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Katrina Vanden Heuvel: ‘Too Much Kumbaya’ In Obama Compromising With GOP ‘Fanatics’

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Editor of the liberal magazine The Nation, Katrina vanden Heuvel expressed her disappointment with President Obama to the Morning Joe crew. She wondered why Obama was still sounding like “more of an educator-in-chief” trying to stay above the fray, when the progressive movement has been so desperate for him to seize this moment and to shape the debate on their terms.

With the Tea Party freshman Republicans setting the terms of the “deal” and possibly on course to get much of what they wanted, vanden Heuvel didn’t hold back with her opinion of them:

“We as a country have been held hostage by these reckless, extremist fanatics – but that the President is ensnared in a trap . . . he is in this trap, I would argue, because last night he showed a little more grit than kumbaya, but there is way too much kumbaya in this President for the moment we are living in. Real leadership does demand compromise, but real leadership cannot be defined by compromise.”

Later she scaled back her critique of Obama slightly, thinking he wasn’t completely to blame since the “system is warped by corporate money, lobbyist money” that it makes real change difficult. Yet her argument that “job creation is the best deficit reduction plan we could have” convinced Scarborough of a larger point.

Throughout Obama’s term, first the focus was on healthcare, and now it’s on debt, yet the American people have consistently been worried most about one thing: jobs. Scarborough was baffled (after earlier being stunned) that both Republicans in Congress and Obama continue to spend time on issues that indirectly impact job creation, rather than trying to tackle the main problem directly. Although, could the scary realization be that the reason both parties hesitate to focus on jobs directly is because they are truly unsure of what policy to adopt to help create them?

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  • Anonymous

    Katrina Vanden Heuvel: ‘Too Much Kumbaya’

     
    .
    Clearly , Katrina Vanden Heuvel is a racist .

  • Anonymous

    Katrina Vanden Heuvel: ‘Too Much Kumbaya’

     
    .
    Clearly , Katrina Vanden Heuvel is a racist .

  • Anonymous

    Katrina Vanden Heuvel: ‘Too Much Kumbaya’

     
    .
    Clearly , Katrina Vanden Heuvel is a racist .

  • Resident of 0bomberVille

    I LOVE that the conflict in nomenclature between the 2005 hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast and Ms.
    Vanden Heuvel’s first name forced HER off TV screens EVERYWHERE for about 5 years. 

    Come on hurricane “Barack”.

  • Anonymous

    Obama has lost the hearts and minds of the American people. He is a potted plant.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_K2CIUYARSHAHYKXYRIHA3JZK4A Anne-Laure

    This person from The Nation is ridiculous. The so-called “reckless, extremist fanatics” have been elected. They are Representatives. 42% of Americans are conservatives. She, the Nation, Newsweek and the Daily Kos, are the fringe. And how dare they speak about Ronald Wilson Reagan !? Reagan has fighted all his life those people and their liberal ideology. In his Farewell Adress, Reagan warned us against people like her, like Obama,… And now Obama is claiming to be the heirs of Reagan !? Have you read the books of Obama ?

  • Anonymous

    Katrina Vanden Heuvel has always been the avatar of “no-brains’ but now, she is at critical mass.

    Let’s put into perspective what type of rag “The Nation” is:

    The Nation has had writers identified as Soviet spies in the Venona project.

    Victor Navasky, editor and publisher of The Nation, has criticised the Venona analysis, claiming the material is being used to “distort our understanding of the cold war”. He has also referred to the files as potential “time bombs of misinformation.”[

    The Nation infamously supported Pol Pot, Vladimir Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, and Josef Stalin:

    To me Lenin is the hero of a legend, a man who had torn the burning heart out of his breast in order to light up for mankind the path which shall lead it out of the shameful chaos of the present, out of the rotting bog of stupid current politics….His hero-character has almost no outward adornment. His heroism is of a type not rare in Russia–the modest, ascetic martyrdom of an honorable, intellectual revolutionary who honestly believes in the possibility of justice on earth; the heroism of a man who has renounced all the pleasures of life to do hard work for the happiness of mankind.” – The Nation’s Obiturary for Lenin

  • Anonymous

    Your fault , Kat . You and your cronies pushed an unqualified arrogant nut into a job he should not even be close to .

    Keep demonizing ,baby . You’re talking about the American people .

  • Monty Python

    What an awful and bitter person.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

    It is amazing to me that these highly educated intellectual types can’t seem to understand and then so demonize those who live up to their principles…  It just kills them that the freshman class came to DC with a mandate and have not yet allowed themselves to be seduced by DC politics and interest groups…  This has tied such a big knot in the panties of the people like Ms. Vanden Heuvel..  The words she uses to describe elected congressmen, who have done nothing more than keep their promise to the voters who sent them to congress are quite dispicable..  but what more can you expect from a liberal such as herself other than lofty spending plans that never seem to accomplish much, and demeaning words to describe those who can not grasp her liberal brilliance.

  • Darladoon

    over 70% of american want tax increases

    only 16% care about the debt

    katrina is spot-on

  • Darladoon

    you obviously don’t read the nation, at all

  • Darladoon

    yeah, the “american people” who want:

    *tax increases

    *protection of entitlements

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WH3ZLMM7CUKUHUIMK4TKXW6SQE John

    Those “right wing fanatics” passed Cut, Cap, and Balance- something 66% of Americans supported.  It was the fanatics on the radical left who refused to pass it in the Senate.  Those left wing fanatics didn’t even want to debate it.

  • Darladoon

    you know you’re living in an orwellian nightmare when ANY criticism of 
    corporate lobbyists is…….”bitter”

  • Monty Python

    Nice job with yer Presidential vote.
    Now it’s time for the adults to clean up your mess.

  • Anonymous

    No one with a brain does.

    That obit for the peace-loving Lenin was published in The nation!

  • Anonymous

    And it’s the “fanatics” in the Dem Senate who have proposed a plan with no tax revenues after Boehner had a plan with $800 billion in revenues, but Barry wanted $1.2 trillion and now he has plans with zero, nada, zip revenues.

    barry, ya blew it.

  • Anonymous

    over 50% do not now pay taxes!!!!!!

  • Darladoon

    wow, that’s deep

  • Darladoon

    non-sequitur

  • Darladoon

    the tea party is not tied up in interest groups?!

    oh, man!!!!

    orwell would be VERY proud

  • Anonymous

    Yea I’m sure 70% of people want their taxes increased, that just makes no damn sense.  You’ll be lucky to find 2% that WANT their own taxes increased.  Everyone cares about the debt they just don’t care for the political process that goes along with the debt. 

  • Anonymous

    You won’t find any of these left-wing bomb throwers that will actually address your point.  It’s easier for them to ignore reality and pretend we all want our taxes increased.  Fortunately, it doesn’t matter if they recognize reality, it’s still reality.

  • Anonymous

    Fact:  Katrina vanden Heuvel is the meaning of one who makes you vomit!

  • Anonymous

    hahahahhahahaha.. Drunk this early.. Who in their right mind wants to give more of their money to be squandered bu the govt.. But you are sure free to.. Somehow i think u dont give any extra 

  • Anonymous

    More and more, I know that Obama just isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he’s in waayyy over his head. He’s like a couple of guys I know here at the office; passed the bong around as a teenager, repeated a bunch of socialist crap he’s heard at school, and their stoned friends listened in awe.

    Anyway, the guy’s been winging it his whole life, and he now finds himself talking to normal people, not stoned kids or inner city rif-raf whom he can easily pimp to poverty for their vote. He’s nothing more than an elitist wannabe pig and a national embarrassment.

  • Darladoon

    sales taxes, payroll taxes are taxes

    fyi

  • Darladoon

    they want taxes increased on the wealthy

    hardly controversial

    reagan did it 8 TIMES

  • Anonymous

    sales taxes are local, payroll taxes cover social security and medicare…………income taxes

  • GoNavy

    Katrina is a fan of standing by your principles, as long as it’s her principles.  What a hypocrite.

  • GoNavy

    Huh? Whut? Tax increases? I thought it was revenue enhancement? LMAO!

  • Anonymous

    No Fed Income  taxes and that’s what we are talking about.

    You see sale taxes are state taxes.

  • Anonymous

    Much deeper than you!

  • Anonymous

    She is nature’s ipecac

  • ImNotBlue

    You mean that a lot of people want to get more stuff by taking things from someone else?  Shocking!

    If you asked how many people want a bigger house, but want someone else to provide it… gee, I wonder who would agree do that?!  That’s a toughie.

  • ImNotBlue

    What about where ANY criticism of the President is…….. “racist?”

    In fact, haven’t YOU said that previously?  The only reason people are concerned about our debt is because of “racism.”

    *knock*knock*

    Go open the door… Mr. Orwell wants to speak with you.

  • GoNavy

    You just blew her mind.  Google is burning up.  LOL!

  • Anonymous

    ok, we remove their payroll taxes and they don’t get SS or medicare. deal?

  • Anonymous

    Take a peek at Brzezinski’s assessment of Boehner’s speech last night. The story from Morning Joe was Brzezinski calling out Boehner  while remain Scarborough silent.
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/ns/msnbc_tv-morning_joe/#43892942

  • Anonymous

    those crazy fanatics, insisting you spend within your means.  I’m with her, much more responsible to spend everyone’s money and give a massive bill to their kids.   Crazy!   .  In fact, I have no credit card debt, and paid off my student loans. I bought a house that was smaller, but affordable.  Forget that, that’s crazy.  I’m going to go shopping and hand someone else the bill.  Much better!  

  • Anonymous

    MIka is a certified idiot in all of Barry’s 57 states.

  • Anonymous

    never taxes anymore, it’s revenue increases.   LMAO.   Spending is also ‘investment’.   I honestly have to assume they think everyone is DUMB.  

    So, democrats are now the party of ‘revenues’ and ‘investments’.   Funny stuff!

  • Anonymous

    call it what it is.  revenues is taxes.  They aren’t allowed to change dictionary terms in their zeal to spin..  

  • Jerry Baustian

    Why does Joe Scarborough invite this communist onto his show? Does she represent the communist wing of the Democratic Party? Or does she represent the whole shebang? Maybe she ought to chair the DNC instead of Debbie Blabbermouth-Schultz?

    Oh, that’s right. she is a paid MSNBC contributor. From the MSNBC perspective, maybe she is in the mainstream.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bruce.kennedy3 Bruce Kennedy

    Please, you’re an idiot, don’t try to infect others with your idiocy.

  • Anonymous

    Hey, Brucie boy: Take your own advice, you lib hack!

  • Dik Gozinya

    In school Katrina was the ugly duckling that all the good-looking Republican guys used to bark at. She’s still trying to recover.

  • Anonymous

    Video: CNN notices how out-of-touch Obama is

    CNN Says Barry is “out of it.”

    http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/26/video-cnn-notices-how-out-of-touch-obama-is/

    Barry, step aside; the adults in Congress will settle this.

  • Anonymous

    Did you watch the clip?  It was her father making the comment.

  • HawkCW4

    Man,  Ive met a lot of people and I have never met one that wanted to pay more taxes.  So Im guessing you are saying that you and “american people”  want someone else to pay more taxes, not themselves.  That seems to be a Liberal trait,  make rules and demands on others, but not willing to live with the same rules or demands.   We affectionately refer to those as being twofaced, hypocritical and down right arrogant elitists.   And welcome to that group you are vastly qualified.

  • caconservative

    She’s there for comic relief. You’ve got to admit, she is hilarious…..insane but, funny.

  • HawkCW4

    So you wont mind criticizing those nasty Union Lobbyists huh?   You really are a one sided person arent you.   I dont like to get personal, but I would love to know what schools you attended.  I need to make sure my GrandKids stay away from them.  And let me guess,  you were on that prissy debate team too, right?

  • Anonymous

    70 % of Americans is 210,000,000 Americans.  Please explain: from which body cavity did you extract your number?  While you are doing your math, I’ll rant.

    Vaden Heuvel is a besotted wench, the sexual opposite to her counterpart Alexander CockBurn(ing) there at the (Bubble)Nation.  I met these two yo-yos back in the 90s at some retarded socialist journalist convention in Vermont.  They were tanked by 430pm EST. She whips herself into a lather (no, really uses whips) and then poses as the saviour of the country from the evil “Right” in America.  She’s right up there with Morris Dees at the Southern Poverty Law Center— the guy sees Nazis around every street corner. 

    Her raving about President Snow Job selling out to the evil Republicans completely misses the point:  President Douche Bag is irrelevant now that he has become so transparently needy over his own re-election.  President DB needs the evil Republicans to have a shot at being elected— he wont care if he gets his tax increase or not.  He just needs something to spin, a weird kind of co-dependence.

    (How’s it going with that number, Tweety Bird?)

    PMSNBC has a lot of weird excuses for journalism on the network.  At least Katrina Vanden Whatever doesn’t channel her political gods through her gams like Wet Boy Matthews. 

    Well, I guess we are gonna have to assume here that the 210 million living and dead American voters who want a tax increase is the real number because NO EVIDENCE is available.  Maybe that is the official ACORN poll number or the New Black Panther Party “Live from Death Row” number ginned up by Mumia Abu Jabu? 

    At any rate….any more pinatas to swing at this morning?  Just getting started.

  • Anonymous

    From the lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist dictionary:

    “compromise” = Republicans capitulate; surrender; roll over, play dead and give in completely to the lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist demands.

  • Anonymous

    From the lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist dictionary:

    “compromise” = Republicans capitulate; surrender; roll over, play dead and give in completely to the lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist demands.

  • zal

    What a dingbat!  Perhaps she’s forgotten that we’ve been trying it the democrat way since FDR and his New (RAW) Deal days and we’re finally saying that enough is enough!  The democrats like to keep us poor and angry.  Well, we’re tired of feeding into the democrat social program coffers and we want some good, substantial government cuts.

  • John

    DemocRATS have really sunk to a new low. Their party has been hijacked by Marxist. Big government only creates dependance and welfare. A new form of slavery. Get rid of big government and watch the economy flourish. Fanatics are all of the people who think big government is the answer. Private sector creates the jobs not the beauracrats in Washington.

  • Darladoon

    you said “50% now pay no taxes”

    that’s obviously incorrect

  • Anonymous

    She disagrees with Obama? She must be blowing the “racist” dog whistle.

  • Darladoon

    wow, this person is unbelievably, nay impossibly, stupid

  • Darladoon

    so reagan was a thief?  interesting thought….

  • Darladoon

    cutting social programs IS like raising taxes on the poor

    somebody has to pay for the stuff we need, you would just rather the poor pay

  • Darladoon

    how much money do unions spend compared to corps?

    look it up…

  • Anonymous

    Test

  • dik gozinya

    ‘Polly want a cracker’

  • dik gozinya

    Darladoon thinks antihistamines are fun!

  • Anonymous

    tell me more genius…

    btw are you a dude or a chick today?

  • realheadline

    Radical editor of nation calls someone a reckless extremist fanatic. Hahahahahaha………….

  • Anonymous

    And those states with NO INCOME TAX or SALES taxes where you don’t own a home (property taxes), and take public transportation (no gas taxes)…

    Over 50% do not pay federal taxes, yet get a big kiss from the government every April 15th…

  • Anonymous

    The people who raise taxes and spend money are the members of the House of Representatives which was controlled by the Democrats the entire time Reagan was President.

  • Anonymous

    That’s the ticket. Let’s run the government based on polls.

  • Anonymous

    We have too may social programs as it is. We will someday be France. 

  • chucker85

    The government does not create jobs.  Democrats and Liberals see wealthy people and corporations with record profits and declare that since they won’t spend the money the government should take it.  The answer is to ask the wealthy people and corporations WHY they won’t invest the money in new jobs.  I am guessing the dems won’t ask because they know the answer; the uncertain future of government health care.

  • Anonymous

    Like these wealthy Folks?

    Top 10 wealthiest members of the house and senate (7 are dems)

    1 Jane Harman (D-Calif)

    2 Darrell Issa (R-Calif)

    3 John Kerry (D-Mass)

    4 Vernon Buchanan (R-Fla)

    5 Herb Kohl (D-Wis)

    6 Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass) (Currently meeting with Mary Jo about waterboarding)

    7 Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa)

    8 Robin Hayes (R-NC)

    9 Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif)

    10 Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)

    And:

    Billionaire Democrat: Warren Buffet.

    Billionaire: George Sorros.

    Sergey Brin, Democrat, Billionaire.

    Larry Page, Democrat, Billionaire

    Charles Koch, Democrat, Billionaire

    Kirk Kerkorian, Democrat, Billionaire

    Abigail Johnson, Democrat, Billionaire

    Ballmer, Steven, Democrat, Billionaire

    Clinton is a millionaire. o’bama is a millionaire too. Harry “land deal” reid is a millionaire. Pelosi will not hire union hacks in any of er or her husband’s “establishments” of business…

  • Anonymous

    She is the epitome of a liberal elitist. 

  • Anonymous

    Regan was a thief. He stole or money back from the left!

  • Tom

    It always amazes me when a leftist gripes about another leftist because he isn’t liberal “enough”.

  • Anonymous

    if the poor never have to pay, what is their incentive to better their situation?

  • Anonymous

    Examples of lunatic-left d-cRAT socialists “compromising” with Republicans:

    Reid Says GOP Debt Bill Is ‘Dead on Arrival’, and
    White House Issues Veto Threat on Boehner Plan

  • Anonymous

    Obama need to bash them night and day..take a page from their handbook..they are liars and thugs and have been laser focused on causing Obama to fail and if they bring down the entire US along with Obama, they will do it

  • Anonymous

    You are really so simple minded it would be funny if it were not so tragic,

  • Anonymous

    What an ignorant bunch of hateful, simple minded idiots the entire conservative movement has become!

  • Anonymous

    What an ignorant bunch of hateful, simple minded idiots the entire conservative movement has become!

  • Anonymous

    TEA Party=Gutter come to power

  • Anonymous

    Bear 1909:  love you to death!!! You mentioned something really important  Mumia Abu Jamel. I keep the list vote call in  2006  H.Res 1082 109th congress condemming the city of St Denis in france for naming a street after this cop killer. Well everyone in the progressive and black caucus voted nay. That’s one of the reason I pulled my head out of the sand and started paying real attention who was running my life and making decision that affect my family. I started finding who  and what these people in congress had in mind this group of about 75 are a  bunch of socialist and are really harmfull to our country with there agendas. these magazine such as the nation spew nothing but hate.
     I became a grizzly momma. I am here to fight for my kids and 11 grandkids. I wonder if anyone hear knows the story of mumia abu jamel, we know hollywood does,william ayers has his photo on his office door reported by chicago tribune Oct 2008. Van Jones is also a big supporter. I am sure Dan Abrams is up to date  

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/7VHHU4IHXU2NHPRNOANBHZM3HA Patrick

    Hey Blackfungus, you call me anal, well at least  I am not an admitted pedophile.

  • Bowillie

    (She wondered why Obama was still sounding like “more of an educator-in-chief” trying to stay above the fray, when the progressive movement has been so desperate for him to seize this moment and to shape the debate on their terms.)  Lady don’t you understand, he don’t know how to seize the moment. He don’t know how to lead, or direct. This guy don’t even know how to get out of the way….

  • Bowillie

    When one can no longer muster the intellectual  prowess to articulate your political point. Just resort to name calling.

  • Bowillie

    Such intellectual journalism takes our breath away Patrick/// 

  • Bowillie

    Margaret Thatcher: The problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other peoples money.

  • Bowillie

    I probably wouldn’t have stated it exactly that way, but I get your drift, and agree….  

  • Bowillie

    For more the 800 days the Dems ruled the house, senate, and White house. Not one time did the as much as offer up a bill to address the problem. and now that the Republicans have, they have informed us it is DOA. Even before they have read it. Such leadership takes my breath away. 

  • Bowillie

    Actually Darladoon, George Orwell ( real name: Eric Arthur Blair ) would not be proud. Orwell was a Democratic Socialist.  But of course like any good Liberal I sure you want let the details slow you down.

  • Bowillie

    Actually Darladoon, Of the top 10 lobbyist listed on ” Follow the money”" website. 6  were Native American  gaming groups, (that’s Casino’s for you Dems)  2 were Unions, 1 was the National association of realtors, and number 10 was Actblue. they describe themselves as a (Liberal Policy Organization) … So of the top  10.  3 were union, or liberal, and no Corp’s… Once again we see how the facts just seem to get in the way of the liberal argument.

  • Bowillie

    Which reminds me… Pelosi said we have to pass the Health care bill so we can find out whats in it. So let me see if I have it straight. Pass the health care bill without reading it, and reject this one without reading it. I makes one wonder if the Dems can read…:-)

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