Patrick Kennedy: “I belong to an unorganized party. It’s the Democratic Party."

[wowimthere]

Rep. Pat Kennedy spoke the truth.

The Democrats were supposed to lead us out of the political, economic, and foreign policy miseries of the last 8 years. Instead, many Democrats got bogged down in their own selfishness.

They talked of how to pay for health reform instead of how to save more lives by enacting it.

They let a Republican party hell-bent on watering down Healthcare reform to undermine a nation's people.

They let fat-cat bankers run amok on its citizens. They sided with bankers who took tax payer money to bail them but did nothing substantive to hold bankers accountable for the practices that got us into this mess.

They escalated a war in Afghanistan when strategic ops forces would have been better use of our military.

They retreated from a fair foreign policy and decided against closing Gitmo because of the underwear bomber's failed attempt to blow up a plane.

They let the same Republicans who took us to war on a lie run the wartime operations under an administration who gave promise to doing things differently than the last one.

They let Republicans grind healthcare to a virtual standstill because the Republicans recognize Dems as weak on strategy and blow back.

They knew those teabaggers were going to incite near riots at town halls all over the country and they had no plan to counter it.

They knew the country had voted for resounding change and failed to capitalize on it. Healthcare should have been done in less than 5 months.

They should have known that there would be a backlash if they didn't get ahead of a banking crisis that was created under the Republicans.

They should have known that if they acted like the Republicans - making deals in public ie. Nelson, Landrieu, Lieberman to stop them from filibustering - that people would find a way to throw them out. It's how Republicans lost their power.

They should never have watered down their progressive agenda for conservative blue dogs. We have conservatives already. They're called Republicans.

Republicans get a lot of blame but blaming Republicans for the blunders of an entire party who allowed Blue dogs to hijack healthcare, financial regulatory reform at the expense of the middle class who expected you to pass these reforms will only lose you more seats.

Lastly, Democrats seem to be the ones who looked il-prepared to govern.

Do we ever learn from our mistakes? I'm a Democrat who thought that the last eight years would have taught our party a very valuable lesson. Democrats had the stamp of approval with the election of Obama - a mandate. Get healthcare done. Fix the climate. Fix the economy. Keep us safe but get out of wars of choice. In one year those key items have been blown because we allow the other side to get their say.

Compromise should never usurp the sound principles you espoused on your way to power. You don't let bums come in and tear up your house and then reward them for doing it. Republicans had their turn the last 8 years. Why give them more years to fuck this country up?

It's not too late for Democrats to get their act together after the message that MA sent. Listen to the base... dance with date that brung ya to the dance. Dancing with everyone else is counter to ending the night in harmony with the one you came with.

[ShortnFiery]

1. Bunk! You're either for "the people" or for "the corporations" = It's not rocket science ...

in this manufactured contest within the right-wing duopoly.

[invictus]

2. Was he sober when he said that?

[wowimthere]

3. Sober or drunk doesn't mean you don't know the truth. Dems didn't turn out

because Dems in Congress and the senate didn't do what they said they'd do when they had the power.

[bigwillq]

4. Exactly.

Good post. :thumbsup:

[elocs]

10. Right, and Democrats didn't show up for the HCR town hall meetings like the freepers did in droves.

Even in the Democratic districts it was our Democratic reps who were put on defensive by the Republican teabagger mobs. Right now it sure seems like its the Republicans who are mad, motivated, and fired up and that's how elections are won.

The truth is that if the Republicans held power the way the Dems have this past year they would have been kicking ass and taking no prisoners. Yes, Republicans truly believe that bipartisanship is another word for date rape. It's too bad that our Democrats and President do not understand that.

[theophilus]

6. Drunk or sober he's right. Although I think Will Rogers quote went more like,

I belong to no organized political party....I'm a Democrat. We Dems are fiercely individual to the point of shooting ourselves in both feet and sawing the limb off under us. It is tragic to walk in lockstep, as the Republicants do, in support of horrible ideas. Yet, we Dems can't seem to walk together for very long in support of much better policies. Both sides have serious problems but Dems seem especially good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

[M155Y_A1CH]

12. Yup, Will Rogers c1935

"I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat."

[virgogal]

7. Probably not. eom

[fascisthunter]

5. voters never respect folks who compromise their espoused ideals

it makes them look phony.

[wowimthere]

9. Correct. Why continue to compromise with someone who continuously

kicks sand in your face?

[fascisthunter]

11. because maybe those compromising want us to think

its about compromising with the other side, when in actuality it's theatre/cover, so they can tell voters that they tried doing what is right and principaled like bipartsianship. I highly doubt there was ever any intenetion of passing legislation with a Public Option or anything of the sort.

Next up: Social Security

[Name removed]

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