A Widening Chasm (House Dems and voters)

[AnOhioan]

The divide between Democratic leaders contemplating their re-election prospects in 2008 and rank-and-file Democrats is becoming a chasm--one so wide that Congressional Democrats may soon find it hard to straddle it.

The issue is impeachment.

So far, Democrats in Congress and at the top of the party hierarchy, out of touch with public sentiment and worried that impeachment could hurt them with "independents"--whom they mistakenly consider to stand somehow "in between" Democrats and Republicans--have been following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's vow that for the 110th Congress, "impeachment is off the table." They've been doing more than that: they have been actively working to tamp down, and even to crush, impeachment campaigns in the states. For example, in the state of Washington, an effort to get the state to pass a joint legislative resolution which would have compelled the Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings was derailed after the Democratic leadership dispatched two of the state's leading federal elected officials, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Jay Inslee, to press legislative leaders to block a floor vote. Similar pressure doomed efforts that might have passed in the legislatures of New Mexico and Vermont (The Vermont Senate did pass the resolution).

More at http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/2007/052207Lindorff.shtml

[burrowowl]

1. YES! IMPEACH BU$HCO ALREADY! eom

[StefanX]

2. Whose fucking side are the so-called Dems on?!?

I am so sick and tired of them voting against other Dems!

88% of the country favors impeachment.

The thread telling Nancy to impeach is getting an all-time record number of votes on DU's greatest page -- 125 votes now and counting.

Why do Dems in Congress ignore the will of The People?

Why do Dems play into Rove's framing of them as "weak" by caving in all the time?

Almost everyone hates Bush and Cheney and their war. So what the hell is so hard about putting a little TIMETABLE on it?

[HereSince1628]

3. They're professional politicians. They vote for "their" side.

They take for granted that there are only two options. Anything more doesn't have a chance.

[Tesha]

17. They're on their own side, unless it conflicts with the corporations who've...

> Whose fucking side are the so-called Dems on?!?

They're on their own side, unless it conflicts with the
corporations who've bought and paid for them; in that
case, they straddle...

Tesha

[Cults4Bush]

4. Dem leaders sabotaging the will of their base... yet we're

supposed to be just peachy keen on the funding of an illegal war?

Im completely and thoroughly disgusted, anyone who thinks this kind of action is legitimate is full of shit.

[EFerrari]

5. I know what we have to do. We have to get some $ to mount

a serious challenge to Nancy. That's the only thing that will get her attention.

Her district will explode this week. :shrug:

[Cults4Bush]

6. shes doing a CYA dance by not voting for the bill she lauds as a victory

...and it might work.

I tell you.. completely fuming over this. It is just soooo damn republic of them to pull such a strong arm tactic on something that has so much grassroots support.

[EFerrari]

8. It won't work here. She may have just damaged herself beyond repair.

Code Pink, United for Peace, VVAW, lots of others will step up their protests. It will get loud and scary, and high time, too. :(

[Cults4Bush]

16. I also cant believe that the OP doesnt infuriate DU

Im really perturbed that many arent standing up and calling bullshit on this action.

I am...lost... and truly I am now without hope.

[Triana]

7. K & R - 5th Rec. THIS, folks, is why I changed my reg to Independent...

...this type of CRAP from Democrats. I WILL NOT SUPPORT A PARTY THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS COUNTRY, ITS CONSTITUTION AND SOME DAMNED COMMON SENSE!

There's THIS -- and the Iraq funding thing, and the dropped ball on SO MANY issues that they never pursue with ANY spine- even when they have ammo out the wazoo dropped RIGHT into their laps - what do they DO?

Whine.

Make Excuses.

Cave in. Play bu$hit's little psychopath games.

REFUSE TO UPHOLD THE LAW AND PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION AND TO DO THEIR JOB OF OVERSIGHT.

SOOOOOOOO....

We got warmongering, chickenhawk BULLIES on one side of the isle and spineless, pink pantywaist thumb-sucking do-nothing whiners on the other.

:mad:
:mad:
:mad:

[mzmolly]

9. Democrats aren't worried about "Independents" they are conerned that Republicans

will be able to distance themselves from Bushco if we impeach. This is a Republican mess due to largely to a lack of oversight - why should only two men pay the price? That said, I support impeachment, IF we can impeach both Bush and Cheney and it doesn't distract from uncovering all they've done criminally speaking. Not sure that's possible? Also, if the "people" want to impeach, and it appears that they do, then representatives need to "represent." As you can see, I'm a bit torn? ;)

[EFerrari]

10. We've had such a big majority in the last two federal elections

the Republics had to steal them. I'm sure this fact isn't lost on Nancy or Harry. They're not stupid or blind.

But they are mistaken if they believe they will be re-elected after this naked betrayal.

Edit: In honesty, I don't know about Reid's state. Nancy is in trouble here afik.

[mzmolly]

11. I don't know that Nancy or Harry feel they were elected to impeach.

But indeed they need to heed the call of the people. I've not seen any recent polls besides the MSNBC one, have you?

[EFerrari]

12. All I can really attest to is the mood of this district. People are so mad.

They've been smoldering for a long time. This could be a tipping point.

This district has done everything but set itself on fire to get her attention.

And it makes me sad because I've worked every one of her campaigns since the first one.

[mzmolly]

13. I'm sure we'll see light soon. You did the right thing supporting Pelosi.

I keep recalling the mantra "the wheels of justice turn slowly." But, if the vast majority of people of the US support impeachment, we have to do it "quickly" of course. I keep waiting for national polls.

[EFerrari]

14. Well, it's funny because most people didn't even know what

the Watergate hearings were all about. What mattered was that the Republic leadership understood where they were headed.

The Republics are in huge trouble. I hope we can understand that (because the Republic leadership already has if Newt is making the rounds) and come up with some better strategery. :(

[mzmolly]

15. "The Republics are in huge trouble." True, and part of me thinks that

Democrats are resting comfortably on this notion? However we may join them if we are not careful. There has never been a better and more important time to "fight."

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. K&R!

[L. Coyote]

19. What percentage of DU posters are infiltrators and ratf**kers anyway??

[Senator]

20. This Is How We Got Here -- DC Dems Protecting Reagan and Poppy

All to avoid friction at Georgetown cocktail parties.

Will they never learn?

---

[Cults4Bush]

21. Nope... I dont think they even realize they just split the party.

More certain is that the "moderate" (i.e. right leaning Dems... as the balance has shifted so much in the last 7 years) crowd at least online seem to think they can win everything (because its all about winning to them I do believe) without those who support impeachment and who want this war to end... immediately, not in Sept which we all know will be extended into 08 and dare I say even further down the road.

These kinds of strong arm tactics are for repubs but Im sure many if not most of the anti Impeachment types will think its perfectly fine.

[Skidmore]

22. It's more than impeachment. It's everything.

It's the sucking up for corporate dollars for campaigns instead of running to the grassroots. It's immigration (do you think that 70% of people upset about immigration and the state of the labor market are all Republics?). It's the Iraq War. It's healthcare. It's so many more things than impeachment.