Steve! How can you be so naive? Surely those Republicans were forced to join Obama's team because of death threats against their families! Its the iron hand in the velvet glove. Just as the Obama girls publicly receiving their H1N1 flu shots proves there is no flu epidemic so the hiring of seven republicans proves Obama is anti republican.

aimai

Obama needs to stop worrying about bipartisanship so much.

He actually needs to worry about losing the left a little more.

Obama's numbers slipping on his "willingness to work with people whose viewpoints are different from his own

Undoubtably people believe Obama is a "strident partisan," despite all evidence to the contrary, is more of the Fox "news" effect: the constant cacophony of bullshit from them and their viewers about how Obama is out to destroy everything good and pure and American and how obscenely wealthy, white, Christian men just can't catch a break from this mean ol' administration. Plus, I'd take any poll undertaken with the help of the Rupert Murdoch Journal with a very large grain of salt.

It's because Obama keeps hiring those pesky MODERATE Republicans...and the more strident members of the GOP keep whining about EVERYTHING...and the media reports the whining...nothing else.

Obama's approach is sound. Bush damaged the country so deeply, the best approach is to put the best people in place regardless of party affiliation. I don't agree with Hagel on most issues, but I'm willing to extend him the benifit of the doubt on this CIA mess.

It doesn't matter what Obama does the GOP will still whine about it with nonsensical slurs and demeaning accusations.

Just what we need...a WH surrounded with corporate dems and moderate republicans. So much for the progressive agenda...words, words, words; and from the republicans...blah, blah, blah.

There is only one party in charge.."The Money Party" whose army of corporate special interests lobbyists write policy and stand against the American people.

What the people want is simple...what congress does is complicate it with loopholes to protect corporate interests to make it look like the people are getting something. How does a big business defeat its competition...by becoming them and winning from both sides.

Obama will always be demonized by the opposition and never will there be any compromises. He needs to become like FDR if he is to actually accomplish anything...but I'm starting to feel he really never actually intended to change anything...just make it look like he was.

If Obama would stop worrying about bipartisanship and start worrying about enacting the policies and the platform upon which he campaigned, the criticism foisted upon him would be the glue to his rubber, bouncing off of him and sticking to the dillholes whining on Fox News. A majority of the people want him to succeed, but because he frets so much about appealing to the other side of the aisle, not enough gets accomplished. It gives all lots of time to listen to the carping, and some of us are prone to believe the lies if they're repeated enough.

Actually, I like Hagel. He's long been one of the most vocal critics of the neocons. He gave Obama a lot of cover when they went to Iraq together in the Summer of '08 (really pissing off McCain). I think we'll be seeing a lot of him on the bobblehead shows.

What Obama is doing is this: using this time that the Republicans have decided to become the party of Crazytown to make the Democratic Party the centrist party. That's not a great thing for progressives. We are being marginalized. the Democratic Party used to be the party of FDR and the New Deal. While we know it hasn't been for some time, they at least have had to throw us old time New Deal loving working people a bone now and then. Soon they won't have to. We have a choice between Crazytown or the Corporate Party. whoopee.

What is beginning to puzzle me is the level of support Obama continues to receive from liberal bloggers, who automatically leap to his defense with respect to whatever the latest flap is, notwithstanding Obama's continuing "bipartisan" push.

At a certain point, one would think, people would realize that liberals are not Obama's base, but rather that "bipartisans," - whoever that might be - are.

In which event we should realize that Rush's or Glenn Beck's saying something nasty about Obama really isn't our problem.

What Obama is doing is this: using this time that the Republicans have decided to become the party of Crazytown to make the Democratic Party the centrist party. That's not a great thing for progressives. We are being marginalized. the Democratic Party used to be the party of FDR and the New Deal. While we know it hasn't been for some time, they at least have had to throw us old time New Deal loving working people a bone now and then. Soon they won't have to. We have a choice between Crazytown or the Corporate Party. whoopee.

My grandfather died while working for Roosevelt's REA.

We are on this planet to do the things we believe in.

My grandfather believed in Roosevelt, Obama needs to believe in something beyond bipartisanship.

We know that Washington is full of sh*theads, why do we have to even give them the time of day?

To go forward, go with a vision. Not some idealized, mediafied pie-in-the-sky hold hands into eternity crap.

Anyone with more than half a brain should be able to see which party is the partisan one. People who vote Democratic either by choice or by default can only wish that the Democratic party was as partisan as the Republican party.

That Republican Congressman who became Obama's Secretary of the Army told the Army Times that segregating gay soldiers is a possible implementation plan should "Don't Ask Don't Tell" be repealed.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/army_mchugh_102409w/

It’s possible, for example, that homosexuals could be allowed into some occupations or units but barred from others, McHugh said, stressing that he was not aware of any such plans but only discussing how the issue might play out.

No such plans, my ass. That he said it AT ALL says that someone - or several someones - high up enough in the Pentagon are discussing it as a real possibility. This is the kind of Republican Obama has embraced, one who talks about segregation of the Armed Forces as a possibility. You know, the basic kind.

I don't think conservatives need to worry about bipartisanship. I think progressives need to face the mounting evidence that Obama sold us out in the end to centrists, the corporatocracy, and GOP hate voters in order to get re-elected.

I think said appointments are a good idea. Some day McConnell's hegemony will crack, and that day will come faster when GOP members lust for Obama dog-treats more than they fear the crazified GOP's retribution.

I actually hope the Republican moderate can win in the NY special congressional election next Tuesday. Realistic Republicans (read rich corporate contributors) need a little encouragement. And we can't hold the seat anyway.

"...homosexuals could be allowed into some occupations or units but barred from others..." Sec. Gates as quoted by Ephemereal @ 5:27 PM.
I will agree with Ephemereal that, undoubtedly, someone is talking about something like this as a solution. I mean, Heaven forbid, that some poor, well-brought-up young man or woman (read: brainwashed Xtian) should actually learn that being gay isn't a result of a pact with Satan! Might severely impair their chances for the Rapture, donchaknow? Or, to be a little more realistic, how can you maintain the homophobic fear if the members of the armed forces are serving with openly gay/lesbian co-members? The officer/s talking about this are fully aware that, in this instance, familiarity breeds, not contempt, but acceptance.
That's what worries them...

I'm not sure what more the White House can do on this front.

Resign and hand over the reins of power to Liz Cheney. Only then will he truly fulfill his promise of post-partisanship.

Obama isn't even president yet, and people are already dissatisfied with him. I dare say there are some people who will be dissatisfied no matter what he does, either because he''s black or because he''s a democrat or because they think he''s got funny ears. It doesn't matter the reason: the fact is that we all need to rally around our president-elect and give him the 10 weeks of transition (68 days left) to get his bearings and catch his breath after such a dynamite election campaign. Let's not start judging him until at LEAST January 21, 2009!

gifts for her