This Democrat thinks he can win in 2016 as the anti-Obama

[mota bhai 2,675]

Brian Schweitzer, the former two-term Democratic governor of Montana, is rarely speechless. Once he gets going on a topic, he’s almost impossible to stop. As he builds up steam, he’ll slap his knee to emphasize his points. He’ll slap your knee to emphasize his points. Good luck getting a word in edgewise for that follow-up question.

But at the moment, Schweitzer is rubbing his chin, looking up at the ceiling, searching – unsuccessfully – for just the right words. The question was simple enough: Is there a single thing President Obama has done that you consider a positive achievement?

Finally, he spoke.

“My mother, God rest her soul, told me ‘Brian, if you can’t think of something nice to say about something change the subject,’” he said.

But he couldn’t help himself, slamming Obama’s record on civil liberties (the NSA revelations were “un-effing-believable”), his competency (“They just haven’t been very good at running things”), and above all, Obamacare (“It will collapse on its own weight”).

...

Schweitzer ... is gambling that Democrats won’t just want an alternative to Clinton in 2016–they’ll want a complete and total rejection of the Obama presidency.

The left-leaning issues Schweitzer is most passionate about– single-payer health care, civil liberties, pulling troops out of Afghanistan – are areas where Obama has run into trouble with progressive activists. But he skews right on issues like expanding domestic oil and coal production and protecting gun rights, where Obama has held relatively strong with his base.

...

“I think what Bill de Blasio is talking about is absolutely correct,” Schweitzer said of the new mayor of New York City, who was elected in a landslide by focusing on economic inequality. “The gap between haves and the have-nots is growing.”

...

In August 2009, the president traveled to Montana to deliver a speech touting health care reform ... Schweitzer raised a few eyebrows when he introduced Obama by declaring his unabashed love for Canada’s government-run health care program.

“Did you know that, just 300 miles north of here, did you know they offered universal health care 62 years ago?” he said. He praised Tommy Douglas, father of the country’s health program.

...

Minutes later, the president used his own speech to declare, “I’m not in favor of a Canadian system, I’m not in favor of a British system, I’m not in favor of a French system. What we’ve said is, let’s find a uniquely American system.”

This wasn’t the only source of tension between the two men.

Schweitzer was concerned the emerging legislation would rely too heavily on expanding Medicaid, which he complained could prove too costly for states and give conservative governors room to undermine coverage. He wanted a strong public option, which Obama favored but the Senate would soon jettison to appease wavering Democrats. Schweitzer had campaigned on importing cheaper drugs from Canada (he personally bused seniors across the border to buy medicine) and wanted the government to negotiate lower prices, two policies that the White House rejected to secure alternative savings and pharmaceutical industry support.

...

After the speeches were over, Obama sat Schweitzer down for a private talk. According to Schweitzer, the president said his voice wasn’t helping the health care debate and asked him to step away.

...

Schweitzer said he agreed to to tone down his attacks after their meeting. But he went on to engineer a series of confrontations with the Obama administration that highlighted his critique of the law.

His request for permission to sell drugs at Medicaid prices in Montana was rejected. He tried to get a waiver to turn Medicaid into a single payer system, modeled on Saskatchewan’s, for all Montanans. That idea was rejected, too.

...

Ultimately, Schweitzer’s biggest impact on the 2016 presidential contest could be pressuring the centrist, cautious Clinton to stay in the left lane.

“When you choose your next national leader, ask them how they’re going to be different than Bush,” Schweitzer told msnbc. “Ask them how they’re going to be different than Obama.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dem-thinks-he-can-win-the-anti-obama

[Ban Hammer 13,598]

The left-leaning issues Schweitzer is most passionate about– single-payer health care, civil liberties, pulling troops out of Afghanistan – are areas where Obama has run into trouble with progressive activists. But he skews right on issues like expanding domestic oil and coal production and protecting gun rights, where Obama has held relatively strong with his base.

he's got my vote

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

he's got my vote

commie

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Brian Schweitzer, the former two-term Democratic governor of Montana, is rarely speechless. Once he gets going on a topic, he’s almost impossible to stop. As he builds up steam, he’ll slap his knee to emphasize his points. He’ll slap your knee to emphasize his points. Good luck getting a word in edgewise for that follow-up question.

But at the moment, Schweitzer is rubbing his chin, looking up at the ceiling, searching – unsuccessfully – for just the right words. The question was simple enough: Is there a single thing President Obama has done that you consider a positive achievement?

Finally, he spoke.

“My mother, God rest her soul, told me ‘Brian, if you can’t think of something nice to say about something change the subject,’” he said.

But he couldn’t help himself, slamming Obama’s record on civil liberties (the NSA revelations were “un-effing-believable”), his competency (“They just haven’t been very good at running things”), and above all, Obamacare (“It will collapse on its own weight”).

...

Schweitzer ... is gambling that Democrats won’t just want an alternative to Clinton in 2016–they’ll want a complete and total rejection of the Obama presidency.

The left-leaning issues Schweitzer is most passionate about– single-payer health care, civil liberties, pulling troops out of Afghanistan – are areas where Obama has run into trouble with progressive activists. But he skews right on issues like expanding domestic oil and coal production and protecting gun rights, where Obama has held relatively strong with his base.

...

“I think what Bill de Blasio is talking about is absolutely correct,” Schweitzer said of the new mayor of New York City, who was elected in a landslide by focusing on economic inequality. “The gap between haves and the have-nots is growing.”

...

In August 2009, the president traveled to Montana to deliver a speech touting health care reform ... Schweitzer raised a few eyebrows when he introduced Obama by declaring his unabashed love for Canada’s government-run health care program.

“Did you know that, just 300 miles north of here, did you know they offered universal health care 62 years ago?” he said. He praised Tommy Douglas, father of the country’s health program.

...

Minutes later, the president used his own speech to declare, “I’m not in favor of a Canadian system, I’m not in favor of a British system, I’m not in favor of a French system. What we’ve said is, let’s find a uniquely American system.”

This wasn’t the only source of tension between the two men.

Schweitzer was concerned the emerging legislation would rely too heavily on expanding Medicaid, which he complained could prove too costly for states and give conservative governors room to undermine coverage. He wanted a strong public option, which Obama favored but the Senate would soon jettison to appease wavering Democrats. Schweitzer had campaigned on importing cheaper drugs from Canada (he personally bused seniors across the border to buy medicine) and wanted the government to negotiate lower prices, two policies that the White House rejected to secure alternative savings and pharmaceutical industry support.

...

After the speeches were over, Obama sat Schweitzer down for a private talk. According to Schweitzer, the president said his voice wasn’t helping the health care debate and asked him to step away.

...

Schweitzer said he agreed to to tone down his attacks after their meeting. But he went on to engineer a series of confrontations with the Obama administration that highlighted his critique of the law.

His request for permission to sell drugs at Medicaid prices in Montana was rejected. He tried to get a waiver to turn Medicaid into a single payer system, modeled on Saskatchewan’s, for all Montanans. That idea was rejected, too.

...

Ultimately, Schweitzer’s biggest impact on the 2016 presidential contest could be pressuring the centrist, cautious Clinton to stay in the left lane.

“When you choose your next national leader, ask them how they’re going to be different than Bush,” Schweitzer told msnbc. “Ask them how they’re going to be different than Obama.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dem-thinks-he-can-win-the-anti-obama

What common sense...I would vote for him in a second.Self reliance and personal responsibility, end globalism,, support personalities. Oh my..,

[Danno 1,228]

Come on folks, we have heard all this "new kinda Democrat" stuff before, nobody gets to be anointed by the DNC without being a "typical democrat."

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What common sense...I would vote for him in a second.Self reliance and personal responsibility, end globalism,, support personalities. Oh my..,

commie

[lostinblue 1,989]

Looks like he will be on a killery list.....very soon. A liberal breaking lock step with the collective...

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Looks like he will be on a killery list.....very soon. A liberal breaking lock step with the collective...

Say, how did the kenyan survive the killery list?

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Looks like he will be on a killery list.....very soon. A liberal breaking lock step with the collective...

Is it too much to ask for you to address people by their names? What did you call Bush?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Is it too much to ask for you to address people by their names? What did you call Bush?

He called him the Texan. Now that's an insult but lib is brutal like that. Takes no prisoners.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

He called him the Texan. Now that's an insult but lib is brutal like that. Takes no prisoners.

He scares me

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Looks like he will be on a killery list.....very soon. A liberal breaking lock step with the collective...

I read up on him..I like what he has to say

Is it too much to ask for you to address people by their names? What did you call Bush?

sorry, i will only call him Barry from this day forward.

[lostinblue 1,989]

You would call me racist if I stopped now......Correct.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

You would call me racist if I stopped now......Correct.

I'm sorry, is there a question there?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Looks like he will be on a killery list.....very soon. A liberal breaking lock step with the collective...

We disagree with Obama only because he is black, He only gets criticized because he is black. No other President ever has been criticized like Obama, and it's only because he is 1/2 black

If he was white, we would not be upset about him spending like a drunk sailor on pay day on his first 90 day liberty.

Get with the program

If was 100% white instead of 50% we would have on our Obama shirts.

No one outside of the 13% black population in this country voted for him because they are all racist.