Thieleman's criticism of president unjustified
I guess it’s a good thing that Eric Thieleman is indifferent to torture, because getting through his most recent column was just that. It was so bloated with generic political invective I could have sworn that it was pieced together from crumpled up pieces of paper from Glenn Beck’s wastebasket.
For the record, President Barack Obama has:
Stopped the Great Recession from becoming an Apocalyptic Depression.
Saved the auto industry, which is now making green cars and turning a profit.
Reversed the federal ban on stem cell research.
Invested in green energy jobs and ordered new government buildings to be zero emission.
Reformed and expanded federal student aid, saving families $9 billion.
Funded American cities that struggle with gang violence to fight against it.
Ended federal prosecution of medicinal marijuana users.
Preserved two million acres of wilderness that were threatened by loggers, miners and polluters.
Passed a stimulus bill that helped build and restore highways and railroads, which has been especially needed here in Michigan.
Cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses.
Moved health care reform further along than any president.
Saved Americans from pirates near Somalia.
Called for an end to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a heinously bigoted policy of discrimination.
Engaged the world in a more thoughtful and effective diplomacy.
Made his administration the most accessible and open in history.
And, he talks to Americans like they are intelligent adults. But even that can fall on deaf ears and numb skulls.
I cannot be sure what Thieleman and the right-wing ignorantia have against making sure pro-profit insurance also is pro-people insurance. The president wants to keep insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions and make sure that access to health care is affordable for all. Thieleman’s ilk doesn’t mind that in the world’s richest country, people have to make the choice between food and medicine or staying alive and going into bankruptcy. That doesn’t happen in France, Germany, Sweden or the U.K.
Thieleman would probably say that those countries are socialist. What does he imagine the quality of life is for people in those nations? They aren’t eating gruel or drinking from puddles. The truth is, their citizens experience a quality of life that matches or exceeds that of those in the United States. Drawing examples from what other nations do right isn’t unpatriotic, it’s something a president does when he loves his country and wants to see it prosper. I for one do not doubt our current commander in chief in this regard.
“Change” and “hope” continue. Obama’s approval ratings are a virtual mirror to what President Ronald Reagan endured politically early in his presidency. The difference is, this president is charismatic, and in addition, possesses a remarkable intellect.
President Obama has tried to work with a radical political minority that has been fueled by an angry and misinformed mob that feels marginalized by having an educated, intelligent and black president. This group is most represented by people who show up to presidential events with assault rifles and misspell “socialism” and “fascism” on their protest signs.
Despite this, he is the only president to go on live television and take questions from hostile and partisan adversaries in an effort to get something done. Obama will work with people who are willing to work with him, and finally he is calling out people like Thieleman for engaging in willful distortion and intentional disinformation. I suppose I shouldn’t accuse him of malice; Thieleman might simply be among those who aren’t educated or intelligent enough to know the difference. In which case, he has my pity.
As for “saving our own,” Thieleman doesn’t even want the poor in this country to have access to health insurance, or affordable education, or a helping hand when they lose their job. The assertion that he wants to take care of people at all is absurd.
Recovery at home would go along much faster if Thieleman’s friends in Congress didn’t insist that the president needs 60 votes to sneeze and that 41 Senate votes justifies the total derailment of legislation directed toward economic recovery and improving people’s quality of life.
Unfortunately, Thieleman and his right-wing allies insist that short-term political gains are more important than moving the nation forward.
David Tibergien,
2009 MSU alumnus
02/04/10 @ 1:24am
Bravo sir…well said!!!
02/04/10 @ 8:55am
Thank you! Your letter is an excellent summary. Much has been achieved in the last year. It simply is going to take more than one year to rebuild the nation after the damage done by the Bush administration and the Republican-dominated congress.
02/04/10 @ 10:33am
Sorry to break up this Obama love fest but what exactly has he done that means something? Creating green jobs? That doesn’t matter to me, I don’t care about green jobs, why doesn’t he create jobs for the common man, jobs you don’t need a degree for. You say that Thieleman doesn’t care about the common person or if the poor have health insurence, but I have read his stuff before and he harps on the same stuff all the time, reinvesting in American industry so that the country can get back to where we were. Oh and by the way, all those European countries you named are technically socialist because the government has a vast amount of power over the people. You for one should know this David, after all you are in the heart of French socialism.
02/04/10 @ 10:45am
I have never heard such a line of bull in my life. You don’t even try to provide evidence.
“Apocalyptic Depression”
WTF? Not even close. Under Obama’s first year, the economy shed another FOUR MILLION jobs, and had to create the entirely new “created or saved” metric. Good or bad, it was President Bush that passed TARP, not Obama.
“Saved the auto industry, which is now making green cars and turning a profit.”
Obama did no such thing. The only “American” car company making a profit is Ford, which didn’t take a dime of bailout money. And they were making “green” cars YEARS before Obama was even elected. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people who had their pensions invested in GM were forced to give up their legally entitled investments so that Obama could pay off his UAW buddies with a chunk of GM.
“Saved Americans from pirates near Somalia.”
Probably the biggest LIE of all. It was The US Navy that saved those merchant sailors, not Obama. In fact, Navy personnel on the scene complained that the rescure by Navy SEALs was delayed while Obama debated the politics of the situation.
“Made his administration the most accessible and open in history.”
Only if you’re the president of SEIU, who visited the White House over thirty times in Obama’s first year. Meanwhile, Obama’s failed attempt to seize 1/6th of the American economy was held in secret, behind closed doors, despite no less than SIX separate campaign promises to “do it on CSPAN”.
I still chuckle when I think of President Obama using a teleprompter to speak to grade school kids.
02/04/10 @ 10:58am
Everyone always seems to miss the point. The president, by himself, accomplishes very little indeed. Congress (with the consent of (and maybe prodding by)) the president were responsible, jointly, for most, if not all, of the accomplishments mentioned. Unfortunately people equate governing with football. Games, whether good or bad, are always blamed on the quarterback.
02/04/10 @ 11:06am
Oh, another thing. It’s always amazed me that while people argue ‘truth’ on this website quite often, they rarely, if ever, cite any trustworthy sources (or any sources).
02/04/10 @ 12:42pm
ugh soo much ignorance. On both sides I should add.
“he who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool. He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wiseman”
I.e. Shut up to spare yourself if you don’t know what your talking about.
just cuz you watch the news doesn’t mean your a poly sci guru…
02/04/10 @ 3:11pm
This article may give Obama too much praise (I personally think he hasn’t gone far enough, but that is my own set of politics etc), but the writer is correct in calling out the opinion article. The fact that a writer here can earnestly believe that global warming is a farce blows my mind. I still enjoy the State News, but writers like that really do demean the paper as a whole. That and having any link to Young Americans for Freedom is a terrible thing. They are basically Free Republic Junior. I wouldn’t look up freep though unless you have a stomach for the most horrid opinions on things ever.
02/04/10 @ 5:01pm
Hear ye, hear ye, I am a bloated Christian fundamentalist theocrat in sheep’s clothing. Now, I shall spout some truths, but coming from a bloated Christian fundamentalist theocratic fascist, they will all be discredited. I am the straw man argument.
02/05/10 @ 12:53am
This gives too much credit to Obama. The fact is that the first year has been a disappointment to a great number of people. The president has always received too much credit/blame for how things go.
02/05/10 @ 9:52am
Matt,
Spot on.
I don’t blame Obama for the economy, and he won’t get the credit when it finally levels out. That credit belongs to the people and corporations (yes) who actually create jobs. It’s the government’s job, as it’s always been, to stay out of the way. If a president does that, he’s on the right track.
Otherwise, this president should be judged on his own initiatives. I’m looking specifically at health care “reform” and “cap and trade”.
Just yesterday, somebody on CNN actually blamed the Toyota mess on President Bush. Unbelievable, but true.
02/05/10 @ 12:52pm
It is interesting that Mr. Tibergien engages in the same pattern of argument as the person he criticizes (Mr. Thieleman).
They both sprinkle a few facts among sweeping assertions that support their particular point of view (i.e., pro-Obama vs anti-Obama). For example, Thieleman questions Obama’s motivation in ending the war in Iraq. Regardless of Obama’s motivation, how does anyone know what is in his head? And Tibergien’s first two points [i.e., Obama 1) Stopped the Great Recession from becoming an Apocalyptic Depression, and 2) Saved the auto industry, which is now making green cars and turning a profit.] are unsupported by fact and are opinion only — there are numerous economists who sit on both sides of these two assertions.
In terms of full disclosure, I am concerned that Obama’s policies are not taking us in the right direction. Only history will prove me right or wrong. However, I do know that when an individual or company racks up insurmountable debt, their only recourse is bankruptcy. The government is spending far beyond its means and is doing so in a way that it will cripple the country’s future. This is a burden in which even Mr. Tibergien will share (unless he is a member of the recipient class).
I do have two questions for Mr. Tibergien:
1) Are you going to criticize your “educated, intelligent and [unnecessary adjective] president” for his inability to pronounce “Corpsman” in the same fashion you criticize those who “misspell ‘socialism’ and ‘fascism’.”
2) How do you reconcile recent the contradictory positions of Obama (deficit “hawk” from his State of the Union address versus profligate spender as per the budget he just submitted)?
***
I hope their policies are right; I fear they’re not.
02/06/10 @ 4:04pm
David Tibergien, I accept that you like socialism, but have you considered national socialism? You should look into it.
02/07/10 @ 2:55am
“Engaged the world in more thoughtful and effective diplomacy.”
Like that time he blew off the Dalai Lama to smooch butt with China?
You’re also acting like the “funding” things he accomplished were somehow made from his astute budgeting abilities. The fact of the matter is, he’s spending us into oblivion with flagrant disregard of the future.
And Obama didn’t save the auto industry. He gave the squeaky wheels a little grease while companies like Ford didn’t need it. The fact of the matter is, GM is poorly managed and they’re going to go belly up, once again, and extend their palms looking for a fat sack of coin from the people who don’t want their cars.
02/07/10 @ 8:21am
Cleary you have little grasp on anything political in this day and age. 1. Obama is no socialist. Trust me, as a socialist, I can say that Obama doesn’t go far enough and spends way too much time catering to the center (see his increased nuclear arsenal spending and increased defense spending, all of which a socialist could do without). 2. National Socialism is more related to fascism than actual socialism. Our government HAS BEEN socialist for some time. What do you people think social security, Medicare etc is? Socialism is state control under capitalism; it isn’t communism. If you want to see great socialism in action, look at FDR’s programs. The Government helped people out, but he still made them work for it (See Civilian Conservation Corps). Also, people want us to decrease the deficit but stop all of the problems with the economy, which takes spending. You want to decrease spending? Quit spending so much money to send our men and women to the Middle East to kill brown people for absolutely no reason. Our defense bugdet is almost as much as the rest of the world’s (minus North Korea) COMBINED.
02/08/10 @ 5:38pm
Socialist,
Funny how an admitted socialist can critique the political grasp of others, considering the dismal past (and future) of real socialism.
But, let’s focus on FDR. His policies EXTENDED the “Great Depression” by at least FIVE YEARS. Now, President Obama is making the exact same mistakes.
Yes, FDR gave us the giant, over-extended, “lock box” turd that is Social Security. It’s been bankrupt for decades, but now it’s threatening to bankrupt all of us. That alone, however, does not make our government “socialist”. It’s merely evidence of another FAILED socialist policy.
These charlatans want us to forget their horrid past, and accept another go-round.
We’d be as dumb as them if we gave them the chance.
02/11/10 @ 10:44am
This is like shooting fish in a barrel, but here we go:
“Stopped the Great Recession from becoming an Apocalyptic Depression.”
-Debateable.
“Saved the auto industry, which is now making green cars and turning a profit.”
-Wrong, they absolutely have not made a profit. Unless you’re talking about Honda?
“Reversed the federal ban on stem cell research.”
-There was never a “ban” on stem cell research. Bush just pulled federal funding. Nice try.
“Invested in green energy jobs and ordered new government buildings to be zero emission.”
-The government has SUCH a good record of investing! Why just look at all the green investing Granholm has done! Oh wait, our unemployment rate leads the nation, and has for 50 months.
“Reformed and expanded federal student aid, saving families $9 billion.”
-Saving? Where does that money come from? Do uniforms crap it out? Government cannot create, only redistribute.
“Funded American cities that struggle with gang violence to fight against it.”
-So has every president…
“Ended federal prosecution of medicinal marijuana users.”
-That one I like.
“Preserved two million acres of wilderness that were threatened by loggers, miners and polluters.”
-Job killer. You realize there are more trees in America today than in the year 1900, right? It’s called profit motive, but it’s over your head.
“Passed a stimulus bill that helped build and restore highways and railroads, which has been especially needed here in Michigan.”
-Laughable. Which gov’ts int he world provide the most “stimulus” to their countries? As said above, government cannot create; only redistribute from a more profitable area to a least profitable one.
“Cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses.”
-Where? By raising cigarette taxes and exploding the debt which causes inflation?
“Moved health care reform further along than any president.”
-A. In which direction? B. How’s that been going for ya?
“Saved Americans from pirates near Somalia.”
-Hilarious. Obama did that?!? Wow!
How’s health care doing? Guantanamo closure? Terrorist trial in NYC? Cap and Trade?
Please son.
02/14/10 @ 11:51pm
*The masked man’s” definition of socialism is incorrect
“Oh and by the way, all those European countries you named are technically socialist because the government has a vast amount of power over the people.”
All governments have a vast amount of power over the people. Just look to the powers of policing and tax agencies for example.
Socialism is concerned with society and economy of a country. With everything being owned and shared according to the decision of the people who control the state equally. In a nutshell.
Many nations (not just europeans) have some aspects of their societies socialised. Such as education, health and welfare. Which is why they consistantly rank in the upper levels of literacy, health and quality of living. Yet their economies are not socialised.
02/16/10 @ 9:23pm
David Tibergien = Failed politician from muskegon. Goes by the name “McSaddle”, “Humpy McSaddle”, and “James McSaddle” on the ‘net when he is bashing conservatives. Google it, you should come up with something.
The statements that he made against Palin’s down syndrome baby on allMSU were BEYOND offensive. He is notorious for making violent, hate-filled statements towards anyone that is even remotely associated with the republican party.