Will the Dems start acting like an opposition party?

[Goblinmonger]

When is this going to happen. With the exception of a few, most Democrats seem to be just putting in their time hoping that the next election will bring better results. Didn't work during the first term, why do they think it will work now.?

Seriously, isn't a better idea to start calling bullshit more vocally and get the word out to the population that Cuckoo-Bananas and company are a bunch morons and their policies are failing miseably. All people are hearing is that it is great. And don't tell me it is all the fault of the MSM. If enough people started calling bullshit, it would be impossible for the news organziations to ignore.

[Melodybe]

1. Start calling your senators and tell them too. # 202 224 2131

[Jo March]

2. It's called "managing up"

If your "manager" (in this case the Dem leaders) does not know how to do the job, you then "manage up" - tell them, in no uncertain terms, how to do their jobs.

It's not all the fault of the MSM or the right. It's our fault as well.

So, here is a contact list. Start calling bullshit on them and TELL them to do the same.

State Name Phone Fax Webform
ARJR Mark Pryor 202-224-2353 501-324-6336 http://pryor.senate.gov/contact/
ARSR Blanche Lambert Lincoln 202-224-4843 870-910-6896 http://lincoln.senate.gov/html/webform.html
CAJR Barbara Boxer 202-224-3553 909-888-8525 http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
CASR Dianne Feinstein 202-224-3841 415-393-0707 http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
COJR Ken Salazar 202-224-5852 303-455-7600 http://salazar.senate.gov/contactus.cfm
CTJR Joseph I. Lieberman 202-224-4041 860-549-8463 http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue
CTSR Christopher J. Dodd 202-224-2823 800-334-5341 http://dodd.senate.gov/webmail/form-opinion.html
DEJR Thomas R. Carper 202-224-2441 302-856-7690 http://carper.senate.gov/email-form.html
DESR Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 202-224-5042 302-573-6345 http://biden.senate.gov/contact/emailjoe.cfm
FLSR Bill Nelson 202-224-5274 850-942-8415 http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
HIJR Daniel K. Akaka 202-224-6361 808-522-8970 [e-mail]
HISR Daniel K. Inouye 202-224-3934 808-242-9702 [e-mail]
IAJR Tom Harkin 202-224-3254 515-284-4574 http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
ILJR Barack Obama 202-224-2854 217-492-5089 http://obama.senate.gov/contact/
ILSR Richard J. Durbin 202-224-2152 618-998-8812 http://durbin.senate.gov/sitepages/contact.cfm
INJR Evan Bayh 202-224-5623 219-852-2763 http://bayh.senate.gov/LegForm.htm
LASR Mary Landrieu 202-224-5824 504-589-2427 http://landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
MAJR John F. Kerry 202-224-2742 508-677-0522 http://kerry.senate.gov/low/contact_email.html
MASR Edward M. Kennedy 202-224-4543 617-565-3170 http://kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html
MDJR Barbara A. Mikulski 202-224-4654 301-797-2826 http://mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html
MDSR Paul S. Sarbanes 202-224-4524 410-860-2131 http://sarbanes.senate.gov/pages/email.html
MIJR Debbie A. Stabenow 202-224-4822 313-961-4330 http://stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm
MISR Carl Levin 202-224-6221 231-947-9569 http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
MNSR Mark Dayton 202-224-3244 320-905 3007 http://dayton.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
MTSR Max Baucus 202-224-2651 406-782-8700 http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html
NDJR Byron L. Dorgan 202-224-2551 701-746-8972 [e-mail]
NDSR Kent Conrad 202-224-2043 701-232-8030 http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html
NEJR Ben Nelson 202-224-6551 402-441-4600 http://bennelson.senate.gov/email.html
NJJR Frank Lautenberg 202-224-3224 973-639-8700 http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html
NJSR Jon S. Corzine 202-224-4744 856-757-5353 http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
NMJR Jeff Bingaman 202-224-5521 505-454-8824 [e-mail]
NVSR Harry Reid 202-224-3542 775-882-7343 http://reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm
NYJR Hillary Rodham Clinton 202-224-4451 518-431-0120 http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
NYSR Charles Schumer 202-224-6542 518-431-4070 http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html
ORSR Ron Wyden 202-224-5244 541-858-5122 http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/
RISR Jack Reed 202-224-4642 401-528-5200 http://reed.senate.gov/form-opinion.htm
SDSR Tim Johnson 202-224-5842 605-332-8896 http://johnson.senate.gov/emailform.html
VTSR Patrick J. Leahy 202-224-4242 802-229-0569 [e-mail]
WAJR Maria Cantwell 202-224-3441 253-572-2281 http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
WASR Patty Murray 202-224-2621 425-259-6515 http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
WIJR Russell D. Feingold 202-224-5323 608-782-5585 http://feingold.senate.gov/contact.html
WISR Herb Kohl 202-224-5653 608-796-0045 http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html
WVJR John D. Rockefeller, IV 202-224-6472 304-367-0122 http://rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm
WVSR Robert C. Byrd 202-224-3954 304-342-5855 http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html

[MadHound]

4. And you call, and you talk, and you beg, and you plead,

And still you and your fellow citizen's actions do not tip the scale, for weighted in the balance against the electorate is corporate America and the corporate lucre that they bring to the table. Welcome to the two party/same corporate master system of government.

Honestly, haven't you seen this by now? Don't you get it? Messages, emails, phone calls, etc. were running 268-1 against the IWR, yet it passed overwhelmingly. Similar scenarios have been played out for years now, and it should be obvious that it isn't their constituents that are so-called leaders are paying attention to, but their corporate masters.

The only way out of this mess is to:

A. Don't vote for anybody who takes corporate money.

B. Work like hell to make publicly financed elections the law of the land. Two states have this already, twenty two can achieve it by the ballot initiative, the rest will have to ram it through their state legislature.

This is where we have to make our stand, this is the only way we can stop this train from going over the cliff edge. Quaint little niceties like working within the party, and calling your reps are the bygone relics of another era. Yes, I still think that you should contact your reps, if for nothing else than form's sake. But don't be suprised when it does absolutely no good.

Nope, we've got to hit them where it hurts the most, in the war chest. Otherwise anything we do is going to be an exercise in futility.

[Jo March]

7. Yet, I'll still continue to try because this is NOT an election year

So, option A doesn't work right now. Option B is being worked on and will hopefully be adopted soon.

As for now - I will continue to wave my sword at the windmills.

[gordianot]

10. I agree.

I have written, called, driven voters to the polls with meager most often no results. Not even a reply.

Other than a handful of Democrats who speak their mind there is a lack of passion. One thing does encourage me the RW still attacks the Clinton's as a scapegoat, they leave the Democrats they need to fear alone and are today ignoring the real threats.

[donkeyotay]

14. This is our lowest common denominator

Whether your issue is race, gender, environment - or even left or right - the problem is that citizens have no representation because it's been auctioned off to the corporations, particularly the defense industry.

Demanding public elections is an effort that would pay off for the people if the people united behind it.

[AndyTiedye]

19. Big Difference

If they were one would not be running roughshod over the other.

Yes, both parties are influenced by corporations.
The similarity ends there.

Corporatism, Democratic style gave us Bill Clinton (and a Repub
Congress that hamstrung him for most of his time in office).
Coulda been better, but looks pretty good right now.

The Republican party is owned by a small group of robber barons
who are attempting to establish a theocracy. They want to do this
because fascism backed up with theocracy is the fastest way to
mobilize the country for the scale of warfare they have in mind.
It is also the only form of govermnent that can be as exploitive
of the people as the current Chinese brand of "Communism".

[gordianot]

3. In some ways losing the filibuster may do it.

As much as this scares me if they do lose maybe they will be forced to become an opposition party and not as complacent.

[AndyTiedye]

6. Losing The Filibuster Means The End of All Opposition Parties

There is no way for the Democrats to recover if this happens.
They will be able to steal every election from now on,
and the Supreme Court will be packed with Repub stooges
that will give every disputed election to Repubs anyway.

We cannot 'shut down' the Senate!
They'll just change the rules again.

[gordianot]

11. End of the filibuster will probably result in the end of this Republic.

Reestablishing it will be difficult if not impossible. My understanding is few if any Republics have lasted more than 300 years.

I think recovery is possible with two conditions.

People get mad while they lose their standard of living.
People get hungry.

Fiscal irresponsibility is the catalyst and someday Democrats will be expected to clean up the mess.

[Itsthetruth]

12. What Opposition Party?

eom

[forgethell]

5. I don't know, they

seem to be opposing as hard as they are able. What specifically should they be doing more?

[holboz]

8. Maybe Galloway can give them some lessons

That sort of straight-n-blunt, knock'em-between-the-eyes sort of speech delivered with steely-eyed conviction is what the Democrats need to do. Yes, it's out of nature for most Dems, but I think red state rednecks would listen to someone who sounds like he's about to open a big ol' can of whoop ass on somebody. It's not too hard to call a spade "a spade" when addressing the absurdities of the Rethugs.

It was refreshing seeing someone stand toe-to-toe with an opposition and deliver concise statements with such confidence.

Ye donnae feck with the Scottish!

[Goblinmonger]

15. Exactly

Watching him is what prompted me to post this thread. He is what an opposition party should be. Shouldn't the dems have been standing up and saying this from the beginning rather than looking like they are bending over for the pukes?

[Just Me]

9. We all have the responsibility to BE the opposition to the neoCONs.

Shrill finger-pointing and complaining isn't as helpful to our common cause as picking up the phone and making the call, getting out petitions, informing your neighbor,...stuff like that.

[Goblinmonger]

16. I do make calls

but if our Democratic representatives in Congress don't have the brass ones to call bullshit when it is so obvious, then fuck them. You are telling me that they shouldn't say anything until they have critical mass in complaints. What about doing what is right?

And I do call my senators, etc. (though I am lucky to have Feingold and Kohl on my side in my state). Petri hears from me enough, but that won't change him at all.

My point is not from the grassroots level. I realize the importance of that, but that is not what gets the media.

[bpilgrim]

20. and we all HAVE been

calling folks OUT, who are not CONTRIBUTING, is part of that process.

peace

[ElectroPrincess]

13. Perhaps now - after this monumental loss you will believe THE TRUTH

We have NO opposition party that primarily represents the working people.

Now we go to work solely for the MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS.

God bless that mean mean green. :P

[kerry-is-my-prez]

17. Concentrate on the perpetrators and the media & stop blaming the victims.

I do see a lot of Dems who are fighting despite the fact that they know they're going to lose.

Why put all of your energy into fighting losing battles? Myself - I only put all of my energy into things that I know I have at least a remote chance of winning or if I know that it's going to actually DO something. The media also spins it to look as if the Dems are just a bunch of whining troublemaking "sore losers."

Yes, I understand that there is such a thing as making a statement - but should they put hours, days, weeks wot==rth of energy into fighting a losing battle.

[Goblinmonger]

18. Who is fighting

and what are they fighting. It seems like most dems are just grabbing their ankles, thanking RoveCo., and asking for another.

And my answer to the last question is "Yes." They are going to lose almost every battle. Should they just collect their check and hope to get reelected? Fuck that. Call bullshit on the Republicans; that's their job. Blaming the victims, please. Keep telling the American public that the Republicans are wrong. Say it often and say it loud. I do, but nobody puts a microphone in front of me and puts me on the news. They get on the news. And they get a pretty good paycheck for their job, too. What the hell else do they have to do with their hours, days, and weeks?