No 60 seat majority - we simply don't have the votes

[mymessageboardid]

I'm sure we'll hear that on countless Democratic cave-ins over the next two years. Of course Bush never even had close to the majorities we have right now, yet he was able to push through every piece of legislation during his eight years.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[tabbycat31]

1. let's try to get a few Republicans to vote with us

I think there's a few we could convince.

However Harry Reid needs to grow a spine. If the GOP threatens to fillibuster, then let them, don't just say "ok" and back down.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. You can do it case by case. Make deals. It's not that hard.

[LiberalFighter]

6. Put together legislation that would make citizens mad as hell if Republicans vote against it.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. Are you serious? Really?

[hendo]

4. I would wager

that McCain would cross the aisle on a few pieces of legislation. After all, he has no reason to pander to the republican base anymore.

[RFKJrNews]

20. Speaking of Harry Reid...

Did anyone else happen to catch him on C-SPAN speaking at the opening of new, supposedly improved, overpriced and overbudget Capitol Visitors Center?

When trying to make a humorous remark about the new air conditioning system, Reid made a Freudian slip and let it be known what he REALLY thinks of the American people:

"At least now we don't have to smell the visitors."

Not kidding. Yes, he REALLY said that.

So sorry if the great unwashed invading your personal space offends, Senator Reid. Given that our Congresscritters are struggling to maintain a 9% approval rating, has it ever occurred to you that maybe we think *you* stink, too?

Whew! Somebody pass the Febreze!!!!!

[madokie]

22. Its amazing how listening to someone that one can learn way more about them

by paying attention to the filler. Their message is thoughtout and honed to a fine edge but its in the filler they use that tips one off to their actual intent.

[RFKJrNews]

27. Exactly! Gotta love those Freudian slips, eh?

I noticed that a few mainstream media outlets also picked up on Sen. Reid's offensive remark and ran with it last night. Wish more would do the same...that's just *too telling* to be confined to the broadcast netherworld of C-SPAN. Is the video on YouTube yet?

While a 9% approval rating certainly doesn't smell good, flip that number and the reek really starts to emerge up from the sewers:

If 9 percent APPROVE, that means 91 percent DISAPPROVE.

Notice the media always puts the happiest spin possible on this and terms it an "approval rating." But when the numbers are tilted this far the other way, perhaps they should just be honest and call it what it is...a DISAPPROVAL RATING.

Let's hope our Congresscritters bear this well in mind come January and do something to regain our confidence. If that number goes any lower than 9 percent, it might be time for the people to invoke certain unalienable rights...know what I'm sayin'?

The Declaration of Independence described in simple terms what governments are meant to do, and what citizens are obliged to do if governments fail to perform to specification. "That to secure these rights," Jefferson explained,

"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and Happiness."

Jefferson went on wisely to warn that long-established governments must not be changed for "light and transient reasons." He added, however, that the documented record of a government’s "long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing … a design to reduce them under an absolute Despotism" creates for its citizens a right and a duty "to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

[KoKo]

38. Oh come on....I can't stand Reid but do not believe he really said that

about "smelling the people." It must be a quote out of context. :eyes:

[awoke_in_2003]

40. Why is it hard to believe...

to almost everyone on capitol hill, we are nothing but the unwashed masses. They do not represent us, and only answer to the people who really run this country. And, if somehow, Obama raises above Washington and becomes a leader who can get things done, well, you know what happens to those types in this country :(

[AZ Criminal JD]

42. The video has been on most newscasts.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. There is no Republican machine left to enforce party discipline.

Any halfway clever majority leader can always do a little deal-making to get 2 or 3 Republican votes when necessary. Not that this will happen, y'understand. Too many Dems on the corporate take to pass meaningful stuff in many cases. I hope my cynicism is not borne out, but...

[awoke_in_2003]

41. "Any halfway clever majority leader"

too bad we don't seem to have one.

[MNBrewer]

5. anything less than a 100 seat majority would result in the same thing.

[Jackpine Radical]

19. I think you're right. At least 40 Dems

will wander off & vote with the Republicans on any given issue.

[jmodden]

7. Gun control

I want to start with confiscation of handguns and a x00% tax on all ammunition.

[Bill McBlueState]

25. Wow, that's a big tax!

I'd start with p00%, myself.

[Trajan]

29. Waving a little false flag, are ya ?

Hmmmm .... This is pretty blatant ....

[jmodden]

46. about 20 years ago,

DP Moynihan proposed something very similar.

[EstimatedProphet]

34. I want to start with the immediate detention and execution of all posters named jmodden

[Jackpine Radical]

43. How we gonna have our Commonist revolution

if we ain't gots no guns?

I think we should justput some kind of political test on gun ownership. Like maybe you have to pas a lie detector test on your attitudes about Trotsky.

[Truth2Tell]

8. Sooner or later the Democratic leadership

is just going to have to admit the truth about why nothing in the publicly stated Democratic agenda can actually pass - that a whole lot of Democrats in Congress have the same regressive political views on war and corporate welfare that the Republicans have. You can only cover for the right-wingers for so long.

[mymessageboardid]

10. Is there a "sigh" icon???

You speak the truth :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :rant: :rant: :rant: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[KoKo]

39. yes....they can only cover so long.

well said.

[Truth2Tell]

9. dupe

[elocs]

11. I don't know if there is any reason that every Republican would vote in lockstep

to support a filibuster, but at the same time it is not a lock that every Democrat will for for cloture. How this goes will probably be case by case.

[tridim]

12. So we have a massive majority instead of a super majority.

I'll take it!

[pinto]

13. I favor pushing for an effective, successful majority, instead of presuming legislative defeat.

Why write the next two years off at the outset?

[CTyankee]

26. Good point. The Senate has to be aware that Obama has massive support in the

general population. If they balk at his proposals and try to keep him from putting through the legislative measures that the electorate approve of through their vote, they will be acting very stupidly. The public will hold them responsible for holding back progress.

[Bluenorthwest]

32. And that, right there

is why the public must be vocal, and clear at all times. This is why we can not be silent.

[CTyankee]

35. Do you think some timid Dems in the Senate were just bullied into submission

by the Republicans in the past and now can be courageous enough to get some progressive legislation passed? I wonder just how much they were intimidated and how much encouragement now that Obama's victory can give them...

[yurbud]

14. there is one reason that 60 vote schtick is almost valid: not all Democrats are progressive

Many are Lieberman's and Chamber of Commerce stooges who couldn't get elected unless they put a D after their name. But apart from cultural issues, they are "conservative" in the sense of being business-owned.

[piedmont]

15. DUMP LIEBERMAN! We no longer need him to get to 60.

58 is just as good as 59, if we can't get 60.

[madokie]

23. First things first and dump LIEberman is step one

Its better to have him on the other side out in the open rather than allow him to continue slinking around. He is an independent after all isn't he or was that just a ploy to skirt election law and if that is the case then he needs to be treated as the criminal that he is. No more pussy footin' around about it

[47of74]

17. I wonder how the cons feel about the nuclear option now...

[Fumesucker]

28. Peeps who threaten to use nukuler weapons are turrists.

Oh wait..

[backscatter712]

18. We'll have a much easier time.

Granted, we won't be able to break every filibuster, but we'll be able to break a lot of them. The Republicans have been handed their own asses, their leaders have been defeated in their elections, they have little support except in Jesusland. That means that the Rove-style whip machine that's been keeping them in lockstep isn't going to work half as well as it used to. And a lot of Republicans are going to find it worthwhile to vote against their party much of the time, just to save their own asses, bring in the bacon to their home states and try to make themselves a little less radioactive. Up until now, we've had to get nine Rethugs, plus Lieberman to cross party lines to get legislation through. Now, we only need two (possibly one) plus Lieberman - and we'll be able to get 'em by doing things like appealing to the ones that are up for election in two years, appealing to the moderate ones, enticing them with tasty earmarks. It's a doable task now.

On top of that, we've got Obama. If Bush's political machine could cause the Democrats to become known as The Cavemen, even though Bush and Cheney themselves were about as radioactive as they could get, think of what can happen when Obama gets to hit the GOP over the head with that same bully pulpit. A few press conferences, a few speeches demanding action, a whole bunch of rallying demanding action on health care and the economy, and it'll be the GOP that's folding over and over and over again.

Yeah, I'm disappointed to see that douchenozzle Chambliss get reelected - the level of redneck stupid is quite high in Georgia, but really, it's not something we can't manage.

[a kennedy]

21. Sickening isn't it???

:puke:

[LeftHander]

24. GOP hardliners will be forced out in future elections....

Good overview of 2010 election cycle for the senate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2010

Here is the GOP list for 2010

Brownback - KS and Martinez - FL retiring. Open contests.

Vitter, Thune, Murkowski, Bond are vulnerable.


Richard Shelby of Alabama
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
John McCain of Arizona
Johnny Isakson of Georgia
Mike Crapo of Idaho
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Jim Bunning of Kentucky
David Vitter of Louisiana
Kit Bond of Missouri
Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
Richard Burr of North Carolina
George Voinovich of Ohio
Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
Jim DeMint of South Carolina
John Thune of South Dakota
Bob Bennett of Utah

[WonderGrunion]

30. Bribe the ladies from Maine

I'm sure Snowe, Collins or both would want a chairmanship.

[BlooInBloo]

31. Their backs have been broken enough to get a few crossovers,with sufficient Congressional leadership

Hence, we're obviously doomed. (Not sarcastic, for once.)

[backscatter712]

44. Obama's gonna have to do Reid's job...

That's one HUGE advantage we're going to have - Obama. If the most unpopular President in modern history can browbeat Iraq War funding, Kyl-Lieberman and FISA through Congress, surely a popular and intelligent Obama can get some useful legislation pushed through using the same bully pulpit.

Don't tell me we're DOOOOOOOOOOMED! We're not. We've got a very strong majority, and with the GOP in disarray, they won't be able to march in lockstep for filibusters quite so easily - we just have to entice TWO Rethugs with tasty earmarks to break a filibuster (OK, three if Lieberman doesn't play ball with us. And that's the worst-case scenario if Franken doesn't win. Cross your fingers and hope he does, then we only have to entice one Rethug with tasty earmarks.)

[BlooInBloo]

45. He can't. I predict we'll be simply AMAZED at how much "spine" our congressional leadership...

shows in "standing up" to their own President. But when it comes time to stand up to the meek whines of the broken republican party, they'll fold up the tent quicker than Star Wars kid can slip on a curtain.

So I predict - would love nothing better than to be wrong.


EDIT: Subject typo.

[karynnj]

33. We have a minimum of 58 -

on any given issue we may lose a few, but that means winning over just a small number of Republicans - not the 10 we needed before.

At least wait until the Congress starts before you complain.

[WI_DEM]

36. 60 seats was never a gurantee of filibuster majority because some dems don't always vote as a block

We still did great picking up as many seats as we did in the senate this year.

[kentuck]

37. We could never get 60 Democrats to vote together anyway..

The best strategy is to get 3 or 4 Repubs that will work with us.