I know, that title syntax sucks, but it gets the idea across.
There is one scenario by which all this Blue Dog, "moderate" Democrat b.s. and the GOP filIbustering of 100% of legislation of consequence can be ended.
It is the one direction that efforts in the Senate need to aim. The Democrats need to... (see below the fold...)
In this Congress the HCR may or may not pass. Every day that goes by is, if anything, more frustrating than the one before it. If we don't have to put up with Boehner saying something inane or insane, we have to listen to Lieberman or Nelson or Snowe threaten this or that if we don't capitulate to their temper tantrums.
This situation will continue throughout this entire Congress, as it appears at this time.
This Congress may end up entirely lost, due to the hijacking of the HCR by the dickwads (and I do include Snowe in that group) who are using their perceived leverage for personal gain.
This Congress now has about 380 days to run, and everyone of them may be like a root canal. As things stand, it may take nearly that entire 380 days to pss the HCR, ad what will pass will be that bill dictated by the Blue Dogs.
IS THAT THE BILL WE WANT TO BECOME LAW?
In a couple of months the campaign of 2010 will begin in earnest.
I propose that Harry Reid, the DCSC and the WH all begin to aim their campaign at gaining the extra Senate seats to outvote the Blue Dogs, making the irrelevant. If enough energy AND MONEY is put into that effort, and if the progress toward that is significant enough come summertime or early fall, Reid can go to the blue dogs (non-capitalized her to show how they will have been emasculated) and tell them how irrelevant they will be in a few months, so they'd better get with it or find themselves out on their asses come January 2011 - either cooperate r the bill will simply be withdrawn for recreation in the new Congress.
IF THERE ARE ENOUGH VOTES IN 2011 IN THE NEW SENATE, THE BILL WILL PASS QUICKLY BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY OF THE GOP AND bLUE dOGS TO DENY CLOTURE.
JUST HAVING THAT THREAT MIDWAY THROUGH 2010 WILL ENABLE A BETTER BILL TO PASS. AND IF THEY STILL WANT TO TAKE THEIR CHANCES ABOUT THE ELECTION, THEN F+++ THEM.
If cloture is such a problem, the thing for teh Democrats to do is to simply work their asses off to gain the necessary seats for the new Senate.
The difference IN TIME between a poor bill in this Senate and a GREAT bill in a cloture-immune Senate after January 6, 2011 will be very small, if those seats can be gained. Everything will sail through committees, and once on the floor of the Senate will breeze through. They can simply shut the goddamned GOP stupids up at every turn.
Right now, they are playing into the hands of the GOP by pandering to the blue dogs. The high road is to continue THAT effort, while focusing tremendous energy and $$$$ on winning big in November. And with the foot dragging, the GOP thinks it can stall out this entire Congress' life span. The more the Dems allow the GOP to control the dialog and the media, the worse it will be for the Democrats come November.
RIGHT NOW, the Dems should be wailing away with ads - LOTS OF ADS - pointing out how the GOP is keeping everyone from having affordable insurance and a badly needed REAL OVERHAUL of the system. And the onslaught should continue right through November. PAINT THE GOP AS THE IDIOTS THEY ARE. TAKE IT TO THEM, right and left, and never let people forget who is f+++ing things up for everyone.
Enough momentum is needed going into the election, and right now the Dems are letting the GOP suck the energy out of the legislative progress that SHOULD be happening. HAMMER HAMMER HAMMER AWAY AT THEM. TAKE THEIR OWN ACTIONS AND USE IT AGAINST THEM. Get the momentum and keep it and never let up.
Do we want a piece of sheit HCR now, or a really good one?
We can't get a really good one now. That needs to be acknowledged and the Dems need to determine HOW to get from here to where we want to be. Pandering to the blue dogs is not the way. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT.
This plan will work - AND IT WILL ALLOW FOR THE NEXT CONGRESS TO BE THE BEST CONGRESS EVER. We can get it all, if we do this smart, folks...
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