I will freely admit to having moments of frustration and anger regarding the course our nation is on. I want healthcare solved, not worked on, but solved.

But I have also been thinking a lot this weekend, and discussing our situation with friends. The situation is one where Obama has a conflict between desire and ability. Does he desire to fix healhtcare, wages, the environment and other issues? I absolutely believe he does.

But think about what he has to deal with- an American economy that is in the worst shape it has been in in over seventy years. The threat of terrorism and the need to do what he can as an international leader to put out the fires. And an increasingly insane and unhinged minority party that is looking for anything- ANYTHING- to stab him in the back with.

Given this, does it make political sense for Obama to push for nationalized healthcare NOW? No. I admit this- I'm upset by the reality of it- but there it is. Does it mean he cannot address this or other issues in the future? Of course not.

We progressives have been handed a golden opportunity. It behooves us to work together to further our goals in a positive way- not to bitch and piss and moan because everything we wanted didn't happen within days of the inauguration.

Think of how much worse off we would be with the alternative. We have to keep focused and work with our President, not against him. He is our candidate, he is what we have to work with. It would be unforgivable if we allow our current disappointments to give Republicans room to coast into power in a few years. Politics is a long game. Let's get back into that mindset.

All of this right wing hysteria over Obama reminds me of all of the nonsense the right wing and all of their mouth breathing pundits trotted out during the Clinton administration. Remember the Clinton "murder list"? Or Hillary's "illegal financial wranglings"? It was all b.s. but some people bought it, as they are seemingly doing now.

The point is- the minority party in this country is comprised of childish, illogical cretins. They are going insane because they are out of power- and their heads are really exploding over the fact that they lost to a man of color. There is a gigantic racist aspect to the right's hatred of Obama. Remember Limbaugh's "Barack the Magic Negro" song? A thoroughly disgusting racist display.

Moreover, they are not only going crazy about this- but fuming over Obama's competence, and his still enormous popularity with the citizenry of this country.

They harp on his "teleprompter" usage because Bush was the most fumbling, bumbling idiot of a President we've ever had when speaking publicly and without a teleprompter. Classic projection.

Every single one of these myths are nothing more than fear mongering without a shred of logical evidence to stand upon. (Although, I will say I would like a return to the Fairness Doctrine in our massively biased, corporate media.) And, sadly, it's nothing more than the tired-ass "tactics" we've been getting from the right for almost twenty years. All fear, and no substance. And more importantly- no ideas. If this is the Republican party's best tactic on how to climb out of the morass, they're going to be in the wilderness for a long time yet. Which is FINE by me.

We need a strong counterpoint to this garbage. The media should actually do their jobs to dispel this crap (yeah, right) and we should counter this on the web, in blogs, and when these myths come up in casual conversation. Hannity, Limbaugh and Beck- they are idiots of the largest degree. Let's not allow them to skate by on this, as they have with so much else.

and I'm having a hard time with it. I know that politics is like chess, but come on. I can't imagine that advocating a repeal of DADT is so politically risky that it can't be done.

DADT is an awful, ineffective policy that hurts our military more than it helps it. All of these Arabic speaking translators being kicked out for being gay- Gee...doesn't it seem like they might be USEFUL right now?

that when speaking, Palin is as incoherent and rambling as ever.

"I mean Obama probably isn't MUSLIM. But it's okay to be MUSLIM. I mean, he went to a MUSLIM country and gave a speech to MUSLIM people. He has a MUSLIM middle name..."

And then a crack about Hitler too.

What a dick.

As many posters have probably mentioned, the political systems present in Europe- even if rightist- are not going to act in the same way our Republican party does. Even if right leaning parties have won offices in Europe- they will still have nationalized healthcare (like we should) and all of the benefits that go along with it.

It's not as though the right wing parties of Europe are going to start tearing down worker protections, deregulating their financial industries, re adjusting CEO compensations to 1000 times that of an average employee, forcing fundamentalist religion into the secular mechanations of government, denying equal rights to minority populations, removing access to healthcare, torturing people and starting wars of choice.

That's what OUR right wing does.

Accurate.

Most of the tough talkin' right wingin' blowhards (Cheney, Limbaugh) are more than happy to stoke any kind of violent fire, just so long as their precious lilly asses don't see any REAL danger. (See: Vietnam, war in).

Why should it be any different in a domestic setting, where they're free and happy to let any talk radio saturated nutcase do their, and "God's", bidding for them?