New Senate Dems Leader Seeks Cooperation

[Moloch]

WASHINGTON - Newly elected Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid prodded President Bush (news - web sites) and Republicans on Tuesday to join him in working across party lines over the next two years and said, "I would always rather dance than fight."

"But I know how to fight," the 64-year-old Nevadan added in his first appearance as leader of a Democratic minority that was reduced to 44 seats in the Nov. 2 elections, fewest in seven decades.

Chosen without opposition to replace Sen. Tom Daschle as party leader, Reid also warned Republicans not to "mess with the rules" as they try to overcome opposition to Bush's most controversial nominees for the federal courts.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=1&u=/ap/20041117/ap_on_go_co/new_congress

[mhr]

1. Just What We Need Another F****** Appeaser!

When will the Dems ever learn.

It is seriously time to consider leaving the democratic party.

[GOPNotForMe]

9. No offense, but are you selectively reading this?

After the first paragraph, when he says the required "let's work together" line, he says he going to "fight" and then warns Republicans not to fuck with the rules. I'm not the biggest Reid fan, by any means, but I just wonder WHAT some DUers actually would be satisfied hearing from him (or Daschle for that matter).

[mhr]

12. Just What Daschle Said - I Don't Believe A Word Of It

eom

[mazzarro]

17. That's right

Daschle started out the same way. Even a procession of democratic legislature stampeded to meet the "annointed" in 2000, thus started our era of "sell-outs" on almost every issue. The fact that Reid is from a "red" state gives me all the reason to doubt that he can do any more than Daschle. In fact he was Daschle's deputy, more or less, thus why should he be different in any pronounced way?

[MGKrebs]

15. I'm with you.

Not about leaving the party though. We need to participate, and someday, one of us can stand up there and say something like:

Democrats stand for all Americans. We aim to protect the middle class against abuse by big corporations, by government run amok, and by rich and powerful special interests.

We aim to help the least fortunate among us as is required of a civilized society.

We aim to protect out environment and leave it in better shape than we found it.

We aim to be fiscally responsible, because we owe it to our children.

And we will fight for these principles with every tool at our disposal. One may challenge these principles at their own peril. Our constituency is every American. They deserve nothing less.

edited to make stronger.

[yellowcanine]

2. Oh yeah Harry - good luck with that. Better get yourself a Kevlar vest

just in case, though.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Back off!

Reid has also said he will make "few, if any" concessions to the Republicans in power. Give the man a chance to lead before you start flinging about accusations about him. Sheesh! He's not even in power yet, for chrissake.

[pmbryant]

6. Thank you. "'Few, in any' concessions"

I really wish people would read beyond the headline. Headline writers are not on our side.

--Peter

[agingdem]

16. I like Reid!

I watch him on C-Span and I can tell you that he appears to be conciliatory and mild but he's a hard line Democrat.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. I agree..to thos that pay more than cursory attention, Reid has been

a formidable fighter....anyone who watched him during Estrada knows that.

[JudyM]

21. I'm with you. And we aregoing to *have* to give some if we

want to end up with anything. We've got the smallest team in 70 years -- means we need to be smart and realistic, or we'll get nowhere. I'd like to hear from someone who feels we can get somewhere by being hardline on everything -- how, exactly, would that work? Do you think we can accomplish anything without consensus?

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. Hmm, Diplomacy With A Sprinkle Of Swagger

might work, although with the bilgerats we're dealing with I would rather prefer a total bulldog.

[Mountainman]

5. After 2006 he will be minority leader of a handful of people.

If any Dem thinks that siding with the fascist right is something to ponder they ought to just resign now. We are powerless but we still have our values and we should never give them up. Some day the pendulum will start it's inevitable swing back to the left but helping the right hold it in place only puts that day off.

Personally I want the right to take complete control of things so this country can get on with hitting it's bottom. The sooner the better.

I would like to see us have to pull out of Iraq like we did from Vietnam and I would like to see the working class get screwed as soon as possible so they begin to see what a mess the right has made of things.

Sure we'll get hurt too but it's going to have to happen if we are ever to get enough votes again regain or place in the government.

[pmbryant]

7. That attitude is (1) destructive, and (2) isn't going to work

I would like to see the working class get screwed as soon as possible so they begin to see what a mess the right has made of things.

The working class is already getting screwed. The problem is, thanks the the GOP/Media noise machine, a large number of them blame everything on "liberals". Yes, it doesn't make sense, but that's the way it is.

The GOP will continue to screw people over and blame us for it.

Hoping for things to get worse is a one way ticket to destruction, in addition to being horribly inhumane.

--Peter

[Krs216]

10. We need to work on taking back the Government

We need to start a campaign to expose the truth about the repugs. If we retake the House and Senate in 2006, we won't have to worry about the repugs ALLOWING us to be significant in the House and Senate.

[Gloria]

11. When we sweep the 2006 Midterms, then I'll

believe that he knows how to fight. That's the test for me. It's put up or shut up now.

[mazzarro]

18. Yes - I will believe it when I see the 2006 midterm election results

- which I do not have high hopes for at the moment. But we do have people who have endless capacity to hope on the current DLC/DNC leadership and their legislative and campaign strategies despite the staggering record of failures. I do not buy any of the DLC/DNC excuses for the failure nor their requests for more opportunities to do their magic. Maybe the 2006 midterm election could be the trigger that sends a tidal wave of progressives to a third party camp because the democratic party seem determined to keep its head buried in sand.

[w4rma]

13. Perfect. His statement strikes exactly the right chords. I think Reid will

do okay. This statement leaves me with no doubt that he understands the situation and will act accordingly. This statement leaves me with no doubt that he understands what and where to fight and what and where to concede.

[MattWinMO]

14. Reid certainly isn't saying he wants to appease Bush

Basically he's turning Bush's statements about Democrats needing to reach out to him on its head.

He said in kinder words that unless Bush wants a fight he needs to reach out to Democrats and not only focus on his own agenda.

[Voltaire99]

19. I, for one, welcome our new overlords!

This nation wants bipartisanship! It's time to put the rancor behind us! We've got to work together to do the people's business--that's why we're here! Let's unite behind the president's war on terror! Let's--

Oh, let's just drop the whole fucking charade, shall we?

The defeat of Kerry offered a chance for the party to solidify around economic populism, and part of that job required putting a forceful new leadership in place.

Reid is a Grade A pussy. When is this party going to get up off its knees?

[CityDem]

20. Memo to Reid

Bring a white flag to the opening session of the new senate. With only 45 votes, be prepared to bend over and grab your ankles. This new senate will bring a slew of knuckle dragger judges, drilling in ANWR and loss of reproductive rights.

[CityDem]

22. After reading a little more carefully

Reid said Bush's pick for second-term secretary of state, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), "should be confirmed fairly easily," barring the unexpected.

Translation: We will bend over and approve Attila the Hun if Bush nominates him. I know how to fight, but I am running for the weeds on this one.

Democrats have blocked votes on 10 of Bush's nominees over the past four years while confirming 203, which Reid said represents good odds for the president. A change would be shortsighted, Reid said, since Republicans may one day find themselves in the minority and eager to block appointments by a Democratic president.
He conceded, however, there was little Democrats could do to prevent Republicans from acting if they choose to.

Translation: Don’t change the filibuster rules you nasty repubs. But if you do, we can’t do anything to stop you. Oh by the way, please wear a condom when you start screwing us for the next 4 years.