The Repubs never imagined the Democrats would do this !!

[kentuck]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/22/us/politics/22cong.html?ex=1321851600&en=9251c659df1d261e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

<snip>
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 — Forget those pesky leadership fights. The folks who run Congress are now getting down to what really matters on Capitol Hill: dividing up the office space.

In something of a break with recent tradition, the incoming Democratic speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, is planning to expropriate the second-floor suite of offices now occupied by the current speaker, J. Dennis Hastert — a handful of rooms providing a spectacular view of the Mall.

That space has been in Republican hands for 50 years or so, even when Democrats were in charge. In fact, the main offices are so strongly associated with Republicans that they were officially designated the Robert H. Michel Rooms by the House in 1995 in honor of the popular former Republican leader.

<snip>
Vice President Dick Cheney might also come out a loser in this literal floor fight. Democrats have an eye on an office on the House side that Republicans granted to him as a kind of second home in the Capitol, to complement his office on the other wing of the building, where, by virtue of the Constitution, he presides over the Senate (he has no formal role in the House). Representative Charles B. Rangel, Democrat of New York, is interested in reclaiming Mr. Cheney’s House space for the Ways and Means Committee.

[Skidmore]

1. Talk about a power play...

marking territory. That's a major psych tactic going on there.

[calimary]

36. EXCELLENT!!! It IS a major psy-ops tactic. Just gently and subtly

shift the center of gravity. Gentle little steps. Just keep adding the little teensy demoralizations, one after another, in a continuing series. Enjoy their cumulative effect. Boil the frog - starting with room-temperature water (as DUer bleever has said).

I think I'm really starting to like the way Nancy operates. That's a HUGE blow to the enemy's ego. The trappings of power are sometimes as important as the power itself.

[xultar]

38. Subtle my ass. This is a straight up get the fuck out you arrogant bastards move.

I love it. :bounce:

[calimary]

46. Point well made. I was just trying to be - uh - well - gracious maybe.

But to hell with that! Fuck 'em! And TAKE their fucking office space! Another black eye in a continuing series, I hope.

Capitol Hill is Under New Management!!

[xultar]

50. Now...THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!

[calimary]

57. That felt GOOD!

:headbang:

[CatWoman]

96. hey!!!

can I join this fest???

:)

[calimary]

110. Dahlink! Get on over here!

:headbang:

[WinkyDink]

63. It's a Post-11/07 World, BAYBEE!!

[vssmith]

111. Remember, Remember, The seventh of November!

[calimary]

117. Good! Good! Good! It should be OUR battlecry, every bit as much as

"9/11!!!" is the battlecry of the enemy. OUR date of destiny, 11/7, changed everything, too. For the good, for a change. And I still think it would be a deviously delicious way to hijack their "9/11 Changed EVERYTHING!!!" hysterics by putting a NEW number in there. Plus, it'd be a good way to keep politicians reminded of what happened on that fateful day - when the people spoke and the GOP was thrown out of power (at least on Capitol Hill). I sure wouldn't want any of our people to start getting complacent. If they know we're still on high alert and remaining as vigilant as we ever were before the election, I think they'd be far less likely to step out of line and start capitulating again. And if the questioning at the Gates hearing today is any indication, it appears that falling back into their old bad habits is just a little too easy.

[Joanne98]

76. She should make them go thru checkpoints.....

For security reasons. X-ray them with the "make you naked" machine, make the screeners female. If they're not doing anything wrong they shouldn't mind.

[rosesaylavee]

86. And I think

she should ask the guards to continually ask certain members who they are and to ask for their credentials before entering the chambers. Say like maybe... Hastert? or Mean Jean? or...

[nicknameless]

102. AND put all the bastards on no-fly lists.

AND no more rooms will be available for them to hold hearings.
AND they can't be called "chairman".

:evilgrin:

[SoCalDem]

88. Throw 'em in the basement..

Like they love to say "elections have consequences "..

[mzmolly]

104. My thoughts exactly,

or nearly so. ;)

She's so impressive - already, and she's only just begun.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jgraz]

17. Thanks, now I'm gonna be stuck with THAT mental image all day

:puke:

[ThomCat]

28. So, now Cheney is gay?

Is he gay just because all evil people are supposed to be gay? :wtf:

[swimboy]

29. Well, that would be good if Cheney would come out as gay

because then we could point out that he has been hypocritical on those issues even as he over-rode the best interests of his gay daughter.

Do you have links to your source? This will be huge! Americans are almost obsessive when a public figure is revealed to be a hypocrite.








:eyes:

[wicket]

35. Oh barf

:puke:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

58. Woah! Cheney is gay?!?!?! Got links?

Or are you just making shit up, because it's soooo fun to put down evil people by calling them gay?

[Deep13]

3. All together now...

...we won. You lost. Get over it.

[Kelly Rupert]

4. Noooo-one expects the Democratic Inquisition!

Our chief weapon is office division--office division and investigations. Ah, our two chief weapons are office division, investigations, and parliamentary tactics. Three! Our three chief weapons are office division, investigations, and parliamentary tactics...and a fanatical allegiance to the Constitution. Among our chief weapons...

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. LOL!

[rock]

26. Very Monty Pythonish!

[ms liberty]

79. I nominate for Best Answer of the Month! LOL!

[annabanana]

90. Yay!

very good.

[Donnachaidh]

100. NO comfy chairs!

Wooden rolling chairs with wobbly, squeaky rollers!

[Donnachaidh]

5. let the repukes be scattered across 4 floors

And have their meetings in the basement. They deserve nothing more.

[Joanne98]

77. And don't forget to call the police on them is they get nasty.

[rosesaylavee]

89. Let's say that only any

meeting Sensenbrenner or Hastert want to have be held in the basement. And of course, with so much to do and vote on, there's no telling if Nancy will call a vote right in the middle of their meeting.

Creeps. :eyes:

[conscious evolution]

93. Let them meet in the DC jail!!

[bobbolink]

105. Turn out the lights on their hearings.

naaww..... being mean doesn't undo all the crap.

But, still...

:evilgrin:

[Skittles]

6. it's about time - KICK THE BASTARDS OUT

* NOW *

[MoonRiver]

7. HAHAHAHA!

Get used to your permanent second class status, LOSERS!
:rofl:

[elocs]

16. "Permanent" is kind of like "in a row"....

it takes more than just one Democratic victory to make it "permanent". Let's get at least another victory before we start declaring the change to be permanent. Crow is hard to swallow. I like Pelosi's actions though.

[kentuck]

19. If they have to give up the offices in the future...?

No big deal. They have shown they can work without them. However, the Repubs thought they "belonged" to them, it appears?

[elocs]

33. Yeah, why did they have the offices for 50 years,

even when the Dems controlled the House? That was sure generous.

[Joe Chi Minh]

60. How long ago was it since JFK was assassinated?

[pacalo]

99. The article said that before C-Span & instant messaging, the Democrats

preferred to have the offices closest to the House floor to better keep an eye on the goings-on.

Those imperialistic Rethugs need to be knocked down a few pegs & I say bravo to Nancy Pelosi. I hope the Rethugs have to scatter themselves throughout the 4-storied capitol building, preferably in the broom closets when possible.

[Joe Chi Minh]

59. It seems unlikely it'll be to Republicans, never mind Neocons.

[MoonRiver]

21. I know. I was being optimistic.

But why not think big? This is fun! :D

[elocs]

30. Good for you! n/t

[kentuck]

8. The Democrats, out of kindness, had given them the offices for 50 years...

...and look how they were treated? Send them to the basement or wherever. They lost their privileges.

[lyonn]

80. The R's must now pay the price for putting Conyers in the

10X12 basement for hearings!!!!

Thanks Ms. Pelosi! Paybacks can be hell...

[porphyrian]

10. It's both symbolic and stategic.

It's time we made those fuckers uncomfortable.

[selfdestructive]

11. put them in the basement...

and take them off payroll

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. It will be the first time for many of them to work their way up from the

bottom.

[LynzM]

37. Just don't take away their Swinglines....

Then we'd all be in trouble ;)

[calimary]

40. Welcome to DU!

Glad you're here. Good point you made. Perhaps Pelosi is not into pushing them all the way down into the basement. Perhaps she's going for a more subtle demoralization tactic. To plant HER flag on "their" coveted territory is a BEE-YOO-TEE-FUL maneuver. Tighten the humiliation tourniquet millimeter by millimeter.

[dysfunctional press]

53. give them each a can of raid and a flashlight...

and have them take care of that roach problem (on their hands and knees)as long as they're down there.

(btw- for those MANY of you who are "their, they're, and there" deficient- please see the above sentence as a guide)

[juajen]

70. Hey, I've tried so many times

The deficient seem to remain very hard-headed. LOL

[kentuck]

12. If I were Pelosi and Stoyer, I would scan for bugs....

Republicans will resort to anything for an advantage. Consider yourselves warned.

[flying_wahini]

14. you got that right!

probably some plutonium in there too.

[bagrman]

13. What goes around, comes around.

[calimary]

42. Indeed. Welcome to DU!

And isn't it about time? A little mortification is good for the soul (assuming the enemy even has souls).

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. It's probably the only floor in the House that the NSA wasn't allowed

to bug.

[KoKo]

20. true! lol's. Better make sure Dems are watching as they move out to

make sure some men in plain clothes aren't working around the walls and light fixtures.

[Hubert Flottz]

22. The old mean democrats!

They're even taking the GOPer's holy roller room from them. I love it!

[kentuck]

23. They say...

revenge is a dish best served cold. :)

[jean]

24. poor repubs - they'll have to reconfigure all wiretaps and remote video

What kind of experts do you need to sweep those offices? You'd have to go down to the bare bones, under floors ... I have no idea the extent of refinement of spy tech these days.

[zreosumgame]

25. ahhhh, the poor widdle bullies getting bullied!

How the phony RW out-rage will spill across the airwaves! LOL!

[Blaze Diem]

27. Fumigate first...

oops! Sounds like another Bush Scandal in the making...
What crawly creatures will emerge from the hallowed halls when the Dems FumiGate the place..
Could get ugly. haaaa

[Lex]

32. Ha! Indeed.

Pelosi's 'draining the swamp' as she promised.

[The Stranger]

31. Take no prisoners, Nancy.

Vanquish the criminal GOP.

[Jcrowley]

34. A Smudging Is In Order

The Tradition of

SMUDGING WITH SAGE

The burning of sage is a common practice among many religious, healing, and spiritual groups. The word sage itself - salvia - comes from the Latin word salvare. It literally means "To Heal."
Sage has long been used in “smudging” ceremonies to promote purification, protection, longevity, and immortality. White sage (as pictured here) grows along the coastal regions of Southern California.

The ritual of smudging can be defined as "spiritual house cleaning." The smoke attaches itself to negative energy. As the smoke clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it to regenerate into something more positive. Tests have also shown that the smoke of burning sage literally changes the ionazation polarity of the air.

http://www.guidancetochangeyourlife.com/sage.html

[Blaze Diem]

39. ya and it smells a bit like POT!!..mmmm I say the Dems should

hold a giant Smudgefest!!

Smudge smells good and its good for ya too.

May the good spirits reign eternal.

This office takeover is a total spiritual renewal of our Governt "..of by & for the people"
in a most profound way indeed!

[Oilwellian]

44. GREAT suggestion

I love burning sage and did so the day after the election. :D

Nancy, you go girlfriend! Show them how clever a woman can be. O8)

[JudyM]

56. Well, I have some and I'm only 20 minutes from there.

What a kick that would be to get there in Jan and light 'er up and walk around. Wonder how quickly I'd get booted. Cheney's office ought to be fumigated, though... I don't think sage is strong enough to get rid of his filthy energy.

[Bluestater2008]

41. Palaces for our politicians? This crap should stop!

When I visited DC I was apalled by their pay, benefits and surroundings. They are a bunch of overcompensated fakes who profit off the workers of this nation. You look at all these rich surroundings then walk a half-mile away and see poor people sleeping on the street and asking for spare change.

When the Democrat party decides to represent the people we wont have facelift queens and richboy windsurfers. Why can't our unions get some decent representation? All we have in DC are rich people claiming to care for the workers? Bull!

[calimary]

43. Um... that's the DEMOCRATIC Party, my friend. NOT "Democrat party."

If this is a stealth play, make sure you get the terminology correct. Otherwise your cover's blown sky high. Welcome to DU.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

114. when I use the "democrat party" I use it as a stick in the eye of the GOP

I am not offended when the illiterates on the right play childish games such as that.

[Skidmore]

45. Did you miss a right turn before stopping here?

[endarkenment]

48. "facelift queens and richboy windsurfers" "Democrat Party"

Ah. Yes. Welcome to DU!

[WinkyDink]

65. You were out-numbered in that "Blue state", weren't you? Now go back

to doing your homework, kiddo.

[Ikonoklast]

95. Whatever.

Welcome to DU.

Enjoy your.......stay.

[Jim Sagle]

107. "Democrat" party? Fuck off ya fuckin' freeper.

[ninkasi]

108. "Democrat" party?

That must be something new. This is DEMOCRATIC Underground. Maybe you're in the wrong place.

[endarkenment]

47. Oh boo hoo.

Cry me a river. Etc.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

49. It would appear we're making sure they know the shoe is on the other foot now.

I see our Democratic leaders have learned a thing or two from the repugs. Good for them! :toast:

[Ganja Ninja]

51. What goes around comes around.

A few gratuitous smack downs are well deserved and long overdue.

[rpgamerd00d]

52. Nelson from Simpsons voice: "Ha Ha". -nt

[verse18]

54. They also lost their Bible study room, too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2826336

:evilgrin:

[Donnachaidh]

106. awwwww awwwwwwwwww

my heart bleeds purple panther ----. :evilgrin:

[AllegroRondo]

112. Bible study and prayer will now be held in a closet

as per Matthew 6:5

[LynneSin]

55. How many times did repukes lock us out of negotions in congress

I'd give them all the worst offices possible. And Cheney has his own office - let him work there!

[hfojvt]

84. I'm not convinced that payback is productive

It doesn't do anything for the working class, and we need something like 20-30% of Republicans to vote with us to over-ride vetoes.

Then again, this may just be what helps. If our leadership smacks down their leadership that shows the rank and file Republicans that we are not scared of them, so they don't need to be either if they break ranks.

[David Zephyr]

61. Take them all, Nancy. And make no apologies. Just do it.

Nancy Pelosi is the best.

[Disturbed]

66. Will Conyers still have to have Hearings in the basement?

Hell, NO!

[David Zephyr]

92. Hell no!

I just had to echo that.

[in_cog_ni_to]

62. LOVE IT! EVICT THEIR ASSES!

:woohoo: Go Madame Speaker! :woohoo:

[WinkyDink]

64. Is this Rush's "Democrats are at war with America"? Hahahahaha!

No view for you!

[Plaid Adder]

67. Although this may look like petty bullshit, it is actually very important.

The Republicans did this to the nth degree when they were in charge. If you control the space, that gives you a lot of control over what happens in that building. For instance, the Republicans would not allow Conyers to book a regular conference room for one of the hearings he wanted to hold, and they had to do it in the basement.

This, and the announcement about the shorter recesses, shows that the current Congressional leadership finally understands how to fight the battle on all fronts. I like it.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

116. Hopefully it means we're done trying to play nice with republicons

The Adder's point is well taken.

Many of the bipartisan traditions of congress died in 1994 with Newt Gingrich's rise to speakership.

Alan Simpson, retiring Republican senator from Wyoming (IIRC) described the freshman class of republicans in 1994 as bug eyed zealots. They ended anything resembling fair play in how Congress was run.

Prior to Newt's revolting revolution, staff and members of congress from both parties socialized together. After Newt's rise, that tradition either died out or, more likely was deliberately destroyed by Newt as a means in enhancing his power.

In any case, it was open warfare in congress from that point forward.

IIRC, one of the talking points in 1994 was that the Democratic party didn't play fair with the minority party and that the GOP would. We all see how that promise worked out!

[Cleita]

68. I hope they perform an exorcism and smudge the place before

they move in. I've plenty of white sage in my back yard. I constantly pull it up as a weed. Hell, we should do the same to the White House when * gets kicked out.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

69. AH HA HA HA... here's a recommendation and nice picture...

Gee, I hope it isn't sexist to show Ms. Pelosi with a broom. I do the sweeping around here but I sure like the way she is cleaning up things in DC...



Once one of the Gabore sisters said, "I'm a wonderful house-keeper. After a divorce I ALWAYS keep the house."

[Blaze Diem]

74. PLEASE SEND THIS PIC TO MZ. PELOSI !!

HAAAAAAAAAAA...She deserves to see it and have a great laugh

Message is totally clear.

[Alamom]

94. It is not

sexist, IMO.

There are women who clean house &

THERE ARE WOMEN WHO "CLEAN HOUSE."

Go Nancy !

[WI_DEM]

71. This is totally uncalled for by Pelosi!! and she should be ashamed

of herself for being so partisan!!

Just kiddin'

[Independent_Liberal]

72. I'll bet Hastert has some crooked shit in there!

:woohoo:

This is awesome! You go Nancy! :loveya:

[AIJ Alom]

73. Hmmm....wonder what kind of documents they'll leave lying around

or stuffed inside or behind furniture.

[Blaze Diem]

78. Maybe find Hasterts Size 56XXXX Old Underwear..

rotting away behind the sofa along with Mark Foley and Ann-the-Man Coulter's nudie pics..all stuck together..back to back with Bill OReilly and Preacher Ted....
...half eaten pizzas molding to the carpet, boxes of Dunkin Donuts..super sized..stuffed in the back of the file room.
Empty gallon-sized containers of chocolate chip ice cream and a dirty sweat-stained pillow and bedsheet crumpled in the back of the coat closet..
yes..Main Stream Media, chew on this ghastly sight..and tell the American taxpayers what a *ucking waste of time, money, and human life this Bush administration has been.

[TexasLawyer]

75. Hey, I got redisticted in Texas

Here's a tiny taste of what that feels like.

[Pacifist Patriot]

81. Sweet!

[dogday]

82. Evict all those bastards!!!! nt

[PATRICK]

83. Ripping out wires

You can hear the sounds already. I bet, not humorously either, that one of the reasons for this is the possibility that those offices, especially Cheney's have been the scene of electronic surveillance of the Congress. On short notice, the second thing I would do is note what "repairmen" are making hasty trips into those buildings and what they are doing.

Seriously. But maybe they CAN'T remove such fixtures on short notice.

Of course, the slightest suspicion of anything like this would never be noted by the vigilant, curious, street cynical press corpse for whom the electronic bugging of Dems came and went like an inconsequential
blip on business-as-usual a couple of years ago.

[MasonJar]

85. Halleluyah! This is what happens when the party in control (PUKES)

go too far, as they did these last 12 years. Send them all to John Conyers' basement.

[Matariki]

87. HA! Feng Shui wars!

[Raine]

91. GOOD but first the Democrats need an exorcist

and a good fumigation company to clean the place out and make it fit for human habitation.

[lanlady]

97. Paging KKKarl Rove

How's that permanent Republican majority working out for ya?

[RiverStone]

98. Can somebody please film the rethugs moving out???

Love to see that on YouTube!

[WHAT]

101. ho, ho, ho...

?t=1165284173

Rudolph the blue nosed reindeer...

[symbolman]

103. Well

Sun Tszu would be Proud :)

YOU in MY HOUSE now Buddy, so YOU better BEHAVE or it's OFF to the Basement with you.. :)

Gotta Love it. Let's do the same thing in EVERY STATE and give the sane americans their DUE..

[Historic NY]

109. Now if they only do things right for the people.......

they will never have to surrender them again in defeat to the Repukes.

[progressoid]

113. Oh Snap!

[buddysmellgood]

115. Good thing we measured the drapes!