Democrats Fall Into Fetal Position After Winning Two More Seats. WTF?
By Susie Madrak Thursday Nov 05, 2009 2:30pmWho didn't see this orgy of media "analysis" coming? According to the media, anything at all that happens is good news for Republicans, as Atrios says.
You know how crazy it is when Bob Schieffer's making sense.
But the question is, why are Democrats such wankers? Really. We just gained two more proudly progressive seats in Congress (one of them replacing a Blue Dog), but instead they're fixated on 1) a state that has always voted for the out-of-power party in gubernatorial races, helped along by a very bad Democratic candidate and 2) another state that, like the self-destructive electorate of California, loves to vote for anyone who says they have a magic secret formula to cut property taxes. Sheesh.
Do they really not understand the point of healthcare reform? There are many reasons, but the economic argument is simple: It's so people who lose their jobs won't have to worry. It's so employers who are afraid to hire because of premium costs can afford to do so. This has everything to do with jobs - and it's their job to make that clear.
Are they really that appallingly bad at the sales and marketing of this simple idea?
Democrats on Capitol Hill began a nervous debate Wednesday about the course President Obama has set for their party, with some questioning whether they should emphasize job creation over some of the more ambitious items on the president's agenda.
The conversations came as White House officials insisted that the party's gubernatorial defeats in Virginia and New Jersey had few implications for Obama's standing or for Democratic prospects in the 2010 midterm elections.
But moderate and conservative Democrats (Editor's note: Or, as we like to call them, aspiring Republicans) took a clear signal from Tuesday's voting, warning that the results prove that independent voters are wary of Obama's far-reaching proposals and mounting spending, as well as the growing federal debt. Liberal lawmakers, meanwhile, said the party's shortcoming came in moving too slowly on health-care reform and other items that would satisfy a base becoming disenchanted with the failure to deliver rapid change in government.
Voters in both states cited the economy as by far their top concern, and many lawmakers said the outcomes were a blunt wake-up call to put the issue front and center.
"The question is, do people think we're tending to the things they care about?" said Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) as he left a meeting of Senate leaders. He said there was palpable concern among his colleagues Wednesday that the main agenda items Democrats are pursuing -- health care and climate change -- resonate very little with voters focused on finding or keeping jobs.
Are they kidding me? Do they actually know any unemployed people? Because I do, a ton of 'em. And every single one over 40 talks about how they can't wait until they get some help with health care.
Why, oh why are Democrats so out of touch with reality? I guess because they don't have to worry about paying for health care or getting another job if they lose this one - they can always become lobbyists. Really, they need to sit down with some bloggers and stop listening to Beltway soothsayers.
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The Dems know what the results really mean, they're just using it as an excuse to not man up and do what's right for the country.
Establishment Democrats are useless. These are the people who passed the bailout bill over a weekend, but they can't o anything for us citizens when we need help. Too bad we don't have the ability to hold the nation hostage like Wall Street can. Maybe then we could get some prompt attention.
There are two things at work. For one, it is about narrowing the policy options that the voters have a choice to vote on. We have two, corporate controlled parties, and the elites in control of the parties use any excuse to give no real, fundamental policy options, outside of issues like abortion. On economic matters, forget it, the ends are basically the same, the means are the only difference.
However, the problem does lie with the American people, the left in particular (I mean the left, not the "left" who talk nice and do nothing). What is the left going to do when the Democrats, once again, screw them over, at leat the ones who haven't already left? Are they going to work for change outside of electorial politics and get active? Are they going to start a third party and ignore the "thank you sir may I have another" Democrats about splitting the vote on the "left"? That requires changing the power structure in this country, we could have 500 parties, if wealth and power is a concentrated as it is it is not going to matter. Are they going to sit out the next election, or god forbid vote for Republicans.
I honeslty have no faith in liberals actually getting involved and raising hell themselves. Radicals on the left will, they'll be alone in small groups while liberals write emails to representatives who will ignore them. The Democratic establishment knows this, and the pile of money they sleep on from entrenched interests trumps your e mails by a million miles. Until you scare the hell out of the establishment and let them know that hell is to come unless change happens, nothing will improve. We did not get Social Security, Medical Care, Public Education, unemployment benefits, etc by writing letters. Working people got active, they organized and they raised hell. They also let it be known that if the system didn't benefit them anymore that they'd replace it, or at least fundamentally change it.
The problem is not the crooks in government. They got there by you and I voting them into office. The problem is the system and the people for doing nothing but more of the same. Nothing will change until this changes.
i have been a democrat all my life and
i have never been so embarrassed as i am now.
i am withdrawing all my support for the democratic
party until they get some balls and pass
a robust health care bill. they are given
the keys to the city and they just dump them in the toilet.
if they want to fuck this is up then it
will cost them in 2010 and 2012.
Here what he wrote to me asfter I told him the only real reform was to have a REAL public option.
Dear gfm975:
Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform. I appreciate hearing from you on this critical issue.
As you know, one of the greatest economic concerns our nation faces - across the age spectrum - is access to affordable health care. Those who are insured continue to be hit by the spiraling costs of health care premiums, which have increased by 78 percent since 2001, while income has only increased by 19 percent. Recent reports predict that health care costs may rise by approximately 9 percent again next year.
Transforming our health care delivery system and lowering the cost of care are the most important goals of reform. We must begin paying for value rather than volume, and contain costs to make health care more affordable for all Americans without compromising quality. Congress took a step forward with the approval of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, P.L. 111‑5, which made a downpayment on advancing health information technology and comparative effectiveness research, giving patients access to improved health records and better evidence about which medical treatments may best serve their needs.
I believe meaningful health reform is within reach, and the President and Congress must find common ground to improve care by lowering costs and expanding access, while not worsening the deficit. I was pleased that the President, in his speech to Congress on September 9, 2009, voiced support for many insurance reforms which I believe will help ensure affordability and strengthen coverage and choice for those with insurance, and ultimately cover millions who cannot obtain coverage today. Such reforms include guaranteeing access to affordable coverage, eliminating pricing based on health status, providing consumer-friendly tools in the insurance marketplace, and no longer excluding individuals due to pre-existing conditions.
Different pieces of legislation on this matter have been put forth in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Like all legislation which has been formally introduced in Congress, these bills can be retrieved at the Library of Congress legislative data website, called "THOMAS." You can access THOMAS at http://thomas.loc.gov/, where you will find query boxes allowing you to search for a bill by name or number.
On my website, I have posted many resources pertaining to the current health care reform debate, including links to proposed Senate bills and the two Senate Committees under whose jurisdiction such legislation falls, the Finance and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees. You can find these resources under the Health Care Reform 2009 feature on my website, http://bennelson.senate.gov/feature_healthcar.... Additionally, I realize there are questions which Nebraskans such as yourself may still have pertaining to my views on the content of these proposals. I was glad to have the opportunity to answer many of these questions at public meetings held in August and September, which were recorded. I invite you to watch one of these meetings on my website at the above address. I hope you find this information useful.
As I continue to scrutinize the details of legislation which has been introduced, I will be looking for a plan providing American families with reliable and secure health care, one which stresses prevention and wellness and improves quality in the delivery of health care services, while not raising taxes, increasing the deficit, rationing care, or funding abortions. These are some of the basic principles guiding me as Congress works its way through this difficult issue.
I truly appreciate hearing from Nebraskans such as yourself on this crucial issue. In many of my recent trips home, I have made it a priority to meet with others from our state, including patients, caregivers, doctors, nurses, small and large business owners, and health reform advocates, to hear their views as well. In the weeks ahead, I will continue this dialogue; and I remain committed to working in a constructive, bipartisan manner to do all I can to ensure that the ultimate reforms are the right ones.
Thank you again for contacting me. Congress needs the input of all Americans to solve such an important issue, and I believe we can come together as a nation and collectively confront this shared challenge.
Sincerely,
Ben Nelson
U.S. Senator
My God, what a douchebag. This man hasn't paid any attention to his constituents, or the debate and yet sends this piece of crap letter out... wow, I guess he really thinks the average American is as stupid as he is... DEMS had better grow some balls, or get out of Congress. Who needs idiots like Ben Nelson representing us? FYI, he doesn't reoresent me.. I don't live in Nebraska and had thge fool taklen the time to actually read what I wrote, I told him where I lived.
The news nets don't think people will pay attention unless there is some drama and the best drama is any drama they can make up even if not true.
The Beltway bubble is so confining that they are talking to themselves.
After the election Tuesday I refused to watch the news for the reason mentioned in this post - it is worthless and a waste of time.
Is it that they're bad at sales and marketing or is it that they DON'T WANT to sell it if it'll bother their corporate pals?
They're "bad at it" if you have no memory, they "don't want" to if you have a memory.
Obama supporters are getting what they voted for.
This is not what we voted for.
Likewise Republicans didn't vote for a dimwitted bumpkin, we didn't vote for the Democrats and expected them to cower once they got in position of power.
They aren't cowering, they don't want real reform. Obama never wanted single-payer or anything even remotely useful. As the above article states, he wanted to "reinforce the existing system." Also, remember how no single-payer or public option proponents were invited to early discussions about health care? And how Obama started off the whole process by making an agreement with BigPharma that he would not allow cost negotiations?
That's not cowering, that a plan to keep the status quo.
"Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time." - Harry Truman
So, act like a PROUD Democrat. At least then your own progressive base will feel like they've got a choice. Heck, we might even show up on election day!
Why does anyone have to extrapolate this beyond the voters' opinions of the actual candidates?
Imagine a sports analyst showing a clip of Alex Rodriguez nearly getting beaned by a Cliff Lee fastball and concluding that it's bad news for the American League and maybe it has something to do with the designated hitter rule.
It is breathtaking to see a party hold so much power but be completely inept in how to use it.The people respond to confidant leadership, not this "excuse me pardon me" crap!
SING IT sister! :)
Wankers is the word for today's wimpy Democratic party. Obama and his wimpy, passive administration can't get enough of the taste of GOP boot polish. FDR publicly welcomed the hatred of the right wing and put them in their place. Can anyone imagine Wussy Obama making such a statement? He and his administration are absolutely nauseating.
Reid and the rest of the incredibly inept, weak Democratic Senators let Lieberman spit on them with impunity. It's incredible. The only Democratic leader with any balls is Pelosi.
FDR, Truman, Kennedy and LBJ are all rolling in their graves as they watch the pathetic weaklings who lead todays Democratic party.
"moderate and conservative Democrats"
But let's paint the whole damn party over with BS?
Anyone who voted for Obama also voted against single-payer.
Maybe people should pay attention when they cast a vote.
Obama statements on single-payer have changed a bit
A list of quotes - if you trust PolitiFact, I don't always agree with their summary.
From :
http://www.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/01/...
His statements are all over the map.
Too bad he's not the most powerful political leader in America or he might be able to do something about it.
Sorry for the extreme negativity on this, but our congress was able to force through a bank bailout over one weekend against the wishes of the majority of Americans, yet they can't find the strength to do a damn thing about the war, healthcare or anything else that concerns anyone who isn't a CEO. They could easily pass single-payer if they wanted to half as much as they wanted to pull off the largest heist in American history as they did under Bush in '08. Obama could do it if he was at all interested in it. Instead, it's just pandering.
but I was voting under the 'exploding head' ticket, man did I get what I wanted
Progressive Democrats win - even in conservative districts.
ConservaDems and CorporaDems lose.
Why?
"Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time." - Harry Truman.
But give them a real choice, and more often than not they'll choose a progressive.
... one of those 'surveys' from the DCCC, exhorting me to contribute so the Democratic Party can 'strengthen its majority'. As always, the survey is little more than 'rate these talking points' and has no content or strategy.
It went into the garbage. If the Democratic mainstream still doesn't get it, $50 from me ain't going to fix things.
Glad to hear it. It's much more effective to give your donations to individual politicians. If a politician does something you like, throw 'em ten bucks. It's like giving a dog a milkbone each time he does what you want. If enough people did this it would help send a message to them that we like when they stand up for us, not when they sell us out.
main agenda items Democrats are pursuing - health care and climate change - resonate very little with voters focused on finding or keeping jobs
My wife - a heart attack survivor - just had to leave her job, the one that got us our health insurance, because she could no longer handle the physical stress.
When I had mentioned to a co-worker that my wife was thinking of quitting, she asked about the health insurance and said "My gosh, getting health insurance is the reason to work!"
I don't know about global warming (or even that it's one of two "main agenda items"), but the idea that people don't connect concern about health insurance and health care issues with concern about jobs? Utter bull hockey.
30 years ago, when Dems ran Congress, they'd been in control of Congress for so long that they became complacent. Still, it took another 13 years before they lost control of Congress. All but a handful of Senators and Representatives from that era are gone, and the new ones have most of their congressional careers with the GOP in control of Congress. The Dems are only 3 years into their new era of control, but none of the existing leaders had anyone to mentor them about how to deal with that. So, they are in a position of having to reinvent the wheel, power-wise.
The first mistake they have made is to let Dems from red states take the helms of Conressional committees. Those people are all working with one leg tied behond their backs, which ties both arms behind the backs of the entire Democratic congressional effort.
The best thing that happened - outside Howard Dean's 50-state strategy and the rise of Obama - in the last ten years was when Tom Daschle was ousted as Senate Democratic leader. The 2008 Dem reclamation of Congress could never have happened with Tom Daschle in place. The GOP targeting Daschle was a huge case of shooting themselves in the foot.
But the Dems, once in power, let another red state Senator be their Leader. Dems, handed an egg from the golden goose, dropped the egg.
With Bush in the WH, they time and again caved. Why? They didn't know how to be an opposition party. Now that they have all the reins of power, they are being beat up by the GOP, which - in Congress, at least - new how to be an opposition party, not so long ago that they can't remember themselves how to do it. No mentors were required; the GOP just went back to doing what they did before. But the Dems are just IGNORANT of their own power.
Being a wanker is essentially to be stupid. Stupidity comes from ignorance. It is like Brad Pitt not knowing how to pick up chicks.
LOOK, DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP: ACT LIKE YOU'VE GOT A PAIR. In time, you may realize you DO.
It comes down to knowing how to take the GOP playbook and turn it on its head. Not by catering to the GOP's whims and whining and obstructionist tactics ... but to flip it around and make it work against the GOP, so that it's CLEAR the conservatives are bringing nothing to the table.
Instead, Harry Reid never fails to fold in the long run.
Sent a letter to the local newspaper today asking why when the GOP obstructed and restricted the stimulus and then 3 of them voted for it, the Democrats get blamed for the bad economy. Ought to get some good crazy R response.
They need to wake up and realize that the reason the two Pubs won the Governor's races is because the Democrats had piss poor candidates... candidates that didn't excite the voters. Rather than hold their noses while they voted, the Dems stayed home. The Blue Dogs better get this message. We won't be holding our noses any more so they can't expect us to vote for them just because there is a "D" behind their names.
The Democrats know what the people want here
so this is their big test to see if they are with the people or not. If not then both the Pugs and the Dems have become a public enemy and some changes will have to be made to government from the ground up, but not the changes the Tea Baggers have in mind [if they have anything in their minds at all].
.
You know Stupid Git only has a slight point. We got what we voted for which was not the Repukes candidates which were "Old Out of Touch Man Married into Wealth and Power" and "Crazy Dingbat from No Where". So yes we all got what we voted for which was a moderate. Which still gave everyone a lot more hope and change than Crazy Old Evil Man and his puppet George the Monkey. So yea, I'm a hell of a lot more happier about them not completely having their way.
Unfortunately, we have an extremely corrupt and self-serving media-elite that are not liberals but moderates and conservative moderates or if you're referring to F*x then the uber-christian conservative. Seriously, as much as MSNBC is bashed for having Olberman and Maddow they put onstupid and crazy and useless talking heads with agendas and bad facts on the rest of the time. No one except Jon Stewart calls anyone out on the total lack of journalistic integrity.
WTF sounds more like a doggie position
Or a missionary position
Or a wolfman minister position...
but it ain't easy. More and more I'm starting to feel like I've been had. If all the people who turned out to vote for Obama, the kids and minorities and so many new voters become disenchanted: a whole generation of Democratic voters will be lost again and we will get another 30 years of crazier than Reagan Republican rule.
that's scary sh*t. I look to the information, sharing and caring of the internet to help get caring people in office. Could happen...
I welcome our tax cutting, bible waving, corporatist cocksucking overloads.
This is why I love me some Grayson & Franken! I think alot of the dems problems are that progressives and dems both look at facts, see that almost always there are a dozen shades of gray (instead of just black & white) and end up looking wishy-washy compared to the go with my faith and my guts and forget the facts of the republican party. Lack of intelligence, thoughtfulness and caring for your fellow man defines today's republican, no matter what they babble about morals. Anybody who looks to FUX news for facts has already missed the boat.
the democrats are the ones running off emotion, avoiding facts, and basically the issues as well. you cant blame bush for 4 years and then wonder why americans are starting to hate the party. eventually you have to work. heres facts:
1. more than 80 prisoners still in G.bay (supposed to be closed)
2. Bush illegal tapping laws still being used (supposd to stop)
3. the house and snate and CIC are ALL !!!! democrat controlled and we still are not getting anything done !!!
4. government run car industry, banking sector, health care, i can see why people are screaming socialism.
im not a republican before you get on that boat. im a pissed off has been american that has dual citizenship and am so glad i dont have to stay there and put up with how bad things have become. in fact its most of americas problem that they have to look at everything as republican or democrat and not as what is right or wrong.
The House is set to vote on H.R. 3962 soon. Andy Sullivan was on Colbert Report this week and said that the Senate could use a "reconciliation" process and get the health care passed with 51 votes.
So, I don't understand why they're wasting time with Lieberman or Snowe, unless they're using this diversion as an excuse to water down the bill. If they wanted, they could get the job done sooner, rather than later. And there's no reason to wait until 2013 for the bill to kick in.
You're not alone , all I do know is that now they are trying to sell a pig that they are putting lipstick on .
Two governorship wins because one of the Dem candidates wasn't really a Dem , note that he announced that he would vote against the health care bill and a public option and the other Dem loser was completely inept and deserved to be fired by any measure , meanwhile the Dems pick up two House seats , one in a district held by Repugs since the civil war and give the tea baggers , Limbaugh , Palin and Beck a spanking ! But Obama and the Dems are in trouble ? It's that liberally biased media again ! Damn , what a joke they have become .Is it any wonder people are so ignorant and confused ?
why are Democrats so out of touch with reality?
**********************************************
SURPRISE!!! They're bought and sold silly liberal Sheesher!!!
This isn't about the media or being out of touch -- it's about politicians taking money from special interests, PAC's, lobbyists, etc etc etc The Democrats are no better than the Republicans in this area except in a very few rare cases.
Why is the sky blue?
Because they are a bunch of spineless pussies. They think that being "nice" is the only way to do everything in life.
Repigs, on the other hand, are willing to buy, sell, steal, kill anything that stands in their way of crushing the world under the heel of their jack boots.
I thought this was common knowledge.
I'll say it again: progressive democrats suffer from political Stockholm Syndrome. If all those frustrated with way the Democratic Party has become over the past few decades went Green, think of the power block that would create. But everyone I talk to wants to wait until someone else does it first, or when they "start winning elections." Which can't happen with any significance until people break free from their captors.
It’s too bad that Democrats and the Obama Administration’s strategy is focused on designing legislation that will attract some Republican votes in the interest of “bi-partisanship” rather than concentrating on attacking the economic and health care problems with the type of legislation that voters thought they had given them the mandate to propose.
The proof is in the pudding; and many members of the electorate are either being influenced by media coverage of the delays and failure to achieve any type of bi-partisan consensus on pending health care legislation or the Democrats failure to offer more meaningful systemic economic reform.
The Republican objective is to water down the legislation so that it either fails or the results are so ambiguous that they can call it a failure. The public will punish the Republicans at the polls if they defeat the Democratic initiatives. In the end the Democrats will be measured at the polls by what they achieve, and if bi-partisanship is their goal, it will be at the expense of meaningful change. They will have handed the 2010 elections to the Republicans and lost their best opportunity to deliver on Obama's campaign promises. If the legislation is successful, ten years from now the public won’t give a damn that it was passed without Republican support.
Reslugs are so happy for any good news, since their party is quickly withering and dying, now that Reslugs are backing and acting just like the teabagging morons, that are taking over their sick party.
of course everything points to good news for Republicans. The media is made up of millionaires. I'm sure they really enjoyed those upper class tax cuts that george bush threw their way.
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