Anyone have any info on the organization of congressional staffers?

[izzybeans]

There has been a lot of talk, most recently in an editorial of the latest issue of The Nation, about the disorganization of the democratic party. From top to bottom they have been outflanked. From state party websites to the way bills are introduced on the floor they are pretty much getting beaten despite widespread popular support for their agenda. Beyond the bright spots with the symbolic/ceremonial fights taking place I am concerned that there is no infrastructure in place that can compete with back stage political tinkering. Specifically, with issues like ANWAR and the silly Congressional issue with Schiavo, the Democrats are caught off guard. If you watch the C-span coverage of the shop floor activity in the Congress you see Democrats struggling to overcome a loaded rules committee as well as being kept in the dark on controversial bills being submitted in the middle of the night.

Are there not workgroups/task forces amongst congressional staffers who mobilize on behalf of our representatives in congress so that they might be more united in their battles? You know, that keep them all abreast of what is about to break before them or while they are in their home district-a sort of emergency response team? There still is a minimal amount of lead time required by the republicans so the recurrent surprise is not a good enough excuse. Its either laziness or incompetence to consistently get beaten to a bloody legislative pulp. I understand what staffers do but I'm hoping to find that there is a particular group focused on covering the ground needed to be made up by such underhanded politics and one that can do so quickly. The past few years has not been politics as usual and so I'm hoping to find some hybridity on behalf of our congressmen and women within the ranks of their staff. John Conyers confirmed in F9/11 for anyone who had the suspicion that our leadership rarely have the time to read the bill until a colleague haphazardly discovers an add on. Amendments pass that are over looked and the barnacles thrown onto things like the budget (as with Anwar) constantly pop up. If there is such a taskforce why do our dems seem to be standing in quick sand? Why are they still not reading the bills before them? What can be done so that they are taken off guard less often?

[punpirate]

1. I'm not sure these problems...

... can be laid at the feet of the staffers. It's mostly due to the secrecy and scheduling employed by the `pugs. When Democrats are virtually locked out of decision-making in committees, it's bound to create plenty of confusion--and it's `pug strategy to do exactly that. Think back to the Repug program to hack into Democratic office computers to see what the Democrats were planning and thinking--what came of that? Nothing--because the `pugs control the office politics.

The problem is that when the Repugs are in control, they do their best to hog staff resources, shuffle Democratic offices around to keep them off-balance, lots of tricks that one can relate back to one's own workplace politics.

A lot of legislators, Dem and Repug alike, depend upon the Congressional Research Service for all sorts of tasks--from analyzing Pentagon data to looking up history to backing up parliamentary procedures, and if those resources are unfairly distributed, that's another disadvantage.

All in all, it's by Republican design to make the legislative process as one-sided as possible and if the Dems' permanent staffs have been reduced by fiat, then it becomes even tougher to divine what the `pugs are going to do next. Another thing which may complicate doing business for the Dems is the ongoing program of DeLay's to admit only Republican lobbyists (basically threatening all of K Street to hire only Republican lobbyists) likely means that lobbyists themselves are doing a bit of spying for the Republicans in the process of lobbying Democrats.

It's really messy right now because the Repugs no longer respect the process in any meaningful way--it's all about gaining and keeping power. And until the voters throw out these autocratic slugs, it probably can't change, given the structure of the rules of both houses.

[izzybeans]

2. What resources are avaiblable to set up alternative organizational

measures to combat being locked out of the process? I wasn't placing blame on the staffers I was wondering if we were sitting back on our heals. The republicans aren't going to sprout ethical wings anytime soon so I suppose the business as usual approach outside of floor debate and threats to filibuster isn't going far enough. As I understand it despite the "lockout" there is still some (though I'm not sure how much) lead time to review materials that have been written. I'm interested in finding out how much, if any, of this time exits and what's being done during that time to ensure that Dems are on the same page and aren't caught off gaurd by things like a member or two breaking ranks either willingly or not knowing the full implication of the bill.

Do they have the means, legally and fiscally, to innovate within and between themselves so that they might salvage a small kernal of power reserved for the minority? I'm not sure. ...just asking.

[punpirate]

3. Looking at recent history...

... that time, in some critical pieces of legislation, has shrunk to nothing--largely because Republicans have inserted amendments at the last moment in conference committee deliberations, and then reported the bill out for a final vote the very next day.

The other thing is that, sad to say, Dem legislators have been just as corrupted by campaign money as the Republicans--many of the bills they have recently supported have been in the works for years. The most recent bankruptcy bill, for example, was first introduced in 1999.

That also means that Dems are spending more and more time during congressional sessions fundraising in an effort to keep up with the Repugs. That's bound to have an impact on the ability to read, understand and track legislation.

But, as for having the legal and fiscal resources to innovate, I don't think so--the budgets of both houses are controlled by committee, and if the Repugs control the committees, they control the operating budgets. Remember not long after the 2002 election when the Repugs basically defunded all the staff devoted to Congressional Black Caucus matters? That's the sort of thing they can do with impunity if they control the committees....

Nope, the only real answer is to vote the bastards out.

[izzybeans]

4. Well something needs to happen in the mean time

doesn't it? Not to sound off putting but I'm not sure given the circumstances that this satisfies me. They've already been out maneuvered in public opinion as obstructionists even though they have to climb mountains in order to get something productive finished.

I sure hope that the honest members aren't satisfied either. I was unsure of the adminstrative issues concerning staffing so that really helps. But i'm afraid the dems are still so trapped in their where a permanent majority box they are paralyzed. I'm sure thats a gross mischaracterization but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable on the subject might find plausible reasons to say the same.

[OzarkDem]

5. Very good point

the Dem caucus system in Congress is fragmented and in disarray. It needs some good leadership and the issue should have been adressed a long time ago.

In the context of the bigger picture, spending the money to put together a first rate caucus system would reap huge benefits for Dems and save a lot of money down the road.

Where are our party leaders? Who would be a good person to manage something like this?