Mystery of the Democrats' New Spine

[Sapphire Blue]

By Robert Parry
April 26, 2005

Excerpt...

The Post story said, “Democrats were supposed to enter the 109th Congress meek and cowed, demoralized by November’s election losses and ready to cut deals with Republicans who threatened further campaigns against ‘obstructionists.’ But House and Senate Democrats have turned that conventional wisdom on its head.”

The mystery is, how did this happen? How did the Democrats find their voice and gain the upper hand over Bush on a number of issues: Social Security, his right-wing judicial appointments, the Terri Schiavo case, Tom DeLay’s ethics mess and the John Bolton nomination? What has caused the Democrats to grow a new spine?

Self-Inflicted Wounds

Certainly part of the explanation is Republican miscalculation, starting with Bush’s post-election decision to make partial privatization of Social Security his major domestic policy initiative. Bush also brazenly named the undiplomatic Bolton to a sensitive diplomatic job as U.N. ambassador.

Congressional Republicans overplayed their hand, too. They changed the ethics process to protect House Majority Leader DeLay from more reprimands. They appeared to pander to the Christian Right by intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman whose feeding tube was removed. The Republicans even let the Schiavo debacle taint the battle over confirming right-wing judges.

But another part of the answer lies with the Democrats...

Continued @ http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/042605.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Sapphire Blue]

3. And isn't it fun to watch? And empowering!

[Homer12]

6. I just hope that they don't forget

That the right-wing is now a 2-faced monster, when the wignuts ask for civility in politics or something to that effect.

Becuase we all know that they use this technique and then strike when accept their fake apology.

It happens all the time.

[AntiCoup2K4]

2. There's no mystery where the spine came from

[Raster]

4. No Shit. Thank you Howard Dean. And a big "fuck you" to the spineless

democrats in congress who are as much of the problem as the scum-sucking repukes.

It has been many, many years since a government of the people, for the people and by the people served the people.

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Yes! And yet more spine...

[Raster]

22. Absolutely! Rep. Boxer should be a role model for the rest of Congress.

There will come a time when the American people will realize we've been swindled and conned. Of course, it was alright as long as we stood to gain. But it's becoming more apparent that bushco* don't give a shit about anyone except their corporate masters.

Proposed new amendment to the Constitution of the United States: No one with the last name of bush* should EVER be allowed to hold public office again.

[ClarkUSA]

7. The Spine Belongs To Harry Reid and his warroom staff

He's the one calling the Democratic political chess plays now.

[wisteria]

8. I agree with you on Reid and the War Room.

I also think John Kerry has a hand in this also.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. They all do

I think they all do. Sometimes they get spineless but when they all stand up it's a beautiful thing! I was watching some of the Senate filibuster debate and it was great when the democrats spoke. I saw this one guy who kicked ass. I can't remember his name now but he was talking about how the republicans are like schoolyard bullies who aren't working with anybody and compared Bush to the puppet's that his daughter saw when she was younger. LOL!

[steelyboo]

14. that was Byron Dorgan, MT I believe N/T

[LittleClarkie]

17. I second that

we can single out our favorites until the cows come home, saying this person or that is leading the way. But all of them were there when it was said the Dems had no spine. So I don't think you can point to any one of them and say that this is where our spine is coming from.

I think they're coming to the realization as a group. Harry is holding them together. Barbara has her issues. Kerry has his. Dean isn't so much leading the way anymore as he is sort of the nutrition guy. He's building strong bones and muscles.

Even Biden is getting fired up in a non-political way. He was great during the Bolton hearings.

Yea team!

[Sapphire Blue]

18. It feels good to single out individuals as well as acknowledge

... what a great team we have...and also acknowledge that the spine is communal, getting stronger every day.

[LittleClarkie]

19. Indeed. It's good to single out each good work

I just don't want to see folks dumping the whole spine thing into one Dem's lap and saying "He's the reason" or "She's the reason." That's not fair to a number of the Dems who are doing good work.

[Sapphire Blue]

21. Agreed. It might help if we remember that the spinal column is made up of

... many bones, nerves, tendons, ligaments, muscles... interdependent on one another. So we can say, 'She contributed this' and 'he contributed that' and 'we contributed this'... damn, our Democratic spine is strong & healthy!

[Sapphire Blue]

11. The quiet strength of the party... definite spine there!

[Radical Activist]

16. Yep. Daschle was replaced with Reid and Durbin.

We needed new leadership and this is why I wasn't very upset about Daschle losing.

[rndmprsn]

25. Harry Reid!

this guy most def too!

[coloradodem2005]

9. Thank you Dean.

[Cha]

10. "Anti-bush Cool"...we're so

way ahead of the curve on this one!

[ginnyinWI]

13. They are unified now--

59,000,000 Dem votes is a sizeable mandate for change. John Kerry, Howard Dean, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, and others-- they're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.

Nothing to be gained by playing nice and rolling over when the other side has no shame.

[Warpy]

15. The Democrats in office didn't do a damned thing

WE did. People all over the country think Idiot's social security "fix" is a scam and that no politician should have stuck his long blue nose into the Schiavo case and that the Repuglicans in Congress have simply gone too far in a lot of areas and that Idiot is a spendthrift and a liar and they don't trust him any farther than they can toss a grand piano by one leg.

Let's hope the overwhelming grassroots disgust with Idiot's policies translates into some spine, especially among Senate Democrats.

If Frist pursues the abolition of the filibuster, they need to walk out and shut it down completely.

[Sapphire Blue]

20. I understand your frustration... but looking forward, they are doing

... something now... so cheers to our Dems in Congress:toast: and to us:toast:

[bklyncowgirl]

23. New media, new leadership & a new sense of outrage.

There's a great deal of need for more of the above plus a message that goes straight to the concerns of people who work for a living with simple, practical programs that are sold with enthusiasm and conviction.

[union_maid]

24. That's true, too

We the people need to empower the Democrats to be Democrats. And of course, let them know when they're not. When everyone works together it's a beautiful thing.