D Kos gives us another spin on this fillibuster....

[ourbluenation]

So this "non-binding resolution" wasn't as useless as I thought. Now, we can beat Republicans over this vote for the next two years. Send them a big "thank you" present. Because of the Senate filibuster and presidential veto, It's near impossible for Democrats to end this war. But what we can and do, and should do, is keep bringing up these resolutions. Bring them all up -- the Kennedy measure, the Dodd measure, the Obama measure, and anything else lying around. Bring them up and keep forcing Republicans to stand with Bush in support of this war.

Because in 2008, we'll elect people who WILL end this war, from the White House, to the Senate, to the House. And the more Republicans obstruct even the most toothless "non-binding" half-measures to express disapproval on the war, the more the American people will see who will prolong the quagmire, and who will work to end it.

[WI_DEM]

1. He makes a good point, and also pointed out all the Republicans

who are up for re-election in '08 who voted to filibuster. It isn't pretty.

www.dailykos.com

heck, even all talk and no action Hagel.

[LSK]

3. this is who is up for election

Democrats
:bluebox: Baucus, Max (D-MT)
:bluebox: Biden, Joseph R., Jr. (D-DE)
:bluebox: Durbin, Richard (D-IL)
:bluebox: Harkin, Tom (D-IA)
:bluebox: Johnson, Tim (D-SD)
:bluebox: Kerry, John F. (D-MA)
:bluebox: Landrieu, Mary L. (D-LA)
:bluebox: Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ)
:bluebox: Levin, Carl (D-MI)
:bluebox: Pryor, Mark L. (D-AR)
:bluebox: Reed, Jack (D-RI)
:bluebox: Rockefeller, John D., IV (D-WV)

Republicans
:redbox: Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)
:redbox: Allard, Wayne (R-CO)
:redbox: Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA)
:redbox: Cochran, Thad (R-MS)
:redbox: Coleman, Norm (R-MN)
:redbox: Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)
:redbox: Cornyn, John (R-TX)
:redbox: Craig, Larry E. (R-ID)
:redbox: Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC)
:redbox: Domenici, Pete V. (R-NM)
:redbox: Enzi, Michael B. (R-WY)
:redbox: Graham, Lindsey (R-SC)
:redbox: Hagel, Chuck (R-NE)
:redbox: Inhofe, James M. (R-OK)
:redbox: McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)
:redbox: Roberts, Pat (R-KS)
:redbox: Sessions, Jeff (R-AL)
:redbox: Smith, Gordon H. (R-OR)
:redbox: Stevens, Ted (R-AK)
:redbox: Sununu, John E. (R-NH)
:redbox: Warner, John (R-VA)

[Bucky]

9. Useful list! Thanks

These are the targets, then...


:redbox: Allard, Wayne (R-CO)
:redbox: Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA)
:redbox: Coleman, Norm (R-MN)
:redbox: Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)
:redbox: Graham, Lindsey (R-SC)
:redbox: Hagel, Chuck (R-NE)
:redbox: Smith, Gordon H. (R-OR)
:redbox: Sununu, John E. (R-NH)

We could throw these three in just for show, tho I doubt they're as vulnerable as the first eight
:redbox: Warner, John (R-VA)
:redbox: Domenici, Pete V. (R-NM)
:redbox: McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)

[grasswire]

13. Smith voted for the filibuster?

Damned hypocrite, he.

[neverforget]

24. He most certainly did and I let him know about it today too!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3098779

[LSK]

15. I want 10 to be filibuster proof

[NewJeffCT]

18. Warner may retire

and also may be challenged by Mark Warner, the popular ex-governor who ran a tight race against John Warner before his governorship...

[patrice]

12. I'm gettin off of this board right now to write an LTTE about Roberts. n/t

[bobbolink]

20. We'll be working to get rid of Allard (GAK) and friends in NM will be

working to show Domenici the door!

The thought of Inhoff leaving is.... almost as good as choklit! :)

[AX10]

2. I want to see some ball busters in 08'!

I want to see the Democrats beat the living shit out of every SOB who voted for the fillibuster!If you hold back, you deserve to lose! GET IT???

Of the Republic Senators up in 08, these are the ones that we must work to take:

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Gordon Smith (R-OR)
John Sununu (R-NH)
John Warner (R-VA)

Susan Collins (Maine) and Normie Coleman (MN) are going to be axed, as Kos says, inspite of their voting against the fillibuster.

The others are safe, sadly including Herr Hagel.

[NNadir]

6. Hagel, Allen, Hagel, Allen...

Wasn't George Allen supposed to be a strong contender for the Repuke nomination?

[AX10]

7. Yes, and now he's (Allen) out of the running.

[NNadir]

21. Wow. I wonder what happened?

[Lex]

8. I think our Dem governor in NC can take Elizabeth Dole out.

He hasn't announced, but I think he might run for that seat.

He's pretty popular here and has won his elections for Gov. handily in the state.

[Lex]

4. YES--each and every one aligned themselves with Bush's escalation

and his war, if they voted for this filibuster.

Don't think their Democratic opponents won't use this the next time the Repug's seat comes up for grabs.

[Bucky]

5. This has been the Dem leadership's approach all along

I know we get impatient with the painfully slow process of opposing this war. This is our system. We got a bum war because the president went outside the system, broke the rules, defied tradition and flauted the Constitution. But we won't fix the problems he's created by breaking different rules or seeking out new short cuts to getting our way. Working within the system, creating a record to run on and holding the Republicans accountable for their crap is the American way. It's slow, it's inefficient, but it works.

[Hav]

10. .

I heard this Senator Smith from Oregon voted with his Repubs as well? Wasn't he so outspoken against this war just a few weeks ago? As most here expected, it was only hot air in the end. Many warned one should watch how they vote and they were right.
I hope the Dems in Oregon can find a competitive opponent to kick Smith out.

[blues90]

11. Well , I ask , what good will it be in 2008 ?

I don't care about 2008 right now . While these fools keep screwing around thousands of people will die over in Iraq .

What about the possible pending attack on Iran ? This is not just going to go away .

If we don;t get this shit together 2008 is going to look alot different then anyone can imagine right now .

Two more years of political campaigns is none-sense while people are dying while people and political figure heads make their plans and spend millions on this crap .

[ourbluenation]

14. and what would you have them do? right now? Even if impeachment was pursued...

it would be a long, drawn out process.

[blues90]

16. I would hope they would

Get off their ass and get this war stopped before it involves the entire middle east .

Do you actually believe that 2008 elections and political asperations are more important . These self serving politicians can all go straight to hell .

[ourbluenation]

19. what does that mean in practical terms? "get off their ass and stop war"

???

[blues90]

22. I don't how I can apply practical to politics

Basically as you know there are issues much more important than the 2008 elections . People talk about multi-tasking , well this may be true to a point depending on exactly what these tasks are and the urgency of these tasks at hand .

I place the urgency of the occupation of Iraq including the so called surge high priority as well as the threats or provocation toward Iran .

This needs to be the focus as far as I am concerned , not on this forum where it needs to be talked about no doubt and it has been , however these wars are now the elections are two years away , so can I suggest , all hands on deck ?

[Warren Stupidity]

17. How many will die for this slim advantage?

How many of ours and how many of theirs will die so that we can beat them over the head with the wet noodle of 'you voted against the nonbinding irresolution to mildly disapprove of some of the policies of the bush administration in Iraq'?

[bigtree]

23. it's part of a political process - the only one we have available

many other initiatives and efforts are being made which intend to hold Bush accountable on Iraq and bring the troops home. This is a beginning in that effort. There are plenty of binding bills which are waiting to be introduced, but it's not like they are going to fare any better than this one.

The budget debate has just begun . . .

The posturing by some against the Democrats presumes that our democracy provides them with the opportunity to do whatever they want with the expectation that Bush and the republicans will just sit still, or, that every strident strategy employed by the Democrats is guaranteed to produce a rollback of Bush's ambitions. The slim majority that we hold doesn't allow for success from all of the dictating folks want from these Democratic legislators. Any resolution which escapes this Congress without filibuster will have to be in the form of a compromise.

The budget provides the best opportunity for action in the House where the budget bill will originate. They have the power to pass a partisan bill, but it will need some republican attraction to insure it against a certain Bush veto IF the Senate manages to pass an agreeable one which doesn't conflict with the House language. The budget bill could easily get bogged down in committee.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Nope. It was a misguided half measure.

See Russ Feingold on how bad a move this was. David Sirota has a great column on his blog that covers Feingold's analysis, complete with audio links here: http://davidsirota.com/index.php/2007/02/05/feingold-its-us-vs-the-washington-consultant-class-on-iraq/

[mmonk]

26. Spin is right.