Harry and the Blue Dogs are upset, DNC runs ads in their states

[ThomWV]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/16/1998679.aspx

Apparently Harry doesn't like it when someone else does his job for him:

"From NBC's Ken Strickland and Mark Murray
In his weekly off-camera session with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid strongly criticized the Democratic National Committee for running health-care TV ads in states with Democratic senators.

When a reporter described the ads, Reid said, "I've never heard a word about it. I think it's a waste of money." He added, "It's a waste of money to have Democrats running ads against Democrats."

In fact, however, the DNC ad isn't an attack on Democrats. It's running in states with conservative Democratic senators -- Arkansas (Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor), Florida (Bill Nelson), Indiana (Evan Bayh), Nebraska (Ben Nelson), Louisiana (Mary Landrieu), and North Dakota (Kent Conrad) -- with this message: "It's time for health-care reform." That's it."

- More at link -

[jody]

1. DNC actions like that could lose many of the 50 Blued Dog seats and the House for the Dem Party. nt

[newfie11]

2. If that means losing Ben Nelson (NE) there is no difference in him and a repug. N/T

[jody]

4. Loss of one Dem senate seat means loss of a filibuster-proof Dem controlled senate. n/t

[ThomWV]

5. It is exactly because of those Blue Dogs that we don't actually have a filibuster-proof Senate

To be filibuster proof you need 60 votes. You think we have 60 in the bag, I don't.

First off there are two independents in there, Bernie and Joe, so reduce the number to 58, then subtract the 14 Blue Dogs who's votes can't be counted on for any important legislation and you have 44 left. To the best of my knowledge 44 is not a filibuster-proof number.

[newfie11]

6. Right you are

I can tell you Ben Nelson is not for any public option health care. He is worthless.

[jody]

7. Understand. Question, doesn't Blue Dog mean the Blue Dog Coalition in the House? IMO any senator

would not agree that she/he follows that Coalition's goals.

[PVnRT]

17. We have a winner

Having a majority is useless if you can't use it, and Harry can't use it.

[Lex]

20. You are assuming that Dem would vote with the other Democrats.

nt

[Raineyb]

23. We don't have a filibuster proof senate now n/t

[Lorax7844]

19. on hC from Ezra Klein

"But the question isn't whether Republicans understand the power of successful opposition. It's whether Democrats understand the dangers of failure. And that's most true for the Democrats who are most likely to weaken the effort: The Democrats who are cool to health-care reform because they fear the conservative tilt of their state are the Democrats who will lose their seats if Obama loses his momentum and the Democratic majority begins to lose on its major initiatives. Legislative defeats will not threaten Henry Waxman's seat. But it will imperil Mary Landrieu's. And Ben Nelson's.

Bill Kristol is right that defeating Obama's health-care plan is a first step for Republicans who want to pick off vulnerable Democrats in the 2010 midterms. But the converse is also true: Passing health-care reform is the first step for vulnerable Democrats who want to save their seats."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/

[ThomWV]

3. Actions like that might get rid of some Blue Dogs, but it doesn't mean we lose the states

Its called the Primarys, lets get someone in those states to run against these thinly disguised Republicans.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. No liberal Democrat could win a primary against either Senator Lincoln or Pryor in this state. The

other choice is to elect such Republicans as Asa Hutchinson (led the impeachment against Clinton in the House) or Mike Huckabee or some other RW fundie.

[ThomWV]

9. Possibly not, but if they actually had to compete in the Primary maybe they'd wake up.

A well funded opponent in the Primary, even were they to lose, might open the eyes of those who think they rule for life.

[Winterblues]

13. Or it could bring in Democrats that truly are Democrats.

When the nation is very obviously swinging Democratic it would seem only LOGICAL that these precincts would as well. Always throw out the worst possible scenerio to scare people. Just l;ike all the Conservatives constantly said if the US withdrew from iraq there would be a bloodbath of such enormity that the world would tremble. The US has withdrawn from all Iraqi cities and no huge bloodbath...If these DINO Democrats have a Primary challenge it won't necessarily spell the end of everything Democratic.

[Individualist]

18. Damn the DLC

"The Democratic Leadership Council's agenda is indistinguishable from the Republican Neoconservative agenda," - Dennis Kucinich

[madfloridian]

21. We have already lost them. They are about empowering the GOP

They despise "the left" in the party.

[TexasObserver]

10. Harry Reid is such a disappointment

[kentuck]

11. If we can get primary opponents for these folks, we will be a stronger Party...

for the people. We need health care reform and they should not be holding it up. They should be sent home if they do so. Simple as that.

[Cerridwen]

12. From your link - *** UPDATE ***

*** UPDATE *** Reid's office sends this clarification: "Senator Reid was led to believe by the question posed to him that the DNC was attacking members of his Caucus. In fact, the DNC is running non-specific call to action ads in states with both Democratic and Republican Senators, an effort he has no problem with."

[Arkana]

14. It's not a waste when those Democrats DON'T ACT LIKE FUCKING DEMOCRATS, HARRY.

You fucking weasel-shit spineless sack of donkey dongs.

[crickets]

15. Tell us how you really feel!

:rofl:

Way to turn a phrase there. FTR, I agree with you wholeheartedly, albeit without the same verbal talent.

[Autumn]

22. You got a way with words there

:yourock: Very impressive.

[mdmc]

16. .

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