I suggest you board the Way Back Machine and dial it to November 2006. When you get there you'll find the White House political machine considering the prospect of a Dem Majority in Congress, and this is what you'll hear them say "We'll block every damn thing that comes up". Or words very close to that. This "obstruction" is the fallback Rove plan if they lost in 06, which they did. They told us what their plan was, and they've done it. And the GOP Controlled Media had dutifully played along by broadcasting poll after poll showing the "Dem controlled Congress" getting low approval, never mentioning the cause of the lack of accomplishments. Of course, whenever something does make it out of Congress to Bush's desk, it is hailed as a "Victory for Bush". Media Control, The Big Lie. It worked in 1939, it's working now, allowing the Republican Party to torpedo the will of the people.
I think most politicians here would look at the power of the internet compared with television and totally scoff at the idea that TV could be ignored.
How many millions watch the news every night? How many do our biggest blogs and sites attract?
I completely agree the American people smell the bullshit very strongly. We in the internet do not have the power to set a narrative like TV, not yet.
We will keep trying. Just get use to a lot more D failure for a while, only a few of them see the problem, let alone the solution.
Posted by paradox at December 20, 2007 09:49 AMthere's no question that tv is still more powerful, but their viewership is steadily dropping. and among the very politically active, in particular, internet use is dramatically rising. we're not yet where we need to be, but it's happening. and the more the politicians ignore the tv gasbags, the more they will be in tune with public sentiment.
Posted by Turkana at December 20, 2007 09:54 AMVery imporatant post---this really is a crucial story, yet it simply will not make it onto the nation's radar screen.
It's really more a case of a Do Nothing Party, yet that is not the approach that any member of the press would take, nor will this record shattering filibuster pace become a part of the "narrative".
The ordinary schmoe simply does not know what's going on, probably has no interest in knowing, and could not start figuring it out if he wanted to.
As we all know ad infinitum, no progress whatever is possible unless this Do Nothing Repub party is smashed and sent to the wilderness. Can't see it happening in the current media/power structure, no matter what.
Posted by euzoius at December 20, 2007 10:05 AMThe Democrats are not hapless victims here. We're talking about filibuster-lite, where Republicans just have to put the prospect of filibuster on the table to, in effect, change the constitution and require a 60-person Yea vote to approve a bill.
Harry Reid has the right to require that filibustering senators actually get up and, well, filibuster, talk and talk and talk until they make fools of themselves like Strom Thurmond did decades ago. Democratic leadership would have done just that. But what we've been witnessing for the past year is nothing more than a stage play.
Posted by abi at December 20, 2007 10:33 AMabi, I second that.
Posted by T2 at December 20, 2007 11:12 AMI say use the "nuclear option" that the Republicans threatened over judicial confirmations. Bush's War is a sufficient national problem to merit the action.
Posted by Chango at December 20, 2007 11:36 AMThank you abi. I was all set to post a blistering denouncement about failed leadership and you said it for me.
Lest we forget, the Senate Republicans had a 1 vote majority for 2 years and the House never had as big a majority as the Democrats now "enjoy". Despite that, according to a 2005 Washington Post story:
Blunt, who entered politics as a protege of former senator John D. Ashcroft (R-Mo.), has assembled an organization of whips and lobbyist vote counters that has delivered more than 50 consecutive victories for the GOP leadership on tough fights over issues including tax and trade bills, District of Columbia school choice and tort reform -- without a single defeat.
I think, however vile its motivation, it's called leadership. Harry "Weak" Reid and Nancy, "Steny's Bitch" Pelosi don't seem to know what it is.
Posted by DeminNewJ at December 20, 2007 11:46 AMSay; How come "give 'em hell Harry" doesnt use the Nuclear Option - "when I say the word let loose hell" quote form Gladitor movie.
Just like the Republicans threaten to do to the Democratic minority when they were in the majority and the Dems threaten to stop the right wing Judicial nominations - oh, right; becuase were better than that, and we play fair.
Its our f---in country that is getting crapped on by this right wing nut jobs; it would be a far far better thing to do.
Millions of people have been killed or maimed and displace by this administraton - innocent Americans and Iraqis.
We the poele are fed up - its not so much that the Republicans Obstruct Legislaton - it's that the only patriot in the whole damn Congress is Sen. Dowd the rest are the take.
Throw the Quantlet down on the floor and fight!
Oh; by the way - when the next idiot I'm mean President - gets up on the bullybulpit to talk about how bad Govt Sponsered health care would be for America
Why dont he and all of them in Congress refuse to take it and use their own Private Insurance.
I'll tell you why - because its the best health care a person can get!!!
Why are our taxes paying for the millionaires health Insurance - who do nothing good for the general welfare of the country ??????
Posted by paul at December 20, 2007 12:16 PM"more than 50 consecutive victories for the GOP" - DeminNewJ, how many of those victories did Bush threaten to Veto? Let me help..None. Granted the Dems have been sorry, but if the president vetoes every bill you pass for no other reason than to make sure you don't pass any, the 2/3 overide is tough to get when there is an effective 50-50 split. In short, if a president wants to ruin the ablility of the Congress to do it's job, he can pretty much do it. Or another way to look at it, if a president cares only about partisan politics and nothing about the well being of the people, it's gonna look like it looks now. With Bush, it's all politics, no policy.
Posted by T2 at December 20, 2007 12:29 PMHey DemNJ, well said, we had the same obstructionist label placed on Democrats when Republicans were in the majority and that was considered OK in many places. Many over here seem to forget how the shoe was on the other foot in the recent past. I don't know if Rep. Blunt's stats are correct, I'll take your/his word for it.
It's called compromise. I'm aware we haven't done too much of it lately. I put it to you that had the leadersheep been more compromising in the spring. There may have been more Republicans willing to come over to the majorities points of view on Iraq. Each of those "our way or the highway" votes against the war just built up scabs over scabs. I believe Speaker Pelosi mis-read the 2006 vote, people wanted a tonal change not nessessarily out of the war. Speaker Pelosi was more concerned with keeping the status quo than achieving change.
In a sense the Dems this year replicated the tones of the just fired GOP leadership. Americans seem to be fed up with that. They fired us last year with a 23/25 approval rate. Wonder what they'll do with yours even lower next year?
Posted by peter at December 20, 2007 12:46 PMHad we had this cast of Democrats back in the Vietnam era, we never would have left. Those Democrats didn't swing for the home run ball, they build our withdrawal piece by piece, 33 different pieces to get us out of there. This group of Democrats doesn't have the patience to craft what was needed in the spring. Y'all don't have the patience to allow them to craft the incremental approach that those Democrats in the 70's did.
Just got to have it now, period. Well, you got nothing, more doesn't mean better.
Posted by peter at December 20, 2007 01:29 PMOur savior has come. The TURD flu. Terribly Unreasonable Republican Dalliers flu.
Rudy is only the first victim. Tancredo took the cowards way out.
Posted by TIKI AL at December 20, 2007 01:39 PMTurkana, While I can't put it so eloquently as you or Digby. I was trying a meager defense of the Dems on your Monday post "Agree or Disagree", using the same site and talking points.
The public is fully aware of the republi-con obstructionism, they are lower in the polls than Democrats. As voters we still need to elect Progressives and rid ourselves of the Dino Dems and the putrid 'repukes'. It'll be a slow process, probably 4-6 election cycles.
It is up to the bloggers to bring this issue to light because the media isn't doing shit!
Why didn't the media hound family man Vitter like he was a Dem? Why isn't Senator Larry Craig being asked daily about stepping aside?
We have Keith Olbermann, that's it and he's on cable!
Posted by Seven of Six at December 20, 2007 02:12 PMOh NO! NOooo! Peter agrees with me? Ewww!
Actually T2, I certainly agree that Bush is a critical piece of this debacle. Even so, the Democrats wouldn't smell quite so bad if they had actually, you know, TRIED to get something done.
The point I failed to make is that, even if the Republican want to "filibuster" a bill or amendment, rather than saying, "Darn!" THAT didn't work. Nancy, you must be mistaken! These guys are acting the same as when THEY were in charge. It isn't FAIR!"
Perhaps they could well, you know MAKE the bastards stand on the floor every night for every bill they want to block and DEBATE the merits or lack thereof. That alone should be good for some campaign footage.
As Edwards suggested, yes, I know it's easy to talk when you don't have to vote, but still, as he suggested, LET Chimpy veto good, honorable legislation. Again and again, if necessary, until he gets tired of it and goes back to the All Hat and No Cattle Ranch to clear some brush.
Democratic LEADERS would make this constant obstructionism have some price. Right now it's freer than a few airport minutes with Larry Craig.
Leaders would use their own, smaller, but still bully pulpits to POUND the obstructionist tactics of the Republicans into the consciousness of even the lazy American electorate until there is no doubt who's responsible.
I know there are lots of nuances and insider handshakes to consider. Sometimes, though, you get more attention and much more done with a sledge hammer than a sternly worded letter. I'm talking inherent contempt of Congress, forcing cases into court, fighting for what's vital to our democracy!
We've seen none of this.
Posted by DeminNewJ at December 20, 2007 02:29 PMWell done Minority, Well done !!
Posted by jj at December 20, 2007 02:34 PMagreed DeminNewj...by "Dems have been sorry" I meant, as in "worthless". They have managed some small victories, and launched some worthwhile investigations, but by and large Bush has squished them like roaches. I've never heard the number 60 mentioned so many times. We need a Dem president.
Posted by T2 at December 20, 2007 02:55 PMThis is what makes me sooo angry about the Democrats
Why are they not broadcasting this information about what the Republicans are doing?
Remember when the Dems threatened to do what the Repubs are doing and there was such an uproar?
I laugh when I hear about the "liberal media bias" and then things like this go unreported.
Posted by Diane at December 20, 2007 03:20 PMjj, you do one thing very effectively: you show what an ignorant asshole you are ever single time you post. Well done asshole.
Posted by headxray at December 20, 2007 03:47 PMPerhaps they could well, you know MAKE the bastards stand on the floor every night for every bill they want to block and DEBATE the merits or lack thereof. That alone should be good for some campaign footage.
DeminNewJ, But... but... that takes hard work!
It does seem like it's rigged, of the newly elected Dems in the Senate, only Brown of Ohio is standing up. The rest have consistently caved and voted with the repubs.
That's why we do need a stronger leader in the Senate. That said, I'm afraid they would try and nominate Johnson from SD.
Why can't you look at this as smart and proficient way of getting things done their way by the Republicans. Before November 2006, the Dems were in minority and they could have done the same thing, i.e. filibustering. But as we see now they are a timid bunch that cannot even get things done when they are in majority.
If Dems were smart they would have let Repubs filibuster the budget bill and then hit the airwaves screaming that Repubs are stopping the government to operate. Clinton did that and Gingrich backed off.
Posted by suresh at December 20, 2007 04:10 PMjj, you do one thing very effectively: you show what an ignorant asshole you are ever single time you post. Well done asshole.
Posted by headxray at December 20, 2007 03:47 PM
My My. Such an angry tone for such a peace loving and compassionate young lady.
Why such bitterness?
Posted by jj at December 20, 2007 04:12 PMmore proof from jj...no anger just complete disgust for those who suck off the criminal party...
Posted by headxray at December 20, 2007 04:41 PM"... but let's also be fully aware of the real problem, here."
Senate rules?
The democratic process?
Senators who represent an electorate that is not braying-at-the-moon crazy?
Posted by Bagley at December 20, 2007 08:37 PMEase up here. Criticizing jj for being an asshole is like criticizing a skunk for smelling bad. He just can't help it.
Posted by jwrjr at December 20, 2007 08:38 PMPeter, the "patience" of Congress in the Vietnam era resulted in the deaths of almost 60,000 Americans and a couple of million Vietnamese.
Posted by abi at December 21, 2007 09:33 AMMore than three quarters were already lost when they started crafting our withdrawal. Vietnam is one othe few places we've withdrawn from completely, maybe the Philipines was the other, after some eighty years.
Posted by peter at December 21, 2007 10:51 AM