Democrats Demand Bush Halt Attacks on Reid

[Pirate Smile]

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats demanded Thursday that President Bush (news - web sites) order a halt to personal attacks on the party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), and expressed regret that they had failed to mount a stronger defense for his defeated predecessor.

"This is a new Democratic Party," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference called to release a letter telling Bush to muzzle his "political operatives."


"It says to the president, `You will not intimidate us'," said Schumer, who likened the attacks on Reid to political knee-cappings.

-snip-
"This is the Abu Ghraib defense, that a few renegade soldiers are responsible for their own behavior and the commanders are not accountable," said Durbin. His remarks referred to claims by military officials that a few low-ranking enlisted personnel were responsible for the shocking abuses at a U.S.-run prison in Iraq (news - web sites).

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=696&e=1&u=/ap/20050211/ap_on_go_co/democrats_bush

[babylonsister]

1. Terrific! A show of solidarity!!! nt

[fooj]

2. Well, I'll be damned!

Looks like there's plenty kick left in the donkey...

[Pirate Smile]

9. It may even be happening in the House too - Look at this

Congressman: Democrat Leadership Threatening 'Retribution' for Dems Who Cooperate with White House

Rep. Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) was asked at a CATO conference in Washington yesterday whether he had persuaded any Democrats to back his plan to rescue Social Security from its financial troubles. Under his legislation (HR 4851), no new taxes would be needed to pay for "transition costs," participation in the new system would be voluntary and individuals would be allowed to divert a portion of their payroll tax into a mutual fund.

A questioner from the audience, stressing his own Democratic credentials, said he believed Ryan's plan should attract members of his own party and wondered whether the Wisconsin lawmaker had secured any Democratic sponsors. Ryan said he had been working with friends on the "other side of the aisle" who were favorable toward his solution, but he faced an enormous problem: intense pressure on his colleagues from the minority leadership.

"We were in planning stages ," said Ryan. But each essentially told him: "I like what you're doing. I like this bill. I think it's the right way to go. But my party leadership will break my back. The retribution that they are promising us is as great as I have ever seen. We can't do it."

Ryan said he believed the only thing that can assure passage is an outpouring from America's grassroots.
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?print=yes&id=6564

Finally!

[Sugarbleus]

15. While it's good news overall, I would would like to know WHO

those Democrats are who "were favorable toward his solution"!!!!!!!! I WANT NAMES!

What dumbass democrat would even consider dancing with any neocon and their fascist programs??!! :grr:

[mojavekid]

20. Without the names of the Dems who are "Favorable"

to this swindle, I can't give it much credibility. And on SS "reform" I think the majority of Americans would be against it. Go ahead and take it to the people, Rep. Ryan.

[NVMojo]

28. people like to be on the side of the team with balls, this is good tactic

on his part and this about how the Repugs won people over.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

3. damned time they are growing a spine

[laylah]

4. Like our "demands"

are going to work. Those fascist bastards couldn't care less. They will attack anyone, but ANYONE, with a modicum of respect that might be against their agenda!

Jenn

[coloradodem2005]

5. Dems.

Don't back down. Fight these motherfuckers fang and claw. Let them have it.

[car54whereareyou]

6. Hurray!

However, Daschle's defeat was related to the perception in South Dakota that he had become a Washington creature, rather than a South Dakotan. His divorce and remarriage to a Washington lobbiest did not help him.

[wabeewoman]

29. Maybe

but there was a coordinated and paid blog effort to defeat him and harass the state newspaper (Argus) that backed him. Jeff Gannon of Talon "News" or his backup writers were churning out fake and vicious stories against him.

[stepnw1f]

36. Republicans Are Weak

If they were not WEAK, they would not need to do the shit they do to win these elections. We need ELECTION REFORM on all levels.

[thebigidea]

7. nothing a bully respects more than "please stop," right?

oh wait. that's not quite right.

[Eloriel]

8. DemocaratS -- PLURAL???

Wow, are we having an attack of spine happening spontaneously in the Senate? Think the grassroots uprising for Howard Dean has anything to do with this? Reid's being more vocal and more of a fighter hasn't hurt.

[bleever]

10. It's an epidemic of spine. Keep coughing, all you carriers.

:)


:thumbsup:

[Sugarbleus]

13. LOL....I just luuuuv it when we get excited about something...

All the witty stuff comes out.

GO SPINEFUL DEMS!! *cough, spew, spurt*

[bluestateguy]

11. What point is there in attacking Reid?

He's not up until 2010.

[Sgent]

12. I'm sorry

but this stinks of penny ante whining that Democrats have become too famous for.

"Please don't pick on me, It hurts."

Bullshit. Counterattack, defend, or take other action, but this almost looks sissified.

[Not_Giving_Up]

14. They are saying

"we're not taking your shit anymore, you fucking asshole!", but using nicer terms. There's nothing "sissfied" (as you put it) about that.

[elsiesummers]

22. They are hanging Republican attacks around Bush's neck

Either Bush refutes and says lay off attacks or Bush has to own the attacks.

So either Bush says lay off and it's back to gentlemen's rules or Bush is an attacker.

This means when Dems attack Bush they are fighting back - defending themseles - didn't start it.

I think it's all strategy. Provides Dems with an excuse for fighting hard (not negotiating on SS, fillibustering judges, etc.) Dems didn't want to fight dirty but if this is the way Bush wants it...

[flordehinojos]

16. bush will listen as well as he listened to the millions of people around

the world saying NO WAR on Iraq prior to his invasion of Iraq. In other words, bush is going to do what he darn well pleases. it is what he has done all of his life. Just because the world gets blue on its face--bush ain't going to change his ways.

[Not_Giving_Up]

17. He might not listen

But the people are listening. The Democrats know that the people are listening, and that gives them the guts to do it again and again and again. Eventually, they will hit the right button, even *'s supporters won't be able to spin it their way.

[bigluckyfeet]

19. Letter to the Editor

I had another letter to the editor published today in my local paper,I hit the Repukes and bush hard concerning SS.
I received a call already from a retired man thanking me for the letter.

[Zhade]

32. Stories like that make me smile. Good job!

NT!

[wisteria]

18. Yes!

It's about time the Democrats start to fight back and begin defending our party officials.

[hvn_nbr_2]

21. Boxer donates stem cells. Dems start growing new spines.

Details at 11.

[frictionlessO]

35. LOL!!!!!!!!! BEST. HEADLINE. EVER!!!! (even if it is fake)

that makes a great bumper sticker as well!!

Thanks for the morning laugh!

[renaissanceguy]

39. Boxer has the balls

that many of her male counterparts lack.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14741193

[applegrove]

23. And now the dance begin!! Dances with psychopaths!

And now the dance begin!! Dances with psychopaths! When the democrats get finished with it - "political operatives" will be a dirty word. LIKE IT ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN!

[killbotfactory]

24. "`You will not intimidate us"

They said while cowering under their desks.

[proudbluestater]

25. Finally, they get their act together. Where have they BEEN all ths time?

[depakid]

26. waahhhh- the Republicans are being mean to us.....

meanwhile, DEMS continue to sell out their constitutents on every single issue that's come up thus far....

Shumer himself voted for the curbs on class acions....

Watch him vote to give the credit card companies BILLIONS in the upcoming bankruptcy bill, even though financial institutions give overwhelmingly to Republicans.

Personally, I'm beginning to think Dean made a mistake getting involved with the DNC. He might have been better off leading a 3rd party like the Greens-

[w4rma]

31. Bull crap. Dems are responding appropriately. (nt)

[pokercat999]

37. You are correct

Dems will stay sucking at the corporate tit until we wean them. Unfortunately the only way to do that may be to defeat all incumbents in the primaries. A message from the grassroots must go out to all Dems, "take care of the people or we will take care of you"!

[emulatorloo]

41. P.A.O.G.D.D.N.I.M.

Petty Attacks On Good Democrats Do Not Impress Me.

[progressivebydesign]

27. This is a new Democratic Party indeed...

I can't wait for Howard Dean to take over the party. It's about time we stopped lolling around waiting to be kicked by the hypocritical republicans. Dean's so-called "anger" is what got the Democrats riled up, and for all of Kerry's accomplishments (which I'm in awe of), he never fired anyone up much.

Reid does not deserve to be attacked this way.. they are pulling a Daschle on him, and the NEW Democratic Party will not allow this anymore...

[Dr Fate]

30. I like what he is saying.

n/t

[saracat]

33. And the Senate just voted to limit lawsuits and a lot of our Dems voted

right along with the repugs!

[fasttense]

34. Can you get the names of those Dems?

I want to send them some letters.

But I think with Dean as Chairman the Dems' words may actually have some action associated with it. I really believe you will see a change in these little scared Dems, who go voting anyway the Repukes want in order to keep from being Repuke targets.

I think the Dems see the writing on the wall. All Dems are Repuke targets and the Repukes are not going to stop until they own every seat in the House and the Senate. So I think it is finally dawning on them that they better fight now or they will have nothing left to fight for.

[Massachusetts]

38. There is to much COMPLICITY for my comfort.

[MGKrebs]

40. "Ironically,

Reid and his wife were dinner guests at the White House on Monday night".

Grrr.

[American Tragedy]

42. Once again, don't plead with them to stop. Hit them back, dammit!

"We urge you to keep your word about being a uniter and publicly halt these counterproductive attacks so that we are able to work together in a bipartisan manner and debate issues on the merits."


Why do the Democrats always demand apologies and retractions when the Republicans assault them? It sounds so weak and ineffectual. Oh please make your thugs stop hitting us! Why can't we all just get along?!

Kick them in the fucking teeth! Show the American people vividly what these social parasites really are for once, like the old Herblock caricatures that showed McCarthy with a bloody meat cleaver, or Nixon emerging from the sewers flinging mud on people. We can turn the tables on these bastards so easily.