Well, he did it. It took taking a helluva hit to his own political capital, but he did it.

[TygrBright]

President Obama finally, FINALLY ginned the damned spineless fucking wimpy Senate Democrats to ACT like Democrats.

He won't get any credit for this, of course, but some of us are noticing, anyway.

amusedly,
Bright

[polichick]

1. LOL - dream on! nt

[Eric J in MN]

2. Did the Senate Democrats do something good? NT

NT

[LawnLover]

3. I've been out of the loop for several days, please explain. nt.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[emulatorloo]

11. Pretty sure OP is being tongue in cheek n/t

[LawnLover]

12. I'm sure that answer made YOU feel better, but it didn't tell me anything. nt.

[rocktivity]

4. I see some good in all this, too

The American people are finally seeing who REALLY runs the government, that is, who the REAL welfare queens are.


rocktivity

[emulatorloo]

7. There are a lot of VOTERS that needed to hear what Bernie said. "Independents"

"Undecideds" and "Moderate Republicans" I hope at least a little bit got through to them

[tekisui]

5. Link to Senate Dems acting like Dems?

[TygrBright]

8. One of many:

http://www.hawaii247.com/2010/12/11/senate-dems-urge-vo... /

[eleny]

9. My Norton Security blocks the site as dangerous, please post another or give the subject matter...

I'm happy to do my own search for it.

[TygrBright]

13. Weird. It's a newsblog site called "Hawaii 24/7"

The piece is titled "Senate Dems Urge Vote to Strengthen Social Security."

Google "Landrieu Merkey letter Reid" to find more sources.

helpfully,
Bright

[eleny]

15. Thx, B

[emulatorloo]

6. Yeah but the Senate Democrats still can't muster up the votes for a middle class only tax cut

I really enjoyed your post. ThANKS!!!

[frazzled]

14. They've been totally inoperational: somebody had to govern

The Senate and House refused to take this issue on before the elections, when it could have been used as a cudgel. But noooooo: they were afraid of offending their wealthy donors and/or of being branded "tax raisers" in ads by the Republicans. And then they lost massively, anyway.

Fast forward to the eleventh hour. The House Democrats pass a merely symbolic vote that they know will have no chance of moving in the Senate, just to pretend they are doing something. It's not hard work when you've got a large majority. But they will be in the minority in just a few weeks. It's not even a particularly good vote, in retrospect. For it does nothing to address various issues such as stimulus or unemployment. It's, come to think of it, a deficit reduction bill! Not something that is usually part of the progressive lexicon.

Things transpire as expected in the Senate: the House bill fails on a vote. There doesn't appear to be any Plan B. With eight days to go in the Congressional session, before a slew of new and even crazier Republicans gets to town, Obama decides to act. He's probably pissed at how they dithered this away. And now they have no plan.

How utterly disingenuous of all those Democratic Congress critters to pretend that no plan at all, with an impending Republican onslaught, would be a better thing than the deal Obama cut with the thugs. Even Dean Baker thinks we shouldn't be talking or worrying about the two years of tax cuts for the rich.

But ... y'all know one thing, so keep on waving the slogan.

[CakeGrrl]

16. Yes he did. Why didn't they find their damned voice on the tax cut issue

before the President made a move?

But yes, some of us noticed. And some of us do give him credit.

Change HAS come to Washington, methinks - and some people are too busy flapping and squawking at the surface to see these other shifts.

Unfortunately, the Republicans still out-spine them in their willingness to actually mount filibusters. But only until the President took some action did these Dems start speaking out.

[philly_bob]

17. Why didn't majority Dems deal with tax cuts before election?

According to this article, they figured they didn't have the votes... http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/Democrats-Plan-Tax-... . Sounds like a fatal miscalculation...

But if this battle had been fought before the election, maybe some TeaBaggers would have switched sides, seeing a vote for a Republican is a vote for millionaires.

[ibegurpard]

18. uh huh...this was more of his superb chessmanship right?

maybe the politicians have finally had enough of his capitulation to corporate interests as well...and that's saying something.

[GeorgeGist]

19. Amazing really ...

even Bush couldn't do that. wink,wink, nod,nod