It's time to start going after the Republicans; Bush is done.

[Dawgs]

Congratulations DU!! We've brought down Bush, Cheney looks like a fool, and it's fun to watch the freepers squirm again.



Now what do we do? Half of the Republicans are siding with Bush, while the other half are sticking with the Republican candidates in Congress.

Should we start to put all of our focus on 06' Republican candidates, or do we just stick with the lead story on Bush, Abramoff, whoever?

I say we stick with the lead story, but make sure we tie everything back to the Republicans; not just Bush. Yes, hopefully the Abramoff/Harris/Reed scandal stories will start to pick up, and we can focus on bringing down the Republicans, but we can't rely on it. We need to work harder than ever to keep Republican voters at home, and Democratic voters at the polls.

November 2006 is a long ways away. Let's bring them all down.

[Swamp Rat]

1. It's not over by a long shot!

Time to ramp it up even more! It's no-holds-barred mutherfuckers!

[0007]

23. You can say that again!

Swamp Rat

[theboss]

2. We won something?

Little help?

[mattclearing]

12. Now that even the Republicans agree that Bush is a failure,

It's a given. Nobody is taking Bush seriously as a president now.

We can now turn our attention to congressional Republicans.

[ClassWarrior]

3. Amen Dawgs. Keep hammering on "Bush**'s corrupt Republicon Party."

Remember - 16+5=2006

NGU.

[Wabbajack]

9. 16+5=2006

I get 21.

[ClassWarrior]

28. Let's make sure we get MORE than 21 this fall.

NGU.

[FormerDittoHead]

11. I think NGU says it all! n/t

[TayTay]

4. Start to move against the Republican Party

and put Bush behind us. He is a failed President and a miserable excuse for a 'leader.' We now want to hang Bush's failures around the neck of every Republican we can. They own the Iraq War, they own the horrible and incompetent response to the people devastated by Hurricane Katrina and they own an economy that doesn't favor working people and doesn't help Americans pay the bills, get a decent education for their kids and so forth. They friggin own this stuff. They enabled their 'Fearless Leadeer' and boldly followed him into raging incompetence.

Make them defend their record. Make them defend cutting health benefits for returning veterans. Make then explain why the folks who went to their war in Iraq couldn't even get an exemption from the new Bankruptcy laws. Make them own their own failures.

We don't get mad, we get even.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. When possible, go after the individual's record

I'm talking incumbants here. My local conman's record on supporting the troops could be better, and I hope to find out what else he's done that is really against the interests of the district. Local progressives are looking for a veteran to run against him, as we feel this is the best way to highlight his lack of support for the military-and supporting the military is important in this district.

[mattclearing]

14. Actually, Kerry proved that Dems can't entirely escape culpability

for the Iraq War.

Even though they were lied to and gave the President the benefit of the doubt based on faulty intelligence they weren't allowed to see.

I know it's bullshit, but fickle voters expect them to know when Bush and his henchmen are full of shit.

Hell, I expected them to know it too. I'm still angry about it.

But the other stuff I totally agree on.

[TayTay]

21. But the Dems didn't plan this war and carry it out

The Dems were the minority party. The Republicans were the ones who thought this war was a grood idea, planned the initial invasion based on lies and wishful thinking and the Republicans are the ones who utterly and completely failed to come up with any plans at all for the post invasion.

A Republican Administration was in office when Abu Ghraib happened and America became known to the world as a nation that likes to use torture on it's prisoners. A Republican Administration was in office when the infrastructure of Iraq was obliterated and the Iraqi people found out that 'freedom on the march' doesn't mean you get fresh water to drink or sewer treatment or even electricity service. A Republican Administration told the rest of the world to screw off and that we could do this Iraq Invasion thing all by ourselves and if they didn't like it they could choke on it. John Kerry, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy and all the rest of the Dems had no imput into this at all. None. The Rethugs screwed this up all by themselves.

The Republicans, not the Democrats did all that stuff. And this doesn't even begin to dig into all the incompetence on the domestic side. Republicans can't govern. They hate government, they hate everything government does from building roads to operating hospitals for veterans to providing social security for older Americans. They loathe the idea that we even have a government that worries about anything more than 'providing for the common defense.' They can't govern at all. They don't believe in it. Katrina showed this beyond the shadow of a doubt. The whole Terry Schiavo case showed that they look at 'social programs' and an excuse to impose religious rule.

We need to hang all this stuff around their neck.

[mattclearing]

22. I said it wasn't fair.

But I don't believe that people who voted for the IWR can really escape culpability for the war.

Ultimately, it was their decision to make.

If they didn't have enough information, they should have voted no.

All of what you say is true. I'm just saying that the Iraq War is more of a bipartisan mistake than it should have been.

[Jawja]

25. Good points.

We should also tie them to the coverup of the illegal spying on Americans. Pat Roberts, on behalf of the people of Kansas, just shut down any investigation into *'s blatant violation of the 4th Amendment.

Bring it home that the RULE OF LAW does not apply to Republicans.

[Crankie Avalon]

5. I've seen plenty of dancing on this administration's grave before...

...all for it to blow over. I'm not taking anything for granted until I see all the networks broadcasting footage of a statue of Bush being pulled down in some American city's public square. New Orleans should have the honor.

[gilpo]

6. So let's look at what * being "done" has stopped him from getting.....

Horrible Budget Blocked?.... Nope
Patriot Act Blocked?.... No way
FISA Crimes Investigated?.... Are you kidding?
Impeachment Looming?.... Uh-uh.
Backlash on Katrina?... I don't see any.

We have to get the congress and Senate turned around, or NOTHING will ever happen.

[mattclearing]

8. That deserves a Dean scream.

YYYYYEEEAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. Bush=Congressional Repigs- I remember Schumer on the Senate

floor, talking about the rubberstamping repigs on court nominees. He said that they blinding endorsed every single nominee but one. And it was Trent Lott's vote against a black judge. ha

The beauty of their blind faith now is that they have endorsed every freakin thing that BFEE has done == Except maybe the Cheney shooting.

Wow, listen to Rahm Emmanuel - brilliant party spokesman.

[harpo]

13. don't be so sure...ann richards said he was done a long time ago

[KharmaTrain]

15. "We" Haven't Done A Thing...This Is All Self-Inflicted

Democrats have no megaphone or influence on the problems this regime and its enablers have created. Every major issue...from Iraq to the economy to spying to Dubai ports to massive defecits to immigration to outsourcing and more can all be traced and pinned on the Repugnican party. By saying "we" brought them down is both giving us far more credit than is earned and also giving the Repugnicans a way to blame Democrats by saying "see...they claimed credit for ruining things..." and don't thing they aren't looking for that escape hatch.

The work is just starting for us...people are angry and they're just starting to learn who is at the cause of their troubles and frustrations. The picture isn't clear yet but all indications are as the year progresses the Repugnican corruption will become more and more of an issue...one that Democrats will be able to exploit in a way that isn't apparent now.

Now's the time to start lining up our ducks...getting candidates on slates...making sure they have proper staffing and funding and to allow each to craft a specific message that can be rolled out this fall to attack each and every Repugnican enabler of this regime. Bringing down a Duncan Hunter in California will be different than what it takes to knock out Lincoln Chaffee as it will for sending DeLay packing and so on. This effort will require a lot of elbow grease, door knocking, phone banking and making sure more of our people show up at the polls on election day than theirs and the votes are counted.

The job is just beginning...and even then look at the mess we'll have to start cleaning up....

[mattclearing]

19. You are correct on just about every count.

One thing that does favor Democrats is that the local media is more likely to give them fair coverage than the national media.

If we can win statewide races in places like Virginia, we can win just about anywhere.

As long as our candidates keep their heads down and avoid the major media spotlight, they should have a good shot at getting a fair shake from the process.

But yes, this is the time when the hard work begins.

Many of the establishment Dems are angry about Dean's money spending on infrastructure, but his organizational work will likely help us make gains from the bottom up this year.

[Coyote_Bandit]

16. Mission Accomplished?

I think not. * is not done until he is gone.

[deutsey]

17. Ding ding ding!

[mattclearing]

20. After Katrina and the ports fiasco, he is officially a lame duck.

Congress is going to continue to flex muscle now that he has proven his administration to be unreliable.

[Coyote_Bandit]

26. Just because he is a lame duck

does not mean that he cannot manipulate circumstances, perceptions and people to his advantage. We must continue to be vigilant. And, yes, part of that requires working to change the composition of Congress in the next election. For far too many people in this country perception is far more influential than reality. Ours is a consumer society and perceptions of candidates and their agendas can and do change quickly.

[leeroysphitz]

18. Thank you!

After using every possible distraction in the book to keep our minds off of all the dirty stuff they've ever done this admin has finally become, it's self, just another thing to distract us from what is truly important. We focus incessantly on Bush when the crux of the biscuit is CONGRESS in 2006.

We should keep our eyes on the prize. Take back congress and we can start to fix things. (the sooner the better)

[sutz12]

24. That's all fine....

but I think we need some Dems to stand up and start doing the mea culpa thing for voting to give * those war powers. I think they will be OK if they just say, "Sorry. Won't be fooled again." Otherwise, they are not much better than the 'Pugs.

[mattclearing]

27. That would indeed be nice. n/t

[Hissyspit]

29. Off to Greatest Page now

[Pacifist Patriot]

30. It's been time long before now!

[kentuck]

31. Yes, it could be argued that is is Congress' fault that Bush failed...

If they had done their job of oversight, they may have prevented the present embarrassments.

[many a good man]

32. Coat tails

Let's make sure Bush's are short and covered with elephant dung. Republican Congress is 100% as responsible for this mess as Bush is.

[Lugnut]

33. I'm not ready to cheer yet

I'll wait until the lot of them are gone and out of office. As long as they're there damage is being done and far too few have the will to end it.

[catmandu57]

34. Let's work really hard on

regaining control of congress, while painting this misadministration as incompetent buffoons and all their congressional rubberstamps as part of the problem also.
I'll hold my breath until this fall, we'll get a better feeling for how things will fall out then.

[bvar22]

35. AlwaysTie the word "Republican" to the word Bush*.

Never mention bush* without adding the "AND the Republicans" suffix.

BAD: ...Bush* LIED us into the Iraq War
GOOD:...Bush* AND the Republicans LIED us into the Iraq War.

BAD:.... Bush has the run up the highest deficit EVER.
GOOD:....Bush* AND the Republicans have run up the highest deficit EVER.


BAD:....Bush* doesn't care about black people.
GOOD:...Bush* AND the Republicans don't care about black people.

"Bush* AND the Republicans" should become ONE WORD in your vocabulary.


Bush* IS toast, but he is not the problem. It is time to DRIVE A FUCKING STAKE through the cold black doctrine of Conservatism (and that includes the New Democrats).
The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Dawgs]

40. Thank you!!

Exactly what I was thinking. We can still go after Bush, let's just make sure we add 'AND THE REPULICANS' when we do.

Thanks.

[leftofthedial]

36. we should argue among ourselves while the congressional Dems

snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and save king george's bacon once again

[Ganja Ninja]

37. Don't let Republicans off the hook.

Neocons = Conservatives = Republicans = Bush = Crooks & Liars. They're all in this up to their necks. They've been cheering him on for the last 5 1/2 years and now all of a sudden they want to disown him.

They blame him for doing exactly what they've all been espousing for 25 years, being more Reagan than Reagan. Now they want to tell everyone they've been betrayed as if the all the voodoo economics and hard line foreign policy have nothing to do with the current state of affairs. I have news for them. Bush is Ronald Reagan on steroids! Crazy economic theories and belligerent foreign policy ballooned the national debt then just as it's doing today.

The problem is not just the incompetence of Bush. The problem is the incompetence of the average Republican voter. The problem is they prefer lies to facts.

[ContraBass Black]

38. "Bush is done."

Heard it before.

[Dawgs]

41. Your missing the point.

It's not about Bush anymore. We need to bring down all Republicans.

It doesn't matter if voters like Bush. It matters if they like Republicans that are up for re-election.

[FreedomAngel82]

39. Yes

Bush is a fool and a lot of republicans are running away. We can't let them.