What's that you say?

You don't have ONE MILLION DOLLARS??

Then why would you think you can expect Obama to pay any attention top YOU????

Are saying, in essence, "We liked the positions you took during the campaign and we didn't like the positions of the Bush Administration. We voted you into office to lead the nation in executing a program of political, economic, and social change that would bring our nation back to operating within the law and serving liberty and justice. We have lives to lead outside the political arena and trusted you to take the necessary action. Now we find that our trust has been betrayed and that your actions are contrary to what you said you would do, contrary to the needs of the people, and contrary to the Constitution."

So what's up with Obama, or any of the politicians in Washington DC, anyway? All my own letters are answered with thanks for my interest in an issue, then an explanation of why my congressman or senator is going ahead with his or her original approach to a specific problem (medical insurance reform, war, etc.) without regard to my opinion. Not exactly the most motivating response, is it?

Well, I, for one, am not going to vote for any of these liars and lackeys for the financial oligarchy anymore.

Democrats must remember that political power is the means to an end, not an end in itself.

If Obama and the Democrats would exercize the power they have been given to further the interests of average Americans, the people would follow.

It's called leadership. Democrats seem to have forgotten the meaning of the term.

As it stands, congressional Democrats seem more like a group of independent freelancers -- devoid of leadership, common strategy, rhetoric or agenda -- and a political party in name only.

Diner: My steak is seething with MAGGOTS!

Waiter: Would you like some ketchup?

Can you please put a poison apple in Robert Reich's hand?

That smile of his needs a poison apple in front of it.

This from Robert Reich who supported repealing the Glass-Steigal Act and gave the architect of the destruction of the oh-so-necessary regulation of the US financial system, the right-wing fascist Phil Grahm, anything and everything he wanted under a DEMOCRATIC regime.

You, Sir, are the reason we are in this mess. We'll fix it with out your sanctimonious prattling. The last thing America needs to hear is, "I'm Robert Reich and I'm here to help."

I like your handle, but as far as the U.S. goes, I think "fight the plutocracy" would be more appropriate.

I think you're right about the media, in so far as it goes, but that you're naive to think the only reason the majority of Democratic reps support pro-corporate anti-public interest measures is that they don't have effective media outlets.

In my opinion, a lot of them are working with a slightly more liberal spin for the corporations who have paid for their campaigns. The difference between the parties, unfortunately, is not that great, except for the notable exceptions: Kucinich, Feingold, Kennedy, Sanders, Dorgen, Brown, Harkin, Webb, and a very few others.

Dear Robert,

Excellent suggestion, and I hope that many people follow it. However, I have a few questions/observations: I don't believe that Obama has "lost his confidence" as some people believe nor do I think that he is doing much different than what he first promised. What I do wonder is does he think that he is doing what is politically possible?

The President in the US is actually not as powerful a position as many people seem to assume. He is much less powerful, for example, than the Prime Minister in a parliamentary system. This is because everything - particularly domestic policy - must go through Congress. The US Congress is a right-wing institution. Democrats and Republicans occupy slightly different parts of the right wing spectrum. Obama can be very left-leaning in his personal inclinations, but that does not mean that he can force the Congress to do what he wants it to. Obama's major characteristic as a politician has been his pragmatism. Maybe, pragmatically, he is doing what he thinks can be done, and maybe he has a strategy for trying to push things more in the direction that he would like, over the longer term.

It appears that Obama's various efforts to go directly to the public is part of his strategy to do what Dr. Reich suggests and to put pressure on Congress to do what he wants it to do. But, again, we should probably be looking more closely at the political disposition of Congress rather than just trying to decode Obama if we want to understand what may be going on.

Sincerely,

Shaun

Really? Obama has proven his dislike and distrust of what the electorate think. If there is any "part" I wish to contribute, it would be to somehow stop all the the jammed through, unread bills that have his blessing.

This guy doesn't want you thinking.

No room for cynicism--that's the Boehner/Cantor/McConnell/KylRepublican et al game.

Trust means we do not do our part. That won't do either.

Let's act. Here's a way to start. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) made a great Senate speech last week pointing out the health benefits members of Congress receive.That's what a public option is all about.

Let everyone write, call for, campaign that every legislator support a public option or do what Brown does and pay for his/her own health insurance. That's holding Congress's feet to the fire.

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, however, and I never seem to feel like the addresses needed would be easy to find, although of course they are. I guess I also am defeated by my own lack of trust that any politician would care unless I had money. Or worse yet, real fear of retribution when the likes of the Neocons were more in power. They actually turned tank guns towards the reporters hotel early in their Iraq war and fired. Evidently it is still not safe or allowed for the media to report that story, or to state the obvious truth if it does not conform with corporate elite needs. But I have been saying on fb: Hooray! for--anti-smoking, clean energy bill, reproductive rights, National Health Care. I really like you, Robert Reich, you are great!