Dem's Allowing GOP & Media to Dictate Package

[otohara]

God damn it....why aren't they out there defending their pet projects. Am I crazy, DC monument park desperately needs sodding. Contraception is important - especially when you've got crazy women out there in vitro-ing 14 babies who will need public assistance possibly for years to come, unless the nutcake media goes and pays this woman $2 million after criticizing her for doing it in the first place.

Parks and Recreation kept me out of trouble when I was a kid, since when our P&R a bad thing?

Fucking media letting republican's spew and spew....dems do nothing.

Exception being Sen. Kerry - thank you!

[lib2DaBone]

1. When will the DEMS learn? Repuke Bullies eat their lunch time and again...

[Thrill]

2. I'm not sure how much they will dictate the package. But they are and have always been better at

framing the debate in the media.

[otohara]

4. Media Manipulation Works

in this country.

With exception to this election, the fear factor works pretty well for these assholes. I fear American's will forget hope and grasp again on to republican fear.

[ProSense]

6. The media is complicit with the GOP

WaPo Wants Whistleblower Provision Stripped From $800 Billion Stimulus Package: Tell Senate No!

The media and the GOP share an agenda.

[Triana]

8. Of course - look at WHO owns the media - Republicans/corprats. n/t

[TeamJordan23]

3. I agree. The GOP is winning the Media War on this. They can't just rely on Obama to do everything.

[Occam Bandage]

5. I don't think contraception availability will prevent people from in-vitroing babies.

Generally you've got a good point.

[otohara]

7. No, I Know

in the case of Ms Doe from CA, there should be a law to prevent in-vitro when you've already got 6 children, bankrupt and living with mom.

I'd hate to be the grandmother of this brood. Bet she wishes there was a law.

[blm]

9. Dems are doing what they did from 2003-7, Kerry and Dean stick their necks out and take all the hits

because most of them are AFRAID of corporate newsmedia backlash.

[AndyTiedye]

11. Democrats Have Every Reason to be Afraid of the Mighty Slime Machine

They don't want another 1994 next year.

[Two Americas]

15. surrender is not victory

Of course the Republicans will not need to hurt us if we do not seriously oppose them. That is not clever, and is not a win. Sooner or later we need to take them on and beat them. Denying and avoiding that is what caused the trouble in the first place. Eventually you need to fight back.

[blm]

35. BUT, the American people just saw full-on what GOPs can and will do when they have the power

to do it.

I don't think they will be as EASILY duped as they were in 94, plus, I don't think Clinton ever showed any real concern about getting any Democrat elected unless it was one of his small circle. Hell, in 1996 he would have preferred William (Bush legal fixer) Weld win Kerry's senate seat.

[doc03]

10. I disagree, the Democrats have added a bunch of pork

to this bill just like they criticized the Republicans for. If it doesn't make jobs or help the economy it shouldn't be in there. They shouldn't have been so damn stupid to add a bunch of pork to the Bill, didn't they think the Republicans would notice? Or perhaps they purposely added them in order to give them some negotiating room. I don't support the thing and 11 Democrats in the House didn't either. One could make the argument the sodding DC monument park would make jobs. But DTV boxes, Family Planing and Endowment for the Arts? The President said he was going to change the way Washington done business and this just looks like more of the same to me. The President also said he would bring back accountability, I think the nominees with the tax problems should be dropped like a hot potato.

[jefferson_dem]

21. Yup.

The Dems in Congress only have themselves to blame. This is a stinker of a bill and served it up on a silver platter for the Repukes. Stimulus is stimulus. And much of what's in this bill...is not. Here's hoping Barack brings it home.

[doc03]

36. Wow, I am surprised, I thought I was in for a flame fest

That is what I think though, I don't know if it was the President or the Congress that added all the garbage. I just don't understand how whoever done it didn't think this was going to start a firestorm. There are plenty roads to be repaired, bridges to build and other infrastructure improvements that are desperately needed. How stupid could they be adding all this pork thinking it would get under the radar. I am also happy Daschle pulled out, the President promised an Administration with integrity, I wish he would have dumped the Treasury nominee too.

[Why Syzygy]

33. I have to agree ..

Washington Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/01/AR2009020101032.html
Wrong Way to Protect
Senators should remove a flawed whistleblower provision from the stimulus package.

Of course we need whistleblower protections. But, this is the wrong package. Either the fat was put in to give the r's something to trim. Or, someone is trying to cram the entire change of agenda into one bill. Meanwhile, no stimulus.

They should get the stimulus DONE, so they can move onto other agenda items. There's a lot of ground to cover.

[KittyWampus]

37. So the Democrats ask for MORE in the Stimulus Bill and will have to cut some out & you are bitching

Sorry but that is what DU'ers have been hounding Congresscritters to do for YEARS.

Ask for more than you want and then get what you need after the cuts are made.

[elleng]

12. NO THEY ARE NOT ALLOWING DICTATION.

Ever hear of NEGOTIATION? DIPLOMACY? COMPROMISE?

[Two Americas]

14. one problem

The right wingers will never negotiate or compromise. Imagining that they will is to completely misunderstand what their program is, and to seriously underestimate the scope of the challenge we face.

[Starry Messenger]

18. Thank you.

I was starting to feel like I was taking crazy pills. Some days the Democratic party reminds me of Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football.

[elleng]

19. I do not misunderstand or underestimate,

and neither does President Obama, I am certain.

They APPEAR to negotiate; they do not compromise. We compromise, and get things done.

[otohara]

23. The Media Is A Powerful Force

to not underestimate their ability to mold public opinion in a very short period of time.

[elleng]

28. Indeed they are; they took us to war,

following along after the reps.

[Two Americas]

27. not possible

When one side compromises and the other does not, that is called "caving." That is no way to "get things done." It is in fact the exact opposite. I think that too many here are more concerned with making it look as though we are getting things done, in order to fool the public, in order to get re-elected.

I agree with you that the Republicans do not compromise, and the Democrats do. That's the problem.

The whole point of working for and voting for Democrats - which I have done in every campaign and election for 40 years - is in the hpe that they will fight against the right wingers on behalf of the people. Yet we are now being urged to compromise with the right wingers for the sake of the careers of the politicians and their future electoral success.

Politics is not sports. The goal is not to have "our team" win, whatever it takes.

Before the election, people were saying "we can't do a thing until and unless we win. We need to focus on that, and we will get to this other stuff later." Yet the moment the election was over, we saw a new round of excuses, and already people are more concerned with the popularity of the Dems and the success of the careers of the politicians then they are about the issues and the growing humanitarian crisis. I call "bait and switch" on that.

[otohara]

22. Sure, But Why Is There A Barrage of GOP'ers on MSM

bashing his recovery package and so few democrats defending it forcefully?

Along with NEGOTIATION, DIPLOMACY & COMPRIMISE....there this evil manipulation machine call the MAIN STREAM MEDIA.

Standing in the background and being tepid in their defense when on camera is going to get us NO WHERE fast. It allows the GOP talking points to stick.

Top buzzwords in the past week have only been those from the GOP.

Don't believe me, just check out the results of this quick vote on CNN

Should the economic stimulus bill contain items not directly related to strengthening the economy or creating jobs?
Yes - 21,874
NO - 193,538
http://www.cnn.com/index.html

Check out Media Matters front page: http://mediamatters.org/

[ShadowLiberal]

13. The problem is 2 times more GOPers are being interviewed about the package then democrats

We need to address this imbalance, it's very bad when freaking Fox news has the most balanced coverage in terms of what guests they're inviting (certainly not in the nonguest coverage though, they're pushing against the stimulus hard in all their talk shows), while CNN has had 1 democrat interviewed for every 7 GOPers in the past week.

[otohara]

17. Exactly

MSNBC seems worse than CNN in this - I've tuned into CNN just to escape the barrage of republicans on MSNBC.

[Danger Mouse]

16. Well we all know that the GOP and the media work hand in hand.

Them being such good business partners and all.

[Jennicut]

20. The public stands behind Obama however.

Check the latest Diageo hotline poll. http://www.diageohotlinepoll.com/

[Still Sensible]

24. I disagree. Pelosi and the

damn house had to let their herd of cats fill the bill with unnecessary items that have only served to give the GOP some legitimate talking points.

We are the majority now. We can pass everyone's pet project individually after the Recovery Act is passed.

The ONLY thing the republicans said that I agree with is they should have the $71 billion in there to fix the AMT. Otherwise their ideas are bullshit and are almost all base on tax cuts as they practice them.

That said, I don't believe the anti-smoking, STDs, Hollywood movies, or furniture for DHS should be in the Recovery Act.

I believe the money for the hybrid vehicles, the census and the DTV program measures should be passed separately.

If they hadn't put the unnecessary crap in, the republicans wouldn't be getting the kind of respect they are getting... their points would have no validity. As usual, Pelosi screwed up. JMHO.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. I agree with you. Very poor judgement. Think it's time to get

someone in charge of the House and Senate who are as smart as Obama is.

[AlinPA]

26. From what I've seen, Harry Reid is silent on this. He doesn't want the republicans

to get mad at him.

[sampsonblk]

29. Its because there is a lot of bullshit in the packages

Back when Bush was spending money like mad, our party leadership had an opportunity to seize the issue of fiscal responsibliity. It was perfect. But alas, we let it slip away.

Well here was another opportunity to seize that issue, and again its not in the cards.

Q: If you were stuffing unrelated bullshit into the package, would you want to fight publicly over the details?

[JayMusgrove]

30. OBAMA FIGHTS BACK

on 5 national and cable networks tomorrow..........

Time for him to ask the media to stop interviewing Republican ass hats and interview people who have lost jobs, lost houses, lost everything.

Obama will ask the media to make this NOT an us versus them thing, and focus on the facts.

Enough said, now all you paranoid people go to bed and wake up happy Obama is in charge of this.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

31. EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Why Syzygy]

32. The republican'ts

are playing their usual holier than thou routine. They are pretending that they are pure fiscal conservatives. All their concerns are about bottom line. Fact is they are trying to block PROGRESSIVE ideals from being implemented. The American public voted for a change of direction, and it has to be FUNDED. Dammit.

[Life Long Dem]

34. Obama needs to get on this.