Honestly, I said long ago that Hill’reh’s best move was to shoot for Senate Majority Leader, but she just wouldn’t settle for anything less than President – her loss, Feinstein’s gain.

Actually, “progressives” do have a choice. This year, then can again run “progressives” against the Clintonista candidates in the primaries, to improve their “mix” within the Dem congress.

“The Senate on Friday passed a defense policy bill for the 2008 budget year. It authorizes $696 billion in military spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it does not actually send any money to the Pentagon.”

Bush was complaining on the radio today that the money was not actually sent.

I agree with only Kucinich among all the candidates. Not one more penny for the war! It is counterproductive and we don’t have the money.

Looks like Sabyen and justasking really did not understand one another. Neither is a rightie nor a troll—sympathetic or otherwise.

Breathe. Everything’s fine. Just a little histronics from the articles short explanation of the legislative process. Read the links.

Comment by justasking — December 15, 2007 @ 12:37 am

I only read up to comment #154, but I have to say ‘justasking’ is making some good points (minus the personal attacks). I think we have to realize this is not easy with the slim majority we have in congress. Congress seems to be dangling small bites with small conditions in every bite. So while it appears we are giving bush what he wants, we’re not. While I understand the want to defund the war entirely, congress doesn’t agree and doesn’t have the votes to do it.

I don’t know, Maybe the Democratic Party members in Congress and the Senate are afraid of looking “Weak” on “Terror”.

At the end of the day, IMO, our Nation is still going in the wrong direction.

Unfortunately, this has left the Democratic party with two choices, both of which carry significant drawbacks:

1) They can be right on the issues, represent the wishes of the common people, see corporate campaign contributions disappear altogether, and return to a state of even greater insignificance as a completely neutered minority party.

2) They can sell out to their corporate masters, and, to the extent that any sense of decency remains, satisfy their benefactors, but at the same soften the adverse impact upon the common people to the extent that it does not offend those whose contributions are vital for their continued existence.

As long as corporate money rules, no meaningful change is possible. Until enough people demand that corporate money and influence be removed from the political equation, expect little, if any, departure from the status quo.

The power of the theocorpotocracy in this country cannot be underestimated. I define this term, which I cannot find in the dictionary as: the three-legged stool, the unholy alliance upon which power in this country rests — fundamentalist churches to deliver the votes, corporations to provide the money, and bought politicians who continue to curry the favor of the churches and corporations.

Should more citizens of this country eventually clamor for such changes, be assured that the theocorpotocracy in this country will not go down without a fight, the likes of which has not been witnessed in this country since the Civil War.

Please do not contribute to the Republiscum’s insults to the Democrats. It is the “Democratic” party, not the “Democrat” party. You are a “Democrat” and a member of the “Democratic” party.

Apparently, by rolling over each and every time, The Democrats agree.

And I will not take the time or energy to comment at length about your idiotic view of the “war” in Iraq. You need to read up on guerilla warfare and insurrections and get back to us all. Such a simplistic view after all the evidence since Mar 2003 is inexcusable.

Please note that I have refrained from calling you a name appropo your intelligence, though it was difficult.

After being a registered independent my entire adult life, I joined the Democrat party out of disgust for the way this country is being run and my desire to see things change. I’m not alone in that. I personally know several Republicans who feel that Republican party is NOT a conservative party but a Radical Right Wing party that does not represent their values.

Apparently, at least to an extent, the Electorate agreed with me.
The Democrats came to power with the electorate expecting change. They weren’t voted in to be a continuing rubber stamp to this administration.So far, every single time this administration wants something, regardless of how the public wants change, the Democrats give in without fail.

Why is Sen. Reid even bothering to block Recess Appointments? As I write this, Sen. Reid has expressed his intent to bring a bill to the floor granting Telecoms retroactive Immunity.

The Democrats are in a position to expose the Republican Party as the obstructionists in moving the Nation forward, but they refuse every time.

If the Democrat Party really want change, It’s Way Past time to exercise Political Backbone and force issues.
If tier not willing to truly take a stand, then they just continue to be a Rubber Stamp to this administration.

This is far less complicated than most people seem to realize.

With rare exception, elected officials in Washington, D.C. place top priority on representing the interests of their most generous campaign contributors, regardless of its impact on their constituents. If and when this occurs, large infusions of corporate cash just prior to the election can fund the necessary advertising blitzkrieg to sway enough voters to keep their sock puppet in office.
And if all else fails, that former congressperson can anticipate a much more lucrative career as a corporate board member or lobbyist. For a politician willing to “play ball” this is a can’t lose proposition, at least for them personally.

For the first time in many years, the Democrats have the wind at their backs with regard to corporate financial support, now receiving more than half of the campaign contributions from almost every corporate category. Their giddy euphoria upon again receiving such generous infusions of campaign money parallels that of a drug addict having suffered withdrawal symptoms for a long time, finally receiving another injection of their preferred drug. The drug pusher/junkie metaphor seems fitting. For information regarding the extent of this transformation, please see http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1007/6359.html

Similarly, defense contractors have purchased the loyalties of the Democratic party, and for the first time since 1994, are giving more than half of their campaign monies to the Dems. Any meaningful reduction in the U. S. presence in Afghanistan and/or Iraq would predictably hurt their corporate bottom lines, with these monies quickly shifting back to Republicans. For a graphic illustration of this concept, please refer to: http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.asp?Ind=D

The advantage for the Dems is that they have moved so far into the territory once held by the Republicans, that the only means for the Republicans to distinguish themselves is by taking positions on the extreme right, a potentially self-destructive strategy.

This would seem to be the Dems strategy, in a nutshell.

Comment by curmudgeon — December 15, 2007 @ 2:09 am

The following quote by Ralph Nader in 2000 explains it all…

“The only difference between Bush and Gore is the velocity with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock at the door.”