Our democrats are doing a good job.

[pwb]

Libby is gone
Rumsfeld is gone
Rove is gone
Miers is gone
Abramoff is gone
Cunningham is gone
Any i missed?

Our democrats have been working covertly to rid us of these people and have been very successful.

The war continues only because the senate is using the 60 vote rule to keep it going. Republicans are keeping this war going not the democrats.

The repukes are old and out of touch with the rest of us. we need to defeat more of them in 08 and i feel we will get those 60 votes.

Please remember that all of our presidential candidates are strong and whoever wins the others will all be given high jobs in our next democratic administration.

Patience is hard to ask for, but that is what is needed. Our democrats will keep chipping away at this mess., then things will get much better.

[truebrit71]

1. I'd love to agree with you but what, exactly did the Dems do to get rid of any of them?

The law caught up with most of them...

[havocmom]

3. Opened investigations for many

Just the threat of slim DEM majority must've scared the crap outta Rummy. His resignation was announced just 10 minutes after the tight MT senate race was officially declared for Jon Tester. ;)

[pwb]

6. Your kidding right?

Ever Here of hearings , investigations, subpoenas, Without our democrats these people would all still be in office.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Ya Think They'd Be Gone Without Winning Last Year?

Yes, the law is catching up with these crooks...slowly but surely, but imagine the scenario had you still had DeLay in charge of the House and a veto-proof Repugnican Senate?

Be assured, had the Democrats not won last year, Rumsfeld would still be mismanging this war for profit at the DOD, Gonzo would be prosecuting "voter fraud" cases with friendly prosecutors, Foley would still be texting his boyfriends and Rove's math would be considered gospel...hearlding a "lasting Repugnican majority". Thank goodness we've stepped away from that abyss.

Perceptions can be realities...especailly in the fishbowl of politics. Democratic subpoena power and the ability to control committees have changed the tone and agenda of what's going on inside the beltway. While the rats haven't been vanquished, many more have been outted and their fates will be determined in the year ahead.

Expecting a 180 degree change inside the beltway...especially in a few months is unrealistic, but the change is set and while this regime hasn't been brought to its knees, it no longer can run amok like it once had. Time is the avenger.

[pwb]

17. your right

I would like to see the war over right now. A lot here blame the democrats but they really do not understand how our congress and senate work. Put the blame where it belongs with the obstructionist repukes.

[KharmaTrain]

21. Call It Instant Gratification

Some may call it the "what have you done for me lately" syndrome. Some people (dare I say many here) expected the world to change overnight last November...and that by January 31st, the troops would be home and boooosh and cheney hung from lampposts. There has been little tolerance to how difficult a road Democrats have had to travel between those sniping on the right or left. It's damned if they do, damned if they do.

And yes, its frustrating, but that's due, as you point out, it's obstructionist Repugnicans who stand in a way of a lot of progress here. I have a list of nearly 20 bills, from Student Loan assistance to prescription drug reform and more that sits in limbo due to both the obstructionist games played by McConnell backed up by promised vetos by boooosh. Attempts to bring these bills up in the Senate just won't get the 67 votes to override a veto...or even 60 votes for cloture. It's created a gridlock that is easily palmed off on Democrats as being "weak" or ineffective. Then when there's any sort of compromise...like trading more money for Iraq for a raise in the minimum wage, the other side howls about surrendering. It's a no-win situation...and a box this regime surely has loved seeing Democrats put themselves in.

Too many played the expectations game and because things aren't going exactly the way they want or as fast as they want, they have created a rear guard that enables the Repugnican to continue to stonewall and obstruct.

Cheers...

[Cha]

27. Not over night...just constant

dilgilgence. And some are and some aren't. "Democrats are doing a good job". The dinos..not so much.

[lpbk2713]

2. Katherine Harris is gone.

But I think the rethugs wanted her gone even more than us.

[mmonk]

4. Gone is not accountability.

Living the lies we are all living right now is not a good job.

[rucky]

5. We keep cutting out the tumors, but the cancer's still there. n/t

[cali]

7. You forgot gonzo

and asking DUers for patience is a futile exercise.

[pwb]

10. wow how could i forget him?

thanks cali

[cali]

25. No problem. And though I don't agree

with you completely, I'm glad you wrote this. I get soo bored with the hallelujah chorus of how spineless, complicit, greedy, etc, the dems are.

[pwb]

29. Hey Cali !.. I dont even agree with me all the time.

Peace

[FiveGoodMen]

38. Patience kills!

[cali]

45. and paradoxically, patience saves lives.

Which is why i'm not such a fan of sloganeering phrases.

[FiveGoodMen]

60. US soldiers and Iraqi citizens die every day we're 'patient'

You knew that's what I meant.

What did you mean?

[autorank]

50. Hi Cali, didn't these folks get Gonzo?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/reports/usattorneys/

[againes654]

8. Bush and Cheney are still not in jail

So until that happens AND every single one of our troops is out of harms way in Iraq, I can't say they are doing a good job. A better job than the repukes.. maybe, but that is a very very low bar. They can do so much better.

[sandnsea]

9. Target these ten

Smith, Coleman, Sununu, Collins, Snowe, Hagel, Warner, Specter, Lugar, Voinovich

We don't need to wait for an election to get them.

[cali]

18. Why target Hagel and Warner?

They've already announced their retirement.

[sandnsea]

22. To vote for withdrawal now n/t

[VP505]

11. Oh, their doing a good job alright,

unfortunately it isn't the job "we the people" expected out of them when we voted to provide them with a majority, a majority in the Senate that none of them believed would happen.

[Kolesar]

13. I thought PWB wrote a great post with great references to accomplishments

[Kelly Rupert]

14. Thank you. I agree 100%. K&R'd.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

15. I wish I could agree with you

sadly, I cannot.

[pwb]

20. That's o k

I am just trying to put achievement and blame where it belongs.

[damntexdem]

16. I'm certainly glad that OUR Democrats are doing a good job.

But I'm disgusted with a good many of THEIR Democrats in Congress.

To hell with patience! Democratic patience is handing the country, and the future of the world, over to the malevolence and the incompetence of the GOP. We lack the time to be patient. Congressional Dems need to grow spines real fast.

[pwb]

19. I see a lot of spine.

Sadly you don't.

[Dark]

23. You forgot Tony Snow, press secretary. n/t

[pwb]

24. Poor Tony, Working for the devil is hard work.

[Dark]

26. And cheap too, apparently. n/t

[bryant69]

28. Sorry - here at Democratic Underground we despise Elected Democrats

Please modify your position accordingly.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[sufrommich]

43. Some posters spew such hatred to any of our

elected Democrats, that you wonder why they bother to come to a forum for democrats at all.

[mike_c]

30. this is a smokescreen-- democrats could stop the war against Iraq...

...without a single republican vote, indeed without a single democratic vote. They need do nothing more than decline to bring war funding bills to the floor of the house or senate. No bill, no votes, no more war. The democrats control the AGENDA now, so they are fully responsible for whatever the Congress accomplishes.

Instead of putting a quick end to this madness, they play political games with the neocons, and write blank check after blank check.

[pwb]

32. That is a repuke talking point.

Political suicide.

[mike_c]

33. political *games*....

I don't care if Pelosi commits "political suicide" to end the war. The war would end and the American people would be grateful. I urge all democrats (and republicans) of good conscience to commit "political suicide" and end the war against Iraq! Put doing the right thing before doing the politically expedient, self-serving thing for a change. Put the good of the nation before personal benefit!

[MadHound]

37. No, it is actually a power given by the Constitution of our country

Go look it up, it is called the power of the purse and the Dems could use it any time that they feel like it. Instead, they offer up pabulum and meaningless measures, allowing the bloodshed to continue and innocents to be slaughtered. This isn't a talking point, this is the reality of the matter. The Dems are indeed playing politics with peoples' lives. "Oh, you've got to get us into majority power to stop the war" they cried last fall. We did so, now what are they saying? "Oh you've got to get us a super majority and put a Dem in the Whitehouse, then we can stop the war." Now there are certain Dem candidate who are stating that they'll keep troops in Iraq after they're elected. What's going to be their excuse then?

Disgusting, quite frankly, playing politics with peoples' lives:puke:

[pwb]

44. You totally blame the democrats in your reply.

Not one mention of the republican obstructionists. That is Why i posted this, to many here blaming the democrats. :banghead:

[MadHound]

56. Well, let's see here, the Dems are the ones in the majority, right?

They do have the power of the purse, right? They can hold up each and every single supplemental war funding bill in committee, right? This would force the troops to come home, right? No money, no war, right? No need to deal with voting or republican obstructionists, just simply defund the war and force the troops home, right?

Yeah, I'm blaming the Democrats, because they have the goddamn power to end this war ASAP, yet instead they're dicking around playing politics with peoples' lives, putting out the false meme that they need a super majority in Congress and somebody in the White House to end the war when that assertion is patently and Constitutionally FALSE! And now some of the Dem presidential candidates are hinting around that they'll continue to keep troops in Iraq, keep this illegal, immoral war going.

Don't get me wrong, I blame the 'Pugs and Bushboy for their part in this war, but when Pelosi and the Democratic leadership took defunding the war off the table before this Congress was even seated, the Dems just shouldered some of the responsibility for this war. PEOPLE ARE FUCKING DYING WHILE DEMS PLAY POLITICS! That should be something for you to beat your head against a wall about.

Let me ask you, let's say that the unthinkable happens, that the Dems get their super majority in Congress. They get Hillary in the White House, and they keep our troops in Iraq. Then will you consider that the Dems deserve some blame? Or will you, like many other Dem apologist deny any responsibility on their part?

Sorry, but individual Dems deserve the blame they get for their vote on the IWR, simply because they helped enable Bushboy. Now the Dems collectively deserve blame because they are in a position of power and aren't doing a damn thing while innocents die. And frankly, if the Dems come into the WH and still don't end the war, well frankly, they just bought and own it then.

[pwb]

68. Again all republican talking points.

Get the democrats to bad mouth their own party. It seems you bought into it. Hey we just disagree. Greatly.

[MadHound]

79. LOL, that's so cute

Telling the truth now becomes repuclican talking points in the brains of diehard Dems. Oh that's rich:rofl:

I noticed that you couldn't deny any of the points that I brought up. Darn those Constitutional niceties.

I also noticed that you didn't answer any of my questions either. Of course I probably wouldn't if I were in your corner either. Making excuses for Dems playing politics with peoples' lives is so hard to do.

But I must say, calling the truth out as "republican talking points" is rich, utterly rich, and just goes to show you the depths which some Dems uber alles adherents will go to protect the party. Sad, truly sad.

[pwb]

80. I don't have to answer to you.

And you don't scare me.

[MadHound]

82. LOL, no, no you don't. You're free to run and hide your head in the sand

But sooner or later the truth of the matter will seek you out and find you. It will finally dawn on you that yes, yes indeed the Dems are partially responsible for this ongoing horror. And you are going to be pissed, pissed at the party who betrayed your loyalty, pissed at yourself at how gullible you were, pissed at the political elite who made you dance to their two party/same corporate master tune. Perhaps then, when that happens, you can look back and see who was speaking the truth this day, and perhaps let me know. Until then

Peace:hi:

[FiveGoodMen]

64. We KNOW the pukes are no good! We expect better from 'our' side.

And don't seem to be getting it.

[mike_c]

86. you just don't seem to understand-- "republican obstructionists..."

...are only relevant because the dem leadership keeps playing by their game plan. The only tools they have for "obstruction" are their votes. The dems control something far more important than majority votes-- they control the legislative AGENDA. Remember how the repubs stymied all investigations, etc, prior to 2006? Not by calling them to any votes, but by controlling the agenda. Dems have that control now, but they are NOT using it-- the most effective means they have-- to end the war. Instead, they're writing blank checks to the administration and hiding behind "republican obstructionists."

Shame.

[immoderate]

39. Blue dogs won't allow that.

Only takes a handful of Dems that don't want to be tagged as not supporting the troops to get a funding bill through.

--IMM

[mike_c]

85. this is not true....

No funding bill can "get through" if Pelosi and Reid do not bring it to the floor. My point above is that NO VOTES ARE REQUIRED to kill Iraq funding. Not from blue dogs, republicans, progressives, etc. None. Nada. No bill, no votes, no war.

[immoderate]

87. I see...

--IMM

[KaptBunnyPants]

31. My anti-asteroid raygun works perfectly!

nt

[nashville_brook]

34. despite the fact that these criminals are "gone" nothing has changed

and that's the problem.

these people left of their own undoing -- not in any spectacular democrat-led house cleaning. they haven't been replaced with anyone better. we're still looking at a wrecked economy, never-ending war and the death of civil liberty in the US.

praise the lord and pass the rose-colored glasses all you want, but we're still fucked.

[cali]

55. Did you really expect things to turn around

in a matter of months, or even a couple of years? How extraordinary.

And sorry, gonzo, rove and others left because the heat got turned up by dems. No dem majority, no departure of rove and gonzo.

As for rose colored glasses, well, perhaps but better than wearing the shit smeared ones perched on your nose.

[CGowen]

35. Why is the FT writing "Cheney the survivor without challengers"

Cheney the survivor without challengers

Dick Cheney once jokingly referred to himself as Darth Vader - such was his dark reputation with the mainstream US media. With the departure of Karl Rove on Friday, George W. Bush's electoral mastermind, the US vice-president is seen as "the last man standing" in the administration.

Yet far from being the increasingly isolated figure that he is often portrayed, Mr Cheney wields influence that has arguably never been greater. Among the close circle of trusted advisors that Mr Bush has relied on since coming to the White House, only Mr Cheney remains.

The others - the so-called "Texas mafia" that included Harriet Miers, the former counsel, Dan Barlett, director of communications, Karen Hughes, a senior advisor, Alberto Gonzales, the outgoing attorney-general and Mr Rove - have all left.

It was this informal coterie that would retreat with Mr Bush to his private quarters after formal White House meetings and take the hard decisions. "These were the people Bush trusted and where he could say anything," said a former Cheney aide. "Cheney will now be unchallenged."

.......
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0b44ff52-5823-11dc-8c65-0000779fd2ac.html

[jgraz]

36. Sigh...what exactly is the point of this?

Libby is gone
Indicted by a Republican prosecutor

Rumsfeld is gone
Resignation submitted before the 2006 election.

Rove is gone
Still ignoring a Congressional subpoena with impunity.

Miers is gone
Resigned before this Congress was sworn in.

Abramoff is gone
Again, well before this Congress was elected. No hearings yet on his dirty dealings

Cunningham is gone
Sent up the river by another Repub prosecutor.



Again, what exactly have did the Democrats do to get rid of these people? Praise the Dems all you want, but please use actual facts when you praise them.

Oh, and you forgot Ken Lay. I'm sure fear of rigorous Democratic investigation led directly to his heart attack. :eyes:

[pwb]

40. So you thnk they would all still be there if not for the pukes?

Wow

[jgraz]

52. You seem to be privy to information withheld from the rest of us...care to share?

For example, what exactly did the Democrats do to get Cunningham convicted? How about Abramoff? Rumsfeld? Miers?

You can maybe make a case for Rove, but only if the Dems don't let him skate with just a resignation. And again, any correlation is speculative at this point, unless you have information that the rest of us haven't seen.

So, do you have more to offer in this area than just "wow"?

[pwb]

61. This is my opinion and it seems to be shared by many.

Just not you. I can live with that.

[jgraz]

66. In other words, you have nothing to back it up except that "many" think the same way

Now it's my turn to say..."Wow". :crazy:

[pwb]

71. Thanks for all your input, it means very little.

Yours is only opinion too. prove the democrats didn't bring about these changes?.

[jgraz]

73. Apparently all input means very little to you, since you seem to be immune to it.

"prove the democrats didn't bring about these changes"

How about you prove the pink unicorns didn't bring about these changes? :rofl:

Seriously, you've never heard the phrase "proving the negative"? Look it up -- we'll wait.

[pwb]

76. O k your right With the pukes in majority this would still have come about

:banghead:

[jgraz]

78. Um...except for Rove, everything you listed DID happen with the pukes in the majority

That whole linear time concept is difficult for you, isn't it? :rofl:

[pwb]

81. Whatever you say, your a legend in your own mind

[jgraz]

83. If your (sic) going act all snooty, you should at least work on you're (sic) grammar

Once you get that down, we'll move on to basic adherence to facts. :rofl:

[redqueen]

67. Thank you.

This rose-colored glasses stuff makes me worry nothing will change.

[Senator]

41. Our Constitution Is Gone

Yeah, you missed that bit.

Abramoff and Cunningham were "goned" by the Republicans. And the rest have just "Gone on Vacation." Without impeachment, they'll all be back.

There is no "working covertly" and no "chipping away." The only thing "our democrats" in DC are doing is a good hand job.

Only Impeachment is actually DOING anything at all.

----

[pwb]

48. Sorry Senator, i Don't buy it.

Try fox news.

[Senator]

51. Uh actually,..

...it's FauxNews that doesn't buy it. You're in their company, like it or not.

--

[pwb]

53. Just because you say it doesn't make it so.

I never ever watch fox news. You wrong a lot?

[Atman]

42. Jobs are gone. Homes are gone. Thousands of lives are gone.

The money in our treasury is gone.

Our reputation is gone.

Goodwill is gone.

Our military is gone.


But war remains.

Torture remains.

Illegal wiretaps remain.

Signing statements remain.


Bush remains.

Cheney remains.


Sorry, the democrats haven't done one damn thing they were elected to do.

.

[pwb]

58. They have been majority for 8 months

Republicans for 13 years. who exactly do you blame again.?

[Atman]

59. I don't mind failure if something is tried. They're not even trying.

They're too afraid to even TRY to call BushCo into account. That's inexcusable. Fuck their personal reputations or re-elections. They have been charged with defending the constitution and they're not doing it.

.

[LSK]

65. what the hell was that all night session about???

What the hell was that vetoed spending bill with timetables all about?

If you don't have the votes, you can't do anything.

LEARN HOW CONGRESS WORKS!!!!

[Atman]

69. Oh, goody. It's LSK with the "Learn how congress works!!!" lectures.

Two in a row, even.

:eyes:

.

[LSK]

77. well then explain yourself

How does this stuff get passed when theres only 50 yes votes when its time for Cloture?

:shrug:

[warren pease]

90. You mean Harry's pajama party?

That was about grandstanding for the C-SPAN camera(s) and trying to convince the less narcotized democrats among us that he actually stands for something besides his own reelection. The party failed to achieve the objective, of course. Not because "they don't have the votes," but because Harry Reid has no idea how to perform his function as Senate majority leader.

You think LBJ would have tolerated a single deviation from script among Democrats during his tenure as majority leader? He would have had a quiet little come-to-jesus meeting with the potential defector and told him how pork barrel politics works, how he was about to screw his state out of billions in govt. contracts and how this would be his last term in the Senate because LBJ would force the DNC to find and support a suitable replacement next election.

That's how you keep the troops in line. You don't make them stay up all night to aid and abet a silly charade. You get right in their faces and explain exactly how they're about to shoot themselves in both feet unless they vote the right way.

Not to imply that LBJ's kind of personality is OK in the general population, but it's sure handy when you're in charge of delivering your party's Senate votes.

Think Reid's up to that kind of arm-twisting? If not, he has absolutely no business occupying his position.


wp

[LSK]

63. you expected all of that to be magically fixed? WOW!!!

Do you expect to win the lottery every time too???

[Megahurtz]

72. Excellent Spot-On Post.

And the War Drum beat goes on and on. :nuke:

[rateyes]

46. Yeah, Rove and Miers and all those folk

are facing real justice. NOT.

[autorank]

47. You mean Chairman Ike Skelton? as in "arrest & prosecute protesters" n/t

[Kajsa]

49. It certainly isn't easy for them to get

anything passed with Georgie's Veto Pen
that never runs out of ink.

;(

[peacetheonlyway]

54. tell me how great our Dems are doing

when weeks from now we begin dropping nuclear bombs on Iran.

TIME HAS RUN OUT, and the leadership in the democratic party is nonexistent.

Cindhy Sheehan is more a leader than Nancy Pelosi.

It's beyond time for them to grow a friggin backbone.

THE Loss of Rove and the others was more due to Republican conservatives being sick of the impact to the republican party than any single thing a democrat did.

they are moved on so they can rig more elections. Bush has bled more high level executives than an Enron executive.

no, there is much more behind the scenes than meets the eye.

We have to root out lobbyist and corporate influence from democrats or forever lose control of a free and democratic society. the first place to start is suing the voting machine vendors.

[verse18]

57. Yeah, awesome.

The Pelosi and Rahm "Social Club" Neuters Conyers Investigation
by: Matt Stoller
Tue Sep 11, 2007 at 14:18:54 PM EDT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1785082

[LSK]

62. They need to hire diebold to fix the Senate votes

[Greyhound]

70. LOL!

Is this a joke? Maybe some smilies would help.

With the single exception of Scooter, every single criminal on that list left of their own volition, after they accomplished everything they set out to do.




Click the banner, help DU and Dennis fix this mess

[pwb]

74. bull

[Greyhound]

88. Perhaps you would care to elaborate...

What else was there to do?

[superkia]

75. I dont think anyone would give Kucinch a high position

he speaks the truth too often and needs to be silenced by the corrupt politicians. If he were the president, they couldn't shut him up then. For some reason many politicians and their supporters don't like it when Kucinich speaks the truth, it makes the other candidates look bad and untrustworthy.

[BlooInBloo]

84. "good" might be going a bit far... Rather, it's just a mixed bag....

A bunch of people have been forced out, due largely to the investigatory powers of the Democratic majority. GOOD

That same Democratic majority caved on war appropriations because they were scared republicans would say mean things about them. BAD

That same Democratic majority inexplicably gave our maniac President even MORE FISA powers. BAD

That same Democratic majority in the House has taken Contempt charges for the Executive ignoring its subpoenas off the table. BAD


It's just a mixed bag. It's not as bad as the typical rip-on-Democrats-because-it's-cool DUers would have one believe. But neither is it correct to say they're "doing a good job".

My. $.02.

[Telly Savalas]

89. And are the people presently filling their roles any better?

If not, then it's not progress.