THIS ^^^^! And Welcome to DU, BOTH of you - mosestybl AND calguy!

Glad you're both here! modestybl, that is the perfect solution in a case where some Dem does want to step down and it might not be the wisest time, strategically, to do so. Heck, MY outgoing Congressman, Henry Waxman, chose this election cycle to pack it in, too, after 30 years. I thought that was a little reckless, also. Why couldn't he wait just another two years, to make SURE that he'd be replaced by another DEMOCRAT - when Dems traditionally can be counted on to come out in droves to vote because it's a presidential election cycle? Maybe think just a wee bit more strategically, and put Country and also party first, for one last time??? As it happened, and much to my relief, he was indeed replaced by Democrat Ted Lieu, who's pretty good but not yet as muscular on offense as I'd like and hope to see.

But what started to make the alarm bells go off for me here in SoCal was watching helplessly as Ted Lieu's opponent almost carpet bombed the local airwaves with a series of spots - one building him way way way way up in the appeal department, and then in the last two weeks going hugely negative against Ted Lieu. His ads versus Ted Lieu's ads were running at a rate of at least 5 or even 10-1. They were pretty shrewdly crafted, too, with a female voiceover (a very subtle and subliminal shout-out to women voters). He had a shitload of money behind him. Money was pouring into the campaign for our bright blue district, hoping to turn it red. Money from who-knows-where. SOMEBODY on the enemy side thought this might be a competitive district at long last, and ripe for the picking, and thought it worth the time and money and effort to try to take it away from us. I've lived in this district for more than 50 years. I've never seen that kind of frontal assault from the bad guys before. Evidently SOMEBODY on that side thought it was time to come after us, ESPECIALLY when there's no longer any "power-of-incumbent" dynamic in play and that THIS time presented that rare opportunity. CA-33 is a bright blue district. But SOMEBODY in the enemy camp CLEARLY calculated that, THIS time, it might be just vulnerable enough to be worth putting up a fight here.

I've long suspected that they're plotting busily and with increasing focus and energy to try turn California red again. They want us back. BADLY. California is a real plum. We're a HUGE haul of winner-take-all electoral votes - 55 big ones. You win California and you've got a TREMENDOUS leg up with all those electoral votes. Ours is the biggest motherlode in the country. And I've seen the Democratic Party in general really behaving in such a way as to take us for granted. They don't campaign out here much, except to raise funds to go campaign in earnest somewhere else. They've taken us for granted for a long time. And I guarantee you - SOMEBODY on the other side is taking note.

Meh, fouled on a technicality. Welcome to DU, flying-skeleton!

Glad you're here! Yeah, we get it, though. I totally understand your urgency! Hell, MY problem is too much shouting, and I'm sure every DUer here would agree with that! Sometimes I find I'm using capital letters way too often, but then again, sometimes I just get so desperate to spread a meme or point something out or assist in some way that I just can't help myself. So I think this would also serve as an apology to the rest of our brothers and sisters of DU, who somehow find it in their hearts to put up with me nonetheless, patient forgiving souls that they are. I SHOUT, DAMMIT!!!!! Love me ANYWAY!!!!!

She's saying the things that NEED to be said!

At Last! AT LONG LAST!!! SOMEBODY in a position of power, authority, and influence, is actually saying those things out loud. In public. On Capitol Hill - and not just a guest speaker, either. Somebody INSIDE. Her presence has made Bernie Sanders' voice louder. Often, I notice (and I try to help contribute to that), their names are referenced together. So it's not really just one, it's TWO. Bernie Sanders was pretty much kicked to the curb all the time because he was basically the only one in the last decade or so (after Paul Wellstone's death) who was trying to articulate OUR positions.

Now SHE is, too. And somehow, she has more marquee value, so her voice carries the message louder. Maybe it's because she's younger, maybe it's because she's female, maybe it's because - I dunno - but things are different since she came onboard in the Senate. Since she ran for the Senate and her message started getting out. She is RAWTHER good at messaging, though. Putting the message A) OUT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, and B) putting the message in terms that the middle class can wrap its collective brain around. She gives the message life and vigor and energy. She's breathed life and heart and living, pumping blood into it. She has the common-man touch. And she's articulating the message in ways our stodgy and scatter-brained and frankly chicken-shit reps up til now have been afraid to do. Or maybe they couldn't. Or maybe they thought you have to do it in Senate-speak - which is boring and dull and dead and doesn't reach out and touch the rest of us in the heart and in the gut. You can talk AT somebody. You can speechify AT somebody. AT whole rooms full of people. But you're probably not really connecting. She DOES. And she's warm and human and approachable, and you get the sense that she's really been fighting in the trenches and seeing this close up, and living with it, the way the pampered coast-to-coast Brahmins and other elites and fancy-ass lawyers and heirs and wealthy businesspeople who run successfully for office, who've lived pretty much their whole lives without getting their hands dirty.

Frankly, that's what I always liked about Bill Clinton. Heard him described once as a fatherless boy with an uncertain future back in kindergarten in Arkansas. And that IS what he was, and what he had to start with. And look what happened there. And he's always been able to message well and connect. He's gone all the way to the top and he can STILL connect. He's STILL got the common touch. Something you'll NEVER EVER EVER see with a mitt romney. OR any of the bushes. OR most of the other GOP leadership. ALL of them quite literally born on third base and flatter themselves into thinking they hit a triple. And that goes for young "up-n-comer" george p. bush, too.

Welcome to DU, jalan48!

Glad you're here! I think we need to remind Dems that THEIR base - that is - US - is sick and tired of being ignored, and make it clear to them that THIS is the reason why Dems were dispirited and didn't bother voting in big enough numbers. WHY? Because too many of us were asking - vote for WHAT????? republi-CON? Or republic-CON Lite? Is that really the best we can do? Is that as far as we go as a party? How far away from your base will you go, Democrats? How much are you gonna try to NOT be for us and NOT be us and NOT stand for what WE stand for?

Every damn one of them should be asked this. WHY should we vote for you? Where's your case of why you're better? Or is all you've got the Alex Sink approach in Florida which is - "well, I kinda don't like it either but, but, but, we'll fix it..." ? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT - "well, I don't really like it but we'll fix it"? WHAT THE HELL??? Where were the Dems who stood up tall and strong and roared - "I'M DAMN PROUD OF THE ACA!!!! I'M DAMN PROUD I was part of an idea that got millions of people health insurance they could finally afford! That saved us all money because that many FEWER Americans had to resort to the E.R. which is the most exorbitantly expensive health care there is!" Where were our musclemen and wonder-women? (Except for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, that is.)

Wow - is that the new mascot of the Democratic Party? Needs no calcium.

Obviously backbone isn't important with this little critter here. Must be a professional Dem. Sigh...

THIS ^^^^^^^^

THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thanks for nothing! Because now we've got NOTHING. We could have used your voice for one more term, Tom. Six years' worth - that would put your replacement's election in another presidential year - when Dems do better.

FUCK! WHY does no one think about this???? If you have a chance to hang on til the next presidential election cycle, and Dems usually have less of a turn-out during the midterms, WHY RISK IT DURING THE MIDTERMS?????? Doesn't anybody think about this, among the powers that be? I wish Harkin had hung around just for one more term. He seems to be doing more to make sure his grandchildren are screwed.

Works for me!

He's my president and I will stand with him and behind him. And the more people bitch (on EITHER side of the aisle - and SHAME ON THOSE WHO DO IT ON OUR SIDE OF THE AISLE), the stronger my resolve.

That's terrible. So close to the holidays?!?!

Hah - well, why should that stop them? I've seen WAY too much of that already. I guess I'd feel more pro-business if business wasn't so FUCKING HEARTLESS!!!!!!!

DAMMIT! What the hell is WRONG with people?

Heck, I can walk the dog ONE BLOCK up, or down, from my house, and there's shit all over the place. People litter all over. I fill up a separate poo bag with nothing but trash. EVERY TIME. Several times a day!!! Cigarette butts. Wrappers - candy wrappers, gum wrappers, cigarette pack wrappers, energy bar wrappers. Potato chip and Fritos bags. Plastic bottles. Soda cans. Discarded Starbucks cups and plastic lids. Drinking straws. Wadded up paper. Wadded up paper napkins. And those annoying little green plastic toothpick things - so many of those! Oh yeah, AND poo. Literally. Some people crap their dogs on the grass easement between the sidewalks and the curb - and just leave it there and don't bother picking it up. W.T.F.???!??!?!?!? Makes me mad. Makes me want to know - "WHO BROUGHT THEM UP?????? WHO TAUGHT THEM (or showed them) THAT THIS WAS OKAY??????" What a fucking DISGRACE! It's a fucking SIN!!!!!

The selfish, thoughtless, utterly cavalier attitude too many humans have for our precious environment is just sickening!!!