Democrats learned obstruction from the masters: the GOP

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON — The stakes in politics are about to get a lot higher.

The partisan battles in the coming weeks — on judges, Social Security and Tom DeLay — are part of a larger struggle in which Republicans are seeking to establish themselves as the dominant party in American politics. Essential to their quest is persuading Democrats, or at least a significant number in their ranks, to accept long-term minority status.

The current acrimony in politics is incomprehensible unless it is understood as the inevitable next act of a long-term struggle. Its ferocity arises from the Democrats' refusal to accept the role assigned them by their opponents. They are taking a stand across a broad front not simply to "obstruct" current GOP designs, but to reverse a Republican political offensive that began during Bill Clinton's presidency.

In fact, every one of today's fights can be seen as a response to something that happened in the 1990s. Democrats in the Senate insist on their right to stop some of President Bush's judges because Republicans were so aggressive in stopping Clinton judges in the '90s.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002268740_dionne10.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. You know...

When you look at the polling numbers, it is incomprehensible that they could really believe that they might be able to remand the dems to a long-term minority status. The thought that they could takes a lot of balls to mouth.

[Eloriel]

2. That's just one reason they have to STEAL elections

and lie about legislative initiatives, and use Orwellian names for their bills, etc., etc., etc.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. This Article Tells Democrats Something Else

This article tells us something else--defeat and resignation to a long-term minority status is something that can ONLY come about if Democrats believe that to be true.

I don't doubt that we progressives are in for a long, hard struggle with the reactionaries currently holding the republic by the throat. But I think that in the long term the reactionaries will founder--either because we rallied and rolled them back--or because an angrier, better-organized political movement will coalesce and knock the hell out of the Republican oligarchy.