Democrats intend to make Republican corruption central theme in midterms

[dajoki]

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/18/politics/18cnd-congress.html?ex=1295240400&en=3f787e95b7c3b8a9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Democrats Unveil Their Own Plan for Rules on Lobbying

By CARL HULSE
Published: January 18, 2006

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 - With a stinging attack on Republican ethics, Congressional Democrats today proposed a lobbying overhaul they said far exceeds new Republican proposals in limiting the influence of monied special interests on Capitol Hill.

Senator Harry Reid, center, said the Democrats' plans for a lobbying overhaul unveiled today far exceed new Republican proposals.
"Today we as Democrats are declaring our commitment to change - change to a government as good and as honest as the people that we serve," said Senator Harry Reid of the Nevada, the Democratic leader, who compared Republicans to organized crime figures he battled as a state gaming official.

"We took them on; we ran them out of the state," he said in an elaborate event staged by House and Senate Democrats at the Library of Congress. "Well, here they have infiltrated government."

The high profile Democrats gave to unveiling their ethics plan made clear that the party intends to make its portrayal of Republican corruption a central theme in the coming mid-term elections and showed that Democrats do not intend to easily strike a deal with anxious Republicans on an ethics overhaul.

[Warpy]

1. If that's all they do, then forget holding onto any power they get

Until and unless they start mending fences with the party's working class base, they're doomed to failure. With no hope for a better future, people are not going to be particularly energized about getting rid of a corrupt party that at least gave them the illusion of tax cuts.

After all, the Katrina bungling has been largely forgotten and the news networks barely mention a whisper of the massive corruption in Washington. People really don't know how bad it is.

The gains will be minor and temporary, if they happen at all, unless the party wakes up.

[radio4progressives]

5. I agree with you Warpy... this is not very inspiring...

it was for a minute today, but i quickly became disillusioned once again, when Reid dissed Gore's remarks about Bush breaking the law.

i've got a really sinking feeling, and it hurts, it really hurts...

The dems aren't going to be able to make much hay of the scandals, because all it takes is for the Fascist Corporate MSM to quickly point out the sins of our own party ... though they are no even close to being in the same level, if our people are going to continue to be as mealy mouthed about the CRIMES that these bastards are GUILTY of - I'm talking about BUSH et al their crimes, IMPEACHABLE offenses that need to be PROSECUTED, at this point, i almost don't give a rats ass about Abramoff anymore, i'm so sick of it at this point.

Reid going on PBS and dismissing Gore's statements of FACTS, is like saying there's nothing to report and don't look behind the curtain please. move along now.

People, what the fuck is going on?

[Maggie_May]

2. We should take them on for this

Bush went on 2000 bringing integrity to the white house.
Dems should point that out in there campaigning he sure did bring something but it wasn't integrity.
You go for it Harry lets take off the gloves!!! I'm ready for a good fight with these cheating bastards.

[dajoki]

3. so am i n/t

[welshTerrier2]

4. consider this ...

there are several BIG ISSUES the Democrats could run on ...

the war in Iraq, Social Security, the economy and jobs, the "culture of corruption", abuse of power by the executive branch (i.e. spying on Americans and more) and all sorts of other issues (e.g. New Orleans incompetence, overstretched military, alienation of allies, education, oil and gas prices, etc) ...

for Democrats to really make a compelling case to the American people, at least in my view, we have to be able to "nationalize" the elections ... this means that regardless of the individuals running, the country will be able to understand that electing Democrats will be better for the country than electing republicans ...

the problem i see with making the "culture of corruption" a central theme, is that unless any given republican can be proved guilty, the issue may not carry much weight ... beating the guilty ones will be easy; beating those not tainted by corruption makes the Party's "central theme" somewhat irrelevant ... on the other hand, the issue Gore raised in his speech, the issue that Congress has been a rubberstamp for an illegal power grab by the executive branch, makes a good case for "divided government" ... it makes a good case to elect a Democratic Congress to create a balance against the excesses of the executive branch ...

this isn't to argue that corruption shouldn't be a very important issue to raise ... i just don't think it gets the job done as a central issue ...

[dajoki]

7. what about...

shrub's 2000 campaign theme of restoring dignity to the WH. same thing could be said by Dems about Congress.

[TankLV]

6. Couldn't agree more - that's what I've been saying to all the "play nice"

repuke apologists here.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Wrong-headed. I think most people think all politicians are corrupt....

We can do better. Run on Iraq war, abuse of power, Medicare crisis, budget deficit, environment, incompetence such as Katrina response, etc.

[The Magistrate]

9. This Is An Excellent Line To Pursue, Sir

The great shifts in Congressional power in the last several decades have all been motivated by public revulsion at the corruption of the majority party....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"