Remind me again why it's good we are the "majority."

[cboy4]

Just got home from work....just read about yet another Iraq War funding triumph for Bush.

Huge victory for Bush and the Republicans.

I'm pretty sure it's good we're the majority party.

I like how we control the committees. That's good I guess.

But I'm not positive that in the grand scheme of things it matters at all.

Maybe it's my "I'm starving so I have a headache" talking.

Hunger sure can make a person bitter. Or perhaps I'm confusing hunger with reality.

[cornermouse]

1. Thanks.

:rofl:

I feel better now. I don't feel like I'm alone in this after all.

[cboy4]

2. Oh good. So it's not just me.

:bounce:

Wait, why am I bouncing?? lol

[cali]

3. It's better in a razor thin kind of way

just like the majority in the Senate. I wish DUers could grasp that 49-49 with two independents (and one of those is toady joe) is not exactly a lot to work with.

[cboy4]

4. Yea, I know. But in my view, we bend over way more than

we should.

That's just my take on things.

I'd be a terrible politician I guess.

[Breeze54]

5. I agree with that...

We just have to turn that majority over to the DEM side and get rid

of the 40+ blue dog and we'll be sailing free as a blue bird! ;)

*sigh*

[cornermouse]

8. One little problem

Its called the public's perception of what's going on. I don't know at this point whether its strategy or actually inability, but the democratic party had better wake up and realize that the public is looking at a do-nothing Congress who was sent there specifically to do something; stop Bush in his tracks and turn things around. We may be all right in 08, but I wouldn't expect major gains and the next election after that may not turn out so good for us.

[Breeze54]

10. The public's perception has been warped since 2000...You have a point

and over coming that will be doubly hard with the new FCC traitor ruling
but we still need to vote those blue dogs out and take back our country.
I think the actual Democratic party is wide awake! It's the DINO's and
blue dogs who don't respond and that's where the problem lies...

They HAVE to GO!! :grr: ASAP!!

[leftchick]

11. The DLC's Rahm is cultivating many more Blue Dogs for 2008

You think it is bad now? The are embedded and are not going anywhere.

[Breeze54]

12. That's why I *sighed*...*sigh* . and

it's going to be extremely frustrating and grueling to get the message out now that the FCC has abdicated OUR authority to Big Media! :cry:

But we can still do it, if we stick together and act in unison. :cry:

[Selatius]

7. It may as well be 48 Dems after the way Harry Reid advanced FISA with telecom immunity

He's been compromised on the issue.

[Toots]

25. Republicans had the same Senate make up and yet accomplished everything they set out to.

They kept talking about the nuking the fillibuster if Democrats ever fillibustered so the Democrats never did..Your argument just doesn't hold up under inspection..

[Selatius]

6. It would be much worse under Republicans. That's really the only good news there.

Instead of driving off a cliff at 100 miles an hour, you go off at 20 miles an hour when you want to drive in the opposite direction.

[cboy4]

9. Yea, I know. But you have to wonder exactly how bad

"much worse" would be -- if one even accepts the premise of much worse.

I can tell you I've been consistently unhappy since we took over in '06.

I understand Bush, and some of the right wing Democrats play into all of this.

But my goodness. Talk about disappointing.

[Selatius]

13. Well, we could already be bombing Iran back to the stone age if the Repubs still held Congress.

They were even weaker at bringing up concerns that a war with Iran would break the US as a world power.

I don't really support the Dem leadership at this point. I only support the few left wingers left in the party like Feingold and Boxer. I'm a big fan of Sanders as well, but he's not a Democrat, and I don't care. In the past he would've been a Democrat when the party was more left wing.

I believe Harry Reid has been compromised. Somebody big called in a favor, and he knows who butters his bread. No self-respecting Democrat would ever have advanced the FISA bill with telecom immunity attached, despite the protests of 14 Democrats who warned him not to do it and the threat of filibuster by Chris Dodd.

[Perry Logan]

16. Get real. There's plenty of good news.

There are countless investigations going on. Healthcare is on the table. The internet is safe for now. Our wounded vets are no longer lying around in their own urine. The Senate Ethics Committee is back in action. Many 9/11 Commission recommendations are being passed. A bill to increase financial aid for colleges has passed--the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill. The President's signing statements are being investigated. Legislation to restore habeus corpus has been approved. The Senate Armed Services Committee has passed legislation "that would grant new rights to terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. The unions have a voice in the government now—as do gays, women, and minorities. The environment has a fighting chance. The House passed the Taxpayer Protection Act, to protect taxpayers against "identity theft, deceptive Web sites and loan sharks." It also makes it "easier for taxpayers to retrieve property lost as a result of a wrongful Internal Revenue Service levy and directs the IRS to notify lower-income people that they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit." The House approved a bill spending $1.7 billion over five years for cleaner water. There's a new House committee devoted solely to addressing the issue of global warming. And so on.

Less than six months into the 110th Congress, Senate Democrats have made significant strides in passing important, common-sense legislation that reflect the priorities of the American people. After nearly a decade of Republican control, Democrats have worked to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington and pass key legislation on Iraq policy, homeland security, troop readiness, veterans' health care, economic competitiveness, ethics reform, the minimum wage, health care, education, energy independence, stem cell research, and Gulf Coast revitalization. Democrats are committed to proving that elections do matter, and we will continue to pursue the international and domestic priorities that matter most to the American people. Together, we will take the country in a new direction.

Under Democratic leadership, the Senate has passed the following measures:

* A fiscally responsible budget: a budget that restores fiscal discipline and will lead to a surplus, while cutting middle-class taxes and funding foreign anddomestic priorities, including education, children's health care, veterans, and our troops;

* 9/11 Commission recommendations: a bill to make America more secure by giving our first responders the tools they need to keep us safe; making it more difficult for potential terrorists to travel into our country; advancing efforts to secure our rail, air, and mass transit systems; and improving intelligence and information sharing between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies;

* Homeland security funding: legislation that provides $1.05 billion in funding necessary to address dangerous border and transit vulnerabilities left open by the Bush Administration since 9/11;

* Support for our troops: legislation funding the President's requests for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, including $1.2 billion in additional funding for a total of $3 billion to provide our troops in Iraq with mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles;

* Health care for wounded soldiers and veterans: legislation that provides $3 billion in supplemental funds for military health care and $1.8 billion in supplemental funds to the Department of Veterans' Affairs to accommodate the increasing number of new veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan;

* Benchmarks for Iraq: legislation that conditions U.S. economic support for the Iraqi government on its progress toward achieving key political benchmarks;

* National Guard readiness: legislation to provide an additional $1 billion to President Bush's request for National Guard equipment needs to remedy equipment shortfalls that are compromising the quality of force training and limiting the Guard's ability to quickly respond to natural and potential man-made disasters at home;

* Continuing Resolution: legislation providing funding for the nine remaining appropriations bills that were not completed by Republicans in the 109th Congress. In passing this legislation, Democrats stayed within budget limits, eliminated earmarks, and increased funding for national priorities, including veterans' medical care, Pell grants, elementary and secondary education, the National Institutes of Health, state and local law enforcement, and global AIDS prevention and treatment;
* Energy Bill: landmark legislation to increase our energy independence, strengthen the economy, reduce global warming emissions, and protect American consumers.

* American competitiveness: bipartisan legislation to increase the nation's investment in basic and innovative research; strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school; and develop the infrastructure needed to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the United States;

* Ethics and lobbying reform: a bill to slow the "revolving door" for former Senators and staff, strengthen limits on gifts and travel, expand lobbying disclosure requirements, establish a study commission on ethics and lobbying, prohibit pensions for Members of Congress convicted of certain crimes, and implement reform procedures relating to earmarks and conference reports;

* Minimum wage: legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25/hour;

* Middle-class tax cuts: the 2008 Budget Resolution provides for permanent extensions of the Marriage Penalty tax relief, the $1,000 refundable Child Tax Credit; the 10 percent income tax bracket; the adoption tax credit; the dependent care tax credit; U.S. soldiers' combat pay for the earned income tax credit; and reform of the estate tax to protect small businesses and family farms;

* AMT patch: the 2008 Budget Resolution ensures that the number of taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax will not increase in 2007, giving Congress and the Administration time to come up with a permanent solution;

* Head Start: a bill to expand eligibility for the Head Start program;
* Stem cell research: legislation to expand the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally-funded research;

* Children's health coverage: the 2008 Budget Resolution and the 2007 Emergency Supplemental provide needed funds for the Children's Health Insurance Program;

* FDA reauthorization: a bill to greatly improve the Food and Drug Administration's oversight of drug safety;

* Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: legislation providing a total of $6.4 billion for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, including $1.3 billion to complete levee and drainage repairs, $50 million to reduce violent crime in Gulf Coast states, and $110 million to repair the seafood and fisheries industries, which is vital to the region's economic recovery;

* Army Corps reform: legislation to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers does its job more effectively and soundly;

* Disaster assistance for small businesses: legislation providing recovery assistance for small businesses impacted by the 2005 hurricanes in an effort to revitalize the Gulf Coast economy;

* U.S. Attorney appointments: legislation ending the indefinite appointment of interim U.S. Attorneys and restoring the role of the Senate in the selection of U.S. Attorneys;

* Tax relief for small businesses: legislation providing a range of deficit-neutral tax incentives designed to help small businesses grow;

* Education and training: the 2008 Budget Resolution provides for the largest increase since 2002 in funding for elementary and secondary programs; and

* Energy and environment programs: legislation increasing funding for basic science research at the Department of Energy and for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
http://www.apostille.us/news/democratic_accomplishments_in_the_110th_congress_leading_america_in_a_new_direction.shtml

c"President Bush's success rating in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen this year to a half-century low, and he prevailed on only 14 percent of the 76 roll call votes on which he took a clear position.

"So far this year, Democrats have backed the majority position of their caucus 91 percent of the time on average on such votes. That marks the highest Democratic unity score in 51 years."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1728952&mesg_id=1728952
http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002576765.html

Don't let the media rhetoric fool you. The Democrats have acquitted themselves quite well--especially given their bare majority in both houses, and a relentlessly obstructionist Republican minority.

this 110th Congress has had more roll call votes this year than any
other Congress in history, almost doubling the number under the previous Congress overseen by Boehner
and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL):
The House last week held its 943rd roll call vote of the year, breaking the previous
record of 942 votes, a mark set in 1978. The vote was on a procedural motion related to a
mortgage foreclosure bill. When the House adjourned on Oct. 4 for the long weekend, the
chamber had reached 948 roll call votes, putting Democrats on pace to easily eclipse 1,000
votes on the House floor in 2007.
Last year, the Republican controlled House held 543 votes, and for historical comparison,
the last time there was a shift in power in Congress, Republicans held 885 roll call votes in
1995. The Senate, which has held 363 votes this year, isn’t on pace to break any
records, but has already surpassed the 2006 Senate mark of 279 votes.
Much of the lack of progress can be traced back to obstructionism by conservatives. Approximately “1 in
6 roll-call votes in the Senate this year have been cloture votes,” noted a JulyMcClatchy report. “If this
pace of blocking legislation continues, this 110th Congress will be on track to roughly triple the previous
record number of cloture votes.”
It’s interesting that Boehner is criticizing the 110th Congress as doing nothing. After all, the House, under
his leadership, met for just 101 days during the second session of the 109th Congress, setting the record
“for the fewest days in session in one year since the end ofWorld War II.”

[Selatius]

17. Yes, thank you for the spam job. I saw this same post in another thread.

I'm sure it is a whole lot more meaningful if you'd also balanced it out with concerns from the voting public on, say, the war in Iraq or, say, the telecom immunity bill Harry Reid put on the floor. How about that terrifyingly Orwellian bill that passed the House?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2495789

Why did you think the Democrats won office in 2006? They voted for the Dems because they were sick of the goddamn war.

Ethics reform, stronger labor protections, etc.--all those mean nothing if you come home war dead.

[Tesha]

20. He posts it everywhere someone points out how little the Congress has done.

Apparently, 500 meaningless acts is supposed to
distract us from the fact that, *ON THE MATTERS
THAT REALLY MATTER*, Congress has accomplished
precisely *NOTHING* except to do what Bush has
commanded.

Tesha

[Tesha]

19. Ahh, I knew you'd be along to post this. So how's that "end the war" stuff going?

Ended the war yet?

Restored the Constitution yet?

Investigated any big-fish Bush criminals yet?

Habeus? How's habeus?

How's that budget doing?

SCHIP?

Buehler? Buehler?

Tesha

[Orsino]

21. It IS much worse under Republicans.

They are not afraid to unite against America.

But yeah, it would be even worse without the minimal braking action of the Dem majority.

[brazos121200]

28. I agree. We wouldn't know as much as we do about some of the

republican's nefarious activities if we weren't in power in Congress. Now if our leadership would just get a spine.

[brazos121200]

29. You are right. The Democrats have Organized the House and Senate

but really have no majority, especially in the Senate. In the House things are a little better but not much. But yes, things would be much worse under repub leadership. That's something critics of the Democratic leadership don't recognize.

[Perry Logan]

14. With a Republican Congress, the U.S. attorney purge would be complete.

Our wounded vets would still be lying around in their own urine...and no one would know.
The internet would probably be dead or dying.

There are countless investigations going on. Healthcare is on the table. The internet is safe for now. Our wounded vets are no longer lying around in their own urine. The Senate Ethics Committee is back in action. Many 9/11 Commission recommendations are being passed. A bill to increase financial aid for colleges has passed--the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill. The President's signing statements are being investigated. Legislation to restore habeus corpus has been approved. The Senate Armed Services Committee has passed legislation "that would grant new rights to terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. The unions have a voice in the government now—as do gays, women, and minorities. The environment has a fighting chance. The House passed the Taxpayer Protection Act, to protect taxpayers against "identity theft, deceptive Web sites and loan sharks." It also makes it "easier for taxpayers to retrieve property lost as a result of a wrongful Internal Revenue Service levy and directs the IRS to notify lower-income people that they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit." The House approved a bill spending $1.7 billion over five years for cleaner water. There's a new House committee devoted solely to addressing the issue of global warming. And so on.

Less than six months into the 110th Congress, Senate Democrats have made significant strides in passing important, common-sense legislation that reflect the priorities of the American people. After nearly a decade of Republican control, Democrats have worked to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington and pass key legislation on Iraq policy, homeland security, troop readiness, veterans' health care, economic competitiveness, ethics reform, the minimum wage, health care, education, energy independence, stem cell research, and Gulf Coast revitalization. Democrats are committed to proving that elections do matter, and we will continue to pursue the international and domestic priorities that matter most to the American people. Together, we will take the country in a new direction.

Under Democratic leadership, the Senate has passed the following measures:

* A fiscally responsible budget: a budget that restores fiscal discipline and will lead to a surplus, while cutting middle-class taxes and funding foreign anddomestic priorities, including education, children's health care, veterans, and our troops;

* 9/11 Commission recommendations: a bill to make America more secure by giving our first responders the tools they need to keep us safe; making it more difficult for potential terrorists to travel into our country; advancing efforts to secure our rail, air, and mass transit systems; and improving intelligence and information sharing between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies;

* Homeland security funding: legislation that provides $1.05 billion in funding necessary to address dangerous border and transit vulnerabilities left open by the Bush Administration since 9/11;

* Support for our troops: legislation funding the President's requests for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, including $1.2 billion in additional funding for a total of $3 billion to provide our troops in Iraq with mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles;

* Health care for wounded soldiers and veterans: legislation that provides $3 billion in supplemental funds for military health care and $1.8 billion in supplemental funds to the Department of Veterans' Affairs to accommodate the increasing number of new veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan;

* Benchmarks for Iraq: legislation that conditions U.S. economic support for the Iraqi government on its progress toward achieving key political benchmarks;

* National Guard readiness: legislation to provide an additional $1 billion to President Bush's request for National Guard equipment needs to remedy equipment shortfalls that are compromising the quality of force training and limiting the Guard's ability to quickly respond to natural and potential man-made disasters at home;

* Continuing Resolution: legislation providing funding for the nine remaining appropriations bills that were not completed by Republicans in the 109th Congress. In passing this legislation, Democrats stayed within budget limits, eliminated earmarks, and increased funding for national priorities, including veterans' medical care, Pell grants, elementary and secondary education, the National Institutes of Health, state and local law enforcement, and global AIDS prevention and treatment;
* Energy Bill: landmark legislation to increase our energy independence, strengthen the economy, reduce global warming emissions, and protect American consumers.

* American competitiveness: bipartisan legislation to increase the nation's investment in basic and innovative research; strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school; and develop the infrastructure needed to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the United States;

* Ethics and lobbying reform: a bill to slow the "revolving door" for former Senators and staff, strengthen limits on gifts and travel, expand lobbying disclosure requirements, establish a study commission on ethics and lobbying, prohibit pensions for Members of Congress convicted of certain crimes, and implement reform procedures relating to earmarks and conference reports;

* Minimum wage: legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25/hour;

* Middle-class tax cuts: the 2008 Budget Resolution provides for permanent extensions of the Marriage Penalty tax relief, the $1,000 refundable Child Tax Credit; the 10 percent income tax bracket; the adoption tax credit; the dependent care tax credit; U.S. soldiers' combat pay for the earned income tax credit; and reform of the estate tax to protect small businesses and family farms;

* AMT patch: the 2008 Budget Resolution ensures that the number of taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax will not increase in 2007, giving Congress and the Administration time to come up with a permanent solution;

* Head Start: a bill to expand eligibility for the Head Start program;
* Stem cell research: legislation to expand the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally-funded research;

* Children's health coverage: the 2008 Budget Resolution and the 2007 Emergency Supplemental provide needed funds for the Children's Health Insurance Program;

* FDA reauthorization: a bill to greatly improve the Food and Drug Administration's oversight of drug safety;

* Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: legislation providing a total of $6.4 billion for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, including $1.3 billion to complete levee and drainage repairs, $50 million to reduce violent crime in Gulf Coast states, and $110 million to repair the seafood and fisheries industries, which is vital to the region's economic recovery;

* Army Corps reform: legislation to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers does its job more effectively and soundly;

* Disaster assistance for small businesses: legislation providing recovery assistance for small businesses impacted by the 2005 hurricanes in an effort to revitalize the Gulf Coast economy;

* U.S. Attorney appointments: legislation ending the indefinite appointment of interim U.S. Attorneys and restoring the role of the Senate in the selection of U.S. Attorneys;

* Tax relief for small businesses: legislation providing a range of deficit-neutral tax incentives designed to help small businesses grow;

* Education and training: the 2008 Budget Resolution provides for the largest increase since 2002 in funding for elementary and secondary programs; and

* Energy and environment programs: legislation increasing funding for basic science research at the Department of Energy and for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
http://www.apostille.us/news/democratic_accomplishments_in_the_110th_congress_leading_america_in_a_new_direction.shtml
There are countless investigations going on. Healthcare is on the table. The internet is safe for now. Our wounded vets are no longer lying around in their own urine. The Senate Ethics Committee is back in action. Many 9/11 Commission recommendations are being passed. A bill to increase financial aid for colleges has passed--the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill. The President's signing statements are being investigated. Legislation to restore habeus corpus has been approved. The Senate Armed Services Committee has passed legislation "that would grant new rights to terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. The unions have a voice in the government now—as do gays, women, and minorities. The environment has a fighting chance. The House passed the Taxpayer Protection Act, to protect taxpayers against "identity theft, deceptive Web sites and loan sharks." It also makes it "easier for taxpayers to retrieve property lost as a result of a wrongful Internal Revenue Service levy and directs the IRS to notify lower-income people that they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit." The House approved a bill spending $1.7 billion over five years for cleaner water. There's a new House committee devoted solely to addressing the issue of g

[cboy4]

22. I'm trying to keep this a no spin thread Perry. But now that

you've listed your talking points, maybe you can explain why we've failed regarding the war.

That's the reason we won in 2006.

It wasn't because America was spending sleepless night fretting about the minimum wage or "tax relief for small businesses." :eyes:

And by the way, a fiscally responsible budget?

Are you kidding me? How much did the Democrats throw away yesterday to make their President happy?

$70,000,000,000?

[TheWatcher]

23. .....

[AlinPA]

15. Committee "leadership" mainly, but without a veto-proof majority and a president

from the opposite party who won't talk, its not a big deal.

[madokie]

18. Hey bro' I'm just hungry for reality

what we're living today is not the real thing. To answer your question though, I guess not, not much at all, so sad that the Iraqi peoples nightmare is nowhere over for them. :cry:

[TheWatcher]

24. You should try Perry's Reality.

Apparently it's all about blind faith in leadership and Party, feeling good, and feeling powerful about "The Football Team" being on the winning side again.

Remember, The Secret:

As long as you believe it is real, it shall be.

[brazos121200]

27. What's the alternative?

[shadowknows69]

26. We get to pick the radio station in official vehicles?

There's gotta be something.

[kentuck]

30. But wait until we get sixty Senators....

Then we can talk about how Joe Lieberman is stopping us from being able to stop filibusters.