4 ms·

Yeah ask a politician to promise something and then hold that promise... I'm sure that will turn out just dandy.

by gm 15y ago

ascendant 15y ago
Normally I would downvote snark, but this is my exact thought too. Political promises only last as long as the money does.
- DanielBMarkham 15y ago
  I would also downvote, but this was my exact thoughts, and it has nothing to do with Obama. Any politician when pressured enough will make a promise to you. It's getting them to keep it that is the trick. If anything, this will have the exact opposite effect than intended: instead of stopping SOPA-II, it'll just create a lot of talking points and rhetoric which will provide cover for the actual roll-out. Best thing I've seen so far is punishing politicians that propose bills like this. That's the way prohibition got passed in the states: the movement just made sure that politicians were punished or rewarded based on their taking political action, not promises or speeches.
betterth 15y ago
Even funnier: Let's tell the President to stand in the way of the legal, sovereign bill writing by our duly elected Congress. Talk about a disgusting ignorance of the separation of powers. The President should never get to veto the writing of a bill, only the approved, voted-on version of a bill.
- Wilduck 15y ago
  > Even funnier: Let's tell the President to stand in the way of the legal, sovereign bill writing by our duly elected Congress. This is not actually that absurd. The threat of a veto is often enough to stop a bill from moving forward through Congress. Clearly there are political considerations with issuing such a threat, but it is fairly reasonable to assume that the President could greatly influence a bill while it was still in Congress.
- SkyMarshal 15y ago
  > legal, sovereign bill writing by our duly elected Congress. What about when lobbyists write the bills and pay/bribe/extort Congress to pass them?

Yeah ask a politician to promise something and then hold that promise... I'm sure that will turn out just dandy.

by gm 15y ago

Yeah ask a politician to promise something and then hold that promise... I'm sure that will turn out just dandy.

Normally I would downvote snark, but this is my exact thought too. Political promises only last as long as the money does.

DanielBMarkham 15y ago
I would also downvote, but this was my exact thoughts, and it has nothing to do with Obama. Any politician when pressured enough will make a promise to you. It's getting them to keep it that is the trick. If anything, this will have the exact opposite effect than intended: instead of stopping SOPA-II, it'll just create a lot of talking points and rhetoric which will provide cover for the actual roll-out. Best thing I've seen so far is punishing politicians that propose bills like this. That's the way prohibition got passed in the states: the movement just made sure that politicians were punished or rewarded based on their taking political action, not promises or speeches.

betterth 15y ago

Even funnier: Let's tell the President to stand in the way of the legal, sovereign bill writing by our duly elected Congress. Talk about a disgusting ignorance of the separation of powers. The President should never get to veto the writing of a bill, only the approved, voted-on version of a bill.

Wilduck 15y ago
> Even funnier: Let's tell the President to stand in the way of the legal, sovereign bill writing by our duly elected Congress. This is not actually that absurd. The threat of a veto is often enough to stop a bill from moving forward through Congress. Clearly there are political considerations with issuing such a threat, but it is fairly reasonable to assume that the President could greatly influence a bill while it was still in Congress.
SkyMarshal 15y ago
> legal, sovereign bill writing by our duly elected Congress. What about when lobbyists write the bills and pay/bribe/extort Congress to pass them?