I hope it's worked out better for you than me.

It's been a mixture of positive and negative thus far. As a general overview it seems like then Candidate Obama was campaigning on Progressive policies whereas his governing of the nation is not very much so. He has backed away from populist outrage against the corporations, health insurance companies, and banks which continue to be major problems for the welfare of our people. It's unfortunate because we don't need Bill Clinton redux we need more of a fighter like Teddy Roosevelt or FDR. Obama's approval rating would be much higher if he started to govern more in the style in which he campaigned: as a Progressive fighter.

The Conservative movement and Republican party in general is not a loyal opposition. It seems like the only Republican in Congress remotely voting for any bill that would help the country in a major way is Senator Snowe of Maine. However, she is a single person, and the Republican party is united in opposition to Progressive legislation that this country needs. When you add in the 'Blue Dog' coalition of Democrats primarily from red states it makes passing the more Progressive agenda this nation needs all the more difficult. Ultimately, though, the Democrats do have the majority. However, the Democratic party is far more diverse then the Republican party is ideologically and in a host of other ways. It makes 'change' tough.

Things I've liked....

*lifting the ban on federal funding for stem cell research
*the Lily Ledbetter Act (women can sue for pay discrimination)
*lifting the travel ban on people with HIV
*Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act (better prosecute people who commit crimes against people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability).
*The commitment to close down Guantanamo Bay
*The Stimulus
*Executive order extending some rights to same-sex couples who are federal employees
*Withdrawal of troops from Iraq to end the "war"
*extension of unemployment to help the many people out of work

Thing that need to improve....

*Scrap the healthcare debate and start over with a single payer system as the basis of a new bill. Dems and Repubs in Congress know full well that the public option included in this 'reform' will not really drive down costs.

*Fire Geithner and Summers because they are Wall Street insiders. We need to put back Depression era financial regulations including Glass Steigel so that this crisis never happens again. Regulation is crucial to our economic prosperity.

*We need a climate change bill which will reduce green house emissions to sustainable levels. This means better fuel standards, more carbon sequestration, cap and trade, and the promotion of green consciousness for business'.

*Our tax system needs to be reformed. They need to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy so they pay their fair share. We need to eliminate the tax loopholes for corporations so they also pay their fair share.

*LGBT civil rights must be addressed now. They must repeal both the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask Don't Tell. Then they need to enact the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (illegal to fire or discriminate against someone at work based on sexual orientation or gender identity), Uniting American Families Act (allows Gay or Lesbian to co-sponsor their partner from abroad), Military Readiness and Enhancement Act (replaces DADT), and Respect For Families Act (replaces DOMA).

So there have been good things and things that definitely need to be improved upon. I'm actually an Independent at this point, but I doubt I will ever vote for a Republican. The Democrats need to get their act together and start passing the Progressive agenda they campaigned upon. If they lose it won't be because Conservatism or the Republican party all of the sudden had novel approaches to our problems. It will be because they didn't do the things they said they were going to do after we put them in office.

So, for the sake of the country, I hope they start getting things done and forget the bipartisanship. Elections have consequences, and the Democrats were given the White House and a majority in Congress. It's time they start pushing these things through for the well-being of the American people.

What?

What is a love crime. Hate crime? All violent crime is hateful.My sister is transgendered. I'm self employed and have never been closer to living on the streets. The house is about to vote on a 2000 page health care bill that they promised we would have 72 hours to read on the internet.

The American people soundly rejected democrats in Virginia and New Jersey with 20 plus point swings from the election just one year ago, and in New york 23 the conservative candidate that had just 3 week to campaign only lost by 4 points.

I'm not sure who your mentors are or who influences you, but when I have been at my lowest points in my life it has been Christian groups that have picked me up. Watch Rachel Maddow or Keith Olberman for long enough and I can't answer for your frame of mind.

oh come on. the man has been in office ten months and inherited a nightmare. common sense, people!

yep, it will be Bush's fault for the next 10 million years..dems had NOTHING to do with it nor will they....

Obama has put this country in MORE debt in 10 months then anyone could even begin to fathom. QUADRUPLED...more than ALL PRESIDENTS COMBINED. Unemployment is sickening, the debt this country is in is mind boggling, and the Health Care bill is a SCARY, SCARY joke. People have lost their minds. Like my husband said earlier, " I would rather die a young man but free, than live a long life a healthy slave"

I am sorry Moody, and I know exactly what you mean. The company my husband works for just filed for bankruptcy...not pretty;(

Moody:

1. There are already Hate Crime statutes based on race, religion, and other such dimensions of identity. It is a lawful distinction to note that crimes with the intent to instill fear in an entire community on the basis of that persons bigotry against the group is a worse crime. Just like there are different guidelines that the crime of murder is punished for their are different guidelines for hate crimes against LGBT people now.

2. I don't support the Democrats healthcare 'reform' because that's not what it is. It's a windfall for the insurance companies with individual mandates to bring them new customers without the competition to lower premiums. Most of the Democrats and Republicans are owned by the private health insurance companies. I support a single payer system similar to the one in Great Britain which is a mixture of public and private.

3. New Jersey only went for Christie by 4 percent, but I suppose you instead decided to focus on Owen's 4% victory over Hoffman instead? Also,NY-23 has not voted for a Democrat in supposedly over 100 years. To me, that speaks volumes. Plus, Virginia is not a blue state. In fact, Obama was the first Democrat in decades to win the state in a Presidential race.

4. I have no problem with peoples religious beliefs. I do, however, have a problem when people try to impose their religious beliefs through our government as if we are a theocracy in which we are clearly not.

I don't watch Keith O. :)

You have to admit, Judy, that the Democrats are not approaching these problems in the best way. Like I said above, if they fail it will be because they were not bold and Progressive enough in the legislation that is enacted and signed into law. I sincerely believe we are entering a Progressive era following the domination of Conservatism since Reagan. My generation is the beginning of that, and I believe it will continue for awhile. In the districts and entire states that we can we should primary Democrats who are not Progressive enough.

SMR, If there was a way to make the federal government your momma without taking our money or our freedom to do so I'd be all for it. Please grow a pair.

Nevermind.

It's pointless.

Wow! One should be able to express their opinions without personal attacks.

SMR's opinions are dangerous and the reason we are in deep trouble in this country. The government must take care of this group and that group. I see us all as equals and I don't care why I'm assaulted or why a friend or family member is assaulted or killed. I want the most severe punishment handed down that the constitution allows. Kill a straight person and get one life sentence, kill a gay person get two. What the hell is that. murder is murder. Progressives Ha! Give me a break. His opinions are dribble. I grew up with world war 2 generation parents. Father conservative, mother liberal. I have a transgendered gay sister. We all love each other without government involvement.

The pioneers and the founders of this country would look at the so called progressives in disbelief. again it may seem offensive but grow a friggin pair and quit the whining. SELF RELIANCE is key.

I agree!

I do agree 100% that there should not be protected "classes" of people. If someone gets a harsher punishment because they killed someone who is gay, or African American then say, a husband who was abusive to his wife and kids for years then murders them, how is that fair? Hate, is hate, murder is murder...period. All ANY American should do is take a close look at the medicaid and medicare systems that are government run, that are trillions in debt and see that government is NOT the answer. Government is there to protect and serve US, not the other way around;(

Just like we need to show tolerance to the charactor that shot 43 people at Fort Hood. HMMM!

Yet again we arrive at the fearmongering and name calling which serve purely as a distraction to the fact that the previous 8 years were a disaster. The people will not forget what the right has done to this country since Reagan, and I certainly won't. The notion that positive government action to promote the welfare and productivty of the American people being equated to being dependent on the government is false. Freedom and fairness are not mutually exclusive notions contrary to that being espoused by those on the right. Progressives believe in principled spending that help the people who need help in our society. What ever happened to 'compassionate' Conservatism that recognizes this? It's exactly why my generation in our 20's are rejecting Republicanism in significant numbers.

Conservatives hate government and create a self-fulfilling prophecy when they do not govern effectively. Of course government will not work if you appoint a host of unqualified or corrupt people to your cabinet the way that President Bush did. From the handling of Katrina to the Iraq War the Bush era in which Conservatism ruled for the most part was an epic failure. And now it's time for a truly Progressive era in which freedom and fairness are both equally valued. A time in which we address fundamental problems with solutions that help the majority of Americans rather then the wealthy or the corporations as it is under Conservative, Republican rule. And don't even get me started on the civil rights movement for LGBT people. The constant hate from the religious right in this country against us is ridiculous.

Republicans say they want less government, but they want the government to tell a woman whether she can have an abortion or not. They also want the government to deny a civil marriage to a Gay or Lesbian couple because of their host of reasons in that manner. Now, how is that less government interfering in the lives of the American people? The hypocrisy and hatred of so many people on the right is so crystal clear. And those who blame Liberals for this when we don't even at this point have clear majorities are misguided at best. I'm not blind to the limitations of ideology and recognizing that working across the aisle is important. It's too bad though that so many on the right like Moody have no care to respectfully dialogue about the issues to find solutions to our problems.

I am hysterically laughing about your sudden fiscal responsiblity and concern about the economy. NOW you care? Where was your concern when the failed Republican economic and deregulation policies of the past thirty years and the Bush administration led us right into a financial meltdown (which, as I recall, was on Bush's watch)?

I do so love this selected amnesia conservatives have become afflicted with in the past ten months. It's quite amusing.

Right on, Soul. Putting people who hate the government (except to use it to make themselves and their rich friends richer) in charge of government is insanity.

oh, and the slave thing really got me laughing. so darn dramatic.

But don't forget Judy that corporate welfare is ok. :)

What problems do you have that you can't take care of yourself SMR?

Bush, Bush and did I mention Bush and la dee da dee da Bush and Bush, Bush and Bush. It's been 11 months people, unemployment 10.2 percent. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Where did that stymulus money go. Oh I know our grandchildren hold the note on that debt oh and the Chinese. That's comforting

I don't get the rich thing. There are no rich democrats or liberals? Now you know THAT is a joke.

I have NEVER claimed that all republicans are perfect, O'Reilly, Rush, Glen, Beck, etc have put Bush down for a lot of the decisions he made ...a politician is a politician first, and they are pretty much ALL out for themselves and their agendas. All I am saying is that the government, no matter WHO running it, has no place in telling anyone what to do. SMR, as far as abortion goes, it isn't about the government telling a woman she can't have an abortion, but giving that BABY a RIGHT to live. It isn't a disease or a tumor but a human being. And you know how I feel about LGBT's right to marry.

I don't hate government at all, Conservatives don't HATE government. We are for a smaller, more efficient government that is used for the purposes it was created for. Not for telling us what we can and can't eat, drink, buy, smoke, do, and taxing the CRAP out of us and then ADDING MORE when THEY spend OUR money recklessly, or for telling us what kind of health care we have to buy or else go to jail????!! It is called less spending on CRAP, (ALL politicians) and lets put all of our money to the good use it is intended for, roads, bridges, fire, police, military, and to defend the constitution and make sure no ones rights, under the constitution, are taken away.

For example, Barney Frank losing it and saying he isn't some woodsman or something so how would he know what a pot plant looks like?? Isn't that suggesting that only a woodsman would know what a pot plant is? Oh but that "profiling" is ok...I forgot;) Is he SERIOUS? My point is, there is ignorance on ALL sides. How some people get elected on BOTH sides, blows my mind.

and for the record, I can't think of one "rich" person that I know personally except those that are rich with things much more important than money could ever think of being.

and Moody, you hit the nail on the head. What is it that we ourselves, can not take care of and overcome on our own? I can think of some pretty amazing examples of the human fight, spirit, and heart that have overcome tremendous obstacles, to achieve, with those WILLINGLY sacrificing of their own to help, without being told they HAVE to, but because they WANT to. THAT is what it is about. The fight, no matter how hard, because THAT is what makes us stronger human beings, and American citizens. If it is made "easy" for "everyone"..what would even be the point?

Carry on! ;)

Not to ignore all the valid points you made Yellin, but I forgot Barney saying he didn't know what pot plants look like. lol. everyone knows what they look like at this point. HaHa, Rofl. And he had nothing to do with forcing banks to loan money to folks with bad credit either. Are there any honest people on the left, left in the halls of congress.

I have an old friend I reconnected with on facebook recently, actually she was my first crush. She lives in Iowa now and has 9 children, several of them are special needs children she and her husband adopted. She is a PHD and home schools them along with other kids in the basement of her church. Imagine the horror of the left. The Sarah Palin syndrome. Ouch!

lol, it's all good Moody;) How fabulous what your old friend is doing to help mold so many young minds. I am seriously considering homeschooling my youngest next year, but the hoops they make you jump through in Maine are unbelievable, just so no one will do it! I talk on a mom's board, and one of the mom's just withdrew her child from public school to school him at home through a public charter school online. She said she has never been so intimidated or scared then when she went to take him out. They threatened to call the cops and have her arrested for truancy, they told her what a bad parent she was and had her in tears. Know why? That school will lose money because he is no longer there, so those are the scare tactics used. She said she is so thrilled with the public charter schooling, she wished she had chosen it earlier. I am all for whatever kind of schooling you feel is best for your children and family;) Bless teachers, because I know what a tough job they have!

You've made some ignorant statements before, moody, but this one takes the prize for the most ignorant. Leave it to you to start a thread on the pretense of having an intelligent political discussion when all you want is an opportunity to make inflammatory statements and throw around insults.

According to you, all your misery is caused by the government and liberals which is really hard to believe. Here's a suggestion. Instead of posting on boards like this and constantly whining and complaining and blaming everyone and everything else for your misfortune or whatever the hell is going on in your life, maybe it's time for you to practice that Republican/conservative principle of taking responsiblity for yourself you are always mentioning and take a look at the part you yourself play in your own problems. It certainly can't hurt.

yellin, exactly for what purposes was the government created for?

What problems do you have which make you unable to write something here without personally attacking people in a rude manner who don't agree with you?

Disagreement is all good. I have Conservative friends and we have very good debates grounded in facts and mutual respect. You, however, seem so intolerant if not hateful towards those who are left of center.

You keep bringing up your Mom on here. Are you projecting your anger for her being Liberal onto others? Frankly, it seems that way. Many people are center-left in this country. So what. I don't know where this bitter meaness derives from, but I genuinely feel sorry for you.

I believe I stated it in the third paragraph Judy.

"roads, bridges, fire, police, military, and to defend the constitution and make sure no ones rights, under the constitution, are taken away. "

that's it?

What a great thing for your friend and her husband to do. I don't think the "left" is horrified by an act of generosity and love. And as for the "Sarah Palin syndrome", I feel fairly safe in believeing that politics had nothing to do with their act of love.

This is just another opportunity for moody to spread his hate for all things liberal. the point he is making is that only conservative women have special needs children -- liberal women are horrified by them. He doesn't seem to get that there are special needs kids in all types of families - conservative, liberal, poor, rich, different races. Most, just like his friend, handle this with dignity and grace and don't ask for praise, unlike his hero. Gov. Gidget, who shamelessly used her special needs son as a prop to win an election.

Why is she being attacked by the left Judy? I see a lot of mud slinging here, a lot of it directed at me. That's fine I can take it. Why is the left so afraid of her?

Finally we know who is responsible for all bad things in America. It' s SMR.
Shame on you, SMR for starting a war in Iraq, ruining economy, torturing innocent people, preventing Obama from reforming healthcare and so on and so on....

one can only PRAY that the health care that is on the table NOW, is not part of his "reforming." You wanna talk screwed...you haven't seen anything yet.

I so, so feel for my children, and theirs. I just can't even imagine the debts they are gonna pay for politicians/our WONDERFUL governments mistakes.

Who are these innocents being tortured? Are we not still in Iraq and Afghanistan? Why is the 2000 page health care plan so important it needs to be passed before the 2010 elections when all polls show a majority are against it. Have there not been over 3,000,000 jobs lost since the 1,000,000,000 stimulus passed. I think that covers all your points. Got anymore.

Gov. Gidget is called what she is - an idiot. I see that as fact, not an attack. No one is scared of her - we love her and sincerely hope she runs for President in 2012. Do everything you can to get her on the ballot, ok?

so what's wrong with the healthcare bill, yellin? You say how terrible it is, but never give specifics.

yet I'm intolerant. Yellin we are blessed to have found a site so loaded with libs, They are so fun to toy with. they have they're way now, they are in power and they are failing big time. I just hope we have a country left to save by 2010 and 2012.

so if someone thinks Gov. Gidget is an idiot, it means they are intolerant? come on now. You can do better than that.