Shall Democrats in Congress support filibuster, censure or impeachment?

[question everything]

I don't know.

I have a sense of helplessness when I do the math. Clearly none of this can pass the Senate.

So why do this? Many say that it shows that the Democrats are serious about these issues. But, is it possible that too many of these will just highlight how ineffective we are, at least for now?

Would it be better to concentrate on "bread and butter" issues, like the cut of domestic programs while keeping the generous tax cuts? Like the continuing deteriorating state of health care? Like the shameless lack of support for military personnel and their families?

Wouldn't these issues provide better sound bites for the fall campaign? Wouldn't they offer opportunity to insert comments about the spineless administration?

I don't know. I am not a politicians, have never even mastered the field of "office politics."

I know that here many of us want action. We want at least one Democrat to stand up and say, on the floor of the Congress, that the President has misled and continue to disregard basic core of our democracy.

But politics is the art of compromise, a luxury that we here can ignore and perhaps they do have a reason for this.

I don't know. I wish that I had an answer that is not an intuitive quick response.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. Why not all three?

Until the Bush Regime is removed for power, this is war.

[leesa]

2. handcuffs and imprisonment

[wtmusic]

3. screw the political calculus and do what's right nt

[BlueManDude]

4. waterboard the whole fricken lot of 'em. n/t

[SnoopDog]

5. If you never try, you never succeed.

I am self employed. I cannot tell you how many times people would say that I have no chance... to say nothing about how many times I told myself that I would not succeed.

I have been responsible for my own income for 15 years and I did succeed.

Never give up - do your duty - never give up.

[mzmolly]

6. Glad your thinking, most people are not playing the record through.

I fear that if we censure now, a call for impeachment when we take back the congress may not have the full impact?

http://www.tompaine.com/print/impeachable_strategy.php

Tompaine.com had an article about this today which I find of interest. See the link above.

:hi:

[question everything]

8. Thank you very much for the link

here is the important paragraph:

So what's the impeachment game plan? Stir up public outrage to such an extent that Republicans — cared silly by a surge of people power — cannibalize Bush? That seems a quite bit tougher to achieve than the more down-to-earth goal of winning the 15 seats the Democrats require to gain control of the House. (And picking up those seats is already a tall order.) Impeachment certainly has a visceral appeal that some may not find in that mundane and tired ol' cause of let's-take-back-Congress. But unless you have a fanciful imagination, it's difficult to envision the former without the latter. And if your goal is impeachment, why focus on that controversial aim rather than on achieving the political power necessary for waging such a drastic step? The potential costs of an impeachment campaign are clear. It could cause Democrats to appear marginal or out-of-touch. (Sorry, that's how much of the world works.) And it could create a wedge issue — for Democrats. That is, it could lead to division among Democrats in the months before the 2006 elections. (Democrats.com, an Internet-based activist group that passionately champions impeachment, has been attacking Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean for supposedly trying to smother impeachment fever among Democrats.) As for the benefits — well, if Bush is not impeached before the next election, what are they?

[mzmolly]

9. I fear some liberals/progressives get caught up in a

"foam at the mouth no matter the end result" frenzy? Strategy - it seems is lost on many. I'd personally rather bang the impeachment drum when we have a shot in hell of actually doing it.

At the risk of sounding "Pitt-esque" - Winning the battle is not about trying to box with ones hands tied, it's about fighting after we work to untie them so as to actually be effective. ;)

G-night and thanks for asking the question we should ALL be asking right now. :hi:

[MH1]

10. That's an excellent article. Thanks for posting.

The last line sums up nicely:

"Let's remember that politics is about gaining and using power—and that gravity does apply."

[katsy]

7. As far as bread & butter issues...

A thread here on DU today illustrated how the gop killed Democratic legislation to up port security by $XXX and instead approved mirror image gop legislation. The gop has started pushing through Democratic ideas as their own running up to the 2006 elections. The Democrats receive no credit. If this is accepted as status quo, we will not win in 2006.

Instead of twiddling their thumbs in the meantime, maybe the Democratic Representatives should raise some hell and go for it all. Supporting censure and/or impeachment has public support IMO. Democrats should shoot for the sky and go for it all. Introduce legislation that is consistent with our values (jobs, education, security), block anti-worker/middle class legislation like tax cuts to the elite and corporations... AND demand censure or impeachment.