Is Barack Obama Insane?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

Is our president insane?

When pushing the stimulus package he was all about bipartisanship. He insisted on creating a bipartisan bill that even Republicans could get on board with. He cut several things including things that EVERY economist agree are some of the best forms of economic stimulus like unemployment benefits and food stamps. All in the name of satisfying Republicans in the Senate. In the end it netted him THREE Republican votes between the House AND Senate and one of those 3 GOPers jumped ship to the Dems a week later.

So now Health Care Reform rolls along and he insists on a bipartisan bill again. OK... fair enough. Health Care Reform is something everyone knows we need and nearly every American wants. Let's give the Repubs a chance to redeem themselves and prove that they aren't the "Party of NO." Months into the debate and there has been no progress at all. Every single Republican in the the House and Senate STILL oppose the Bill. Many of them are guilty of starting or proliferating egregious lies ranging from taking money away from Medicare all the way up to this utterly ridiculous death panel garbage. He's even been betrayed by the man that was supposed to be the go-to guy to get Republicans behind Health Reform, Senator Chuck Grassley. In the past week Senator Grassley has not only tried to lend credence to the death panel bullshit but has now publicly stated that he will NOT vote for a bill - even if he supports it himself - unless it garners widespread Republican support. Basically saying the party comes before anything else (including the health and well being of the American people) and he'd rather kill a good bill than betray his party. At the same time he's been slamming Obama for alleged "intellectual dishonesty" (a claim he has yet to back up with any substance.) In perhaps his most disgusting move, Grassley even invoked the name of Senator Edward Kennedy in a recent Twitter war of words with Arlen Specter; making the (false) assertion that in an UK or Canada-style, state-run health system Senator Kennedy would be denied cancer treatment due to his advanced age.

And this is the great mediator, the compromiser that was going to spearhead bipartisan support for health care reform.

Yet still despite all of this we keep hearing Obama talk about bipartisanship. He even praised Senator Grassley YESTERDAY during a speech for his outstanding work on the health care reform bill. He refuses to let go of this idea of a bipartisan bill. Ignoring the fact that he doesn't need a SINGLE Republican vote to pass the bill through the House or Senate and ignoring the fact that the Party of No that he's reached out to since his inauguration continues to spew lies and half truths while slamming him and dragging him through the mud every chance they get. Yet he continues to reach out.

He reached out his hand in friendship, they responded by punching him in the mouth and spitting on him while he was down, so he gets up and reaches his hand out again. And again. And again...

So I ask you, going by Albert Einstein's definition, is President Barack Obama insane? Or is do you think there is some kind of master plan here that myself and other increasingly frustrated supports of Health Care Reform are missing? What has happened to our bastion of Hope, America's beacon of change?

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on August 21, 2009 at 6:52pm

Maybe he is insane. Or he is a genius. I can't tell at this point, but I sure wish Barney Frank would give lessons to other Dems on how to handle screaming morons. As far as Obama, I think he is used to playing the good cop and he is only lacking a bad cop to push his agendas through.

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Permalink Reply by SabreNation on August 21, 2009 at 7:02pm

I thought Rahm Emmanuel was supposed to be the bad cop? What ever happened to him anyway? We haven't heard a peep from or about him since the inauguration.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on August 21, 2009 at 7:08pm

I almost mentioned that in the above comment! Yeah, he seems to be rather quiet.

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Permalink Reply by SabreNation on August 21, 2009 at 9:16pm

Oh and something I forgot to mention in my other reply. Was the look on that astroturf protester's face while Frank ripped her to pieces absolutely CLASSIC or what? She looked like she wanted to cry.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on August 21, 2009 at 9:54pm

I think I saw the moment when she realized that she was being an out of control ass.

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Permalink Reply by SabreNation on August 22, 2009 at 8:41am

What, exactly, does religion have to do with ANY of this?

I can see the connection you're TRYING to make but it's a frivolous and baseless as Betsy McCaughey's attempt to make a connection between end-of-life counseling and "death panels." This has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with a guy trying too hard to make EVERYONE happy. I'll never understand why so many atheists insist on trying to inject religion into EVERYTHING.

The point is that Obama HAS been flexible, he's tried to compromise and it's gotten him nowhere. He's even dangled the idea of dropping the public option (which he originally said was an integral part of his reform) and the majority of Republicans are STILL saying it's not enough. No matter what he agrees to give up, it's never enough for them, they always want him to give up more and that is the stance they will take until his reform bill has been COMPLETELY crippled. Then when he passes a crippled bill that doesn't work those same people will say "See!!! We told you not to let the government touch health care!!!"

When the folks you're negotiating with start comparing you to Hitler and bringing ASSAULT RIFLES to your rallies, maybe it's time to stop negotiating with them.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on August 22, 2009 at 10:18am

I don't think doone meant the inaugural speech comment as anything but an offhand remark. Besides, we are on a site for atheists, which the binding force is our rejection of religion, so it wasn't as if it was completely out of left field. But your point stands that this particular topic is not about religion. I just didn't think doone was intending to hijack the thread.

You are right that the time for appeasement has long ended. The Dems have the numbers to push this through. The Dems that are holding out for whatever reason are the only opposition that Obama needs to handle. The Republicans need to be shoved aside. But, I hate to say that I don't have much faith (pun intended) in the democrats to get the job done.

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Permalink Reply by Dave G on August 24, 2009 at 1:37pm

Neither do I. One of the major flaws in the Democratic party is a complete lack of spine.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on August 24, 2009 at 2:52pm

One of the very few accurate accusations made by Republicans these days.

Permalink Reply by Wesley on September 2, 2009 at 11:44pm

I think its important that he's on record as 'bending over backwards' trying to work together on this.... and I think he now has enough public evidence for this to go on ahead and do what needs to be done.

I think we have a great sampling of people showing their true colors.. who do not want to help the majority of people who are suffering and in need because of the possibility that the level of their own health care might be affected.

These are the republicans that EVERYONE needs to get a good look at. I'm glad we are getting coverage of these assholes exposing themselves to the world. Let them make their own nooses.

Now its time to take all this material and use it in a constructive way and go ahead and pass a healthcare reform bill.

If republicans don't like it... they need to cop to the fact that they have neglected the plight of many for years and years and its one of the reasons they are no longer in power. They should have been working on a healthcare reform package when they had a chance.... but they didn't.

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Permalink Reply by elaine kilshaw on August 22, 2009 at 7:06am

I live in the UK. I am a senior citizen and I am having all my prescription s free, my hospital treatment at the moment includes accure puncture and laser treatment.free.I have just had x-rays taken and will get my results in a week or so. Not bad eh.
We may have our faults but it is free on the health service.

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Permalink Reply by SabreNation on August 22, 2009 at 8:44am

I wish I could buy you some air time on some Republican/Conservative talk radio or TV shows here.

According to the Republicans you can't get that kind of care where you live because you're a senior citizen and thus not worth the cost. You're lucky you don't live in American under Obamacare or the "death panels" would euthanize you!!! *rolleyes*

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