Never pass up a chance to sit down or relieve yourself. -old Apache saying

Sunday, December 19, 2010

DADT repealed

Well, lo and behold, the Congress finally did something meaningful by repealing the silly and counterproductive "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, passed almost 20 years ago in Bill Clinton's first term as President.

Republicans had been blocking the repeal, as they have been blocking almost every single piece of legislation during Obama's presidency. I am sure that we are now going to hear a steady chorus of how Obama has gotten his mojo back, and how Obama is relevant again, and how December was a very good month for Obama. Hogwash.

I know that the Republicans have thrown every roadblock possible into Obama's agenda. Still, the Democrats COULD have revised the filibuster rule at the start of Obama's term, or after the first year. But no, for some reason, they chose to keep the filibuster rule as is, allowing the Republicans to block everything. Only NOW, when the Democrats have lost the House, and virtually nothing of merit will now emerge from there, are Democrats talking about revising the filibuster rules, NOW THAT IT WON'T EVEN MATTER!!

Obama's big Wall Street and health insurance reforms? Pitiful and weak.

Wall Street is left in charge and nothing is done to regulate derivatives, one of the big causes of the meltdown. No caps on interest credit card companies can charge? Pathetic. No cap on how much health insurance companies can increase rates? Weak. No public option to keep the health insurance companies honest? Figures.

How about that backroom deal Obama made with drug companies to disallow re-importation of drugs from abroad, or the agreement not to bargain collectively to reduce Rx prices? Shameful! Sure, Obama, give away the farm, and then brag how important the legislation is? Give me a break. I am no longer convinced the guy is even a Democrat.

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