Comments on: From One-Party Rule to Cry-Baby Caucus http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:58:51 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jack http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23273 Jack Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:20:17 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23273 I think that, while Obama's civility and genuine wish for bipartisanship -- also known as "governing" -- is a breath of fresh air and shows him to be the first grown-up in the White House in decades, it's the Democratic majority's due to control the agenda. And if all the Republicans can do is whine their usual "poor me" litany and vote consistently against the President, it can only help the Democrats. Eight years of Bush rule followed eight years of Clinton squishiness, which in turn followed 12 years of Reagan/Bush obsession with the rights of the wealthy and privileged. The people have had enough of the arrogance of the right. And their pocketbooks are showing the strain of the legacy of the shopworn Reagan hogwash of "lower taxes on the wealthy, cut spending." Hey GOP: We won, you lost, get over it and get with the program, or become the most quickly irrelevant major political party in history. I think that, while Obama’s civility and genuine wish for bipartisanship — also known as “governing” — is a breath of fresh air and shows him to be the first grown-up in the White House in decades, it’s the Democratic majority’s due to control the agenda. And if all the Republicans can do is whine their usual “poor me” litany and vote consistently against the President, it can only help the Democrats.

Eight years of Bush rule followed eight years of Clinton squishiness, which in turn followed 12 years of Reagan/Bush obsession with the rights of the wealthy and privileged. The people have had enough of the arrogance of the right. And their pocketbooks are showing the strain of the legacy of the shopworn Reagan hogwash of “lower taxes on the wealthy, cut spending.”

Hey GOP: We won, you lost, get over it and get with the program, or become the most quickly irrelevant major political party in history.

]]> By: AM http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23099 AM Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:50:57 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23099 <i> If the Democrats want to hold on to their majorities, they have to avoid saying “fuck off” to the Republicans. Comment by Benjamin A. Schwab — February 6, 2009 @ 12:32 pm</i> Yeah, that'll work. Thanks for the concern. I'm sure guys like you were giving the same speech when Dick Cheney told Pat Leahy to "f*** off" on the floor of the Senate. If the Democrats want to hold on to their majorities, they have to avoid saying “fuck off” to the Republicans.

Comment by Benjamin A. Schwab — February 6, 2009 @ 12:32 pm
Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks for the concern. I’m sure guys like you were giving the same speech when Dick Cheney told Pat Leahy to “f*** off” on the floor of the Senate.

]]> By: JABbering Stooge :: They can dish it out, but they can’t take it. :: February :: 2009 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23087 JABbering Stooge :: They can dish it out, but they can’t take it. :: February :: 2009 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:49:17 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23087 [...] Greg has an excellent post about why the Dems need to stop being so timid around the Rethuglicans. Message to co-dependent Dems: You won; you’re in charge now. Act like it. [...] [...] Greg has an excellent post about why the Dems need to stop being so timid around the Rethuglicans. Message to co-dependent Dems: You won; you’re in charge now. Act like it. [...]

]]> By: greg http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23085 greg Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:58:00 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23085 I'm absolutely partisan, but I'm not in D.C. As far as I'm concerned, the Democrats should be taking advantage of their strong majorities to get things done. The Dems won't be in charge forever, so if every period of Republican control is marked by hyperpartisanship and every period of Democratic control is marked by feeble attempts at bipartisanship, then we're really looking at taking one step forward for ever two steps back. That's not good enough. But, like I mentioned, I'm not in charge. In fact, I haven't heard any Democrat in Washington exhibit the kind of partisanship that I have. They've been bending over backwards to include the Republicans. If THAT isn't good enough for the GOP then the Dems at some point need to take a step back and say "well, if they're going to blindly vote against everything we try to do, let's stop watering down our plans and just pass something that works". And when they reach that point, they should do so by publicly reminding the American public of the one-party thuggery of the Republican majority. From where I'm sitting, the Democrats have been more conciliatory than the Republicans deserve. I’m absolutely partisan, but I’m not in D.C. As far as I’m concerned, the Democrats should be taking advantage of their strong majorities to get things done. The Dems won’t be in charge forever, so if every period of Republican control is marked by hyperpartisanship and every period of Democratic control is marked by feeble attempts at bipartisanship, then we’re really looking at taking one step forward for ever two steps back. That’s not good enough.

But, like I mentioned, I’m not in charge. In fact, I haven’t heard any Democrat in Washington exhibit the kind of partisanship that I have. They’ve been bending over backwards to include the Republicans. If THAT isn’t good enough for the GOP then the Dems at some point need to take a step back and say “well, if they’re going to blindly vote against everything we try to do, let’s stop watering down our plans and just pass something that works”. And when they reach that point, they should do so by publicly reminding the American public of the one-party thuggery of the Republican majority. From where I’m sitting, the Democrats have been more conciliatory than the Republicans deserve.

]]> By: Benjamin A. Schwab http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23082 Benjamin A. Schwab Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:32:42 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23082 It's sentences like your last sentences, Mr. Saunders, that suggest hyper-partisanship. It could be easy for the Democrats to govern like the Republicans did and then not govern for much longer. No matter how much the Republicans complain and want more power (political parties always want more power and use any excuse to go for it) the Democrats have to govern competently. If the Democrats want to hold on to their majorities, they have to avoid saying "fuck off" to the Republicans. It’s sentences like your last sentences, Mr. Saunders, that suggest hyper-partisanship. It could be easy for the Democrats to govern like the Republicans did and then not govern for much longer. No matter how much the Republicans complain and want more power (political parties always want more power and use any excuse to go for it) the Democrats have to govern competently. If the Democrats want to hold on to their majorities, they have to avoid saying “fuck off” to the Republicans.

]]> By: Murfyn http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23072 Murfyn Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:14:34 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23072 This quote from Machiavelli's "The Prince" ch. 20: "And since the matter demands it, I must not fail to warn a prince, who by means of secret favours has acquired a new state, that he must well consider the reasons which induced those to favour him who did so; and if it be not a natural affection towards him, but only discontent with their government, then he will only keep them friendly with great trouble and difficulty, for it will be impossible to satisfy them. And weighing well the reasons for this in those examples which can be taken from ancient and modern affairs, we shall find that it is easier for the prince to make friends of those men who were contented under the former government, and are therefore his enemies, than of those who, being discontented with it, were favourable to him and encouraged him to seize it." This quote from Machiavelli’s “The Prince” ch. 20:
“And since the matter demands it, I must not fail to warn a prince, who by means of secret favours has acquired a new state, that he must well consider the reasons which induced those to favour him who did so; and if it be not a natural affection towards him, but only discontent with their government, then he will only keep them friendly with great trouble and difficulty, for it will be impossible to satisfy them. And weighing well the reasons for this in those examples which can be taken from ancient and modern affairs, we shall find that it is easier for the prince to make friends of those men who were contented under the former government, and are therefore his enemies, than of those who, being discontented with it, were favourable to him and encouraged him to seize it.”

]]> By: greg http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23071 greg Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:21:01 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23071 If what the Obama and the Democrats are doing is what passes for hyper-partisanship, then the GOP rule from 2001-2005 amounts to dictatorial control over every branch of the federal government. I think making a sincere effort at bipartisanship is laudable, but at a certain point, Democrats need to remind Republicans of the much, much worse treatment they received when Bush was president. Unlike then, the Republicans actually have a seat at the table now. If that's not good enough for them, they can go fuck off until they start winning elections again. If what the Obama and the Democrats are doing is what passes for hyper-partisanship, then the GOP rule from 2001-2005 amounts to dictatorial control over every branch of the federal government. I think making a sincere effort at bipartisanship is laudable, but at a certain point, Democrats need to remind Republicans of the much, much worse treatment they received when Bush was president. Unlike then, the Republicans actually have a seat at the table now. If that’s not good enough for them, they can go fuck off until they start winning elections again.

]]> By: Benjamin A. Schwab http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23070 Benjamin A. Schwab Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:15:35 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23070 I feel compelled to remind you that the American electorate rejected the hyper partisan republicans. It is a safe bet that the same electorate will reject hyper partisan democrats. If the democrats want more than six years of rule perhaps including republicans in the legislative process is to their advantage. If the democrats seek vengeance they will be their own undoing. I don’t think you’re advocating for hyper partisanship and I should give you the benefit of the doubt that you are expressing frustration. If the democrats want to be the ruling party for a significant amount of time, they need to govern more competently then the republicans. Competence in governing includes not disenfranchising almost half of the electorate. I don’t see this point presented much in your essay about partisanship. I feel compelled to remind you that the American electorate rejected the hyper partisan republicans. It is a safe bet that the same electorate will reject hyper partisan democrats. If the democrats want more than six years of rule perhaps including republicans in the legislative process is to their advantage. If the democrats seek vengeance they will be their own undoing.

I don’t think you’re advocating for hyper partisanship and I should give you the benefit of the doubt that you are expressing frustration. If the democrats want to be the ruling party for a significant amount of time, they need to govern more competently then the republicans. Competence in governing includes not disenfranchising almost half of the electorate. I don’t see this point presented much in your essay about partisanship.

]]> By: Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23066 Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:44:39 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23066 <strong>Under Obama, U.S. ties with China may face shaky start...</strong> Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said no nation is more important to the United States ... Under Obama, U.S. ties with China may face shaky start…

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said no nation is more important to the United States …

]]> By: [links] Link salad dethrones the dictaphone | jlake.com http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/comment-page-1/#comment-23059 [links] Link salad dethrones the dictaphone | jlake.com Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:34:12 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/2009/02/04/from-one-party-rule-to-cry-baby-caucus/#comment-23059 [...] From One-Party Rule to Cry-Baby Caucus — Bipartisanship the way Republicans played it. Useful reading for those of you under the illusion that the Democrats are mistreating the GOP minority. Unless, of course, you’re not interested in the actual political history of this past decade. [...] [...] From One-Party Rule to Cry-Baby Caucus — Bipartisanship the way Republicans played it. Useful reading for those of you under the illusion that the Democrats are mistreating the GOP minority. Unless, of course, you’re not interested in the actual political history of this past decade. [...]

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