No Mr. President

Mr. President,

In reading the news stories about the deals surrounding raising the debt ceiling limit I hear you stake out poltical position in the middle, trying to get the moderates on both sides on your side, and to get the support, and probably the vote in November 2012, of the independents who aren't particularly happy with either party. I'm not sorry to tell you the simple truth and fact that it's not working.

Independents are who they are politically because their views are a mix of both parties and often range the full spectrum of the views on the issues. While the vast majority of independents are individuals or member of small groups, the Tea Party is an extreme example of a larger independent group as are the progressive liberals, the majority of independent may share values with one of those groups but largely are in between the two.

I'm a registered democrat only because our state required you to select one of the two parties to vote in primary for that party (now changed to include everyone in a top two primary election with not party distinction), but mostly I'm an independent, a 1960's era progressive liberal with some moderate and even some conservative values.

While I generally side with the democrats and side against the republicans I will walk away and even criticize the democrats when they fail to meet my expectations or embrace my values on the issues. I do this when I see the democrats cave into republican pressure to compromise to the right of center, leaving the liberal and more so the progressive members of the democratic party standing alone with nothing so show for their effort.

And so that's my point. In your discussions with the Republicans, which I see you don't include the leaders of the democratic party, you have demonstrated you're not a democrat in any manner of the definition. You're a republican in a democratic suit, a sham and a shame to the democratic party and to the many who supported and voted for you in 2008.

You have sold the American people out for your political advantage of the moment. But Mr. President, we will have our moment in November 2012 and right now, you're not our candidate. Not mine, not since you abandoned the public option in the healthcare reform bill and law. Not since you have not only extended the Bush war on terrorism but sacrificied more civil rights and protections than the worst republican in that war.

Not since you caved to agree to extending the Bush tax cuts, if only for two years while we only got one year of benefits in the same bill. Not since you froze my annuity for two years and will freeze it again for additional years. My financial safety zone is now exhausted because of you.

I no longer have the discretionary spending to help the economy as you want. I no longer have the money to buy what you think would help the economy and create jobs. The money isn't there anymore thanks to you now. And you expect me to support and vote for you?

What's the saying? I think it's something Mr. Boehner said, "No! Hell no!" Yes, your fellow republican buddy. You've have screwed the American people for 2 1/2 years now for your own political agenda which wasn't what you promised in the 2008 election campaign. You lied to the American people to get elected, and now we see you are the old adage.

You are the democratic president with no clothes and shown to be a republican. You assume the democrats and the democratic party will stand behind you for your re-election campaign, and they will, not because they like and want you as their president and candidate, but because you are the lesser of evil. You are their republican democrat, and like it or not, they'll stand there with their fake grins and exress their words of support.

But don't assume that is true or real. It's not. But unlike the voters, they have to do that. We don't. We don't have to vote for your opponent, we simply don't have to vote for you. If we had a parliamentary government, you'd get a vote of no confidence and ousted from office for it. You're lucky, and you know it.

You've spent all your political capital and know you're asking for more, except we don't have any more capital, you stole it. You emptied our pocket giving it to the republican in your negotiations and rightwing compromises. You bankrupted us into debt while enriching them. And now you're asking for more.

Sorry Mr. President, as Getrude Stein said, "There is no there there." We have no more there to give. You're broke which is why you're running to the Republicans for help. You can't stand tall as a democrat, so you run cowardly to the republicans for help from your own party and from your own political base. And now we see and know it for sure.

You're willing to rob and even bankrupt your own political base for the republicans. Or maybe that was your plan all along? Maybe you never really cared for the democrats or the democratic party, and you, funded by corporations and wealthy individuals, sold us as a people's choice. The grand republican plan all along.

If the republicans didn't want John McCain as their president, why not elect one in democratic clothes. Except now the clothes are gone and you're naked for who you really are, not so much our president but their president. And sorry, now we can decide for ourselves, and will.

You will likely win because many will see you as the lesser of evils but don't mistake that as a mandate from us, but a warning, and which you, in your second and last term, can and will likely ignore. You'll be president and we'll have to fight to hold you accountable to real democratic values for this country and the American people. As you often say, "Make no mistake...", we'll be watching you.