Once again, Obama defies the typical, old fashioned liberalism of the past: the sort of liberalism that was so open minded that it was afraid to take its own side in an argument.

Was me, I'd tell the GOP, "Go fuck yourselves."

"I won" is a very polite way of saying "Fuck you".

he should expand his two word reply to four words:

"i won. you lost."

The republicans are going to be pretty much weakened if they try this stuff, because it only plays in the Village. I hope some of them were watching their televisions on Tuesday. Obama didn't merely win.

I hope Obama sticks to his mantra of "Government that Works," because the last eight years have shown that 99% of GOP ideas don't work.

I hope he keeps repeating that line until they "get it."

He may have won, but it still change the fact that giving a "tax cut" to people who don't pay the tax you're allegedly cutting is welfare and should be acknowledged as such.

Oh and completely off-topic, did the One just committ a war crime by allowing that Preditor strike that killed 7 in Pakistan? Did those who were targeted and killed have a chance to challenge the evidence before a judge or other neutral party that the U.S. government, headed by the One, believed justified their execution?

Is it too soon to start calls for his impeachment or trial before the World Court in the Hague? lol

What jimbo said!

Chicounsel: the American people heard that argument and decided it was BS. We've already explained to you why we disagree. Repeating it to us doesn't make it true-- it's simply a belief you that hold to yourself that the majority of the country rejected. There's no point in explaining it to you again. If you think it's such a bad thing, you should try opposing it. Wait! You did! And that candidate lost because they thought his ideas were bad ones!

"OBAMA TELLS GOP, 'I WON'"

You hear that, Rush? That means, "Grab your ankles...". Ha! Ha! I love it!

It's already drawing complaints from the right, with suggestions that Obama is being insufficiently "bipartisan" by stating that his position is superior to the Republican/losing position.

It's not all that different from when Bush said he had "political capital" to spend. Just the shoe's on the other foot now...

You'll note that Obama is spending his political capital after his victory on passing his promises. He's not making it a priority to dismantle social security and night midnight laws to prevent Terri Schiavo's family from removing her feeding tube. He's instead doing stuff that people want and what people elected him to do.

The comments at Hot Air are, aside from the usual racial slurs, just a riot. They all have their knickers in a twist about this. Talk about crybabies. They just aren't used to having their noses tweaked.

It's not all that different from when Bush said he had "political capital" to spend. -e. nonee moose

Sure, it's not all that different. Unless, of course, you consider the greater margin by which Obama won and the much larger majorities the Democratic platform has been given in the House and the Senate, and then yes it's very different.

It's one thing to simply assert you have something. It's another to actually have it.

Wow, read the comments over at the hotair link in the original post. So much talk of Obama being arrogant, showing hubris, being full of himself... and all he did was say two words. And what he said was empirically true.

He did win.

"It's already drawing complaints from the right, with suggestions that Obama is being insufficiently "bipartisan" by stating that his position is superior to the Republican/losing position."

Well, just maybe his position IS superior to the Republican position.

Hey, there's got to be some money in the stimulus bill for Kleenex for Congressional Republicans. Let's reach out to them and let them weep and blow their noses with dignity!

It's not all that different from when Bush said he had "political capital" to spend. Just the shoe's on the other foot now...

Except that Bush won by 2 points, Obama by 7. So really, the right should be thanking their god that Obama's not being 3.5 times the asshole to them that Bush was to us.

Chicounsel: first, we won, you lost, and your party had six of the last eight years completely in control to set us up for the mess we're in. Your advice on matters political is, shall we say, a proven loser?

To the point of "it's welfare if they're not paying the tax that is cut", how do we enact a sales tax cut that only applies to the lower tax brackets, when the federal government doesn't even charge a sales tax? There's transaction costs to consider, after all. I assume you think it would be perfectly reasonable to require people to collect all their receipts, total up sales taxes paid, and file for a sales tax refund -- with different rules for each state, since different states do sales taxes differently. That's one of those delightfully bogus tax cuts that only works for people who can hire accountants.

Oh, now the rw-nuts want us to be Politically Correct, like they were when in power. When we are on the winning side, we have to say, "This was a bipartisan victory, it just happened to go the way we wanted in the first place".

Oh, and, a la Dick, "go eff yourself".

before any major concessions are made, that single phrase -- "I won" -- should be front and center.

I agree, but I'm more partial to we won.

What's the phrase? It'll come to me, it's on the tip of my tongue...

Oh ,right. Elections have consequences.

lol

Note to whiny Republicans:

Don't confuse "bipartisanship" with "spinelessness".

Just because President Obama WANTS to work with you doesn't mean he HAS to work with you.

P.S. I love the way our President, broke it down to just two words - it's almost poetry! :P

concerning the complaint that tax cuts are actually welfare....

A conservative friend (it IS possible for some of them to be civil) passed on the unconfirmed conservative statistic that 40% of the electorate doesn't pay federal taxes. (60% less than the number of people Grover Norquist is shooting for, I think).

He assumes this 40% voted for Obama and about 25% of people who pay federal taxes rounded out the rest to make the 55%ish that Obama took.

This means that people who are tax consumers can keep their party in power and milk the tax payers.

I asked his solution for making those 40% pay taxes.

Raise the minimum wage so they can afford private health insurance, full market value rent, and buy all their groceries?

He's a compassionate enough conservative that he says "I don't know" rather than realize that the ultimate answer for poverty is extermination. Survival of the fittest.

The people deemed unfit tend to inconveniently take measures to preserve their supposedly unworthy lives, though.

Obama may well take my approach raising the minimum wage dramatically, spurring inflation and eroding the wealth of the idle rich. They'll be forced to invest in order to stay ahead of inflation and that requires hiring people to generate the wealth and produce a labor shortage that pushes wages higher without government intervention.

Today's GOP: Heads, we win. Tails, it's a tie.

Needless to say, they didn't think the minority party's point of view was nearly as important to consider between 1994 and 2006.

He may have won, but it still change the fact that giving a "tax cut" to people who don't pay the tax you're allegedly cutting is welfare and should be acknowledged as such.

I see Chicounsel is continuing the pretense that the payroll tax doesn't really exist, so it's impossible for someone who doesn't pay income tax to get a tax break.

Tell you what, Chicounsel -- you try not paying your payroll tax to the IRS for a year or two and see how far you get in arguing that it's not a real tax like income tax is.

So really, the right should be thanking their god that Obama's not being 3.5 times the asshole to them that Bush was to us.

Chicounsel just realized that he is nothing more than a shit stain in the left over DEPENDS of his evil hero Bush. As such he now is seeking employment is a Depends manufacturing center.....

Didn't Obama announce at his inaugural that he was willing to offer his hand if you will unclench your fist? Keep your fist clenched and you get no hand.

So really, the right should be thanking their god that Obama's not being 3.5 times the asshole to them that Bush was to us.

Nitwits like Chicounsel show that the rabid right still dominates the market in assholery.

Don't confuse "bipartisanship" with "spinelessness".

You almost can't blame them -- for the past eight years, the Republican Party, the so-called "liberal media' and Harry Reid have defined "bipartisanship" as "doing whatever the Republicans want."

Did anyone else notice this quote?

“How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives?� Boehner asked. “How does that stimulate the economy?�

What the hell is he talking about? Is there some massive contraceptive subsidization I don't know about?

Seriously, if anyone can tell me what he meant by this, please post a comment here:
http://bleakonomy.blogspot.com/2009/01/no-seriously-im-asking.html

What's cracking me up is that I could hear in my head exactly what Obama sounded like when he said this.

Something like "you know, uh, there was a lot of talk about this during the campaign. And...your party explained to the voters that you consider this "welfare". And, uh, the voters didn't buy it. I won."

You know, all delivered in that very calm, matter-of-fact tone of voice.

I'm sure they're spitting nails. Their entire strategy relies on drawing in the other side and getting an emotional reaction - anger, fear, etc.

The GOP will do everything in its power to disgrace the Obama administration, and will be even more vicious in doing so than it was against Clinton.
Because they do not have a majority in Congress this time around, they will have to resort to the kind of dirty tactics they are famous for, and proficient in.

However, little cause for concern, there's no reason to think that Obama and his people aren't perfectly aware of this.
At least the coming years are guaranteed to not be boring.

toowearyforoutrage - Your "civil" conservative friend is an idiot. First off, the number is that 40% don't pay income tax. But they still pay payroll tax, which is federal and ends up in the same place as income tax.

But even worse is the moronic assumption that all the poor people voted for Obama. That's absurd. Exit polls show that 38% of the people making less than $50k a year voted for McCain. 25% of those making less than $15k voted for McCain and 37% making between $15k-$30k voted for McCain. It's obvious that quite a few people who don't pay income tax voted Republican. Oh, and of the people making more than $50k, the vote was split 49%-49%; same as the people making more than $100k. Beyond that, history has shown that many people will vote against their own economic interests. in case you were wondering, 51% of white people making less than $50k voted for McCain.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1

Your friend might be civil, but he's also pretty clueless. Of course, I haven't met the conservative yet who wasn't.

As if it were even physically possible to be more of an asshole than Bush was.

Well, of course, but I was helpfully putting it in perspective for our little friends on the right. The ones whose guy didn't win. The ones who lost the presidency and bled seats in both houses. The ones who brought us the most despised president in history. The ones whose policies are currently as popular as herpes. Those guys.

I think "I won" is a lot more polite than a gloating remark like "Ah earned capital in this election. PO-liti-kal capital. And now Ah intend to spend it." Especially if you intend to spend your capital on something you did campaign on, as opposed to a bait-and-switch like Bush's privatizing Social Security.

Oh my. Those comments at Hot Air, which is the most aptly named conservative blog I've seen, are just golden. But I think I've found one that encapsulates the mentality we are dealing with perfectly:

There’s no “I� in Asswhole.

cntrlfrk on January 23, 2009 at 4:29 PM

No, cntrlfrk, there certainly is not.

"Beyond that, history has shown that many people will vote against their own economic interests." True, but what makes you think the higher-income people voting for Obama weren't voting FOR their own interests? They saw what Bush's refusal to regulate financial institutions did. They saw what failure of oversight caused. They saw the consequences in their investment statements. And BTW, I know this personally, because for a few heady moments during the boom, my husband and I were millionaires on paper. Well, not anymore, and probably never again, although it was fun to think about at the time.

This means that people who are tax consumers can keep their party in power and milk the tax payers.

I don't have the link handy, but if memory serves me right, in general red states benefit disproportionately from Federal tax dollars -- they receive more than they pay in, and it's the opposite with big Blue states like NY and California.

In short, Blue states subsidize Red states.

If the Republicans think THIS statement is arrogant, then they surely are guilty of projecting their own psychology onto Obama. But it's a great psychological trick, if you think you're opponent is humble, to label them 'arrogant'. On weaker personalities it might 'put them in their place.'

Somehow I believe the Republican's petty games will fail.

And yes, we DID win the argument on tax breaks. Since we won that argument, why should Obama then implement a failed Republican argument? Makes no logical sense.

Don't let Republicans imagine they have 'concerns'. That's a Republican word for infantile paralysis.

What Republicans have is trivia and malice.

So Obama is flexing his muscles about his political capital. Far be it from me to intrude on this liberal tea party, but I did tell you punks that Obama would adopt all of Bush's policies, mannerisms, attitudes and hair style. Every day that goes by, Obama helps vindicate Bush a little more.

Was me, I'd tell the GOP, "Go fuck yourselves."
Posted by: Screamin' Demon

Actually, I'd amend that to: "Go fuck yourselves, bitches."

I guess he "adopted" the things he's killed with executive orders.

Go away moron, you won't win any friends here with your willful stupidity.

The gnashing of teeth over at NoSense is particularly delicious. Total lack of awareness of the fact that Obama did, indeed, win this argument during the campaign.

Al Swearengen: "Myke K" is a parody of "Mike K." The "hair style" comment should have been a giveaway.

Yeah!
"The triumph of hope and change over fear and greed."

I love the way our President, broke it down to just two words - it's almost poetry! :P -- Nashville_fan, @ 16:16

I'm sure that, both as a teacher and a father of two small children, Obama is perfectly cognizant of the fact that, when speaking to certain audiences, one has to use simple concepts couched in simpler words. It wouldn't do to speak above their comprehension level.

[...] what makes you think the higher-income people voting for Obama weren't voting FOR their own interests? -- T-Rex, @ 16:48

Case in point: My son, when I gasped at his telling me that he'd maxed out to Obama (he's well paid and relatively secure in his job -- knocking on wood -- but, still...) replied: "I consider it an investment. A better one than stocks and bonds, when it comes to my future".

So yes, people like him and like my husband -- each with income well above 50K -- voted for both selfish (their own good) and selfless (the country's good) reasons.

Gregory: Here's the link
Federal Taxes Paid vs. Spending Received by State

True, but what makes you think the higher-income people voting for Obama weren't voting FOR their own interests?

T-Rex - I don't doubt that at all. In fact, I had actually written the remark about people voting against their economic interests only in reference to poor people voting for McCain, and added the part about rich people voting for both candidates later. But I should have clarified that as I wasn't trying to suggest that rich people should have voted for McCain. There can be no doubt that almost EVERYONE got hurt economically by the Bush Admin; with the obvious exception being those who were specifically meant to benefit.

One funny thing about that exit poll is that 62% of voters said they made over $50k. Perhaps that's true, but that sure does seem a bit high, seeing as how the census says that less than 45% of households are over $50k. Either wealthier people vote by much higher numbers or there are certain flaws with self-reported incomes.

"I won" is shorter version of having to go all the way back into the old argument that republicans already lost ...such as...they do pay taxes (sales, property, social security etc.) but don't make enough money to pay "income" taxes...that's why they get a stimulus check instead....DUH!

It made sense to the struggling American people in that situation during the campaign and it makes sense now. "I won"... the argument then and that proves the people are behind this so remember that long enough to get this bill passed without going all through that argument... again..."I won".

btw...that's the problem when you have millionaires running the government...they can only see with millionaire eyes...which are blind to the poor.

Our Republican contingent here in America was sold out by Karl Rove! He was the mastermind of prepetual campaigning even after the election results were in and actual govening was needed. As such, they are disoriented now and believe campaign smears are viable policy proposals to be projected upon the rest of us.

We'll just see if these throw-backs (Cornyn/Boehner/McConnell) can get a better game by the time they are up for re-election - if not, they are in for early retirement! -Kevo

Spending hard-earned political capital is one thing. Telling the Republicans the conversation is over before it begins is another.

http://politic.ology.com/2009/01/23/obama-woe-be-to-the-vanquished-gop/

Did everyone forget that America is still a Center-Right nation?

Who cares that almost every indicators says otherwise. Three or four states upheld or enacted anti-gay legislation and that is enough for me.

Telling Republicans the conversation is over before it begins is another.

The conversation is over. Republicans were recycling their campaign-season talking points that the American people laughed off the stage. Obama was reminding them of that simple fact. If they have actual arguments, they can use those. If they're just repeating the same losing claims they made before, Obama has no reason to take them seriously. There's no reason for him to waste his time re-arguing the same fallacious claims over and over again.

Spending hard-earned political capital is one thing. Telling the Republicans the conversation is over before it begins is another.

But we already know what they're going to say. They've hit the post button and repeated the same argument four times now.

Posted by: Doctor Biobrain on January 23, 2009 at 5:34 PM

Your numbers lead one to believe McCain barely lost with 51% of 'whites' voting for him etc. Even with all the cheating Obama won overwhelmingly and I don't personally know anyone involved in those polls or anyone who was polled so I remain skeptical of those results...statistically speaking...I can't help but wonder how they arrived at those numbers.

I do know that a lot of poor and middle class ignorant arm chair warriors voted for McCain without any thought given to economics what so ever...in fact they weren't really voting "for" anyone just "against" Obama. Those statistics don't consider that income may have had nothing to do with the reasons for voting. I wonder if people will pay attention now in retrospect (Damn, I really was screwing myself by voting the way I did)...fat chance huh.

Could someone tell Sen. Kyl about payroll taxes? Please?

I mean, he won't listen to me because I'm not from Arizona, but could someone from Arizona please email him and tell him that working people pay tax even if they don't make enough to pay INCOME tax?

Please, Arizona, we're counting on you to clue this asshat in.

'I think "I won" is a lot more polite than a gloating remark like "Ah earned capital in this election. PO-liti-kal capital. And now Ah intend to spend it."'

Of course you're right, but I so would like to be a fly on the wall when Obama said just those words, in a phony Texass accent just like Dubya's, to the ReThugs face.

That would be so sweet.

"Telling Republicans the conversation is over before it begins is another."

What conversation? The ReThugs are incapable of engaging in conversation. At least, they were for 8 years.

Gloat now, but remember that the great unwashed have a short memory for anything but their pocketbooks. Yeah, Obama can be arrogant now but that road never stays straight. You dumb bastards can't even grasp the fact you actually have a chance to do good for this country, instead you waste your time on hating Bush or anyone else that doesn't agree with your dickless agenda.

Cal Gal: Come and get Arnie out of CA and leave AZ alone. We're going to need somplace to go when this state goes down the crapper.

It is more important than that Obama won, he won because of the strength of his argument. You hire a lawyer because they have a knack at winning arguments. They somehow convince most everyone that their arguments are correct.

So when Obama says "I won", he is actually saying he could easily win again, he knows how to win, he has proof that he can win.

In other words, Obama has reframed the debate. He has won the terms of the argument. In order for the republicans to go against Obama they must first redefine the terms. That is much more difficult than winning votes. The republicans are using old arguments. They don't work. Obama was simply noting this fact.

"...Democratic plan to give a tax credit to those who don't pay income taxes isn't a tax cut, but rather, a check."

Regardless of whether the Democrats won or not, Republicans are just wrong about this.

EVERYONE, regardless of income or wealth, pays taxes... you've got your income taxes, your payroll taxes, your sales taxes, your property taxes, your use fees (bridge tolls for example)... oh my... a bunch of taxes.

Republicans want us to pretend that income taxes should be the only ones that count... well, for this discussion, anyway.

But if a cut in income tax reduces your income tax to below zero, well then, that is just getting a cut on whatever other taxes you pay. And that's fair.

There are many Americans that make less than $30,000 that are not aware that the Republican party has never done anything to help them! Or do they not even care? Still they vote Republican!
It is ironic that they share in Social Security and Medicare benefits. Some workers, the fortunate ones, share in benefits provided by unions. How can anyone be that stupid?

I've read through most of these comments and looked for signs of intelligent life...what ever happened to Americans who could converse without insult or resorting to junior high cuss words to turn attention away from the immature poorly formed opinions? Does no one here respect the Presidency of the U.S. any longer? To refer to any president or former president in such demeaning terms is an indication of your own lack of what George Washington would have called "respect"...it's an archaic term to some, I know...(look it up, it's still in the dictionary!). All I see here is that President Obama can do no wrong...which is a dangerous way to think of any elected official. Our forefathers understood that no individual was above the temptations power inherently brings ---thus the federal republic was formed. Please realize that Pres. Obama is just a man, not a god and it is your responsibility to keep him and any other elected official from eroding your freedoms! There....I think I said all that without one single insult or cuss word...amazing!

Just got back from reading some of the comments on those republican sites.

I came to realize that certain things never change:

1) When Democrats lose elections, they form a circular firing squad and have at it.

2) When Republicans lose elections, they look at the winners and blame them for all the ills currently being experienced by everyone living in America - never mind the disaster having been caused by their own ideology to begin with.

I was hoping that at some point conservatives (small c)would start realizing that they have some blame as well, but to this point I haven't seen any. It looks more like some people NEVER change their mind.

Some of those nuts where blaming pretty much anything during the Bush years that didn't turn out the way they wanted on Clinton... one was even blaming Carter - if you can believe that. The number of wingnuts blaming Obama for pretty much anything that happened on Bush's watch in 2008 is certainly growing by the hour.

The mind reals... If God was truly a Republican, why didn't He/She have mercy on them and give them something more than a reptilian brain? Oops, it's that 6000 year thingy,... they didn't evolve and are permanently stuck with their reptilian brain.

I have asked several of my 'republican' clients this week, to find out if they saw Obama's inauguration, or if they saw a replay on TV, or even read parts of his speech. The answer has been the same each time: No.

So... I doubt they got the message. I did encourage them to read the transcript whenever they had some time; that they'd be pleasantly surprised about the uplifting message, and that it wasn't a partisan slam, other than repudiating some of Bush's worst policy decision. (Something even lifelong Republicans agree on)

The Republican Party is not the center of the Universe all though they are still held over that the world is flat and not round.

Though there is a similarity in the Democratic Party but it can be redeemed a great deal more with Honor than the Republicans can ever hope to.

A simple insult being sensationalized on the Neo-Con controlled networks is example by having the Inauguration Concert music being taped and played because the weather would make it difficult to tune up and play.

Well, how about the time Bush delivered a rubber turkey to America’s all important solders in arms way. What was that? Too many Americans and I am one look back to that as an insult beyond the compassion of a simpleton. Totally inadequate person to lead let alone to express gratitude in examples of appreciation, or shall we say an irresponsible presentation of honoring individuals for their life with a wonderful rubber turkey.

Obama should have a Bush Award “Rubber Turkey Day� tray for our troops with Sarah Palin as the hostess to wage a campaign to collect your old hockey pucks for recycle to make more rubber turkey’s…

All I see here is that President Obama can do no wrong...which is a dangerous way to think of any elected official.

Your concern is noted.

"I've read through most of these comments and looked for signs of intelligent life..."

Dear heart, you're taking yourself, and this comments section, far too seriously. I suggest you get a life.

"what ever happened to Americans who could converse without insult or resorting to junior high cuss words"

ROFL.... Nice ad hominen attacks. And such a complete avoidance of any substance of your own, as well as avoidance dealing with the substantive issues raised above. In short, you are guilty of precisely the sins you are accusing others of.

"to turn attention away from the immature poorly formed opinions?"

Q.E.D.

"Does no one here respect the Presidency of the U.S. any longer?"

Respect has to be earned.

"To refer to any president or former president in such demeaning terms is an indication of your own lack of what George Washington would have called 'respect'"

No, it's an indication of utter contempt for someone who richly deserves such contempt and has earned every epithet directed at him.

"All I see here is that President Obama can do no wrong..."

That says more about your perception than it does about anyone here.

"which is a dangerous way to think of any elected official.

LOL.... Nice, a self-contradicting post, and in just a few short sentences. Well done!

"There....I think I said all that without one single insult or cuss word...amazing!"

ROFL... Dear heart, mindless drivel is still drivel, regardless of whether you utter any cuss words.

And, of course, your last sentence is a lie since your entire post was an insult directed at some of the commenters here.

"You dumb bastards can't even grasp the fact you actually have a chance to do good for this country, instead you waste your time on hating Bush or anyone else that doesn't agree with your dickless agenda."

Actually, dear, it's because we have "grasped the fact that we actually have a chance to do good for this country" that we're rejoicing. The Republican economic proposals are, frankly, stupid. They would do nothing to ease the crisis we are in and are just mindless regurgitation of long-discredited theories.

There....I think I said all that without one single insult or cuss word...amazing!

Does anyone give a rats hairy ass that the concern troll needs an ice bag for that shoulder strain he inflicted patting himself on his self-righteous back?

"I have asked several of my 'republican' clients this week, to find out if they saw Obama's inauguration, or if they saw a replay on TV, or even read parts of his speech. The answer has been the same each time: No."

And all week I have been laughing at the thought that Obama's inaugural address was probably the first Obama speech that the Bushes ever heard. Can you imagine the shock W felt at the eloquence AND the repudiation? Priceless.

I love it. Go Obama! The Republicans were the ones acting elistist and arrogantly in disregard of the president of the United States of America with their losing complaints.

Don't you get it yet? We're not Republicans or Democrats, but Americans. You lost. Work with the president for the good of America, not this bipartisan crap. He didn't have to even invite you to the table, but is trying to include you, not exclude you as you would have done had you won. You're getting what you deserve.