Obama resigns from Senate

[Achilles2]

Just to keep you all updated with the news here, President-Elect Barack Obama has officially resigned his Senate seat today.

Why does it matter? Well, it means that the President-Elect won't take part in the Lame Duck Session in Congress, nor will he vote on new legislation - some of which may include some stimulus packages for the automobile industry.

In a nutshell, this basically means that Obama can't be expected to do anything here and now aside from use his enormous influence to persuade Congress to get something passed.

As always, thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

[marchohare]

At 11/16/08 10:55 AM, Achilles2 wrote: As always, thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

I think it's a pretty smart move. He doesn't want to become saddled with support for, or opposition to, current policy. His action implies that the direction he'll take after being sworn in might be a radical departure from the status quo.

Good. We need one.

How radical? How effective? I don't know. I'm not one of those cheerleaders for change simply for the sake of change. I'd like to know more about what kind of change... but the fact that Obama rushed to D.C. to vote for the bailout along with John McCain and Barney Frank, which Bush signed into law before the ink on the bill was even dry, did not strike me as a promising development.

It is at moments like that where we can clearly see those sold-out whores are really all on they same team. They're capable of acting in a bipartisan manner just so long as we're talking about taxpayer bailouts for their corrupt, criminal, fatcat cronies in Big Bizness.

Here's the score:
Fatcats - 850,000,000,000
Taxpayers - 0

Still... I'll wait and see. I'm hoping Obama turns out to be an ally of the people, but I won't be holding my breath. I know where he got the money for his unbelievably expensive ticket into what is arguably the highest political office on the planet.

"Left" or "Right," it all comes from the same places: that's where the real power is.

[ReThink]

I think this comic very succinctly sums up the position Obama is in.

He is really going to have to essentially start from scratch to get his plan in motion. Resigning the senate is a good first step.

[marchohare]

At 11/16/08 12:09 PM, ReThink wrote: I think this comic very succinctly sums up the position Obama is in.

That's hilarious, and beautifully drawn and written.

Kinda sad, too.

[MortifiedPenguins]

Since he hasn't done much with his Senate position since he started running for president, this really shouldn't change anything.

[JudgeDredd]

t 11/16/08 11:15 AM, marchohare wrote:

Here's the score:
Fatcats - 850,000,000,000
Taxpayers - 0

hmm.. your math seems a little off.

Fatcats; +11,300,000,000,000
Taxpayers; -11,300,000,000,000

At 11/16/08 12:09 PM, ReThink wrote: I think this comic very succinctly sums up the position Obama is in.

*jaw drops*

geez, who knew cartoonery could be so powerful..

*feels a career change coming on*

.

[Korriken]

At 11/16/08 07:35 PM, MortifiedPenguins wrote: Since he hasn't done much with his Senate position since he started running for president, this really shouldn't change anything.

I just kinda hope that its a precursor to his presidency (in a way I kinda hope not as well) I can imagine it now.... His entire first term he spends running for his 2nd term and he spends his 2nd term running for the senate again. However, I think in a few years people will grow bored with him. the novelty will wear off and he will be tossed aside for the first non black non Caucasian president... Bobby Jindal.... oh wait he's not a democrat.

[JudgeDredd]

At 11/16/08 08:36 PM, Korriken wrote: However, I think in a few years people will grow bored with him. the novelty will wear off and he will be tossed aside for the first non black non Caucasian president...

..does that thought come with anti-depressants?

[Korriken]

At 11/16/08 08:49 PM, JudgeDredd wrote:

..does that thought come with anti-depressants?

nah, it'll come with the same fervor, jubilation, and thundering applause that Obama came with.
In time we'll run out of ethnicities to elect and then elect our first foreign born president. we all know who that would be...

[aviewaskewed]

A good move here. I'm also curious as to what happens to his seat now? Does this mean that the state holds a special election? Does he name a successor? I'm curious because I don't know the procedure here.

Anyway, yeah, it keeps him from touching any current policy and will allow him to completely and totally focus on what his strategy will be once in office, and of course if any horribly unpopular decisions make it through, he doesn't have to worry about having potentially voted for 'em :)

[marchohare]

At 11/16/08 08:55 PM, Korriken wrote: ...we all know who that would be...

Y'know, with all his money and apparent vanity, why didn't he ever get his teeth fixed?

[Conspiracy3]

He has to resign to become president

and nothing important ever happens in the last two months of a lame duck government.

[aviewaskewed]

At 11/18/08 08:52 PM, Conspiracy3 wrote: and nothing important ever happens in the last two months of a lame duck government.

Well, we do have the GM bailout to decide.

[Korriken]

At 11/18/08 08:39 PM, marchohare wrote:

Y'know, with all his money and apparent vanity, why didn't he ever get his teeth fixed?

its part of who he is I reckon. kinda like how that one guy.. uhh... Carrot Top has his big red hair.. yeah the guy no one gives a damn about anymore.

[Tony-DarkGrave]

well duh he would resign he cant be in the senate and the president at the same time.

[SadisticMonkey]

Typical democrat bullshit.

I mean, wait, what?

[HogWashSoup]

Doesnt bother me. Seems like he is leaving the old job for the new job.

[marchohare]

At 11/16/08 08:32 PM, JudgeDredd wrote: hmm.. your math seems a little off.

Fatcats; +11,300,000,000,000
Taxpayers; -11,300,000,000,000

You make a good point with the negative number, but what's 11.3 trillion? The whole national debt? I just included the bailout.

Actually, you have a good point with the entire national debt, too.

[TheMason]

At 11/18/08 08:34 PM, aviewaskewed wrote: A good move here. I'm also curious as to what happens to his seat now? Does this mean that the state holds a special election? Does he name a successor? I'm curious because I don't know the procedure here.

In most states the Governor will appoint someone to the Senate seat. Then in two years s/he will have to be elected.

Anyway, yeah, it keeps him from touching any current policy and will allow him to completely and totally focus on what his strategy will be once in office, and of course if any horribly unpopular decisions make it through, he doesn't have to worry about having potentially voted for 'em :)

It would be interesting the see what the norm is for moving from the Senate to the White House. The last time we had someone go straight from the Senate to the 1600 Penn. Ave was 1960 with JFK/LBJ.

Quick Wiki check: JFK resigned from the Senate on 22 December 1960.
W. resigned from the Texas Governorship on 21 December 2000.
Clinton resigned from the Arkansas Governorship on 12 December 1992.
FDR resigned from the New York Governorship on New Years Eve 1932 (inaguration was on 4 March 1933).

So it does appear that Obama's resignation is coming a little early. I think the reason is two-fold:
1) Shield him from unpopular decisions and any missteps he may make in the Senate.
2) Focus on the transition of power.

While I voted for McCain, I really hope Obama does well. Even though I am a Republican, I would rather see a successful Democratic President rather than see America fail. However, I am still uncomfortable with some of the things I am seeing. The CNN special Obama Revealed was what made me vote for McCain. I saw someone whose focus is on becoming president...not doing his duty required of whatever office he was holding in the here and now. I also saw a Messianic delusion when his friends talked about how depressed and outright stunned he was when he lost his first bid for the US House of Representatives. The comment that struck me wrong was that he could not believe he had been defeated...when he obviously had the solutions to the problems faced by Chicagoans.

I have also heard reports that former Senator Tom Daschle (Majority Leader for the Democrats in 2001-2002) had given his staff to Senator Obama in an effort to protect him and make sure he did not screw-up in the Senate bad enough to hurt his chances for national office. Thus I wonder if Obama is really in charge or if he just a figure head (yes ALL presidents are figureheads to some degree) a la Bush.

Like I said, I hope he does well and the economy gets back on track. However, just call it my natural cynicism...but I have my doubts.