Just shoot me. Really, just put me out of my misery. This morning I quoted Hitchens approvingly, and now…on the heels of Nancy Pelosi’s cave on the spending bill…Red State:
Our oh-so-powerful Senate Majority Leader has been no-doubt looking at his numbers lately, and they aren’t good (H/T: Q&O). Shoot, they aren’t even bad. If Reid wants to be a Senator in January 2011, let alone either the Majority or Minority Leader, he needs to get those numbers up, starting now. That means earmarks, and never mind all that nonsense that the Democrats spouted off about how they were going to stop with the pork. That was only agitprop to rope in more campaign contributions: nobody with the brains that God gave a goose actually believed it, right? Something related for the House Committee chairmen – except that in their case they’re more worried about how embarrassing it’d be for them, personally, to not get anything done. Because while you can do quite well for yourself – perfectly legally! – as an appropriations chair, you need to be actually able to pass appropriations.
Let me put this in very stark terms: there is no Democratic Party in Congress. There are, instead, a bare majority of Congressmen and Senators who have banded together in order to gather power, influence, and money. Which is fine, as far as it goes – except that they are not actually using any of the resources that they are gathering to benefit the groups and causes who worked to put them in power. At best they are operating under terms of enlightened self-interest, albeit a very small-minded version of it: they are keeping their geographical constituents as sweet as is necessary to ensure re-election. And the Republicans know all of this, and will use this knowledge to pass the bills that we feel the country needs to thrive. And all of this is why 2007 was such a horrible legislative year for the progressive movement – and why 2008 will be no better for them.
I suspect that some will be distressed by the preceding paragraph. To those people, I offer the question:
What makes you think that anybody that matters, also cares?
I have nothing to add to this. He’s absolutely right.
Chris Dodd for Majority Leader.
Related posts:
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- Supplemental: Why Must Progressive Members of Congress Grovel For the Blue Dogs?
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Jane!
A sorry but true fact…
Hmmm… Would that be the DLC…? Thank god my Reps are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus…
Boogie on!!!
Sen. Kit Bond (R-M0), who compares waterboarding to doing the backstroke, hates freedom.
Pardon my ignorance, but who are the people dancing in the picture at the top of the article?
i like that idea!
can we have a new house leadership too?
Steny! Nancy! Leadership!
Hoyer and Pelosi.
Is there any way this is a silver lining?
If this refers to the corporatists who “crossed over” to support Dems in 06, that could be a good sign. Of course, if it refers to us, maybe we should just line up single file behind Jane to save on bullets.
oh, and while we’re reorganizing our congressional leadership….
may i please have rush holt and russ feingold as chairs of their intelligence committees?
both dancing, but neither one leading, no doubt …
who are the people dancing in the picture at the top of the article?
Looks like Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi doing the dem cave-in dance.
I dunno, I think it would be more accurate to say there’s no Democratic majority in Congress, not that there’s no Democratic Party.
While I agree that Pelosi and Reid are worthless, the Red State quote conveiently forgets the massive Republican obstruction in the Congress. It is this that is keeping most of what needs to be done from actually getting done. The little that does get done consists mostly of cave ins by the aforementioned Pelosi and Reid.
This Red State piece is really another in the ongoing campaign to rehabilitate the Republican myth of fiscal conservatism by accusing the Democrats of being the party of pork.
Just because both we and wingers criticize Democrats doesn’t mean that there is a oommon basis for those criticisms.
Forget Feingold as intell chair.
We need Feingold as majority leader. Since he’s a real Democrat, there’s about zero chance of that.
Limbo.
How low can you go?
Please!!
I haven’t seen the numbers in a while. Who’s lower Bush, or the Congress?
Put your left foot in,
Your left foot out,
Your left foot in,
And shake it all about.
You do the okee-dokee
And turn yourself around.
It’s reminding me of that other great leader Nero fiddling while Rome burned.
there is no Democratic Party in Congress.
Yes, sad but true. Funny that it takes Red State to point out the obvious.
That would be Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer.
Photo caption: Steny, please help me find my peach mint that fell off the table.
i don’t know if this is really true, but it’s my current working hypothesis.
speaker pelosi is meant to be the public face of the house leadership – to keep us in line, but things are being run according to the hoyer/emmanuel game plan, and for all i know it’s pelosi’s game plan too.
Sheldon Whitehouse for Intel chair?
or….
The funky chicken-shit
Well at least I can get some sleep tonight with this wonderful news:
“Bill Clinton has severed business ties with Los Angeles billionaire Ron Burkle, fearful that their deals could erupt into bad publicity damaging his wife’s presidential bid, according to sources who know both men.”
If Dave Obey hadn’t taken a courageous stance on this yesterday, and Nancy Pelosi hadn’t backed him at that time, you may have a point. Today…not so much.
Yes, the Republicans are full of shit over “fiscal responsibility.” It’s just sad to see that the Democrats are largely with them on that front.
Did you see the Olbermann bit about the mouse that was genetically engineered to be fearless. He showed the mouse walking right up to a cat with no apparent compunctions at all. The mouse all but crawled up in the cats front paws, it was so bold. Olbermann made a remark that they’re thinking of using the knowledge to transfer the ability into Democrats. Would that it were that simple!
HELL NO!
i am a big, big fan – but until i understand why he’s been supporting amnesty for the telcos, he’s not ready. feingold is.
but give whitehouse time, though… i think he has amazing potential.
The Democratic Party and the Rupublican Party have just about completed their merger.
Whitehouse on Abrams now!
And guess who’s live on Dan Abrams right now!
All this and Aby Gonzo as lawyer of the year by the ABA. How much worse can it get?
Wait a bit . . . it probably will.
Dodd is also a real Senate Dem which is why Jane proposed him for Majority Leader. Feingold would do very well as Intel committee chair.
While I agree that Pelosi and Reid are worthless, the Red State quote conveiently forgets the massive Republican obstruction in the Congress.
It is precisely because of this that his statements are prescient, and accurate.
Whitehouse is on Abrahms.
Sheldon Whitehouse is on Abrams right now! Hmmm… 600+ Dems investigated compared to 100+ Repugs… Yep, DoJ is certainly ‘Fair and Balanced’…
more please!
I hate the Rs and I don’t care for the Ds. Both are a collection of egotistical self interested suck ups to corporations and … remember this phrase… special interests. Totally useless as far as the VAST MAJORITY of the PEOPLE OF THIS NATION are concerned.
I say throw them all out. One term and go home and spare us all the BS. That way they can steal as much as they now do.
There are at best 25 critters who are worth anything… out of something like 550? Pathetic is too kind of a term.
It’s just so nice to see the parties finally working together.
I guess I’ve just seen more consistency from Feingold w/r/t core Democratic principles, if such an animal can be said to still exist. Dodd would be fine too.
I really wish Feingold had run for president.
$165,000 per year, plus perks and bennies, for a three day work week. That’s what we do for our beloved Congress. And they pay us back with lies, cowardness, corruption and having cocktail parties.
Abrahms, political prosecutions during elections.
Whitehouse, the manual had stripped out the illegality of this. He gives kudos to Feinstein.
Abrahms, thanks for what you are doing.
Burning Rome-Inside job. Nero was behind it. He blamed the Christians. A devastating fire was needed for urban renewal. There were too many poor people taking up valuable real estate-and most were Democrats or illegal alien slaves. Nero ended up as a criminal fugitive.
SW is saying when the AGAG indiscretions were made apparent, in regards to undue influence within DoJ, they merely rewrote the manual…
Well, you can’t say I didn’t ask. It was a few years ago when I was working at a fundraiser for one of our homeboys here in Texas. Russ was the main attraction.
mostly talking about the loss of independence of the Dept of Justice – the”Bush Department of Justice” – talks about (what we already know) the HUGE expansion of persons in DOJ and the WH now allowed to communicate directly after historically having been limited, Cheney and Rove’s influence and interference at DOJ, the firing of US Atty’s for not being “loyal Bushies” – I think that covers most of it.
No new info for anyone who reads here regularly, but hey, not a large percentage of the U.S. tends to be C-Span junkies, so having it out there in front of a broader audience is good, no?
ABA is claiming it is like Time’s Person of the Year. Anyone qualifies, good or bad.
It would seem that KO had managed, even if indirectly, to have a brought about a “conversion experience” on the part of Dan Abrams.
that’s the first time I’ve ever agreed with Red State on anything, but they are absolutely right.
they do not represent the people and groups that brought them back to power. they have betrayed us, and don’t deserve support.
new and better democrats who are responsive to the movement please.
who will rid me of this troublesome Hoyer?
who will rid me of this troublesome Pelosi?
thanks all! it’s great to see that whitehouse is not letting go of the issues with the doj – i think that means he doesn’t trust mukasey.
We in this house are incredibly glad we found out about Obama’s elementary school essay saying he wanted to someday be president. And the same goes for his highschool drug dabbling days. We want to hear more about these kinds of issues. Thank gawd I know this stuff, I might have voted for Barack.
Trying to hold onto Olberman’s audience into the next hour, no doubt.
Yeah, I know, but how many people will be able to appreciate the subtlety of it?
Abu belongs at the Hague. In jail. period.
and succeeding, at least with this community.
It would seem that KO had managed, even if indirectly, to have a brought about a “conversion experience” on the part of Dan Abrams.
Mr. Abrams has recently been introduced to the concepts of ratings and advertising income as well.
I’d love to think he’s sincere…
And the US House just passed nearly 700 billion in defense spending today. Cheney drinks the good stuff tonight.
It sure beats Scarsborough.
I have been slowly coming to the conclusion offered by the quote within the quote. How else to explain the refusal honor their oath of office, and reluctance to push for impeachment despite the most vast collection of high crimes and misdemeanors than I have ever seen in my lifetime? Unfortunately, I have to include my “progressive” Representative Abercrombie in this crowd, and I will leave CTuttle to cogitate about his Rep., Mazie Hirono. Both, to me, seem more interested in using Republican misdeeds as a way to leverage more votes for Democrats next year, than as something that ought to inspire condemnation and impeachment. It’s enough to make one cynical.
But mere cynicism will not help us. Heck, take a look at what a guy named Jesus did with a dozen helpers 2000 years ago. Look at what a feeble old man named Gandhi did to take on the British Empire a hundred years or so ago. And what Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela have done.
Paolo Freire knows more than most about how venal and corrupt governments can be, having served in and against governments in several Latin American countries during the past half-century. His most famous book was “Pedagogy of the Oppressed,” but a more recent book was his “Pedagogy of Hope.” I suppose this should make me an acolyte for Barack Obama, but not yet. Edwards, Dodd, and Kucinich are my faves at the moment.
Keep the faith, baby.
Bob in HI
OK now he’s lost me. Since I just got home a bit ago time to go to the TIVO and watch Keith. LOVE TiVo!
“Cheney drinks the good stuff tonight.”
And what would that be—the blood of the Iraqi people?
OMG, you are so right. As do so many people in this administration.
and the blood of any dem who gets within pawing distance.
well… ok.. I guess, but I really don’t want to give RedState credit for anything at all. That just runs against the grain, ya know?… and shrub vetoed the child medical bill again today… just to give the Dems an excuse to cave further.
One piece of good news today, though: San Diego County hill-town Potrero today overwhelmingly ousted its reigning planning board and favor of a new slate, in a bid to halt Blackwater’s plans to build a base there. This is despite Blackwater’s attempts to bribe the town with handouts in the aftermath of last month’s fires. They still told ‘em to go packing.
Blackwater’s response (quoting Brian Bonfiglio, Blackwater EVP): “I don’t care one way or the other” (quoted int he San Diego Union)… he’s just gonna go over democracy’s head and get President Hunter to put the base in the town by decree.
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/…..2654.shtml
What???
696 Billion for death and destruction.
It sure beats Scarsborough.
That’d be the same JoeScar whose true, frothing fascist self is becoming ever-more displayed each and every day on National teevee?
(”When did the Liberal Media decide that waterboarding is torture?”)(I think that was from this morning)
Yes, that is good news. Now if we can manage to export all of the Blackwater folks to somewhere well out of range of the US I would feel far more comfortable.
I keep thinking of the Sinclair Lewis book, It Can’t Happen Here. Nightmares.
holy cow. vote was 370 to 49
Any hint of moderation that Joe Scar was displaying on his prime time gig was only ephemeral at best. IIRC, he came into Congress during The Newt’s Contract On America as a wing nut representing a district in Florida. About the best that can be said is that he actually lived up to his promise of self-imposed term limits.
How embarrassing.
I don’t care one twit about what the Democratic frontrunners say about pulling out of Iraq one day.
He was trying to keep Keith’s audience just as Abrams is. I never believed that Joe had it in him to get it. Don’t know about Abrams, but don’t care much either.
Does this mean the Democrats folded on an Iraq timetable?
Okay, then Joe should walk the walk. If he doesn’t think it’s torture, he should be waterboarded one morning on his show. That’s simple.
Put up or shut up.
Well, Duuuhhh! Ya just did…! 8-(
Yeah.. but at least allow me to be just a ‘lil happy that one tiny, impoverished California village, with high unemployment and much devastation from the recent fires, said ‘no’
And it’s simply unbelievable that a senior executive of a major corporation seeking favors would be quoted in the nation media crassly rejecting the community’s concerns today. Their response to the recall election wasn’t “we need to compromise and work with the community” or “we’ll explore our options”.. it was ‘how dare you say no! We’ll go over your head. We’ll run ya over!’ Unbelievable.
I see from selise’s link that Dennis Kucinich voted against the military spending bill.
Forgive me, but I was watching Hannity and Colmes on Fox Noise. Weirdly, Mitt Willard Romney was criticizing Obama. I think he was implying that Obama was related to Satan. I think Mitt is for Hillary.
I got a message for the Dog Abusing Mormon, stay out of our primaries.
is the rollcall up yet, for the latest House capitulation vote?
Clinton traveled to Wall Street to urge the securities industry and mortgage bankers to agree to a voluntary, 90-day moratorium on further loan foreclosures on owner-occupied homes and an interest-rate freeze of at least five years on subprime loans.
“If we cannot reach a voluntary agreement, I will consider legislation to address the problem,” added the New York Democrat.
See 71 above
Yes.
this has been another example of simple answers…
Bob, both our critters voted for it… I shall thank Mazie for it most Ricky-Tick… 8-(
Thanks. I’m disappointed in my critter. Her record was almost perfect up until this vote. Time to write again, I guess, and not a note of appreciation, for the first time. *Sigh*.
Sensenbrenner and Goode nay? Virgil Goode (R-Klan)? What the heck was that about?
At least we were spared the kabuki of a false debate on the 696 billion in MIC spending/borrowing this time around.
There are two military spending bills. This is the big one which pays for most of the Pentagon’s regular spending and arms programs plus part of the cost of Afghanistand and Iraq. The second is smaller $30-70 billion and is the supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan. It is this one where the Democrats were talking about drawing the line. Whether they do so or cave again remains to be seen.
jane – your link at “Nancy Pelosi’s cave” is broken… that’s why i didn’t get the connection to the “defense” bill, i hadn’t seen that it had been passed today.
Russ Feingold for Senate Majority Leader!!
I think everyone knows Bush and Cheney can keep up the occupations for a long time with 696 billion at their discretion now.
madness
DeFazio for Speaker!
Olbermann really said that? Dasm!!! He’s as PO’ed as we are.
i like it.
You can just imagine what the country would be like with the Clintons in the White House, Reid as Senate majority leader, Zoe Baird as attorney general, Richard Holbrooke as Secretary of State, Sandy Berger as National Security Advisor and George Tenet as Director of the CIA. Marc Rich as chief fundraiser.
Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich for President. No to the front runners.
I imagine that if Nancy is not the speaker, Steny will be. Who’s worse? I think Nancy does too little, and suspect that Steny would do too much. IMO
i’d love to see him be president. but right now, we desperately need him to chair the intelligence committee – jello jay has got to go and no one has been better on fisa, the patriot act, etc than feingold.
given a choice between Steny/Rahm and Nancy, it’s unquestionably Nancy. Sorry.
I understand the bill for Iraq and Afghanistan is separate.
But Steny would love to cave on that too. Which I respectfully disagreed with him on a few days ago (then the money was being considered together).
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..513/419502
I thought you might, Ma Cheri! He’s certainly an awesome voice for Progressive values…
And Feingold was speaking in Philly last year(held by Moveon.org), and I weaseled by way in. He had a short Q & A after he spoke. I didn’t have a question. I just told him that I wished he would run for President. The room applauded loudly.
I agree. Steny scares me – I think he would sell his mother for power.
Wonder what Sam Rayburn and Tip O’Neill would have to say about Pelosi?
The best possible scenario… Sadly, reality comes crashing down…
Laverne?
It is going to take a hair-raising economic depression to shake things up in Washington. This is a risky thing, because it could shake in a reactionary movement that draws some of its support from people who feel betrayed by their so-called ‘progressive’ party. The problem IMHO is that our Congresscritters most of them have been in Washington for so long that it is their home, and they see the rest of the country through its lens. It means the life of raising money to buy polls that really don’t get to where people really think, and advice that says don’t rock the boat, because look at what happens to people who do.
We are stuck with this politics for a long time to come. The only thing we can say about our side is that they aren’t so blind as to ignore that our fiscal condition is a disaster, that Iraq is unsustainable, and that Afghanistan is also probably lost as well. They will also handle our civil rights a little more delicately than the present regime. It’s sad solace, but it’s all we’ve got for the moment.
Hi
This was a No Brainer, they just keep rolling over. I think the phone/email taps have had an effect and have had since 2001.
jo6pac
Heh, a wise acre, eh? :P
Why have insurance if the Government backup kicks in after 50 million?
Rahm.
Another edition of simple answers . . .
Bought and sold by the highest bidders; Rothschilds,JP Morgan,Goldman Sachs, Rockefellers, aka the Federal Reserve. Anyone watch Zeitgeist?
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
“A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various powerful interest, combined in one mass; and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in banks.”John C. Calhoun, Speech 5/27/1836
Forget Kucinich..after the talk about Paul as VP..when it comes to money he is an ass kisser like the rest of them. ‘06 election cycle $145,000 to the DCCC $0 for any progressive candidate.
Nancy Pelosi has no business being Speaker of Anything other than perhaps a fat-ass lobbying job on K-Street. Is it not possible to get her district pissed off enough at her to either (1) make her start taking her fucking job seriously or (2) toss her ass out? I mean it’s not like we can’t raise fucking money here…and it would be a good cause.
Take Nancy Pelosi “off the table”. Really.
“Casino Bill” Bennett on CNN with Anderson Vanderbilt. Casino looks sober. Casino is talking about Oprah and Barack. One more warning, you drunken, Republican loser (at the craps table).
Stay out of our primaries!
Wonder what Sam Rayburn and Tip O’Neill would have to say about Pelosi?
“Weak Tea”?
yeah, but he already is.
what would change if hoyer was speaker? i’m not sure – and that’s what makes me think that pelosi serves to distract us from what is really going on.
No scheiss, Jane. Exactly as it should have been when he ran against Daschle back in the day. That went well….
I can no longer argue very effectively against someone who taunts me by saying my party doesn’t stand for much. I dislke the GOP with an intensity that surprises even Lahoma. But one thing’s for sure, the Republicans stand for something.
It’s hard to say what Rahmifications a Hoyer speakership would bring…
I think Pelosi is in the game as much as the rest of them. She took impeachment off the table to cover her and everyone else.
if you start out hating all politicians- you begin with a competitive advantage. Theu ain’t yer friends- treat em like the tools they are.
Didja notice that the Clusterfuckers are more nervous than usual about the latest tape shredding scandal. We got a non denial denial from Clusterfuck immediately. (The president has “no recollection” of anyone tellin him anything.)
This means that he knew about it an probably ordered it. This might turn out differently from the other scandals- they seem scared shitless.
Just catching up after a day without my toobz…Quinn and the gang = miracle workers. Haven’t read comments yet, anybody mention the ABC report Brian Ross did about
pigslobbyists, congresscritters and staff, oh my at thetroughstand-up widely attended Christmas parties? Likely a video at the ABC News website. [yes, we’ve gone back to ABC Nightly, Mr. S rules the flinker….]Whatever they’re doing, it’s definitely NOT the Can-Can.
fingers crossed.
and i’d like everyone who played cover up to get caught too – Ds and Rs alike.
the “Can-Can, But Won’t-Won’t”?
You know, a year from now Bush’s transformation of the Presidency into the Unitary Executive, above and beyond the Legislative or Judiciary’s power to exercise any oversight may seem like a really tempting pretense to keep up, especially since the Republican’s Supreme Court will be doing everything possible to block a Democratic President from doing anything, and the GOP in Congress along with their enablers on the ‘Left’ will also be continuing Bad Behavior without consequence.
Of course, that also assumes we’ll have a Democratic President who will actually be trying to move beyond the status quo. If we get more triangulation, what’s the point of even bothering to hold an election anymore? It rather makes Lord Vetinari look better every day.
that is my working hypothesis.
but, i’d sure like to be proven wrong.
Heh, I wouldn’t be partisan about it…! 8-)
Most of these politicians are lawyers- they can change sides in an argument without even changing a breath- not a gooper in the bunch who couldn’t turn dem in a millisecond or vice versa. The name of the game is to expand power. They’ll do whatever they think leads to that end. They aren’t in this for the same reasons WE are.
But one thing’s for sure, the Republicans stand for something.
Well, yes, and it’s the same thing Steny and the Blue Dogs “stand for.” The republicans have an advantage in that in their world grasping venality is considered a virtue and is what “makes the country thrive.”
I actually believe that Pelosi believes that what she’s did (in taking impeachment off the table) was for the best interests of the party, if not for the country. I believe strongly that she’s dead wrong, of course, but I do believe that she believes it, for what it’s worth. I don’t think she’s a bad person, or a warmonger, or corrupt.. I don’t have the same amount of faith in the Stenys and Rahms of the world. Just had to say it.
Edwards supported a bankruptcy bill that was vetoed by President Clinton. In 2000 John Edwards voted for the Bankruptcy Overhaul bill…. Edwards voted for the same bill in 2001…,Edwards voted with nearly the entire Republican caucus in supporting this bill, as well as voting to end debate on the measure….The bill “punishes the vulnerable and it rewards the big banks and credit card companies for their poor practices,” said Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., a leading opponent of the legislation. “We are heading into hard economic times and we’re going to make it hard for people to rebuild their lives.” [Associated Press, 7/12/01]
http://jre-whatsnottolike.com/…..committee/
Edwards also voted in 1999 to end the Glass Steagall Act of 1933….Glass-Steagall (which actually consisted of two acts) was enacted during the Great Depression as a means to separate commercial banking activity from securities work. The idea, as Mr. Kostigen writes, was to ensure that each remained relatively undiluted and untampered with. The Glass Steagall Act would have thwarted the banks from deliberately creating the subprime mortgage and stealing the wealth of the poor and middle classes.
Edwards is in league with the banks.
“Those who create and issue money and credit direct the policies of government and hold in the hollow of their hands the destiny of the people.”Rt. Hon. Reginald McKenna, former Chancellor of Exchequer, England
Judging from the pic at the top, it’s apparent that our Speaker is really enjoying her job.
That’s true. And HRC was the only Senator I believe, to not show up that day for the vote.
Excellent point! That repeal was the beginning of the end…
And I read the other day, that Hillary was getting a lot of support from the banking industry. And the MI complex is warming to the Senator also.
So would I. I realize she’s in shark infested waters however her actions don’t match her rhetoric in my eyes. And her statements about the protesters, her backing of a beltway pro like Al Wynn, and the whole FISA mess this summer leaves little for me to have faith in her.
I feel the same way about Reid, absolutely no faith. I do believe he will cave on FISA.
glad you did.
even i’m not sure of my own analysis.
Well I don’t like how Edwards voted on that issue, you do realize how many banks are HQ’ed in North Carolina, don’t you? Bank of America and Wachovia for starters. Besides, none of the candidates are perfect.
In fairness to Pelosi, can we be certain that she is not arm-wrestling with Hoyer in the photo above?
everything you said – and also… it was the iran vote this spring/early summer that were teh first message taht something was wrong. and if she really knew about the torture, and has helped keep it secret?
I really had a lot of hope in 2006 and most of it is gone. It doesn’t mean that I’m giving up, it means that I’m going to support better democrats. After the new year I’m going to see about volunteering some time for Donna Edwards. If I can go to CT, I most certainly can go to MD, it’s much closer.
Well it seems we are not going to find anything near a perfect candidate. So for now I’m focusing on Dodd. Goodnight.
Donna Edwards sounds like just the kind of person we need more of in congress!
I couldn’t agree more and that’s why I’m going to take some action. As Ghandi says be part of the change you want to see happen. Have a nice night selise.
Sam Bennett in Allentown/Bethlehem. She looks like she’s worth working for.
night all. and to echo millineryman – be the change.
I love this bit of RedState projection re Congressional Dems: “Congressmen and Senators who have banded together in order to gather power, influence, and money.” Like the GOP doesn’t? Please.
The money quote: “The Republicans know all of this, and will use this knowledge to pass the bills that we feel the country needs to thrive.” Like SCHIP, guys? BWAH!
GOP policy is a failure and RedStaters know this. The RedStaters would love for progressives to go away. Won’t happen.
Really, why does anyone give a shit about RedState except to mock them? Jane, I suggest everyone focus on electing better Democrats and adding more nails to the coffin of movement conservatism. One election won’t change the political atmosphere in the Beltway, and all the moaning is getting tiresome.
oh come on already. Anyone that thinks or feigns that politics or politicians are egalitarian is a fool. Sure that are rare exceptions. But the system is set up to have special interests fight with each other to get their way. The best (sneakiest, dirtiest) fighters win the most, but its unusual that they don’t have to give something in return.
The problem in US isn’t that the system is ruled by special interests. The problem is that the people aren’t at the table – they’re not represented in any meaningful way in the fighting.
.
It wasn’t a scientist who first figured out how to make the mice fearless; a parasite managed that trick.
Toxoplasmosis infects most warm-blooded animals, but the primary host, the one that it needs to reproduce, is the cat. So any toxoplasmosis parasites in mice “want” to have that mouse eaten by a cat, and those that manage to alter the mouse’s behavior to make that more likely will reproduce better than those who don’t. So a toxo-infected mouse is less afraid of cats, and some even seem to seek out cat urine.
Most cats who go outside carry the stuff, and some give it to their humans. There’s some evidence that it alters human behavior in subtle ways.
That post is clear as a bell. Thank you, Jane.
Most of the dems in the House/Senate are Republican puppy dogs.
Look at all the Dems who are conspicuously absent from this letter–wonder if it’s an omen of bad tidings to come?
Senators Lobby Reid to Keep Telecom Immunity out of Surveillance Bill
Dear Majority Leader Reid:
We understand that the Senate will shortly be considering amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. As you know, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Judiciary Committee have reported very different versions of the FISA Amendments Act, S. 2248, and it is up to you, as Majority Leader, to decide how the Senate considers this legislation.
We urge you to make the version of S. 2248 reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee the base bill to be considered by the full Senate. While the structure of Title I of both bills is the same, and both make improvements over the Protect America Act, the reasonable changes to Title I made in the Judiciary Committee ensure that the FISA Court will be able to conduct much-needed oversight of the implementation of these broad new surveillance authorities, and help to better protect the rights of innocent Americans. While we appreciate the hard work that the Intelligence Committee has done on this legislation, the process by which the Judiciary Committee considered, drafted, amended and reported out its bill was an open one, allowing outside experts and the public at large the opportunity to review and comment. With regard to legislation so directly connected to the constitutional rights of Americans, the results of this open process should be accorded great weight, especially in light of the Judiciary Committee’s unique role and expertise in protecting those rights.
We also believe that the Judiciary Committee bill is preferable because it does not provide immunity for telecom companies that allegedly cooperated with the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. As this is such a controversial issue, we feel it would be appropriate to require the proponents of immunity to make their case on the floor.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Russell D. Feingold (D-WI)
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)
Barack Obama (D-IL)
Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
Absolutely.
There is no Republican Party either.
My theory is that over the past 30 years with the end of the civil war between the elites, which was manifested by a series of assassinations and the Nixon coup, and the birth of the Trilateral Commission, we became a one party government, a soft mix of socialism-fascism w/democratic characteristics. This has been transitioning to something a bit harsher and authoritarian since the neo-cons took control in the late 90’s.
Despite their control over the MSM it is becoming apparent the Emperor has no clothes. The fact that we can see the cloak of fascism/socialism probably means they are trying to dampen the shock in prepration for the New Order.
In this period, the Democratic and Republican party’s have simply been maintained to give us the illusion of a Democracy and a variation of the Divide and Rule tactic has proven useful to consolidate power. In Iran, the Supreme leader and his council select those who may run for President. Our so called Democracy is no different.
Hillary or Rudy, Obama or Huckabee, etc. No difference. Paul and Kucinich are being held in reserve in case one group has a strong bias for one of the mainstream candidates and one of them may run as an independent . The third party candidates are useful for manipulating the outcome. Nader for GWB, Perot for Clinton, all the way back to 1912 and Perkins for Wilson.
The transition will be finalized during the next crisis, a number of our leaders and generals have said as much in a subtle fashion, it may be economic crisis(depression), war, or terror attack, or some mix, and then we become something else, but the illusion of a Democracy will be lost.
Glad people are waking up, but it’s a bit late. Good luck.
The Internet might help us to get closer to the Democracy we all thought we were living with. But, it still takes a lot of work to hold slime to their task.
Have you read Joe Conason’s “It Can Happen Here”? Quite good.
I read both—Lewis because I had bought Conason and he premised his work on Lewis, at least to begin with.
Yes, the people aren’t represented. No one is going to give them anything. Anything they get they must take. At present, they are unwilling to try.
One problem is a general uncertainty. One person says the sky is falling another that this, too, shall pass. By the time we learn which one is right it usually is too late to do anything.
A bigger problem is the people aren’t ready to decide public issues. We bemoan the faithlessness of our elected representatives, but we do not want to decide things they decide. Instead we involve ourselves with delusional thinking like Feingold and Dodd controling the Senate sometime soon. I don’t think better Democratic candidates in primaries is the answer because that deck is pretty well stacked. But who knows? Your guess is as good as mine.
The Democratic Majority: strong (like toilet paper) and completely flushable.
What a pisser.
No. That excuse is what the “leadership” uses again and again and again in subtly different form. There is no Democrapic party in Congress and what I feared would happen with the “crossover” former GOPers becoming Dems has come to pass: they crossed over with all their GOP baggage including favoring the rich and corporations over all else, favoring military spending at the expense of everything else. They became “Democraps” merely to get elected. Their stripes are still the tiger stripes of a GOP tiger through and through. The so-called leadership is also GOP in all but name.
This is why I tear any and all donation seekers from the Democrapic party a new asshole when they call me to tell me how important it is for me to throw good money after bad. There is NO DIFFERENCE between the GOP and the Democraps. NONE except for the words that spoken by the Dems prior to their doing their usual of whatever Bush wants: they talk big, they talk tough, but absolutely do not mean a single syllable. They say what we want to hear and damn well expect and deserve to hear ONLY to garner votes or money, then they inevitably do the GOP thing. Every. Single. Time.
No more. I’ve had it with these war criminals and felons. I will NOT vote Democrapic in 2008. Nope. No money, no votes. They are useless scum.
Give me a break. You give FAR too much credit to Pelosi. She did NOT simply take impeachment off the table because she believes it is truly the right thing to do. She did it because it is absolutely impossible for the Congress to conduct an impeachment investigation for crimes committed by Bush/Cheney without also implicating most of the Democrapic leadership. They are ALL culpable in the most serious real crimes committed these last 7-10 years. Torture is absolutely not a “viable” target of investigation because Pelosi and a host of other “leaders” in the Democrapic party were full-on in support of it. They KNEW waterboarding was being used (among physical brutality) and said nothing. They KNOW that it is absolutely illegal to use the classification system to hide/cover up illegal activity by the government or its agents, yet they remained silent and still honor the bogus and illegal “Top Secret” classification of the illegal acts. They KNOW it is illegitimate use of the classification system to hide wrongdoing yet they remain silent. They remain silent because they support all the crimes. They remain silent because they are complicit. Complicity is guilt. They are GUILTY of all the same truly high crimes committed by Bush/Cheney and so cannot investigate those crimes without implicating themselves. THAT is why impeachment is off the table.
The ENTIRE government is corrupt, rogue, and peopled by nothing but war criminals.
This is exactly what I have been saying since 1996. It was at this point that I stopped voting for presidential candidates from either of the two major parties.
I had such high hopes for WJC and was so sorely disappointed that it was just business as usual. The only difference between the Dems and the Repugs is which way they back door us. The Dems atleast try to make us feel good about it. They give us KY jelly and flowers and tell us that they still respect us. the Repugs just give it to us dry.
The only way we are going to change the status quo is if we look at all the third party candidates as one guy collectively. If together they recieve 25% or so of the vote, then that my send a scare into the DNC and the RNC that if someone can come along and bring these dissenters together it will threaten their power base. These people in power now are all in the same club.
The most imprtant statement in your post is Divide & Conquer. Works every time.