Democratic Blue Dogs Insist: "Our Will Be Done"
David Sirota calls it "czarism on steroids," this rising up of various interests to "reform" Social Security in a very big hurry, citing an urgent need to sidestep the normal democratic process.
Well. Isn't that special!
How nice that they're all so concerned - especially the Blue Dogs who had absolutely no qualms whatsoever about Bush running up a trillion dollar deficit over his little Iraq misunderstanding, but now have such grave concerns about spending on social programs during a global economic crisis. (As Jane Hamsher recently noted, she loves how these self-styled patriots "crawl out from under their slimy rocks every time there’s a Democrat in office to preach 'fiscal responsibility,' which somehow always has to start with the social safety net but never quite works its way up to the F-22.")
WALKER: You mentioned in January about the need to achieve a Grand Bargain involving budget process, social security, taxes, health care reform. You're 110% right to do that. Question is, how do we do it? Candidly, I think it takes an extraordinary process that engages the American people, provides for fast track consideration and with your leadership that can happen. But that's what it's going to take.
This is what it's about for these "Shock Doctrine" partisans, because they just don't like democracy. That's why they'd rather buy off legislators: because they know if the American people ever get a clear fix on what they're really up to, they'll be drawn and quartered. That's what Sirota points out:
Why is democracy such a threat to those who want to slash Social Security or pass corporate-written trade deals? Because those right-wing ideologues know that if any mildly democratic institution even vaguely accountable to the public is allowed to weigh in on those proposals, those proposals will be seriously amended to reflect the will of the people who, for instance, don't like the idea of Social Security cuts or more NAFTAs. Put another way, they know that the public intensely hates their ideas, and that thus, the only way to get their ideas enacted into law in the United States is to crush democracy before it is allowed to interfere.
What's funny, of course, is that democracy and checks and balances were set up specifically to prevent the kind of thing that the Blue Dog Democrats are now trying to impose on the country. The Founding Fathers set up the legislative process - with its debates and amendments and deliberations - so as to prevent a tiny minority of elites from enacting policies that the broad majority of the public opposes. They didn't want a government like there was in Britain - a dictatorship where whatever the king wanted was the law, regardless of whether it had popular support.
Now, in order to destroy the most popular program in history, America is seeing the revival of the Royalists - the people who are effectively insisting that their will should be imposed on the rest of us, regardless of what the rest of us want, regardless of whether the rest of us even get a say.
If there's one thing we all know about dogs, it's that they need to be trained. House-broken, as it were.
Primary challenges, anyone?
Do Blue Dawgs play with Blue Balls?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
a collective session of yelling at the useless blue dogs as much as anyone, but I think people are worried over nothing here. we have a vast majority in both houses, and the party as a whole is not at all interested in working on some BS social security 'reform' right now.
its one of the few solvent things about our government or economy, these days. there is not nearly enough support in the House for any legislation about this to progress, and even if it did somehow, there is far less interest at the Senate level, where not all but enough Dems know this is a crock, that the blue dogs are idiots and ideologues and opportunists, and that nobody wants what they're selling.
I couldn't. Kind of makes your point.
"I mean Romney is the most conservative on illegal immigration and I don't think Ronald Reagan could get elected in California today."
Ann "Clipped" Coulter
Hell, no. Can't y'all see the foam at the lips?
These puppies are madder than Old Yeller.[Deleted. Find a better analogy. Please don't advocate violence at this site. Site Monitor] .
are you advocating violence against elected officials?
sure sounds like it.
at least to according to the Hal Turner standard of advocacy.
... if I offended anyone by my reference to the beloved Disney classic film about a boy and his beloved pet, I apologize.
Is it advocating violence if you've never seen Old Yeller?
Well, if the conclusion of the cited film is unacceptable, you might as well take out the reference to the title.
I'm not objecting to the deletion, but it seems silly to leave the title and take out the description. It's not like people here don't know the story.
How does it end?
in tears.
"I mean Romney is the most conservative on illegal immigration and I don't think Ronald Reagan could get elected in California today."
Ann "Clipped" Coulter
for the last 8 years. They never cared what the people wanted and just did what they wanted. Cheney says "So!" and so did Bush. I've sent e-mails to my reps non-stop and they are ignored. I wonder what it will take for people to take to the streets. I think cutting back on Social Security just might do the trick. Too many people depend on that particular insurance policy to allow it to be tinkered with.
The whole bail out thing for any and all of them makes me cringe. When we, as individuals, fail we just have to suck it up and move on.
Then eliminate all funding directly and indirectly related to the DrugWar!
Scores of billions could be re-allocated to the very social safety net programs that have been allowed to languish while Barney Fife bought armored personnel carriers with .50 cal. machine guns to play with, courtesy of our tax dollars, all thanks to the War on Drugs.
Re-legalize present illicits - they weren't always illegal, do your homework and you'll be shocked at how racism was involved in the formulation of the drug laws. Sell them under controlled circumstances, tax it, and use the money the same way we did with alcohol in 1932, to prop up a failing economy.
What we're doing about illicit drugs simply hasn't worked; the tonnage interdicted keeps rising to embarrassing amounts, the price is stable, the quality is very good and there's always plenty more where the interdicted shipments came from. It's time to stop playing the cartel's games, and start putting the money used to 'fight' them (anybody recall Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby?) to better use.
The reason we have so many drugs in this country is becuase local politicians, judges, police, and wealthy businessmen make so much money dealing the stuff.
They only arrest people to keep the street value high and knock off the competition.
If the drug war ended; all that money would go to the big corporations. Local communities would go belly up.
A large number of businesses in most towns are just fronts for local drug lords.
You legalize drugs and towns will go belly up.
"A large number of businesses in most towns are just fronts for local drug lords. "
This is the most asinine statement I've read all day. Unless of course the "drug lords" you speak of are bars, restaurants and liquor store owners.
that during these hard financial times we could all use a little something to take the edge off of our worries (be it alcohol or illicit drugs). The alcohol lobbies and the politicians they own would never allow pot to be legalized even though it should be. War on drugs..War on terror..both unwinable wars.
But back then the drug of choice was alcohol. Remember Prohibition? Didn't work because the premise was wrong. "If we eliminate alcohol, then no one will want it." Sound familiar? Screwed up logic.
Today it's: "People use drugs because drugs are available. Eliminate the supply and the use goes away." Uh-huh. Yeah. Right.
How about a different approach? How about a "war" on addiction? What's so wrong about the U.S. that anyone would need to "drop out" for an hour, a day, or longer? What are we doing wrong? Why aren't we a happier country? Just askin'...
We're not going to get very far if you keep injecting logic into the conversation!
....they're both fake.
pressure is on states with Blue Laws (no Sunday alcohol sales) to relax them so more tax revenue can be generated. Not surprisingly, religious groups have their panties wadded up about it.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
You mean Republican Light.
Vote 'em out of office!
..can anyone imagine just how "special" it would've been if W and his band of criminals would have gotten their hands on the Social Security fund? Wow, talk about a crisis!
And hey, you know, when you have, like a lot of our money saved on sound fiscal policy, i.e., the Clinton budget surplus, you know, you can shore up a programs like Social Security with it.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
They did get their hands on the money. That's the problem with SS. The government gets all the extra money.
Here's how it works: If the SS has a surplus (which it has had for almost every year since it began) the surplus funds are surrendered to the Treasury in return for certain "vehicles" which amount to IOU's. Those surplus funds end up in the General fund for Congress to spend. Been going on like that for decades. Currently, the Treasury owes SS a minimum of approx. $2.5 TRILLION.
SO, of course you say: "How can SS be going broke?"
Well, it isn't. It did fine. It's still posting surpluses. And if it had been allowed to invest those surpluses (away from the greedy hands of Congress) SS would have approx. $5 - $7 TRILLION (or more) in assets. But all it has is a bunch of IOU's that the government CAN'T PAY BACK!!
Feel good about that? Hey, you got taxed twice by the U.S. Gov! They took it out of your pay as payroll taxes and then as SS taxes. And then they pissed all of it away.
We're not going to get very far if you keep injecting logic into the conversation!
We must always remember the candidates like Ned Lamont, Paul Hackett, and Christine Cegelis and even Darcy Burner. These are the future and we need to find more of them and organize and encourage them to run. This fight could turn very cool if we ever tip the balance of power in a real way and in this direction. Thanks for the post Susie.
TREASON! These guys are attempting to overthrow the government. Time for some arrests, don't you think?
if the American public allows the destruction of the most successful social program EVER created...then they deserve to suffer the consequences for their lack of vision and understanding of history.
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
otherwise known as the unpatriotic, American public hating, warmongering, corporatist ass kissing, special interest cock sucking party...care not a wit about real people.
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
That's what's great about having a constitutional law professor in the White House. He can recognize these shenanigans for what they are.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
Being from Utah we have a Blue Dog or DINO, if you will, who would not be re-elected if he were to espouse too many progressive policies. Facts on the ground, not the facts some might want to see. How many of the Blue Dogs you want to be targeted for primary challenges are in the same boat?
Did anyone notice how Mr. Obama rejected, as in basketball, the rush job being quivered about in this post. He said, subtly, that there will be a process that involves everyone. It shows up at the end of your edit, but to my ear he seems to be ruling out the usual Washington rush job in this case, anyway.
Today, Feb. 24th, Comet Lulin is making its closest approach to Earth. The speedy green comet is about 38 million miles away and thus a fine target for binoculars and backyard telescopes.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/04feb...
I love this stuff......whooohoo
LuLu
We all missed it! Thanks for the heads-up, but it was 3:00 am THIS morning.
We're not going to get very far if you keep injecting logic into the conversation!
Mention an elected Congressional official in this article about Blue Dogs, anyone? Might as well be WMD in Iraq as best I can see. Why invoke the name of a House Caucus in your head without mentioning one in your post?
"I mean Romney is the most conservative on illegal immigration and I don't think Ronald Reagan could get elected in California today."
Ann "Clipped" Coulter
Boyd was the only Democrat that publically supported the privatization of social security when Bush proposed it several years ago. State senator Al Lawson has announced that he will run against Boyd in 2010.
....what happened in the bottom left corner of the screen during the last five seconds?
Running Firefox with NoScript, so whatever it was was probably blocked for me.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
.....yawning.
...woulda been snoring!
We're not going to get very far if you keep injecting logic into the conversation!
.
who has earned it working. Hopefully Biden was.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
I believe Obama was answering yet another Republican inquiry into his policies. Biden's heard 'em all. Ho-hum.
We're not going to get very far if you keep injecting logic into the conversation!
The worlds banking system is bankrupt! All relative components have become contaminated in direct proportion to their affiliation with it. Politics was, is and will be, the cause and cure of the world’s sickness. The remedial cure goes much deeper then who has a job in America. The future is only as good as it’s forecast... thinking about it.
The quasi-government entity known as the Federal Reserve prints the money. They loan It too us > (government), other central banks and private banks, at interest of course. So they are at the pinnacle of the scheme as it’s laid out. So just like a credit card we borrow for whatever reason we feel is justified, that goes for every entity…
The market players/listings need our money/investments to compete/grow, so we’re sort of like creditors too them only we can pull our loans/investments at any time, unless they freeze the market, halting trades. At least I think it’s kind of like that, I may be off, though I do believe the President’s working group a.k.a. the plunge protection team can halt the market if it tanks to quick?
A similar action happens at our banks. The banks need our deposits so they can use them to make money and grow. If we have a run on the bank(s) what happens? The FDIC steps in and shut the doors too corral the assets, with the reassuring promise we’ll get our money, (currently up to 250,000 vs. the old 100,00 until dec. 09’). They look for someone to take over the failed bank until the next failed bank comes along.
The FDIC is a big insurance policy that the banks pay into to have their deposits insured. Currently I believe they’ve got about 45 billion left in the kitty to pay of any lost deposits? What causes insurance companies too go bust?
If ya don’t grow a company will it die? Mom & Pops grew companies that were gobbled up by the big fish or relinquished for a certain amount. Our government is a company we started and run, can it get to big like BOA, Citi or AIG? Keep pointing fingers and I’ll keep looking, though I think what we need is the following, but don’t ask me how. Swift answers to transparency concerns coupled with judicial action. A compassionate, fair and level playing field. It’s one big ass Ponzi scheme, find out who holds the purse strings and you’ll find out who makes the rules and who is usurping our prosperity.
Study the symptoms not the virus...
We need to launch primary challenges against each and every one of the Blue Curs. If it means the Democrats lose the seat, it wouldn't make any difference vote-wise, but would make an example of these twerps.
areas are well, pretty much Republican majorities.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
It will make it that much easier to cost them their seats. If a Heath Shuler only wins by a small margin, then a small margin can cost him the next election. If that means a Republitard gets the seat, so be it. It's more important to make an example of these losers than to keep a GOP Lite representative or senator.
target first? Give me a name!
"I mean Romney is the most conservative on illegal immigration and I don't think Ronald Reagan could get elected in California today."
Ann "Clipped" Coulter
Herseth and Shuler. Primary them. If necessary, run a 3rd party candidate to make sure they can't win. The objective is to punish backstabbers at all costs.
Go all LBJ on they asses...Ya gots to give em The Johnson Treatment...
Quit invoking Lincoln. Go modern day. How do you think Johnson got the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through Congress? He wasn't all "Let's compromise." It was "Pass this motherfucker or else."
There just comes a time when you need to put your size 12 down. These bastards don't want to compromise and they're calling you out, in front of the majority which elected you.
me-oww!
Susie Madrak:
Would you please post the source for the David Sirota quote, that begins with: "Why is democracy such a threat..."
Also the Salon link is broken.
tx
Same link for all Sirota quotes.
Can't get the Salon link to work. It was to a Joe Conanson column about the summit if you want to look it up.
A former award-winning journalist and lifelong class warrior, keeping a jaundiced eye on the Washington elite.
seems like it's time to
neuter and spay the bluedogs !!!!
anyone want a serving of shriveled bluedog
prairie oysters?
Scroll up on the main page. Michael Steele openly threatens to punish the three GOP senators who voted with Obama. We should do likewise against Democrats who sandbag Obama to curry favor with the Right.
House-broken?
Neutered is more like it.
I don't want anymore of these Corporatists infecting our Party. They need to get their arrogant butts back to the Republican Party where they belong.
If we'd listened to "Blue Dogs" Obama wouldn't have won, and we'd probably have lost our slim majority in Congress. This mousy, mushy, Lieberman-esque foolishness is why Dems have been losing elections for as long as they have.
I don't want to vote for Republicans, and I sure as hell don't want to vote for Republican-"Lite".
If you're a Republican, have the cajones to SAY SO, but stop pretending to be a Democrat. It's nauseating.
And once you're done admitting that you're a Republican, you can begin APOLOGIZING to te country for messing everything up and sacrificing our children's futures to your greed and self-absorption.
Are the problem with our party... They have now infested our leaders and the policies they pass.
All the extreme right wing corporate republicans completely own the republican party.... Now we have their moderate to right moderate infiltrating our party and the leaders like Emanuel , Pelosi , Feinstein and others are supporting them...
This is why the democratic party is talking about moving to the center right,,, well they are already there...
Notice after the 2006 election that Bush had a private meeting with the blue dog republicans...
Now Obama had a private meeting with the blue dogs ignoring the progressive group which was asking for a meeting.
The democrats censored moveon.org for their statement about Petraeus , yet not saying a word about Rush and the phony soldiers , his lies and attacks on Clinton's daughter and other democrats.
There is no way of getting around the fact that Pelosi , Reid , Feinstein , Blue dogs and other democrats have completely refuse to uphold our constitution and laws of our country by their support to protect Bush and his criminals from their lies for war , treason , torture , illegal spying on the American citizens and the destruction of our economy.
Obama is even telling the American citizens he will not prosecute Bush and his crimes and join in with Bush's spying on Americans. Obama is also telling the American citizens that we will have to suffer along with the rest (just who is the rest) to correct this economic disaster caused by Bush and his administration in the past 8 years..
When are the financial institutions and the corporations which have left our country to sow their seeds in China , India and other foreign countries...
I starting to believe They are using Obama to force down the American throats the stealing of our wealth for financial institutions , corporations and to sure up the foreign countries with our tax money...
None
Anyone is nieve to believe that Bush , Republicans and the democrats (Blue dog republicans) which have been supporting Bush's policies have not intentionally destroy our constitution , laws , economy to set in place the steps of destroying Social Security and other basis life support for seniors and citizens of this nation..
Bush has spend our social security funds (and borrow from future social security funds) which has been taken from citizens and spend it on his war in Iraq , tax breaks for the wealthy / corporations so they could abolish these programs..
By this economic disaster they can cut and stop social programs at will claiming there are no funds for them..
Now Corporation will no longer have to pay benefits for their workers which corporations have spent millions over the past years to eliminate. The unions and American workers have fought even with their sweat and blood for over 60 years.
Now all the republicans have to say is their is no money for your social programs and they will cut them...
If American keeps taking this BS from the republicans , blue dogs or any democrats which wish to enforce this on them they deserve nothing..
Republicans took everyone how wealthy they would be if they invested their money for retirement into the financial institutions and we see how that has turn out..
These SOB are going overseas with the wealth with the American workers have made for them with their suffering and blood and now they wish to tell them to go to h...
None
When Bush proposed privatizing social security there was only 1 Democrat that supported it, my very own congressman Allen Boyd of Florida. Boyd is one of the leaders of the Blue Dog Democrats.
Boyd has faced little serious political opposition until this year. State senator Al Lawson who is term limited has announced that he will run against Boyd for his 2nd congressional district seat in 2010.
Here is a chance for progressives to do something more about saving social security than wringing our hands. Its a win-win situation.
Here are the possible outcomes:
1. Lawson defeats Boyd in the primary and wins the general election. I think Lawson can do it. Lawson's state district largely overlaps Boyd's congressional district. He'll have strong support in Tallahassee and the largely African-American Gadsden county.
2. Despite strong progressive support, Boyd defeats Lawson. However, strong opposition will make Boyd and other Blue Dogs think twice about betraying the fundamental values of the Democratic party.
3. Lawson defeats Boyd in the primary but loses the general election to a Republican. Ok, so we lose a Democratic seat in the House. But what is the downside of that? The House is not like the Senate where you need at 60 votes to prevent a filibuster. In the House the majority rules. Back when the Democrats and Republicans were largely equal it might have made sense to support some loathsome Democrats like Boyd. We are not in that situation anymore.
Blue dogs exist to take corporate bribes. I'm thinking of the party Telecoms threw for them for voting for the amnesty bill. Blue Dogs are dogs. All must go!
Social Security is broke, Walker has warned of this situation since 1998 as the US comptroller for our government! I wrote on this last night, look at the links, the GAO writes the US Financial Reports, it audits our government as well as the IRS.
Social Security is broke
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/fiscal...
If you are suggesting this is nothing short of fear mongering (which is how the post comes across to me) you are not doing the country a service, you are asking us to believe wishful hyperbole. There is a lot more to it other than social security in effect it's a demographic problem.
The size of the succeeding generation needing to be held up by the smaller generation. There will be more sellers than buyers. So much in our economy is dependent on the succeeding generation being larger than the retiring. The best case scenario is a flat economy. ERISA is going to fail regardless if we feel warm and fuzzy or not, if people think it's all fluff, well you are in for a big ugly broke surprise.
Goodnight, Frau Blücher
that is the main force that pressures them in those red states
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