I'm going to make an unpleasant prediction

[ThomWV]

I can see an upcoming session of Congress in which the Republicans (aided at times by (on edit)Blue-dogs) who remain will block virtually every progressive initiative brought to the floor during the time of our "Democratic controlled Government", which is what they are going to call the next two years. I'm sure of it, they are going to block everything and then use the inability of the Democratic Government to do anything to find their way back to seats of power. If they aren't crushsed, absolutly crushed, they will be back.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. I think you got the color of the dogs wrong. Blue, not yellow.

[ulysses]

2. I think you mean "blue dogs".

And yeah, I don't think we're on the cusp of a new era of progressive government. We're electing a lot of conservative Dems. There are worse things, of course, but it's not as if we're looking at liberal Nirvana here.

[leftchick]

3. I agree and there is a precedent

the 2006 congress led by Big Bad Blue Dog Nancy Pelosi!

:puke:

[INdemo]

12. Nancy Pelosi could be replaced as well as Harry Reid..I would like to see

Hillary as Senate Majority Leader and there are several congressmen that could do a better job than Nancy P.has.........

[lonestarnot]

16. We need to get rid of them for sure! I am so sick of those two!

:puke:

[RainDog]

4. I'm going to make a pleasant prediction

Obama, who is a centrist, no matter what the nutcases say, will have the support of the democrats and moderate republicans as he works with them to deal with the on-going financial crisis facing this nation.

after decades of hate-filled right wing leadership, ethical members of the republican party have come to realize that their extremists now pose a danger to this nation.

they will look to Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln as models for a new republican party. When most Americans had given up hope that their elected officials would rise to the level of statesmanship to deal with problems facing the entire world, Obama will inspire the nation to claim a leadership role to deal with problems of energy, finance, climate change, jobs and infrastructure.

Just as Eisenhower began the interstate hwy project, these republicans will join with democrats to create an energy independence project that employs Americans across the country to apply local and state solutions to new energy technology.

A hundred years from now, history books will write about this as a transformative time in U.S. politics and those leaders on both sides of the aisle, along with Obama, will be lauded as great leaders who saved the U.S. from destruction created by crony capitalists, crooks and religious cranks.

[kestrel91316]

5. Obama will need to do a hell of a lot more than fix our economic mess.

I place the HIGHEST priority on restoring Americans' civil rights, and securing them for the future. And that includes the right to regulate the airways and prevent their being hijacked for partisan purposes.

[Nickster]

10. From your lips......

[TahitiNut]

14. Eisenhower would be to the left of the ENTIRE GOP today, and 2/3rds of the Democrats.

The notion that the reich-wing would suddenly find their 'soul' in an Eisenhower-esque awakening is (imho) a fairy tale. If anything, the reich-wingers in both the Senate and House will engage in middle-leg-measuring contests to opportunistically seek greater power in their party ... like a rabid pack of jackals over the bare bones of their former pack leader.

Boehner will let NOTHING stand in his way, for example, in consolidating whatever power he can preserve. It will be ugly.

[RainDog]

17. hey, I didn't say it was reality

I agree with you about Eisenhower and the current repukes and some dems. but it starts somewhere - so why not imagine it now.

In reality - I think we're facing the big challenges of my lifetime - of the lifetime of anyone who was born after WWII.

I'm trying to imagine a future in which we will find our better angels ascendant. As Frankie said -we have nothing to fear but fear itself - and, paraphrasing the OT - without a vision, the people perish. We need a positive vision of how we can work together.

In truth, too - Eisenhower was the last republican who ran without the support of the racist south. prior to Nixon, you know, the racist south was with the democratic party.

The truth is that NO ONE wants to be associated with the racists anymore. That, imo, is a GREAT THING.

let them die out, politically, b/c no one will associate with them.

[Virginia Dare]

6. It doesn't seem like the electorate..

has the stomach for partisan politics right now. They might try it, but they might find themselves out on their asses. The repubs had better find a way to play nice, especially if Obama is elected by the numbers some are predicting.

[FlyingSquirrel]

7. Actually they'll call it "Democrat controlled Government"

No "-ic".

[madokie]

8. Crushed is the word

Need to treat 'em like most people treat snakes.

[Ikonoklast]

15. I like snakes. They make nice pets.

But I don't trust 'em.

[NC_Nurse]

9. I don't think they will do that if they want to survive. The RW'ers may try, but

they won't get far. I think Obama will go past them to the people to make his case for his agenda if they are
obstructive and the pressure will make them cave. People want change, I hope he has a HUGE mandate to help him too.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

11. Are you talking about filibusters?

Isn't a single vote majority enough to pass a bill and send it to (hopefully) Obama? Hopefully, they will easily have the majority in both Houses. Isn't the main reason they want 60 seats in the Senate, for example, an insurance against filibusters? Constant filibustering and the freezing of any action might not go over too well with the electorate and if that becomes the GOP modus operandi, I think it will look very ugly to the American people.

[bemildred]

13. It all depends on how scared they are, of the public, the voters.

It they think the voting public will still be around in 2 and 4 years, and will take retribution for being screwed, things will go well. Your average political hack of whatever stripe can be as flexible as an eel when his re-election is at issue. Otherwise, he/she tends to go where the money is.