Is it me? or are the Senate repukes using their minority status more effectively than the Dems did?

[WI_DEM]

I hate them, they repell me, they are devious, but they sure do know how to use the minority rules more effectively, imo, than the Dems did, and the majority Dems are letting them get away with it, too.

[ljm2002]

1. It's not just you...

...they have two distinct advantages in this endeavor: 1 - they are better at party discipline, i.e. they demand lockstep voting from party members and for the most are able to get it; and 2 - they put more stock in rules to begin with, and as a consequence they really do understand the rules and how to play them to their advantage.

I don't think we'll ever achieve the lockstep part, and we probably would not want to. However, we could do with some rules experts who really understand how to play it. Would be nice if our leadership would try and build up a brain trust in that area, so that we would get better in that area.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. If by "more effectively" you mean "ensuring their minority status for a generation", then yeah.

Which is exactly why Dems "kept their powder dry," to use a reviled term.

[Captain Hilts]

3. No, it's not just you. nt

[blm]

4. Why do YOU think they bought control of most broadcast newsmedia in the 80s and 90s?

.

[high density]

5. They're louder and batshit crazy, yes

The media in DC has been wired for the Repuke propaganda machine for a long time. I think the only thing that will undo that is the continuing decline of corporate media and their inability to make money as being a press release machine for the Republan party.

[truebrit71]

6. They are more effective than the majority that is for damn sure...

Harry Reid is as useless as tits on a boar...

[Occam Bandage]

7. Yes and no.

Yes in that they are slowing legislation down. No in that they are ensuring they will remain a minority for a generation.

[elocs]

8. Republicans in Congress are more disciplined, but they are obstructionist.

They have no problem with putting their own goals over the good of the country. Democrats, on the other hand, are like herding cats.

[okieinpain]

10. I agree. n/t.

[malletgirl02]

14. Will Rodgers Quote

"I belong to no organized party, I'm a Democrat"

[Jackpine Radical]

9. I think they're better at infighting,

but Obama's bombing them from 30,000 feet and the infighting is of little help. People don't seem to realize how big a deal it was for Obama to get the stimulus package through as quickly as he did, and he has pretty much announced that he's going to circumvent the 60-vote rule by putting some legislation into the budget bill, which requires a simple majority to pass.

As I see it, we have never had as many actual Democrats as we appear to "on paper." Too many blue dogs. On the other hand, the Republicans were pretty much able to enforce party discipline, even over people like Olympia Snowe, most of the time. (Nevertheless, Obama managed to split off the critical 3 when he needed them.)

So I think the Republicans' monolithic front is both a strength and a weakness. They will certainly be seen as obstructionists, and will pay the price for it.

[OHdem10]

11. The Republicans believe and therefore practice being the Loyal Oppostion

A few weeks back they were advised by Grover Norquist(Starve the Beaster)
and Bill Krystol, (PNAC among other positions) advised them to be
a strong opposition and they must "Stop Obama Now".

[karynnj]

12. Step away - and the answer is "NO"

Look at the things that have passed:

- Lily Ledbetter act that was something the Democrats supported, but the Republicans didn't want

- An extended version of S-Chip that Bush had vetoed

- He has announced an exit plan along the lines of every Democratic proposal going back to Kerry/Feingold - but with a longer time line. A time line that Obama controls.

- He has removed the international gag order on contraceptives

- He has changed back some of the executive orders on the environment

(Pretty good in less than 2 months)

- He passed the stimulus bill - which contains many things the Democrats have fought for:
including funding for green energy technology, high speed rail. It also included spending to extend unemployment, and increase money for education. (Remember the Republican amendments going down one after the other - this was the mirror image of when that happened to the Democrats on the awful bankruptcy bill.

Now consider what we know has been put into the budget. Putting healthcare in there means we will need just 50 votes. He may well put cap and trade in there too. These are things that are on the Democratic agenda.

Now are the Republicans making things tougher - yes. One reason they can do this is that they do not see government as a solution. Stopping everything is something we didn't want to do - and they do. It is harder for the minority to DO something rather than to stop something. Stopping something takes 41 votes, doing it often takes 60.

[harun]

13. The media is on there side, helping them. Plus Senate dem's are afraid of

repukes, Senate repukes are not afraid of dem's.

[polichick]

15. The have no conscience or moral compass. Makes it easy for them.