It's Time for Hardball, Says Progressive Congresswoman Donna Edwards

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Adele M. Stan

It's Time for Hardball, Says Progressive Congresswoman Donna Edwards
Those who expect Edwards to play from the margins that left-wing politicians are frequently relegated to will find themselves disappointed. She came to get stuff done.

August 13, 2011 |


Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., was angry. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, with the approval of the White House, had just offered up the deficit-reduction deal that would reel the nation in from the brink of default on the national debt, a precipice to which the country was marched by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Instead of taking on the Tea Partiers' demands for deep cuts to social programs in exchange for granting the president permission to raise the debt ceiling, the White House and the Senate majority leader were folding.

When the going gets tough, sometimes the tough take to Twitter. "Nada from million/billionaires," Edwards tweeted. "Corp tax loopholes aplenty; only sacrifice from the poor/middle class? Shared sacrifice, balance? Really?"

Edwards, joining most of her colleagues in the Progressive Caucus (where she serves as vice-chair) and the Congressional Black Caucus, refused to vote for the deal. Even after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords arrived on the House floor, for the first time since the Arizona congresswoman was shot earlier this year, to cast a "yes" vote, Edwards refused to budge. She had been among a group of House members who called on President Barack Obama to invoke the 14th amendment to the Constitution, and just go ahead and borrow what was needed to meet the government's obligations despite the debt ceiling imposed by Congress.

Two days later, after the bill was passed into law by the Senate, Edwards appeared on "Democracy Now!" expressing her exasperation with the White House. "I believe in hardball. I’ve argued that publicly," Edwards told host Amy Goodman. "And I think it’s time for the White House to engage in that kind of hardball, because these folks obviously don’t understand negotiation. They don’t understand compromise. They think compromise is a dirty word." .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/news/151938/it%27s_time_for_hardball%2C_says_progressive_congresswoman_donna_edwards/

[ClassWarrior]

1. There's a new Facebook group called THE ANGRY PROGRESSIVES NETWORK.

Just sayin'.

NGU.

[donheld]

18. Seems I'm the only one who likes this group.

I didn't start it, but I stand alone.

[plumbob]

21. There's two of us there now.

Thanks for the tip.

[DesertFlower]

23. there's 3. i'm in.

[Downwinder]

25. I might have to get on Facebook.

[DesertFlower]

26. you should. we've got a lot of political stuff

going on there.

[kenny blankenship]

2. The White House IS engaging in hardball, Representative Edwards!

It's just that you and the Progressive Caucus and core Democratic constituencies are the targets of its attacks.

[texshelters]

So why now, why not from the beginning of your

or Obama's term. That is one thing the Republicans understand better than Democrats. The fight starts from the first bell.

The Democratic party is a complete disappointment, excepting a few individuals, and the Republicans are psychopaths.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[ClassWarrior]

4. Why don't you examine Rep. Edwards' record, then get back to me?

:eyes:

NGU.

[texshelters]

9. The article said,

"It's time to play hardball" not me.

So, why now. I was commenting on the article, not her record.

I actually quite like the Rep. So, there is no need to attack me. The whole article's framing was shite, that's all. I agree with the Rep. Edwards on everything that I know of.

I use English. What the hell does NGU mean? Not Going to Understand?

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[ClassWarrior]

10. I see. You called the Dem Party "a complete disappointment" because the article was badly framed.

:crazy:

NGU.

[Fuddnik]

15. I think he's got an STD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-gonococcal_urethritis

It's the only NGU I could find on google.

[DocMac]

19. NGU = Never Give Up...my guess.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. She is not saying 'it's now time for me to play hardball'

She is saying she believes in hardball, and it is time for the WH to take it up as well. Using and understanding English do not seem to be the same thing.

[marmar]

7. Donna Edwards always has.

nt

[DCKit]

3. There are five women, Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich fighting for us.

With the exception of the two men mentioned above, I'm thinking we need to go to an all-female Congress to get all this shit straightened out - excepting those who think God talks to them, or are intent on being submissive to their gay husbands.

Sorry, but I'm weary of the "old white man's club" and all the other BS.

[texshelters]

5. So, you want a Bachmann, Palin, O'Donnell,

Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina, Ann Coulter, or even Dem. Mary Landrieu running Congress? Oh, I could go on, but I've frightened enough people already.

How about stick to promoting issues and not gender?

Yes, I love the politicians you promoted, but perhaps it's not all about gender.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[DCKit]

8. As I said:

"excepting those who think God talks to them, or are intent on being submissive to their gay husbands."

If you're not going to take the time to read the post, why bother to take the time to reply?

Regardless, I get your anger, and I'm right there with you. We're all fucked, and they're playing political games... with our lives.

[texshelters]

13. Yes, my bad

if I had only slowed down and read the second line...

And it is more than just "God" that is the problem. Candidates like Fiorina wants to privatize everything as if private fireman and road contractors would do shoddy work and hire illegals and bust unions, etc.

It's more than about god and gays, it's the myth of privatization.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[DCKit]

14. You are, officially, my friend.

We can fight, but no more bullshit, from here on out.

[ClassWarrior]

6. So black men like Reps. Clyburn and Ellison don't count?

What an irresponsible post.

NGU.

[DCKit]

12. JFC, when did I bring race into this?

You have a great point, but I only know what I know, and I was being too dramatic.

Three of the women I was talking about are black, and one of them (one of the best, smartest and most liberal of the bunch) is a neighbor of mine. I can't wait for the day when I can say "thanks for all you've done" in the elevator, but I haven't been home much, and haven't seen her in almost a year. My Mom freakin' LOVED those who spoke out, and I really need to pass that on.

I may have missed some (a lot) of the "good" guys, but that's only because I haven't been hearing shit from them, and I've been cut off from all Internet access and any kind of real news for most of the past five months. I only know what I know. I am ignorant of much, lately.

Not a big fan of Clyburn, HUGE fan of Keith Ellison. You won't get me there.

I may have mis-spoken, but you took it somewhere it didn't need to go.

[ClassWarrior]

16. You're right. Race has no place in the discussion. Neither does gender.

Neither does age, for that matter.

How easily "old white man's club" trips off the tongue, doesn't it?

NGU.

[DCKit]

20. "How easily "old white man's club" trips off the tongue, doesn't it?"

But that's what it seems to be... They've got the power.

Your response was gracious, and I'll do my best to remember it. As I (and so many others) have said, they win when they set us against each other. That's not so easy with me these days. It's better and easier to repair a misunderstanding than it is to allow it to fester.

The S.O. mentioned he hasn't seen the Congresswoman in question for some time - Did she move out, or did she just get so damn busy she's working outside the hours of any normal human? I'm betting on the latter.

Guess I'll just have to send her office an email, or put a note in her box. She's one of our best, she needs to know we have her back and how much we appreciate all she's done.

[DesertFlower]

24. wish we had anthony weiner back.

i know. he tweeted his penis, but he fought for us.

[xchrom]

11. recommend

[blackspade]

22. Edwards rocks.