of modern progressivism for six decades. Of course, this isn't even to mention the president's efforts to pass various pieces of legislation that improves regulation of Wall Street - including the creation of a consumer protection agency - revamps the student lending program and puts more resources into education reform, public transportation and other progressive priorities. (And to be sure, praise for these efforts has little to do with Barack Obama; it has to do with consolidating support and mobilizing public opinion so that Congress will not only maintain support for these programs but build upon them. To paraphrase Clemenceau, legislating is too important to be left to politicians.)

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