Legal Commentary

Why There Is No Progressive Movement For Obama

By Big Tent Democrat

E.J. Dionne asks why there is such a heated Tea Party movement against Obama. In the process, he indvertently explains why there is no progressive movement fighting for Obama:

Most of the left simply doesn't see him as especially liberal [. . .] Obama, after all, is the man who saved the banks and the capital markets. Now the bankers are secure and most of them are still rich.

His health-care proposals stopped far short of the single-payer system that so many liberals have long sought [. . .] Obama put absolutely no political muscle behind the progressives' backup idea: a public option that could have served as a beachhead for a single-payer system.

The president is also decidedly moderate on budget questions. His stimulus plan was, if anything, too small. And Obama [. . .] endorsed a bipartisan commission to reach a deal on deficit reduction. The idea originated with centrist Democrats and moderately conservative Republicans -- and most liberals opposed it.

Sort of explains the progressive reaction to Obama don't you think?

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 11, 2010 (boomark / email).