We gained 21 congresspeople and 7* senators in 2008

[WonderGrunion]

Where are they?

I'm tired of seeing Republicans represented disproportionately on the news. Why aren't these 28 new faces on the evening and cable news at least once a week? Our party needs to co-ordinate press appearances to make sure that our message isn't being drowned out.


*8 after Franken is confirmed.

[Cleita]

1. Wasn't there supposed to be an announcement about Coleman vs. Franken

today from the Minn. Supreme Court? Are they still dragging this out?

[WonderGrunion]

2. Still dragging I'm afraid

I was hoping this would end before the post in GD:Presidential hit 1000 posts.

[Metta]

3. A fat lot of good it's done us what with all the weaseling and waffleing

and just plain cowardice and, of course, being bought out.

[WonderGrunion]

6. I think it's more appropriate to attribute to that to the establishment

Not the fresh-folk in DC

[Metta]

10. mmh, good point.

True.

[kenny blankenship]

4. I remember 1994-95

When the Repukes captured the House. The new Republican house members - Oh they were EVERYWHERE on the teeve. A new day was dawning, we were informed, and it was vital to give these freshmen Representatives preferential access to the airwaves. The people needed to know what they had just wrought in elevating these new agents-of-change, and they needed to be kept abreast of all the wondrous doings of the 104th Congress as it implemented the Contract With America.

Yes, you're right. It's quite different now.

[WonderGrunion]

8. Exactly, all these newbies lack seniority

They can't realistically start legislation in many cases. Use them as a PR offensive.

Coming up next on CNN *New Democrats are in the house! Stand back MoFo's"

[jgraz]

5. They're all busy holding the doors shut on single-payer advocates.

:grr:

[Cleita]

7. I find that door to be a glass one. They haven't heard the end of this yet,

and if they do pass some insurance company dream come true, when people realize they've been had, the shit will hit the fan.

[WonderGrunion]

15. This is why we need message control

Everyone freaks out over the $1 trillion (or $1.6 trillion) price tag for health insurance reform. We already spend over $2 trillion a year on health care. That's between a 5% and 8% increase in government payouts on health care. Doesn't seem so significant anymore, does it?

[notesdev]

20. That misses the point of the financial objections

which are twofold:

first, the problem is that we spend too much on healthcare; spending more makes the problem worse, not better. The goal should be to stop beggaring ourselves with healthcare costs.

second, there's no money to spend. The US government is insolvent, and the bond market has been sending stronger and stronger messages that it will not buy the debt the Treasury plans to sell.

Reform has to focus on cost reduction. If the proposed 'reform' adds another $1 trillion plus to the tab, it's the wrong idea. What needs to be reformed is the vicious cycle that starts with jackpot litigation, and the pile-on charge practices with people in their last year of life. This country could halve our health care costs with no compromise on quality, tackling those two abuses alone.

[WonderGrunion]

9. Are most the newbies Blue Dogs?

I think the old guard is more responsible for that. Just on principle, I think we should have elected new House and Senate leadership to coincide with our new presidency. The people who are good leaders during the minority aren't necessarily the best leaders for the majority. Look at Newt Ginrich in '94. He was a terror on the hill in the minority, but he couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time as Majority Leader.

[Laelth]

11. It's not the D party's fault that the R party owns the media. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[WonderGrunion]

12. We need to take back the media

Right wing media sucks ass.

[Laelth]

16. Just give us a few billionaires like Rupert Murdoch.

Let our billionaires build us two or three liberal-dominated media conglomerates to oppose Fox and we'll at least be "even" with the R's.

:dem:

-Laelth

[WonderGrunion]

17. I thought we had the billionaires already.

Don't George Soros, Ted Turner and Bill Gates run a secret cabal that dictates the every move of left wing politics?

I must be watching too much Faux News. :tinfoilhat:

[Laelth]

18. Perhaps we do. Wonder why they won't build left-leaning media empires?

Can you make them do it? Turner sold his years ago though he was allowed to keep a job allegedly "running" part of it.

:dem:

-Laelth

[WonderGrunion]

19. And that, my friend, is the lie behind right wing news.

If Soros has so much money, power and influence; why doesn't he simply buy Fox News and shut it down? If the right wing would just use their heads a little, well we wouldn't have Repubs anymore.

[Kermitt Gribble]

13. I don't know.

It's so hard to tell the differece between them anymore, I'm not sure if I'm looking at a repuke or a Dem. Maybe the media is confused, as well.

[WonderGrunion]

14. Maybe they could mislabel some of the Pubs with a 'D' like faux does

Just not the sex offenders please.

[arthritisR_US]

21. they were pimped by the health care lobbyists and are hiding in the back rooms so

they can cast their votes against your best interests, I suspect :-(

[Greyhound]

22. The leaders of both "Ds" and the "Rs" are pwned by the $. You and I are

a biannual nuisance to be briefly pacified every other year until the second Wednesday of November, when they can return to their real jobs of ensuring the continued looting of America by their campaign contributors.