Feeling more down on the current crop of Democrats than usual

[Silent3]

Don't get me wrong... I intend to get out and vote this November. I've already voted in the primaries, I won't miss the general election, and I'll be supporting Democrats.

But Senate Democrats passing up the chance to expose the Republicans by forcing a vote on extending middle-class tax cuts while letting the tax cuts for the rich to expire... damn, that just pisses me off. I want to grab the collective collar of the Democratic party, shake it hard, and yell into into the party's collective face, "What the fuck are you doing?"

My foul mood inspired me to post this on my Facebook account today:

"This fall, vote Democrat... because when cowardice and lethargy lose, stupidity, bat shit insanity, and even more selling out to the rich win.

Not very inspiring, but you work with what you've got."

For me at least, getting the lesser of two evils is actually more than enough to motivate me to vote for Democrats. I have no illusions that either not voting or voting for obscure candidates would "send a message" in any effective way to produce desired future change.

But, damn... How can we ever get enough other Democratic voters to the polls with the uninspiring Democratic leadership that we have?

[kentuck]

1. We assume there were enough Democrats to pass it.

There weren't. The Repubs had enough commitments from Democrats to pass the millionaire taxcuts but would not agree to vote for middle-class taxcuts unless the cuts for millionaires were included. Who do we blame??

[Silent3]

3. I don't care if the votes weren't there...

...that's the point. Make the fuckers vote. Make Republicans and Democrats put their votes out there for everyone to see, even if a bill won't pass. Put the Republican filibuster of middle class tax cuts ON THE RECORD, show them as willing to screw the middle class if the rich don't get their way.

[kentuck]

6. The Repubs were able to recruit enough Blue Dogs and moderates...

..scared to death of losing their seats, that refused to vote for the middle-class tax cuts unless the millionaire taxcuts were included. So, we call a vote and pass a taxcut for the millionaires or we postpone the vote. That was the choice the Democrats were faced with, in my opinion.

[Silent3]

9. I don't buy that assessment of the risk to Democratic seats, however.

Republicans will viciously attack no matter what Democrats do. They'll run distorting and lying ads about Democratic positions no matter what Democrats vote on or how they vote on it.

In the face of that, why not go for the benefit of inspiring the people who will be inspired by seeing you take a stand? This seems like a case where bold and smart for reelection would be the same choice. What we're getting looks like cowardice, stupidity, or selling out to rich campaign contributors.

[kentuck]

10. I agree with you but...

there are a small number of Democrats that feel it is a better political position to stand with the Repubs and the millionaires than to stand with the majority of the Democratic Party and the middle-class. They need the fear of God put into them.

[The Magistrate]

5. Two Points ,My Friend

First, it is the job of the leadership to see to it the votes are there for policies set by the administration. If the case is as you state it, what you are saying is that the leadership is incompetent and incapable of performing its function.

Second, the leadership has control of what comes upon the floor. Split the package in two, call up the extension for 98% of the people first. Make the Republicans vote to block debate. If this is over-come,pass the damn thing. Call up no other bill; tell anyone who complains to pound sand.

[kentuck]

8. Magistrate, your first point is right on target...

But it is no secret that we have been lacking in leadership. It is the job of the leadership and they are incompetent.

The Repubs have convinced enough moderate Dems to agree not to vote for the middle-class taxcuts unless they can get a vote on the top 2% also. These "Democrats" bought into the Republican argument. In the end, these few Democrats have stabbed us all in the back because they refused to vote for the middle-class taxcuts because they were not intimidated by opposing them.

But I agree with you that they should bring up the middle-class taxcuts for a vote and let the marbles fall where they may and call up no other bill. Let 'em pound sand. But that would take a minimal amount of courage. Where do we find it?

[The Magistrate]

11. That, Sir, Is Unanswerable: Cowardice Is As Incurable As Idiocy, And Both Are Operating Here

The people who think avoiding this vote will help them are in fact doomed by avoiding this vote. Or they are doomed in any case,no matter how they vote on this,and only drag down others by their moral failure here.

To put it coldly, Sir, it is getting hard not to quietly root for Ms. Angle. Reid must go from his leadership post, like McClellan had to go from the Army of the Potomac, and only defeat at the polls will remove him; defeat by a certifiable lunatic, whose very presence in the Senate of the United States will be both disgrace and disaster to our country, would stand as a fitting rebuke from history to a truly craven and feckless failure, ensuring he will be remembered by history at his true weight of disgust. And just perhaps, this will teach our Party to select its Senate leadership from Democrats who hail from solid Democratic states, and can be relied on to remember what Party they are leading, and lead it....

[kentuck]

12. Wise words...

..and the leadership does not want us to know the names of those that are afraid it will hurt their re-election chances. Who are they? We need to know.

[The Magistrate]

15. My Apologies For The Expansion On Edit, Sir

It is possible you may not endorse the whole thing now.

I am very angry....

[kentuck]

19. Sir, you are not alone.

We all want a fighter. Someone that will stand up for us. We are not so naive to believe that "bi-partisanship" is the way to go, especially when the other side is chopping off your hand every time you reach out for compromise.

It is beyond comprehension that we have elected Democrats that believe taxcuts for the middle-class is a political liability while taxcuts for the wealthiest and greediest amongst us is a political asset.

[Bitwit1234]

25. What Democrats are showing us is they think more of them

getting re-elected than going to bat for the people who voted them in to serve in the first place. It will never happen but there has to be a way to pass a law about term limits. And I get so sick of them throwing it back in your face, "Well you have term limits vote them out". Yeah. Where are the people, who are honest and would pass laws for the people who elected them, going to get the money to run.

All those members of congress think about is, how can I suck more money from the people, from the corporations to get ME re-elected. A person running for the first time, unless a billionaire, like McMahon, Whitman or Carly does not stand a chance against the incumbent.

The congress will not vote for term limits no way no how. The only sad thing is good Democratic politicians like Franken and Grayson and Pelosi and several others are getting a bad name caused by the ones who sit on their ass and let the republicans still rule. They stand up and campaign and say --we will do this for you--elect me I am going to work for you. And then when they get in office, they work for themselves and pass bills that favor the rich and the corporations. Democrats included.

[pinto]

23. Though I disagree about any value in an Angle win, I too am angry.

The thing should have come to a vote. It's such a clear winner for us politically and such a widely supported approach to a fair taxation response on the budget, from those in the know, I don't see the down side to putting it on the floor. And, I don't get the leaderships' take on tabling the issue. This was a meat 'n potatoes point for us.

[Morning Dew]

24. I only wish I could rec this post. n/m

[hfojvt]

13. I don't think you can do that

because Republicans don't have to block debate in the House, all they have to do is offer an amendment to the Obama bill. One that calls for extending all the Bush tax cuts for a year or two. If that picks up all Republican votes and enough conservadem coward/a$$hat votes to pass, then we are screwed unless the Senate amends it, and there are enough coward/a$$hats in the Senate with a D by their name, not to mention Shiftless Joe (Imbecile - Ct), to sink the whole project.

[kentuck]

14. I think you have defined the gist of the problem...

We have some Democrats that believe it is more in their political favor to vote for millionaire taxcuts than taxcuts for the middle class because they have bought into the Republican propaganda. They have weighed the options and they believe this is the best way for them to keep their seats.

[hfojvt]

16. Not so much buying into Republican propaganda

but apparently feeling that they need the donation money from rich donors to pay for yard signs and TV ads. That being able to make the case thar Republicans are standing for billionaires against the rest of us, like I tried to do, is not enough if you don't have the money to get that message out there - which was enough to sink me in a primary. The other side has all kinds of $$$ to spend on ads that attack you for "increasing taxes on small businesses", if not ads by your opponent themself then ads by Americans for the Prosperous or the Chamber of Commerce which can spend unlimited amounts thanks to SCOTUS.

[The Magistrate]

18. The Speaker Should Have Enough Control To Prevent That, Sir

And in any case, the point is not to pass anything, but to make people vote publicly for 2% against 98%....

[truedelphi]

17. + My household. n/t

[The Magistrate]

2. Cold But Fair, Sir

[DFLforever]

4. My congresswoman backed the 97% Obama tax cut

all the way and it's she I'm voting for not any blue dog or chameleon of the Senate.

[Dawson Leery]

7. We have two great candidates running in CT.

Blumenthal and Malloy. I am truly sorry for those who have blue dogs as Representatives.

[BlueCheese]

20. Do we not even have 50 votes in the Senate?

If anything qualifies for reconciliation, then taxes must. This is the easiest political gimme you'll ever see, the fattest pitch that will ever be thrown, and the Democrats aren't even going to swing.

[kentuck]

21. No.

Not really. There are spies in the camp. They only let you think you are in the "majority".

[BlueCheese]

22. Of 59 nominal Democrats...

there aren't 50 who would vote only for middle class tax cuts?

If that's really the case, the Democratic Party is really lost. And given that the Republicans have moved off to Pluto--well, we're hosed.

[Vinca]

26. It seems Harry thinks the Republicans won't use the expression

"Democrats did nothing to stop your taxes from going up" in their campaign advertising. A very, very dumb move. Even if they brought it to the floor and failed, they would have been able to tell voters they tried. All they can say now is we folded our tents because we're weenies.