FLAIT

This is a continuation of the post, Barack Obama and the Democrats.

Towards the end of the post, I mentioned that Obama panders to the right by saying things conservatives agree with, such as "government can not solve every problem."

When the health care (cough, cough) "debate" started in the spring of 2009, you could tell that the White House was scared to death of the right because they armed HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius with two talking points (two words, actually) that she repeated over and over again: "choice" and "competition." Yup, "choice" and "competition." Two very conservative-friendly "free market" words. That's all we heard for a plan that didn't even exist. So the White House thought sucking up to conservatives was more important then anything else, including the legislation itself.

You see, the White House knew health care would be a war and the right would label Obama's plan as (boogoody-boogoody boo) "Socialized medicine" (I wish). So they figured if they got out in front of the conservative base and appeased them with some friendly right-wing code words, it would prevent the shrieks of Socialized medicine that they knew were coming.

And guess what? It worked. We didn't hear all that many shrieks. Instead, the right's rallying cry was "death panels" and compared the plan to what was used in Nazi Germany (assuming Hitler imposed a health care system). Lot of good all that pandering did, huh?

This was just another example of afraid-of-their-own shadow Democrats trying to appease conservatives instead of governing like Democrats. When will Democrats learn that pandering to the right will get them nothing in return except a kick in the teeth?

And Obama's pandering didn't end with health care. About the economy, he said:

Democrats believe..."in a vibrant free market - but one that works for everybody."

But wait there's more!

When a poll suggested that nearly one in five Americans believe that President Obama is a Muslim, Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said:

The President is obviously a -- is Christian...He prays every day. He communicates with his religious advisor every single day. There's a group of pastors that he takes counsel from on a regular basis.

If he really does pray "ever day," why do they have to say so? And why do they have to make him out to be the Pope? To pander to the religious fundamentalists on the right, of course.

Why couldn't the White House simply release a five-word statement - "President Obama is a Christian" - and be done with it? And then have Mr. Burton refuse to answer questions concerning the President's private religious practices. What would be the harm in that? That it would give sanctimonious conservatives even more of a reason to believe he's - perish the thought - a Muslim? That the right would blast him for not telling them how much of a Christian he is? So what? They're going to blast Obama on his religion everything he says, and does, so why bother?

If Burton lied and Obama doesn't pray "ever day," then it's just more nauseating pandering to conservatives. God forbid we had a President that didn't pray "every day", at all, and had the guts to admit it. Heck, God forbid we had a Democratic president that pandered to liberals. Once. didn't insult and ridicule liberals!

Oh, the next time a Republican says he or she would be fine with an atheist holding elected office (as if there's something wrong with that), or at least believes in a clear separation between church and state, it'll be the first time.

But wait, there's more of this.

Even though the Iraq war was based on lies and a turned into a colossal disaster, this is what Obama had to say about the man war criminal responsible for those lies and that colossal disaster:

It's well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one can doubt President Bush's support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security.

For Christ's sakes, if Bush really cared about our troops and our country, he wouldn't have invaded Iraq!

Why couldn't Obama point out the truth about this war? Ask a silly question...

Sucking up to conservatives with friendly right-wing code words aren't enough for Obama. Not only is he terrified of holding Republicans responsible for all the death and destruction they left behind - not to mention their war crimes - but he thinks he has to show them respect for doing so. I can only imagine how much respect Republicans would show Bill Clinton if it was him that lied us into a disastrous war in Iraq. Oh wait, I already did.

But wait, still more.

Obama won't install solar panels on the White House roof because the right would use them to compare him to - gasp! - Jimmy Carter.

Good grief.

When you're that timid, that intimidated and that fearful of the right, you wind up doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons (like this ). And we wonder why the country's in the shape it's in.

And Obama wonders why Democrats will get trounced in November.

October correction: Obama said that he will allow solar panels to be placed on the White House roof. Good. Now watch as the right will make the "Barack Obama is Jimmy Carter" comparison.

Instead of allowing this to go unanswered as Democrats usually do, perhaps they should credit Carter's foresight and point out that if Ronald Reagan didn't foolishly put an end to Carter's energy conservation and alternative fuel initiatives, maybe we wouldn't be as reliant on Mid-East oil today.

October insert: This and this is how the GOP will reciprocate all the bending and appeasing Obama and the Democrats have done for the Republicans. If you're surprised, what planet do you live on?