Let me ask this question because the situation could soon be reversed

[ThomWV]

Would Democrats in Congress be as effective as Republicans have been at blocking legislation when Republicans are in charge - because the day will come when they will be. Republicans may be a danger to the country, and I honestly believe they are, but no on can call them spineless, and the same can not be said for our breed of politicians.

[AnArmyVeteran]

1. Democrats gave into Bush constantly.

Many democrats even voted to allow Bush to go to war, when they KNEW Iraq had NO ability to attack the United States and posed zero threat to the American people. It's unbelievable how democrats are so easily manipulated and intimidated by corrupt and inept thugs like Bush. Not ONE democrat asked, "How could Iraq attack the US within 45 minutes in the form of a mushroom cloud?". Not ONE person in the media asked the Bush Regime that question. They all allowed Bush to go to war against a country which had no ability to attack us. If we had enough democrats with brains and guts we could have prevented both of those useless wars and saved a couple of trillion dollars. And the same democrats who caved to Bush and gang are caving to the minority party in congress. Unfuckingbelievable!!!

[Curmudgeoness]

2. Maybe they have learned a lesson this time??? Well, just maybe.

I can't figure out why Dems don't try to steal the Repubs' play book.

[AnArmyVeteran]

8. I know what you're saying, but all they have to do is DO WHAT'S RIGHT.

If they just acted with conviction, courage and for the American people their popularity would be soaring now. But instead they have given in on every bill allowing each of them to be watered down without getting a single republican vote in most of them. WHY do they keep giving in to the enemy? What's wrong with them?

President Obama could be a hero if he just took the reigns of government and had congress force through bills using any method he wanted to use. He could study LBJ's tactics if he doesn't know how. But last summer President Obama allowed the dimwitted, ignorant tea baggers seize the public dialogue on health care reform without saying a word for months. Obama should have been front and center and rebutting every insane republican claim. But he let all of the idiotic lies stand and he allowed things like the 'death panels' to be spread all across the country and take root.

Leaders LEAD. They don't sit back and let dimwitted morons like the tea bagger win. If anyone lets a tea bagger beat them that doesn't say much about that person's competence or courage.

[Foo Fighter]

14. Ah, but they are doing what's right. At least as far as their corporate masters

are concerned.

That's all that matters.

[DrDan]

3. then again . . . . they were successful in keeping junior's hands off Social Security

[Recursion]

10. They did stop Social Security privatization NT

[babylonsister]

4. I don't want Dems to resemble rethugs in any way.

Even when in the minority, they know they have an obligation to try to get things done. The rethugs stonewall, obstruct and obviously don't give a damn about this country. That may be effective, but it shouldn't be applauded or emulated.

[boston bean]

7. I have no problem with them using the same tactics to stop this country from going backwards.

If they would, I would applaud and only hope and pray they begin to emulate Repugs and use that same strategy.

[Orangepeel]

5. Of course not. That's not the nature of progressivism or conservatism

I don't attribute it to spinelessness, necessarily, although certainly there are spineless members of the Democratic caucus.

It is the nature of the parties that will make it easier for republicans to get what they want.

Progressive democrats want to make progress. They want to get things done. So, they'll often compromise if they think it will move the country forward, even a little. Conservatives want things to go backwards, or, at least stay the same. It is much more in keeping with their collective mindset to just say no.

Add to that the nature of liberal and dogmatic thinking. It is much easier to get conservatives to vote in lockstep because they tend to accept authoritarianism more easily.

[FBaggins]

6. Not as long as we hold the White House.

Far easier to veto a bill than filibuster it. Then you just have to sustain the veto.

Pick your battles carefully and it could be received very positively.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. That is not the nature of the Dems

the republicans go for the jugular, the dems believe in government. This means that the democrats will try to modify things, while the republicans will say no.

THat means that we need to change the dynamic and I have no idea how to break that logjam up.

Oh and when the GOP was far more moderate, they did that too.

[mdmc]

11. Many dems are dlc corporatist / pretty close to GOP

If you take away the DLC, there are only about 15 real dems..

[Stinky The Clown]

12. The phenomenon is called "The Rightward Drift Of The Democratic Party"

[Touchdown]

13. You know the answer to that.

No. They'll give in and call it "reaching across the aisle in the spirit of compromise". :puke:

[bvar22]

15. They do THAT now...

The Republicans run the show with a 41 vote "majority".


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone

[Statistical]

16. No.

Most (not all but most) Democrats & Republicans are cut from the same cloth.

They work to protect the established powerful (rich, connected, political, and corporate).
As such they vote for things that advance that agenda, and against thing that retard that agenda.

Some Democrats exists solely to create an illusion of choice. The number of Democrats who will block Republican's agenda is small enough to be defeated. We saw that when Bush is presidency.

That is why IMHO keeping the White House is far more important. People like to bash Clinton but imagine if you had someone like Bush in office at that time to rubber stamp every RW legislation that crossed the desk.