The best Democratic strategy for this sham ports "deal"?

[kentuck]

In my opinion, Democrats should ask for the 45 day investigation time first of all. If they want to push some type of legislation, they should count the votes first. If Bush vetoes and they do not override it, what have they won?? The deal would go thru immediately and time would handle the fallout. However, with the 45 day investigation, it will keep it front and center as an issue. Not just a political issue but an issue about the competence of this Administration. I do not think the Democrat should rush thru this matter, only to be shot down with a veto. I think it would serve the Party and the country well to have a 45 day review and to examine any "compromises" very, very closely. They need to find out many more facts.

[MrBenchley]

1. Block it....

"If Bush vetoes and they do not override it, what have they won??"
The 2006 and 2008 elections, for a start. Remember, the Democrats can't override by themselves.

And would YOU like to be the Republican who votes to uphold the veto who comes home to explain that vote?

And bear in mind that I don't think Chimpy has the guts to veto the bill.

[kentuck]

5. With Tim Russert and Big Media supporting it....

I doubt the consequences would be as you imagine. Just my opinion.

[MrBenchley]

9. There sure isn't much support for this around

left or right.....

And how many folks really give a rats' ass what Tim Russert has to say?

[kentuck]

11. GOP propaganda is very effective....

They would say that the Democrats are only "playing politics" with this serious issue. And that would give them the reason to support their President. They don't have to convince you or I. They only have to convince their supporters. If the Democrats are seen as smelling blood in the water and playing politics, Bush would get enough votes to prevent orverride of his veto. Then the deal would go thru immediately. The investigations would stop. And we would be hoping we could use this as an issue in November, but that would be wishful thinking, in my opinion.

[MrBenchley]

12. But the people it's effective with...

have been conditioned by months of it to hate Arabs and see terrorists lurking behind every sapling....they already are up in arms about this.

And if you think that the block can be passed, the bill vetoed, and the veto upheld in a 45-day span, you're kidding yourself.

Frankly I think an investigation, especially by the sort of shitheads the GOP have in Congress, is more likely to make the deal go through than an effort to block it will.

[kentuck]

13. Perhaps ...

We shall see.

[bklyncowgirl]

2. Stay out in front on this issue.

Don't let the Republicans steal it.

[FSogol]

3. Exactly, why rush the sale? n/t

[central scrutinizer]

4. Democrats on the Waterfront

"We coulda been a contender"

<>

instead, we kept our powder dry.

[underpants]

6. Now now let's not doing anything rash

<said in a very sloooooooooow southun accent>

LEt's keep this sitting right there on the burner the front burner for as long as possible.

[kentuck]

8. We could then ask for another 45 day extension ...

after the first 45 days if there are still questions remaining. :) Right up to November, if necessary, if they don't want to drop the matter.

[underpants]

10. Oh yes let's be sure about this.

of course W said this today

Sorry that quote wasn't accurate

Earlier Thursday, Bush sought to calm the uproar over the ports deal, saying "people don't need to worry about security."



"The more people learn about the transaction that has been scrutinized and approved by my government," Bush said, "the more they'll be comforted that our ports will be secure." He spoke to reporters at the end of a Cabinet meeting.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060223/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security

[PATRICK]

7. And since the GOP controls

the agenda this would get them off the veto hook and they might go for it. As much as I would like to see the worms scream on the hook of an impossible self destructive run against the WH they in all likelihood could not win or profit from, this might be a doable idea- or nothing might be done at all. And nothing means the Dems can do nothing.

Except I also believe the individual Dems need to go junkyard dog mad and take it to their hometown streets and not try to craft in-house stratagems in which they no longer have decisive power even to get them up for discussion. This whole government is illegitimate but the Dems alone are still- still- free to join with the people.

And they make judicious, alarmingly ineffective end runs instead.

An article I read detailing the german experience during the Nazi ascendance expresses the popular wrath against the sane opposition parties for letting the thugs gain power over them. The hatred and disgust they felt mounted with their fear and hatred of the unbelievable tyranny they found themselves delivered to. Those german Socialists in fact fought harder than our democrats. Their situation was not one of prosperity fattened to ignorance, but of despair and poverty. According to another article in the NYT of 1938 just before the outbreak of war, it couldn't happen here because our employment and sufferings did not make us susceptible. With Bush we get the reverse, the making of people desperately poor and fearful and then the next step of real repression and internal state terror. And what is the opposition who were cheated like rubes out of election victories doing? Business as usual.