Democrats need a victory to restore hope in the Party...

[kentuck]

They have disappointed so many people in the last year. Many are about to give up on them. They need to win one for the people if they have any hopes of keeping the House in the next election. Even the Senate may be up for grabs.

Perhaps the bi-partisan conference on the 25th will give them that opportunity? The Republicans, at least the ones at the CPAC Convention, have suggested that they will not attend or that they will say "NO" to any cooperation on the healthcare issue.

If that happens, it will give the Democrats an "excuse" to move forward without the Republicans. But will they? There are so many "moderates" and Blue Dogs in the Party, that it is difficult to get anything done. They may as well be Republicans.

But there is no disputing that the Democratic Party has lost a lot of support from its base, in its feeble attempts to work with the obstructionist Republicans. Instead of strengthening our own Party with legislation to help the people and our country, they have only strengthened the Republicans.

There is still time to recover from the mistakes of the last year. It is unbelievable that they have permitted the Republicans to recover so rapidly after the disaster of the last eight years. The people are waiting.

[SlingBlade]

1. Democrats need a SPINE to restore hope in the Party.

[Sherman A1]

14. +1

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. +1000

And I think I know a Doctor who should do the surgery....

[Political Heretic]

2. Some corporate capitulating sellout "victory" isn't going to fool anyone into regaining hope.

And if it does, that's just tragic.

The mistakes we need to recover from go back far longer than just a year.

There are so many "moderates" and Blue Dogs in the Party, that it is difficult to get anything done.

Perhaps its time to stop trying to find ways to squeeze juice from a turnip and instead start replacing turnips with oranges...



uh..okay, that was a terribly cheesy analogy/metaphor whatever, but I just got up after being stomach ill most of the night! Give me a break.. :D

[customerserviceguy]

20. You're right about that

The Rethugs have already learned their lesson. While we were celebrating the victories of Blue Dogs, they were saying "good riddance" to their moderates. Wait until you see the troglodytes they're going to get into Congress in November!

But, that will be our opportunity to fill those seats in 2012 with real progressives, who will have Barack Obama at the top of the ballot.

[theoldman]

3. The way to get a victory is to lower your goals.

The Democrats tried to do too much during the first year. They should have started small and worked their way up. The same logic applies to your everyday life. If you keep biting off more than you can chew, you will end up losing each time. The more you lose the more depressed you will get.

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. Dems had big victories in the last election

Pity they haven't delivered much of anything to benefit the people.

With a sitting Dem President and majorities in both the House and Senate there simply isn't an acceptable explanation for that.

Dems need to set new priorities, chart a new course of action and actually deliver the goods (implement legislation) to restore hope in the party. Unfortunately too many of the sorry bastards have been bought and paid for. I'll believe it when I see it.

[kentuck]

5. We are in denial...

We don't want to believe that.

[leftstreet]

11. +1

[shawcomm]

6. More than hope, they need to restore trust

I've made no bones about my support for the President, even when things have been looking down. I still do, and it's because I think the biggest problem is Congress, especially the Senate. If these congresspeople want to be re-elected, they really need to get off their collective ass and restore our trust by earning it. To do that, they could pass a decent health care, not health insurance, package our President would be happy to sign. They know what the president wants, not merely what they would try to force him to settle for. They also know what the American people want, and it's not corporate insurance bonuses to their CEOs.

We have enough democrats to get it done. They just need to do it. And yeah, screw the republicans. Of course they don't want to work with us. So fuck 'em. Same with every other issue, DADT for example. To hell with the repubes. Just fix it, we have enough of Congress to do it. The elections will reflect the people's approval. They need to stop worrying about their political "career" and remember that they work for us. If they keep US happy, they will be re-elected.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

7. Harry Reid is the problem.

He is stalling more concerned with his own election
than the party. Why isn't there any pressure being put on him?

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. Harry Reid is the symptom

Spinelessness is the problem.

[MineralMan]

8. Elected Democrats need to cowboy up and do something.

They've been completely ineffective, and that's going to cost us all.

[salguine]

9. They don't need a "victory". Pushing through the current pile-of-crap healthcare

bill as it is would be a "victory", if you want to call it that, but it wouldn't actually do anybody any good.

No, what they need to do is DO SOMETHING THAT BENEFITS THE LARGE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS.

That they have not figured this out makes me wonder why I even bother.

[kentuck]

10. They have been discussing a public option the last few days...

That would be a victory, if they could pass a bill with a public option.

[salguine]

22. "Discussing". They do a lot of discussing. I want to see some doing. But yes, if they

did that, that would be a victory that was actually worth calling a victory.

Things being as they are, I'll believe it when it happens.

[Atticus]

12. K&R for a decent and thoughtul post that asks reasonable questions and

COULD be used as a springboard for serious productive discussion.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. The people voted for "change". They got the status quo and politics-as-usual. K&R

What else could be expected from a professional politician with his eyes on re-election?

[EmeraldCityGrl]

21. He doesn't have a chance in hell of getting re-elected at this point.

I keep expecting there will be some grand push and a shitload of legislation will be passed
before the 2010 elections. Of course I live in a dream world.

[RBInMaine]

24. WAY to early to waste energy on such wild claims. BUT, do push to steamroll the REPUKES.

[upi402]

15. they need to act like DEMOCRATS

and not corporatists


effemall

[kudzu22]

18. +1

[NecklyTyler]

19. We hold the Majority, we need to pas some legislation

We hold the House

We hold the Senate

We hold the Executive Branch

Reid and Pelosi need to start passing some bills and send them up for President Obama to sign. I don't mean these mammoth 1000 page bills, just start with some smaller bills like Research and Development of Clean Energy to get the ball rolling.

[RBInMaine]

23. There is VAST ammo with which to attack the PUKES. Screw bipartisanship. TANK-ROLL them now !