Democratic Party used to be the Champions of the Working Class.

[FreakinDJ]

And the DEMS have dropped the ball on this BIG TIME

It was only too easy to demonstrate through the "Simplest of Logic" to even the stuanchist Fundie Voter how they were voting against their own economic self interest by voting RATpubliCON. However they would do it anyway based on what ever "Emotional Issues" the GOP could frame the debate on.

Now the RATpubliCONs have succesfully "Framed the Issues" as the "GOP against the Democrat Spending Machine" in light of the MASSIVE deficits and FAILED economic policy of the last administration.

Sorry - but I blame the DEMs for not distancing theirselves from their corporate handlers. Make no mistake, the RATpubliCONs will be Pure Disaster should they regain control. But the Dems failed the test when it came time to stand up to Wall St. and fight for the Working Class.

[OHdem10]

1. Agreed, Thank the DLC.

It has only been in last couple of elections that the Party
even mentioned Middle Working Class.

The DLC believed they had to compete with the Republicans
for the Business Support. As usual with most political
organizations they went overboard. Just look at the
Senate. Most are so Pro-Business, they are forced to
give the people the left over crumbs. This may not have
been the intention when the Organization was founded
but this is what it has become. This is exactly why HCR
has turned out the way it has. A gift to Big Insurance
and Big Pharma.

[FreakinDJ]

3. This is not some thing that will go well for the American Middle Class

Should the RATpubliCONs regain the house and Senate they will this time work clandestinely to usurp SSI, Medicaid, and what ever pension funds the Working class has left.

It is brutally apparent the GOP want to bring back Indentured Servitude as a way of life complete with a Debtor's Dungeon.

Wish the DEMs would point out how many of the "Small Businesses" Bush prided himself and accredited himself with creating have gone into bankruptcy/foreclosure due to the Wall St. favoring policies RATpubliCONs enacted

[earthside]

2. And the sadder thing is ...

... that if Coakley loses the Massachusetts Senate race, the establishment Democrats will NOT respond by taking up once again the mantle of "Champions of the Working Class" -- but will probably become even more timid and cautious and risk averse.

The real lesson of a Coakley defeat will be that when Democrats don't stick to the principles of doing what is right for the unions and the working and middle classes, then they are perceived as feckless and sell-outs.

Now, I don't think Coakley is going to lose, I believe there is just too much corporate media hype and blather about this "upset" for it to be real. Nevertheless, watch how the establishment Democratic Party responds to this episode. Instead of moving towards a more populist message, I bet we'll see an even cozier relationship with the corporate campaign contributors because they will think that the only thing that can save them this November is tons and tons of money.

[FormerDittoHead]

11. Exactly. They'll take it that the Dem's have "gone too far to the left"...

It will be a "shift to the center" and the Republicans will say that "the people have spoken" and truly support THEIR ideology and the the Democrats were "hijacked" in 2006 and 2008 by the "ultra left wing wackos" who actually read history and look at what other countries do to solve their problems...

[amborin]

27. how much cozier can it get?

the two are essenially merged at present

for example:

GOLDMAN SACHS CEO turned Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson wasn't the first, or the last, to use the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington. Here's a short list of Obama officials who got their start in the private sector—many, like Paulson, at "Government Sachs."

OFFICIAL
CURRENT ROLE IN WASHINGTON
PREVIOUS ROLE ON WALL STREET

Neal Wolin
Deputy secretary of the treasury (Tim Geithner's No. 2)
Exec at one of the largest insurance and investment firms

Mark Patterson
Treasury secretary's chief of staff
Goldman Sachs lobbyist

Gene Sperling
Counselor to the treasury secretary
Made nearly $900,000 advising Goldman Sachs

Larry Summers
Obama's chief economic adviser
Made $5 million as managing director of a hedge fund

Rahm Emanuel
White House chief of staff
Made $16 million as a partner at a Chicago investment bank

Herbert Allison
Assistant secretary of the treasury (oversees TARP)
Longtime exec at Merrill Lynch; headed Fannie Mae

Kim Wallace
Assistant secretary of the treasury for legislative affairs
Managing director at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers

Karthik Ramanathan
Acting assistant treasury secretary for financial markets
Foreign exchange dealer at Goldman Sachs

Matthew Kabaker
Deputy assistant secretary of the treasury
Made $5.8 million at the Blackstone Group in 2008-2009

Lewis Alexander
Counselor to the treasury secretary
Chief economist at Citigroup; paid $2.4 million in 2008-2009

Adam Storch
Managing executive of the SEC's Division of Enforcement
VP of Goldman Sachs' Business Intelligence Group

Lee Sachs
Counselor to the treasury secretary
Made more than $3 million at a New York hedge fund

Gary Gensler
Chairman of Commodity Futures Trading Commission
18 years at Goldman Sachs, where he made partner

Michael Froman
Deputy assistant to Obama, deputy nat'l security adviser
Managing director of a Citigroup investment arm


This chart is part of Mother Jones' coverage of the financial crisis, one year later.

[FreakinDJ]

29. 180 degrees opposed to FDR's approach

FDR used a round table of "Captains of Industry" (Industrial Capitalist) to help write the Anti-Trust Laws formerly known as the Sherman AntiTrust Act.

The Committees have held the hearings but as of yet the House and Senate has failed to act with any thing more then legislation watered down by the same Wall St. Special Interest it is supposed to regulate.

[amborin]

32. yes, and as you said, the banking 'reform' legislation is so full of

loopholes that it's a joke; still allows CDSs, as just one example....

and all the current posturing of Obama and the banksters concerning the new bank tax is, imho, purely a charade for public and media consumption.

[FreakinDJ]

33. Sadly - Today's election results might be the only means for change

[Skidmore]

4. Well, dayum, Guess I'll just go hang with the Rs, who are really

champions of the working class. I see 'em out there fightin' in the trenches for Joe SixMansions, who's gettin' callouses from counting his bonuses and stock dividends. I love me some R-type compassion and I can't wait till we get ourselves another 30 years of pure unadulterated R-love. I haven't had enough.

:sarcasm:

Frankly, I understood what you were saying until I got to that label in the last sentence. RAT is a red flag for me.

[FreakinDJ]

7. Why would that be a "Red Flag"

Sorry - your not really making too much sense with that 1

You agree with the sentiment of the OP, but "calling 'em like I sees 'em ain't good"

Care to venture a guess of how many of those "Small Businesses" Bush, Sarah, and rest of "RATpubliCON meme" so proudly defend have gone under?

Myself, I see it as more of a pyramid scheme. Allowing hardworking Americans to devote all of their savings, (most of which was formerly retirement savings from when their job that was outsourced) years of their lives working 100hr weeks attempting to launch a small business, only to have it go bankrupt and be sold off in auction for pennys on the dollar to large corporations devouring the competition.

To me that is a "Red Flag" of Failed Policies

As far is "RATpubliCON" is concerned - I coined it, I'll keep it

[liberation]

13. Apparently if you don't walk in lock step with the direction the DLC is taking the Dem party...

... you must be a Repug.

[FreakinDJ]

14. Yes - We've all seen how well that works

and I'm afraid we are going to see it again

[Festivito]

5. Why work for a working class that votes for Republibutts?

Let's get this straight. They, the Dems, don't like what Republicans do to them along with some Republican leaning Dems, so they vote by not voting, i.e. they vote with their feet by sitting on their butts in what ends up being for the Republicans they don't like.

Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

The working class one fights for is not supposed to be the stupid class of people.

Nobody's fighting for stupidity.

We need campaign finance reform, and the RepubliCONs WILL NOT give it to US, Dems might.

Let's go with the might.

[FreakinDJ]

10. I think in times like these they "Vote with their Wallet"

He who presents thyself to be in the best interest in preserving what little is left of spending power of the Working Class - Wins

Yes were talking about "Low Information Voters" who base their decisions off little more then the Evening News and water-cooler conversations. Who seldom digger deeper into an issue then the "Headlines" of the local ragazine. Will sink the DEM's ship just as sure as they elected Obama

[Festivito]

18. I referred to elected officials not championing the working class.

You assert that they dropped the ball.

I'm suggesting they following a different ball, the ball that puts them in office, the corporate ball. We don't fund their elections and we're easily fooled. We put them there. And then what? We complain that their not out there for US. Why should they be? Because it's nice?

That doesn't buy baby a new pair of shoes.

[msongs]

6. maybe republican lite = the working upper class lol nt

[FarCenter]

8. The Democratic Party seems to be a conglomerate of special interests

Its main focus seemed to shift from being the party of the working class to the party of consumers.

But there are a lot of different subgroups that are wed to different specific causes.

[BolivarianHero]

9. I agree...

Typically, a vote for a Democrat is not a vote for someone who attacks organized labour, attends political functions with foreign religious kooks of marginal political importance who want to kill gay people, and comes to bat for corproate-run Charter "schools"...But maybe that's just me.

[anonymous171]

12. Agreed. nt

[rateyes]

15. Used to be. Back sometime before Clinton.

[FreakinDJ]

17. The Clintons created the DLC

Hence the DEM politicians flocking towards corporate America.

Bad enough we have Oxycotten Moron spouting "You can never Tax Corporations"

[shadesofgray]

16. K&R

[democracy1st]

19. K & R blame starts at the top with this pres,hopefully people will start holding him accountable!

[invictus]

20. K&R

[H2O Man]

21. Right.

My father told me that in his day, the Democratic Party represented the man in the flannel shirt who worked for a living, in their dealings with the republican in the suit & tie that got rich off the working man's labor. In time, the party was taken over by men in suits & ties, who represent the interests of those parasites who get/stay rich by exploiting the working class.

[FreakinDJ]

22. 1980 - Ronald Reagan ushered in the "Grand Pyramid Scheme"

Which essentially is the belief system many of the GOP faithful operate on.

Just go along with Greedy Corporate policies and some how they will allow you access into "The Rich Boy Club".

Wallmart Corporate during the late 80s, early 90s used to brag they had created more millionaires then any other corporation in America. What they failed to mention was that is was through a series of stock-splits and that managers were essentially required to buy stock into the company. They also failed to mention "Women were strictly forbidden admission to the club"

The recent Housing Bubble also serves as a prime example. Many Mortgage Brokerage firms, Real Estate Brokerage firms sprang up over night. They sang the praises of the "Bush Economy" and Cheer leaded the demise of America's Wealth right up until the Crash.

Makes you wonder were are all these GOP Economy folks now after their Brokerage has failed, after they are no longer able to subsist off the meager proceeds of their diminished annuity

BTW: Nice to see you around again H2O Man

[blindpig]

23. A temporary expedient

It was only during the Depression under the FDR administration that the Democratic Party adopted some measures being demanded by socialists and communists for the benefit of the common people. These moves were anything but altruistic, they were meant to save capitalism and blunt the growing socialist movement. Likewise the Great Society, seemingly a continuation of the New Deal, a response to the Civil Rights Movement. The New Deal was under attack the moment the crisis had passed, post WWII. The Great Society programs have been eroded since their inception by every subsequent administration of either party. Now its back to bidness as usual.

[FreakinDJ]

24. "Socialist and Communist" - Thats RATpubliCON Propaganda

What a Crock of HorseShit

The Anti-Trust Laws were developed by a "Round-Table" of Industrial Capitalist and Washington Lawmakers. The Banking Regulations were written in response to Millions of Americans whose savings were stolen by Greedy Robber Barons. Social Security was a Federally Mandated Savings Account until RATpubliCON lawmakers in 1942 saw an opportunity to legislate a little popularity for the 1942 Election cycle.

Your lack of Historical Knowledge and Wealth of RATpubliCON Propaganda Talking Points is very telling

[blindpig]

25. Those assholes were operating under duress

They had to do what they did, the edifice of capitalism was starting to crumble, socialists and communists were making great gains in the electorate.

You are utterly clueless, did you not know that Wallace was chosen as VP because of his socialist leanings and was bumped once the crisis was abating?

Your partisanship is making you stupid if you can't tell the difference between repub talking points and working class history.

1932 was a realigning election. Roosevelt and the Democratic ticket won a sweeping victory over Hoover and the Republicans, extending their control over the U.S. House and gaining control of the U.S. Senate. Twelve years of Republican leadership came to an end, and 20 consecutive years of Democratic control of the White House would ensue.<4> Until 1932, the Republicans had controlled the Presidency for 56 of the previous 72 years, dating to Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860. After 1932, the Democrats would control the Presidency for 28 of the next 36 years, until the 1968 presidential election created a new alignment which favored the Republicans (cemented in 1980). The vote for Roosevelt was nearly eight million higher than that for Smith in 1928, an increase of 52%. Hoover's popular vote was reduced by 26% from his result in the 1928 election. In addition, the vote for most minor parties rose dramatically: increases of 230% for the Socialist Party (Norman Thomas's highest raw vote total of his campaigns); an increase of 112% for the Communist Party; an increase of 305% for the Prohibition Party; and an increase of 57% for the Socialist Labor Party.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1932

[FreakinDJ]

26. Blindpig - your insults are purely RATpubliCONish

That Fucktard Freeped-out Wiki citation merely proves Freeptards have infiltrated Wiki and are deluting History just as surely as Oxycotton Moron wakes up each morning to a handful of pills and attempts to delute reality for millions of Americans each day

Attempting to Equate FDR and the New Deal with Socialist and Communist is just so RATpubliCON

Norman Thomas - Socialist - 2.2%
William Z. Foster - Communist - 0.3%

Under Duress my ass - Even that Bad-Joke known as Ralph Nadar did better then that

Keep repeating a lie enough time and eventually some trully clueless moron will pick up on it

[blindpig]

30. Not equating at all

Doubt it was something FDR wanted to do, it was something he had to do in order to prevent a further drift to the left of the suffering populace. They did the least that they had to do at the time and have been reneging ever since, with the coming evisceration of Social Security as the final nail in the coffin.

You fail to note the large, impressive gains made by those parties, 230% for the Socialists, 112% for the Communists. Why am I not surprised?

So anything on Wiki which you disagree with has been 'freeped'? How convenient.

I'm impressed, got Ralph & Rush in the same post, bonus points!

[FreakinDJ]

31. How convenient - FreepTard Talking Points

2.2% and 0.3% of the vote equate to "Stupid Is as Stupid Does"

Which brings us to the remainder of YOUR Freeptard Talking Points

[blindpig]

34. Then you tell me, since I'm a 'Freeptard'

Tell me about how the capitalists and their servants gave us the New Deal out of the kindness of their hearts. I find alternative alternative histories fascinating.

Be happy that I am not one to alert.

[dcsmart]

28. figure out a way to change it....and do it.

:kick: = action.