We will get "the ethics thing" instead of a Filibuster.

[Dr Fate]

I hope that fires up the base. I'm assuming this has more to do with those "swing-voters" than us anyway.

It seems to be in the wind that this is the "see, we really are fighting!!!" bone that they are going to throw to us.

I don't see why they can't do both.

Why can't they do both?

[Mind_your_head]

1. I think they can do both.....they BETTER do both.....

....the 'winds-are-a-changing'....people have learned not to just 'settle' for something less than what they need/want/deserve.

The minority (of Americans) better not be able to seat Alito on the SCOTUS. We don't care HOW this nomination gets crushed... a "NO" vote, a filibuster, or ???. This is the Rubicon.

[Dr Fate]

3. The writing is on the wall. They are emphasizing "safe fights" instead.

Nothing wrong with doing both, in my opinion.

I predict that the DEMS have already decided to ignore the base again in favor of what they think will impress "swing voters."

I hope I'm 100% wrong.

[Mind_your_head]

5. "safe fights", eh? .....I'll take 'street smarts' over 'politically

correct' any day.

[Lerkfish]

2. dunno. I fear not filibustering is still a strategic blunder.

[Dr Fate]

4. Sure, but who cares what the 99% of the DEM base thinks.

The strategists who lost the last 3 elections seem to think that refusing to fully oppose the appointments of the most dishonest & corrupt president in history will impress swing-voters.

Swing voters who are apparently paying closer attention to politics than we are, and who apparently donate much more money and time to Democrats than we do.

[Zodiak]

6. you rock Dr. Fate!!

You speak the truth....over and over and over. I am a fan.

[Dr Fate]

7. I would rather eat those words... Here is some hope:

I may have to rethink my cynicism for a brief moment- it looks like Holy Joe is open to a Filibuster- I take this a small sign that my prediction may be wrong- hope so.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2376880

[Zodiak]

8. Ahhhhhhh but Ben Nelson....you can set your watch

for his betrayals. Leiberman is odious, true, but he is only our sixth or seventh worst Senator (strangely enough, Carper is almost as bad, but he doesn't get attention on DU, either).

DU, as much as we do not want to admit it, reflects a LOT of the biases presented on television and other "easy access" media. As a consequence, Leiberman and Hillary get a lot of attention for being DINOs, but I have a list that shows otherwise.

The ones we should focus on are here (my methodology):

Cantwell (Washington) - DLC 42.9
Johnson (South Dakota) - DLC 42.9
Kohl (Wisconsin) - DLC 42.9
Baucus (Montana) - DLC 39.3
Conrad (North Dakota) - DLC 39.3
Feinstein (California) 39.3
Leiberman (Connecticut) - DLC 35.7
Carper (Deleware) - DLC 28.6
Lincoln (Arkansas) - DLC 21.4
Nelson (Florida) - DLC 21.4
Salazar (Colorado) - DLC 21.4
Pryor (Arkansas) - DLC 17.9
Landrieu (Louisianna) - DLC 14.3
Nelson (Nebraska) - DLC 0.0

The DLC tags are only there because I wanted to track them (the DLC also gets a lot of attention here...some criticisms true, some not-so-true).

Of the entire list, only Feinstein and Leiberman are discussed as DINOs commonly on DU. I think that should change.

By the way, these numbers reflect the percentage of time Democrats vote against Bushco when it comes to bill passage and controversial political appointments. Nelson NEVER votes with us. Leiberman does it enough to be called a Democrat (barely). Because of this analysis, I became VERY wary of Landrieu.

Any Dem who votes with Bushco 65% or more of the time should face a REAL opposition Democrat in the primaries. Make them defend their ostensible Bush-enabling agenda.


EDIT: now that I think about it (and if I were more cynical), one could also say that Leiberman's indication to filibuster could be the result of the "DINO Primary challenge" hypothesis, no?

[Dr Fate]

9. Could you PM me that list?...

...I used to mail links to myslef, but that function no longer exists...

Is there another way to save posts? I used to just mail them to myself...

And agree about Lieberman and the primaries- I dont really care what his motives are, so long as he supports it...