From Boner:
House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters today his party is pumped for campaign season. As the calendar ticks down on 2009, Boehner says he likes his party’s chances at making significant gains against what he sees as a fractured Democratic majority.
“The Democrats seems to be having a field day tearing each other apart,” he said. “I think 2010 will be a stormy year.”
And this is precisely what their obstruction is supposed to do. Any questions?
I just disagree how Obama and Reid are adapting to this new dynamic. You’ve correctly pointed out that the GOP acting like a disciplined parliamentary style party gives every member of the 60 person dem caucus incredible amounts of leverage. Obama and Reid’s strategy seems to be to water down legislation until it accomodates each one of those senators, and when progressives and liberals complain about that approach, turn on them (we can agree to disagree on the extent to which that is happening behind the scenes).
I think the best way forward is for Reid and Obama to take the difficult step of telling their caucus that cloture votes have to be bargained for in good faith (as in, we’re happy to give you plenty of carrots for it). Any attempt to extract more than what’s fair for their cloture vote will result in a number of “sticks” being brought to bear against them, from no pork in the stimulus, to being persona non grata with the entire executive branch, etc. If I were Reid and Obama, I’d say its not personal, that it applies to liberals and conservatives and that its not about one piece of legislation but about the entire democratic agenda until the 2010 elections.
I agree with this.
Yes, yes, but I don’t think Obama will do it.
And this is precisely what their obstruction is supposed to do.
What’s your point? Did you think the Democratic base was going to continually eat a shit sandwich over the next eight years? Digby has been warning about it for a while now. Meaning the D.C. Democrats are ignoring the base at their peril. And then they’ll all sit around wondering WTF happened next year when Democrats don’t turn out(VA & NJ anyone ..?). We know what the problem is. They just don’t want to listen. In fact, I bet Obama prefers playing footsie with Ben Nelson and Droopy Dog.
And this:
http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2009/12/negotiation-101.html
Is a must read!!
No question. Just a thought.
If we know this is the goal of GOP obstruction, why didn’t the Democratic Party leadership show most forcefully, where they stand on this healthcare reform issue. . . .instead of gaming out the political hypotheticals and concurrently appeasing the corporatist/theocrat Democrats?
Obviously compromising was going to lead to this with dickheads like Holy Joe basking in the media glow of betraying the Democrats once again.
The Democratic Party needn’t have been fractured if they had just stood for what their principles are and told their more conservative bretheren to go fuck themselves.
Do you think the “more conservative bretheren” would have been to busy fucking themselves to join the filibuster? I don’t think it was unreasonable to give into some demands in order to get the bill passed, or to believe their negotiations would be met with honorable and reasonable responses from the quisling Dems and even a few Reps. How would confronting them early on have fractured the party less?
I can’t blame them for trying to work at the policy level and figure their fellow caucus members would in the end act for the nation’s welfare. Turned out to be a bad bet, and now they’ve given too much away with no return. They were outmaneuvered, not by the GOP, but by their own supposed allies. Now they’re in a corner: either run with a crippled bill or stand up and ram through something decent through whatever parliamentary tricks and blackmail they can manage. I favor the latter, because war has been declared. What that would do for the near political future is anybody’s guess, but a risk well taken.
The folks are looking for this deal:
A public program that is both safety net and competition for the private market in exchange for an under 18 mandate. This is how deep the conversation got in the campaign, so this is what people expect.
The rest is window dressing that won’t be explained into joyous acceptance, not ever.
Dems would have full (enough) public support if the just did what they said they would.
Pack in the current bill’s insurance reforms and you’ve really got something again..
Mission accomplished.
BooMan, see this.
Al Franken in the Pres chair on the Senate floor to Lieberman’s request for more time to complete his remarks:
Lieberman is shocked. McCain blows a gasket.
I was pretty surprised that Lieberman took it so well. There was a moment when he looked flabbergasted and then he laughed along with Franken. McCain, on the other hand, obviously has no sense of humor.
Assuming we could ever get our shit together enough to obstruct, would they splinter? Or would the teabaggers unite on the banner of hating liberals?
And why is it that Democrats instead of pulling together to frustrate Republicans are acting like divas.