By OcJim

The Democrats are either hopeless cowards when it comes to defending majority interests, or they are compromised by lobbyist money, only trying to appear as though they support the people. Current observations seem to prove that it is both.

Barack Obama campaigned in 2008 as a champion of the people. Eloquent speeches convinced Americans that he would defend positions of the majority over the Bush programs that consistently rewarded the rich and neglected the people. At no time has he demonstrated the level of egalitarian support he promised during the campaign. Instead he has appointed people indebted to plutocratic interests as economic advisors and as finance ministers who have always done the bidding of Wall Street.

With a majority in Congress until 2010, his policies since 2008 have carried seemingly only a modicum of support for the people, including  health care reform system borrowed from Republicans, an economic stimulus too weak to fully turn around the economic swoon occurring due to Bush policies, help for Wall Street but nothing for homeowners, and timid human rights policies — the result, a heavy vote turned to Republicans in the House and several states.

Now that the Republicans have a majority in the House, we have seen Obama discard liberal bargaining points altogether, always starting his bargaining with Republican favored stances. Only since the Occupy Movement has begun, do we see even a weak attempt to placate the progressive side of thinking.

In his latest battle over extension of the payroll tax cut, after he began gaining traction, it is apparent that he will back down, as Republican leaders knew he would, give up the tax hike for millionaires and billionaires (having a strong majority support among the people) to cover the expense, get a small temporary payroll victory, and more spending cuts that will hurt the people. Considering the support Obama gets from rich benefactors, it is apparent that he is not only spineless, but that he was only feigning support for the people.

With the public support he has, Americans want him to stand up to miscreant Republicans, but his excuse once again is that it is all he could get from uncompromising Republicans.

Republicans have good reason to believe that the whole Democratic party is only posturing as our supporters. As Democrats and Republicans alike, financed by the same corporate lobbyists, believe that voters only have two choices: wimpish, compromised Democrats or puppets-of-the-rich Republicans. All ignore the interests of the people, deceiving, lying, or feigning support.

More and more evidence points in this direction. Oregon Democrat, Senator Ron Wyden, demonstrated a cave to the Republican Rep. Paul Ryan Kill-Medicare proposal: in a co-signed op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Ryan and Wyden jointly propose an exchange-regulated, premium-support overhaul of the seniors’ health program that pits private plans against a government-run Medicare plan. The plan would start in 2022. According to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the plan is a sneaky attempt to kill traditional Medicare completely.

On other issues, Congress is not able to extend unemployment benefits, to create jobs, to raise taxes on the rich, or continue the payroll tax reduction, but it can take away the right to habeas corpus for all accused, even American citizens. After threatening a veto, Barack Obama will supposedly sign a bill launched by Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich) which could label anyone, including American citizens, as enemy combatants and throw them into prison never to be heard again.

Democrats and Republicans voted for this, which could in effect enable the president or his agencies to authorize imprisoning you without a trial for speaking out against him. If you trust President Obama with this power, how about any extremist who becomes president next year. Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, or Mitt Romney, for example, could replace Obama.

Do you trust our leadership with that power?