A call -- for constructive solutions to helping/pressuring the Democratic leadership

[brentspeak]

There's been a lot of mindless bashing of "the Democrats" on these boards, as if "the Democrats", in general, are responsible for the lame decisions and indecisiveness that some in the Democratic leadership are responsible for.

Why should I kick Frank Lautenberg down for Harry Reid's (apparent) ineffectiveness? Why should I turn my back on Jim Webb or Henry Waxman or Sherrod Brown or John Conyers or Amy Klobuchar or Claire McCaskill or a ton of other Democrats because of one or two people high up in the Democratic leadership has disappointed?

And especially since the Democrats have some very significant obstacles that make things extremely difficult, if not impossible, for them:

1) The Democrats have a very slim majority in both House and Senate

2) Joe Lieberman is constantly threatening that he'll hand power back over to the GOP.

3) Bush is President. He holds the veto power.

Even though Reid is a weak Senate majority leader, I do understand his predicament. But in any case, if the Democratic rank-and-file want to see a change, I suggest constructive, helpful ideas be forwarded to accomplish that.

Call up your Democratic reps and senators, and demand that the leadership at the top be changed. Not every Democratic leader needs to be demoted, but some definitely do. Those that are "business as usual" should be pressured to get on the ball -- or to step aside for someone else.

Even calling Republican and Joe Lieberman's offices to demand troop withdrawal couldn't hurt, either.

Calling all constructive ideas.

[mike_c]

1. vote the bastards out....

Isn't that how democracy is supposed to work?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Yep.

Primaries have consequences.

[jwirr]

9. And vote the pugs in?

[mike_c]

11. sure, lets all vote for straw men while we're at it....

Please.

[OzarkDem]

18. We can't wait til election day

We need action now. Dems need some leadership change and a "come to Jesus" message for those who still support neo-con strategies in dealing with Iraq.

[derby378]

3. Sometimes you have to tear down in order to build up

Calling our elected officials probably isn't going to do jack at this point. We need to see how many Democrats are up for re-election next year, how many of them support capitulation, and how many of the capitulators we can field decent candidates against.

[brentspeak]

6. Why isn't it worth it to call one's elected officials?

Believe it or not, politicians do pay attention to what their constituents say. Even my Republican congressman, RW wacko Scott Garrett, got all bent out of shape when someone wrote an angry letter-to-the-editor concerning Garrett's 'no' vote on providing more financial aid for post-Katrina New Orleans.

[EFerrari]

8. He was reacting to the publicity, not to the idea. Image. n/t

[jwirr]

12. That is a very good way - but we need to be sure that we get candidates

that will not lose and secondly we need to be sure their opponents will not pull a lieberman and split the party in the general election. That is a sure way to lose in the general election.

I will be absolutely honest here: The war is not my only priority. My daughter is severely disabled and will die if *ss and co. are allowed to destroy much more of our system of government. Even lieberman votes liberal on social issues. I hate his vengeful reaction to his defeat in the primary but I also need his vote to keep her alive. There are many of us out here who are in deep need of help and the worst thing we can think of is to hand this back to the pugs.

I do not know what to do but I do know what I am afraid of: one issue voters.

[NMDemDist2]

4. I"m calling all my CongressCritters tomorrow (even the repukes)

and letting them know what I think

I'll call the Leader's offices too

[EFerrari]

5. No discussion can be constructive when you start out by calling people

mindless.

[madeline_con]

10. agreed

[IChing]

13. "mindless" was tasteless agreed. here is my plan

I'm going to destroy the DLC and bluedog democrats by exposing them
for what they are and I won't be "mindless" about it.

[EFerrari]

14. I want that pix of Emanuel opening the stock market after 9/11.

When the air would kill you. And I want it bad.

You can't be a little pregnant.

[Rex]

7. Well I see Biden and Waxman and Conyers

Trying to put a stop to this corruption. We shall see.

[emilyg]

15. What a bunch of creeps.

[brentspeak]

16. self-kick

:kick:

[mmonk]

17. The republicans have no problems when they have slim majorities.

We do constructive things. We call, we write, we visit. We vote them from a minority to a majority. It's time they did the constructive things. If they don't know what we want by now, they never will.

[OzarkDem]

19. GOp is the minority party

and they're still running the show in Congress.