So, if we take the House and the Senate, what kind of changes can we make?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

I know that we can lame duck bush, but what actual positive things can we do?

[SteppingRazor]

1. Have you read Pelosi's statement on the Dems first 100 hours in power?

http://blogs.southflorida.com/citylink_dansweeney/2006/10/for_everyone_who_says_the_demo.html

[CrispyQ]

6. GASP! How did I miss this?

Thanks!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

My rw mother mentioned something the other day about "Pelosi wants to drain the swamp. Maybe she should drain her own swamp first." Of course, dear mother has not actually read what Pelosi said. She's only heard negative sound bites from Faux.

[conscious evolution]

25. V-Chip her tv

:evilgrin: :dilemma:

[tinfoilinfor2005]

8. I did see bits and pieces, but I appreciate the link to see

the whole thing. :hi:

[KansDem]

9. I especially like this statement of Pelosi's

They <the GOP> have only rewarded wealth, not work.

True...so true...:thumbsup:

[LSparkle]

14. John Edwards talks a lot about this

It's a clear distinction between Rethug and Democratic philosophies.

[MrCoffee]

2. eh, not much without being able to override the veto.

we can investigate all we want to, but we won't be able to impeach, and we sure as hell won't be able to convict in the senate.

we can show what a dick he is by forcing the veto on things like a true minimum wage hike.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

16. And maybe sneak in to the oval office and replace his veto pen

with invisible ink?

"Uncle dick, Uncle dick, come see my cool new pen. It makes everything indivisible!"

[MrCoffee]

18. they could always kick the door in and drag him across the Mall in chains

i have a rich and fulfilling fantasy life.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

21. Please, if you EVER hear of this about to happen, pm me instantly

and I will be on the first plane to D.C. Something I wouldn't want to miss for the world!!

[Oak2004]

31. Don't be so sure we can't impeach and convict

Republicans were in a position to block Nixon's impeachment and conviction, and were prepared to do so, until the evidence became so overwhelming that enough of them defected to the impeachment camp. The same could very well occur again if a good enough case could be made amd constituents demanded action.

Remember, a lot of Republicans will be barely squeeking into office this year, and given a strong enough case, they may see supporting impeachment to be the only way they can save their own neck next election cycle. Who will want to be saddled with the reputation of being a Bush supporter, especially when his crimes are fully exposed to an ever more angry nation?

[hijinx87]

3. the changes will likely be incremental . . .

since the majority will be slim, and certainly not veto proof.

but we should be able to do something about the minimum wage. we
should be able to fix the huge gaps in the prescription drug plan.
maybe even accomplish some larger objectives in the area of health
care. strengthen the environmental regulations that * has nearly
eviscerated. restore the flow of federal funds to the states that
* cut off due to his tax cuts; the states are all in the red, and
the budget deficits get deeper every day.

those are just some thoughts.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

12. Still, I think we should get the word out that there will be changes

no matter how small, simply to let people know that it is very important to get out there on voting day. Many won't go to the polls if they don't see any prospect of change. Your points are more than a good start. :)

[Ignacio Upton]

4. Some, but not many until 2008 if we take back the White House

Bush will still veto the majority of our bills.

[Lexingtonian]

20. Says who?

The game is to pass legislation that is popular and necessary, and let his poor support work against Bush.

He can't win the PR game if Democrats play it right. Of course you write and pass that bills so that every veto badly damages him and his Party, and exposes their crimes, lies, and excuses. And bills that can or do get the Republican votes sufficient for a veto override.

This drives Bush into a downward spiral and into gross defensiveness, and indefensible actions/behavior and claims. If we can't get the measures enacted, we can at least kill off Republicans's chances and survival in '08.

A lot of stuff can be achieved by non-action. If Pelosi only lets an Iraq funding bill on the House floor that funds withdrawal and nothing else, what can Bush and Republicans really do? If it's grotequely unpopular and costs her her career, but kills off the military intervention in Iraq- would that be utterly wrong? But if it gets majority popular support- wouldn't that be proper? What about defunding Republican 'earmarks' and defense contractors and the whole rest of the Republican money laundering/bribe machinery?

Then there are the investigations. Just looking into the Civil Rights Division of the DoJ should yield up a pile of voting rights scandals in which blacks, Hispanics, Democrats, and nonpartisan voters got screwed. The Interior Department is nothing but a scandal. The Department of Energy is a horror. And under the rocks at the FCC, the FTC, the Energy Commission, the EPA, the Faith Based Initiative stuff...you don't think the Republicans screwed consumers and 'Christians' on everything in favor of their buddies and their wealthiest contributors? Of course they'll try to obfuscate, distract, yell and scream, and use every delaying tactic they can, gin up the fear and scurrilous charges. But last guys don't finish nice.

I think we're going to have an Aznar moment- there will be high level resignations, Rumsfeld and probably Cheney as the investigations home in. And then the lesser Bush underlings will start shredding documents and erasing computer records as they head off for 'the private sector' in scads. Bush support will fall to the 24% mark, linger there, and then start going under that as his last political support bloc cracks. One day next summer or fall there's nothing left but for Bush to bargain with Democrats (stay in office in return for no use of the veto or pardon powers, i.e. merely keep the Oval Office chair warm) or resign.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

26. Thanks for laying out your thoughts in meticulous detail.

If you should consider running for office, I would be your first contributor.

No, really.

[many a good man]

29. Great response, Lex. We must amplify our differences

If we're smart we'd frame everything toward amplifying the differences between Democratic and Republican rule. DARE bush to veto popular legislation. If they block our investigations we can paint them as co-conspirators. There's not much we can do on Foreign Policy except humiliate bush into embracing the Baker Plan. Force the Republicans to stab their fundamentalist Xn base in the back. Set the stage for a sweep in '08.

[bluestateguy]

5. Rescind the Clinton impeachment articles from 1998 and make them disappear

It would take ten minutes.

It still makes be batshit angry when I think about it.

[liberal N proud]

7. They will need enough votes to override the bu$h veto

[MrCoffee]

11. There aren't enough Senate seats up for grabs to let us override.

[wryter2000]

10. We can investigate

Halliburton war profiteering, mis-use of intelligence to get us into Iraq, who outed Valerie Wilson, the real effects of his tax cuts. Stolen elections. Downing Street memos. If I thought about it, I could probably come up with 20 issues that need investigating.

IMHO, the single most important thing we can do is expose all their lies, torture, corruption of our form of goverment, theft of tax dollars. With subpenas, on the television, and in the face of the 'Murikan peeple.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

13. Oversight.

Yes, sadly lacking in the past six years. :(

[meldroc]

15. Lots of things can be done with back-room arm-twisting.

For example, the Dems can start by demanding that the MSM start covering them fairly, to avoid reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine. We can demand Bush sign things like a minimum wage increase, closing of the donut hole, stripping of porkbarrel spending; or yet another investigation starts, exposing yet more of Bush's corruption. We can cut off military spending until Bush starts pulling troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. Yes, some creative thinking.

Good points, meldroc. Things for DU to get behind as well, once the power shifts. (This is me thinking positive for the first time in six years):)

[kentuck]

19. Bush will veto if Democrats try to pass anything...

Although they may use the threat of investigation to get him to sign some legislation. However, their best best is to keep an eye on the foxes in the henhouse until 2008 and to get to the bottom of some of these "secrets" of Cheney and Bush. Oversight and investigate is their priority.

[meldroc]

22. The House controls the .gov's pursestrings.

It is explicitly stated in the Constitution that all bills related to revenue and spending have to start in the House, so the House can start threatening Bush's pet pork if he fails to cooperate. Also, as mentioned, the House can threaten to cut military spending if Bush doesn't pull out of Iraq.

Basically, the House has a veto over Bush's runaway spending.

[FrenchieCat]

23. Let's get rid of messed up Diebolt, and go back to paper ballots!

That should be Numero Uno Priority!

[Sapere aude]

24. Not much, Bush will find his veto pen or make more signing statements.

[MiniMe]

27. The ability to subpeona makes all the difference in the world

[MattP]

28. Checks and balance

We can stop these wackos from ramming thru some of their agenda and we can finally get some of our bills oon the floor and if Bush puts a veto on some good bills they will suffer for it.

[TheFarseer]

30. Nothing

shithead will veto everything. At least no invasion of Iran, no destroying social security, no "un-fair tax" Maybe we can get something going with healthcare and outsourcing but I'm not optimistic with bush's veto.

[SeaBob]

32. Change

For one thing we can impeach the bastards

[Rocknrule]

33. Get rid of Diebold and reinstate Fairness Doctrine before anything else!

We won't be able to make any major changes unless we even the playing field. The Republicans have had the deck stacked in their favor for too long.