It is Immoral for Democrats Not to Primary Obama in 2012.

2012 is approaching faster than you think. The economy is still in the toilet, the wars of aggression continue, torture goes on (as does the war on whistleblowers), true health care reform is still not achieved, man-made environmental disasters keep happening with increasing frequency while the polluters go unpunished and are even rewarded for the crimes.

Hopey McChangerton has utterly refused to follow through on so much as a single campaign promise that did not involve continuing and expanding Bush-Cheney far right-wing policies. Since taking office, Barry Obama has:

Extended the Patriot Act without making any reforms Pushed for mandatory DNA testing of those arrested for crimes, regardless of whether they have been convicted

Dramatically increased government secrecy, blocking more FOIA requests in 2009 than Bush did in 2008

Cut a secret deal to kill the public option, while campaigning on its behalf

Cut a deal to exempt abortion services from health care reform

Continued to defend the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” from legal challenges

Granted waivers for 30 companies, including McDonald’s, exempting them from health care reform

Announced a $60 billion sale of arms to the Saudi Arabian dictatorship, the largest arms deal in history

Won the right to invoke “state secrets” protecting the Bush administration from criminal prosecution

Failed to disclose visits by industry executives while crafting health care reform legislation

Authorized the assassination of US citizens abroad, an unprecedented declaration of executive power

Censored reporters covering military tribunals at Guantanamo

Fought for government immunity in prosecutions for domestic spying

Awarded $250 million in government contracts to Blackwater

Dramatically increased the use of drone bombers in Pakistan, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties

Won the right to keep identities of prisoners at Bagram “black site” a secret

Cracked down on government whistleblowers more than any President in history

Used cluster bombs in Yemen, resulting in the deaths of 14 militants, and 35 women and children

Continued Bush policy of blocking use of the Endangered Species Act to prevent climate change

Sent 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan

Gave permits to BP and other oil companies, exempting them from environmental protection laws

Appointed Lawrence Summers as his top economic adviser

Appointed Timothy Geithner to run the Treasury

Passed a massive bailout of Wall Street, at the taxpayers’ expense

Appointed Monsanto executive Michael Taylor to the FDA

Appointed former Monsanto lobbyist Islam Siddiqui as America’s Chief Agriculture Negotiator

Sided with utility companies in lawsuit to stop greenhouse gas emissions

Successfully protected Bush officials from prosecution for torture

Pushed for a 5 year prison term for Charles Lynch, the operator of a medical marijuana dispensary, legal under California law

Proposed a three year freeze on domestic spending, exempting cuts from the Pentagon and Homeland Security

Argued that the widespread use of Predator drones is a justifiable form of self-defense

Revived “Prompt Global Strike” weapons system, considered too controversial by Bush Administration

Backed off on his promise to close the prison at Guantanamo

Reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage

Announced over $8 billion in loan guarantees to promote nuclear power

Promised $30 billion in military aid to Israel over the next decade

Successfully prosecuted child soldier Omar Khadr using [a false confession] obtained through torture

Granted 27 waivers to oil companies drilling in the few weeks following the Deepwater Horizon disaster

Operated a “black site” at Bagram airbase, where the Red Cross has reported detainee abuse

Won the right to deny habeas corpus to detainees

Once wrote: “I trust that you will continue to let me and other Democrats know when you believe we are screwing up. And I, in turn, will always try and show you the respect and candor one owes his friends and allies.” (We all know his words proved hollow as he relentlessly attacked his own party’s base in last year’s midterm elections, both directly and through subordinates.)

Eased restrictions on the use of child soldiers in Africa

Blocked UN human rights investigations at Guantanamo

Launched FBI raids on antiwar activists in Chicago and Minneapolis

Used a signing statement to ignore labor and environmental standards for the IMF and World Bank

Supports the coup government in Honduras

Reversed his position on drug reimportation to appease the pharmaceutical industry

Dropped charges against the CIA for destroying videotapes documenting torture of detainees

Violated his own ban on lobbyists working for the administration

Appointed Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff

Deported record numbers of undocumented immigrants*

Continued renditions of alleged terrorists to countries where they could be tortured

Opposed marriage equality by appealing challenges to DOMA, the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act”

Blocked the release of photos documenting the torture and abuse of detainees by the US military

Continued the practice of indefinite detentions for alleged terrorists

Refused to sign a treaty banning the use of landmines

Source: http://whatinthef***hasobamadonesofar.com

Add waging an illegal war against Libya and putting Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid on the chopping block.

The list goes on for miles, but I trust you get the point. In light of all this and more, it is immoral for Democrats who claim left-wing beliefs not to mount a primary challenge against Obama next year. Many Democrats will tell you that the Republicans are far worse and that a primary challenge would weaken the incumbent. But there is no objective evidence that the GOP would have done anything differently had McCain gotten into the White House in 2008, nor is there any credible evidence to show that Democrats have done any differently than Republicans — Nancy Pelosi bragged on television that Obamacare is a Republican bill, and Max Baucus boasted on the floor of the Senate that the bill was written by a former WellPoint executive who was on his staff at the time — and Obama has done a fine job of weakening himself using Clintonian triangulation, right-wing policies, and bashing his own party's progressive base without any help from "disloyal" progressives.

Democrats need to make a decision as to what kind of party they want to be. They cannot continue to try to walk the top of the fence and expect to retain the office of the presidency, or win back the seats they frittered away in Congress.