We win a massive victory last November. And if Brown wins tomorrow

[edhopper]

we get nothing. No HCR, no financial regulation, no climate bill...
Overwhelming majority in both houses. A President with a giant mandate to reverse what conservatives have done.
And after a year, nothing. And after tomorrow, less than nothing.
I am heartsick about what will become of this nation.


I don't know what the outcome tomorrow will be, I'm just saying that if, which looks likely.

[NightWatcher]

1. flip side: If Coakley wins, we get everything we want?

Coakley is just another cop-out.

She's the "magic 60" du jour

[defendandprotect]

3. What we need are more humanists in government...less corporatists ...

and unfortunately, too many corporatists now come not only with an "R" after

their name -- but, sadly, too many with a "D" after their name.

We need to resurrect FDR's New Deal --- maybe Howard Dean is the one to do it??

Pretty much everything we need is there -- including the fact that it was PRE-CIA

and the national security laws which are so screwing up this country!

[rockymountaindem]

2. Too bad we didn't get anything accomplished with our majority while we had it

Other than the stimulus bill. Hopefully if Brown wins and everything goes to pot in the Senate, it will gin up more talk about weakening the procedural filibuster.

[tridim]

6. I know you've seen the long lists of progressive accomplishments.

Why are you ignoring them?

[rockymountaindem]

11. Legislatively?

What major legislation that was near the tipping point got passed? Financial reform? No. Credit card reform? The companies just jacked up everybody's rates before that took effect. Cap and trade? That's got to wait until after health care, and now we've got no political capital left for that. EFCA? Har har har. Drug reimportation? Negatory. And don't get me started on the rest of that health insurance bill.

[vi5]

16. Oh, wait but you haven't seen the list?

You should see it. It's something to behold. About half of it are sentences that start with "Announced plans to....." and "Stated his intention to......" and "Began the process of......" and "Committed to......."

[tridim]

21. Well, you've seen it too, why are you ignoring reality?

It's been posted hundreds of times on DU, I'm not posting it again.

[vi5]

32. Didn't ask you to post it again.....

I have seen it. Like I said, half the items on it are vague references to maybe kind of sort of doing something at some point in the future. With the exception of the Lily Ledbetter act, the rest of the "accomplishments" are either neutered with so many loopholes and counter-productive giveaways, or with separate acts or legislation that actively work against the "good" legislation and means little will come from those accomplishments or acts.

Everything that has been done has been done like the bit you used to see in old comedies and cartons. 1 for you (the democratic base), aaaaand 1,2,3 for me(corporations, republicans, the blue dogs, etc.).....1 for you, aaaaaand 1,2,3 for me.

[FLAprogressive]

15. The lists which have been mostly debunked as either non-accomplishments or watered down crap

[defendandprotect]

18. True . . . SCHULTZ, in fact is just talking about that....it's about Obama NOT putting

Single Payer on the table -- and then even failing to insist on Public Option.

That's Schultz, tonight --


And then there are the WARS still BANKRUPTING OUR TREASURY . . .

The horror, illegality and immorality of it all --

And Democrats RE-FUNDING THESE WARS FOR THREE YEARS!!!!

And, now Obama going further down the SURGE route in Afghanistan!!!

Shocking -- !!!

[JVS]

30. That's not true, we made a lot of dough for Goldman Sachs!

[Grand Taurean]

4. Less than a year people are giving up on Obama.

That Son of a B***C Bush (mean that literally) had SIX years without interruption
and two years where we could only slow Bush's rape of the nation.
People expect Obama to turn things around overnight, they do not get it and they want Repubs back in power?
:wtf:

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Who said they want the repukes back in power?

:wtf: Indeed.

[aSpeckofDust]

8. I'd actually like a third party to be in power. This two party system is crap, and has been..

for a long while.

[Webster Green]

14. The chimp and his thugs only needed 51 votes.

For some weird fucking reason, we need 60 for everything.

The playing field isn't level, and the other team has a different set of rules that always favors them.

We're basically fucked! :banghead:

[defendandprotect]

26. Ah, well, that's the magic of the GOP .... they cried out for help against "filibuster" threats

by Dems -- and meanwhile Dems were even too timid to actually pull a filibuster!!

Who would believe any of this --???

Let's recap . . . . when Dems are in power -- the GOP controls events --

When GOP is minority -- the GOP controls events --

When Dems are in minority -- they are put in the basement --

When GOP is majority -- they get EVERYTHING THEY WANT!!!

Got it?

Anything wrong there?

Either GOP is omnipotent or the Dems are selling us out for corporate interests --

which is it?

[Toots]

44. Thank Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman for that

If the Democratic Party actually had real Democrats elected to office things might be a bit different although that is debatable..Obama wants to please everybody and by trying to do that is not pleasing anyone except the Corporate Giants.

[autorank]

17. I want Coaklkey to win. But there's a reason she might not.

And the reason is in the OP. People know when they've been put way behind the banks

They know when they've been put way behind the war machine

They know when their potential to lose a home or go bankrupt or lose their jobs is barely mentioned.

There are no achievements to speak of other than the huge Wall Street bailouts and 30,000 more troops
to an occupation that was never supposed to take place.

Things don't have to be turned around overnight. But continuing the policies that were so
offensive like the bailouts, wars, and domestic spying ... well, that should never have happened.
The sad thing is, there's no explanation or excuse for it, none.

[defendandprotect]

28. +1000%: "The sad thing is, there's no explanation or excuse for it, none" --

:)

Nice, clear thinking -- !!

[autorank]

37. :)

I'll do that on occasion.

:hi:

[glitch]

35. "Things don't have to be turned around overnight." but people do need to see a change in direction.

Slowing down the Titanic without actually changing course is not going to bring enthusiasm from the passengers, especially those not promised a seat in a lifeboat.

[autorank]

38. "seat in the lifeboat"

Exactly. I think that's sometimes referred to as hope -- which has to be based on good acts!

[defendandprotect]

22. The "Time Machine" doesn't work -- directions Obama moved in immediately are wrong...

And no matter where you look at this administration . .. from Day 1 . . .

it is corporatist --

Obama eloped into the White House with RAHM EMMANUEL/CORPORATE DLC -- !!!

How do you hide that from yourself?

And then Obama surrounded himself with the very people who had caused the

economic problems were suffering from!!!

Corporate Headquarters simply moved into the White House with Geitner and Summers!!

Paulson still in at the FED?

Rather this is a Corporatist-Merry-Go-Round to bleed our Treasury and taxpayers!!

[villager]

24. but that's the whole point -- Bush was unchecked when the Senate was 50/50

Dems are perceived as not being able to "get it done" when that have a presumed 60.

[sendero]

41. If you've done only crap in a year..

... why would anyone think you'd do better in 6?

The ridiculous ideas that you guys keep floating are embarassing.

WE'RE DRIVING THE WRONG DIRECTION, MORE TIME IS NOT A POSITIVE IT IS A NEGATIVE.

[Ian David]

5. Here's what we can do

Make at least five calls from your own home for Martha Coakley, RIGHT NOW: http://www.my.barackobama.com/coakleyn2n

Donate to Martha Coakley for U.S. Senate RIGHT NOW: https://coakley.zissousecure.com/contribute/PFP/iandavidb

[DisgustedInMN]

36. I don't know..

.. anyone in Mass to call.

I'd promise to donate everything I earn from my job this month. But I can't find a job.

Guess I'm bad Democrat, eh?

[Ian David]

40. You go to the phone number and it gives you a list of strangers...

... and a script to use.

[DisgustedInMN]

42. Ask someone for a clue. n/t

[Mojambo]

9. Good lesson for the next guy

Don't fuck around with bipartisanship when the other side are a bunch of radical morons.

[msongs]

13. the current administration has not yet learned that lesson nt

[Mojambo]

20. Sadly, true. n/t

[JVS]

29. A smart man like Obama shouldn't have had to learn that by experience.

[Pirate Smile]

10. OK - I've already gone through the depression and emerged on the other side.

We still have the Presidency, the House, and 57 (2?) Senators. That hasn't changed.

The world is not ending.

The sun will come up.

We have a lot of notice before next November to set Republicans up. We will see what all the Republicans in the Senate want to filibuster re going after the banks. Lieberman is no longer King.

Just avoid the news channels.

We are not returning to where we were 4 years ago in a world dominated by Republicans in the White House and controlling Congress.

There are still ways to get health care reform (perhaps modified somewhat, using Reconcilliation to incorporate changes after House passes Senate Bill).

It is going to be OK. :)

[defendandprotect]

23. If the Repugs actually succeed in MA tomorrow, then clearly this corporate health care bill

has to be KILLED --

In fact, if it is passed, we are selling our futures away to corporate/fascism --

Next on the chopping block for corporate pleasure will be Social Security and

Medicare --

Wake up, folks!!

[timeforpeace]

31. Thank you for that. Just the right tone.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. That is correct.

I expect Coakley to win, and the HCR bill to pass.

Unfortunately, having been saddled with an economic collapse and a Republican party that did its best to shut down the government by obstructing everything, a lot of the things that we hopped for did not come to fruition.

Our system is designed to work slowly at the best of times. The founding fathers never imagined a party of no, whose goal is to shut the government down if they aren't running it. I hope the voters in Mass. are aware that Brown is not the kinder gentler Republicans they've elected in the past, that the current Republican party has no interest in the people's interest.

[mvd]

19. We still get HCR if the House passes the Senate's bill

It's just that since it's the weakest form, there'd be even more improvements to make.

[endless october]

25. i'm fairly convinced that health insurance bailout is a done deal

regardless of who wins.

if it's Brown, it passes unchanged with no new Senate vote.

if it's Coakley, it passes virtually unchanged.

health insurance bailout has already been bought by lobbyists. congress will deliver.

[GreenTea]

27. We get it ALL if the spineless Dems use 51% majority rules as republicans do when

the republicans are in power.....filibusters...don't make me laugh the republicans just threaten to take it away and the spineless Dems run away screaming for mercy!

[anonymous171]

33. Dude, it's just one seat. nt

[edhopper]

34. I guess you haven't been

paying attention.

[depakid]

39. Gee- funny how Republicans were able to get almost EVERYTHING they wanted- with far less

even when what they wanted was unpopular- sometimes profoundly so.

Seems to me that there's something wrong with that picture.

[NuttyFluffers]

43. it's definitely a thing that makes you go, "hmm?"

i'd like to think i know when someone is trying to snow job me saying they are helpless. but to have the opposing side prove you can do everything you want, even unpopular and downright criminal things, with even less power? and they were the last ones in power? c'mon, you'd have to believe your mark is stupider than a jellyfish to buy the helplessness excuse.

[Tailormyst]

45. The people that voted for Obama really need to get out and vote today