I want to THANK the Senate Democrats

[Horse with no Name]

For some reason, I think they did this for the base.
That is us.
I know that in the scheme of things it didn't make a difference...BUT you showed me you were listening to me.
You showed that MY opinion mattered.
:toast:

[leftynyc]

1. I agree

We're easy to criticize when they seemingly have no use of us and they did what they could. When the votes aren't there, they just simply are not there.

[Horse with no Name]

2. But this is what I expect everytime

This is the ONLY way that Americans KNOW that they are being obstructed.

[zehnkatzen]

3. I understand that some things can't come when we want them...

Just as long as we get them when we need them.

I was disappointed when the Dems didn't get straight to work on ending the war and holding the Reps up for an accounting. I am willing to say that maybe there are some things about gummint that maybe I just don't get. This is one of them.

Well, on this account, better late than never. At least Reid is doing the courageous thing finally. What I'm hoping will happen here is that the Senate Reps come out of this with Iraq being an albatross around their neck that never goes away. Go ahead, ladies and gents; explain why you won't allow any point of view but your own, why you won't move aside after it's plain to even the stupid that it's not working.

C'mon back to Oregon after not doing anything about it, Senator Smith, but make sure you put on your breakaway moderate suit first. Doesn't matter, though...I've got a nice vote for whoever the Democrat is that is running against you all ready to go.

I'd say that I'd vote for the Devil if he were running against you...but from what I've seen, Satan would be a Republican.

[luckyleftyme2]

5. zehnkatzen

please stick to your guns and vote democrat.like you i voted for a republican sen. last time,this sen. has consistently supported bush in the war effort. I will do everything in my power to make sure myself and all i can persuade will vote a straight democratic ticket.
Also will try to get a candidate that will push to rescind that stupid drug bill that handicapped medicare and the elderly,the tax cut that gave to the haves,and any other thing
this president has done to harm the working class.
VOTE STRAIGHT DEMOCRAT TICKET IN 2008, TAKE BACK THE COUNTRY FROM BIG BUSINESS!

[zehnkatzen]

12. I don't think I made myself sufficiently clear...

...my fault tho. Mea culpa.

I first came to political awareness during Nixon. That was a wake up call (and for someone who was less than 10 years old, rather cutely politically precocious, don't you think?) about what Republicans were and the kind of things they'd do to secure power and keep it.

If I left any impression that I'd ever voted Rep, I'm sorry about that: the furthest I ever got away from the Democratic party was by going nonaffiliated for several years during the McAuliffe years (he was useless).

My soliloquy about Senator Smith was actually borne of long experience. In his first run–the run where Wyden beat him–proudly accepted the backing of the Oregon Citizens Alliance (you may remember them as the anti-gay witlings who actually were a political force here in Oregon back in the '90s. They are now fittingly wandering the political wilderness, or what's left of them is. Anyway...). After Smith learnt his lesson he donned a Hatfield-style sweater and a Hatfield-style attitude (the components of which I call his "breakaway moderate suit"), and my fellow Oregonians fell for it.

I've despaired for the credulity of the Oregon voter ever since. Some recent votes (beside the point here) have done nothing to dissuade me from the idea that my fellow Oregonians are just as likely to swallow BS as anyone anywhere else.

So, when I say an open letter that I have a Democratic vote ready for him when he comes home, what I'm actually saying is that I saw though his insincere act back in the '90s, and I'll never believe he's anyone but a crass opportunist.

If I left any impression that I had a "stupid moment" and ever voted Republican, I'd like to set that straight right here and now. Mea culpa for not being so clear on it.

[stevedeshazer]

13. I understood ya

Lifelong Oregonian here.

Let's run Pea Packer Smith outta Washington and back to Pendleton where he belongs.

:toast:

Oregon deserves better than this phony "moderate".

I admit, I voted for Hatfield and McCall back in the day. Never again will I vote for anyone or anything Republican.

[zehnkatzen]

17. Well, there's Republicans...and there's Republicans.

I hear you on that.

McCall and Hatfield (and Packwood, for that matter, before he lost his g-dd---d mind, and Atiyeh, too) were a different kind of Republican...the kind who cared about Oregon before party, and who remembered that it was the voter who put them there.

It was McCall..a Republican...who set the tone for Oregon, cleaned up the Willamette (the first time), who opened the beaches for all Oregonians (by cleverly declaring it, in essence, a public highway).

These days, McCall would be a Democrat, I think. And no Republican since Atiyeh is worth even listening to, never mind voting for.

Mannix? Saxton? Don't even get started with me on those two. Both oxygen thieves. If the sort of Republican that was running was like either of them, I'd vote for them, maybe. But their own party killed their type. There is no public honor left there.

I'm not so impressed with Novick (it may just be a character flaw on my part) but if he's what the Democratic party puts up against Smith, then he's who's got my vote, no question about it.

In a previous reply I mentioned that I was unaffiliated during the McAuliffe years. I reregistered as a Democrat mostly because I thought that maybe it would put out some Republican somewhere. I like making bullies irritated. I still think, in a few key areas, the current Democrats Just. Dont. Get. It., but I'm willing to support them because I have two choices right now; appalling and tolerable.

And, like I said, I'd vote for Satan if he were running against Smith...but, regardless of what defects the Democratic Party has (the perfect being the enemy of the good), given the choice and the odds, I'm pretty sure Satan would be a Republican.

[zehnkatzen]

18. And I just wanted to make sure you knew...nothing amiss here

It has also occurred to me that you might think that I took your remarks amiss.

Not true. I'm not offended; as a matter of fact, i think (as obviously said by myself) I didn't make myself maybe clear enough.

Am not offended by the comment.

[deacon]

4. As long as they use every tool in the toolbox, i will support them

...no half-stepping anymore though.

[Sherman A1]

6. Agreed and Well Said.

:toast:

[cboy4]

7. Yea, I think that's a good point.

:toast:

[annabanana]

8. Hear! Hear! ~ Now if only the corp-ed out Media would stop

covering this as a meaningless silly stunt and start talking substance.

[salin]

9. because I agree a k & r!

[ellisonz]

10. K & R

[buddhamama]

11. yes. agreed.

thank you, Senators! :toast:

[bunkerbuster1]

14. I tuned in before turning in last night, tuned in again at 5.30am

I saw John Kerry on my TeeVee telling me about the sequence of events leading up to 9/11 as only he can.

Sort of a Francis Scott Key "Our flag was still there" moment for me. Made me proud as I sipped my morning cuppa Joe.

Thank you, Senators. All of you who are working within the law (such as it exists today) to rein in the armed madhouse.

[Warren Stupidity]

15. They need to put more teeth into their proposals.

I am fine with forcing the ruling party to show its hand, but each time our side pushes a confrontation they need to up the ante. This amendment had no teeth, and to me that was a huge mistake.

[chknltl]

16. LET THERE BE POLLS!

I hope that there are polls tomorrow, polls which show Congress's newest approval ratings signifying how the all night debate has affected WE THE PEOPLE. May I hazard to guess a significant upswing? I'll even go so far as to predict that Congress's approval ratings will climb past the President's! That might embolden our leaders even further yet! I have heard those same politicians quote poll numbers often enough on both the House and Senate floors lately... Hmmm. I think a an e-mail to the pollsters are in order...perhaps MANY e-mails.

Yes I know that this will reflect mostly the Democratic base BUT we have been the very ones who voted that approval rating down to such depths. Sure, there will always be the doom and gloomers quick with the urine streams for our parade but, by and large, one must feel that this night has given rise for hope among that Democratic base. That hope WILL be reflected in my suggested polls as long as those polls happen within a timely manner while that warm fuzzy feeling yet permeates our base! What will this accomplish? It will blow away repuke arguments that the reason for those low approval ratings is due to the Democrats! Many repuke politicians are saying that WE THE PEOPLE do NOT approve of the Democrats actions regarding partisan bickering and or we are doing things only for political gains. I am sick of repuke spin, this won't shut it down but it will slow those two bits of repuke trash talk. It will prove that WE THE PEOPLE are behind getting our troops home soon but not in a way devastating to the citizens of Iraq! Exactly what many of our Dem leaders have been saying all along.

[cassiepriam]

19. Even if they are pretending, it is at least something.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. I'll thank them when they bring the troops home.

Is that too much to ask?

[bigwillq]

22. It'll take both sides

and some help from the commander-in-theif to bring our troops home. I think our DEM leaders are doing all they could especially b/c of the slim majority in the senate and b/c of that asshole in the WH.

Even if the DEMS put out a bill to cut funding, I don't think we will have the votes.

Right now, I believe the DEMS are doing all they could.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. Reid's got the power to bring them home.

All he's got to do is sit on the funding. They don't have to put out a new bill.

[bigwillq]

21. I also extend

my thanks to our brave Senators who want to end this war and to stop killing our troops.

[mmonk]

24. I thank Harry for tabling authorization

but will cheer when we allow no more appropriations for the empire project.

[eridani]

25. Yes, thank you for standing up.

Not having the votes is one thing, but not standing up is quite another.