When the Republicans ran the House of Representatives

[Truth2Tell]

between 1994 and 2006, the leadership never allowed a single bill - not one - to pass without the majority support of their own Party. There were many occasions and many issues (climate change for example) on which a coalition of Democrats and centrist Republicans could easily have formed a majority. But that was never allowed to happen. No majority support in the majority Party meant no legislation.

They called this "Party discipline." They did this out of respect for one another and respect for the voters that gave them their majority.

In just the last week, the Democratic leadership of "our" Congressional majority has allowed both Iraq war funding and FISA warrantless wiretapping to pass the House with only the support of a minority of fellow Democrats.

For all their idiocy, it seems the Republicans got at least one thing right.

[Tempest]

1. If you consider that kind of thing right

I consider it fascist.

[Truth2Tell]

2. Letting the Republicans and the DLC pass FISA is fascist. nt

[Tempest]

10. It's not fascist if they're both voting for it

That's democracy.

You brought up the way the Repugs kept their party members in line and that's what I responded to.

[Truth2Tell]

13. Sadly, democracy and fascism are not incompatible.

People can and do vote for fascism, especially in societies like ours where the fascists control the flow of information.

[SergeyDovlatov]

3. An attempt to keep promises given to voters, fascist?

Democrats in congress have a mandate from us to end the war.
That what brought them to power in 2006.

[cstanleytech]

6. Hey, if the person voting gave the promise he or she should make every effort to try

to uphold a promise however situations can and do change.
Besides do we really want the democratic party to clone themselves around the voting practices of the republican party?

[Tempest]

9. The way the Repugs kept their party in line

Which is the topic of the thread.

[cstanleytech]

4. Agreed, voting solely a certain way because your party orders you to

does not pass the smell test.

[Truth2Tell]

7. I wouldn't suggest that anyone be forced to vote in any way

but it's the prerogative of the leadership which bills to bring to a vote. If there is not majority support within the Democratic caucus for a bill, then it's perfectly legitimate to not bring it forward. That's how coalition politics works in legislative bodies - unless of course the leadership has a different agenda than the majority Party.

[The Stranger]

5. And the Nancy Traitor covers for the criminal junta that continues to fuck the people.

[madfloridian]

8. You make some good points. Pelosi and Reid control what bills come up.

They have considered more what made the conservatives happy than what pleased the vast majority of their base.

Hoyer even admits to bringing up the FISA bill to keep the Blue Dogs happy

[Truth2Tell]

11. Exactly. Not only that,

ending the war and opposing warrantless wiretapping have support from a majority of Americans - not just Democrats, but all Americans.

They also have the added advantage of being morally and constitutionally correct (not that the leadership cares).

[Tempest]

12. Which is NOT what the Repugs did when they controlled Congress

When the Repugs controlled Congress, it was either what the conservative base wanted or nothing at all.

[Truth2Tell]

14. It was what a majority of their own Party wanted,

not just the base.

[Tempest]

16. It was what the party leadership wanted

The majority of the party was ignored most of the time.

And threatened when they complained.

[readmoreoften]

15. That's because the Republicans stand for something. Unfortunately

it's something reprehensible.

[wurzel]

17. Democrats do not believe in class warfare. So we keep losing.

We need Dems who understand the nature of politics. Which is economic class warfare. The Republicans fully understand this. That is why we continue to lose and they just keep on winning.

[EstimatedProphet]

18. Respect for one another?!?

Hardly! they did it because they put party above country! They did it out of a LACK of respect!