Dealing with the DINOs

[Rudy Adams]

You know, at times like this, I kinda wish we had the same type of governmental system as the Brits or Canadians: In those countries, a Prime Minister with a parliamentary majority can pretty much do whatever the hell s/he wants.

Of course, if you're a member of the PM's party, you can, if you wish, vote against your leader. But guess what happens then? You get kicked out of the party! You don't lose your seat in the parliament, but you will not be your former party's candidate in the next election. You can cross the aisle and join one of the opposition parties, or you can run as an independent next time around (which is even more difficult in parliamentary democracies than it is here).

My ruminations upon this matter, as you've already guessed, have been prompted by Sen. Reid's announcement yesterday that a public option, though not as robust as many of us had hoped, will be a part of the final bill submitted to the Senate.

Call me suspicious. Call me paranoid. You can even call me cynical if you wish, but the question now turning over and over in my mind is, "Which Democrat(s) will commit the political treason of supporting a GOP filibuster on this crucial legislation?"

Lincoln? Lieberman? Landrieu? Or perhaps I'm having a Sesame Street flashback and fixating on the letter "L" this morning.

Nelson, maybe?

The point is, of course, that any non-Republican who fails to vote for cloture needs to fail in his/her next election campaign! I can only hope that President Obama, the DSCs, and, most importantly, WE, shall make the utmost of efforts to ensure that any and all closet Republicans who would deprive us of this badly-needed, life-saving, nation-changing action be banished to the electoral outer darkness forever!

[mule_train]

1. i'm more concerned about free trader DINOS than having them all lock step

becasue on free trade the DINO position has come from the TOP

you want to rule our dissent when the party's wrong?

[MidwestRick]

2. I guess you forgot

How the other side in a campaign turns that around on them. It's the old, they voted for it before they voted against it claim. It's how others will charge they are flip flopping on an issue. Politicians run to lead their constituents, not the whole country. In conservative areas where only a blue dog can get elected with a (D) next to their name a vote for the bill could cost them the election and the seat turned over to a Republican (not a progressive).

It seems this is forgotten a lot these days. If the Democratic Party wants to retain control of the House and Senate, they had better keep the tent as large as possible. One issue should not be something that makes the party turn their back on them.

[StreetKnowledge]

4. A Fair point, but the overhwleming majority of the American people want the PO

The result is that Baucus and company have to vote for this, or they'll ensure their own political destruction.

[MidwestRick]

6. The country as a large group sure...

but the thing I would like to see would be the polls in the areas where the blue dogs are going to be running for re-election. I would believe they have in state polls that are telling them what their constituents want. If they do go against them...you bet they will have them to answer to in their next election.

[Joe S]

7. You're telling me these people DON'T want a PO?

LEEZE!

[Rudy Adams]

5. So, you want "bipartisanship"

Yeah, that approach has really
:sarcasm:

[StreetKnowledge]

3. We don't need to worry, friend.

When the Finance Committee members were arguing against the public option, they started losing support rapidly. When 70% of Americans want the public option, the people in solidly Democratic states (Lieberman counts here) who will replace them if they go against it or the senators in right-leaning districts that could swing to the GOP (Baucus, Conrad, Nelson, Landrieu, Pryor and Lincoln are ALL in this boat) will reject the public's wishes on this one, or else they'll regret it big time.

I'm betting on the final vote for it being 60-40. Lieberman is not gonna toss out his caucus buddies after how many times he's stabbed us in the back, all 58 Democrats will be on board for political reasons. We don't even need to ask about Bernie Sanders - he'd go a lot strong if it was him writing the bill. The only adjustments is I could see it from 59-41 to maybe 62-63 to 37-38. The only Democrat who would fight this enough to switch sides is Ben Nelson. I think when push comes to shove, the voters in Maine will tell Snowe and Collins to switch sides too, simply because the RNC doesn't have shit they can do about it if they do vote with the Democrats.