THOSE DUDES SUCK!!!!!!!

Why? Did they threaten him with death or something? What kinda of leverage do they have anymore? Why is Congress so scared? Or is it they just need to feign opposition??

Also it begs the ? just what did the moron Sen. Nelson , hope to gain? was he promised some new deal for his state?
questions are begging and we the surfs are begging at the table of the big ppl , who sit and throw us scraps from time to time!!!

Sigh.

more like thte U$A

its for sale,, the highest bidder wins and winner takes it all. votes, party loyalist, taxes, war profit, lies, etc

I wonder if some nefarious character paid nelson a visit and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Or maybe he's just a turncoat, sell-out, cheney sympathizer who sold his soul to the darkside.

Does Nelson have an alternative suggestion as to how to compel Mr. Cheney to comply with the law?

*Groan*

Well isn't that special.

redratio1 @ 2:

Wow! Dems caved? Noooooo...say it ain't so.
The Dems are becoming a parody of themselves.
Why are they even getting paid?
.

whaddya mean 'becoming'?

and being how the euro closed today at 1 38 i do believe the dems owe me,, about 7.20$ in american dollars!!

On a completely unrelated note, I think I have some evidence that the anthrax attacks on Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy, on October 9th were actually a copycat attack by this administration or someone loyal to it.

If you look closely, you can see that the second letter will copy a single letter from the first letter (which I feel is a real attack) and then copy that letter again, so that it passes handwriting analysis. However, it is obvious that this was someone using the first letter as reference. It is obvious. There are other things as well, such as the fact that the powder seen in the second attack was refined military grade, while it seems the first was more crude, "resembling purina dog chow"

Of course we all forgot those attacks anyway, due to some other event. This administration is more mafia than the mafia.

Anyway,

L.A. Confidential @ 24:

Getting the feeling both the Cons and the Dems are just a bunch of money and power crazed nuts playing musical chairs at the taxpayer funded feeding trough yet?

ooh i am now be sure dude!!!!

So Senator Nelson is 'OK' with Cheney's declaring himself the 4th branch of the US government?

...

Friar Tuck @ 25:

L.A. Confidential @ 24:

Getting the feeling both the Cons and the Dems are just a bunch of money and power crazed nuts playing musical chairs at the taxpayer funded feeding trough yet?

ooh i am now be sure dude!!!!

I figured D.C. was a lunatic asylum out of touch with everything outside D.C. 10 years ago but this is off the cliff.

There is currently but one political party in the US... the Corporate Party, and they own it.

...

Just when I thought they could get to Cheney this way they caved, what's up with these invertebrates? Shameless.

Abby @ 28:

It's all a well planned and executed game. All pro-people legislation fails to scrape through by the skin of it's teeth and all corporate-friendly legislation scrapes through, again, by the skin of it's teeth. Always has, always will. This is no different.

The country and it's people are idiots being played by the one corporate party and most Americans are too stupid to see the obvious.

We have the government we truly deserve. Deal with it. Americans are not going to get off the couch to change it, are they?

abby i said fuck the couch and left the states back in 2000!! i knew once smirk jerk was in the race for president, all hell was going to break lose.

now as a american living in germany i have ppl asking me WTF is wrong with your country, do they enjoy soviet style dictatorship or wish to the 4th riech come along. I cant gibst them an honest answer because shit, i dont even know myself!

I thought that said Bill Nelson, thank god he stayed strong. He's all I've got in the senate right now (aside from psycho crazy Mel Martinez)

Hey! Did everybody go to his site and tell him?

I did, firm but fair. Asking for Impeachment and questioning his vote today.
We have to keep getting to them every way we can. An e-mail is not much, but if we keep pushing back and letting them know...

Hey does anybody have www.pitchforks.com ?

Oh, it's gardening.

This country's democracy ended with the coup of the Kennedy Assassination.
We live with a government of plutocrats for plutocrats.

Harriet refused to show up for her Congressional subpeona.
I had to hear Conyers whine about what she did, rather than him ordering her to court as a wanted criminal with a warrant!
Meanwhile bullies like Hannity, Coulter, Beck, and Savage spew and spew and spew daily for years on end in the name of the Republicans.

Tell me for the luvva Pete, when have Democrats NOT caved? That's their orchestrated role these days.
Gore and Kerry set the tone with their immediate capitulations in highly controversial elections.

AConfederacyofDunces @ 31:

There is currently but one political party in the US... the Corporate Party, and they own it.

And this is the sad truth... money rules the US. Greedy capitalist pigs run our country.
...

I just wrote to senator Spineless. I tried to be polite. I really do think we should innundate that coward with emails and let him know how outraged we are.

I'm wondering how far they are going to push us before we are back to the 70s style demonstrations - I think a French lady in Sicko spelled it out though. She said, "In France the government is afraid of the people... In America the people are afraid of their government."

Barbara Boxer hit the nail on the head today - dictatorship.

I said it yesterday, and I repeat it now; I think that cutting of the VP executive branch funding was a stupid idea. Cheney claimed that he was not a part of the Executive branch, and had the Democrats, based on Cheney's absurd claim, agreed with him by stopping the funding, then they would have merely being agreeing with Cheney. Do the right thing. He is a part of the executive. Why undermine that, by saying OK you are not, and we are not going to even fund you, since you are not. I said it was a dumb idea, when it was proposed in the House, and it got no better in the Senate.

..

Bill Maher has a good point. Why should the American public trust the Democratic party to stand up to America's enemies, when they won't even stand up to petty crooks in the Republican party at home? At this rate, the Democrats are going to lose Congress back to the Republicans next time.

Ali @ 43:

I just wrote to senator Spineless. I tried to be polite. I really do think we should innundate that coward with emails and let him know how outraged we are.

Be sure to call them. Emails just result in a BS reply and form letter explaining their position. However, if you want to get attention by email, become an ordained minister for free on the net at Universal Life Church Monastery or something, and be sure to put Reverend in front of your name.

It actually works.

As long as folks say "we gotta support the dems" they'll keep doing this shit. They're just as callous as the repugs since they're all one party for the rich by the rich.

Big surprise....

I say we hold a hearing on Ben Nelson. Keeps them busy. Make them work for their paycheck. WTF? Vote 3rd party people. Quit calling yourselves democrats or Liberals. Call yourselves Progressives. And vote for people who stand against both the Republican and Democratic party. Progressive's will not run the country for a while but it wake up the old useless politicians. The democrats are no better. They cave on everything. Levin thinks it may be a good idea to attack or put pressure on Iran.

Nope. What we voted for did not and is not working. They are all the same career politicians looking for a pension, healthcare and a Jeep Cherokee.

Vote for a real change.

I guess that there will be no concrete shoes in Ben's size or horse's head in his bed tonight. Unfortunately, he is the horse's ass. When will these guys grow any testes?

This is the straw.

DavidtheDuke @ 3:

Why? Did they threaten him with death or something? What kinda of leverage do they have anymore? Why is Congress so scared? Or is it they just need to feign opposition??

I would not be surprised, politicians do get killed. I would not put anything past cheney.

“The president has the power and authority to issue executive orders to do exactly what he wants,” said Nelson, a former governor.

Does this guy REALLY believe Bush has unfettered power? Has he not read the Constitution? Has he not heard of Congressional oversight? If he thinks the president makes his own laws via executive decree, I wonder what SENATOR Nelson thinks SENATORS are supposed to do?

It's no wonder the Bush administration thinks it can ignore subpoenas, nominate unqualified relatives and partisan hacks as cabinet members and deputies, commissioners, judges, ambassadors and US Attorneys without confirmation, disregard reality, and lie with abandon.

I'll be at his Omaha office tomorrow afternoon...seriously...I have the afternoon off. Any ideas for a sign to carry? Post them here!

in the meantime,, USA Citzens are finding it harder and harder to be able to obtain a passport!
really iam not making this shit up folks. Cnn ran a small blip last week ( international cnn) about now folks with NO RECORDS meaning crime, now have to wait 6 months for a expedited passport( wheres in 2000 i recieved mine in one month)
and for the regular passports,, up to a yr or more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmm,, seems to me that the USA is learning fast from Markus wolf, the scumbag stasi leader who used to sit on HOME LAND SERCURITY board as a ´´ advisor´´! thankfully that bitch died,, sadly,, not his ideas..
AND THEY SAY FREEDOM ISINT FREE???

I guess they werent bullshiting. if you want your passport faster, pay a HUGE fee and expect a interogation as to why you need it !!

GOD BLESS THE U$A! or now known as,, the 4th reich!

Congress is a subsidiary of the White House.
The White House is a subsidiary of the Pentagon.
The Pentagon is a subsidiary of Haliburton.
Haliburton is a subsidiary of the Military Industrial Complex.
The Military Industrial Complex is a subsidiary of the IMF.
The IMF is a subsidiary of the World Bank.

That's why impeachment is off the table.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

This is supposed to be the job of every Senator. PERIOD.
NOTHING ELSE TAKES PRIORITY OVER THIS.
These people need to be held to account for NOT DOING THEIR JOB.

Shouldn't the title of this post be "Democrat Caves on Cheney's Funding"?

"Our Representatives are not doing their job.", he said, not immediately realizing the profound implications this predicament always has, according to the historical record of the world.

20 lashes with a sock full of wood screws!I'm disgusted but not surprised.Congress is a joke...a fucking joke of a red haired step child getting the perpetual wedgie from the bully that is bushco.
All this internet outrage is all well and good,but I think it's high time we took to the street and pushed a revolution against this bullshit...our elected officials can't seem to do it for us so I say lets do it for ourselves.
Lets organize some marches in our respective cities,coordinated and fucking HUGE calling this for what it is...dictatorship.
Lets put an end to the slow murder of our country and resurrect the pride this nation once had.
I mean,seriously,are we really gonna let some pea brained moron and his minions fuck up the good thing we had as a nation?
Lets do this thing people!

hell they probably flipped a coin to see who was going to sell us out, this bastard won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course they did. No one's surprised here I'm sure.
*

Nelson is my senator. I wrote a polite by pointed e-mail to remind him that his constituents and all Americans expect him to be more than an enabler to the "fourth branch of the government."

Nelson won't be re-elected in this state if he sticks his neck out and tries to be a real senator, much less a Democrat. Perhaps he was feeling heat from the Republicans here, who didn't want Dick to have to answer for anything? I don't know, and I don't care.

Where is this generation's Elliot Richardson? Barbara Jordan? Where are the profiles in courage?

Not in Nebraska, that is for sure.

Ben Nelson is selling out for financial gain for the companies in his state. He was a former CEO of some insurance company and apparently has big ties to the defense industry. This is from his own web site:

Nelson has used his position on the Armed Services Committee to serve as an advocate for Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue and other military installations in Nebraska. He has directed defense research and development dollars to Nebraska companies and has pushed for major modernization projects at Offutt. Nelson also works closely with U.S. Strategic Command officials to ensure the command’s role in out national security and defense strategy remains prominent.

What the....???????????????

And what happened to Conyers, when he was in the minority, he said he was going to impeach! Now he's in the majority, and...................

What the....??????????????? Is going on?

Can someone tell me?

We didn't vote them in, to be like this! I AM PISSED!

aquarius2 @ 77:

After reading some of the comments I think it is unfair to blame the Dems for Nelson's voting record. Nelson ran as a Democrat, was elected as a Democrat and is/was expected to logically vote with the Dems, BUT NO Nelson votes with the Republicans. Blame Nelson and only Nelson for lying to the voters about his true party affiliations. When it is time for reelection his opponent needs to bring up how UNDEMOCRATIC this man is--just like Lieberman.

Bullshit. You make it sound as Ben Nelson was the first and only one. What has Pelosi and Reid really done? Not a damn thing but raise minimum wage. They had the original bill to get us out of Iraq and backed down, they backed down today, they've backed down on every threat. If you can't control your own party then resign from your post.

Hate to say it, but that's why Delay got results. The wrong results but he got his votes. Nelson wouldn't have crossed a Delay.

Fuck the Pelosi and the Hillary crowd. We don't need more of the same. The hell with the democratic party. Clean house. one of the first things Reid should have down was take away all power from Leiberman. He'd look like an idiot to do it now.

nelson has consistently been a closet repug.
moderate my big fat ass!

Big Dan @ 86:

What the....???????????????

And what happened to Conyers, when he was in the minority, he said he was going to impeach! Now he's in the majority, and...................

What the....??????????????? Is going on?

Can someone tell me?

Sure, I can tell ya.

Plain and simple, Conyers plays his cards like a poker four-flusher.
Fooled ya with his bluff, didn't he?

Will we be fooled again?

Boxer supported Lieberman during his campaign, yet we expect action when it counts from her in the citizens' interests.

Thery are all Republic-rats, or corporocrats if you prefer.

Pericles @ 42:

EnricoFermi @ 23:

On a completely unrelated note, I think I have some evidence that the anthrax attacks on Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy, on October 9th were actually a copycat attack by this administration or someone loyal to it.

Enrico, for one of the greatest physicists of all time, and one of the fathers of the Atom bomb, you sure take a long time to see the obvious. Sending the anthrax to Daschle, who was the only anti-Iraq-invasion Democrat with any legislative power at the time, was designed to send the same message to Democrats that the polonium 210 in Alexander Litvinenko's tea was supposed to send to any would-be critics of Putin.

Thanks, no I knew it was orchestrated, but I used to think that the first letter was also. Now it seems obvious that the first letter, the one to Tom Brokaw and all of the other news org's, was a legitimate terrorist attack, whereas the second letter, the one specifically to Leahy and Daschle, was the one set up by a Bush-Cheney loyalist. That I hadn't realized before. Compare the letters and you'll see what I am saying. At the very least, the second letter was the one with the help of the administration, while the first was just some crazy. If anyone has noticed this or has material to the contrary, I'd like to see it.

Here is good old Bens # in Washington. Please give him a call and let him know how you feel. He sounds like a "Good Guy" from the message.
720 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-6551

I want to see some good people coming out and running as Independents in the next election.

I sent the dishonorable Sen. an e-mail expressing my sentiments in a polite manner. Have all of you? It can't hurt. At worst, it will annoy his staff. Don't you think they deserve it?

The Democratic Party has to many Republican Democrats...

BaScOmBe @ 95:

Greg @ 90:

aquarius2 @ 77:

After reading some of the comments I think it is unfair to blame the Dems for Nelson's voting record. Nelson ran as a Democrat, was elected as a Democrat and is/was expected to logically vote with the Dems, BUT NO Nelson votes with the Republicans. Blame Nelson and only Nelson for lying to the voters about his true party affiliations. When it is time for reelection his opponent needs to bring up how UNDEMOCRATIC this man is--just like Lieberman.

Bullshit. You make it sound as Ben Nelson was the first and only one. What has Pelosi and Reid really done? Not a damn thing but raise minimum wage. They had the original bill to get us out of Iraq and backed down, they backed down today, they've backed down on every threat. If you can't control your own party then resign from your post.

Hate to say it, but that's why Delay got results. The wrong results but he got his votes. Nelson wouldn't have crossed a Delay.

Fuck the Pelosi and the Hillary crowd. We don't need more of the same. The hell with the democratic party. Clean house. one of the first things Reid should have down was take away all power from Leiberman. He'd look like an idiot to do it now.

TOTALLY the PHUKKKING POINT!!!
PHUKKK THE DLC
PHUKKK THE DSCC
PHUKKK THE DCCC

I believe the post was talking about Ben Nelson, his vote and how he continues to cast his votes. The title of this post should have read ONE DEMOCRAT....not Democrats because it was Nelson's vote that pushed this down. Can't say I disagree with your feelings on Reid, however I was addressing the issue of Nelson running as a Dem and voting Republican---that is not something Reid can change unless of course you advocate he become Tom DeLay. Funny, we all stoned DeLay for his tactics once they were made public now it seems he is being admired for his tactics.

everyone should digg this story. the mainstream media has no conscience and won't give it the focus it should have.

Me thinks it's time for Nelson to retire or face a Lamont-like challenge next time...

Anonymal @ 107:

Snowball @ 103:

anonymous @ 100:

I want to see some good people coming out and running as Independents in the next election.

Even if it means putting Republicans back in control of the House and Senate? We don't have a parliament you know. No coalition government or proportional representation. Think about it.

I HAVE thought about it.

At this point, I'd rather have the repukes come in and finish the job of destroying America. JUST GET IT OVER WITH so we can start something anew. Waiting on the Damn Dems to do something is akin to the Chinese Water Torture or the fate of Sisyphus..

You may have a point that could make a difference in the long term. However, I shudder to think what it might be like to have to live through such an event. We are almost there.

I fail to see how the rest of the Democratic party is responsible for a right wing ringer in their midst. Remember the so-called Reagan revolution and how an unprecidented number of Congress critters flipped to the Republican party. It was the first attempt at a right wing coup. The corporatist right realized a long time ago that the only way they could gain control was to run ringers as Democrats. Pay attention, look at your candidates record and vote accordingly in the primaries. Primaries are the antiseptic with which we can clean out those who are only there to undermine our democracy.

He is either incredibly stupid, being blackmailed or is scared to death of going up against Cheney.

Anonymal @ 107:

Snowball @ 103:

anonymous @ 100:

I want to see some good people coming out and running as Independents in the next election.

Even if it means putting Republicans back in control of the House and Senate? We don't have a parliament you know. No coalition government or proportional representation. Think about it.

I HAVE thought about it.

At this point, I'd rather have the repukes come in and finish the job of destroying America. JUST GET IT OVER WITH so we can start something anew. Waiting on the Damn Dems to do something is akin to the Chinese Water Torture or the fate of Sisyphus..

If the Republicans "finish the job of destroying America", what makes you think it will then be possible to "start something anew". The logical end-point of the current administration's actions is a dictatorship in which people like you are rounded up and "re-educated" or simply vanish.

The Democratic Party is full of Joe Liebermans - every one more chickenshit that the original.

I know I should be fitted with a tinfoil hat for saying this, but for a while now I've been entertaining the notion that the Democratic Party has been coopted by GOP operatives. Really, think about this for a moment: What does it take to change one's Party affiliation from GOP to Democrat just for the sake of getting elected to office. Once in office, you continue to vote like a Republican. There's a name for these operatives - Democrat in Name Only. Face it people, we've had one Party rule for a while now.

Nicole Belle,

Thank you for dedicating so much of your life to the cause of shedding light on liars and crooks. You are my hero.

Dear Dems.,

I resumed voting in 2006, and I voted Dem. because I actually was stupid enough to believe that something would change if the Democrats took control of Congress. Wrong!

Time and time again you have failed to to do the job which you were elected to do. Iraq remains at the very best a stalemate and at worst a target rich environment for terrorists hell-bent on killing Americans regardless of the costs, and you have failed to do one thing to change the situation. You have succumbed to the fear mongering that
is being substituted for reason and refused at every turn to call this administration to account for it's actions or more to the point their failure to act.

If you do not have the courage to defund the war and bring the troops home, at least you could muster the gumption to defund those agencies and individuals who are responsible for this misbegotten war. The most obvious and most logical place to start would be with Vice- President Cheney.

No person in my lifetime including Richard Nixon has shown more disregard for the law and more contempt for the public at large than has Mr. Cheney. He operates as a branch of government unto himself, he lies to congress, the public and the media, he exercises powers that are far outside the scope of his office, and he will stoop to any level  to
besmirch and ruin those who disagree with him.
Sadly due to the unwillingness of congress to exercise it's oversight functions, and it's demonstrated inability to protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic,
he continues to run roughshod over anybody or anything that stands in his way.

No administration in modern history has been more beholden to the power of money than the Bush administration, and no member of this administration understands the power of money more than Dick "help is on the way" Cheney.

You can not hold him accountable through the courts or the DOJ, as they represent only the administration. You can not or will not bring him to heel through impeachment because by your own admission that option is off the table. You can not hope that the President will intervene and curb his lust for power because in point of fact he is the President in all but name. The only possible recourse is to use the power of the purse to check his
his lawlessness, and this you have refused to do even though it was well within your powers and in this particular case your duty.

Once again  opportunity came and this congress was found wanting. You let the Vice-President off the hook. Is it any wonder that he has a perpetual smirk on his face. He just told you all to fuck off and you did just that.

I hold little hope of anything changing in the next 18 months
given the performance of this congress to date. The deceit
and arrogance of the current administration are exceeded only by the ineptitude and gutlessness of the current Congress.
If you are unwilling to do your job, why don't you just pack up and go home? If you are unable to do defund the Vice- President and his staff, why not defund yourselves and save us all the agony of watching your pathetic performance?

At any rate please don't send me any solicitations for fundraisers, don't send me any voter guides, and don't even think of calling me and urging me to get out and vote, because, I did and I got you! Never again.

AConfederacyofDunces @ 27:

So Senator Nelson is 'OK' with Cheney's declaring himself the 4th branch of the US government?

...

check nelson's voting record since 2000. he's as repug as LIEberman. A virulent hateful repug DINO.

Dear Senator,
I understand if you fear for your life. Perhaps you know more than the rest of us about just how much power Cheney really has. Still, Some people wait their whole lives to have an opportunity to make a positive difference in this world while at the same time thwarting evil. By squandering an opportunity in this compressed reality we find ourselves in, you have become a part of this evil.

I can't believe you voted against cutting funding to Cheney's office. I can only imagine you hope to get some good political karma from this act.

The possibility of millions of democrats leaving to the green party, or worse, giving up is made much greater by your vote.

Very dissappointed. I am telling my Nebraska family on you.

Shame on you for giving in to these vultures, shame on you for betraying the people who voted you into office, shame on you for denying the American people a little satisfaction, shame on you for funding Dick Cheney and allowing his crimes to go on unchecked.

You should be ashamed of the way you turned your back on America when we need you.

I NEED ANGER MANAGEMENT!

Shame on you Ben Nelson! I had more faith in you !!!!!
My mistake

This isn't the first time Ben Nelson blocked the votes of his party, in fact shades of Liebermannishness we can reasonably believe that there is a fair-sized clusterfuck going on on the so-called democratic side the the aisle.

Said it twice already, we need the names of all these two-faced assholes that are keeping the Bush administration comfy and cozy.
Keith Olbermann, we need to name names, expose, pressure throw them out in '08,
although we'll probably also see a big sudden boom of INDEPENDENTs a la Lieberman throwing off those elections.

WE NEED NAMES, AND WE NEED THEM NOW.

Nelson's problem isn't spinelessness. It's CORRUPTION sweethearts.

TonyDTroll at your cervix, I assume?

abandon the democrats dudes, find a third party and focus all your energy on them. get a face out there and known.

Guess the old "rubber stamp Congress" we used to joke about was a liberal fabrication. There was no rubber stamp, just spineless Democrats.

Forgot to add, drunken monkey with a taste for murder showing up with regular self-inflicted facial bruising.
Surreal.

Barrett, sorry I ought to have said about a third party that it does nothing but dilute votes in favor of the so-called conservative (fascist) incumbent. There are just too many people in this country who don't understand that dynamic and so swing their vote to a selfish prick like Nader who accepts money from the republican party because he only helps them by taking idealist votes away from the less conservative party. Thereby the country remains deep in the grip of the worst of the two.

Throwing support behind a third party, or staging some sort of drastic revolution in Washington (be it literal or figurative!) are awesome ideas--in theory. Unfortunately, given the colossal nature of the "clusterfuck" in Washington, the TOTAL AND COMPLETE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY within the executive branch, and the way time is running out on issues from Iraq to healthcare--these aren't particularly practical solutions. Can we instead come up with a way to elect Democrats who simply GET IT DONE? They must exist. How do we find them? How do we fund them? Are any of you bloggers running for office? :-)