Hiliary is right, Dems are "wasting time" on wrong issues, helping GOP

[fearthem]

From Huffington Post today:

"ROGERS, Ark., July 15 — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, returning to her red-state ties, chastised Democrats Saturday for taking on issues that arouse conservatives and turn out Republican voters rather than finding consensus on mainstream subjects.

Without mentioning specific subjects like gay marriage, Mrs. Clinton said: “We do things that are controversial. We do things that try to inflame their base.”

“We are wasting time,” the senator told a group of Democratic women here, on part of a two-day swing through a state that could provide an alternate hub to New York if she starts a national political campaign."

[GCP]

1. Pot meet kettle

Isn't she the one who sponsored a flag-burning amendment?
STFU and go away Hilary, your time is over.

[still_one]

2. WHO BRINGS UP THOSE ISSUES?

issues like an ammendment for flag burning, and banning gay marriage?

IT IS THE REPUBLICANS

she is the MOST disingenuous person, and is OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY

[jonnyblitz]

4. EXACTLY. WE aren't the ones bringing up flag burning and

gay marriage lately and when we do it's in response to the wingnuts! I thought this woman was supposed to be brilliant!! :crazy:

[napi21]

9. Of course they do, but if the Dems did a quick response and moved on

to what most people consider important issues, the Pubs issues would simply fall to the background.

The Pubs do this all the time, and manage to get THEIR wedge issues out there! W must learn to do the same!

[still_one]

12. how could they do a quick response, the media won't let them

hillary is a CO-SPONSER of one of those inane ammenments, and if you don't realize we are the minority party in Congress, and DO NOT CONTROL THE AGENDA

Terri Shivo is another perfect example...

[napi21]

22. There's a group of reporters waiting o/s the House & Senate ALL

THE TIME!

Of course I know we are in the minority, and that prevents us from getting bills to the floow and ammendments passed, but it doesn't STOP any politician from opening their mouth!!!!!

I don't expect EVERY comment to be aired, but SOME would be!

You have to SAY SOMETHING FIRST!

[rodeodance]

19. yes, we tend to dawdle too tooooo much.

[brentspeak]

10. Yup

What she should have said is that Democrats should stop wasting time engaging the Republicans on the Republicans' manufactured social controversies. But to insinuate that it's the Democrats who've been the ones injecting the wedge issues is just bottomless stupidity.

[Minnesota Libra]

13. Indeed republicans/neocons bring up issues such as..........

....gay marriage, flag burning, stem cell research, abortion, and other very divisive issues.

Hillary's point - I think or at least my point right now - is to ask the question, why do republicans/neocons bring these issues up? Simple, they know these issues will galvanize the right-wing Bible-belt crowd and get them to turn out in droves at the polls. There you go - another win.

I think Hillary was also trying to indicate - and I know I'm trying to indicate - that maybe democrats/liberals should find their core issues and stick to them regardless of what neocons/fundies want to discuss.:applause:

Just because I don't particularly like all the issues a person/candidate touts is no reason I automatically dismiss everything about that person. Sometimes a person that I don't agree with can still have an idea or two that will benefit me if I am only smart enough to listen.:applause:

[still_one]

14. then why did she co-sponser one of those issues, i.e. flag burning?

[Minnesota Libra]

21. I don't know if you realize how some things get done in DC............

....but there are MANY times when Senators make a deal now on an issue that will give them "a favor" to call in later on another issue.

So yes, Hillary sponsored a bill against flag burning now but what favor will she be able to call in later that could benefit the people of New York or the US as a whole??

It's an interesting question that brings up some interesting possibilities.

[City Lights]

15. Yup. Wedge issues belong to the pukes.

The Dems are right to oppose them. I really have no use for Hillary. If she's our nominee, it's going to be difficult for me to vote for her. Holding my nose won't help much.

[fearthem]

3. Need to be more strategic, selective in choosing issues if we are ...

to take back control.

[rooboy]

18. Is this some sort of joke?

The REPUBLICANS go with God, guns and gays, NOT the Democrats. And I suspect you know that already, don't you?

[cyclezealot]

5. Does that mean excusing Bush's lies over Iraq.?

The American people have no right to know when they are being lied to.

[Fovea]

6. No more triangulation

this isn't 1991 anymore.
People really want progressive, working class restoring ideas.

Take the republican 'lie to the left side of the bell curve' down the block.
No one wants it here.

[Greyhound]

7. Does she mean like spending time on flag burning and video games? n/t

[Demeter]

8. Then Hillary Should Pick the Issues She Wants To Advance

and we can have a vote on them.

[n2doc]

11. perhaps she should try promoting issues that turn out OUR base

Hey Hills, I'll give you some hints : it ain't flag burning. Perhaps if you watch the news you might catch a few glimpses of it. And it has something to do with a number presently over 2500...
Still mystified?
Bring the Damn troops home, end the spying on US citizens, bring back due process and respect for the Constitution and prosecute the war criminals. NOW.

[Lerkfish]

16. right. but "chastising democrats" doesn't help the GOP?

the DLC spends ALL of their time attacking other democrats.

we need to ask the obvious question: WHY?

[wakeme2008]

17. Remember she goes on to say "I was a Republican before I was a Democrat"

At best she is a token Dem.

[xchrom]

20. hillary couldn't be more wrong -- all repukes hear when

a democrat says that is ''blah blah weak blah blah lie blah blah weak blah blah .''

how about democrats OWN who they are?

liberals, progressive -- fierce and proud about it.

the conservatives KNOW that's what we are -- their nightmare is that we would turn around be that -- authentically.

[fearthem]

23. I feel focus on domestic/foreign failures, mass deception, exporting jobs

unprotected borders -- areas where they are weak and leave little room for argument, would serve us better in the short term -- these issues, that are weakening their base, need to be hammered. Issues that matter to the masses and less time in areas where we have less opportunity, i.e., arguing separation of religion/state, gay marriage.

I agree, her flag burning stance was a strategic move towards her campaign and it's purpose transparent. I'm not for Hilary for president, but I think she has a valid point in that we need to be smarter about what we spend our time on, in the short term, as the Republicans are setting us up to take on issues that benefit them, get their base riled up.

[INdemo]

24. Hillary is wrong

Hillary has fallen into the propaganda trap set by the Repubs and she is just repeating what the muothpiece of that propaganda machine,the MSM,is saying.."The Democrats dont have a plan,or the Democrats are discussing the wrong issues..Sorry Hillary but lets go back a few months and think about what you were saying..She has never been in line with the Democrats as far the war and she is singing to the same tune as the Republicans...Hillary is a Republican lite only interested in Hillary

[Rose Siding]

25. Except that isn't what she meant.

You have to ask yourself, we have all these problems, and we have solutions sitting out there, why can't we move in the right direction? And it really comes down to a difference in values and philosophy. You know the nine women Democratic Senators, anybody see us on Larry King's show? We put out what we call our Checklist for Change. I don't know about you, but I am a list maker. I guess it's like a part of the DNA for women. I make lists about lists. And so we were talking one day and saying, you know, we as individuals, we have all of this legislation, we can't get it on the floor of the Senate. We can't get a vote on it because the Republican majority wants to vote on other things. So we pulled all our best ideas together. Wouldn't this be a good agenda for America: safeguard America's pensions; good jobs for Americans; make college affordable for all; protect America and our military families; prepare for future disasters; make America energy independent; make small business and healthcare affordable, invest in life saving science; and protect our air, land, and water. You know, Blanche Lincoln has a bill to make healthcare affordable for small business, I have a bill I was talking to you about with respect to energy independence, we have legislation sitting in the Senate to address these problems. But with the Republican majority, that's not their priority. So we do other things, we do things that are controversial, we do things that try to inflame their base so that they can turn people out and vote for their candidates. I think we are wasting time, we are wasting lives, we need to get back to making America work again, in a bipartisan, nonpartisan way."

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_07_16_atrios_archive.html#115306675335323628

She was talking about the repub majority in the Senate, not Democrats.

This time she's cool and the reporter should be skewered.