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New Voices in Congress Will Change Tone of Democratic Majority: "decidedly moderate, to the right"

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DeepModem Mom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:19 PM
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New Voices in Congress Will Change Tone of Democratic Majority: "decidedly moderate, to the right"
NYT: New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority
By KATE PHILLIPS
Published: January 6, 2009

WASHINGTON -- From a former Nixon aide to a former head of Common Cause, a liberal government watchdog organization, the freshman House class of the 111th Congress represents a diverse but decidedly moderate group....

With their formal swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, the new members offer Democrats expanded majorities in both the House (257-178) and the Senate. If the contretemps over the Minnesota and Illinois Senate seats is resolved in the Democrats' favor, the Senate majority would be 59-41, which includes two independents....

Building on the 2006 class that gave Democrats a majority, this freshman class serves to broaden a moderate coalition considered more conservative on social issues, particularly in the House. The Democratic leadership almost certainly will be mindful — as it was in the 2008 election — of the members’ individual vulnerabilities, especially since several were elected by extraordinarily narrow margins.

Gary C. Jacobson, an expert on Congress and a professor at the University of California/San Diego, described the cumulative impact of the 2006 and 2008 elections: “I think the effect is to move the Democratic caucus somewhat to the right and if it wants to stay as large as it is now, it has to accommodate these folks. “You’re not going to see any wild, left-wing policymaking,” he added. “You’re not going to get the Berkeley wish-list out of this crowd.”...

***

The Democratic leadership in the House, headed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will have its hands full with worriers in the new class. And the leaders may not be able to scrape up votes from across the aisle. Both Mr. Jacobson and Thomas E. Mann, a congressional expert and Brookings Institute senior fellow, pointed out that the House Republican caucus has calcified into a more conservative bloc because of retirements of its moderate members. The 2008 election saw the defeat of the last New England Republican, Chris Shays of Connecticut....

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/us/politics/07frosh.html?hp
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Taverner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:23 PM
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1. WTF is wrong with Berkeley!!!
:wtf:
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Johonny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:33 PM
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2. any wild, left-wing policymaking
When's the last time any "wild" left-wing policy was made? Every time the Dems move more moderate the moderate becomes the "new" liberal and the republicans get to move even farther to the right. What's it gotten us. Now not torturing prisoners is considered wild, left-wing policymaking!
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Robbien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:41 PM
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3. We are pushing tax cuts now.

Big enough clue for you that the Democratic party has firmly camped out on the right side of center.

Both Franken and Burris are progressives. If they were conservative right wingers Reid would have seated them in a New York minute.
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Hell Hath No Fury Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:43 PM
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4. As the Dems move further to the right
I move one step closer to leaving them. And after 30+ years that makes me sad. :(
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Winterblues Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 03:25 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Where do you go though?
I have made up my mind this is my last election if things don't change very noticeably. There is no where to go so I will just drop out. I am tired of supporting the status quo especially when it means the death and destruction of so many people and places..We must get Health Care and stop the killing. Nothing less is acceptable
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Hell Hath No Fury Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. My plan is to go Independent.
If it comes to that, I will be writing every one of my Democratic Congresscritters, the heads of the various Democratic Congressional groups, the Democratic House leaders, and President Obama and telling them why I am leaving the Democratic Party after so any years.

Then I will make a point of seeking out and supporting only Progressive/Liberal candidates, mostly Democrats, perhaps Greens locally.

I will also become more involved with political groups (like PDA, MoveOn, Americans United) and focus my attention on activism.

I really don't know what else to do. :shrug:

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StudsT Donating Member (310 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:48 PM
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5. so now, even when the left wins, if they want to stay in power they have to move right - ok
Gary C. Jacobson, an expert on Congress and a professor at the University of California/San Diego, described the cumulative impact of the 2006 and 2008 elections: “I think the effect is to move the Democratic caucus somewhat to the right and if it wants to stay as large as it is now, it has to accommodate these folks.


according to the elite anyway :eyes:

and so it goes...

StudsT
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ThomWV Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 02:54 PM
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6. So, more people from the left are elected and that moves the body to the right. Right?
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anonymous171 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-06-09 04:02 PM
Response to Original message
9. What we need right now is some leftist economic thinking
Social issues can wait.
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