WaPo: Confident Democrats Lay Out Agenda

[grytpype]

Confident Democrats Lay Out Agenda
Party Plans Probes Of Administration If It Wins the House

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 7, 2006; Page A01

Democratic leaders, increasingly confident they will seize control of the House in November, are laying plans for a legislative blitz during their first week in power that would raise the minimum wage, roll back parts of the Republican prescription drug law, implement homeland security measures and reinstate lapsed budget deficit controls.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said in an interview last week that a Democratic House would launch a series of investigations of the Bush administration, beginning with the White House's first-term energy task force and probably including the use of intelligence in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. Pelosi denied Republican allegations that a Democratic House would move quickly to impeach President Bush. But, she said of the planned investigations, "You never know where it leads to."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/06/AR2006050601336.html

(much more at the link!)

[grytpype]

1. Is this too soon?

I agree the Dems need to show they are ready to govern when the win this fall, but is this too soon? Does it just give the Repugs a target to throw mud at and change the subject from their own incompetence, corruption, and failure?

[Kagemusha]

2. They'll throw up a target anyway, caricature or real

Democrats have to stand for something.

[grytpype]

4. I think that's a great argument for going on the offensive now.

Let's hope it's the right move.

[damntexdem]

13. Unless the Dems plan like this, the GOP won't need the mud.

They can simply claim that the Dems have no alternative. I say develop it and campaign on it.

[wiley]

23. Great.

Is an SUV an actual necessity in Texas?

[PegDAC]

40. Is an SUV really necessary

For anyone who doesn't drive offroad in their line of work?

:eyes:

[rodeodance]

26. says Repugs put their Contract on Amer. out in May of '94.

[BigBearJohn]

31. Not too soon. Do nothing then they hit us with "Dems have no plan"

[No New War]

41. What better way to meet mud-slinging?

By showing the public that instead of wasting time mudslinging, you're preparing to improve the country's situation.

[LiberalPartisan]

3. Probably best to actually WIN first

Democrats are known for never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity - in this case they are assuming an opportunity where one is yet to exist.

[rodeodance]

5. great to see this in the POst.

In recent days, Democratic confidence has been buoyed by a series of polls indicating that not only is Bush growing increasingly unpopular, so are Republicans in Congress. An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday found that 33 percent of the public approves of Bush's job performance, the lowest rating of his presidency. And only 25 percent approves of the job Congress is doing, a figure comparable to congressional approval ratings before the 1994 elections that swept Republicans to power.

The AP-Ipsos poll found that 51 percent of Americans say they want Democrats rather than Republicans to control Congress. Only 34 percent favor Republican control.

"We have to be ready to win," Pelosi said, "and we have to tell what we will do when we win."

Republicans say Democratic leaders run the risk of looking overconfident -- if not foolish -- in predicting they will win the 15 net seats necessary to take the House. Carl Forti, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said similar pronouncements ahead of the 2000 election helped cost former House minority leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) his leadership post.n

[grytpype]

9. "Repugs say Dems run the risk of looking overconfident" -- so what?

If the Dems lose this fall, then they lose, who cares if they look overconfident on top of that?

[Maven]

17. Exactly.

Also, what Pelosi did was exactly right.

PEOPLE WANT INVESTIGATIONS. And once all they skeletons come out, they'll rail for impeachment too. Dems shouldn't back down on that possibility just because the pukes are rallying what's left of their *base* (AKA, the backwash) with the terrifying proposition that Chimpy will be disposed of as he should be.

[stevebreeze]

22. Just to give Russ another plug; we need public financing of elections

[unblock]

18. hah! and the banana republicans NEVER look overconfident....

:rofl:

[BigBearJohn]

32. NOTE: America NEEDS over confident. Not a bunch of wimps

[rodeodance]

6. NOMinate

[onehandle]

7. "Party Plans Probes Of Administration If It Wins the House"

That's all I need to know.

[Miss Chybil]

20. I think that's all anybody needs to know.

At least, for anybody with enough of a brain to have a "curious" section in it. I know that leaves a lot of people out, but for anybody to not want to know what has been going on behind the closed doors of our government seems unthinkable to me. (Pun intended.)

[rodeodance]

8. promised "to use the power to investigate" the Bush adm. Tweety, you

were right!

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the minority leader, promised "to use the power to investigate" the Bush administration if the Democrats win the House. (By Rich Pedroncelli -- Associated Press)

[grytpype]

12. And check the last line of the article...

A recent mailing by Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, warned that Democrats "will call for endless congressional investigations and possibly call for the impeachment of President Bush!"

OH NOES!!!!!!

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[IndyOp]

10. Rec! Rec! RECOMMENDED!!

"Confident" and "Democratic" in the same sentence in the corporate media?

:wow:

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[grytpype]

11. Really, it's a bit scary.

[acmavm]

14. Well it's about damn time. Someone found a backbone.

[rodeodance]

15. Here is the first week plan of action:

...To counter that perception, House Democrats have formulated a plan of action for their first week in control. Their leaders said a Democratic House would quickly vote to raise the minimum wage for the first time since 1997. It would roll back a provision in the Republicans' Medicare prescription drug benefit that prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from negotiating prices for drugs offered under the program.

It would vote to fully implement the recommendations of the bipartisan panel convened to shore up homeland security after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Democratic leaders said.

And it would reinstate lapsed rules that say any tax cuts or spending increases have to be offset by spending cuts or tax increases to prevent the federal deficit from growing.

Armey dismissed the substance of the Democratic proposals as demagoguery but said that the politics "really, frankly, are not too bad."

Pelosi also vowed "to use the power to investigate" the administration on multiple fronts, starting with the task force convened in secret by Vice President Cheney to devise the administration's energy policy. The administration has successfully fought lawsuits since 2001 that sought to reveal the names of energy company executives tapped to advise the task force.........

[rodeodance]

25. they should do a newt: Give it a name--use a power point.

[msongs]

16. will be effective if EVERY democrat starts saying the same things:

especially the competition for drug prices. most people probably do NOT know the pricing is a scam to favor politically connected republican donors

Msongs
www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
mugs and shirts

[Mountainman]

19. This kind of story must make the freeps want to pull out their guns

and shoot themselves.
Man it will be fun to go to freeperville during and right after the election. Weeping and gnashing of teeth everywhere. And there won't be a "conservative" country on the earth for them to run to since they've pissed off everyone else in the world. Poor wittle fweepers!

[truthisfreedom]

21. the freeper's response to this article is all over the map.

here's one that triggers a lot of reaction...

"We're Republicans, vote for us because we suck just a little less than the Democrats!"

If the Democrats swing back the House and/or Senate in 2006, it isn't the voters' fault. It is the Republicans' fault.

Why should conservatives vote for a party that abandoned conservativism nearly 8 years ago?

Constitution Party for me.

at that point, the whole thing disintegrates into a pissing match! check it out:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1628057/posts

[janx]

24. They are fighting!

:yoiks:

[rodeodance]

27. I like these responses:

from FR:

,,,err yeah...that's one helluva agenda...

Lots for the American people in there.

Hating Bush is not an agenda.

[janx]

28. They are fighting and fighting!

:yoiks:

[TankLV]

38. Hating bunkerboy works for me - just like anger does!

The repukes can go fuck themselves silly.

[janx]

30. HILARIOUS:

To: nopardons

I suppose you're right.

I can go through my entire day sometimes - until I get to work, and then again until I get home. Shopping. The drive-thru. You name it. And not see even one person whose native language wasn't Spanish.

Dodging pedestrians on bicycles, who obviously are riding them because they're not here legally.

Dealing with uninsured illegals who crash into your car - then can only offer to do repairs themselves because they're not insured.

Yes, I'm a bit fed up.

Why aren't you?


163 posted on 05/06/2006 11:20:35 PM MDT by Cringing Negativism Network


"pedestrians on bicycles" !!! :rofl:

[Us vs Them]

34. These people are retarded.

They sit on thier asses, praying for some Rove-ace-up-the-sleeve tactics all the while bitching about how to fix their party. Well, I have news for them, we Democrats are already on the ground, participating in the direction of OUR party. We don't have to wait for decisions from the top down. In fact, we're cheering over this article because it seems like the top has finally caught up to the base, and there's clearly no stopping us now.

[Ignacio Upton]

29. This article should be sent to ANY Democrat who's apathetic

For anyone who considers staying home on Election Day, send them this article, and tell them that Congressional Democrats are not DINOs!!!!!!!

[TankLV]

39. Not all are DINOS - never were - just a too high number of the select few.

Nobody has ever uttered such rediculuous things.

Holy Joe, Zellout ARE "DINOS" no matter how you wish it weren't true, and some pointed others, but not all.

This is good news. They are moving in the right direction, finally.

Only took - what - 6+ years?

[OneBlueSky]

33. Interesting! . . . the corporate media is actually covering this . . .

essentially, the Dems are saying "We're taking our case directly to the people!" . . .

publically threatening investigations of BushCo is throwing down the gauntlet . . . voters will have a clear choice -- and a chance to register their opinion of the Bush administration (i.e. a referendum) . . .

that the press is giving this ink is a NEW development -- and an important one . . . if the media ever starts actually reporting the truth -- if they ever starts actually reporting the NEWS -- the BushCo game is over . . .

Caution! . . .

unfortunately, BushCo won't look at it that way, and will do anything and everything -- legal or illegal, moral or immoral, ethical or unethical -- to remain in power . . . because their alernative is ending up in jail . . . or worse . . .

caution is most assuredly in order . . .

[oxbow]

35. God, that feels good.

Finally! Now if we could get some unity behind this message, then we would really be going places!

[bearfan454]

36. How about shitcanning the electronic vote stealing machines.

That's what I'd like to see.

[amb123]

37. No PATRIOT Act repeal?

I can't find it anywhere. What good is it to start proclaiming a Democrat victory when George "The Decider" Bush can, using the PATRIOT Act, declare the entire Democratic National Committee "Enemy Combatants" and have them all shipped to GITMO?

WAKE UP AMERICA!! Bush is s**tting on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights!

[tavalon]

42. 'well this is certainly a little premature

I'd like to sugget that impeachment hearings take first priority'\.

[UrbScotty]

43. YEARGH! Go Nancy! (nt)