TYT Rant: Harry Reid Comes With His WeakSauce, Again

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 04:14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foCd8RY6B0o   Posted on YouTube: November 19, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: November 19, 2008 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 3754

 
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[CherylK]

1. K & R!!!

:mad:

[nyc 4 Biden]

2. Punch Somebody . .LOL

Cenk is great.

[20score]

3. K&R!

Love TYTs.

[alfredo]

4. there's another wrinkle to this story. Since the 2006 election, Holy Joe

has had a lot of power over the Dems. He could threaten to caucus with the Reps, to prevent any action against him. When Obama went to bat for him, and the Senate eased off on Lieberman, Joe became beholden to Obama. Instead of Joe holding all the cards, now Obama holds all the cards. Obama can now take Joe aside and remind him why he still holds that gavel. This could be the gift that keeps on giving.

[formercia]

5. That had come to mind.

Joe has a big ego and enjoys having even the least bit of power. He's going to need money if he plans to run again and his corporate backers won't waste their time and money if he's a nobody.

[alfredo]

6. Niccolò Machiavelli would nod in appreciation. Now we need Snowe and

some other Moderate Reps to jump ship. If we can get enough we can dump Joe.

[formercia]

9. I'd trade Joe for Olympia Snowe any day

and even throw in some pork.

[alfredo]

11. Yeah, she's almost acceptable in my book. I might draw the line at

Susan Collins.

[formercia]

20. Joe and Susan make such a nice couple anyway.

At least we could let them sit together.

[alfredo]

21. In Nome Alaska

[formercia]

24. With Palin and Stevens....

Bridge anyone?

[alfredo]

27. No, hungry polar bears

[formercia]

29. Sure to make them extinct

The Polar Bears, that is.

[alfredo]

37. You change the water a few times to remove the toxins, just like you do

with Milkweed.

[ihavenobias]

8. But Joe knows it's political suicide if he goes to caucus with the R's!

Why would he do that?

IMO, the clear answer was to take away his role on the vital committee but say he can stay and caucus with the Dems. I think Cenk nailed it here, you can be fair but tough at the same time.

[alfredo]

12. I don't think he would have jumped to the minority party, because he enjoyed

the power his "Maverick" stance gave him over the Dems. The additional seats gained cut his power to some extent.


Obama showed him that he serves at his pleasure. If Joe acts like a dick again, Obama could pull his support.

[Hippo_Tron]

49. Probably because he isn't running for re-election in 2012

Initially I had the same thought as you did. Take his chairmanship away from him and dare him to caucus with the R's or even vote with the R's and try to get re-elected in a state that Obama won with 60% of the vote. But I saw Evan Bayh on MSNBC and he said that if they took away Joe's Chairmanship he would probably resign from the Senate and Rell would appoint a Republican or he would just hold a grudge for four years and try to derail Obama's agenda. I think Lieberman plans on this being his last term (or maybe he's bluffing that it is) and that is why he was able to keep his chairmanship.

[ihavenobias]

53. But as Cenk points out in this clip, there was no need for Reid to be as weak as he was about it. nt

[Hippo_Tron]

57. Problem is that Lieberman held all of the cards

Don't get me wrong, Harry Reid folded like a cheap suit. But the fact was that Lieberman either held all of the cards or he has a spectacular poker face. Reid had a lot to lose and Lieberman (assuming he plans on retiring) had absolutely nothing to lose. Reid probably didn't negotiate well but given the hand he was dealt I don't know if anybody could've done better.

[girl gone mad]

18. How do you figure?

It'll be next to impossible to take away Joe's gave since such a move would be subject to a filibuster from Joe's pals in the GOP.

I suspect Joe will keep being Joe. He's an ideological purist these days.

[midnight]

19. I don't know if I follow that line of reasoning? Holy Joe is not

beholden to anyone but himself....

[NorCalDem]

39. That's exactly how I feel.

By keeping him as chair we essentially get to count him towards 60. If he doesn't vote the way we want, we can take his gavel at anytime we damn well please. For now, lets see if we can't milk this for all it's worth. If he double crosses him again, we can screw him down the line...

[Seldona]

41. I'm with you. This isn't a done deal. Votes can be re-made.

He WAS an enemy. Now he is an untrustworthy friend.

One can argue which is worse. Personally as much as part of me wants to toss this guy like yesterdays dishwater, I think an untrustworthy friend is easier to deal with than an out-right enemy. And deal with him we must, for awhile at least.

Just my two cents.

[NorCalDem]

43. He's easier to deal with

AND you can use his as a vote when you need him :)

[Seldona]

47. Exactly.

At least one can hope. Keeps one more vote out of the repuke caucus, hopefully at least most of the time. I will admit it really stings to 'turn the other cheek' in this situation though.

Nothing we can do until he is up for re-election imo, and even then it is up to his constituency.

[AZBlue]

42. Personally I think it was a smart move.

I dislike Lieberman immensely, but as they saying goes, politics makes for strange bedfellows.

[opihimoimoi]

7. KNR good one....got another rant

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7893670&mesg_id=7893670

[pleah]

10. I hope Obama is right on this move.

My only advice to Obama, don't turn your back to traitor joe.

I just wish the Dem. leadership would show some backbone.

[Enthusiast]

13. This is what I have been

pointing out about Reid. He is the picture of wimpiness. This is not an image we, as a party, need to cultivate. And, again, Pelosi, same thing. She is soooo weak. She could be knocked over with a feather. This is not the right style of impact leadership we need to move forward. Come on!

[navarth]

14. Cenk is right, Reid's a wuss....but

when I heard yesterday that Howard Dean approves of it, it gave me pause.

I know damn well that if it was up to me, the stinking traitor Leiberman would be GONE. But I'm not a smart pol like Howard.

The clip does kinda make me wish that Cenk was Senate Majority Leader......

[cliffordu]

15. He is a snivelling little jackal, ain't he?

[abq e streeter]

16. I agree--don't look to the past, but just move forward

I therefore, in the brave spirit of Harry Reid ( and Pelosi et al) would like to propose that all criminals be let out of jail; after all, their actions were all in the past, and for that matter, maybe we can apologize for holding the Nuremburg trials; shoulda just moved on and looked to the future , right? ( still can't get the sarcasm emoticon to work; hopefully obvious enough where I'm coming from).

[Solly Mack]

17. K&R

Ick Blech Spew

[AtomicKitten]

22. k&r "We're not looking at the 95 filibusters, they occured in the past."

He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it.

Pull up your socks, Harry, and grow a pair.

[theFrankFactor]

23. The Democrat Congress is Gonna be a Problem-K&R

Reid and Pelosi are Zombified and need a stake through the heart.

[hisownpetard]

25. I agree - Reid just oozes weakness. Makes me want to punch something

or someone.

[bertman]

26. Reid and Pelosi are Obama's affirmative action minority picks. Reid is the token "pussy"

and Pelosi is the token "weinie".

Dawg forbid we should have leaders who look and act and sound like leaders. Those two make me want to puke.



Edit: I can never get that "i" before "e" thing straight.

[kmac3]

54. Reid/Pelosi Replacements?

The basic record of these two since being installed in 2006 is pretty dismal . . . with a new president at the helm, increased majority in the senate and house it is time to CHANGE AMERICA BACK TO A COUNTRY OF PRIDE. A pretty substantial step to accomplish this would be to fill these two positions with people worthy, capable, willing and primarily strong and able to stand up to opposition. Obama is inheriting a truckload of problems . . . he needs strong decisive people on his team . . . not mealy mouths that crumble.

[OhioChick]

28. K&R

:kick:

[fascisthunter]

30. I Don't Buy a Word He Says

[valerief]

31. Reid is a Mormon first, a mavericky Rethug second, and a BlueDog Dem third.

:hurts:

[fascisthunter]

32. gotta love those centrists... the "center" is where they say it is

[valerief]

33. Whose center? Oh, yeah, the rich people's center. The rest of us live in that other universe, left

of the rich people.

[fascisthunter]

35. On Top of It All, They Chose Where We Stand Too

"the farrrrr left"...Ooga booga!

You'd think we were aliens, yet, we are still supposed to vote for them. :crazy:

[valerief]

56. What they call the far left is the REAL center. nt

[matthewf]

34. k&r

[alfredo]

36. If Lieberman steps out of line even one bit, he can be stripped of his

chairmanship in a New York minute. So if he wants to retain his power, he best play ball. Reid just made sure he had a good grasp on Holy Joe's balls. Act like a Dem, keep your gavel, act like a Repug and you will be a back bencher.

They might even find reason to oust him come January 21.

[JHB]

38. I hope you're right....

...but after seeing some 30 years of capitulationism by the Democratic congressional "leadership", I'll believe it when it happens and keeps happening, consistently.

[alfredo]

46. It won't be from them, it will be from Obama himself. I don't think he's the

kind of guy that puts up with much shit. Remember there was an incident where Obama had Lieberman backed up against a wall and was giving him hell about something. It was on CSPAN and was talked about here. Also it is known that during the meltdown when Obama and McCain were in a meeting with party leaders and bush, something happened there and McCain seemed beaten from then on. They said Obama did the talking and McCain said little or nothing.

Obama totally destroyed the Clinton machine. They seemed unbeatable.


Biden may have been stating a fact when he said that Obama had a spine of steel.

[JHB]

51. That (and the fact that he's new enough not to be part of the "keep the powder dry" brigade)...

...is why I'm not openly moaning and groaning over his picks. I'll keep pushing for progressive action, but not outright criticize.

But I won't BELEIVE he's such a shrewd operator until he actually pulls it off (or more to the point, pulls it off against the Republicans and conservatives; beating Clinton was no small beans, but the Big Fight still remains to be fought). When Lieberman either behaves or gets booted, when we get policy changes that provide concrete measures to support the middle and working classes and the poor (not just token measures to disguise bigger giveaways to the rich), THEN I'll buy you a drink and say "well, you were right."

Yes, I know I'm cynical, but I heard some of the very same words you've written before, often repeatedly. Suffice to say the talk has always been bigger than the action.

[alfredo]

55. He's got to act fast to get the big problems under control. If he is successful

in the first hundred days, then that will bode well for his first term.


Hillary: Shit or get off the pot. Take the job or beg off for any acceptable reason.

[Azlady]

40. Kick & Rec

[ejbr]

44. K & R n/t

[WillyT]

45. Big K & R !!!

:banghead:

:crazy:

[cliffordu]

48. Barney Fife is a bigger man. sheeit.

[autorank]

50. A BIG K&R but you need to appreciate Reid's acting skills more.

He really sells it - "Oh, I'm so mad I can't say the word here." (What word's that Harry, cash)

[JustJon]

52. Why not WAIT on Lieberman?

Okay, I admit I'm relatively new to this whole thing, but I have a question I've yet to get a good answer to. Why didn't they string Lieberman out longer? If they were gonna ultimately let him keep his post, why did they have to come out so quickly to announce it? Wouldn't it have been more wise to leave him hanging longer, perhaps even going so far as to promote rumors that Lieberman would be ousted?

By coming out this early and publicly bringing Lieberman in the fold, doesn't it ultimately cost us votes in the GA Senate race (where some people will surely just be moved to vote against Martin now, knowing the Dems are 1 closer to the big scary 60)?

Wouldn't it have been more helpful in winning the Georgia seat for the Democrats to make a point of defusing some of the filibuster-proof talk? To essentially hint that the GA race won't be the difference between 59 and 60? I mean, to dampen the whole "rubber stamp Senate" sales pitch Chambliss seems to be relying on?

[iamincali83]

58. Oh my god!

We need a new senate majority leader so bad. Harry Reid is such a coward and a tool.

[kmdemqueen]

59. I think the nation is better

Now that Obama is president