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SEATTLE -- The message from Democratic activists lined up outside the Westin hotel in Seattle Tuesday to enter the fundraiser with President Obama and Sen. Patty Murray: Whatever disillusionment some Democrats might feel so far with President Obama, they shouldn’t take it out on Murray by failing to show up in November.
Judith Lonnquist, an attorney from Seattle who called herself “an old feminist warhorse” and “a hard-core Hillary Clinton supporter” in 2008, called Dino Rossi, Murray’s likely GOP opponent in November, “formidable.” She said, “We need to take this seriously because we need Patty Murray in the Senate.”
Obama “is taking a really bad rap,” Lonnquist observed. “He’s got this baggage from the Bush administration; He’s doing a pretty good job of cleaning it up. I’d give him a B-plus.”
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She gives Obama an A++ for his Supreme Court nominations, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. So why not an overall A++?
“I would rather not say bad things about him," she said. "I’ll leave that to the Republicans.”
But prompted with the word, “Afghanistan,” Lonnquist said, “That’s one.”
She added, “Not jumping on the Gulf oil spill quickly enough is another.”
Another attorney who was waiting to enter the Obama/Murray lunch, Todd Nichols of Everett, Wash., said of three-term Democrat Murray: “It’s really hard to believe that she could lose. She’s very thorough, she does all her homework… and she’s consistently been the highest vote getter in this state for many years. It would have to be a big wave election.”
As for disgruntled Democrats, Nichols said, “There are a lot of people who wish the president had pushed for a public option, or Medicare for All, or a national health program. They feel the same way about individual members of Congress -- but I’ve never heard any complaints at all about Patty Murray.”
Nichols, who originally backed fellow trial lawyer John Edwards in the 2008 Democratic primaries, said he wished Obama would find his inner Truman and use the bully pulpit to challenge Republicans for blocking his agenda.
“Harry Truman did a good job of that," Nichols said. "I wish we had more of that spirit.”
Give 'em hell? Without skipping a beat, Nichols gave Truman’s 1948 rejoinder: “Tell the truth, and they think it’s hell.”
Across the street from Nichols, a gaggle of anti-Murray protesters toted hand-made signs saying, “You are Fired, Patty.” They mingled with others carrying, “U.S. Out of Afghanistan” signs and about 100 immigration demonstrators calling for jobs and an end to deportations.
Jennifer Eck, a stay-at-home mother from Sedro Woolley, Wash., said Murray and Obama “are driving this country into the ground.” Much of Obama’s agenda is unconstitutional, she said. “Health care: where does it say we have to buy a product?”
Eck said she voted for Rossi in today’s Washington Senate primary.
Leave a Comment:
Coming from the land of Truman - I would concur with that analysis.
Tell the truth and they will think it's hell. Of course with this band of misfits in opposition to EVERYTHING,...they wouldn't even realize they were being spoken to.
Ahh,...politics is a fickle mistress.
Actually, Clara...Harry Truman's Democrats lost 55 House seats in the first mid-term elections (1946) after he assumed the Presidency.
President Obama has a real shot at matching Harry Truman in that regard, if no other.
Plus didn't Harry Truman say"the buck stops here" instead of blaming everyone else
Liberals are too busy working while the unemployed righties whine. That's why we don't hear much from them about anything. Come election day, however, they will be out and vote for the liberal candidates much to the shagrin of the righties.
Now, that's where you have it wrong. It's Liberals who have their hands out looking for some more Government love with ALL of your welfare programs and it's the Conservatives that are out there working our azz off trying to keep YOUR hands out of our pockets!
Yes, Liberals are working very hard and Americans are saying STOP! You are screwing up everything you touch.
No Ray, WE Americans are not saying stop, that would be you Replublicans with all your No, No, No and no ideas to fix anything. You are more concerned with seeing President Obama fail. And your leaders had said that very thing. I really think there are more Americans that think we need to fix what Bush & Cheney distroyed!
Quite a heading. A more appropriate one would be Liberals don't blame Patty Murray, blame GOP Senators and 3 blue dogs plus Lieberman. Facing the truth is tough but there was no way that the Senate could pass medicare for all, a public option was doomed by a few Senate blue dogs. That's how Patty Murray should speak to liberals; and tell them only she will continue fighting for progressive issues because the republican certainly won't.
Don't blame Pres Obama for Afghanistan--blame Bush and Cheney for neglect. As for the BP disaster, once again, the Government is not in the oil drilling business nor do they have the expertise to plug a hole in mile deep water. Obama responded within hours to mobilize the biggest clean up in our history. People forget that the first days were spent fighting the fire and rescuing workers before the rig sank--that was the priority. He held BPs feet to the fire; he had scientists and other experts involved. I'd hardly call that a negative.
Of course don't blame Barack. Just because nothing he has done has worked. Liberals have spent record amount of money with absolutely no results that the American people think are good in any way. But they blame Bush or they say we haven't spent enough money. When told 60-70% of Americans think we are going in the wrong direction, they blame the Republicans for opposing them. Maybe the same group of voter who were intelligent enough to vote for Obama are the same ones who are looking at the Democrats record and are saying enough.
Jody.. You are full of it............. From the beginning liberals (YOU) whined about the spill. BP said from day one that they take full responsibility and would plug the hole, cleanup, and make whole those which were damaged. Liberals, sign carriers and Obama gave a lot of lip service, created a moratorium (now with tens of thousands more unemployed) while BP worked on the problem. They even put 20 Billion in escrow to shut you all up so they could work. They fixed the problem not Obama.
Blame republicans if you wish for whatever. The democrats have a super majority in both houses of congress and the presidency. They can pass whatever legislation they want with total disregard of any Republican.
Nov 2, WE TAKE OUT THE TRASH!
Jody'
Of course republicans are not going to push Liberal ideas...are u that ignorant?
Thats right blame Bush....he will be on the ticket. Bush did it....I was constipated this morning because Bush took away my Fiber rights.......bush, bush, Bush.......
BUSH.....BUSH......BUSH.....BUSH...yes it is BUSH'S fault.........
ITM,
With all your 'bush' talk, are you trying to convince US or yourself? I had you pegged as more of a cigar guy,...personally.
Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. Just sayin'.
Jody I don't understand this mind set that the government has to pay for everything. There is nothing in the constitution that says it is the governments function to in any way create a welfare state. This obamacare thing is nothing more then additional profit for the insurance companies. What has happened to self reliance in this country. Besides, if the governement say takes $100 of your tax dollars they create nothing. But if you give that $100 to an business person he/she will create another job. In turn that person will spend money that he/she earned to help create other jobs. But when the government takes your money not one single job is created.
The strategy used by Obama's staff for Obama to try and always remain cool, calm and collective because if he did not he would simply look like an angry Black man has backfired. He has needed to gain a bit more of the Truman backbone to challenege the Republicans. And he should have told both sides of the isle during the HCR debate, no public option no bill signing.
People respond more postively to emotion even when times are tough whether it is anger at times, sincere sorrow, etc. They can appreciate a person with a cool, calm, intelligent demeanor but people have always preferred someone who they can relate too through emotion. This was Truman's gift, Reagan's gift, Teddy Roosevelt's gift, etc. Obama used the same to get elected but left it at the door upon entering the Whitehouse. Clearly his intelligence and cool, calm demeanor are assets to the office. But these are not the same type of emotional inciters that people tend to respond too.
I think the problem is that he really doesn't have it in him. Even when his handlers hand him the script, as you have indicated.
Someone once said there is a difference between governing and campaigning. I don't think we have had a starker example of that than this very average out of his league president.
He was an amazing and inspiring campaigner. He absolutely left that at the door once elected. He continues to campaign when he should be governing. His intelligent, calm and cool demeanor comes off as elite, condescending and arrogant a lot of the time and to many people, he appears totally out of touch.
Too bad. Inspiration goes a long way in hard times.
So what happens when everyone is on the public dole? This health care bill is probably the worst single bill of all time. My company (which is employee owned) that takes in over 2 billion a year in sales figures that the health care bill will cost the owners ( me) over 100 million dollars. Now as a part owner with about 4000 other owners I am really pizzed that I have to pay for the illegals and everyone else. No where does it say in the constitution that health care is a god given right, a self evident right or any other kind of right.
November will be sweet when the libs are swept out of the house and senate. The only thing better than that will be 2012 when our first Muslim president is cast aside due to his Marxist philosophy. Oh, sayonara Patty, thanks for helping drag the country down!
J. H. Moore:
You really don't help with the "first Muslim president" BS and even though Obama is most certainly a big government liberal, calling him a Marxist and socialist is without foundation.
That being said: I'm a resident of the state of Washington and am in the happy position of being able to say that there are nothing but Democrats to blame here.
And don't give me that "it's Bush's fault". There is only one governor here who increased the state budget 33% in her first four years because she thought the revenues were going to continue forever.
No, the queen of King County, her court of unstoppable legislators and her Senate princesses have no one else to blame for this state's budget situation.
Now watch me be called sexist for referring to them as queen, her and she.
Obama was born of Muslim parents and born in a 100% Muslim nation. The "Christian" church that he presumably attended was obviously wanting in terms of their beliefs and was simply window dressing to get the annointed one elected.
As for calling him a Marxist, his writings (both books) and philosophy closely follow those of Saul Alinsky, an avowed Marxist. In fact, Alinsky's son was quoted when asked about Obama, that he was "learning his lesson well”; referring to the teachings of his father Saul. So please Richard, while you may fancy yourself as some type of intellectual, you might want to do a bit more research on the subject.
Richard,
Good luck with your new 'birther' friend, J.H.Moore. It looks like you've got some splainin' to do. If you need links to charts and graphs, you know where to find me. I hope you two will be very happy together.
A friend just mentioned "Justice Delayed is Justice Served",...no maybe that wasn't quite the way he said it? At any rate, Sweet Justice!
Well I guess it did not take the liberals long to start eating their own. There rather famous for that. It is kinda fitting that the President who is always blaming everyone else for the mess he creates is now being blamed by the Liberals for hurting their image as though that was even possible. I as an independent acually find some things social issues I agress with some liberals on the problem is they never meet me half way to agress with me on some conservative issues. It is always attack your enemy and lie about them and try to destroy them. To bad if the Liberasl were more human and willing to meet half way we might acually get some things done in this country. Things I think everyone could acept even if they might personally disagree with it for moral or religious reasons.
1. A real immigaition policy that first secures the borders and then allows for a guest workers program and pathway to legalization. There is really no way you are going to expell 20 million illegals. It is just not possible.
2. We should obviously concentrate on finding alternative energies starting with necucler plants. We should have a national goals program like kennefdy had in the 60's to put a man on the moon and created the only sucessful Gov Agency NASSA. The only Agency that has paid many times over returns on our investments.
3. A real health care reform law that actually reduces cost and does not involve the Gov except as cost regulators and law suit reforms.
4. Keep the Gov small big Gov is automatic big waist. We can not afford waist.
5. Now even though I am a conservative I also believe it is stupid to be fighting over the right of Gays and lesbians to get married. The should have the right I am not sure that under eh Constitutions equal protection clauses they do not already have the right.
Now I believe if the Liberals were really ready to lay out 5 points similar that they would give a little on we might get our country back to talking with each other in stead of yelling at each other.
So here is you open invitation liberals lets have a real dialog give it your best shot.
hey Adler-273784 Liberals do not work most of them are rich kids whose parents or grand parents handed down money to them or sent them to ivy league schools to be brain washed and or Hollywood elites that play at work in the movies they make. Or they are Gov employees living off the taxpayers dollars. the ones that actually do work. That is why liberals love to spend money because they have no idea where it really comes from. A republican is a democrat who has grown up I am an independent conservative so I think both parties are bad but the Liberal demos are the worst.
At least you admit you haven't grown up, yet. That's something, I guess.
Clara are you on crack or just a paid blogger?
spokanebob
I don't think Clara is the one on crack. Kettle black dude!
spokanebob
Umm, neither. Why do you ask?
Thanks, MAC!
I like the title of this article. "Don't blame Patty for Obama's flaws" who in the hell are the people going to blame, Patty is the Senator from Washington and voted in lock step with Obama. Obama's flaws are Patty's flaws, they are from the same party and agreed with and voted for Obama's failed policies.
Blame Patty for her voting record. She is a Washinton insider. She has had 18 years to fix it. It is still broken! I don't think she will ever change.
Hmm...
Apparently someone missed their electro-shock treatment this week, because here we are right back at zero with someone playing his laughably moronic "he's a Muslim, Marxist" greatest hits album complements of the Fox propaganda network and right-wingnut land (you actually left out "Obama's the Anti-Christ" but that must have been an oversight on your part).
To quote a great movie line "...Did your parents have any children that lived?"
Would it be safe for us to assume you also believe:
Obama isn't a U.S. citizen.
Saddam Hussein attacked us on 9/11.
We actually "found" WMD's in Iraq.
Obama sent a group of "Marxist" hippie frog men 5000ft. down to sabotage the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer and create the Gulf oil disaster as part some diabolical leftist "power grab" on his part.
The TARP bailout was solely Obama's idea even though everyone with a functioning brain knows it was clearly in the works well "before" Bush/Cheney left office in an attempt to remedy at least "some" the 8 years of catastrophic governing his administration along the "GOP controlled" house and senate had left in their wake.
Healthcare reform marked the beginning of Armageddon.
Healthcare reform in fact "is" Armageddon.
Healthcare reform had provisions for creating "Death Panels".
Obama is creating FEMA Concentration camps.
The guy the busted several months back on the East coast and linked to a terrorist group was actually a "registered democrat" because Rush Limbaugh said he was-a statement so moronic and stupid even he immediately stopped spewing it out because it made no sense whatsoever not even to "crazy" people.
Bailing out the auto industry, by "loaning" it the necessary funds to prevent the current "Bush, Cheney and GOP created" economic disaster from becoming exponentially worse by losing almost our entire domestic auto industry was a dumb idea-even though our auto industry is getting it's legs underneath it again as a result and paying the loans back in record time.
Extending the Bush tax cuts to the top 2% of this country (and I make on average 450-530k a year, so absorb that for a moment) will create jobs-even though it didn't actually create any during the "Bush" era and the data going back decades from both Democratic "and" Republican study groups shows it's just a pipe dream that simply does not work in the real world.
One could go on forever with examples of the hyperbolic insanity and perversion/manipulation of reality being vomited out 24/7 by a now "totally" hypocritical and morally bankrupt "new" GOP and instantly regurgitated up by the squad of "Fair and Balanced" media mercenaries at Fox and the right-wing blog lapdogs (Breitbart TV anyone?) who gladly cater to the delusions of the most extreme, mentally unstable and potentially "violent" elements of the right.
Point of all this being the people who willingly cast common sense aside and buy into "any" this type of over the top right-wing inflammatory drivel first and foremost believe the President is a Muslim, a Marxist, the Muslim Emperor of Wyoming or whatever lunatic loving crap their irresponsible right-wing media can cook up next...
So considering all these factors, it's gonna be kinda hard for any sane, rational person-on the left or right-to take anything you have to say seriously when right out of the gate you demonstrate your bigotry, extreme ignorance, right wing paranoia brainwashing and just plain old stupidity by immediately parroting the 2 most typical lame ass "bogus" rallying talking points of the "ultra" right-wing hate machine...
Cheers
Come November I'll be celebrating and you'll commiserating with Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews. Funny thing is, you and your liberal brethren won't be able to stop it.
As for Obama being a Marxist, well, the latest polls show that 55% believe that he is a Socialist; not quite a Marxist yet, simply becuase they haven't read his books. Even a mental midget like yourself should be able to read between the lines to see where Obama's philosophy comes from. As noted, Saul Alinsky's son had great praise for Obama and how he had learned his father's lessons well.
As for the $450-530,000 per year, that's laughable. You are a bear of little brain who follows liberals like Patty Murray and Obama like the good lemming that you are.
Again, check back in around November, your fearless leader will have been defrocked of his super majorities in congress and his Marxist agenda will all but disappear. Now go out to the mailbox and collect your welfare check.
HYPERNOVAE........... You sir are a liar.
If you made that kind of money you would have investments. If you had investments you would understand the reasons the car companies are so profitable is not paying the debts discharged in bankruptcy court which includes dividends to bond holders which are ordinary citizens with savings.
Hypernovae -
Like the auto industry loan-bail out program, TARP was a bail out - loan program as well. Most banks didn't want the money but were forced to take it. All of it (except Fannie and Freddie) has been paid back. Two similar programs. Are you saying when President Bush signed off on it, it was bad? But when President Obama signed off on the bail out for GM, it was good? (Especially under Pres. Obama's terms, the bond holders were jilted).
Also, between January 2001 and October of 2007, 4.8 million jobs were created, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That could be attributed to the Republican Congress, no?
Between November 2007 and the end of President Bush's term, 2 million jobs were lost, leaving a net gain during his presidency of 2,866,000 jobs. (Also according to the BLS). This could have been attributed to the policies of the Democrat controlled Congress, yes?
If you were making $500,000 a year, did you not see a positive effect in the earnings you could keep? Did you do something good with that excess? Did you give it away or create a job? Just curious.
As as far as attributing all our current problems to the 8 years of the Bush administration.....there were plenty of folks from both parties, in the middle and going further back to blame for our current problems.
Some of the other stuff on your list was just funny.
You are a talking blog. Learn how your governement works. A short primer for you if you can read. The constitution gives each branch of government certain and defined powers. Each branch of government ( there are 3 in case you didnt know) are considered seperate but equal. The issue at hand in your rant is basically that you blame bush for everything. I agree he was not the sharpest tack in the drawer however you can lay the blame elsewhere for just about everything else except Iraq/Afganistan. THE CONGRESS makes all laws by basically an up or down vote. That includes the budget. IN FACT the democrats have been in control of congress since 2006. In 2005 the unemployment rate was just over 4%. The DOW was over 15000. In Jan of 2007 the democrats took control of congress and within 2 years the unemployement was over 10% and the DOW had tanked to under 8000. If you had studied your civics in school you would know that congress passes the budget and decides the tax rates and where money is going to be spent ect ect ect. This economic mess we are experiencing is totally at the feet of the democrats. The democrats have been in power since 2006 and look where it has gotten us. Barnie Frank and whats her name from California are just the tip in the democratic iceburg
Wow, spokanebob,
and YOU just accused ME of being on crack. I find it completely PRICELESS that you perceive our government OR Congress so nimble that with in MONTHS of a change in gavel (but mind you, not an overriding majority) that the wheels would just fall right off the trike. It's MAGIC, dare I say, MAGIC.
I think you should learn something about the term ARTIFICIAL INFLATION. The market has never over the LONG TERM sustained artificial value. During some of the greatest Wall Street debauchery many companies were trading FAR beyond their actual balance sheet worth. Just like the Housing Bubble, all good things must end. This is called a Market Adjustment. I encourage you to educate yourself regarding LONG TERM effects of short term policies.
And I think it is so quaint how you refer to a 'basic up or down vote' premise. What rock have you been under for the recent 5-10 years? really. PS. Unpaid for Tax Cuts and Two Unbudgeted Wars can bankrupt EVEN the richest Nation. But I suspect you KNOW that and are choosing to be willfully ignorant of the effects of those policies, too.
Don't blame Patty for Obama's shortcomings. Well last time I looked Patty has voted lock step with Obama.
(Obama “is taking a really bad rap,” Lonnquist observed. “He’s got this baggage from theBush administration;)
Seriously??
I would like just one Obama supporter to tell me at what point they think the Democrats will collectively be embarrassed to still use the lame "It's Bush's fault" line.
Hello? Anyone??
MC4 - that would be like asking what to you tell a guy with 2 black eyes?.............Nothing you have already tried twice!!!!!!! lol lol lol
The Demoncrats , the Liberals, Lefties and Bama are really barefaced. They have left the country in one hell hole and they are calmly going about their campaign as if they haven't done anything. Yet they expect the people to vote them back in power. To do what? Make it another hell hole for another four years? I can imagine with the Bama healthcare system, what we will expect in the next four years. I don't think that any American with a head on his shoulders will return the Demoncrats to power and Healthcare looming above their heads waiting to be implemented. That healthcare will have to be repealed by a new govt of the Republicans, if nothing else. Big Mama will again be going on her expensive vacation more often than not, the Bama will be doing some more genuflecting on the door steps of the Arab palaces and kissing hands and rings. Boy, I can imagine what another four years will bring. More spending , printing of money, deflation , inflation, recession , depression , stagnation, stagflation and all that dark remnants of Pandora's Box . Right now, we are experiencing all of the contents of Pandora's Box and it not too pleasant. I shudder to think of more. But what is laughable and I roll with laughter when they blame Bush. The bastards including the Bama blames Bush. Demoncrats are stupid like their Leader. Sure I blame Bush for kicking Bin Ladin's a$$ and I blame the Bama for appeasing the terrorists. See, we give them the country to rule and they messed up the economy, we put some money in their hands and they spent it out now they are printing more. I wonder how they run their households.
I know from history that some kings had the Midas touch, but the Demoncrats seem to have the jackass touch.
so which one of us reached over and touched YOU?