Why is Bush/GOP STILL largely getting what they want?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

I don't understand how, with a Democratic Congress, Bush and the GOP are still largely able to get what they want both in terms of blocking good legislation and preventing any significant changes in Bush's Iraq "policy" and getting new legislation passed that Bush and the GOP want (i.e. increased surveillance)? I was never naive enough to believe that electing a Democratic Congress with this mis-administration still in the WH would result in the enactment of a slew of Democratic-sponsored progressive legislation nor reverse all of the egregious laws enacted over the course of the previous six years when Republicans controlled everything but I THOUGHT that at least our party would FINALLY start playing more "defense" and preventing Bush et. al from doing MORE damage and getting more bad legislation through. This Congress, unfortunately, seems to be "enabling" this mis-administration and its agenda nearly as much as the previous Republican Congresses, ostensibly for political reasons (2008). If selling out to Bush and the Republicans out of fear of being labled as "weak" or "soft on terrorism" (as if the Republicans have a solid record to run on in regards to terrorism-9/11 anybody?) is the necessary price for winning back the WH in 2008, then I'm afraid that it's TOO HIGH of a price to pay. I believe that we should be OPPOSING this mis-administration, its goals, and everything the Republicans stand for loudly and at every turn and let the chips fall where they may. The Republicans are in horrible shape right now. Bush is weak in terms of popularity, he is dragging down the rest of his party down with him over Iraq, and the current slate of Republican candidates are, frankly, quite laughable. It almost seems as though the Democrats forgot they won in 2006 and are in control (at least nominally) of both houses of Congress. We may not have enough votes to get our agenda through but a.)That doesn't mean we shouldn't try and b.)We can AT LEAST "gum up the works" for this mis-administration and the Republican agenda. All of this "political calculation" when dealing with this mis-administration is not only stupid but insane.

[rodeodance]

1. Stampeding Congress, Again

Forum Name Editorials & Other Articles
Topic subject Stampeding Congress, Again
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x298802#298802
298802, Stampeding Congress, Again
Posted by Joanne98 on Sat Aug-04-07 10:14 AM

http://dzarkhan.wordpress.com/2007/08/03/stampeding-congress-again /
Editorial (NYT)

Stampeding Congress, Again
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration has repeatedly demonstrated that it does not feel bound by the law or the Constitution when it comes to the war on terror. It cannot even be trusted to properly use the enhanced powers it was legally granted after the attacks.

Yet, once again, President Bush has been trying to stampede Congress into a completely unnecessary expansion of his power to spy on Americans. And, hard as it is to believe, Congressional Republicans seem bent on collaborating, while Democrats (who can still be cowed by the White House’s with-us-or-against-us baiting) aren’t doing enough to stop it.

The fight is over the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires the government to obtain a warrant before eavesdropping on electronic communications that involve someone in the United States. The test is whether there is probable cause to believe that the person being communicated with is an agent of a foreign power or a terrorist.

Mr. Bush decided after 9/11 that he was no longer going to obey that law. He authorized the National Security Agency to intercept international telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans and other residents of this country without a court order. He told the public nothing and Congress next to nothing about what he was doing, until The Times disclosed the spying in December 2005.

Ever since, the White House has tried to pressure Congress into legalizing Mr. Bush’s rogue operation. Most recently, it seized on a secret court ruling that spotlighted a technical way in which the 1978 law has not kept pace with the Internet era.

The government may freely monitor communications when both parties are outside the United States, but must get a warrant aimed at a specific person for communications that originate or end in this country. The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that the court that issues such warrants recently ruled that the law also requires that the government seek such an individualized warrant for purely foreign communications that, nevertheless, move through American data networks.

Instead of asking Congress to address this anachronism, as it should, the White House sought to use it to destroy the 1978 spying law. It proposed giving the attorney general carte blanche to order eavesdropping on any international telephone calls or e-mail messages if he decided on his own that there was a “reasonable belief” that the target of the surveillance was outside the United States. The attorney general’s decision would not be subject to court approval or any supervision.

The White House,....
http://dzarkhan.wordpress.com/2007/08/03/stampeding-congress-again /





..........


It is one reason--------and it works. The "WHY" is a mystery

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. That may be the case, that the president is stampeding, however....

.... it doesn't explain the Democrats voting in to favor Bush. Why are they doing it?

[givemebackmycountry]

2. Lets say you and I are playing a game of chess...

And lets say that I am a better chess player than you are.
You make a move, and you realize that it's the wrong move.
You know that I know, it's the wrong move.
You know that the next move that I make, will cause you to lose.
You know exactly the move I will make to cause you to lose.
Right before I reach to move my piece, you rear back and slam your fist into my nose breaking it.

I sit there stunned and I make another move that causes you to win.

Kind of a poor analogy, but it's all I can think of this morning.

[Waya]

3. Cause, as much as it pains me to say................

Dems have the backbone of jellyfish......>sigh<

[libertypirate]

4. Don't you remember Anthrax? /nt

[Warren Stupidity]

5. War Party spans both nominal parties.

Isn't that obvious? We have been snookered, once again, into thinking that there are two political parties competing for power. There is one Corporate Kleptocracy War Party, firmly in control of both political parties, and they laughed at us when we thought we 'won' in November.

[dkofos]

6. The dems are lead by spineless IDIOTS.

[CANDO]

7. They flirt with losing all credibility with this strategy.

I can't believe they don't realize that point. They will be branded as weaklings and that independent voter they persuaded last fall may make them pay for their weakness in '08.

[kenny blankenship]

9. Because Democrats never challenged the premises on which he advance(s,d) his demands

Or have they started impeaching him over the illegality and fraud of the Iraq Invasion while I was asleep?

[Exiled in America]

13. That was a very powerfully worded answer. So very true.

[Babsbrain]

10. Because our politicians are all bought and paid for. n/t

[Beelzebud]

11. Because we have a 1 party system that pretends to be a 2 party system.

[Kahuna]

12. Because they still control the courts and the justice department.

THAT'S why.

[journalist3072]

14. Be careful.... This thread will be locked by one of the DU Mods

Apparently some of our DU moderators don't like criticism of the Democratic Party.

I pretty much asked the same question you did yesterday, and my thread was locked by a DU Mod saying "constructive" criticism of Democrats was OK on DU, but my thread wasn't "constructive."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1508471&mesg_id=1508471

[Warren Stupidity]

15. interesting.

I say screw that. If this board wants to censor the outrage of the Underground against the Leadership of our party as it sells our republic to the highest bidder, I say 'bring it on'.

Let a thousand locked threads show the way.