Dems Aim to Narrow GOP Congress Majority

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON Feb 8, 2005 — Shy and retiring aren't terms that spring to mind to describe Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, new political point men for out-of-power congressional Democrats.

Try aggressive or combative.
...
GOP Rep. Tom Reynolds, a New Yorker who heads the House Republican campaign committee, says flatly, "Republicans will be in the majority" when the 2006 votes are counted.
...
"Lucky for you there aren't two of me," Schumer once told Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, with a smile at the end of a fierce committee struggle over one of Bush's judicial nominees.

"It's a great blessing for the country," was Hatch's in-kind reply.

Emanuel, 45, has been known to pinch people when he felt that words weren't strong enough to be persuasive. He clashed with fellow aides at the White House, and those who have dealt with him say he can be verbally abusive.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=481513&page=2

[hedda_foil]

1. Ugh!

Schumer and Emanuel are uber-DLC types. It's going to be interesting as hell to see how Dean and DFA get around them to actually challenge and win seats rather than playing DLC big-money patty-cake in so-called "Swing States".

[TedsGarage]

3. A little ethnic stereotyping here?

Jeez, why don't they call this "Those loud-mouthed pushy left wing Jews," and add in Barbara Boxer?

[KittyWampus]

6. WTF? Emanuel Is "Uber-DLC Type"? That's Not Only A Cartoon Version

of reality- it's blatantly false.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

12. I have to disagree

being pragmatic isn't the same thing being DLC like.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. Winning the Social Security battle and fixing the voting machines...

will be key to winning seats in 2006!

[JerseygirlCT]

9. I'm with you

If we don't hold fast on Social Security, we're screwed.

If we don't fix the voting system, it won't matter WHAT we do.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Don't you love how Reynolds phrased his comment?

"GOP Rep. Tom Reynolds, a New Yorker who heads the House Republican campaign committee, says flatly, "Republicans will be in the majority" when the 2006 votes are counted."

[NYC Liberal]

8. Yeah. When they COUNT the votes.

They'll probably move the voting machines into Republican offices for, um, "security."

[LizW]

5. Dean wins the DNC chair and suddenly

here is the mainstream press touting what tough badasses the DLCers are.

Coincidence? Hmmmph.

[KittyWampus]

7. Why Don't You Elaborate? And Explain Your Use Of The Term DLC?

[lancdem]

10. Some people on DU

like to throw the term DLC around to describe anyone who's not Howard Dean. When Dean becomes DNC chair he will be working with Dems of all stripes. I'd like to see an end to this us vs. them rhetoric.

[ClarkUSA]

11. Bingo - thank you.

[madmark]

13. Bankruptcy Reform back in front of Congress

I don't have enough posts for DU to allow me to post this Washington Weekly article: http://www.bondmarkets.com/w-weekly/2005/WK020405.shtml , regarding congress' latest attempt to revive and pass bankruptcy reform in the next couple of months, which I believe will have a direct and devastating effect (more so than many of the issues raised in DU) on the people here and throughout the county. Could someone with enough posts please post it. Once it is posted I will add additional commentary.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi madmark!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[AlCzervik]

14. wow, this one isn't even trying to hide it

GOP Rep. Tom Reynolds, a New Yorker who heads the House Republican campaign committee, says flatly, "Republicans will be in the majority" when the 2006 votes are counted.
...

[Stevepol]

17. With good reason. The machines are taking over NY too probably.

The Dems can just Fuhgeddabout winning any seats in the future unless they put the voting machines front and center. That has to be issue numero uno.

DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS!

[corbett]

15. Focus is on Social Security Reform as 109th Congress Warms Up

http://www.bondmarkets.com/w-weekly/2005/WK020405.shtml

<snip>
President Bush reinforced his desire for Congress to enact Social Security reform that includes private accounts for individuals in his State of the Union address this week. Congressional activity on the subject is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Congress will also continue its debate on overhauling the regulation of the housing-related government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) with two hearings planned next week.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) introduced a comprehensive bankruptcy reform bill that includes important updates to the laws governing financial contract netting. Hearings on the bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee are also planned for next week.

The Joint Committee on Taxation has issued a report citing the elimination of advance refunding for tax-exempt municipal bonds as a possible revenue raiser. The provision was one of a handful of municipal market-related measures.

Also, Micah Green, president of The Bond Market Association, will testify on the Role of Credit Rating Agencies in the Capital Markets before the Senate Banking Committee next week on February 8.
</snip>

[corbett]

16. If Meaningful Election Reform Is Pushed Through...

I predict that the Senate will return to a Democratic majority, with the House becoming quite narrowly contested across the aisle. The Social Security battle will leave many scars on the administration's Congressional rubber stamps, as will the realization by millions of seniors that the prescription drug coverage under Medicare is a boondoggle.

Without meaningful election reform, the left's only hope is to target all of those energies on the limited number of Congressional districts and states which had only a small amount of election fraud in 2004.