Democrats abruptly drop spending fight

[somone]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BD5C320101217

Democrats abruptly drop spending fight
By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats abruptly abandoned a fight over spending on Thursday and said they would instead extend government funding on a temporary basis, a move that gives Republicans a greater chance to enact the deep cuts they have promised.

The surprise agreement looked likely to end a high-stakes game of chicken that could have led to a shutdown of wide swaths of the U.S. government when current funding expires on Saturday night.

Like the $858 billion tax deal poised to clear Congress over the objection of liberal Democrats, the agreement on funding reflects the new clout Republicans enjoy in Washington after a sweeping victory in November congressional elections.

Democrats had hoped to pass a $1.1 trillion spending bill that would fund everything from national defense to preschool programs before January, when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives and hold more seats in the Senate.

Republicans in the Senate had blasted the 1,924-page bill as a wasteful boondoggle that ignores voters' concerns over government spending, and called for a temporary extension of the current bill...

[Tx4obama]

1. It's okay, cause now the Senate is voting on DADT repeal & Dream Act Saturday morning :) n/t

[TheMadMonk]

20. Wonderful initiatives, but in the face of this, very much "tossed bones".

A lot of individuals will indisputably benefit. However, in the long run damned near everybody stands to lose out.

These folk naturalised by the DREAM Act will gain only the benefit of citizenship and access to a Social Security Account of increasingly questionable value. In no other way will their circumstances truly change significantly. If anything this will strongly accelerate the push towards "citizenship papers" for Hispanics in the Southwestern states. Doesn't take much tinfoil to get from there to "papers" for other expanding immigrant populations, and then everyone.

EVERYONE (who is no one) is soon going to hear why they will have to make do with less:

• And the trend towards police departments partially funding themselves from seizures (with all that implies) will continue.
  
• Patient care will become more and more dependent on ability to pay even with (or perhaps made worse by) mandatory insurance.
  
• Charter schools of increasingly dodgy provenance will proliferate, public schools will increasingly become dumping grounds for students that drag down the score (or bottom line). (BTW just consider for a minute schools made up primarily of bullies and thugs on one side of the playground and the physically, mentally, and financially disadvantaged on the other.)

Each of these has its own inbuilt self-fullfilling prophecy and even with the occasional Democratic to point out "What's wrong with this picture?" they're all gaining steam. With the budget back under the control of those who set these balls rolling in the first place, to put it bluntly: You. Are. Screwed.

[MH1]

22. "In no other way will their circumstances truly change significantly" - wow.

if you were brought here when you were 2 and this is the only country you knew, do you really think the benefit would be limited to Social Security and the 'benefit of citizenship'?

Repeal of DADT will have a very big effect for many people. Or so it was said around here not so long ago.

[OhioBlue]

2. Gawddddd I'm so sick of republicans using that term

"the voters will", "the voters concerns" etc.... As if... they know exactly what he voters' concerns are. the assholes trick people into voting for them with their propaganda and deep pockets to fund marketing campaigns and "think tank" studies and then claim to know the "voters will". such bull shit.

[ladjf]

4. You are right about all of that. But, we've got to figure out some

way to counter it. Any suggestions?

[WhiteTara]

5. I call them. I tell them what I think

I have lost all my veneer of niceness and am blunt, but not rude. They can pretend, but someone of them has my words in their head.

[ladjf]

6. I admire your making the effort but, I doubt that kind of move will

help. Yet, I don't have a better idea in mind.

[WhiteTara]

9. you know...I think it does

it takes more effort to call the republican because we know they don't listen. But if the avalanche hits them, they have no choice. But it is my nature to take out my frustrations on the people who cause them.

[ladjf]

10. Maybe you are right. It sure can't hurt. nt

[WhiteTara]

21. join me. It's cathartic n/t

[OhioBlue]

8. sure - I have suggestions for what they're worth....

Suggestion A. This would involve me having a magic wand... All Dem & Progressive leaders from the Pres & other elected leaders to the directors of NOW, Sierra Club, MoveOn, Unions, etc need to take a course from Lakoff in how to frame the message - learn how to fight back on messaging in an effective and coordinated manner. Then the more grassroots groups focus on organizing. And... this cannot be done only via internet and e-mail. We need paid staff in every congressional district leading the organizing.

Suggestion B. The more realistic... and what I'm planning to do in my County and hopefully branch out to the Congressional district is develop a presentation that outlines exactly why the rich are getting richer and the middle class is falling. Outline everything from the repeal of Taft-Hartley to the tax cuts, to credit card fees, to trade deals, etc. and start holding house parties - in 2011 this will be a "non-partisan" effort to bring information to voters and potential voters. In 2012, I will redirect what little spare time I have to the elections. Hopefully through 2011, we will have made some progress, won some voters to our side and registered some new voters. I want to help people see through the bull shit and propaganda.

[ladjf]

12. I like your ideas. You are going to need lots of people to help

you with this. Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress.

[OhioBlue]

14. thank you - you're so right

I will need a lot of help and the success of this effort hinges on it. I'll need help not only with the development of the presentation (I have an outline - but need some advice from marketing, history, union, financial, etc. people) but I will need help especially in the delivery.

I want to model the house parties on the ones we did in '08 and luckily through my volunteerism in previous campaigns, I've made a lot of contacts. I'm pretty hopeful that I can pull off an effective delivery in my County with those contacts (my preliminary target is to reach 2000 people at house parties... if I can get 20 people to lead them - they only need to do 10 house parties each with 10 people in attendance throughout the year and I have contact info for 100 people that are targets to host) - but need to network with key people in my neighboring counties to bring it Congressional-District wide.

2000 is a bit arbitrary - I chose that number simply b/c that was the number of votes we lost by in our Congressional election. I realize the people at the house parties will probably lean our way already. Once we start our meetings and discussions, we may find more meaning behind our goals/targets and redefine them.

[ladjf]

16. Sounds good. You would need to bring into the Democratic camp

about 10% of people that didn't vote Democratic in 2010.

By the way, there were some pretty nasty stories about voting machine irregularities in Ohio during the 2010 election. Your people might give that some thought include getting some computer tech people on your staff.

[OhioBlue]

19. thanks again!

don't have a "staff" this will just be a group of volunteers - I do know some committed dems/progressives/union members that have the skills I mentioned that I want to reach out to for assistance.

You make a great point about the machines - luckily there are groups in Ohio looking into that. I think with my limited time (full-time job and full-time mom) and the fact that this will be all volunteer based, I need to keep the focus limited to persuasion & information. If our focus gets to broad, I'm afraid we will be ineffective with our limited resources.

[Bandit]

23. Quit...If they won't fight for what's right then just quit and get the Hell out of there

:shrug: We know that won't ever happen though because that would show a sense of Ethics...

[sasha031]

3. why did Reid do that

that means the government as of now is not funded?

[bluestate10]

13. Reid is set to work on non budget stopgap funding.

Reid's ploy is brilliant. Nothing will destroy republican quicker than their building budgets and pushing social issues. Democrats have carried the weight of saving the nation from a depression, now they are better off playing the role that republicans played, blocking everything the other party attempted to get enacted. The difference is the democrats will be in a position to block foolish legislation. The one remaining missing ingredient is sound bite savvy democrats that will bloody republicans every time republicans make a misstep, Schumer seems to be warming up for the Senate version of the person that will take republicans to task.

[riderinthestorm]

7. "new clout Republicans enjoy in Washington"

:rofl:

Yeah, right.....

ETA: just to be clear, I think it's hilarious that anyone believes Rethugs have "new clout"....

[Art_from_Ark]

17. Meet the new clout

same as the old clout

[bluestate10]

11. Smart move.

Reid can focus on keeping the government running DADT and the Dream Act. He is better off letting republicans try to build a budget in January. The effort by republicans should be fun to watch and will mark the start of their demise. Reid outsmarted them this time around.

[w8liftinglady]

15. THIS is part of the Omnibus Bill...if the R's f*ck with it...

then I will definitely point that out...frequently...in my editorials

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x22656

[Johonny]

18. why don't they save some money and pass these spending bill on time

The federal fiscal year is getting rather old at this point.