Wading Back In... and Suggesting a Shift in Dem Leadership

[Yeggo]

After getting my ass handed to me last night while offering a contrary opinion on the Keith Olbermann situation, I figured I'd start off slower today.

I love what Nancy Pelosi has done as Speaker. The number of bills that she managed to get passed, while dealing with not only a unified GOP opposition, but also the Blue Dogs, was nothing short of amazing. Forget the stuff that the Senate eventually acted on and consider there were over FOUR HUNDRED bills that passed the House that the Senate DIDN'T take up, and you get an idea of the workload she's dealt with the last four years.

That being said I wouldn't mind seeing a change in leadership now that we're a minority party. No, I don't condone the ascension of a conservative like Heath Shuler. But I think we can get a progressive, smart, effective advocate that is a newer name, and wouldn't be the caricature that Republicans succeeded in making out of Pelosi.

I suggest Debbie Wasserman Schultz be Minority Leader of the US House. She's been in Washington long enough to know how it works, she has a compelling personal history, is able to work within her party effectively, and would be a fresher face for Team Blue than the usual suspects of Hoyer, Clyburn, et al.

Just throwing it out there. Be gentle.

http://conversation101.squarespace.com/generic-ballot/2010/11/5/leggo-my-ego.html#comment10426294

[BrklynLiberal]

1. The Blue Dogs and "Moderate" Dems were slaughtered, The Progressives held onto their seats.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9498570

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9498743&mesg_id=9498743

Want to enthuse the base and recapture Congress and re-elect a Democratic President? ...go Progressive. They are the only base that one can count on to NEVER vote for a repuke.

[Yeggo]

2. And I think DWS fulfills that

She's certainly no Blue Dog, she's no conservaDem... but she's new enough that she doesn't carry the "liberal" stigma that Pelosi unfortunately does. Plus, for all the bad news Tuesday, self-described moderates voted DEMOCRAT. I know we can't count on them to NEVER vote for GOPer, but we need them to win as long as liberals don't make up as much of the electorate as conservatives.

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

4. When exactly did she become a "progressive"

And do her best friends, the Batista loving Diaz Ballart brothers know about this? :shrug:

[Yeggo]

7. She voted with Democratic leadership

99% of the time. I was unaware that there were folks who didn't consider her a progressive, but I'll listen to why you think that.

[PassingFair]

10. She's no progressive, that's for sure.

She's a New Dem (they lost seats this round, too).

(Please sell silly to people who aren't AWARE of their
surroundings please.)

[Yeggo]

13. OK, so she's a New Dem

But what in her record betrays a progressive agenda? I've been looking at her votes since you guys brought this up, and there really isn't a whole lot there that doesn't say "rank and file Democrat" to me. Are there statements she's made in opposition to progressive ideas that you can share?

[PassingFair]

14. Why in the WORLD would we exchange a Progressive like Nancy Pelosi...

for a DLC princess like Debbie Wasserman-Schultz?

Why in the world would it even be considered
by a majority Progressive House?

[Yeggo]

15. I get that you don't think she's a progressive

I'm still trying to figure out what in her voting record of public statements makes her a sell-out. I'm legitimately trying to find something... help me out here.

[PassingFair]

17. It's not that I don't THINK she's a progressive. It's that she's NOT a progressive.

See the difference.

Wasserman-Schultz dances when the DLC tells her to.

See: Florida primary

[BrklynLiberal]

5. "liberal" stigma ????????

[Yeggo]

9. Well, yeah...

I'm sure you're aware that while you and I may be fine calling ourselves that, the majority of the country doesn't consider themselves liberal (although they often hold pretty liberal positions, they just don't like the word.) Further, it's pretty obvious that whenever we have a leader like Nancy Pelosi, she gets tarred with that word by the right to a certain degree. I don't think that's the first word moderates (or, I'm learning, DU members) think of when they think of DWS.

[bigtree]

23. I'd rather our party be known as 'liberal' than 'moderate'.

'Moderate' assumes there's something worth reaching for on the right. I regard moderates as Democrats hiding their liberalism from their conservative constituents.

Btw, many of the Democratic legislators and many others that progressives regard as 'moderate' are, in fact, the liberals of the past. Apparently defense of the working-poor, our defense of affirmative action, our fight for affordable health care, our fight against U.S. sponsorship of military juntas abroad, our fight to protect minority and disabled rights, and our fight against tax giveaways to the rich is out of fashion and irrelevant if you so much as hint that you agree with anything this administration or our Democratic party has done.

[suffragette]

24. "tarred with that word" - liberal

and "liberal stigma"

Makes sense that you would propose Wasserman Schultz with those views.

But it makes no sense that the leader representing a Progressive majority would.

If there is a change from Pelosi, it should be a change in the other direction to Barbara Lee or another person from the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

[Cal33]

27. Great for the Progressives. Time will tell.

[Aramchek]

3. no thanks, Nancy has done a great job and will continue to.

[pocoloco]

25. Don't you just fucking love her clean table?

[tkmorris]

6. Ok. Gently.

"progressive, smart, effective advocate" ..."Debbie Wasserman Schultz"...


I'm not sure how to be kind responding to that. Perhaps you're simply having a laugh. I can handle that notion I suppose. Good one.

[Yeggo]

8. Apparently

there's a subsection of the left that doesn't think her left enough. There's nothing in her voting record to indicate that, and whenever I've seen her in a televised forum, she's always enunciated a pretty progressive point of view. But if she's too moderate, I'd love to hear what you know about her that I don't.

[bigtree]

11. you can't just take your pick

Shuler is in line behind Nancy for that job. The point in putting Nancy in the position is that she'll not only keep bds like Shuler from shifting our House Democrats toward the republicans, but she'll be seen by everyone as a potential speaker in the future. The chances of the President carrying Democrats back into the majority in 2012 are strong; especially if the republicans field a lightning rod that would energize and unite Democratic voters in opposition. Rep. Pelosi should be regarded as a speaker-in-waiting.

[Yeggo]

12. I didn't know there was a line.

I thought anyone who wanted to could be considered for the post. Otherwise, how could a second term Rep like Schuler be ahead of people who have been in the caucus for decades?

[bigtree]

19. it's a matter of support

He's reportedly got a following. Nancy holds down the left, just by virtue of her past leadership and by the fact that the only real opposition in the House comes from a coalition of conservative Democrats who are anxious to paint the election as a nod to their right-leaning ways. Picking someone without that clout gives the bds the level fight they want. Right now, Nancy stands tall in comparison to the bd faction.

[Yeggo]

20. That's a fair point

Although even if Schuler is the self-appointed leader of the Blue Dogs, after Tuesday that caucus consists of ... what? 8 people?

[Toucano]

16. Pelosi is effective. Stick with a brand you trust.

Reid on the other hand...he better start playing tough.

[RiverStone]

18. I suggested the same this am....

Here's what happened :hi:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9498833&mesg_id=9498833

[PassingFair]

21. You can wade back out now....

trying to be gentle.

:P

[tsuki]

22. I'll be gentle. No. nt

[Cal33]

26. How about Dennis Kucinich. Do you think he can get more

done than Pelosi?