If Dems regain Congress, time for Peace or Payback?

[npincus]

Poll question: If Dems regain Congress, time for Peace or Payback?

It's no secret that the Republican majority has tried to squash and humiliate the Democratic minority, excluding them from hearings where policy decisions are made, denying them from holding hearings, forcing them to convene in windowless basement offices... The Rolling Stone cover story delves into that with anecdotes:


http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12055360/cover_story_time_to_go_inside_the_worst_congress_ever/1

It is no big scoop that the majority party in Congress has always found ways of giving the shaft to the minority. But there is a marked difference in the size and the length of the shaft the Republicans have given the Democrats in the past six years. There has been a systematic effort not only to deny the Democrats any kind of power-sharing role in creating or refining legislation but to humiliate them publicly, show them up, pee in their faces. Washington was once a chummy fraternity in which members of both parties golfed together, played in the same pickup basketball games, probably even shared the same mistresses. Now it is a one-party town -- and congressional business is conducted accordingly, as though the half of the country that the Democrats represent simply does not exist.

<snip>

The GOP's "take that, bitch" approach to governing has been taken to the greatest heights by the House Judiciary Committee. The committee is chaired by the legendary Republican monster James Sensenbrenner Jr., an ever-sweating, fat-fingered beast who wields his gavel in a way that makes you think he might have used one before in some other arena, perhaps to beat prostitutes to death. Last year, Sensenbrenner became apoplectic when Democrats who wanted to hold a hearing on the Patriot Act invoked a little-known rule that required him to let them have one.

"Naturally, he scheduled it for something like 9 a.m. on a Friday when Congress wasn't in session, hoping that no one would show," recalls a Democratic staffer who attended the hearing. "But we got a pretty good turnout anyway."

Sensenbrenner kept trying to gavel the hearing to a close, but Democrats again pointed to the rules, which said they had a certain amount of time to examine their witnesses. When they refused to stop the proceedings, the chairman did something unprecedented: He simply picked up his gavel and walked out.



The question is: If Dems become the majority party, how should we treat the minority party, the Repubs?

[ShortnFiery]

1. Practice "Tough Love" ... No Slack! n/t

[npincus]

4. my head says "Peace", my heart says "Payback"

[wicket]

2. Payback

I'm not usually one to go for vengeance but they deserve it for what they've done to the country :grr: Rub their damn noses in it!!! ::spank: :spank: :spank:

[originalpckelly]

3. Payback isn't going to help...

it will lead to a civil war and the deaths of hundreds of thousands if not millions of Americans. The path of hatred is one of self destruction. Bill Clinton gave a great speech about this today, but unfortunately no one listened and right after the coverage of it on MSNBC, people went back to hatred. It was a stark contrast, one that we should all see.

[originalpckelly]

7. We are better than they are...

and we know it. I know you understand payback is wrong, and if you don't act upon your better notions you know what the result will be.

Hatred will eventually lead to civil war and that is horrid. We do not pay attention to this, but I give you my absolute knowledge it will happen if continue to let hate rule our destiny.

[DURHAM D]

12. Well - first of all MSNBC didn't play the whole thing.

Just as he was getting to the good part we got Nora with her RNC talking points and some junior house member from Arizona so we have (for now) not been able to view it.

Second - "deaths of hundreds of thousands if not millions of Americans" -What is that about. Do you not think thousands are dying in American today because the Repubs killed (or removed funding from) all of FDR era social programs? In my mind payback is putting programs back in place that they have removed.

Did you think payback meant "string them up" - although I will admit some deserve exactly that.

[BurtWorm]

5. Smart payback.

Not reckless, Gingrich-style payback. Just the kind that forces Republicans to watch their backs because they don't know what's coming.

[tridim]

6. No peace, no payback, just the truth, under oath..

It'll seem like hell to the Repugs.

[ContraBass Black]

13. Seconded.

[AndyTiedye]

26. Yeah. That's It! Then Impeach them and Send them to the Hague

[npincus]

31. I have a dream....

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Payback at the Hague will suffice.

I want them investigated, indicted and imprisoned.

[ck4829]

9. I seek Justice

I pray that we'll never have to see the New (Far) Right in US politics again.

[AndyA]

10. FRY THE SOB GOP! They need to be smacked down hard for what

they've done to the people of America, our Constitution, our rights, our privacy, etc. I'm not ready to make nice.

[Solly Mack]

11. No Justice. No Peace

Anyone that would sell out justice to gain a false sense of peace is no better than those who sell out liberty for a false sense of security.

[Raine]

14. Payback

is well overdue, that's what should have been done in 92! :mad:

[Greyhound]

15. Voted for payback but wanted the "other" option.

The dissolution of civility and the concept of the loyal opposition was destroyed by the raygun re:puke: along with their witless Democratic supporters. Until they are all exiled from the political landscape, they must be muzzled and neutered just as any other dangerously insane animal.

[AngryAmish]

16. Cleanse our nation from Republkkkans

man, woman and child.

[Drum]

17. Political castration will yield both! nt

[bryant69]

18. A combination of the two but more payback than peace

Obviously we are going to have to find ways to work with them - our majority isn't going to be such that we can shut them out entirely - that said I think we need to show the American people the difference between electing Republicans and electing Demodrats - in particular they need to se what happens when President Bush's programs are subjected to the type of scrutiny they should have been subjected too since he was elected.

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

[dkofos]

19. Fuck em They deserve what they get.

[Justice Is Comin]

20. Pretend like the bastards aren't even there.

We have a monstrosity of legislation we have to pass to bring America off its knees. If it isn't already too late.

Let those bastards beg to even get an amendment brought to the floor, let alone included.

[focusfan]

21. Repay them with intrest

Actually 26 years worth.

[FSogol]

22. Other: Get Democratic priorities done, start repairing country, and

if there is still time, investigate and charge everyone from their crimes and lack of oversight.

[mvd]

33. Right on

And if we get the majority in Congress, don't ease the rules the Repukes placed on us.

[Cosmocat]

23. Neither ...

Do the freakin job that congress is supposed to do ...

Bottom line ...

That means returning the house to running in proper order - no midnight votes, no keeping votes open until it swings the way the speaker wants it to ... That means not keeping the minority out of conferences and the such ...

It also means getting serious about driving lobbyiests out of the darn building ... It means not being run by those special interest that now run the country ... It means offering checks and balances to the white house ...

The repugs WILL get a whipping, but it will happen simply if dems run the ship the way it is meant to be run ...

WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS !!!

[Marnieworld]

24. It's time for The Constitution and The Rule of Law

We need to right wrongs and rollback injustice. It's not personal. It's patriotic. If it causes stress so be it but it's not political revenge. It's claiming the country back and its honor and traditions.

[Zhade]

25. How about a third option - seek justice.

Putting these people in jail after fair trials isn't payback.

[Rocknrule]

27. Put Diebold and Fox out of business and reinstate Fairness Doctrine

[endarkenment]

28. You make peace folks are living on planet mayonaise.

Wake the fuck up.

[ProfessorGAC]

29. Some From Column A. Some From Column B

Make them put up the reasonable moderates for positions of authority, but then share the power as intended in Congress.

We cannot be TOO accommodating, because priority one has to be to stop the bleeding, and too much compromise, in the short term, causes too much blood loss.
The Professor

[doubleplusgood]

30. payback for "bipartisanhip = date rape" Republicans

Deny THEM the power of subpoena, for at least the same amount of time they denied it to Dems. We need to legitimately investigate all the crap they've pulled over the past 12 years, from K-Street, to stolen elections to lying us into Iraq to torture, everything. We need to make the concept of being a Republican "toxic" by exposing their crimes.

[and-justice-for-all]

32. IMPEACH, IMPEACH, IMPEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!