Democrats, I'll vote for you, but if you won't stand up for your own agenda, I can't do it for you

[CreekDog]

And if I tried, it would do you little good.

It's time to take a risk and then own that risk.

You took the risk and passed healthcare...act like you don't regret it.

You know you want middle class tax cuts...you made the decision, now LIVE IT!

Show some life! Don't just slink away!

Don't have the votes to do what I say? Fine, you know what would please me? If I knew you were showing those few that are holding the entire caucus hostage that there are consequences for imperiling the party's (and President's) agenda.

Do I think there's any serious arm-twisting going on? Frankly, it sure doesn't seem like it.

If I knew it was going on, would I be more patient when you couldn't pass or didn't try to pass things?

Why, yes I would.

But if you don't seem to be trying, when you have more votes and more power than you will ever have?

That makes me cranky.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Here we go again. You have just ONE house member to care about and...

maybe a Senator up for election. You have nothing to do or say about any of the rest of them.

Stop bellyaching about "Democrats" and worry about your own representative.

[CreekDog]

2. whoosh

:eyes:

[Jamastiene]

3. K&R

[racaulk]

4. K&R!

[depakid]

5. A lesson about socio-political dynamics from down under

Rudd's showdown at the Last Chance Saloon
June 7, 2010

The Australian electorate has delivered its first political death threat to Kevin Rudd. For the first time since Rudd became Labor leader, a major opinion poll has found that the voting public would decisively reject the party at an election.
...

The speed of the collapse in Labor's support suggests not a drift but a rupture - Rudd's popularity has collapsed from 59 per cent to 41 per cent in two months.

And the government's standing has suffered accordingly. "This is a big protest against the government,'' said the Herald's pollster, Nielsen's John Stirton. ''It looks like a protest against Kevin Rudd."

This is not necessarily fatal. John Howard came back from much worse. Neither is it necessarily good news for Tony Abbott. His approval rating is falling even as his party's fortunes are rising.

But this is the first unequivocal evidence that the Rudd government is not just suffering superficial scorching by a few licking flames of public dissatisfaction. He is in real danger of being completely consumed by an angry electoral fire.

Why? The threshold event appears to have been Rudd's decision to shelve his proposed emissions trading scheme until at least the end of 2012. Rudd's commitment to action on climate change was a deep part of his political persona.

By so easily abandoning it, he raised an existential question in the public mind - if he doesn't stand for this, what does he stand for? If we can't believe his commitment to this, which commitment can we believe?

This would help explain why only one in 10 of Labor's lost votes has moved to the (far & center right) Coalition, which is even more climate-sceptic than Rudd. And why the Greens' share of the vote has surged to a record high of 15 per cent in today's poll.

More: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/rudds-showdown-at-the-last-chance-saloon-20100606-xn7x.html

[HughMoran]

6. Another chest thumping ultimatum thread

OK, but the thrill is somewhat gone after reading 23141342314 of these in the past year. :shrug:

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

8. You know,

change takes time. Washington doesn't work at the pace most people expect it to. That is not the President's fault.

We have progressive Senators Boxer and Feingold fighting for their seats. Yesterday, the SF Chronicle ran a bullshit editorial declaring that it wouldn't endorse Boxer because she's been an ineffective legislator.

That's an excuse, and some people use it to justify their inaction.