“...Obama faces unbridled corporations willing to spend billions to maintain
power, unprincipled Republicans and fearful, resentful, and brainwashed from
birth teabaggers who discard fact for faith…

Obama need not face this kind of opposition if he had one ounce of vision. The
vision is 70% for single payer or public option. But he is completely IN
AGREEMENT with the corporations, so much so he is willing to fork over trillions of
your taxes, to these corporations, even though he could cover everyone for free
several times over with that kind of money. (Obama is NOT into change. Won’t
touch it. Won’t happen despite all the money).

And what do you call the liberals and independents who no longer respect
Obama? Are we all brainwashed? Oh, I forgot, we are all racist, right?

Gandhi?  Gimme a break!  That’s why Obama is pushing a war in Afghanistan, for reasons no one can define, supporting a guy who just “won” a rigged election?  He’s about to send 40,000 more troops there, even though Al Qaeda, the people who attacked us on 9-11, are long gone from that sorry land.  So what the hell are our soldier and Marines doing there, other than supporting oil interests?  Gandhi would retch.

Mike, Glad to see others are thinking of the same thing. The idea of a lottery is
great. I have been mentioning this any chance I get. You know, it would give
everyone a hands on experience in our collective future. It is the life
experiences that we all want, even the high school drop out would add his
thoughts to a better future. This idea would eliminate voter corruption, and the
great amount of money spent on advertising an election. The idea would also
destroy the whole lobbing scheme. But, even a businessman could win the
lottery, so business is still represented. But now, the rest of us FINALLY have a
voice. All it takes is one honest branch of government, to eliminate the
corruption of the other two. But most of all, it is exciting, and people will want
to get involved. Which is the whole theme of the matrix movie.

I have followed truthdig for years, and surprised that this article was accepted.
Does this writer work for the washington post? It is like a knife in our backs.

Who would prez play golf with after his dinner with Gandhi? Oh thats right..with the CEO of the Swiss Bank that protects all of the capitalists’ loot from taxation.

I really despise this hypocrite. Shame on you Ellen for defending lies.

Wasn’t it Amy Goodman who wrote the column “Let’s not become the evil we deplore”?  Leftish carping sounds an awful lot like rightish carping.  Not that criticism and complaining is “evil”—it’s just a lot more heat than light.  I keep thinking these people who write so fluently could probably think fluently, too, if only they would try. What would you do instead—in any given instance—and how would you do it, given the same circumstances Obama faces and including all the factors he’s trying to deal with?  If the country could get a discussion going on those things, we’d get some traction. Otherwise it’s just hot air. Which is okay, as I said.  Just not helpful at a time when help is needed.

This article takes away the accountability that we so much need of our public
servants.. The world who can’t wait, calls us the land of amnesia. Look at how
he voted for the many years before his new found election. He voted for
everything that has made our country bad. The citizens need to learn how to
recall any public servant that finds his own needs above the people. Like lying
on a job application, you are fired. As far as the person who wrote this article,
please step aside while the people who have their sleeves rolled back ready to
do the work to turn this mess around. And this time, business is going to sit at
the back of the buss. people before profit, enough already.

Suggest we do away with elections altogether. We should have a lottery to pick
our servants. Anyone over 18 years of age can be our new president, mayor, or
general. And every two years, we get new people with a new lottery. That way
new ideas, allot of them; will cross our table. Now we can be truly represented.
Think of how this will inspire new generations, others in the world. I once
heard that the world should be able to help decide who is elected because the
wold is so affected with our actions; I could not agree more. Now, I am scared
to travel as an american. We all sat by why this came undone over the many
years. It is time to get to work. We should start with the judicial system, and
elections. Because none of this would have happened if we had an honest
judicial system. Yes, so much work needs to be done. And it is not going to
happen if we keep doing what has already been done. So no, Obama is no
comparison to Ghandi, or any other honest nice person. A good man is a good
man. And a thief, is a thief.

postively asinine i did not vote for gandhi and this comment smacks of the what would jesus do answer of the gore bush election enough of the valedictory speeches of barack obama i did not vote for valerie jarrett and rahm emanuel to screw up this country further i voted for barack obama because he is a leader of intelligence and sensitivity who was supported by deep revolutionary currents coming to the surface and supported by people who want their country to be something more than warfare capitalism and a media led nihilism - much of the spirit behind obama at the end was like the militant seattle 1999 antiglobalization rallies -

- gandhi was against empire while willy nilly paving the way for two serious military powers and frightful consequences - barack’s job is to wind down the empire and reinvigorate the country - for the moment the serious consequences of his failure will outlast a schoolroom plea to human beings better nature - get real people, get real!

Thanks a bunch, Ellen Goodman!  It takes a woman!
If you judge by the “tea parties” and the comment columns, it looks like we’ve got a whole schoolyard full of complainers who, when they are not at each others’ throats, are carping because huge, complicated goals have not been delivered to them in ten months time. Excuse the education metaphor, but a lot of these people would benefit by going back to kindergarten where the bespectacled shepherdess kept saying, over and over,  “Now, now, kiddies!”

Gandi was one of the few people in history to bring about lasting change.  He did not do so through collaboration and appeasement.  It was accomplished through non-violence and a refusal to accept less than success.  Gandi dealt with both the British and the Muslims, who had different demands than the Hindus.  Had Gandi not been assassinated, he likely would have achieved a unified India.  Non-violence is the means to bring about lasting change, but we rarely see it actually practiced.  Violence only changes who commits the violence.

Given the falseness of Obama’s words when compared to his actions, I would simply attribute his statement to his well-polished silver tongue. Obama is accomplishing what he set out to do (not what he said he set out to do).

and how long did it take Ghandi?  sorry Mr. Obama, you’ve got maybe 1 year. If we don’t see some real on the ground/in the wallet progress on the range of
issues - not just health care, but the wars and wall street, and jobs, and clean air, and, and, and…..... the loons will retake the house and your idealism is going to be kicked to the curb
and the radical right will have won.  you do not
have the luxury that Ghandi had in NOT being
an elected official, or the ever so civilized British government to deal with.  no tea with the limpuglicans. no scones with the tea baggers….....
you’ve picked the so-called pit bull in rahm -so turn him loose on the foot draggers, let him whip
them into a team behind the scenes and get something
done for the American PEOPLE - not the AMERICAN CORPORATIONS!