"the biggest Democratic political problem of the day is ... picking among the several GOP scandals"

[ProSense]

A TARGET-RICH ENVIRONMENT....

It's not unusual to hear discussions in progressive circles about when and how Democrats should go on the offensive against Republicans. "What Dems really ought to do," the refrain goes, "is go after (fill in the blank) with all they've got."

<...>

But what happens when there are too many opportunities all at once?

What Dems really ought to do is go after Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) for holding the Senate hostage until he gets a bunch of earmarks.

Or what Dems really ought to do is go after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for publicly trashing FBI and other counter-terrorism officials.

Or what Dems really ought to do is go after the House Republican leadership for cozying up to Wall Street, seeking big campaign contributions in exchange for less accountability for those who brought the economy to the brink of collapse.

Or what Dems really ought to do is go after House Republicans for a budget plan that eliminates Medicare and privatizes Social Security.

Or what Dems really ought to do is go after congressional Republicans for blatantly lying about the administration's handling of the Abdulmutallab case.

Or what Dems really ought to do is go after congressional Republicans for standing at odds with the national security judgment of the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs.

They're all worthy of attention, and they're all stories major media outlets are inclined to ignore. Dems can't very well try to raise hell about all of these controversies -- all of which are just from the last few days, by the way -- with equal gusto because that muddles the message.

In other words, the biggest Democratic political problem of the day is ... picking among the several GOP scandals and deciding where to invest party energies.

[quiet.american]

1. Took the words out of my mouth - call out Shelby for shameless GOP hypocrisy on earmarks. nt

[FrenchieCat]

2. Sorry, but the media won't play.

They are too busy with Edwards' sex tapes and 600 folks at a tea party convention.

[iceman66]

11. Sad but true.

[certainot]

19. if only progressives had a few hundred of those 1000 coordinated uncontested radio stations

[jenmito]

3. It would be nice if the MEDIA helped by reporting on these things...

instead of wasting time on Palin and the teabag convention and Michael Jackson's doctor, etc.

[grantcart]

4. Oh its not contest - Shelby is the clear winner - ya allllll

[asdjrocky]

5. The biggest Democratic Party problem today is getting a spine and

remembering who they are supposed to represent.

[Demeter]

6. +1000

It's called a party platform to raise the candidate up to success, not to just stomp all over with muddy feet.

[ProSense]

8. Yeah, let's give the Repubs a pass in your quest for "spine"

Ridiculous. Not everything is either or. This is about calling out Republicans on hypocrisy.

On edit: In fact, some of these need to be seriously address either through ethics investigated or Senate reform.

[asdjrocky]

9. All they have to do right now is do their job.

It's not about politics, it's about the well being of the citizenry.

We gave them huge majorities and it's been squandered.

This really could have been a brilliant time for our country and they blew it.

[ProSense]

10. Don't be ridiculous. They have to do their jobs, but

they are also politicians with a media and opposition party leaving their impressions on gullible Americans every day. You seem to ignore the fact that Shelby's hold isn't an imaginary phenomenon.

[asdjrocky]

12. I'm not ridiculous.

It's probably the thing that anyone that knows me would not call me.

Why must you be so abrasive? And I'm sorry to say it, but since we are talking politics it's pretty common knowledge that the party in power does the governing, the party in the minority runs around yelping about scandals.

It has ALWAYS worked that way.

We were promised a Health Care bill with a public option, we were promised no mandates, we were promised an end to Gitmo and DADT.

They are not doing what we put them there to do. None of them are.

If you can't see that, I'm not going to call you ridiculous, I'm just going to say we profoundly disagree on what the strategy of the Democratic Party should be.

I think they should concentrate on the job that we sent them there to do.

[ProSense]

16. Exposing Shelby's block is doing their job, and so is addressing corruption. n/t

[asdjrocky]

17. No, not really.

But we'll just agree to disagree once again I guess.

[Wardoc]

7. Getting attention for scandals usually only works well when you are in the minority. The majority..

..is expected to govern and thus to defend. The minority to attack the flaws in the majority's governing policy.

And right now, that is not very great with high unemployment and the quagmire of the toxic senate health care bill.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Plenty of scandals covered when Clinton was in the White House......

and not much against the Republicans when they were in office for 8 fucking years....

but go ahead and reinvent history to fit your little post.

[Wardoc]

14. I did qualify my statement with "usually", and the Lewinsky situation was rather extraordinary...

...not typical. Similar in scope to Watergate.

In general, scandals reflect on the majority because the majority is the one that matters because it is the one that governs.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Lewinski was not the only scandal....just the one that did the trick.

and usually doesn't mean shit if you can't include the last 16 years prior to this one.

So NO, NOT "in general".

[impik]

18. They won't pick anything. How sad. It's an amazing chance to

destroy the Republicans once and for all.

[DailyGrind51]

20. The biggest Democratic political problem is acting like true Democrats!

[Cha]

21. I choose gopers Emboldening the Enemy with their fooking hypocricy.

"Or what Dems really ought to do is go after congressional Republicans for standing at odds with the national security judgment of the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs."