Reply #4: the republican oppression machine is well-oiled and pervasive.

[Lerkfish]

your choices as a democrat are:

1. be subsumed and compliant and therefore complicit by omission
2. be in opposition and viciously attacked and then do #1
3. be in opposition and don't do #1

the number three choice is going to be small in any dominated system where there is real consequences for opposition.

In the number three category, I would place Conyers, Boxer, Mckinney and the black caucus, to a lesser extent Kerry.

the other categories are understandable, with people who are either beholden to corporatism or simply trying to save their own political hides.

Understandable does not mean excusable.

What we need to do, is elect more #3 dems, who do their job IN SPITE OF being outnumbered. They were never elected to do their job only if they were in the majority.

IMHO