Low Expectations Aid Obama

Leveler-in-Chief always seems to be having such a good time being Preezy

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We're All Lame Ducks Now

Putin, Chávez: Ditch 22nd Amendment, curb oppressive, arbitrary term limit

From The New York Times Upfront, the magazine for teens:

The 22nd Amendment is antidemocratic. Term limits deny the nation the opportunity to re-elect successful presidents. If Americans are pleased with the performance of their chief executive, why force him out because of a fear of power? Our checks and balances system is strong enough to resist over-weening ambition.

The 22nd Amendment robs us of the most experienced people for the office. Why not let the American people decide if they want to take advantage of that service instead of risking the job on an untried leader?

The Amendment also reduces the political power of the president to unacceptable levels. The day after a president wins a second term, everyone knows he is an instant lame duck. At the moment of his highest experience and level of authority, the president's ability to shape the policy agenda is diminished because everyone knows when he is leaving office. Attention quickly shifts to speculation about a successor, and soon he can do little more than focus on foreign policy. Pressing domestic tasks end up waiting until after the next election.

One purpose of elections is to reward or punish leaders for their performance. Since second-term presidents will not face the electorate again, they have an incentive to use their discretionary authority without fear of retribution. In other words, they are less accountable to the public.

Term limits target a phantom problem, and the costs outweigh the benefits. The Framers were right to reject them, and so should we.

From: The Daily Kos, "Repeal the 22nd amendment"

Dear Republicans,

There's lots of things you've proposed doing to the Constitution in recent years. Modifying the 14th so fewer brown people are citizens; repealing the 16th amendment permitting income taxes; repealing the 17th amendment allowing direct election of Senators; restating the 2nd amendment so that all the judges understand it means that you can mount a chain gun on your F-150 if you so desire; and of course the fabled "life begins at conception" amendment.

That's quite a bit of tinkering with our foundational law, but you seem to believe it necessary. In the spirit of bipartisan cooperation and good feelings all around, I'd like you to consider my proposed tinkering: repeal the 22nd amendment.

The latest news stories on 'Repealing the 22nd Amendment': here.

Obama Wins Again!

A nation of New Prog takers sets complete plunder of makers, savers

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"... Despots we see, do plunder their subjects, though history and experience tell them that, by prematurely extracting the means of profusion, they are in fact devouring the seed-corn from which the future harvest of revenue is to spring." - Thomas Babington Macaulay

Click image for President Obama's Cloward-Piven Strategy

The Radical Majority Has Spoken

We're all Alinskyite have-nots now!

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(story at sadhillnews.com)

 
Bonus link: Summary of Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals'

Lenin-Trotsky-Stalin, CWA, Si Newhouse

On this day: November 8

The People's Commissars give authority to Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin (1917)

Beer Hall Putsch: Hitler's Nazis fail to overthrow the German government (1923)

FDR unveils the Civil Works Administration for the unemployed (1933)

The right ear of John Paul Getty III is delivered to a newspaper together with a ransom note for $2.9 million (1973)

President Barack Obama comments on the Fort Hood killings of November 5 by Islamist Major Nidal Malik Hasan (2009)

b: Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1901), Dorothy Day (1897), Samuel Irving Newhouse, Jr. (1927); d: Vyacheslav Molotov (1986)

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