Why don't Democrats fight for Democratic principles?

[CoffeeCat]

Look at this horrendous budget that is being proposed. Billions of
dollars of mean-spirited, inhumane cuts.

What is the Democratic response to this disgusting budget? To cut
billions--but not as many billions as the Republicans are suggesting!

Can someone please tell me why our Democrats are not fighting for
the budget to include: Investments that enrich and improve our lives; assistance to
children, the poor and the needy; and creative solutions that lift up this nation
and make it a better place for its citizens?

Why is our government (when Democrats have the White House, and a majority
in the Senate) operating, negotiating and revolving around what Republicans want--with
the only two options being: 1. Accept the Republican agenda in its entirety; 2.) Accept only a
portion of the Republican agenda?

Our party, its leaders and proud Democrats have an incredible rich and creative history
of solving the problems of our nation. We are in dire straights, with a plethora of
problems.

Where are the IDEAS? Where are the DEMOCRATS in Congress?

[FiveGoodMen]

1. The party no longer agrees on what those are.

Seriously.

Thank the DLC, in particular.

[CrossChris]

2. Stop thinking left/right, start thinking top/bottom. Dems traditionally challenge the top, BUT

not when they're members.

And the only ones representing us on the left are members of the top party.

[Tippy]

3. Have you called the WH to tell them what you want done?

Have you called you congressman? Have you called Harry Reed?

[vi5]

7. I did. And you know what happened?

They got my message and they said "Hmmm...well you know we hadn't thought about that. We really didn't know that was an option or that people felt strongly about it. Thank you very much for letting us know. Knowing you and others feel this way has really changed my mind in how I'm going to go about this. Thank you so much. You have given us the courage and the ammunition to really fight this battle and stand for what you want, whereas prior to receiving the calls from you and thousands like you we really were in the dark about how people felt about this issue and so many others like it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We promise we will fight for you."



:sarcasm:

[Tippy]

14. You know somtimes the calls and letters do get to them

I have sent my congress critter....Several emails... Called their office's daily and signed a shit load of petitions in the last week...time consuming yes...but I fully intend to keep it up. I do get automated replys but on the other hand I do get regular replys...I keep them busy just deleating but I won't quit it is to important to me...One time a long time ago I got a reply from my Senator...he told me to quit bothering him I was in the wrong party...Now that pissed me off so bad I tore the letter up...big mistake I have regreted it ever since. It was Senator Bill Frist of TN that letter might have ended his career if I had not destroyed it....If it ever happens again I will have my revenge.....Today I called the WH 2 times sent one e-mail called....

[vi5]

19. Look, here's the thing.....

There are polls upon polls that are done showing what the will of the people are. Polls that show that certain positions are ridiculously popular with the American people. On any number of issues that have come up over the past 2 years. And still the Democrats either at best don't know how to message in accordance with those polls and publicize the results, and at worst (which has been more often than not) they outright ignore the polls.

Time and again they've shown that they fear less the wrath of a large chunk of the American people, and more fear what will be said about them on cable news gab fests or in the op ed pages of the washington post or at the big donor coctail parties.

We have a Democratic party that insists that splitting the difference and simply taking a position slightly to the left of whatever the Republican party is currently advocating, is enough. Will of the people be damned.

So you'll forgive me if I don't believe that the e-mails I send and the calls I make (and pathetically like a sucker I do still make them) have a bit of impact on what these self centered SOB's currently in the party I proudly called my own for 24 years do with their power.

[vi5]

4. OUr current democrats stand for nothing....

They are against Republicans.

They don't present ideas and solutions they present "Less bad than what the Republicans want."

They wait to hear and see what Republicans want to do, and then present as less bad an alternative as they can without risking being called mean names by cable news talking heads.

It's pathetic and I'm pretty sure that if they cave on this budget deal and allow even a fraction of the cuts the Republicans are asking for, then I'm done being a registered Democrat.

[RKP5637]

6. Exactly, they test the wind direction and then move rightward. F it, I'm fed up

with it all.

[RKP5637]

5. IMO because democrats today are not like the old democrats that were

tough and took no BS. They drove a stake in the ground and that was it, today democrats squirm all over the place. The democratic party today is only a shadow of what it was when I was a kid. In short democrats today have no balls!

[walldude]

8. They don't need to.. haven't you heard?

80% of liberal Democrats think they are doing a great job.

I read it on du so it must be true.

[Scuba]

9. Because they're complicit. n/t

[Cairycat]

10. Because they're bought & paid for from the same big donors

as the Rethugs.

I have a 17 year old son who leans farther left than I do. Teach him to trust the Democratic party? Yeah, right.

[RKP5637]

13. Loyalty today goes to the highest bidder and has little to do with what is

good for the country and we the people. Rather, politicians are bought and sold like cattle by the highest bidder/corporation. Most people in this country are screwed and many still don't get it. I hope the youth can turn this country into something better because I think today we have generational failure.

[notesdev]

11. That's not what the party is anymore

the party is no longer a coherent ideology. In fifty years we went from "Ask not what your country can do for you" to "bailouts for anyone influential". It is a bunch of interest groups that married each other in the 1960s and this is the "for worse" part where everyone is interested only in getting their piece of the pie and nobody cares that the country is bankrupt.

[cali]

12. some dems do, too many don't.

and there have been some very good dem responses to the budget proposed by pukes. Google is your friend.

[msongs]

15. The POTUS prefers you be bipartisan at any price or cost. too bad about that nt

[leveymg]

16. Most of the leadership are far to the Right of the base. We are barely related, except every 4 yrs.

A very dysfunctional family - but, so are the Republicans. And, believe it or not, we keep on staggering through this way.

[w4rma]

17. DLCers are in control of the Democratic Party. (nt)

[Raine]

18. They do, it's just that now their "principles"

have become the same as the repukes. Greed and selfishness have taken over.