we need a senate majority leader like LBJ - Obama would soar with a strong leader

[msongs]

in the senate.

although LBJ is mostly remembered as the guy who got to be president because of JFK's assasination, he was in fact senate majority leader for 6 years before he was vice president. And he knew how to get congressional dems on his side and to keep them in line. Assuming the presidency, he still controlled the party in congres, allowing him to push through legislation for which he is rightfully famous,even though those policies lost the south to Republicans.

and now we have a black president, with serious help from LBJ's being president, yet we have a democratic congress running amok and in every direction, frequently at serious odds with the agenda of Mr. Obama.

and who is keeping the dems in line? Harry Reid? Nancy Pelosi? Is Joe Biden doing the job for Obama that LBJ did for JFK?

Democrats outnumber republicans in congress, but that doesn't mean they control congress by a long shot.

Msongs

[villager]

1. Instead of ol' "Guts n' Glory" Reid? You're damn tootin'....

Or someone like the late Jess Unruh, here in California. He once locked up the assembly, and made them sleep on cots, until they voted on a bill they were trying to avoid....

What happened to "intestinal fortitude" as a trait of Democrats?

[babylonsister]

2. When was the last time we had a strong Dem leader in the Senate?

I'd love to see one, but I don't think you'll see anyone caving to the current leadership, whatever they think about it.

[mth44sc]

3. Harry even

looks like a mouse...

[ccharles000]

4. k/r

[Juche]

5. Who would make a good one?

Kennedy? Durbin? Leahy? They sound decent.

However, how do we let the senators know how displeased we are when they elect the senate leader in the 112th congress?

[KoKo]

6. One does wonder how we got stuck with Tom Daschle and then Harry Reid...

It's kind of amazing, isn't it.

[blueclown]

7. LBJ was one of a kind.

I doubt they'll be anybody like him ever again. The last true Democratic leader we had was Tip O'neill.

[ControlledDemolition]

14. He reversed JFK's policy on Vietnam, he appointed J. Edgar Hoover for life... n/t

[RandomThoughts]

8. If people pick the leaders you get strong leaders.

If the leaders are picked by lobbyist they want to pick weak leaders. They want followers so the lobbyist can lead them.

I am not saying any names you mentioned are followers, nor am I saying all people in congress are followers. But there is a part of the 'money' system that tries to get weaker people in government.

There are some people in congress, not the majority of them, but some who probably still have to learn to think and decide things.

And there are some really strong people in congress on both sides, but it is true that there is money interest that want weak people in government.

[DJ13]

9. Im not so sure Obama would want that

Reid makes a perfect excuse so that progressive policies can never become law.

Its like the GOP with all their power from 2002-2006, yet they always had excuses why they couldnt get policies their base wanted passed.......because they had no intention of trying.

The Democratic leadership (including Obama, sadly) have no intention of actually following through on the progressive campaign promises they made, so keeping the weakest Majority Leader in recent times in power so that they can continue down the same pro-corporate path Congress has been on since the mid 90's (regardless of party in charge) seems to work out best for them.

[OHdem10]

10. There would have never been this vote as you please. LBJ, God

bless him knew how to twist arms and break legs.

[Elwood P Dowd]

11. They didn't have 40,000 corporate lobbyists in DC back them

giving away billions of dollars a year to Congress. I don't even think there were 400 corporate lobbyists back in those days. Our politicians are bought and paid for by the corporate lobby , and the American people can just eat shit and die. Congress doesn't fucking care about us.

[EPIC1934]

12. uncomfortable truths must be faced or the cancer deepens.

YES BACK THEN the democrats still cared more about the working class. They had not totally gone into upper middle class identity politics and backed the same policies favored by bankers and the republicans. Of course their way of backing these policies is different. OFten it just means talking very softly and letting the republicans define the agenda no matter what. Sorry two corporate scum senate leaders in a row who say absolutely nothing to stop the most radically right wing regime in US history is not a matter of personalities. It says something profound about the structure of the Democratic party. Read Partners in Power by Roger Morris for the best overview of the Democrats during the last forty years.

[msongs]

13. don't know who'd be best for the job, kennedy is too past his prime. must be somebody? nt

[otohara]

15. Reid Weak, But So Are Many Senate Dems

I don't' know if a new leader would make a difference. Every time the Dem's side with the GOP, a 30 second spot is born for the next election. Gitmo vote made Obama look very bad this week. Some of those Dem's (including Reid) ended up in the GOP Daisy Ad.

[DFW]

16. When the President and Sen. Majority leader are both Democrats

The possibility exists for bold, coordinated action. So far, we don't have that.

I still wish Hillary had stayed in the Senate and become Majority leader.