Nice sentiments. But the Democrats don't appear to have any cohesive strategy to address any of these issues. Where is the message? Where is the call to action from Dem leaders?
I changed my voter registration last week, and I refuse to give any money to the Dems. No longer can they put signs in my yard. I will not stand outside the house and talk issues with Dem candidates knocking on doors. I have a Dem rep, and I will seriously consider voting for a Republican who speaks to the issues my Dem rep won't (in fact, I can't tell my rep him from a republi-con). All he would have had to do was address any core issue of importance.
If a Republican wants my vote all they have to do is take a stand against NSA, deficit spending, and the war in Iraq. You might say the Republican would be lying if he/she said this. So how is that different from telling the truth yet not doing anything about it?
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 07:44 AMPair of Ducks,
The reason you have no strategy, is that anger, pouting, temper tantrums, and spoiled little rich kids rarely do anything in unison.
You are a band of guys, walking around with your pickle barrel, marching up and down times square, demanding that you be heard. While the average American looks at you like you are some sort of joke.
Anyone that would have someone like Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, Al Sharpton, and Al Gore be their spokespersons, has no idea how to run a campaign, much less a nation.
I still get tickled at how you guys still jump back to your name calling and fuming about how Bush Stole the election, Bush is fighting and Illegal war....These comments might make you "feel" good, (which is the essense of liberalism), but it tunes everyone else out.
So keep it up. Its worked so well since 1992, when Clinton took over your party and has yet to let go.
Hillary will be your nominee in 2008, get used to it. The Black Caucas will not support anyone else....and you can't win without the black vote.
Yes, Steve, I have a different IP, so don't go worrying about it. I"m on vacation....
spoiled little rich kids
watch it - i'll get the NSA on your ass.
Posted by dubya at February 18, 2006 07:59 AMTo all you whiny Democrats out there--Take a look at your own responsibility in this. Our elected Dems will only do what they think will get them money or votes. Sorry, but that's the system we find ourselves in today. This is the whole point of Howard Dean's "Taking Our Country Back" theme. He means taking it back from the spineless Dems and the political hack consultants, as much as he means taking it back from the Republicans. THAT'S WHY PRECINCT ORGANIZING IS SO IMPORTANT! If we prove that we can deliver our precincts, our districts, our counties, and our states (as Dems did in the past), then our voices will be heard. Our issues, concerns, and opinions will matter more than the people who are able to write the big checks.
That's why Harry Truman said that being a precinct captain was the most important job he ever had!
So get off your ass and join your local Democratic Party. They are desperate for volunteers. There is no need to start a third party as many are suggesting. The Democratic Party is yours for the taking.
Posted by Susan S at February 18, 2006 08:05 AMThese comments might make you "feel" good, (which is the essense of liberalism), but it tunes everyone else out.
And that is why Bush's approval rating is at 40% on a good day. Now who's kidding themself?Crappy, you are really a laugh.
While the average American looks at you like you are some sort of joke.
Interesting comment from a person who supports a party unable to run the country. But no one notices.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 08:07 AMphid, i appreciate your sentiments, my rep is a hack, but at least she voted against the stupid war. is there a credible challenger to your DINO rep? (you live in a deep red state, IIRC)
taking a broader view, if the dems take the house, conyers becomes head of judiciary. things could get interesting. why not support a dem you like? (there must be one or two)
Posted by benjoya at February 18, 2006 08:09 AMparadox:
Who are these people who call themselves Democrats? The Democrats of old fought for the working stiff who then became the middle class. Not the upper-middle class but mostly the lower & mid-middle class. That was their base and we were loyal but somewhere along the line our representatives became part of this “ownership” society and voila! we have corporate give-aways of astronomical proportion, bankruptcy bills aimed at protecting everyone but the individual, alarming newborn death rates, medical benefits cut to the bone, foul air and water, melting ice caps, intercepted correspondence, tracked library visits and the list just continues to grow.
I was recently called by the DNC and asked for a donation to help fight the good fight. My answer was quick and direct. You’ll not get another red cent until you find your spine. I wasn’t raised to reward poor performance – not in my children – not in my party. I’m tired of hearing the old and tired cliché that you fight the fights you can win. Oh really! Tell that to the founding fathers. I would rather the Dems were known forever as obstructionists than to continually acquiesce to legislation that is aimed directly at the heart of its constituency. Either FIGHT hard for us or get out of office. What passes for Democratic representation today is a mere shadow of its former self. Too bad too, it’s the little guy who made this country great…
p-dippy, i mean a credible primary challenger.
Posted by benjoya at February 18, 2006 08:14 AMSo get off your ass and join your local Democratic Party. They are desperate for volunteers.
Been there. Done that. Any other suggestions? Maybe I should run to the precint and self-immolate myself for them, you know, like the Buddhists in Vietnam did? The bottom up is so completely disconnected from the top down it is unbelievable.
Get a message and then I'll think about it. Otherwise, I'll write in my cat's name if I have to.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 08:16 AMp-dippy, i mean a credible primary challenger.
Well, when my current Dem Rep supported -without any single challenge- the entire State of The Union Address, I no longer know what credible might be.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 08:23 AMIf the laws don't apply to BushCorp, then they don't apply to me.
Think about THAT, crappy.
Posted by God Of War at February 18, 2006 08:25 AMIf the laws don't apply to BushCorp, then they don't apply to me.
When it gets bleaker than hell you always come along and brighten my day! Thank you!
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 08:27 AMphidipides
I will seriously consider voting for a Republican who speaks to the issues my Dem rep won't (in fact, I can't tell my rep him from a republi-con).
I feel your pain. My rep was Duke (the Duke-stir) Cunningham. Game over!
Posted by Cordier at February 18, 2006 08:32 AMWhile the average American looks at you like you are some sort of joke.
Naw, that would be projection. The GOP projecting their problems onto the Dems. LOL!
I don't think that we as a country have had a bigger bunch of idiots than the B/C team. LOL!
I imagine the B/C team aka known as the Elmer Fudd twins will be joining the circus when their time in Washington is up. Bush can run around looking for those wascally WMD's while Cheney can hoot it up and shoot off his gun! LOL!
Oh, well, they are making the comedians in this country very rich! Yoo, hoo, B/C have done more for the "liberal elite" LOL in this country than any president in 80 years. LOL!
Posted by Ga6thDem at February 18, 2006 08:41 AMAnyone that would have someone like Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, Al Sharpton, and Al Gore be their spokespersons, has no idea how to run a campaign, much less a nation.
Crap: As opposed to whom, Scott "I can't comment on an ongoing court case" McClelland? Or our wonderful Islamic ambassador Karen Hughes, who has done a "heck of a job, Hughesie" selling the US to the Islamic world. She’s as welcome in the Middle East as Bin Laden is in Manhattan.
It's a damn good thing Cheney won't speak to the press, because you know how endearing that SOB spawn of Satan is.
As far as running a nation, the Republicans are doing a great job. Running it into the ground, and turning it into the fourth Reich. Grow a brain, and as you have been banned from this site, so STFU as well.
Great thread. I have no trouble agreeing that there is a "too far" right. Problem is the democrat party has been taken over by the extreme left wing and won't even admit such a thing exists.
I too am a former democrat. I still want to return someday when things return to normal. Harry Truman would puke if he were here to see his once proud party.
The Truth,
Please explain this "far left" that is the Democratic Party. I'm curious.
Posted by Susan S at February 18, 2006 09:10 AMProblem is the democrat party has been taken over by the extreme left wing
Where is it? I'll move there and vote for it. As it is, I have a choice of a Dem more neo-con than you and a republi-con.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 09:16 AMCrape and others who believe as he does work under the assumption that it is still 1968 and the Democrats have an internal split that will take 40 years, about two generations to heal. He really believes that the conditions that led to the demise of the new deal coalition and allowed the rise of the "southern strategy " GOP is still the biggest factor at work in American politics. Let his type continue to believe that. The biggest folly in any campaign political or military is to keep fighting with tatics that are antiquated.
Posted by rlp at February 18, 2006 09:19 AMRip:
They are not all together antiquated. They are in some respects quite inventive. Unfortunately for America, the aspects they excel in are deception, lies, secrecy, more lies, perjury, torture, war, profiteering etc.
Antiquated they are not, despicable and as trustworthy as J. Edgar Hoover they most certainly are.
Posted by tempus at February 18, 2006 09:30 AMAs long as I brought up Hoover, I wonder if Rover wears silk panties? The thought will give me nightmares for the next week, but it would be interesting to find out if he and Ann Coulter exchanged teddies at Christmas.
Posted by tempus at February 18, 2006 09:35 AMI wonder if Rover wears silk panties?
Only the red ones with "I heart/arrow Jeffie and the Pretzel" on the ass.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 10:07 AMThe "crooked voting machines" spin is getting a bit old, isn't it? Bush carried Florida by a million votes in 2004, so I don't think you "outrage" over the 2000 election holds any water. Everybody knew the election rules in advance, electoral votes not popular votes is the scoring. If the Florida 2000 controversy had continued on without the Supreme Court intervention, there is no doubt that The House of Representatives would have elected Bush. Face reality. This country is Republican.
Posted by Stats at February 18, 2006 10:19 AMphid, hate to push you on this, but i'm sure there are some decent candidates outside your district who could use support.
and i hate to defend the dems, but i'll take pelosi over gephardt, reid over daschle, and dean over terry macauliffe any day of the week. these positions have all changed hands since '04. if a slightly more progressive leadership is all we've got, i still say it's better than resigning ourselves to GOP control.
really, how much more crucial does this election have to be?
Posted by benjoya at February 18, 2006 10:25 AMand thanks for that appalling imagery, tempus. just when i'd gotten over the thought of cheney's mistress. yuck!
Posted by benjoya at February 18, 2006 10:27 AMThis is for all you Ann Coulter fans.
benjoya, this will be an image you will never be able to erase from your memory.
OOh, it looks like we have a new troll. It won't be long before we demolish this one either. The other ones have gone off to either wet the bed or hide under it.
Posted by Ga6thDem at February 18, 2006 10:38 AMGa6thDem, You talking about stats? He/she's been here for about 2 weeks.
Posted by bbtb at February 18, 2006 10:44 AMNo, I'm talking about the truth. He sounds just like "a former democrat."
These people are way behind the times.
Posted by Ga6thDem at February 18, 2006 10:46 AMThe Voter's Internet Party: a modest proposal.
We need to create a new Voter's Internet Party. With every passing day it is becoming painfully more obvious to all but the most fanatically partisan of us that the vast majority of the Senators and Representatives from both of the two major political parties are irrevocably corrupted by the unseemly influence of major corporations and the wealthy ruling elites. Therefore, we, the vast majority, who want clean honest open government, need to form a new political party that will serve our interests, and not those of the ruling wealthy corporate elites. Therefore, may I suggest that we create a new Voter's Internet Party to honor the ideal of a traditional count-all-the-votes democracy.
With widespread use of the Internet, we now have a relatively easy, inexpensive and efficient way to contact and organize the many millions of American voters that have been disenfranchised and disillusioned in the 21st century by the Bush & Co. theft of the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. The brilliant example of the highly effective grassroots campaigns of the Internet-based MoveOn.org in the 2004 Presidential campaign has shown that Internet-organizing can be a powerful tool for progressive social change.
Orange. Since orange has been clearly identified in the mass media as the color of protest of election fraud first in the Ukraine and later in the United States, let us use the color orange to help identify our new Internet Voter's Party.
We need our new Internet Voter's Party to help facilitate our country's return to the exclusive use of traditional hand-counted paper ballots. We need to stage thousands of 21st century versions of the 1773 Boston Tea Party by dumping all of the computerized electronic voting machines and computerized electronic vote tabulating machines into the nearest body of water. As long as there are any computerized electronic voting machines and computerized electronic vote tabulating machines used in any voting precinct in the country, there will be Republican hackers, riggers and thugs who will find ways to rig, hack and steal future American elections.
We need our new Internet Voter's Party to demand that all future elections be administered by professional non-partisan state civil servants, not by partisan political hacks such as the 2000 Republican Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris and the 2004 Republican Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will not be accepting any corporate donations or contributions.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will be grass-roots based on small individual annual contributions not to exceed a maximum of $100 per year. Of course, individuals will be encouraged to donate their own time and energy to help build the new Voter's Internet Party. Our new Voter's Internet Party will thus avoid the corporate corruption, which has long been the hallmark and the curse of the two large political parties.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor and preserve our natural environment.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor social security, labor laws and privacy laws.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor a woman's right to choose.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor international law, international treaties and international obligations.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor the working people of American with good working conditions and a living wage for all.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor the public's right to control public airwaves and to thus require public interest broadcasting on television and radio instead of the current arrangement of allow greedy private corporations to dominate our airwaves.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will honor the right to universal health care and universal single-payer health insurance.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will return the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to its traditional watch-dog role of protecting the American consumer instead of its current practice of protecting and enlarging the obscene profits of greedy drug manufacturers.
Our new Voter's Internet Party will not torture anyone under any circumstances. Our new Voter's Internet Party will consider the Golden Rule in regards to torture: If you don't want it done to you when you are in legal custody, then we will not do it to anyone in American legal custody.
Yours truly,
James K. Sayre
26 January 2005
I am U.S. citizen residing in Canada and historically voted Democrate until after Clinton, who was charged for a landgrab deal, which was not substantiated, so Republicans got him impeached over a moral question, which Bush has not been charged with. Isn't abridgment of basic human and citizen rights immoral and similarly impeachable?
An honest, upright American who proclaims "no child left behind"--meaning "alive", with current tax bills. Isn't that immoral hypocracy?
I want Dems to get a platform. Not like the "joke" of the Kerry et al debates which demeaned Dean's platforms because he shouted with joy about a win.
To wit: l)Nominate Hilary with running mate Feingold (sp). These persons are tenacious and spirited--with logical outrage (Dems need outrage--that media and you may improperly minimize it as "ladies' hissy fits"; 2)Establish an attack Platform that says we are insensed about the following questions:
Is this the Constitutional Democracy that America represents and advocates to the world as proper Democracy?
Do we believe our treatment of our citizens is different from China and Tinamin (sp)square?
Do you want your neighbors rounded up and sent off to congress supported concentration camps without charge because of their race, looks, wardrobe and religion? Even worse, without legal recourse to sue anyone for mistaken imprisonment?
Do you want displaced person (majority black persons) from New Oreleans returned to their homes,without paying their transportation costs to be returned from places like Utah?
Do you want all American citizens, residents of Hurican Katrina's displacement, given the right to register to vote in their home state, given first right to high paying jobs at more than minimum wage, to repair their homes and/or given pre-Katrina property value compensation for their homes that are being demolished without their knowledge?
Do you believe that reconstruction contractors can go to Mexico and bring in "slave labor" workers to reconstruct the South, without any benefits--not even guaranteed payment for labour--no laws about health regulations for removing dangerout material? Do you believe American Citizens should be guaranteed such employment first, with benefits and workplace-health laws applied?
Do you believe the President can do whatever he feels necessary to "protect" Americans from Terrorism, contrary to laws by Congress and directives to abide by laws by Justice system?
Do you believe that US can arrest foreign Citizens (ie Canadians, Germans) because of their name that sounds similar to someone else, and then whisk them to places like Afganistan or Syria for anti-UN forms of "torture"?
Do you believe the "Oil Crises" is caused by "World Market" prices or fact U.S. corporations (as in California with electicity) manipulate and reduce domestic supplies at will to obtain maximum profit?
Do you believe medical corporations have the right to obstruct and control medical supplies, because of advantaged Patent Laws, for things like Hiv medications to Africa at their price rather allow generic drugs,or like adequate production of Flu medication (not cost benefit to them)to US Citizens (Elderly and Children who were left with supply shortages except what they could travel to and obtain from Canada)?
Do you believe Telecom companies can enter into agreement with Big Brother to give him every item (this one included) that any Citizen comunicates with any other Citizen (e-mail, telephone conversations, Postal Service letters, etc)?
Do you believe in Justice or do you believe we, as they did in pre-war Germany, can do or allow thing to "kick ass" (get our country back to right minded purity) can shipped off detainees and citizens to camps without charge, can denie information about their whereabouts, can prohibit or minimize photos of their mistreatment because it might reflect negatively about our 9/11 efforts.
Do you now believe that a government, not individual citizens, is responsible for citizen knowledge, and that maybe the post WWII German excuse is plausable that "we never knew" what was being done in our very communities and on foreign soil?
Do you believe photos of concentration camp prisons in Cuba, Afghanastan, Iraq, should never be shown to the Public, because it will create outrage in US and throughout the world? When is human rights outrage acceptable--when applied to other countries--Venezula? Haiti?
Does America have a world democracy mandate to advocate assisination or kidnapping elected heads of state of countries that won't give us what we want--or one of our corporations want?
Do you believe companies who outsource our jobs for cheap/slave labour costs should be allowed without compensatory taxation, to make their costs of business in third word counties equivalent to costs they would have to pay American workers for "American made services products.
Do you believe that demonstrations at World Trade Conferences, Greenpeace, etc are terrorist activities or human rights activities--do we know why they demonstrate? All we see are police quelling demonstrations and statements about violence--but never reason or purpose of these demonstrations that leaders of countries never see anyway?
Do you believe that war on terror is anthing more than a slogan (ie: Clapping you hands in unison keeps elephants from roaming in Minnesota--see--its working)
Do you believe security alerts are enforced, when security guards can casually bipass regulations and traffic drugs (who knows, even bombs)they pass through airline security.
Do you belive Cheney's not the real President, who can shoot a friend and not face charges or reckless hunting behaviour that an average citizen would face?
Dems--get a platform of outrage, mussel Sharpten, get Rev. Jackson talking everywhere, get those speakers at Ms. Kings funeral out and stumping to get back our Citizenship rights to vote and be accuratly counted (with better than corporate run electronic voting machines)--with equal voter registration racialy and econimically monitored and enforced, with immediate action--not after the fact judicial studies that denied persons their rights without action.
Take some of the congress back. Speak out on a united platform of outrage, justice, questioning of the voting records of current congress/senate, and stick to an overall attack point--not addressing personal affronts (as with ad about Kerry's military duty that ran even on election day by some "questionable veteran" group).
Speak elequently about rights of citizens against slogan politics-- Get ads out and running NOW--the media is running anti-Hilary slogan campaign now. 1984 should be stopped. Speak to Americans who fought and fight and die (now without adequate benefits for injuries or health) for a form of government that is American, not this one.
Speak our ideals for America, that abolishes sloganeering advertisments that won the races for the last 6 years.
This is for all you Ann Coulter fans.
benjoya, this will be an image you will never be able to erase from your memory.
My God bbtb: Ann forgot to shave. Her five o'clock is as bad as Tricky Dicky's ever was! And I was half-way through a sandwich when I clicked for a look. Right to the bathroom and goodbye stomach contents.
Between that photo and my thoughts on Rover's panties, I am going to have to hit the Valium before bed tonight, or I'll wake the neighbors with my midnight screaming.
Posted by tempus at February 18, 2006 11:06 AM"The extreme left wing." All of whom, in most of the rest of the world, would be centrists. Howard Dean is "an extreme leftist" only in the moronic Scaife-funded Rush,Sean and Ann universe and these wingnuts who repeat this meme dont even have a clue about the political history of the U.S; how can they be expected to think critically about any issues with no context beyond the dawn of talk radio?
Posted by jondee at February 18, 2006 11:12 AMThe reason you have no strategy, is that anger, pouting, temper tantrums, and spoiled little rich kids rarely do anything in unison.
The reason the GOP is imploding is that fear, greed, lawbreaking, stonewalling, contempt, and spoiled little rich kids playing dress-up rarely do anything that doesn't turn to shit.
And I'd rather be an angry Dem than a fearfull Con.
How different would our country be if Al Gore had been president since 2000? We wouldn't be in an illegal war in Iraq, trillions of dollars in debt, and isolated from the rest of the world (except England and Poland) by our aggressive xenophobia.
If 9-11 had happened on Gore's watch, he would have taken rational technocratic steps to improve our country's security--in reality, we would be much safer and secure than we are now...except the howler monkeys on the Right would be hammering Gore for being 'soft on security' because he wouldn't give in to their simpleminded blood/oil lust.
anti-intellectualism reigns on the Right, which gets off on macho tough talk and simpleminded us vs. them rhetoric--they'd rather throw away trillions of dollars on 'their' leader's empire-building follies than have a Democrat leadership who, given the events of the past 6 years, could not possibly have done a worse job than the Bush regime--they are the equivalent of a spoiled brat who thinks he's putting one over on the world by convincing the babysitter that its his right to have dessert for dinner.
Posted by leftAhead at February 18, 2006 11:42 AMThe Dems are controlled by the extreme left?
Jesus H. Fucking Christ on a Rye-Krisp.
What dumb fuck can believe that?
Posted by angryspittle at February 18, 2006 11:43 AMFirst, 9/11 wouldn't have happened on Gore's watch.
You ever see his plan for airport security that might have been in place had 2000 been honest?
But had it occurred on his watch you can bet impeachment proceedings would have begun by 10/11.
Posted by angryspittle at February 18, 2006 11:46 AMJust how the fuck can the people trust Bush more than the Dems on security issues when it was his absolute dereliction that contributed to 9/11 in the first fucking place?
Posted by angryspittle at February 18, 2006 11:48 AMwe have a crooked regime which has little in common with true conservatives and is supported by about a third of the country. It's base is Uber Religious racist nuts and Hyper Corporate Big Money interests. The first hits the polls in mass, the second distorts a minority view into a majority image. On top of that third is about 15% who view themselves as good Americans and believe that the President/government knows things they don't, and therefore give them the benefit of the doubt. The remaining 50% know its a dangerous sham. The 15% are not happy campers. Saying the Dems have to unite to restore the country is off target......call them Libruls, Dems, leftist, free thinkers or just normal Americans...they didn't vote for Bush and won't. It's the 15%, or basically just 5% of them that need to get the nerve to admit failure when they see it, and manipulation when they are the target of it.
That said,to get them to drop the "our president right or wrong", the opposition needs a leader with a message...where o where is he. (not she).
As long as I brought up Hoover, I wonder if Rover wears silk panties? The thought will give me nightmares for the next week, but it would be interesting to find out if he and Ann Coulter exchanged teddies at Christmas.
Posted by tempus at February 18, 2006 09:35
Word has it that Rove looked into a Coulter-type sex change, but was told that because of his grotesque physical appearance he could never be a Coulter and at best maybe a Roseanne. Karl, obviously heartbroken, had to dismiss his life-long dream.
What a great post Paradox, I could not agree more. It's do or die time for the Democrats to stand up and be counted. Either they do something NOW or forever be known as another wing of this corrupt morally bankrupt Republican party.
Posted by Monica at February 18, 2006 12:55 PMI wonder if a big part of the Dems apparent "problem" is that the majority of American voters are now "scientific irrationalists"----they no longer have the ability to reason and think clearly. And their "knowledge base" is appalling.
The election of 2004 demonstrated that American Democracy is now undeniably a failed system. With rational, informed voters, Bush cannot get 38% in support of a second term. This was certainly the take on the situation by foreign democratic observers.
Given a country with a majority of irrational, "faith based" voters, the system becomes a deadly game of trying to understand or manipulate the idiosyncratic, hazy workings of such citizens' unreason, not presenting logical cost-benefit policy arguments to them---those days are likely gone forever.
American politics is now it is a brutal, vile contest of who can lie, distort and manipulate most "effectively". This takes a lot of money. And we don't appear to have an evil genius like KKKarl Rover, as far as I know.
I guess in 2006 we'll once again act like the voters are logical and can respond to empirical data and reason, while Rover will run an emotional, mythic, fear and hate-based operation once again. Why not? Obviously they would be fools to change a winning strategy.
Posted by euzoius at February 18, 2006 01:09 PMtempus,
I understand what you're saying. OTOH, look at stats (ironic name) blanket statement that "this is a Reoublican nation." That's the kind of overconfedence I'm talking about.
Posted by rlp at February 18, 2006 02:19 PMJMHO, but the Democrats need to do what the GOP did in 1994. The Democrats need to establish a list of items that they wish to accomplish if elected. It has to eliminate any radical, controversial, or left-wing agenda items. (As the GOP eliminated right-wing items in their 1994 Contract.)
The Democrats need to unify on these issues and then present them to the voters as "their plan."
I'll start you off:
1. Reduce the deficit by reducing the number of US troops stationed overseas, and the phased elimination of all US foreign bases.
2. Create three tax brackets to replace the existing tax brackets, 15%, 25% and 35%. All capital gains and dividends would be taxed at your income tax rate. (Eliminating the current 15% capital gains maximum tax rate).
3. Raise the Social Security tax threshold to $200,000 and index it to the CPI. To make Social Security sound for the future.
4. Phase out the tax-deductability of home mortgage interest, home equity loan interest, and property taxes over a 10-yr period.
There are four ideas. We need at least 4 more to match the 1994 GOP Contract With America.
Suggestions?
Posted by muckdog at February 18, 2006 02:45 PM2. Create three tax brackets to replace the existing tax brackets, 15%, 25% and 35%. All capital gains and dividends would be taxed at your income tax rate. (Eliminating the current 15% capital gains maximum tax rate).
Posted by muckdog at February 18, 2006 02:45 PM
****
I like the idea of graduated capital gains rate. Say 15% on the first $50,000, 18% on $50-100,000, etc. Also, the term in which the capital is held could be better addressed.
Posted by sf at February 18, 2006 03:08 PM"American politics is now it is a brutal, vile contest of who can lie, distort and manipulate most "effectively". This takes a lot of money. And we don't appear to have an evil genius like KKKarl Rover, as far as I know."
"Rover will run an emotional, mythic, fear and hate-based operation once again. Why not? Obviously they would be fools to change a winning strategy."
Euzoius, brutal and vile. That sums it up perfectly. If we think we have seen brutal and vile, we haven't seen anything like we will experience in 2006 and 2008. It is too bad the Democrats don't have the stomach for the tactics used by the Republicans. You can bet that Rove already has plans in place for the 2006 elections.
Posted by Judith at February 18, 2006 04:06 PM1. Reduce the deficit by reducing the number of US troops stationed overseas, and the phased elimination of all US foreign bases.
Nope. Expand rapid deployment forces. Allow Iraq to have it's civil war. Hold current administration accountable for war crimes.
2. Create three tax brackets to replace the existing tax brackets, 15%, 25% and 35%.
Nope. Top tax at 70% with up to 35% deductions for investmments in American companies having over 85% of their production capacity (and workers) in the contiguous United States, Hawaii and Alaska.
4. Phase out the tax-deductability of home mortgage interest, home equity loan interest, and property taxes over a 10-yr period.
Nope. Phase it out for those making over $400K per year. Without the deduction many middle class Americans couldn't afford their homes.
5. 30% gas-guzzler tax on cars getting under 27 mpg. No deductions for trucks or truck-based vehicles unless used in a cargo, transport, construction, or industrial context.
We need at least 4 more to match the 1994 GOP Contract With America.
It got them in power. Sure. Look what they did with it. Shameful.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 05:19 PMThis is what I'm talking about. Give me this stuff to unload my wallet on, stand behind, and vote for.
NO SECRET LOBBYIST MEETINGS: My office will report all meetings that any member of my staff or I have with a registered lobbyist, to be updated on my website once a week.
NO HELPING MEMBERS CASH IN: No member of Congress with whom I have served who becomes a federal registered lobbyist will be allowed to lobby my staff or me on any issue for 5 years after that member has left Congress.
NO HELPING LOBBYISTS CASH IN: No former member of my staff who becomes a registered federal lobbyist will be allowed to lobby my staff or me on any issue for 5 years after they have left my employment.
NO FAMILY LOBBYISTS: No direct relation of any member of my staff or of mine who is a registered federal lobbyist will be allowed to lobby my office or me.
NO LOBBYIST SPONSORED TRAVEL: All trips by my staff or me will either be official trips and thus paid by Congress or they will be paid by each person taking the trip or, if either partisan or campaign related, by my campaign funds.
NO LOBBYIST GIFTS: No gifts will be accepted by my staff or by me from any registered federal lobbyist.
COMPLIANCE: Any member of my staff who willfully violates any of these rules will be terminated.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 06:06 PMAll government vehicles must be 2 year old Hondas, purchased by competitive bids.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 18, 2006 06:53 PMAll government vehicles must be 2 year old Hondas, purchased by competitive bids.
GM owns Daewoo. They can have new Daewoo limos if they want them.
Posted by phidipides at February 18, 2006 07:05 PMI totally agree with SusanS!!! The biggest problem with Democrats these days if defeatism! We give up before we have even lost. No wonder our leaders are wimps...we are too! Get up, register, vote, knock on doors, FIGHT! You NEVER will have any options except for the lesser of two evils, so don't delude yourselves. Any other thought is a joke. So, be realistic. What we need is the Bush administration forced to brief DEMOCRATS about what they are doing. And don't try to tell me that it won't make any difference...as soon as the Dems think that there is any political advantage to outting the Bushies, they'll do it. But first, quit giving up, and start to work for a better future!
Posted by Joe at February 18, 2006 07:27 PMJoe: I live in Phoenix, please send me body armour, and I will help.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 18, 2006 07:36 PMAll government vehicles must be 2 year old Hondas, purchased by competitive bids.
Nah, let's have all government vehicles be low-emission cars: Hybrid technology with Good gas mileage. Used is a great idea.
Posted by Mary at February 18, 2006 09:20 PMEugen BERTHOLD Friedrich BRECHT to the rescue!!
From "The Mother":
In Praise of Fighters:
Those who are weak don't fight.
Those who are stronger might fight
for an hour.
Those who are stronger still might fight
for many years.
The strongest fight
their whole life.
They are the indispensable ones.
And I will be very seriously pissed off if this effort gets going and doesn’t include me. I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR FIVE YEARS.!!!
Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com
I, for one, will support no candidate whose platform does NOT include:
1) Universal, single-payer Health Care.
2) The end of US militarist neo-colonialist adventurism.
3) Complete transparency in the electoral process.
4) Public campaign financing.
5) Prohibition of further Media Consolidation, and the break-up of present media monopolies; reintroduction of the Fairness Doctrine.
6) Immediate and serious initiatives to reduce green-house gasses and stem global climate change.
these'll do for starters...
Posted by konopelli at February 19, 2006 10:21 AMSince the GOP's entire coup depends on 9/11, a thorough and complete investigation into that convenient fateful day should be step one in exposing them.
Scholars for 9/11 Truth are doing just that and are gaining momentum. They've disporven the official conspiracy theory (read: fairy tail) and are working towards proving through scientific analysis that the WTC7 was brought down by thermite or a similar explosive.
They are not conspriacy theorists, they are conspiracy theory critics and deserve serious answers to their very serious questions.
www.st911.org
Posted by Steve De'ak at February 19, 2006 11:10 AM"I won’t give up my job and my life, no, but I will do everything I possibly can."
This is the ultimate question, isn't it? Unfortunately we are rapidly approaching that time when the citizenry will actually have to make that choice if we are to save our Constitutional Republic.
What most are still not willing to admit is that we are far beyond the point of genteel debate. The ReThuglican Fascist takeover is now complete with their total control of the money, media, corporations, Exec., House, Judiciary, electronic voting machines, key Govt Agency positions, military, many Dem. leaders, Sec. of State positions in swing States, gerrymandering, and so on.
If the erosion of our liberties continues, it will take perhaps two more generations before enough Patriots are willing to give up their jobs and possibly their lives in order to restore our once great nation. Throughout history we have seen that in most cases this is what it takes to oust tyrannical despotic regimes. They do not willingly cede back their power to the people.
See you in a caged free speech zone coming soon to a town near you!
Posted by ipu4me at February 19, 2006 11:56 AMStats, you said The "crooked voting machines" spin is getting a bit old, isn't it? Bush carried Florida by a million votes in 2004, so I don't think you "outrage" over the 2000 election holds any water.
You're kidding, right? The voting machine scandal is anything but "spin". Do your homework. Bush lost the popular vote in Florida, and deserved the electoral vote. The SCOTUS stepped in and stopped the recount, which showed in the end that Gore won. The rules were broken.
The majority of registered voters are not ReThuglican, they are Democrats. With control of the electronic voting machines and the media, these criminals simply make it appear as if they are the party which represents most Americans. It is not. We just need to light a fire under Democratic asses to chase them out of the TV room where they are watching American Idol.
Posted by ipu4me at February 19, 2006 12:14 PMHOW ABOUT WE WIN BACK THE HOUSE IN 06 WITH DEMOCRATES.THROW OUT BUSH AND CHENEY THEN WEED OUT ALL CROOKS WE SPOT IN EITHER PARTY.REGAIN DEMOCRACY FOR ALL AMERICANS.LET OLD AND YOUNG GO TO POLL AND VOTE,AND MAKE SURE VOTES ARE COUNTED HONESTLY...
Posted by hobojo at February 19, 2006 02:15 PMI, for one, will support no candidate whose platform does NOT include:
(...)
these'll do for starters...
Posted by konopelli at February 19, 2006 10:21 AM
A slight rephrasing in the same functional mode:
1) Close Guantanamo, End the Illegal Occupation, Rebuild America's Defences, Alliances and Honor
2) Universal MediCare
3) Clean Honest Elections. Publicly Owned Machines, Paper Trail Balloting
4) End Campaign Fundraising. No Lobbyist Gifts, No Revolving Door. End the Bribery.
5) Dismantle Media Monopolies, ReLocalize Media.
6) Extend CAFE standards to SUVs and Light Trucks. Drive toward the Kyoto Goals on GreenHouse Gasses
I would settle for a candidate that would include any three of these points, as long as I could get a simple declarative Yes or No.
As far as the Democratic Party is concerned, They won't get a dime from me until they swear off corporate "donations". I will be working for Ned Lamont to challenge Hapless Joe Lieberman in the primary and I'll be working to defeat Robber Simmons next Fall, but my party has been sold out to the Thugs for cheap. Until we do something about the institutionalized bribery revolving around fundraising, the people we vote for will continue to owe their election, not to us, but to their donors.
That crack about the radical left running the Ds, That is BizaroSpeak, the GOPigs all talk it. Remember Healthy Forests are Clear Cuts. Smoke 'em Out means "I'm not all that worried about Bin Laden", Our Mission Accomplished in Iraq hasn't included securing the 12 mile road from Bagdhad to the Airport yet! A Heckuva Job is a total deadly clusterfuck. Pro Death Penalty, Pro War, Pro Gun, Pro Life? If Cheney says Up get Down.
The one thing we have going for us is the level of incompetence that the Bush Gang has brought with them, they all do a Heckuva Job, if they were competent, things would be much worse. Bin Laden was a contractor.
The Democrats will never regain control of Congress again so long as one of your two or three top "talking points" is raising taxes. There are 75 million Baby Boomers headed toward their retirement years. A good many of the wealthier ones will be shifting their residences to low-tax states like Florida and Texas, Arizona and Nevada. they are not going to vote for the party that is proposing tax increases. By the way, the raise the cap on Social Security taxes is a total non starter.
Posted by Stats at February 20, 2006 03:56 AMSpeaking of national security....
The biggest asset a country can have, in terms of security, is sound finances. Now that Bush has driven the US in the red, watch what happens when the iranians start to trade oil in Euros. I dont think its a far off guess that the international markets will have a field day butchering the dollar. That will really hurt the national security...
Truman probably is spinning in his grave. As are FDR & Eleanor. If you read about them, and about republicans like Ike, NY Mayor John Lindsay, and yes, even Richard Nixon and Goldwater, you will discover that the current Democratic party is well to the right of republicans of 40 years ago. I am fond of saying that Bill Clinton is the sexiest republican president in my lifetime: his policies were well to the right of Nixon's. The BS about the democratic party being taken over by the lunatic left is just that, namely BS.
My perception is that most Democrats not in the leadership want the Democratic party to be Democrats again, not rethugs. As for the rethugs, it is quite instructive to spend some time on the website of the John Birch Society, synonymous with right wing extremism my whole life. They sound almost moderate these days. Get some perspective, trolls. (and Democrats--our party has changed a lot)Compared to the Democrats of my childhood and young adulthood, Michael Moore, Al Gore, and, yes Howard Dean (who I admire greatly), are pretty moderate. The first time Gore ran for president, in 1988, he was one of the most conservative members of the group.
My congresswoman, Barbara Lee, acts like a Democrat. She told me once that the Green Party principles are her principles. Here in CA-9, we keep reelecting her with high margins (85% last time, after redistricting that put more republicans in her district). She and many other members of the Congressional Black, Progressive and Hispanic caucuses are real TRADITIONAL Democrats, not extremists.
Posted by LauraK at February 20, 2006 04:56 AMFor the USA to overreact and abandon all its espoused principles is exactly what Osama wanted. We couldn't have done more to serve Osama and his cause. This cannot be more obvious, yet cannot be repeated often enough.
Posted by Joe Niederberger at February 20, 2006 08:21 AMThe damage done to the USA by its own overreaction is incalcuably more than the damage done by the 911 attack. That is exactly the strategic intent of terrorism - to achieve its aims through the REACTION to the terrorism. Osama said so himself - that the USA would essentially turn itself into a police state in reaction. It couldn't be plainer, yet America fell into the trap. How pitiful. This is the cost of a dumbed-down citizenry.
Posted by Joe N at February 20, 2006 08:32 AMI keep thinking that the Dems have a secret plan that they are not revealing because the media, who are so obviously not partial to them, will follow guys like Brit Hume and jeer at their efforts. Do I really believe what I just said? Well, no...but what else can I tell myself?
I think there are some Dems in congress who are satisfied being the opposition party because it's easier to sit on the side lines getting fat and rich than to have to run the country.
There are courageous Dems in congress whom I admire : Conyers, Feingold, Cucinich, Shummer, Kennedy, Obama. They simply can't seem to get the press they deserve.
Posted by Mme Flutterbye at February 20, 2006 08:57 AMCan't win with you people, when we get a spine we are labeled as angry Dems. When we sit back and watch this administration implode we are accused of doing nothing.
I say we only vote for people who vow to IMPEACH!
AND Carp, you are one of those spineless criminals that will say anything and do anything to destroy our country. You are disgusting, you and your troop of closet homosexuals are so pissed off at everyone because you cannot admit that you're a fag.
And for that reason you want to destroy our country. Grow up little fag boy.
Tough love (remember the pre-Clinton years?) is needed now more than ever for Democrats, including those who would start their own progressive party.
I've said many of the same things posted here: "I'll contribute to Dems when they get their act together, they're wimps who don't deserve anything but criticism, etc.".
But we are Dems, everyone is a Dem. It's short for democracy, and we're in the process of losing it now, FOR REAL. No one wants to back a loser, but we are in the process of losing it all to multinational corporations like Coca-Cola and Glaxo and those that do their bidding, and it won't matter whether you're a Dem or a Republican when it all goes south.
I demand you listen to me! Anger is okay if you don't kill people while expressing it.
Try on being selfless in this, and don't give idiot bullies anything to hang onto. Don't listen to: you have no "cohesive" strategy (like Republicans do), you have no message, you have no spine. Of course Democrats (not necessarily those in DC) have a message and it goes like this: war is not the answer to terrorism, the rich will not solve the world's problems or the US's economy, education for everyone is important, healthcare for everyone is important, the environment is very important, having oil is not a good solution to anything.
It's past whining time people, we must be courageous and pull together. The oceans are dying for us to take back our world from militaristic pigs!
Posted by demonstrator at February 20, 2006 10:19 AMSteve, good blog. Maybe after the BuzzFlash swarm slacks off, you might see this at the bottom. The earlier comments go off in different directions, though, and maybe we can come up with an organizing principle. Those of us left on the coast.
What can be done is impeachiness, but this Congress dawdles -- they're waiting for and expecting something.
What can be done is build a new Congress, certified to impeach. The rest is logistics.
Draft a Contract With Democracy. One word: "Impeach." Anyone signing by their life, fortune, and sacred honor, a pledge to uphold the Contract With Democracy, can be an Impeach Party candidate in their Congressional District.
435 candidates run as the Impeach Party slate. Not Democrat, not Republican, although they contribute. Just lose the label -- this is for people, not politicians. The new political label is not for what you believe, it's for what you do: Impeach.
Use only write-in votes. 1- Paper trail. 2- Skip the Two-Party vetting and control process, candidates just come out of nowhere in the last month. 3- Respect Impeach supporters to actually be able to write the name of the person being voted -- imagine, how quaint; write your candidate's name, no punching holes, checking boxes, touching TV screens, pulling a lever, all those labor-saving ballot conveniences and fraud-finds. Screw 'em. Look: Pencil Paper. Write who your vote is for. I swear there would be a flood of doers -- a Write-In Landslide outside the Parties and rigged counting machines. And I think it's a young demographic voter appeal -- reality ballots. Write the name you vote for US Congress. Make it real.
4- No media buys. Shhhh. Don't tell the media. Let them send reporters to 'investigate' the story. Because of: 5- all organization in each Congressional District is word-of-mout, email tree, on the internet, blog to blog. Pass it on.
6- Who can run? Whoever stands up to answer the call. Anyone from not-a-politician classes, average people, blue collar types -- show that passing laws is not rocket science, anyone can do it. Smash the glass of mystery that guards political power. And take it.
7- Everyone's ideas and participations ...
So, the fun of it is, electing an Impeach Party majority, they can just go political wild. Impeach the two stooges first thing, and then the Speaker of the Impeach House is the president. Then it's rolling. Impeach Supreme Court Justices, and keep on going into the lower benches. Impeach all the Cabinet and then into the department divisions. Impeach past members of Congress for, what else, war crimes. And repeal every law illegally passed since 2000.
That's enough for one Congress to do for two years. Impeach, impeach, impeach, repeal. Just absolutely scorched earth on the old WashDC politics. If every Representative in the House was a newbie: 435 rookies, then the lobbyists' investments over the years are all lost, betting on the old nags, and that's America's gain.
After two years of impeaching and cleaning House, then get into issues. Bring one, bring all -- health, energy, education, election fraud, environment, demilitarization, etc. etc.
The important vital critical thing is to focus on one single spearpoint EVERY One can get behind: IMPEACHMENT. THAT, first of all. THAT to unite us. THAT to revolutionize politics.
Forget partisan principles. Take political action: IMPEACH.
It's all we have. That, and write-in ballots.
And the internet.
And our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Posted by at February 20, 2006 07:41 PMSteve, good blog. Maybe after the BuzzFlash swarm slacks off, you might see this at the bottom. The earlier comments go off in different directions, though, and maybe we can come up with an organizing principle. Those of us left on the coast.
What can be done is impeachiness, but this Congress dawdles -- they're waiting for and expecting something.
What can be done is build a new Congress, certified to impeach. The rest is logistics.
Draft a Contract With Democracy. One word: "Impeach." Anyone signing by their life, fortune, and sacred honor, a pledge to uphold the Contract With Democracy, can be an Impeach Party candidate in their Congressional District.
435 candidates run as the Impeach Party slate. Not Democrat, not Republican, although they contribute. Just lose the label -- this is for people, not politicians. The new political label is not for what you believe, it's for what you do: Impeach.
Use only write-in votes. 1- Paper trail. 2- Skip the Two-Party vetting and control process, candidates just come out of nowhere in the last month. 3- Respect Impeach supporters to actually be able to write the name of the person being voted -- imagine, how quaint; write your candidate's name, no punching holes, checking boxes, touching TV screens, pulling a lever, all those labor-saving ballot conveniences and fraud-finds. Screw 'em. Look: Pencil Paper. Write who your vote is for. I swear there would be a flood of doers -- a Write-In Landslide outside the Parties and rigged counting machines. And I think it's a young demographic voter appeal -- reality ballots. Write the name you vote for US Congress. Make it real.
4- No media buys. Shhhh. Don't tell the media. Let them send reporters to 'investigate' the story. Because of: 5- all organization in each Congressional District is word-of-mout, email tree, on the internet, blog to blog. Pass it on.
6- Who can run? Whoever stands up to answer the call. Anyone from not-a-politician classes, average people, blue collar types -- show that passing laws is not rocket science, anyone can do it. Smash the glass of mystery that guards political power. And take it.
7- Everyone's ideas and participations ...
So, the fun of it is, electing an Impeach Party majority, they can just go political wild. Impeach the two stooges first thing, and then the Speaker of the Impeach House is the president. Then it's rolling. Impeach Supreme Court Justices, and keep on going into the lower benches. Impeach all the Cabinet and then into the department divisions. Impeach past members of Congress for, what else, war crimes. And repeal every law illegally passed since 2000.
That's enough for one Congress to do for two years. Impeach, impeach, impeach, repeal. Just absolutely scorched earth on the old WashDC politics. If every Representative in the House was a newbie: 435 rookies, then the lobbyists' investments over the years are all lost, betting on the old nags, and that's America's gain.
After two years of impeaching and cleaning House, then get into issues. Bring one, bring all -- health, energy, education, election fraud, environment, demilitarization, etc. etc.
The important vital critical thing is to focus on one single spearpoint EVERY One can get behind: IMPEACHMENT. THAT, first of all. THAT to unite us. THAT to revolutionize politics.
Forget partisan principles. Take political action: IMPEACH.
It's all we have. That, and write-in ballots.
And the internet.
And our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Posted by Meremark at February 20, 2006 07:42 PMIt's like living with an abusive dad, and the mom just keeps getting beat. You want her to do something, but she just keeps taking it.
Posted by Steve at February 22, 2006 08:36 AMIf left to the left we will surely surrender. Like Ann Coulter said, the left have an affection for the terrorists who want to blow up America. The left is once again on the side of America's enemy. Liberals truly are the enemy within.
Posted by LIBSRNUTS at February 22, 2006 11:57 AM