What happens when a Democrat reaches their hand across the aisle to a Republican?

[unapatriciated]

We have seen this time and time again. Didn't last weeks walk out ( to waiting podium and microphones) send the message home how unwilling they are to work with us?
When we do give them something it is never enough...THINK NAFTA.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. Yikes.

Effective though.

[tokenlib]

2. Reminds me of Hillary and health care....

I think that's what corporate health care did to Hillary in 1993.

[bigtree]

7. Not according to Obama. He says she was "hollering" and engaging in "petty politics"

"Addressing voters in Wisconsin, Obama accused Clinton of lashing out at him as a cheap ploy to get ahead and of being so divisive that she couldn't pass her signature effort of health-care reform.

"Hollering at Republicans and engaging in petty partisan politics didn't help health care get done," he said."

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080216/NEWS0206/802160378/1009/NEWS02

[unapatriciated]

13. Yes because...

being polite to them gets us everything. :puke:

[MNDemNY]

3. But, Lord Obama will make things oh,so different.

[Birthmark]

6. All praise the Obamassiah!

[MNDemNY]

8. What happens to massiahs?

[Birthmark]

9. Nothing that doesn't happen to a lot of other people, too.

They just get better press.

[MNDemNY]

11. Tell that to Jesus.

[Birthmark]

12. Jesus wasn't the only crucified by the Romans.

But he's been living off the press for 2,000 years. Seems to prove my statement, no? :)

[MNDemNY]

16. Touche!

;)

[Birthmark]

19. I discovered the law of levity.

Oddly, it was behind some noodles. No idea how it got there, but I think it strongly implicates the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[MNDemNY]

23. Arrrrrgh. We Pastafarians must be careful.

Or it's Davy Jone's locker for us.

[Birthmark]

25. Beats getting nailed to stuff.

Trust me, I know.

[MNDemNY]

27. Me too, I steped on a nail, once, went all the way through.

[Birthmark]

29. I don't know why...

...but when I was a kid, I couldn't NOT step on a nail. I swear, if there was a nail sticking up or out of something, you could bet with complete confidence that it was going to pierce some part of my body. And they always had to be rusty, too. No telling how many tetanus shots I got.

[unapatriciated]

31. I don't know what the hell you are talking about...

:shrug:
but, thanks for keeping it kicked
:hi:

[MNDemNY]

32. Only the "enlightened" could understand.

[lame54]

33. That leaves me out

[Birthmark]

34. That makes two of us

But the bill for keeping this kicked should arrive sometime next week. I'm still ciphering out the total, but it looks to be pretty expensive. Got real estate?

[unapatriciated]

36. Sure - check out our front yard decor...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCutvXccFlA
and back yard view...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJcfskosWa0

[Birthmark]

37. How much for that VW?

[unapatriciated]

53. I will ask my neighbor.

but don't want him to sell it cause it helps me find my driveway and I like the color (impeachment orange).

[Birthmark]

4. Yup.

If there's any outreach to be done, it needs to be the Republicans reaching across the aisle, not the Democrats. Fool me 4,784 times...

[unapatriciated]

10. agree

The walk out last week proved how willing the republicans are to work with us. They staged a walk out just so they didn't have to either agree with the Dems or publicly support bush.

[BlackVelvet04]

5. they pull back a nub.............n/t

[Barack_America]

14. That's the spirit.

No need to acknowledge the other half of the room or country.

Eternal gridlock in government...that's the goal!

[Birthmark]

17. Question:

Would you loan your money to someone who never pays you back? If so, how many times would you continue to loan them your money before you realized that you were getting screwed?

It's like that.

[lame54]

21. True repugs are not half the country...

Their base consists of people who are fooled that they are fighting for their best interest

[KittyWampus]

15. This is why we need a plurality by getting moderate/indies to move political center Left

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. hahaha Obama starring in the all new Steve Erwin Show

[Beaverhausen]

20. this is exactly what I was saying to my Obama-supporting boyfriend

I was shouting and pointing at the TV when Keith O covered this story and asking him how he thinks any democrat could work with these people- they are insane.

I want a democrat who will fight for what we need in this country, not reach across and compromise.

Alas, the candidate I thought would do that had to drop out...

[in_cog_ni_to]

22. ABSOLUTELY! They will stab us in the back so fast...your heads will spin.

Democrats are so blind. They just keep on taking knives to the gun fights. They will never learn. You never "play nice" with bullies who refuse to do the same...you bully them right back!

[MediaBabe]

24. If Obama had more than one year in the Senate

If Obama had been there when the Republicans had the majority he'd know what reaching across the aisle gets -

He'd recall the Republican Speaker ordered the electricity turned off in meeting rooms whenever Democrats met to discuss anything.

He'd understand they never announced to Democrats when committees were meeting. Never gave any prepared information to Democrat committee members.

He'd remember the Foley scandal and how Foley was allowed to continue his sleezy behavior while accusations of wrongdoings were kept from Democrat members of the Page Oversight Committee.

He'd know how many times legislation was introduced to the floor without Democrats being allowed to read or even see any documents before the vote.

He'd recall how many times Bush insulted Democrats by NEVER inviting then to the White House when bills were signed, an act of bipartisanship that would have cost Bush nothing.

If Obama had any experience reaching across that aisle. But he hasn't.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. that's IT in a friggen NUT SHELL!

[lame54]

40. Great re-cap

[Barack_America]

44. You once again conveniently forget the time he spent...

...In the IL legislature. He has more experience with that aisle than your Hillary.

[MediaBabe]

45. Illinois is not DC n/t

[Barack_America]

46. Neither is Arkansas.

Your point?

[unapatriciated]

55. sorry I voted for Edwards

and I still say last weeks walk out showed us just how willing the repugs are to working with the Dems.

[unapatriciated]

54. Thanks media for reminding those who have forgotten...

how the repugs reached out to us.

[boston bean]

57. very True, good point. nt

[lame54]

26. So far, working with them has left us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGHp50ZqWpU

[Triana]

30. Obama-Wan Kenobi - You're Our Only Hope!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:



Pfffffft! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[stillcool]

35. Which is it?

under the table, or across the aisle?

New Democrat Movement

GROUP

The right wing current of the Democratic party, characterized by its neoliberal economic policies, support of Israel, desire to increase defense spending, and links to heavy donors and fundraisers.

Believes that "left-wing" positions are not politically viable. Describes itself as "moderate and pro-growth". Probably responsible for erosion of the Democratic Party's historical labor and minority base due to support of treaties like NAFTA, lack of support for affirmative action and poverty programs, and their siphoning away of campaign funds from minority groups.

At the national level, the movement was founded by the Democratic Leadership Council (501c4 educational non-profit, founded 1984) and includes the House New Democrat Coalition (founded 1997), the Senate New Democrat Coalition (founded 2000), the New Democrat Network PAC (founded 1996), the misnamed Progressive Policy Institute (501c4 think tank, "Bill Clinton's idea mill", founded 1989), and the umbrella funding group The Third Way Foundation (501c3 non-profit, founded 1996).

Since coming to power within the Democratic Party with Bill Clinton's presidency, the New Democrats/DLC have worked towards "essentially the same purpose as the Christian Coalition... to pull a broad political party dramatically to the right" according to John Nichols of The Progressive.

DLC operatives actively worked to sabotage Howard Dean's candidacy for the US Presidency in 2004, claiming that the "far-left" Democrat was wrong to attack George W. Bush's tax cuts and national security policies.

Corporate contributors to the DLC and New Democratic Network include Bank One, Citigroup, Dow Chemical, DuPont, General Electric, Health Insurance Corporation of America, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, Philip Morris, RJR Nabisco, Chevron, Prudential Foundation, Amoco Foundation, AT&T, Morgan Stanley, Occidental Petroleum, Raytheon, and many other Fortune 500 companies.

The New Democrat Movement is sometimes referred to as the Dixiecrat movement due to the DLC's origination in the southern states, their desire to get rid of affirmative action, and their membership's overwhelming whiteness.

"Democrats should shift the primary focus from racism, the traditional enemy without, to self-defeating patterns of behavior " --Chuck Robb, 2nd DLC Chairman, Governor & Senator of the Great State of Virginia, White Man, 1986.

"I'm from the democratic wing of the Democrat Party" --Paul Wellstone, progressive Democrat, criticizing the New Democrat Movement.

"Democrats for the Leadership Class" --Jesse Jackson, progressive black Democrat, describing the DLC.

Official Website:
http://www.ndol.org

[Yael]

38. Or, we can show up to the polls in November

and boot every last one of them out of their seats.

[Barack_America]

47. Yes, that too is an option...

...That only Obama provides. :D

[Maribelle]

39. lol Too bad you couldn't capture clips of the death rolls that ensue ...

because we could be entering that phase as we speak.

A lot of democrats in Florida feel this way.

[Barack_America]

41. Or this. (*warning: graphic*)

-and this-



Sorry to be blunt. But it looks like Hillary is willing to reach across the aisle for the *right* reasons.

:sarcasm:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

42. have you not heard what Obama said "I want 100,000 more troops for this war"........

strongly supports the expansion of American ground forces by adding 100,000 new soldiers

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_c...

Barack Obama has delivered the third of his long national security speeches, and has once again revealed that he is an imperialist at heart. Speaking at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Obama envisioned a century in which the U.S. would "lead the world in battling immediate evils and promoting the ultimate good." Battling "evil"..."promoting the ultimate good" - sounds very much like George Bush's rationale for doing whatever the United States pleases in the world, under the assumption that the Americans know what the "ultimate good" is.

Of course, Obama also called for more respect for the United Nations and other international institutions, and for increased efforts to forge alliances whenever the U.S. finds it necessary to go to war. But that's all empty talk, a cover for his real intention to increase U.S. capacity to meddle in other people's affairs. The U.S., he says, "must maintain the strongest, best-equipped military in the world in order to defeat and deter conventional threats." The United States already spends more on war-fighting capacity than all the other nations on the planet, combined! The U.S. maintains 730 military installations in 50 countries around the globe!. But that's not enough for Barack Obama, who calls for an enhanced "ability to put boots on the ground." He told the Chicago foreign policy crowd he strongly supports the expansion of American ground forces by adding 65,000 new soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines. In other words, while Obama gives lip service to disentangling most - although by no means all - U.S. troops from Iraq, as president he would send them elsewhere and add nearly one hundred thousand more to the mix.

"All Obama really promises is to be a better, smarter imperialist."

This is not a man of peace: this is an imperialist bent on further U.S.BARkucinichConyersCapitolGood expansionism. Obama pratters on about the need to avoid "bullying" other countries - but bullying is precisely what armies, navies and air forces are all about. Obama talks sweetly but wants to carry an even bigger stick than George Bush. All he promises is that he will be more judicious and thoughtful in using that bigger stick. History shows such promises are never sincerely made, and are never, ever kept.

There is only one peace candidate in the Democratic primary race: Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich. He's the only one that actually voted against giving Bush War Powers in 2002, the only one to vote against providing another nearly $100 billion for the war, this year, and the only one who categorically rejects going to war with Iran. Only Kucinich would withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq and withdraw the more than 100,000 U.S. "contractors" - a euphemism for American mercenaries paid for with U.S. tax dollars. Obama and the other candidates say nothing about these soldiers of fortune, although they are an integral part of the U.S. war machine.

[Barack_America]

43. Aww. That page does not exist.

Fortunately, this one does.

"Bringing Our Troops Home

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda."

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/

[MediaBabe]

48. Whoopsie! Here's another speech

http://obama.senate.gov/speech/051122-moving_forward/index.php

Snippets:

"I believe that U.S. forces are still a part of the solution in Iraq. The strategic goals should be to allow for a limited drawdown of U.S. troops..."

"we need not a time-table, in the sense of a precise date for U.S. troop pull-outs"

He wants timetable but he doesn't. He wants the troops out but he wants them there. Different days, different crowds, I suppose.

[Barack_America]

51. While your snippets are artfully arranged...

Let's dive into that speech and see how Obama himself summarizes his position. Bear with me, it's a little more lengthy than what you presented, but I wish to accurately portray his position, rather than hack it to suit my own agenda.

Now, given the enormous stakes in Iraq, I believe that those of us who are involved in shaping our national security policies should do what we believe is right, not merely what is politically expedient. I strongly opposed this war before it began, though many disagreed with me at that time. Today, as Americans grow increasingly impatient with our presence in Iraq, voices I respect are calling for a rapid withdrawal of our troops, regardless of events on the ground.

But I believe that, having waged a war that has unleashed daily carnage and uncertainty in Iraq, we have to manage our exit in a responsible way - with the hope of leaving a stable foundation for the future, but at the very least taking care not to plunge the country into an even deeper and, perhaps, irreparable crisis. I say this not only because we owe it to the Iraqi people, but because the Administration's actions in Iraq have created a self-fulfilling prophecy - a volatile hotbed of terrorism that has already begun to spill over into countries like Jordan, and that could embroil the region, and this country, in even greater international conflict.

In sum, we have to focus, methodically and without partisanship, on those steps that will: one, stabilize Iraq, avoid all out civil war, and give the factions within Iraq the space they need to forge a political settlement; two, contain and ultimately extinquish the insurgency in Iraq; and three, bring our troops safely home.

So, nice try, but no.

Ironic isn't it that he begins this speech telling the stories of some of the troops that lost their limbs from Hillary's 'reach across the aisle'!

[Evergreen Emerald]

49. Ask Pelosi.

She tried and tried to have bi-partisanship. And the republicans will have none of it.

[Nutmegger]

50. Repukes are utter scum

When we get the Presidency, and control of Congress, we should focus on passing our agenda.

The god damn disgusting Repukes have treated us like CRAP when we were in the minority, and ramrodded their agenda through without even thinking of the Democrats.

Anybody who thinks we can work with this scum, are fooling themselves.

[gaspee]

52. Democrats = Charlie Brown, Republicans = Lucy

Just one of these days, she won't pull the football away!

We just have to keep trying.

:sarcasm:

Seriously now, how many times is it gonna take for the D's to understand? Hey, but y'all vote in Obama. Seems like it's going to happen no matter what now.

I'll just be over here, waiting for the Republicans to get their way while they are in the minority.

[diane in sf]

56. In the words of icanhascheezburger.com: nom, nom, nom... burp