A very strange Oped piece appeared in the Globe and Mail on the weekend, written by none other than Stephen Harper. It was a follow up to a government announcement that we would be giving the Ukrainian military another 220 million dollars, on top of the 300 million already provided,
Continue readingTag: Barack Obama
Pushed to the Left and Loving It: Clearly Liberalism is Not Dead Though Conservatism May be On Life Support
When Stephen Harper was with the Reformers, promoting an American style conservative movement, he mocked Canada’s historic Conservative Party, because they boasted to be descended from Sir John A. MacDonald. “So what!” he said. Recently the Harper government conducted a poll to determine the top ten Canadians who inspired us.
Continue readingImpolitical: The long run
No, the blog is not dead. Apologies for the lengthy absences. I’m a little busy at the moment. But I wanted to post this item below that I drafted a while back.
For whatever reason, this blog post by Andrew Sullivan hit a few notes with me and I wanted to link to it here. On the occasion of a surprisingly positive deadline result in sign-ups for eligibility for the Affordable Care Act in the U.S., aka “Obamacare,” Sullivan noted it as one more stage of Obama’s presidential success:
Last fall, I argued that Obama’s presidency, already historic in significant ways, would become as influential as Reagan’s if two things happened: if the ACA stuck and American entered an era of near-universal healthcare; and if the negotiations with Iran led to an end of sanctions and a controlled Iranian nuclear capability. Both would be generational game-changers – one in domestic policy, the other in foreign affairs. I’ve also long argued that Obama’s entire presidency makes no sense if you try and judge it by its ability to spike the polls in any given news cycle.
So where are we? Too soon to tell on Iran. But after a clear, self-inflicted disaster – the website’s debut – we’ve seen a classic Obama pattern. The fail is replaced by a dogged, persistent, relentless attempt at repair. I’d argue that the competence behind the repair of the site and the revival of the ACA’s fortunes has been as striking as the original incompetence. And we do not and should not judge a president by his mistakes; the critical judgment is in how he responds to those mistakes. As Dick Cheney might put it, the results speak for themselves:
In 2017 there will be, according to the CBO, 36 million Americans newly covered by ACA through exchange policies or Medicaid. That’s a huge number of voters. You have to live in Foxland to think that any great number of these will see themselves as victims of coercion rather than beneficiaries of a terrific entitlement. The second reason comes from the ramshackle, Heath Robinson (Am.E: Rube Goldberg) nature of the Act. This makes it so hard to understand what is going on. More important, it means that any remotely feasible replacement will also be hugely complicated. Simple repeal and reversion to the status quo ante will be as as unacceptable to the electorate as single-payer.Worse, the Republicans are now in the position of nit-picking, cold-water dousing and general negativity that tends not to wear well over time. Once again, it seems to me, they have misjudged this president’s long game.
We’ve been here so many times before with this president – when he seems temporarily becalmed, inert, unable or unwilling to seize every moment. But over the long run, you see the virtues of persistence, relentlessness and pragmatic advance. The opes he once inspired may be dimmed or dashed right now; but in the cold light of day, they shouldn’t be. Like the slow, excruciating accumulation of delegates in the epic 2008 primary campaign, Obama never puts it away until he puts it away. But it’s coming. And more and more people are beginning to see it.
It’s challenging to be dogged and with an eye on the long run in today’s Twitter-driven, 24-7 media cycle/era. Whatever you think of Obama, and how far the Americans should have gone in the first place with their health care reform (say we Canadians, home of a single-payer system), the Affordable Care Act is achieving health care coverage success for those opting in to it despite all the self-inflicted problems involved in trying to get it off the ground.
For the much more conservative America to have finally achieved this progressive victory in health care legislation is inspiring. It marks a measured but solid success given the constraints faced by this President (which seem to grow worse by the day in the U.S.). So I think it says something about how to be successful in getting things done in this modern political era. Be dogged, don’t sweat the mistakes, carry on regardless. Keep navigating the political terrain with an eye on the long run.
It also says something about the character required to persevere. The very human things that are suggested here and are required in order for a leader to push on with an agenda despite mistakes that have to be overcome. Obama has those qualities. Look around the Canadian scene. See any leaders who have it? For better or worse? I do. And I’m hoping for the good ones in the long run.
Continue readingImpolitical: The long run
No, the blog is not dead. Apologies for the lengthy absences. I’m a little busy at the moment. But I wanted to post this item below that I drafted a while back. For whatever reason, this blog post by Andrew Sullivan hit a few notes with me and I wanted
Continue readingImpolitical: The long run
No, the blog is not dead. Apologies for the lengthy absences. I’m a little busy at the moment. But I wanted to post this item below that I drafted a while back. For whatever reason, this blog post by Andrew Sullivan hit a few notes with me and I wanted
Continue readingLeDaro: Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama: Don’t approve Keyston XL Pipeline
I believe Jimmy Carter was one of the best president U.S ever had. I suppose nice guy finishes last. Too bad he did not win the second term. He is giving a great advice to Obama. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks during an interview on Monday March 24, 2014 in
Continue readingLeDaro: Rep. John Lewis’s dance
Clapping and swinging his hips, civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis danced to Pharrell Williams’ hit song “Happy” in a recent YouTube post.“This is my song!” the 74-year-old Georgia Democrat exclaimed… Mr. Lewis hopes that good days are ahead as the civil rights movement has made a lot of progress
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Ukraine Crisis: The Harper Conservatives Are NOT Canada
by: Obert Madondo Last week’s “Canadian delegation” to Ukraine wasn’t a Canadian delegation. It was an all-Conservative outfit. The opposition was completely shut out. The shut out reminds me of how Third World tyrants do politics. How they exploit global crises to score cheap domestic political points. The shut out makes
Continue readingLeDaro: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – A New Cold War?
Is there a new Cold War? The situation in Ukraine is escalating with Russian troops invading the Crimea, and with concerns about Russian soldiers potentially advancing further. There has been a dip in world markets in response to this news. The United States has halted trade and investment talks with
Continue readingLeDaro: Artist Saint Hoax turns Obama and Putin into drag queens
It is quite funny. 🙂 Read more here. Baricka O’Bisha Vladdy Pushin’
Continue readingLeDaro: Putin in deep thoughts
He is thinking how to deal with Obama.;) He is upset that his buddy Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovich has been toppled by the Ukrainian Parliament. Putin thinks that that is what Obama wanted. Is cold war on again?
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper’s Sad and Pathetic Return to Canada
He's back in Canada after his disastrous trip to Mexico and rarely has he looked so diminished.For while he is desperately trying to spin the trip into a triumph, nothing can conceal the humiliation of this slap in the face. Read more »
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Redford’s top advisor earns more than Obama’s top advisor, claims Wildrose
TweetPremier Alison Redford‘s chief of staff earns a bigger salary than his counterpart in the West Wing, claimed the official opposition Wildrose in a press release yesterday. As the salary disclosure ”sunshine list” of Alberta’s senior public servants who earn more than $100,000 annually was released late last week, opposition critics honed in on Ms.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Small changes may signal glimmer of awareness of trouble ahead among rank and file Tory MLAs
Members of Alison Redford’s brain trust plan the latest hashtags in the Twitter war with AUPE … No! Wait! That’s Bob MacNamara telling LBJ about his plans for the war in Vietnam! What the hey? Below: That rude info-graphic; Red House Chief of Staff Farouk Adatia; White House Chief of
Continue readingLeDaro: Obama’s State of Union Address in 60 seconds
Interesting. At least he recognizes climate change and need for clean energy. He also recognizes the need to do something about the inequality in U. S society. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Ted Cruz: For God (& country’s) sake, talk to Conrad Black before you shred your Canadian passport!
Canada or USA? USA or Canada? Texas Senator Ted Cruz, visible between the signs, ponders what he should do. Actual Tea Party favourites may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Cruz waves bye-bye to his fellow Canadians … maybe; Lord Black of Crossharbour. It’s said here that Calgary native
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Alberta’s 13 most under-reported political news stories of 2013
Another aircraft takes off from Fort McMurray International Aerodrome loaded with CO2 captured from Alberta’s Athabasca bitumen sands. The gas will be stored in the basements of Russian buildings as part of a deal worked out through the province’s $2-billion “carbon capture” program. Actual Alberta carbon capture boondoggles may not
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Ex-Harper adviser blasts Keystone XL, calls Canada a “rogue state”
Ex-Harper appointee Mark Jaccard trashed the Conservatives’ support of the tar sands industry during a key Keystone XL summit in Washington D.C. on Monday. The post Ex-Harper adviser blasts Keystone XL, calls Canada a “rogue state” appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Coming soon, perhaps, a legitimate reason for Canadians to thank Conrad Black!
Linda McQuaig addresses the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees annual convention in 2008. (AUPE photo taken by Daryl Dyck.) Below: Conrad Black in the uniform of the Governor General’s Foot Guard, and not, as you may have thought, that of a security guard. It occurs to me that we Canadians
Continue readingLeDaro: The end of Barack Obama’s presidency is imminant?
Is this propaganda by Repugs or is there some truth to it? This and these kinds of videos are all over the internet?
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