From HP:
Senate Democrats are looking to punt the tax-cut debate past the November elections, facing pushback on voting from Democrats facing election in 2010, senior Democratic aides say. The party will gather this afternoon for a caucus-wide meeting to set the pre-election agenda, but it appears increasingly unlikely that it will include the much-hyped tax-cut vote.
The White House has been pushing hard for such a vote, circulating polling showing that a majority of Americans, including wide margins of independents, support extending the middle-class tax cuts. Ultimately, though, Democrats up for election feared an assault from the GOP that the party was raising taxes on "small businesses," even though a vanishingly small portion of those who would face a tax hike are real small businesses. But, in an age of 30-second commercials, it only takes one to stare into the camera and lament the effect of the tax change on hiring.
Lets make crystal clear my opinion of republicans before I say another word. Republicans? Well, there's no argument here. They are poison for our way of life. They don't seem to know it because the majority of them are either clueless, distracted or rich enough not to care. But I do. Have for four years. Hoping. Waiting, for our side to show some strength or stand up for something for more than two days.
But regarding our side, and with all due respect, THESE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE I VOTED FOR.
How did we get to this point? We had a historic election two years ago. We had a country with a modicum of hope that this new President, with a majority in the house and senate, could turn a corner with this country. We asked for change.
We got more of the same. Sorry. Less of the same. At every battle, Harry Reid and his minions folded. Sometimes they folded before they were even dealt a hand. They NEVER used the power of the press or good branding techniques to take control of a narrative. They handed the keys over to lying republicans and said, "Go ahead. Reframe the arguments. We won’t stop you."
And they did.
But when all was lost, the very least we expected from our democrats was to stand behind their ONE UNIFIED PLATFORM IDEAL: BOTTOM UP ECONOMICS. Equality for all. Help the poor, the middle class, the individuals, and tax the rich a little because they can afford it, it's fair and it works. It worked for Clinton. The economy soared during his term, and te democrats at least seemed to want the fight.
But these people, these senators now, can’t even win an argument that proved right 18 years ago. They can’t win ANY argument. The fact is they don’t even try. They punt. They run scared. This is NOT the way our elected officials should be acting. And our President hasn't proven himself either to be the man he claimed to be.
I have been a lifelong democrat and I am more fed up today than I have ever been. More disillusioned than I have ever been. Every time I see Harry Reid’s drooping puss and hear ANOTHER story about how he can’t get the votes or doesn’t want to try, I'm ready to scream. And that bullshit stunt with the war appropriations bill and DADT? Does he really think the transparency of that toothless act isn't plain to see? We had YEARS to brand the republicans by pushing through these kinds of things on principle. If they failed, THEN we can comfortably make the case. Doing something like this NOW? It's embarrassing.
Fuck you, Harry Reid. Fuck you Blue Dogs. While I pine for a majority after this election is over, I secretly wish the senate was replaced by a majority of ALL NEW democrats. Brand, spanking new. All of them. I cannot fathom seeing Reid in that position anymore. He has been the worst majority leader in our history - at a time when we needed a strong one.
Now, as I've said. I will vote democrat across the board - and I am here to support them. But this is getting exhausting. And I should have the right to be frustrated because, unlike others, I'm actually contributing (in a substantial way) beyond this post.
There is a reason there's a palpable frustration here and elsewhere. It's not fantasy. It's not the media. We feel let down. It's hard to fight to put lions in the ring when time and again all you get are mice. If anything, it's time for democrats to stand up and work for aggressive change in their party like we did in the 60's.