What does the democrat* "leadership" gain by humiliating Pete Stark?

[pscot]

Two congressmen, Gene Taylor and Jim Marshall, voted against schip. Were they sanctioned? No. Were they called on the carpet? Not so far as anyone can tell. But Pete Stark calls bullshit on the greatest mass murderer of the 21st Century, and Pelosi, Hoyer and Emmanuel cut his balls off in public to appease a bunch of right-wing thugs. What the hell has happened to the Democrats? Who are these people we have put in office. Over in the Senate, yet another racist judge is oozing toward confirmation. Pat Leahy is sad about it, for all that's worth, but DiFi found him charming and believes he's been misunderstood, or reformed, or something. I'm really beginning to wonder if any of them are fit to govern.

*"Democrat" is a term of contempt coined by Senator Joseph McCarthy. I have always hated it, but it seems appropriate in this context.

[fenriswolf]

1. they gain a pat on the head

from their corporate masters who hold them in check with their pocketbook, bribes and scandles that have not been revealed.

[unkachuck]

8. and....

....a smack down of the Party left and all who think like brother Pete....

[ThomCat]

17. You have that right.

They show that they're good, obedient servants who won't get out of line. x(

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. they must have a lot of spare time on their hands?

[madrchsod]

3. they lost

they do not care about anything or anybody but themselves.it really is sick

[msongs]

4. covers up their own complicity in going along with the bush regime? nt

[frazzled]

5. I don't think calling up McCarthy is appropriate in any context

I've been around the block a few times ... and I can tell you this Pete Stark incident is not really worth all the hand wringing and panty twisting and histrionics everyone here is giving it.

Chill ...

The hyperbole has gone way over the top ... and that is how McCarthy got to the point he did.

I'm glad there aren't any guillotines any more. It's beginning to sound like the Terror around here.

[pscot]

10. It's not really about Stark

It's what the incident says about the Pelosi crew. Whatever you think of Pete Stark, he's their guy and they should have told the replicants to go piss out the window. They're nothing but a bunch of yellow dogs. They'll do anything for a belly rub, or a kick, doesn't seem to matter which.

[frazzled]

12. Thanks for both missing my point and proving it /nt

[movonne]

13. We have dems who are giving into the bush administration all the

time..and I'm sick to death of it...you may think it is going over the top and the pete stark is not much to get our panties in a wad...then what is?

[Arugula Latte]

21. It's symbolic of a much greater problem.

And it's also the last straw for a lot of people.

[grasswire]

26. thank you for a voice of sanity

The hysteria level around here has been reminiscent of the girl's restroom at the middle school Valentine dance. I'm sick of it.

[Me.]

6. The Approval Of The Republicons & The DLC

The beltway crowd may even invite them for drinks and I bet their coffers runneth over

[western mass]

7. collaborators are just doing their job

they do it so well.

[mooseprime]

11. collaborators is exactly

the right word. exactly.

[JeffR]

9. 17 votes from red states that they wouldn't have got otherwise!!!!

Apparently those 17 votes were really fucking important to them, much more important than the thousands of votes they may have lost by making Stark walk the plank. Beltway is a term synonymous with not being able to get your head out of your ass long enough to see which way the wind blows, apparently.

[adadem]

14. both my husband and I

are furious about this. What the he** is the matter with Pelosi!!!!!

:nuke:

We're both calling her office to give her a mouthful!!!

[John Q. Citizen]

20. It's not just Pelosi. It's also Steney Hoyer.

[TheFarseer]

15. they think

it makes them look patriotic and/or reasonable. Of course it does not. It only makes them look like wimps that are not serious about ending the war, which of course they are.

[MADem]

16. It stops the GOP from continuing to beat a dead horse.

Any time any subject came up, they blubbered "Puh..puh...Pete STAAAAARK was INTEMPERATE on the House FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!"

People are catching on, though. Olbermann noted this evening that there's a bit of a double standard afoot. We just need to keep pointing it out, and not behave childishly. It's hard to e the adults in the room sometimes--the temptation to be vengeful is understandably powerful.

You can't sanction people for their vote, even if it's an IDIOTIC vote--just their language on the floor while the chamber is in session.

[pingzing58]

18. Whose pulling Nancy Pelosi strings? Who has her in their pocket? I want to know?

[babylonsister]

19. Thanks.Please, enlighten me, and not from Rahm Emauel Fuck him. nt

[whistle]

22. Follow the money and the money being fed to the democratic party

...comes from none other than that Nazi Felix Rohatyn, the man who got Dictator Augusto Pinochet into power in Chile.

[CoffeeCat]

23. What do the Democrats gain?

All of their crimes and misdemeanors are kept silent.

All of their corruption and dirty, back-door deals---are swept
back under the rug--for now.

Whatever videotape, audiotape or Polaroids the administration
has on these Democrats--is now boxed up and returned to storage--
until one of them dares to step out of line again.

They get to keep their jobs. That's what.

[shireen]

24. Ask DFA for another poll, one that rates Congressional leaders

Nancy, Steny, and Harry need a dose of reality. I think they're totally oblivious of how unhappy we are with their job performance!

[MaxwellCube]

25. Pete Stark himself apologized, so screw 'em

Stark also said; "I hope that with this apology, I return to being as insignificant as I should be." 'The hell kinda talk is that? Now Stark sounds like a crazy and drunk old Uncle Al when he's looking for a hug after he broke all your knick-knacks.

When they demanded an apology he should have quoted another crazy old man, this one from the Senate:

"NO!"

-Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)

[pingzing58]

33. Loved your post, made me laugh. Please come again and post often!

[Kurovski]

27. It amuses King George.

:mad:

[KaptBunnyPants]

28. Rubbing dirt in the face of those who want to support them.

It really seems like the whole point is to disillusion people from trying to be politically active. I suppose they would rather share the graft with the Republicans every few election cycles than risk having to deal with mass civic involvement that demands honest and responsive government.

[cali]

29. You and Joe McCarthy

what an adorable pairing.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Very simply, we do not have a two party system.

[MadHound]

31. In a way it is a coming out party for the two party/same corporate master system of government.

It is, in a very public way, acknowledging that both major parties have been corrupted, and are now beholden to, the same corporate masters, the ones who fill their campaign coffers. It is telling not only the left and the liberals, but the vast majority of Americans to fuck off, they're in charge and we're screwed.

There are precious few left on in Congress who will speak truth to power, and those who are still there are being systematically silenced or purged.

The question is what are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue to blindly pull that lever with the D on it? Are we going to continue to try and "change the party from within", even though it is painfully evident that after thirty plus years of this sort of effort, the situation has only gotten worse? Or are we finally willing to say enough is enough and make the party pay dearly for its transgressions? It is all good and well to be loyal to the party, but one must be loyal to our country above and beyond that, and when the party is now part of the problem, then we have to put loyalty to country above loyalty to party.

I know when I'm not wanted by the party, and yes, after a lifetime of being a Democrat it hurts. But I'll get over it and I'll move on. I put the well being of myself and my country ahead of party loyalty, and I will act accordingly. Remember your history, and how quickly the Whigs were replaced. Within four years they were gone, replaced by a splinter party that grew in power quickly. It can, and will happen again.

[donsu]

32. fear of what the murderous neo cons will do to them and theirs

that's how the neo cons work: bully, bribe, blackmail, threaten and if that doesn't work, murder.