For what he has just achieved, if Obama had been elected as a Republican he would be revered as another Ronald Reagan. Instead, yes, he will sadly but justifiably be remembered and reviled simply as weak.

I used to admire Obama, but he's just become another politician bowing to the influences of the faux American corporations and Wall street insiders who care more about power and money than they do about the country that made them rich and powerful!

I don't think the President surrendered. I think he is totally on board - as evidenced as early as March 2009 when he told David Brooks of the NY Times that he wanted to cut medicare and social security. As evidenced by all of his actions since his inauguration. I believe he is playing good cop, bad cop. I think he will be remembered as one of the final nails in the coffin of the American experiment. For better or worse. Too bad society didn't follow the hippies, we had it right in almost every way, and the world would be a better place had it listened to us. Anyway, karma, mother nature, prophecy... whatever... the bill is coming due and we will be paying it.

As for elections, I see no reason to assume most of these tea partiers or republicans were fairly elected, or even Obama as you and i once discussed briefly. The republicans wanted to face Kerry rather than Dean, and made that happen. I was always suspicious that during the primaries, I heard no criticism of Obama from the right wing pundits. That should have given pause to any critical thinker. They were after Hillary like bats out of hell, but Obama got pussycat treatment. Did they know something we didn't (other than that he promised to invade Afghanistan and sold out to Exelon in Illinois)?

Miriam from freewheeling Fairfax, CA

Since 1980 the republicans have pushed and pushed politics to the right, til now, this budget deal is seen as a centrist compromise, and Obama is considered (to everyone but progressives) as being "left-leaning" who is now "moving to the center" for the election. But with that center nearing the line of the burning Reichstag, we NEED our side to move it back. Politicians who consider themselve progressive or liberal MUST go on the offensive and reframe the debate back to sanity or else all is lost. Why is it considered fact that cutting taxes for the rich creates jobs? Why is deregulation still considered a good thing for the economy? Rove, Norquist and co. own the debate and now that the GOP knows that they have a free hand to do what they wish in government (without fear of penalty or impeachment), fascism isn't just around the corner anymore, it's only a few steps away.

Jennifer is Canadian. But we do need someone else and a new party or somehow need to make democrats care about the Democratic
Wing of the Democratic party.

President Obama is the Compromiser in Chief. He is an appeaser. This deal makes no sense for the economy and is a total capitulation. Why not spend money on an infrastructure jobs program, get wages up, collect new revenues, let all the Clinton era taxes come back: like magic, no debt problem. Comparing Obama to Carter as far as perception is fair. He is a weak leader with even less for core values than Clinton was. This is very sad.

Please pass the vaseline!

Dare I coin the name "DINO"?

To quote Thom quoting another Great Mind, "When given a choice between a Democrate who acts like a Republican, and a real Republican, people will choose the real Republican." That's how Obama's presidency will be viewed.

Republicans should be dancing in the streets--however, they may fall in a huge pothole from their lack of infrastructure spending.

Lately in your show, Thom, you've featured the generational theory ("Turning Point.)" I have to disagree with the hypothesis that the crisis of doom will come because the WW 2-ers are gone. That no one will remember. In the boomer generation, I think they are alive and well and live through us. We boomers were not without crisis:

How many many of us lived through union strikes-I haven't forgotten. (Rember when our parents had those manufacturing jobs) My father was a teamster -- in the 50's and 60's my family spent depression-like times when the workers went on strike. But we stuck together-- to fight for basic rights, I remember this and will not forget it. Picket duty gave a man $15.00 a week. The strikes lasted at times for months (once almost a year) and we were almost brought to our knees. Yet the picket line was immovable without give and take. Everyone showed up. Nobody ran or quit or even got other jobs to whimp out. My mother did work when she could to pick up the slack. It was good that she could finally could work in the 50's because in 1948 she had to quit her job at IBM because she "got married." (Say what?)

I knew the meaning of scab, sacrifice, and solidarity-it was served up in conversations in my house. In some cases you were less hungry when the sustinence was ideas and principles.They compel you to listen and not eat. In this wieght-challenged nation, we could sure use some" home thinkin' "

How many of us remember when we wanted new shoes-- there had to be a hole in them.-there were usually 2 pair-one for everything and one for Sunday. Sometimes we just resoled, not to be confused with "reload." Let's narrow down our shoe collection and start thinking of ways to funnel our materialism into some good heel-digging shoes.

I feel my representatives have crossed, moved and run over that picket line with this bullying, manipualtive, no give and all take agreement that we whimped out on. I would also appreicate it if no politician from this point on ever speaks collectively for the "American People" and what they want. I am still part of the generation that remembers and has suffered crises- like Viet Nam and union struggles and women's rights. There was, and is, an enduring pain and tenacity that still endures.

In conclusion, let these metaphosr connect to this day of infamy: picket lines have been replaced by what we call, "the line in the sand." How appropriate. LInes in the sand are so invisible when the tide unexpectedly rushes in. Real "picket lines" were a line that people stood across in force, They were only moved by negotiations with real give and take. And if the taking or giving was not a give and take that one could live with, andif it wasn't for the common good, well you still maintained the line. Even if there was a huge semi- truck coming in your direction. Even if it meant more weeks of doing without, or holes in your shoes. it was immmovable!!!. No excuses.

Remember what triumphs when a few good men do nothing?

We are now shocked that the line is on the edge of the cliff.

Let's stop moving the line!!! Let's push it back. It is not negotiable. If the tea partiers can do it from a basic misunderstood economic and theoretical standpoint, think of what the boomers can do!!!

Let's send our reps some shoes with spurs on the heels. Dig in!!!

I wish the U.S. education system taught more history. We are following the path of an old european monarchy which ended horribly for the elite who stepped all over the "people." Should we as "citizens" place a guillotine at the entrance of the Capital to remind those who have the power to make decisions, that continuously making decisions keeping a people down, might eventually end up in a "Reign of Terror" and create a messy situation.

By no means is this a call to bring Robespierre back from the dead. But in a more defined capacity, our leaders should start leading and stop being selfish by bringing a happy medium to our nation. A nation where many lives have been lost to bring it where it is, only to be lost to the greedy and powerful.

After all, the King of France and the other aristocrates thought they were powerful, until their turn on the plank of Mme. Guillotine.

I don't get the rationale that it is OK to flush the country down the toilet to please a few low-information "independent" voters in the next election. They'll still get their news from Fox. There has got to be another way to win an election, like turnout and better messaging.