You want a Dem Majority - you HAD one!

[DancingBear]

On June 6, 2001, Jim Jeffords became an Independent, thus giving control of the Senate to the Democratic Party, which they held until January 3, 2003.

Here is some of the legislation that this group of iron-willed patriots passed during that time:

6/7/01 - The Economic Growth And Tax Relief Reconcilliation Act (aka "tax cuts for the rich")

10/06/01- Patriot Act 1

1/08/02 - No Child Left Behind

10/16/02 - Authorization To Use Military Force (Iraq Resolution - 2002)

10/29/02 - HAVA

11/28/02 - Homeland Security Act


And I'm sure they'll do much better this time -they've had much more practice rolling over...

Can we please stop lugging this "things will be different if we gain control" fallacy around now??

[JeffR]

1. I sense that this thread is gonna get very hot very fast

Nicely said, but I hope you have that asbestos suit zipped up tight!

:toast:

[DancingBear]

4. Oh, I truly don't give a rat's ass anymore

I can point things out, but I can not make people see unless they agree to open their eyes first.

[JeffR]

7. Right with you.

I want a majority in both houses, but I have no illusions whatsoever about what that will bring.

[Greeby]

2. IMO, the real change will come in the House

You've probably seen that list of Progressive Caucus members who become Chairpeople of the major committees. That's where the change happens, by not allowing these fascist bills to make it to the floor of either house in the first place

[DancingBear]

8. And you've probably seen the list of Congresspeople

who will run so far away from John Conyers that he'll need a geiger counter to find them.

He held hearings in a basement not too long ago - let's just say they didn't need to bring in extra chairs for all the Dem reps who wanted to be there.

I will say this yet again - cowards are cowards, no matter who blows the bugle.

[Greeby]

9. I saw those hearings too

THere wasn't any room to fit more than 10 congresspeople in there. Those hearings were usually backed with letters from Democrats who wanted to be there, but couldn't

[Eric J in MN]

3. The relationship between Democratic Senators and the netroots...

...didn't exist a few years ago.

John Kerry now posts at "The Daily Kos" occasionally. He didn't do that before the 2004 election.

[rurallib]

5. Agreed - I'd like a progressive majority

Don't think that has really ever happened and probably never will.

[bread_and_roses]

6. Thank you, DancingBear. The faith professed by so many

in a Dem majority strikes me as naive.

[Eric J in MN]

10. "No Child Left Behind" and "HAVA" weren't obviously bad at the time....

..of the vote.

We now know they're bad bills.

[DancingBear]

15. Now, I really can't help you if you're going to make excuses for them

They were debated all over the place - I recall The Nation taking NCLB apart, and voting activists screamed about HAVA non-stop.

Don't say nobody knew. Many people did.

If you want to say your Senators didn't know, then I'll agree.

But only because they either didn't care or just wanted to make a show or couldn't be bothered to read the bills.

I vote (C) - all of the above.

[Liberal Veteran]

17. So what is your solution?

Vote green or libertarian and allow the splinter of the party to give the republicans a free ticket to continue driving this country on a fast-track to fascism?

[scarletwoman]

11. Thank you! I absolutely LOVE your post!

A timely reminder, indeed. I have no coherent response -- what you've posted is the absolute bitter truth. All I can say is that as soon as I read your post I broke into peals of laughter.

We have some damn sorry ass politics in this country...

sw

[Liberal Veteran]

12. With friends like yourself....

....who needs enemies.

If you honestly believe things would have been allowed to go this far under democratic control, then there is no point in discussing anything with you.

The real enemy is the republican party and this internecine warfare you are trying to start is counterproductive.

If I wanted to visit a place where people are constantly bashing the democrats, I'd watch Fox News.

[DancingBear]

20. I"m sorry -did you not read the post?

Could you explain to me again WHO brought those bills to the floor?

And who voted for them?

Oh, and please stop the Fox News reference crap, OK?

The real enemies are those who allow and enable the ascent into fascism to continue, and unless you were in Tibet yesterday and missed the news THOSE bastards have two different letters next to their names.

The hardest part of making real change is admitting that pretend change does not work.

Although chasing one's own tail in hopes of eventually catching it is fun for some.

Just not me.

[dave502d]

13. One thing you forgot.

When you wound a bear it get mean.Now i think the
Dem's have been wounded bad.

[MuseRider]

14. Yes.

It was sad then and is even more sad now. Then I did not understand, now I think I do.

[rzemanfl]

16. Let's be honest, 9/11 made a lot of people, myself included, go

pretty nuts for a while. I always hated Bush because of the stolen election, but was fired up for revenge for months after 9/11.

[Frances]

18. You are certainly entitled to your opinion,

but why are you posting on democratic underground? Shouldn't you be posting on don't like democratic underground?

[snowbear]

19. yeah.... really.

[Liberal Veteran]

21. Amen. This internecine warfare shit that people are stirring up...

....has to stop sometime.

Honestly. Right now the very last thing we need is a circular firing squad. As I recall, it was that same kind of shit that gave enough votes to Ralph Nader so that we ended up with this monster and his pack of demonspawn in the White House right now.

[DancingBear]

22. Shouldn't you be learning to form cogent arguments?

Just sayin'.

[The Magistrate]

23. Locking

Flame-Bait.