Obama has such great ideas but I'm depressed that the GOP will easily kill all of them.

[Kablooie]

Unless Obama can get the Republican Senators to agree not to filibuster or convince some Republicans to vote for his proposals, not a single proposal will ever be passed. We will live with this country in it's current state until the Republicans take control again. The Democrats will not filibuster every single bill when they are the minority again so some will pass.

The one alternative is to design a bill so it can be decided with reconciliation as a budget measure. The Democratic leadership does not seem to give this any serious consideration, though. They seem to prefer to allow Republicans to kill every bill they write and hand over the next administration to the GOP rather than exercise this option.

It is terribly depressing that a president with so many positive, great ideas can be made completely powerless by a petty, minority party in the Senate. It's evil but of course that makes no difference to the GOP.

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. He did address that in the speech - made it clear that obstructionism will

be seen not as a reflection on the bills, but on the party opposing the bills. He is very aware of the populist anger, and wants to, in this way, see the anger is focused on the republican obstructionists (as it should be).

Whether or not it will work is a different thing.

[Kablooie]

3. With Fox news and hundreds of radio stations spouting GOP propaganda ...

it will be nearly impossible to turn the populist anger towards the GOP, where it belongs.

The public will hear, over and over again that the Democrats are in control and they can't make decisions.

You will never hear that the GOP is killing every single bill that is submitted.

Like I said, the GOP gets off scott free. No fallout towards them at all.

[rocktivity]

The GOP has stalled hm so far because neither he nor the Dems HAVE FOUGHT BACK

He's spent the past year giving the Rethugs enough rope to hang themselves. If the Dems have to do everything by budget reconciliation straight down the line, so be it, and more to the point, they can justify it. It's a good way for Dems to get themselves re-elected, and some of them must remember the good old days of when they were in power and couldn't even get legislation on the House or Senate floors.


rocktivity

[Kablooie]

4. I have not heard any move towards reconciliation by the Senate Dems.

It's only talk by us and other outsiders.

[rocktivity]

9. No matter who's doing the talking, we've had a years' worth.

It's time to start talking and start doing.


rocktivity

[Echo In Light]

10. They INTENTIONALLY don't "fight back." Rigged game, 110%

[Cleita]

2. They will unless he starts taking names and kicking ass

like Roosevelt and Johnson did. That is part of the leadership job of being President and Obama seems to be shrinking from doing that.

[Kablooie]

5. He has to find away to hit the Republicans hard or he is going down himself.

But I don't have any idea how he could do that.

[Xolodno]

6. I think the problem isn't only Dem's not sticking it to the Republicans...

The Moderate Republicans who would normally come on board eventually are running scared.

Think back to those old Sci-Fi/Horror movies where the mad-scientist creates and unleashes a monster. But the monster turns on its master and destroys him. That's exactly what the GOP did. They created the monster call the "Tea-Party" and its attacking its master.

Thus every Republican that's a statesman and would support some items Obama has proposed (as they themselves have supported it in the past) wouldn't even dare today as they could get "primaried".

The Republicans hoped that the Tea-Party would be the beginnings of a rally...and instead its backfiring.

[Kablooie]

7. Yes. There is a fear of voting independently among Repubs. They must be threatened.

[piratefish08]

8. Fuck all that "threaten to filibuster" bullshit

The Dems need to grow a pair and force an ACTUAL fillibuster.

Cowering to their threats is the problem.........