Hard to interpret this any other way than a tacit admission by our President that he’s completely in the back pocket of the plutocrats and couldn’t care less about you, your families or anyone else not in a position of power. Also, he’s a whiny little baby with a fragile ego:

Yesterday, Obama was reportedly “testy” when congressional Democrats begged him to be be more forceful with the Republicans, snapping “I know how to negotiate.” But then he said this:

“He said, ‘There’s a difference between me and a member of Congress,’” another lawmaker said, paraphrasing the president as saying: “When I say something the markets react, all of society reacts, other countries react. I’ve got to be careful with what I say. I can’t just say it for brinkmanship. I’ve got to say it in a way so that I get what I want said, but I don’t upset markets and so on.”

…

Obama responded that he has to be more careful and more considered than that, and that he is executing an existing plan.

An existing plan? A plan for *what*? Unless it’s a plan for utterly destroying America it’s failing miserably:

Employers pulled back sharply on job creation in May, and the unemployment rate took a surprising jump, according to new data Friday, confirming worries that the economy is losing momentum — and fast.

Employers added only 54,000 jobs in May, down from a revised 232,000 in April and the weakest since September, the Labor Department said Friday morning. The unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent last month, from 9 percent.

So: there’s an existing plan, Obama is executing it, and the nation’s mired in a deep Depression, yes, depression, not recession, and has been for years. Don’t question him or you’ll make him angry.

Keep in mind: millions being out of work doesn’t seem to make him angry. A generation of homeless kids doesn’t seem to make him angry. A nationwide epidemic of fraud and thieving from our financial institutions doesn’t make him angry.

But watch out if you question his negotiating strategy; THAT will make him angry.

Brother. How precisely does America keep electing narcissistic sociopaths?

It wasn’t always like this. We had for a time Presidents who, while of course deeply flawed, did care both about what worked in reality, as opposed to the fantasies of libertarian lunatics, and who also wanted to alleviate suffering and protect the achievements of the middle class:

Doubt me? Dial the clock back to the Eisenhower era. The highest marginal income tax rate was 91%. Ike, a Republican, was firmly of the view that New Deal programs were a permanent feature of the political landscape. From a 1954 letter to his brother Ed:

Now it is true that I believe this country is following a dangerous trend when it permits too great a degree of centralization of governmental function….But to attain any success it is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything–even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.

No longer; while they are still stupid, their number is legion. And as part of Obama’s ‘existing plan’ he trades away at each ‘negotiation’ a piece of the New Deal, sits back and watches the carnage ensue.

Once again, Marcy Wheeler demonstrates how stupid she is.

In Afghanistan a violent mob, apparently incited over the idea that someone half a world away burned an allegedly ‘holy’ book, attacked a UN outpost and killed twelve actual human beings.

Their excuse for violence is being taken completely at face value by many on the Left, even though burning books, or other items, in protest in America is constitutionally protected free expression.

Naturally, Marcy Wheeler is one of those idiots:

Wingnut Pastor’s Koran-Burning Gets UN Staffers Killed
By: emptywheel Friday April 1, 2011 8:32 am

See, Marcy, let me explain to you how this works, since you seem to be unfamiliar with free expression or the fundamental underlying nature of reality. I do something, legal and nonviolent, to express myself. Someone else, in a fit of idiot rage, responds to that legal activity with violence.

I am not to blame. I did nothing wrong. *They* are responsible for their actions. To take any other position is to claim that the violent respondent is incapable of functioning as an adult; it’s paternalistic, infantilizing and offensive.

In other words, it’s fairly standard stuff for Wheeler. Only this time she’s riding her hobby horse over dead bodies. Fun times.

This is one repulsive example of carpetbagging, I have to say:

All of these people, and the thousands of others in Madison, came there for a single purpose – one that they ultimately didn’t have the power to complete, but one which will sustain them through the long legal and electoral fights ahead. But by coming together, they became a part of something bigger than themselves. They kicked off a new alliance, made up of youth and labor, activists and non-activists, public workers and private workers, a great mass of people striving for basic rights and fairness. They have a clear mission and agenda, one that is expanding by the day. The reason this movement is built to last is that it’s not based on a person – it’s based on an idea. A principle. A belief in certain basic rights and fairness.

You can see the parallel to the community here at FDL. People from disparate backgrounds and experiences come together every day to discuss, agitate, educate, strategize or just offer up the ol’ one-finger salute. They’re here because of an idea, a principle, a value. And they want to be part of a greater community of like-minded people.

The spirit of Madison is on display here on a rolling basis. And everyone has a role to play, a way to engage more deeply in the community. By becoming a member of FDL you can get not only discounts on progressive events and activities, but ways to interact at a greater level with our writers and editors. More than anything, membership will foster ways to get involved. Just like I saw in Madison.

This is just sick. Raising money for an unrelated quasi-news infotainment site, one that, I might add, has often been wrong about facts on the ground (like when David Dayen announced the Capitol would be open a few weeks ago while the DOA kept it closed, illegally I might add), based off of the work we do here in Madison. I’m sorry, but this is beyond unacceptable behavior.

If people want to help out here in Madison there’s a lot they can do. Donate money to Ian’s Pizza on State so they can feed us. Donate to other organizations that bring us water and fresh fruit and vegetables (Willy Street Co-Op has been sending us stuff, for example). Donate to keep the ‘People’s Microphone’ going. Pack a bag and help us occupy the Capitol. I’m sorry, but whatever you think of FDL, and I think less of them by the day, they are not part of this. This is just opportunism at its most base and despicable.