Isn't anybody in charge here?

I could just have one of those What Digby Says blogs. I guess my fear of the slippery slope has made me reluctant to link to her. But for sure, lots of us share this sentiment:

You know, with an economy like this I would always assume this would be a tough election. Midterms always are for the majority and this one in particular was always going to be a bitch. But I don't think I ever expected anyone to lose to the collection of half educated carnival clowns, throwbacks and morons the Republicans are putting up this time. It's mind-boggling. In fact, it's so bad that now even the standard issue fascists are getting a little queasy.

It is very difficult to understand why this is happening but here's a proposal: Barack Obama has utterly, abysmally, failed to show any leadership. I am truly tempted to use the term moral cowardice. Okay, I just did.

ABC News rounds up the terrifying rise of sectarian hatred aimed at Muslims. Even George W. Bush got out in front of this sick garbage but all we've heard from Obama is a single, weak tea statement that people have a constitutional right to build mosques, followed by the next day by a baby splitting disclaimer that he really wishes they wouldn't build the Park 51 community center. Since then - not a peep, even as anti-Muslim violence, threats, and hateful rhetoric is making a mockery of U.S. claims of benevolent intentions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and yes, putting the lives of U.S. personnel at increased risk.

After almost two years, we are still expelling gay people from the military in spite of Obama's promises. The Deepwater Horizon disaster at least offered an opportunity for the president to make a forceful case for real action to end our addiction to fossil fuels and finally do something about the single greatest crisis facing humanity, but he meticulously, actively avoided making any connection. Instead he delivered a prime time speech promising to make BP pay for the damages, and nothing more.

As for the economic crisis, he has spent the past several months repeatedly claiming that it's all getting better and resolutely avoiding proposing any meaningful action. Finally, today, we get a proposal for $50 billion in infrastructure investment that comes much to late and has no chance of passing congress.

Yes, the polls show that the Park 51 project is unpopular, and so is a carbon tax, and the Republicans are guaranteed to screech about deficits and socialism every time he proposes spending money, and while public opinion on homosexuality is shifting it's still going to cost him some cred with religious conservatives who don't like him anyway to eliminate discrimination in the military and change course in support of same sex marriage but . . .

People want leadership. He can redefine these issues and move public opinion if he will step up and speak forcefully and passionately, which we know he can do. People aren't planning to vote for Democrats because Democrats don't appear to stand for anything. That's my view.