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Lefties Yelp Over Obama's Rightward Moves

Cabinet positions, backtracking on taxes, Iraq not what some liberals envisioned

By Gabriel Winant,  Newser User

Posted Dec 8, 2008 11:17 AM CST

(Newser) – The Internet left, a cash cow for Barack Obama’s campaign, is now home to some of his sharper critics, Politico reports. The president-elect seems to be turning down the heat on some red-meat ideas, like a windfall-profits tax on oil companies. And, notes one prominent progressive blogger, “There don’t seem to be any liberals in Obama’s cabinet.”

Of course, Obama’s disappointed liberals before. Shortly after clinching the nomination, he flipped a campaign promise to oppose a compromise on wiretapping into a convenient general-election position in favor. On the other hand, even lefty advocates admit, the guy has yet to govern. “He hasn’t had a first day in office,” notes the head of an environmental group.

President-elect Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in Chicago yesterday.
President-elect Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in Chicago yesterday.   (AP Photo)
President-elect Barack Obama, right, shakes hands with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, center, as Vice President-elect Joe Biden watches from left, at a news conference in Chicago, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008.
President-elect Barack Obama, right, shakes hands with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, center, as Vice President-elect Joe Biden watches from left, at a news conference in Chicago, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
He has confirmed what our suspicions were by surrounding himself with a centrist to right cabinet, Tim Carpenter, national director of the Progressive Democrats of America, says of Obama.
"He has confirmed what our suspicions were by surrounding himself with a centrist to right cabinet," Tim Carpenter, national director of the Progressive Democrats of America, says of Obama.   (AP Photo)
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It's complicated. On the one hand, the guy hasn't even taken office yet so it's a little hasty to be criticizing him. On the other hand, there is legitimate cause for concern.
- Jonathan Tasini, labor activist

Isn't there ever a point when we can get an actual Democratic administration? - Chris Bowers, blogger

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
Shannonals
Dec 9, 2008 8:13 PM CST
Corona_king, for a person who talks as much trash as you do, I bet your planning on staying in this countr
Guest
Dec 8, 2008 10:16 PM CST
I'm not going to cite any polls, expert assessments or pundits to say that, as a left-wing radical (with a couple of issues excepted), I, personally, am utterly demoralized by Obama's abandonment of those who walked the walk, talked the talk, got out the voters and swept Obama into office. He should have been honest up front about his right-centrist beliefs, but, like any other politician, he wanted to get elected, so he turned to those most hurt by the last eight years -- and now deserts them. Surely there are enough qualified Democrats and Republicans that he could have had bipartisanship among new people as his appointees, not kept a few left-over Bushies and a bunch of Clintonites. It's crushing! Also, as a former newspaper and magazine editor, I strongly object to your "Lefties yelp" headline trivializing and denigrating liberals, as well as blaring a POV. "Lefties" are every bit as entitled to objectivity as are conservatives.
Guest
Dec 8, 2008 8:15 PM CST
Justme: Care to give some credible sources about "where the vast majority of voters are"? If not, please state that, in YOUR opinion, this describes a version of reality that has SOME basis in fact (when in fact it is merely your opinion) although you don't go to the trouble of actually citing any evidence whatsoever.

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