Democrats Get Some Things Done As Republicans Buck Bush
It's time to get some laws passed.
The time is now.
I don't know how else to say it. Democrats in Congress have been served up with the goldenest of opportunities to actually get some good bills passed, from now until election day. To their credit, they've had a mighty productive week, doing just that. But they need to redouble their efforts and hammer Republican legislators with vote after vote on issues popular with the American public. Because, while it's always a good campaign tactic in an election year, this year is different because there is an excellent chance of actually passing -- even over Bush's veto -- some good laws.
Because Republican congressional incumbents are scared. They are quite literally quaking in their boots. The Republican Party's complete and utter breakdown -- showing their absolute lack of even having any pretense of new ideas for America -- is happening right out in the open, for all to see. They're so depressed, they actually stole their new slogan "The Change you Deserve" from an anti-depressant drug. I wrote about this fear yesterday, but since then more and more Republicans keep giving quotes to the press about how dismal their chances are this year. Here is just a sampling of what Republicans are saying, selecting quotes only from people named "Tom":
"What we've got is a deficiency in our message and a loss of confidence in the American people that we will do what we say we're going to do."
-- Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)"We haven't hit bottom yet. I've never seen members so frustrated or demoralized."
-- former Republican Speaker of the House Tom DeLay"These races were not in New Jersey or New England, where Republican erosion has taken place over the last decade. They were in the heart of the Bible Belt, the social conservative core of our coalition. Members and pundits, waiting for Democrats to fumble the ball so that soft Republicans and Independents will snap back to the GOP, fail to understand the deep seeded [sic] antipathy toward the President, the war, gas prices, the economy, foreclosures and, in some areas, the underlying cultural differences that continue to brand our party."
-- Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)"We're the airplane flying into the mountain."
-- Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)
Representative Davis is unusually blunt in his remarks, but then he is retiring this year, so he doesn't have to worry about his own re-election. Which means he's a little freer to tell it like it is.
Add to this terror of losing their own cushy job is the fact that President Bush is now in the history books as the president with the highest marks ever for people dissatisfied with the job he's doing -- an eye-popping 71%. Congressional Republicans know that a big chunk of their problems getting re-elected is going to be the Bush albatross around their necks.
Plus, he's a lame duck. Bush will be gone in less than 250 days. And 100 days from now, the Democratic National Convention will begin, where our next president may be inaugurated. Republicans can feel the ticking of the clock.
Which means that the granite wall of party loyalty which the Congressional Republicans have so adamantly defended for the past seven and a half years is not only showing cracks, it may be about to crumble completely. Because when faced with the unpalatable choices of crossing the aisle and voting with the Democrats, or heading back to your district to explain why you voted with your party to dishonor Mother's Day, Republican resolve has finally begun to break.
With blinding speed this week, Democrats got a farm bill through both houses of Congress, and it is now on its way to Bush's desk. Bush has said he's going to veto it. But he might be rethinking that stance right about now, because of the veto-proof votes it just got. Wednesday, over 100 House Republicans voted for the bill, for a final vote of 318-106. In the Senate today, it was even more lopsided, as 35 Republicans crossed the aisle for a total of 81-15.
Bush has two choices: veto a popular farm bill and have his veto overridden, or decide he's suddenly for the idea. He's already backed down once this week. In the face of even more daunting numbers.
The House and Senate also just passed a feel-good measure (almost nobody thinks it's going to do anything, but it's symbolic) to stop buying oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This will microscopically reduce the demand for oil, so maybe it will be worth about two cents to you when you fill up. Not two cents a gallon, mind you, a total of two cents out of the seventy bucks you just spent. This bill passed the House 385-25, and it passed the Senate with a whopping 97-1.
Democrats are on a roll, in other words. And they're rolling right over the Republicans as they do so.
The only thing the Republicans were able to do all week was to stop funding the Iraq war. Yes, you read that right. Republicans successfully killed a bill to fund the troops. This was more political gamesmanship, but I'm betting that their only success all week is actually going to haunt them on the campaign trail. One would like to think that Democrats are smart enough to use this as a bludgeon in campaign ads against those who killed this bill (for now).
My advice to the Democratic leadership in both houses of Congress is keep this kind of pressure up. Keep forcing Republicans to make impossible choices between party loyalty and fealty to their party's leader on the one hand, and actually voting for things their constituents want (even though Democrats will get the credit) in an attempt to get re-elected.
Because Republicans are scared right now. Their party loyalty, which has shown virtually no cracks at all during Bush's entire term in office, is about to shatter into a million little pieces. Democrats need to pick up those pieces, and build some good legislation with them. Right now.
-- Chris Weigant
Don't take this the wrong way, CW.. Because you KNOW that I respect the hell out of you..
But it strikes me that you are harping on the cracks in the GOP (which are, for the most part, plainly visible).. Yet, you are doing it from the deck of the Good Ship Democrat that is taking on water and on the verge of implosion...
Whatever weaknesses in the GOP exists, it's nothing compared to the outright civil war that is brewing within the Democratic Party.
I am thinking here that, before the Dems can exploit the weaknesses in the GOP, they need to get their own house in order...
If the Dems attack the GOP, divided as they are, the November election will be a bloodbath and Dem "bodies" will litter the battlefield...
For some reason, the civil war episode of STAR TREK: VOYAGER comes to mind.. Although the Dem Party and the GOP are no where near the equal of the Q Continuum, the petty bickering sure seems comparable...
Michale.....
I have to disagree with Michale about the Dems being divided. I think that things will come together around a candidate. However, even if this takes until the convention I don't think it effects how the Dems work together in Congress. Nancy Pelosi has done a great job keeping the election out of the House and getting everyone on board. I think that the Dems have a great opportunity to pass some good legislation before the election.
...Stan
I have to disagree with Stan... To a point..
The Democratic Party is badly fractured and divided. Peruse some of the COMMENTS over at Taylor Marsh and HuffPo if you don't believe it..
Right now the Dem Party would fight over a cup of warm spit...
Having said that, it IS possible that such division and fracture won't affect the Dems in Congress...
SLIGHTLY possible, but possible nonetheless...
Michale.....
There has been a lot of back and forth going on in the Dem party because of the primary. But I think it will come together. There's just too much at stake.
As Hillary Clinton said, it would be a "terrible mistake" to vote for McCain over Obama.
Think we're almost near a tipping point.
Dave
While it may be considered rude to post links to other blogs, I felt this little diddey really addresses the central issue..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/clinton-protest-voters-fo_b_102042.html
Michale.....
@Michale, et al ...
The blogosphere commenters are normally the most "rabid" of supporters for either side (and factions within those sides). Do not take the extreme comments made by a commenter as representative of the entire universe of supporters. The average person has no clue what is being posted "on their behalf" by hard-core blog-surfers.
To say that either side is heavily splintered based upon this would be overestimating the problem. It would be like looking at a spike in crime in one city block and say that the entire city is experiencing a crime wave.
The average Democrat and the average Republican (80%+ of the partisan populace) will back their respective nominees. It will be up to the campaigns to calm and convince the hard-core supporters of previous opponents to "come on over".
If any party should be worried about fracturing, it's the Republicans ... McCain cannot pull above 80% in recent primaries while he is the "presumptive nominee" of the party. Huckabee (who has dropped out), Paul (who is "still in") and other who are out have been pulling upwards 27% in these latest primaries.
With Edwards' endorsement of Obama, it would have been interesting if Edwards was still on the KY ballot to see if he would match his 7% performance in WV or if his supporters had followed his lead. We'll never know, I guess.
The difference between the GOP non-contest and the Dem contest is that Huckabee and Paul are not actively tearing down McCain.. For the GOP, the healing process has already begun... Granted, it's no where near complete, as those contests show, but the process has begun..
With the Dem contest, not only has the healing not even started, but there is no indication as to when, or even IF, the process will start...
If you liken it to a foot race, McCain has already stopped running and is conserving his "energy" (cash, etc etc) for the General Election foot race..
Clinton is hobbling around with two busted ankles, but she refuses to concede the race, forcing Obama to sprint all the way to the finish line. When he gets there (as we know he will), he will be tired, winded and poorer, facing a well rested McCain for the immediate start of THE race...
Whenever I hear a Clinton supporter say, "What's wrong with letting Clinton finish the race??" I have to laugh at their disingenuousness and utterly non existent grasp of reality...
Whatever problems the GOP has (and they are numerous, don't get me wrong) they completely pale in significance when compared to what the Democratic Party is facing...
I had always liked CW's "What If" commentaries, where he postulated a scenario with a Bloomberg Indy run, etc etc...
I would LOVE to see his thoughts on what would happen if Hillary pulled a "Lieberman" and ran as an INDEPENDENT after losing the Dem nomination..
What you say, CW??? :D
Michale.....
Michale -
Hoo boy. I don't know... I'm still getting used to Bob Barr as a possible Libertarian candidate, myself!
-CW
Yea, I can imagine...
On the face of it, it seems an impossibility for Hillary to run as an Independent.. I mean, she is like $20 mil in debt already...
But, on the other hand, one should never underestimate the delusional aspects of the Clintonistas...
Has there ever been an election in recent history with TWO Independent candidates of any worth??
I am guessing that Clinton would siphon a LOT more Dems than Barr would siphon GOP... Right??
Michale.....