Could the cloud of our current minority status have a silver lining?

[Stinky The Clown]

Is it just me, or are there actual signs that the elected Dems are actually noticing their long dormant spines? Harry Reid seems, at first glance, like a meek sort of guy. But he says things that make me want to cheer. I know he's "pro life" and somewhat conservative, but I also see him standing up to Chimpus Khan in ways Daschle never seemed to do. Then there's the heroic Barbara Boxer standing up for the House's CBC challenge to the Ohio electors. Sure, it was just street theater and sure she's just starting a term and sure she's from a safe state, but she did it - unlike four years ago.

Just today we find that the long dormant Democratic Policy Committee will be looking into the use of government funds to pay pundits and produce fake news reports. Sure the group has no subpoena power, but at least they can bring attention to the issue, and they seem bent on doing it.

Also today, Howard Dean announces he is formally running for DNC chair.

The notion I'd like to get your comments on is the possible silver lining to the cloud of our current minority status. Might it now be that the elected Dems have hit bottom and are ready to take more chances with their political lives? Might it be that they realize that if they fall any further, they'll **never** get back up? Might they finally be more willing to stand up for issues? Might they finally be ready to stand **against** the Repubs? Is anyone else seeing the first signs of stiffening spines?

[villager]

1. in 12-step programs, you have to "hit bottom" first,

before you're willing to make any changes. Too early to tell if the near-mythical "Democratic backbone" will actually be seen -- like a reappearing unicorn. They should've been doing this 20 years ago, when Reagan started the totalitarian ball rolling, in his own inimitable way...

[Warpy]

4. Bottom seems to be a long way down for the national party

They keep blindly following the DLC and keeping liberals and progressives completely out of power, with the result that every election we have, they lose more and more power.

Insanity is the process of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The farther to the right those old boys go, the more power they lose the party, and the worse things get for all of us. The more they ignore proplems like Repuglican voting fraud in the hope that it will somehow just go away, the worse it will become.

Let's hope bottom is now or we may not have anything left worth saving.

[villager]

6. I agree....

...there's no other "bottom" left. The time for "last stands"... is now.

[naryaquid]

2. I'm unsure, one way or the other...but I hope you're right

..As to the "hit bottom", so "take a chance" thing, you're certainly right...and I frankly think they would have to be complete morons to come to any other conclusion

[txaslftist]

3. I think we're emerging, spine and all.

But you already knew that about me.

[RandomKoolzip]

5. Baby steps....

but baby steps are needed, since this is apparently some new kinda FUCKED UP world we've been born (again) into.