Extortion?

[kentuck]

Once you agree with the extortionist, he owns you. He will not stop. Things will not get better. They will get worse. You have to stand up to these criminals. Or you will pay a much higher price in the future. We should have separated the unemployment benefits from the taxcuts and fought like hell every day until we got help for these people. It would have been a PR nightmare for the Republicans.

But it appears the Democrats are about to submit to the requests of the extortionists. We are paying a deep price for this decision.

[VMI Dem]

1. Weak leadership from the top.

It is like a cancer.

[WiffenPoof]

2. We Should Have....

approached this and held strong WEEKS AGO.

[tridim]

3. Did you join DU today for any reason other than to trash Democrats?

[WiffenPoof]

8. Oh...No I didn't.

I'm 57 years old....a lifelong Dem. I thought it was okay to voice dissatisfaction. Is that not allowed here? I don't mean to offend you.

-PLA

[leftynyc]

10. Don't worry

While it is considered somewhat bad form to immediately trash the administration right after signing up, the old rules certainly don't appear to apply these days. It seems trashing the President has become the favorite activity of many DUers. I'll welcome you.

[WiffenPoof]

11. Thanks....

I'll lay low for a while.

[treestar]

4. Extortion? Senators have power.

that is legitimate. It is not criminal for them to vote the way they choose to vote.

Exaggeration, thy name is DU. Over the top Drama, again. Why can't it just be what it is? Bargaining in Congress as usual. That must happen. 100 Senators and 435 Representatives are human beings, with power, and they will never unite to do the "right" thing according to any particular US citizen member of a message board.

Obama probably wants to do it your way. Guess what if you read Article I, II and III of the Constitution you learn that the President never, and is not intended to, get all he wants.

[kentuck]

5. You don't want to call it extortion.

You are the one in denial.

[treestar]

9. extortion has a precise definition

Senators are not committing extortion by not voting the way you want them to vote, or even the way the President does not want them to vote. Exaggeration pure and simple.

[allmylove]

6. There was no reason to link the two

My guess is that a calculation was made to save face and that linking them makes it easier for us to swallow.

[Raine1967]

7. This is very similar to what the Bush administration said about Saddam

He didn't want to negotiate with the Enemy either. And here we are still in Iraq.

Just something to think about.