Robert Borosage from Campaign for America’s Future wonders at how successful the Senate Republican minority is at being obstructionist:
Conservatives boast about the “success” of their strategy in discrediting the new majority. As Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., put it, “the strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail. So far it’s working for us.”
How is it working? It’s dragging the reputation of the Congress down to the level of the failed president. Conservatives lie in the road of progress and then complain that nothing is moving.
This values partisan posturing over reforms vital to the country. It must be challenged.
It’s time to take the gloves off.
The first step is to expose the obstruction to the American people. Let’s urge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to force a real filibuster. Keep the bills on the floor and force vote after vote, exposing the obstructionists. We’ll organize in states across the country to insure that their constituents know exactly who is standing in the way of progress.
Campaign for America’s Future is creating a petition to Reid, urging him to expose the obstructionists. Please join the petition. Let’s insure that Americans are clear on who is pushing for change and who is standing in the way.
It’s important for the Democrats to know that there is popular support for this kind of fight, and the American people will continue their attitude of “pox on both your houses” until it becomes clear that the GOP is responsible for the current quagmire. Reid may be quite proud of the Democrats’ success in the first six months but that could be the problem — it’s just not enough.
Related posts:
- Hey, Harry Reid, Stop Protecting Democrats Who Want to Filibuster the Public Option
- Excitement over Public Option in Senate Health Bill Leads to Premature Congratulations
- BREAKING: With 68 Votes, Sotomayor Approved as Associate Justice
- Shorter Harry Reid: Don’t Look at Me!
- Harry Reid Punk’d by Tom Coburn: AK-47s Now Welcome in Yosemite
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Bada bing
I think that Jane’s been reading comments from below. Great Post…
Hi Jane!
Wow, Jane! We just were discussing this a bit. Expose their asses!
Signed it yesterday.
I also sent Reid an e-mail directly as the Senate majority leader when the cloture failed on the non-binding resolution and suggested then that he set it up as a traditional filibuster and just clear the calendar or everything but Iraq and do nothing but vote on Iraq until they give it up. Make Toothless Mitch stand up and talk and not shut-up. Make all the other rethugs who think this is a good idea for obstruction (like Lott) to keep talking and maintain the floor and make them stay on record and on the tube why their actions are a good idea.
Make Susan Collins and John Sununu and Mitch and Cornyn and Coleman and Liddy Dole and all the other rethugs up for re-election be upfront with all the country on their views. No running and no hiding.
Hi Jane
I like this approach. I’m in.
Wow! Do I detect a ramping up on the blog ATTACK mode? From Mike Stark and LHP yesterday Digby and Jane today. (and of course so many others like Scarecrow, CHS and TRex)
ATTACK!
P.S. signed the petition today, thanks Jane.
That’s a really scary photo, btw.
Harry should tell Trent to start cooperating or the next time hurricane season comes around it sure would be sad if his state has to wait for money like New Orleans did. Democrats will have no problem obstructing attempts to make insaurence companies pay to fix Trents house. A simple means test could do it meaning the poor get their homes fixed first and then those with the means to afford hotels get their insaurence money and government help. Hell we could just declare the coast of his state a hurricane zone and insist that people stop building homes in the path of hurricanes if they want government funds. I’m sure the insaurence companies don’t want to cover Trent anymore unless he pays a lot more. I say let the free market work and let Trent complain about how he never meant for the free market to apply to him.
Jane — what a wonderful title to your piece! We must pressure the dems. We must get our government back.
that’s an excellant read jane
I want to comment on something here;
right now congress has one of the lowest approval ratings in history
that figure is decieving, republicans try to point to that and say it’s because of the democrats
even democrats point to that figure and blame our impotence against the will of this president and the fact that we blinked when the moron srared us down
in point of fact however, the dissaproval is STILL because of the repuke licans, NOT because if the democrats
people are SICK AND TIRED of the repuke licans and people see that congress is helpless because of THEM
this is good for us in the next elections, I expect even more seats moving over to the democrats
but that is the metric we have to point out if we want to get anything done in THIS congress
we haven to point to those polls and tell these repuke licans the reason approval is low is because the public sees how little is being done and they will make sure their vote makes it impossible for repuke licans to win re election
we hope pelosi gets it now;
no caving to the boyking, we are congress, we are the senate, we are two thirds of this government, he is one third
he doesn’t get to decide, we do
TexB @ 10
Jane, we will get our government back..
Loo Hoo. @ 8
Almost as scary as Darkblack’s Coulter/lamprey one.
Here are some other GREAT WAYS to SPEAK OUT!
http://freewayblogger.blogspot…..an-do.html
“Never let it be said that our generation failed to do the very least we possibly could in defense of our nation.” -Scarlet P.
OT actually big ot, but Josh Beckett won’t get his 12th win tonight for those Red Sox fans.
This is why it is so important to have our soldiers out of Iraq before Bush is out of office. Repugs would love to blame any carry over war problems on the Dems once we have a dem in the oval office.
That picture really is scary of Lott. He was a cheerleader at U. of Miss. “Lets get fired up!”
Why is it that the Republicans can still have so much power when they’re in the minority? They stick together and fight Dems at every turn, yet we still don’t get it – Why the hell can’t we do the same and present a united front to fight them? Why the hell did we let Roberts and Alito sail through confirmation?
I’ve had it with spinless Dems and Harry, IMHO is one of them. We could wipe the floor with these obstructionists, with the applause of the majority of the American people, all that is needed is the courage to do so.
I recently brought a congresswoman to tears when I let her have it for voting on appropriations for the Iraq War. Spell it out for them – you’re killing Americans to save your own political careers. Was I really the first one to tell her that? Does anyone in congress know how to play hardball?
I simply can not agree with you more, Jane – no more f’ing around.
another thought on point here;
this is not the “Iraq war”, it’s “the president’s war”
and let’s take that further, let’s find something better to use then the word “war”, that word serves the president too well
“occupation” isn’t good either, we need to use something like
“mindless invasion”
“assinine unprovoked attack” (me likey)
“insane unprovoked attack” (if “assinine is too rough
“senseless attack”
“ludicrous occupation”
“idiotic strategic policy”
“pathetic military knowledge and idiotic attack” (me likey this one too
man, this is too easy but maybe we can come up with a good one that will drive the fascists batty every time we use it
no more “Iraq war”, this is not a war it’s a mindless blunder these idiots concocted in order to steal
Trent Lott:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Lott
perris @ 11: Actually the low numbers are to the leadership of Congress, not to the Dems in general (who are still at 53%). But Pelosi and (especially) Reid have to learn how to play the game of being in power. The GOP has always been excellent at being in opposition (remember how Dole tanked when he tried to pretend to be a leader? Well, he was excellent as a roadblock.) The GOP can’t lead for endemic reasons. The Dems can’t lead because they’ve forgotten how!
Republicans are not afraid to use their power.
Dems …..
GordonM @ 20
Mrs. Edwards can teach them how.
Alright Jane, you twisted my arm! I signed the petition! Why, I’m so late to the thread!!! 8-)
perris @ 18
bush’s deadly, mindless blunder in iraq ??
Trent has a ship building industry in his state that gets a lot of military contracts suppose Harry suspends the contracts and money until the Iraq war is over to pay for the war. If the ship builders or the state sues we give in but insist the industry move to another state a blue state if they EVER want to see another contract. If Trent complaines then we tell him the contracts can stay if his state pays with their money. I’m tired of red states taking blue state tax dollars and ussing it for military contracts. We make the money OUR states should benefit. How many red states are there which get more money from the US government than they pay in? We can hit all the government welfare red states contracts if only Harry had the guts. Heck the war would be over tomarrow if we did that GOPpers will do anything to keep their military contracts. Money is their desire control/threaten their desire and we control them.
I was frustrated by the Dems ineffectiveness as an opposition party when they were in the minority. Their ineffectiveness as a majority* party is truly disheartening, albeit not particularly surprising.
* in all fairness they are one Lieberman shy of a majority in the Senate
Loo Hoo. @ 8
Of a really scary dude!
Time for real filibusters, Harry Reid. Show the American people that Democrats are trying to do the work we elected you to do last November! Show us who’s standing in the way!
JPL @ 15
Dang it! :P At least, they can still win their Fiftieth Victory!!! 8-)
greenwarrior @ 24
GordonM
The Democrats may have forgotten how to lead, but I don’t see them wanting to remember or re-learn it either. They like being in that DC bubble, where money and power are more important than how well they represent their constituents. (I have to say that a lot of constituents seem willing to allow it, for whatever reason.)
(Also, I’m seeing far too many people referring to a 2/3 majority as a supermajority. IMHO a supermajority is more extreme than that: 75 percent is the usual one.)
JPL @ 22
Yeah! She’s been doing excellent stuff. Amazing how the first comment in any thread about her tiff with Coulter is “Oh just ignore Coulter, she’s not worthy of attention”. Well, damn it, Ronnie Raygun wasn’t worth the attention and yet he’s supposed to be an American hero. You don’t have to play dirty, but you do have to play hard!
P J Evans @ 30
two-thirds is the figure used by most of us as that’s the number needed to override the veto or to convict in an impeachment. Only 60 are needed for cloture, so 67 is the vote total most look at.
Because of so called Democrats who our party will not call out as Republicans, continue to support Cheney and Bush..
I posted a copy of a letter from Wes Clark in the late late nite thread, who is now trying to raise funds with fear of Rove tactics for Senator Mark Pryor who considers Joe Lieberman to be his mentor, was a member of the gang of fourteen and the last Democrat to finally (one time) vote with all other Dems against Iraq funding. Wes Clark needs to explain his actions, imo.
Because 24 so called Democrats crossed the isle on Thursday evening and voted for continued funding of the Vice Presidents office.
The Dems really need to practice asymmetric warfare in politics now- where we use strategies outside of conventional ones. BushCo does this all the time- learned it from the warmongers.
Eureka it’s not just the dems, MSM is concerned about their funding..
Even Fox Noise polls (via Todd Beeton at MyDD) show where the real unpopularity lies:
This is the message Beltway Dems need to get out there: “It’s not us Americans are mad at — it’s the damn GOP!!”
Filibusters will do that, incidentally. There’s hardly a less flattering image of the Senate than when it’s filibustering for special interests, which is what ALL the GOP filibusters will be.
P J Evans @ 30
That’s why you have to hold their feet to the fire. My Blue Dog rep has been voting the right way recently, and I attribute that to pressure from his constituents.
No. 66 is supermajority in the Senate (for constitutional amendments, impeachment etc). That might mean 75 if 9 are DINOs, but 66 votes does whatever you want.
I think that congress has a low approval because they haven’t ended the war yet if anything we need polling on whom Democrats or Republicans are to blame the most for that. I’m sure the Democrats are being hit hard by this but if anything the polling will get the blue dog Democrats in line to end the war. If we end the war before Bush leaves office then the Democrats poll numbers will go through the roof and match the 70% who don’t like Bush. Trent is hopeing the Democrats won’t shut down the government to end the war. We don’t have enough votes to end the war now but unlike the Republicans when they shutdown government we already have much higher poll numbers supporting our cause than they did when they tried. If our poll numbers stay the same because we explain we don’t have the votes to end the war and this is our only recourse to try and change Bush’s mind then I think we can win. Challenge Bush publicly force him to back down the 30%ers respect strength. Show some and Bush’s support disappears as the pack realizes who the new alpha dog is.
i signed the petition during the last thread.
ot: i saw sicko last night with the democracy for texas folks. it’s a stunning movie. unlike his other movies, this one comes in much more understated. and, in my opinion, much more powerful. when i wasn’t really, really mad, i was crying. we got to see video footage of living people WITH health insurance whose treatment for their illnesses was denied. and the aftermath for their loved ones when they died as a result. at the hands of lobbyists for hmo’s like kaiser permanente and big pharma. 4 “health care” lobbyists for every member of congress.
extensive coverage of canadian’s, britain’s, france’s and cuba’s universal free health care. in england there are pay incentives for doctors for lowering patients’ cholesterol, helping them give up smoking.
i really had no idea of the extent of the problem nor how well universal health coverage seems to be working for the patients and the doctors and the hospital staff – it’s a friendly environment for everyone.
one quote from britain stood out. something like: “if we can find money to kill people, we can find money to help people.”
well, on second thought, i guess it’s on the topic of why congress isn’t working on behalf of us, the people.
GordonM:
The number is 67 votes (2/3 of 100 rounded up)
OT
Does anyone know where Kirk M has been lately?
Enjoyed some of his takes and observations.
MSM is scared. Do we see talking points about how the Repubs are obstructing everything, I don’t think so. Maybe I’m wrong but the dems are doing quite good in face of the opposition. The dems opposition is not only the Repubs but MSM.
Sorry, Gang, but I think the first step is to agree with Sen. Lott. :o)
“Yessir, Trent, y’all are flat-out kicking our asses. Your preznit’s approval ratings on the bloody, useless, bullshit-based mayhem opera that is about 95% on YOUR fucking bartab, are around the mid-20’s and dropping. Later this year, when they get down to the teens, and when your fellow GOP-congers are publicly shitting green nickels, we’ll be delighted to debate who has the parental responsibility for the wretched little horned bastard that you guys have sired, in Iraq. We’ll start with the fact that in the senate, the GOP missed unanimous support for authorizing the invasion by 1 (one) vote. :o)
At the same time, 21 democrats had the smarts and the courage to know rancid snakeoil when they smelled it, as bush and you guys were funnel-feeding it to the rest of the congress and the nation.
Reid and Pelosi have tried to push your preznintial-answer-to-Winston-Churchill to start pulling our troops out, but for some strange reason, practically none of you assholes want to help. As Iraq kicks up for the final plunge, we think these little vote-counts will play in Peoria, in the election. What do you think?” :o)
“It’s simple, Trent: at this point, the voters are not confused about who is sitting on the barbed-wire responsibility-pole. You can try to run the bullshit about “It’s EVERYONE’S fault!”, but we’ll take our chances in the election with pointing to bush, and Cheyney, and Rove, and Rice, etc…
And, down the road, we’ll just pick up that little thread and point out that there IS no way to un-shit the bed (which proof is going on, as we speak) and then we’ll talk about WHO shit it. Got your debating toupee on?”
Please folks, let’s get this straight.
In the Senate (and the Senate only), you need 60 votes to do anything if the minority is willing to use procedural moves (which the GOP is doing at 6.5x the rate that the Dems did last session). This is why nothing is getting passed – and what the petition is about.
You need 67 votes to overcome a veto or pass an amendment, or convict on an impeachment by the House.
Yes, there are conservative Democrats who are betraying the party, but even if you got them all on board, the rules of the Senate say that that is not enough.
Eureka Springs @ 33
I got the same e-mail from Wes Clark. I just figure that’s one on the negative ledger for him. He still has a positive balace though.
I questioned the 24 Ds voting No on the Cheney thing as well. Someone pointed out that it was procedural as the rethugs had threatened a similar move for the next Dem VP. I think I would say let them if the next Dem VP pulled the same sh*t Cheney has.
But given that Murtha, Obey, and Sestak were among the Dems who voted No, there had to be something going on with the leadership playing some games.
Milan River @ 41
When I last heard from him by email he was going to be quite busy until July 2.
GordonM @ 43
And what exactly did we do when they were a few short of 60?? Anything at all?
The reugs who charade in dem suits- why is that not fraud?
Milan River @ 41
No, I haven’t seen him around, but it seems to me that he said he was going to be busy on a big project. Miss him, but it was nice to see a post from Looseheadprop this morning.
NYT is reporting that Australia is pulling out of Iraq. Also two bookend editorials: the first is a scathing indictment of the shrub, and at the other end in a piece by Al Gore that is inspirational and calls on all of the goodness of the country and its citizenry.
I am sobbing.
Either Hilary, and the blue dog wing of the party starts doing something real to stop Bush besides talking or they will be real surprised as the war issue alone gets the blame for Hilary slipping huge in the polls later this year. Which I admit is just my prediction about what will happen but so far the Left has been right about almost everything about this war. We have the Cred with the American people not the Gop beyound their 30%ers not the Main Stream Media, and not the Hilary we supported the vote for war wing of the Democratic party. Nope its the Wild Eye Lefties with the Cred playing Cassandra to an American Public that does not seem to want make the mistakes the Trojans did when they ignored their Lefty. LEFTIES RULE!!!
dakine01 @ 40
Been a programmer too long. Integer arithmatic. Besides, McCain never votes. And if wishes be ponies, Lieberman will be hospitalized (just a cab ride away from a real hospital) with cerebral diarrhea until the end of his term. As the presenting symptom. Contact me for more.
Loo Hoo. @ 8
Well, yeah. I’ve been making a wonderful Italian sauce (from scratch with stuff from my garden and turkey italian sausage), when I swung by for a peeky…Gawd, I just lost my appetite.
Forgot the links:
Australia
Abuse of Executive Privilege
Moving Beyond Kyoto
“It’s time to take the gloves off”?
“It’s important for the Democrats to know that there is popular support for this kind of fight…”
I think so! Let’s bounce!
Reid is doing just what he should; he’s askin’ HARD AND PUBLICLY for republican support to start withdrawals.
He aint gettin’ it……….yet.
The GOP is too stupid to see what an opportunity they have, for some real bipartisanship. Instead, Lott is bragging about the “stay the course” round-pound that the repubs are having on the fantail of the Titanic. :o)
I say: “Wank away, Dixie Lamb! You’re gettin’ thar the fustest with the mostest!” :o)
Sorry again, but this IS the chicken game, and we HAVE to play it.
We SHOULD play it. Our Rooster has 14 inch curare-tipped spurs, and kung-fu moves that make Jet Li look like Mr. Rodgers.
No options on this, guys.
Reid, Pelosi, and the dems are just going to keep trying to get the repubs to HELP start the drawdown to reality, and as they keep refusing (for now. :o) ) the dems just need to keep asking, and keep pointing to WHO has the responsibility for creating the shitmire.
Until someone can convince me that forcing the “redeployment” on our own, while the people who are responsible for it, sit there and watch, and wait to rip us to pieces for what is going to follow the withdrawals, won’t lead to the damndest political freebie for the warbots, in the history of politics, then I’m going to have to keep saying that all we need to do is wait our turn.
And it is coming. With a vengeance.
Little wonder Trent Lott is smiling.
The Republicans could wish for nothing better than to face the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton in the 2008 elections.
imo, a large part of the country’s general dissatisfaction with Congress has to do with the fact that *nobody* likes any of the various stabs at an immigration bill. Whether it’s thought to be too tough, or too lenient, most voters disapprove one way or another.
Though I gotta say that the way that the R’s latest attempt to build more fear and demonize brown people is coming around to bite them right in the ass doesn’t bother me at all. heh.
Thanks Tex B- liked some of KM’s scientific/health takes on the impact of this gwb admin. which, IMO, has absolutely no care for domestic policy, or the health of human beings.
Democrats. Let’s kick some Republican butt!
{{{{{{JANE}}}}}}
Thank you! You craft beautifully succinct, fighting strategy to put a clear voice to the vague thoughts I, and I’m sure a lot of others, just couldn’t quite bring together. But we surely do FEEL it. We need to fight! We need to STAND UP for what is honest, just and fair, NOT only just what we have predetermined as a guaranteed win on each and every vote in Congress.
The fight itself carries a message.
In this vein:
from my thots at #192 in “Pull Up a Chair” today (20070630)
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..ent-789669
I don’t know if this is even close to what you have in mind, Jane. It’s just my 2cents.
TexB @ 46
BINGO! If the Dems don’t fight for us, no one will. So, they better start fighting.
I signed the petition – can we do anything else? Make a video? Meet with Reid and Pelosi?
Yo Republicans. You’re a bunch of weenies. Wanna play?
Milan River @ 56
Wrong. They care deeply about the health of their donors and friends.
That pix at the top makes me want to…
Exactly.
TexB @ 61
I don’t have much faith in Reid at this point. Ditto for Pelosi. And if you put any faith in the McLaughlin Group, it’s Richard Lugar’s defection this last week that will be Bush’s undoing. Opinion was that Lugar is signaling what’s in store this fall regarding Iraq: wholesale GOP defection in prep for the elections, forced drawdown and no more money for Iraq.
If true, the net result will be GOP smelling like roses going into 2008, as the party of change & accountability.
Sharing from Buzzflash,
Bob Geiger reports
Nancy say’s “The American people really don’t even know the half of it,” said Pelosi in discussing what further oversight efforts might ultimately uncover. “In every aspect of the rule of law, and respect for the Constitution and checks and balances and how they conduct themselves, it’s impossible to exaggerate how bad they have been.”
He’s got quite a head.
greenwarrior @ 67
Except for the ones they shoot in the face.
Bush really cares about the health and well being of his daughters, nieces, and nephews. None have caught a cold in Iraq, lost a limb, became brain damaged, or died in the Bush war/invasion/occupation/civil war.
Its time for the Hilary wing to start acting to end the war voters are motivated and polarized around ending the war. If the Hilary wing doesn’t move on this someone else will, someone more to the left, someone really not to Corporate Americas liking. Bloomberg won’t matter at all if Edwards says a vote for Bloomberg is a vote for war. The 30%ers however don’t expect to win this election and their not happy with their guys in Congress either they have nothing to lose by throwing a protest vote at a Republican party that stands for nothing. For despite the talk are the Republicans doing anything to really win this war? Or are they just preserving the status quo of not winning the war, but not leaving either. Winning is not keeping troops in Iraq for 50 years like we have in Korea, because the South Koreans are not shooting at us!
N=1 @ 54
Thanks for the links
GordonM @ 52
Except there’s no advance math required. It’s not based on the number of senators voting, it’s based on the number in the body so even if only 60 senators vote, it still takes 60 votes for a cloture and it still takes 67 votes to override the veto or pass a constitutional amendment or convict in an impeachment.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 63
heh. i like yer short version better’n my blabbermouth version. ;->
p.s., shoot, didn’t even know about the petition today. just now signed, & appended a cleaned-up version my my rant, whew. would hate not to be counted among the rabble.
i think Lott is delusional. I think most Americans are aware that Democrats are passing the reforms they want and the republicans, including bush are preventing Americans from moving in the direction they want. With steady effort on all fronts (passing the bills Americans want and exposing the republicans as blockers), this will surely blow up in the republicans face in 2008.
.
demi @ 69
And therein lies the problem: this has degenerated into SHOWING us what’s been done. We KNOW what’s been done. Now we want action.
What, for instance, is being done about Gonzo & the justice department, now that we’ve had our official ‘Hearings of Outrage’.
Quit dancing & freakin’ do something already. (not you demi…our elected officials)
GordonM @ 20
I’ll keep saying this till I am blue in the face but give Feingold a leadership position. He’ll show what leadership is.
So what was Pelosi talking about with ‘all the arrows in their quiver’?
The Democrats will be fine come 2008. The war is blamed solely on the GOP and they won’t be able to escape it. Republicans can talk all they want about discrediting the majority, but that’s all it is, talk.
Gunga Djinn @ 77
Hear, Hear!! Is Pelosi and crew afraid to stand up too much towards their corporate masters?
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 75
excellent idea
TexB – I think you look good in blue. *g*
Gunga: Of COURSE Lugar is signalling wholesale defections this fall. :o)
By then, a lot of REPUBS will be calling bush “the whale-shit” president.
Can we just let Reid and Pelosi off with an ass-whack and a scolding for voting to support the invasion in the first place? Because, they really didn’t get a magic, 67 vote wand, last November. And we need to keep that in mind. We ALL know how evil and despicable are the petro-turds who did this to us, and to Iraq, and really, the world.
(See: the incessant coverage of the car-terrorists in England…on CNN, for God’s sake. I was afraid to look at Faux. I really wanted some “V for Victory” hacker to pop up on the screen and point out the figures for the dead and wounded in Iraq, this month.)
But we simply don’t have the hammer to break it down yet. But it’s coming, and much sooner, rather than later.
All Lugar-rodent is doing, is trying to cover his ass, and to position himself for a shot at caretaker preznit, when Cheney and Bush are both forced out.
Did you notice that after he poked bush with the shitty end of the stick, his aide followed up with:
“But the Senator won’t be supporting any withdrawal legislation by the democrats.”
Which, of course, is more of the same have-it-both-ways that the republicans are having wet dreams about.
I will guarantee you, that the GOP is very clost to the point, if not already there, when they would PAY the democrats to find some way to singlehandedly force troop drawdowns on bush, while they watch, with drool running off their chins, and sharpen their “stab in the back” chainsaws.
No. Let’s force these pigfuckers to put on THEIR overalls and join us in trying to salvage something out of THEIR Himalayan-sized fuckup. And it will be sad, and infuriating, to have to wait to do it, but there is NO good option.
Do it on our own, and they are home free, in 2008.
Eureka Springs @ 80
Please explain.
N=1, thanks for the NYT info. Frank Rich also has a great Cheney piece up behind the firewall.
Does anyone know if Congress can change the length of time before we can get the information on all he has done? I mean getting the “family jewels” now doesn’t really hold anyone responsible, and history can be rewritten. Heard Bobby Kennedy today saying that the business of his father wanting to take out Castro was a total fabrication. He also said that his grandfather was not a bootlegger, which is always something I believed. Bobby said it was nothing more than republican lies.
GungaDjinn-
Hey, wtf, it’s Saturday Night. Let’s Dance!
TexB – Promoting Feingold til you’re blue.. sounds good to me, may I help?
TexB @ 85
maybe he’s already flown the coop, but i’ll try to guess. i think it was meant as a compliment to a good liberal(?)
Adie @ 89
;->
in that case …. thanks eureka
Klein, I’m breathless: what action do you want the dems to take?
Please, tell us.
punaise always says never explain… but he is always funny.
For Adie…
This is what we’re going to do to Washington DC come November ‘08!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zzT92BmDu4
Why won’t the Republicans answer a few simple questions
1) What do we have to do to win this war and bring our troops home?
2) Are the American people willing to pay the price?
3) Can we win without a Draft, Mercs, how much would we have to pay our solders for them to willingly volunteer in enough numbers for us to win in Iraq?
4) Why are we still in Iraq “if your not prepared to win then go home” this surge is a half ass effort at best General Petraeus had to know that. Now are we really prepared to do everything including raise taxes or should we go home.
Anyone who cares more about TAX CUTS than doing whatever it takes to WIN has no business running a war Bush being CHEAP lost us this war never mind the no WMD and the arguments that this is an unjust war. Its obvious now that we were never going to win.
Look, the American government is deliberately designed to move very, very slowly. This is to prevent the tyranny of the majority. The fact that GOP control of Congress for 14 years, control of the executive for 6.5 and control of the judiciary for ? years has not completely succeeded is a good sign. (Many of the judges who have slapped down BushCo – for example, Judge Walton – are GOP appointed judges.) Do not expect that because we have nominally taken control of the Senate we can actually make forward progress. We can’t. We can, however, start turning things around.
This is not a quick fight. The GOP has been plotting for their ascendancy for 40 years or more. That’s a whole lot of effort and momentum.
And we have made progress. Just not (much) legislative progress. With immigration reform dead (and Social Security “reform” dead), Bush can’t do anything more with his legislative agenda. And Cheney is in deep doo doo (blogwhoring alert).
What can we do? If you have a Blue Dog or “moderate” Republican senator or representative, tell them how to vote. Regularly. Politely. But very regularly. Most of them represent somewhere around a million people, so your voice isn’t much. But the GOP’s fringe groups have been exercising insanely disproportionate influence because they’ve been doing this for decades.
Have I struck the proper balance between disillusionment and optimism?
Petition duly signed.
And now I want to rip that skanky rug off Trent Lott’s wormy head and bitch-slap him across that butt-ugly smirking face.
OK. I’m done now.
things come undone -
1) The war is over its an occupation and winning means successful theft of another nations oil.
2) isn’t one to two trillion enough?
3) Yes, we don’t consider such things as a draft for imperial theft or paid militia for such actions. That is when we win.
4) Oil
GordonM
Have I struck the proper balance between disillusionment and optimism?
Are you a Libra? (kidding)
Yes. And I agree with you about the way our government was designed. Our pop culture attitude of instant gratification gets in the way sometimes.
please read glenn here
you want to be heartbroken on saturday night?
you must read that piece.
we made believe we “killed al qaeda” about a week ago
not
the fourth estate has tuned into the third reicht
demi @ 53
Yum! Thanks for the email about AK!
Al The Spook here with some bad news:
my dad’s infected toe has drug-resistant staph, the really bad kind. he is in hospital right now being pumped full of vancomycin (aka kalocin for those who remember Andromeda Strain). I’m told his life is not in danger but he may lose the toe. Good thoughts, prayers, energies, and non-karcic (aka bound spirit) enchantments appreciated. My posts will be limited to non-existent as the hospital does not have wi fi and my broadband card doesn’t work in that area.
Be excellent to each other, firepups!
Dems are doin about what a party does who doesn’t own the White House and has the narrowest of majority advantage…they block anything bad that the opposition is tryin ta do- and slip a few things through that the pres can’t afford to veto. Anyone who expected much else was smokin somethin.
GordonM @95 the danger is that if the Democrats don’t act decisivly now then another crisis will push this country further in one direction. Another Hurricane, gas at $5 a gallon, bird flu will push this country not left but into anarchy as we lose confidence in our leaders. I know Bush and Trent are probably thinking another Al Quieda attack would be a godsend but at 70% disapproval with their handling of the war the American people are definitly not going to give Bush anymore support for a war with a country that had no ties to Al Queida, no Weapons of Mass Destruction and never attacked us first. Now is the time for Heros to step up and fix New Orleans, tell Detroit they have to make 40 mile per gallon cars, and start spending money to prepare for bird flu and health care for everyone. The question is do we have any heros? If we could end the war then maybe we could afford to move slower on the rest.
((( AK ))) and ((( AK’s dad )))
rwcole @ 104
we expected the president to have to fight for funding of his insane unprovoked attack
alas, no
Alfred,
All good thoughts being sent from here to your dad.
You’re a very good son.
Best thing for the dems is if the goopers keep supporting the prez on the war- with a business as usual approach- with the dems doin everything possible to force a withdrawal..that’s the road to a REAL majority and holding all three houses- goopers know it.
OKK95
… if not before 08… ;->
p.s., poor hubby wuz gitten hiz evenin’ icecream as i played the yootoob. kept wonderin’ what he thot.
i’m an unabashed, rabid fan of
…. you ready for this?
Telemann *g*
yeah. good band! really great! Thanks!
I will push my party. And push ‘em and push ‘em!
LoudounLib @ 100
Amen!
Alfred I’m praying for your Dad
rwcole @ 109
I believe we will have a veto proof majority next election
that is only if there is an election rwcole
they are in “mad cornered animal mode”
they are mad, I believe cheney clynically insane…no kidding, bush is floundering with nowhere to go and Iran is in their minds a childs mind and in it he thinks there is redemption in being a “war president”
if we are attacked by Iran expect martial law and no elections
in addition, we are told the administration knew about the terrorist attacks at the airport and they knew it two weeks ago
that’s a trial balloon, I would surely not be surprised if something to happened here
don’t forget, they knew with uncanny precision about the 9/11 attack, aids flew across the country to raise the alarm
yet they did nothing
scary times
Milan River @ 80
This from LS this morning:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..05731/7541
bed 4 me now
g’nigt and c all 2morrow
perris @ 110
good night perris.
The other day Christy mentioned the US dollar falling in relation to the Canadian dollar. I’m thinking of these economic events now:
Great Britain never regained its power after being bankrupt from WWI and WWII. IMO, Bushes plan for a super highway from Mexico to Canada, his and Fox’s desire to make one North American globalized glob, and the desire to lower the American dollar to be more in line with the Canadian dollar, and, lower, toward the Mexican economy has been helped by bankrupting America in his (Bushes) one trillion dollar folly in Iraq.
Alfred Kelgarries @ 103
We’ll keep you and your dad in our good thoughts.
Al. Keep a close eye on things. I had to be on vancomycin IV 24hrs/day for a month – supposedly. Broke out in hives after a week, & ended up barely able to finish the month on another antibio., and then a replacement for that one also, as my system got more & more “peeved” at being assaulted.
Good luck with the infection, AND the cure. It’s powerful stuff.
Loo Hoo. @ 115
wow, before I went to bed I had to read that…that gives us hope
time is not on our side, Iran is in their sites and we must be swift if we are to prevent another Iraq
g’nigt
CatelynK @ 98
Wait, wait, wait. We want more raw emotion! Good for the soul!
Alfred Kelgarries @ 103
Pups thinking good thoughts for you and your Pop.
Is it true that there is a board of directors for this highway that Bush is planning, but the names of the board members are a secret? I’d like to know more about this from anyone.
New post up top.
Alfred Kelgarries @ 103
Best to you and your father, AK.
Taking the gloves off is all well and good, and it’s long overdue. But it ain’t gonna happen.
Our hope is oversight. Let’s just continue to help those engaged in oversight to find and ask the right questions. This is where The Blog is most useful. It has many people looking at the same information from every angle. This is good.
Let it continue apace. They have made far too many mistakes. Let them fall under the weight of their own hubris.
rwcole @ 104
Agreed, but I signed the petition because I want the republican boneheads (and the dem asslickers to be spotlighted for their stances.)
things come undone @ 101
Things have gotten so bad that another crisis will likely completely decimate us. I actually firmly believe that as a “superpower” we are done. Kaput. Economically, things are likely to get worse and continue to suck for a long, long time. Reagan got that started and BushCo has accelerated it. There is no engine driving this country’s economy, and there hasn’t been one for a long time. We are living off piles of (at this point) inherited money. There is no significant manufacturing base. It’s all “financial” at this point (money we accumulated when we held the edge in manufacturing). Reagan engineered that, and Clinton’s hope (that hi-tech could rescue us) was a bust. The only hope that the US can still be an economic power is in the Gore dream of alternative energy.
But that’s a different story from restoring our faith in human and civil rights (the rule of law). On that angle, we have a good chance (though patience is still reequired).
Wow. That was depressing.
rwcole @ 109
And, I keep hoping that the investigations conclude in January of 2009 so that Bush can’t pardon anyone…
Gordon at 128, yes, and-
Remember when we were taught that the North won the American Civil War bc they had the manufacturing plants, and the South did not have manufacturing and lost. Our government is not for Americans any longer, and we are in deep shit.
A-fucking-men!!!
Milan River @ 130
Well actually, as a 55 yr old Yankee, I was told it was moral superiority. I’m glad they’ve gotten slightly more realistic ;-).
Bush says he has moral superiority.
Milan River @ 133
And maybe Barney agrees. Maybe.
The purple dinosaur?
Milan River @ 135
Uh, no. The one he expects to stick up for him even after Laura ditches him. The one he dropped on the tarmac at the airport in front of a bunch of kids (you can find that one on Youtube).
Oh yea, that Mitt, or rather black mutt he dropped- I did see that. He dropped Mitt, too.
GordonM @ 97
We have a lot of legislating to do, so it probably makes good sense to start NOW. To that end I suggest we continue the pressure on the administration with oversight hearings and plans to impeach Cheney and Alito and Gonzales.
But, more than that, we should present our own legislative package. Better immigration legislation (perhaps Feinstein and Cornyn could so-sponsor) to show Dems can get the job done when Bush can’t, an “out of Iraq” bill, legislation pushing for more green fuels and other energy sources and perhaps building materials utilizing solar power, a health care reform package (whether a large comprehensive one or several small pieces of the puzzle) and a corporate retirement fund protection bill.
We should put our plans into action and let the Repubs filibuster if they dare!
Other ‘restore the Rule of Law’ legislation should be very high on our priority list for legislation.
There’s just sooo much to do. Time’s a wastin’.
sending good vibes to Jane on her latest radiation treatment!
This has to be said about these Republicans. The people are paying attention now and its not as if they’re not aware of who the bad people in the Congress are anymore. I saw this on Huffpo and its true. The Repubs are ensuring that they’ll soon be the extinct party far away from the American people’s political reality because of the scandals and lack of integrity.
They’re just a bunch of foolish crusty old men. The remedy is: TERM LIMITS!! a new ammendment should be passed to limit service to 3 terms in the Senate and 10 in the House. Even that is way too many but, its a start.
The problem for years has been that the Democrats have allowed the conservatives, including the Republicans, to mislead the country, and get away with propounding nonsense and lies. That must change. There are too many topics to consider here but my blog has many suggestions about what to do and more will be added. Let’s try to be effective!
I’ve been saying this for a while now and I’m glad to see others of like mind: force REAL filibusters. No more theoretical or procedural filibusters, but real, honest-to-goddesses-Mr-Smith-Goes-to-Washington filibusters. All-nighter talk fests at the mic, no rest, no let up. Hard work for the filibuster-er. Make them bleed. The instant they fail to have someone at the mic to blather and block, poof!, that equals a cloture vote and the bill goes to the floor. THAT’S how you do it.