Even More
Sirota attacks Obama again with a great line:
I sincerely hope that Obama becomes a conviction politician, whether he stays in the Senate or runs for President. I mean that, because our side needs conviction politicians with his skills, and because I don’t want to see our movement be tricked by someone who is not part of the movement. If he becomes a conviction politician, then there is no quandary for progressives, and he would make a great president – one that I would loudly cheer on.
It’s true, Obama hasn’t taken on Sirota’s primary issues, but I’d hardly call the issues he has taken on trivial.
Darfur, Non-proliferation, AIDS in Africa, CAFE Standards tied to health care cost relief, Ethics, and transparency in government.
The best line from Sirota:
However, the admission that Barack Obama has to hustle now to create accomplishments as a WAY to run for President rather than him running for President as a way to nationalize accomplishments he’s already achieved or merely TRIED to achieve is really a sad commentary on the substance-free nature of American politics today.
I remember a time when nuclear weapons were actually a significant issue for the left. When did that stop being the case? Seriously, what the fuck is going on when someone takes on both human rights and security in terms of nuclear weapons and he’s called a lightweight?
Somehow Sirota has confused not introducing a bill pushing for public financing of campaigns as a sign that Obama isn’t really trying when any such bill would have been killed before it even got a hearing.
Is David Sirota’s idea of accomplishing things introducing bills that don’t go anywhere? If so, that should tell us a lot about his expectations.
But one of the more telling things about the criticisms of Obama aren’t that they are a fair criticism involving the lack of executive experience (also true of all the other Senators running other than Bayh), but that the criticisms ignore that many of the others have remarkably thin legislative records. John Kerry’s primary accomplishment as a Senator was the BCCI investigation, but his legislative record is weak. John Edwards has a weak legislative record and for decent reasons–he was only a one term Senator.
Dodd has a good record and I would have to go back to pull it up, but Dodd isn’t going anywhere. Biden has a record. We’ll leave it at that as does Bayh. Clinton? Her biggest failure legislatively was universal health care–see Brad DeLong for some great takes on that fiasco.
I think primaries are good so I have no problem with people disagreeing with me, but I’d love for the criticisms of Obama to deal with the whole guy and not some cherry picked quotes from poor news coverage. Usually there is a healthy level of skepticism on blogs about news stories.
Beyond that, while calling his experience to be thin is a legitimate point, attacking him for having few legislative accomplishments when the top candidates opposing him have thin records is a bit odd to say the least.
December 7th, 2006 at
Love me some Sirota bashing.
The things Barack did before the U.S. Senate also must not have anything to do with the Sirota So-Called progressive agenda.
Community organizing for fair housing rights, voter registration back in 92, his work as civil rights lawyer, ensuring fairness in the criminal justice system, the earned income tax credit, raising the minimum wage and protecting workers from the Bush administration destroying overtime.
Nope, not progressive at all. Clearly he’s a triangulating, no principles, fooling everyone with charm and rhetoric kinda guy.
Good thing we have the likes of Sirota to save us all.
December 7th, 2006 at
I really don’t know what Sirota’s problem is. Perhaps he would prefer that HRC become the nominee? Because it may well happen if Obama is taken down.
I’m a bit concerned with his relative lack of experience in world affairs. I have no such qualms with his domestic expertise, based on his record as a state senator. The right running mate (Clark, Richardson) could help defuse that as a campaign issue.
I’m relatively new to Illinois (moved here in August, from Florida) so I’m still learning about Obama. Even as a rookie U.S. Senator he is a big step up from Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez!
Andy
Alton IL
December 8th, 2006 at
Sirota, clearly, is disappointed in Obama. He wants Obama to be an in your face screamer. He wants him to stand up in the Senate and grandstand a la Feingold (whom I greatly and admire and respect). He wants Obama to fight lonely battles against impossible odds and lose.
He wants Obama to be everything he’s not, and everything Sirota dreams of at night.
Sirota, I think – though he won’t admit it, also feels hurt that Obama didn’t campaign for his boy Lamont. The funny thing here is, is that Lamont is to the right of Obama on, well, everything. Lamont is a big business tycoon. Obama is a Constitutional Law Professor. Could there be a bigger contrast?
Sirota has a weird personal vendetta against Obama.
It sucks because I like and respect Sirota. I wanted Lamont to win. I would have liked it if Obama had showed up to say a few kind words about Lamont.
Sirota is also a movement guy. Obama is not a movement guy. Obama’s a politician. Movement people don’t win elected office, they force the national discussion to change over time, if they are successful.
December 8th, 2006 at
Jerry, I think you’ve made some great points and generally we agree. I think one thing about Obama though is that while he isn’t what I’d call a movement guy, he has been in the past–being a Senator pretty much means you aren’t any more, but he is a guy that did grassroots organizing including voter registration drives that were remarkably successful.
My increasing frustration with Sirota is partially based on this–no politician is perfect and I don’t mind legit criticism of Obama–he is relatively inexperienced than my ideal candidate. But the thing is compared to Sirota, Obama did far more for the grassroots and understands the tensions pretty well. There’s no recognition of that history by Sirota.
December 8th, 2006 at
Damn right. He has tackled issues no one has in years. He is bringing them to light and that is a great and important thing he is doing.
You rightly point out that Sirota makes no mention of Obama’s history prior to the Senate. Keep up that great work.