if we can get 60 progressive representatives, can we force a progressive agenda on the nation?

[spanone]

it only took the teahaddists a few years to grind the nation to a halt

[AlabamaLibrul]

1. The CPC has 80+ members

Not that you'd ever know from the way Obama and the Republicans treat them.

[n2doc]

2. They didn't withhold their votes when needed

They acted responsibly. I guess the lesson is, act like a spoiled child if you want your way.

[AlabamaLibrul]

3. Yup....

The true "majority" when it comes to ends-of-spectrum (within the Congress) politics lies with the progressives, yet they are the ones told to "eat their peas".

Remind me who JUST got there and who didn't, again?

[frazzled]

5. They are free agents. The CPC could have blocked anything they wanted.

They didn't. Let's not blame some higher power from preventing them behaving in any way they want.

Progressives, by definition, are rational, responsible people. That is why they haven't thrown temper tantrums and blocked legislation that didn't contain their maximal positions. They work for progress, and such ideological rigidity, they understand, would preserve a status quo that is less desirable than a less than ideal outcome that is nonetheless steps in the direction they want to see.

[pampango]

6. If the CPC was willing to leave "scorched earth" behind them, they would be much more "effective".

For better or worse they know that the "scorched earth" is the lives of the people they care about.

[SoutherDem]

8. Give a Spoiled Child Enough Power and a few and

rule the household. Both at home and in congress.

[spanone]

10. so why can't the 80 progressive members neuter the 60 baggers?

[AlabamaLibrul]

12. Because the Obama/Republican Non-Aggression Pact has neutered the progressives first n/t

[n2doc]

15. Because Boehner is Speaker

Boehner can, sometimes, get the t-baggers to vote with him. Therefore he doesn't need the progressives, even if he wanted them. The minority party has typically been marginalized in recent years in the House .

[Armstead]

4. No. The Tea Party is the extreme of the GOP agenda. Progressives are different than the Dem powers

That shouldn't be the case but it is.

GOP leaders tell Teabaggers "Slow down. Don't be so fast and obvious. Be more subtle."

Dem leaders tell progressives "You can't do anything. Change direction."

[Exultant Democracy]

7. getting nothing done is harder then getting something done.

[FarCenter]

11. "no new taxes, no new debt" is a lot simpler than any progressive agenda

[OHdem10]

9. We could stop the RW AGENDA and get policies that are good

for the entire country, not just the rich and business interests.

In fact we need a movement on Left to counter that movement
on the Right.

This would stop Democrats from playing on the Republican
Field and totally submitting to the Righties' every whim.

[treestar]

13. the thing that makes it harder for us

Is getting affirmatively, something out of the government and making it work. That's tougher than grinding the nation to a halt.

[mmonk]

14. Why the disparity? They never need as many as we do and that

is due to the whole system being compromised.

[badtoworse]

16. The short answer is no

Achieving the progressive agenda involves implementing programs and funding them. Achieving the Tea Bag agenda can be accomished by refusing to suppport new spending or new debt. The Teabaggers have a much easier task.

[leeroysphitz]

17. If we could get 60 progressives we wouldn't have to refer to it as "force". n/t

[spanone]

18. since posting this i have been informed we have over 80 'progressives' in the congress

[leeroysphitz]

19. sure we do...

[spanone]

20. our side doesn't employ terrorists

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=71§iontree=2,71

[Puregonzo1188]

21. I believe the House Progressive Caucus is the largest of such caucuses.

So the answer is no.

[saras]

22. If the Supreme Court and President were secret progressives, you could...

[TheKentuckian]

23. Negative. You have to be willing to fuck shit up to gain leverage.

If the Progressive Caucus had demonstrated the willingness to scuttle bills, they'd have a lot more hand but the current dynamic makes them a nothing but a whiny rubberstamp.

We don't have ruthless folks that go hard and so we lose and will lose. Extremist have an inherent advantage in any negotiation with the casual and especially the accommodating.