and WPP, which are not 'fair' but rather, balanced WAY against labor.

When I asked here why we don't have a 2014 platform I got a whole bunch of excuses, none of which made sense.

"We only do that every four years" just doesn't flip my flapjacks.

Brought in to give the appearance of choice, but paid (by the corporations) to lose.
The MSM is already starting up with the mantra that the "polls" show that repugs are poised to gain seats and possibly take control of the senate.

That Nate Silver has predicted the republicans will take control of the senate in 2014.

Whether it's true or not - everyone needs to believe that if they don't vote we are gonna lose.

It seems the MSM tries to say OK the repugs are going to win, so instead of motivation, it has appeared at times (except when Obama defeated Rmoney) that it has worked and people have given up and stayed home. I don't know why that wouldn't make more left leaning voters rush to the polls, but it doesn't.
I'm also trying to understand the people that don't vote. I've read that 80% lean left. When I was young I thought it didn't matter, but it doesn't take much maturity at all to realize that it is a really big deal. Really big. Literally life and death to hundreds, or if you count the wars of conquest (Iraq and Afghanistan) millions of lives.
Finally, why do people tend to vote for the candidate that spends the most money? Maybe I just grew up contrarian, but that tends to appall me.
Voting really should be mandatory, with a "none of the above" option, but I'm not too hopeful for change today after the SCOTUS debacle that was just announced.

Merkle (D-Oregon), Wyden (D-Oregon) or Sanders (I-Vermont), that we hear so much about, draft a counter budget to serve as that "Manifesto"?

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/committees/SSBU

Perhaps you need to broaden your sources. I'm not sure the President has exactly been trumpeting this plan.

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/back-to-work-budget/

Book marked

And I love it.

Has that been reported out of the Senate budget committee?

from more DUers. Thanks.

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024741190 . But it might walays be worth another go.

If they actually worked at it and fought for it, then if they lose, they might have to accept some blame instead of foisting it all on the "voters".

It's already started and we haven't even lost yet.

Why they don't hire an ad agency to streamline the message and hammer it home is beyond me. I mean could we not win on the "Republicans are hurting Veterans" message alone?

A $12 minimum wage, reinstate unemployment benefits and SNAP budget, and a 50k min on exempt manager who actually do hard work in terms of overtime.

Run on those policies.

And strengthen & expand the Affordable Care Act.

and close with Deregulation Kills!

Cap - $117,000
Senator salary - $174,000

tax increase on Senator if the cap was raised $3,534

perhaps we should start small - raise the cap to cover a Congressperson's salary. Why should a Senator pay 4.2% in FICA taxes while the voters pay 6.2%?

Couldn't an incumbent be hammered with that?

And if the first $8,000 was exempted from FICA taxes that would be a tax cut of almost $500 for most workers.

Wouldn't it be unpopular to oppose that?

Of course, the other reason why Congress cannot do that - too many donations come from people making over $117,000 a year. Donors who do NOT want to pay more in taxes.

Donors for BOTH parties.

we can't get that because the GOP won't let us...so don't even mention it.

I get the feeling that if the Democratic party made this their platform and pushed it, we'd be mopping the floor with the Republicans. Even with gerrymandering. Unfortunately, it might make some rich dudes mad.

The typical disengaged voter would have no idea what most of that means, or how it would affect them.

The academic research indicates that people are far more moved to act to prevent a loss than achieve a gain, i.e., "Their gonna take away your guns/rights/religion" is a more compelling call to action than, "I'll give you {Insert Policy Item here}.

That's why negative campaigning is so effective.

and illustrates the folly of keeping policies that don't immediately have the votes to win "off the table" while negotiating with corporate lobbyists on what policies are pragmatic or sensible. The public doesn't learn from it what is actually needed.

Nobody fights for the kind of reforms we really need. Nobody that matters even makes it their cause to educate the public on these things, puts them on their back and carries them for all to see and learn about. Some exceptions to "nobody" but not many. The result is the public hears only what has been pre-approved by corporate donors, corporate media, and corporate think-tanks, and has no idea what the country really needs.

It won't be possible until Democrats stand up obstinately for what they really believe in. They can compromise off of that to get piecemeal legislative reform if they have to, but in doing so they need to go kicking and screaming from the positions we really need, re-educating the public in the process which will benefit future policy battles.

ETA: I was mostly referring to your first sentence rather than the negative response assertion. It would be pretty easy to properly frame our issues to take advantage of the losing stuff or accentuation of the negative bias you're talking about.

The actual obstacle, in my opinion, isn't voter's fear of losing things, it's corporate money and its stranglehold not only on the Republicans but on our own party, preventing our politicians from angering their potential corporate donors and potential future corporate employment (for themselves, as high-paid lecturers and/or consultants o board members) with any serious discussion of actual progressive reform of powerful interest malfeasance.

Wow.

and the R

RR should GTFO his ivory tower and get down and dirty with the actual campaign troops.

So depressing.

Obama:
...I fold.

Boehner:
He hasn't finished dealing the cards yet.
You have to at least pretend to play a few rounds first before you fold.

Obama:
Oh....right, ...hit me.

like this loser troll: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024757040

Keep thumping Robbie ole boy. It's getting out.

We aren't as bad as the crazy Republicans so vote for us.

for having to do it.

And none of it is being said by our party...instead we are being told to play defense.

If we truly had a representative government this kind of budget proposal would pass with flying colors. But we don't and never will as long $$$$$$ corrupt the entire election process, TOP TO BOTTOM.

actually combination springboard/sledge hammer. Still 7 months to get a fucking platform and start blaring about it.

that corporate Democrats *want* to do those things.

Creating Good Jobs – creates 8.8 million jobs by 2017.
 Long-term Unemployed – provides access to training and employment services to match employee potential with employer demand.
 Infrastructure – creates jobs in building and construction industries to repair and modernize our ailing roads, bridges and water infrastructure.
 State Aid – provides assistance to states to allow them to hire and rehire public employees such as police, firefighters and health care workers.
 Public Works and Education – a direct hire program that includes seven jobs corps to hire physicians, students, construction and community workers and an education program boost to hire more teachers and improve schools.
Reversing Harmful Cuts – repeals the Budget Control Act and Sequester, restores Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, restores unemployment insurance, fully funds the Prevention and Public Health Fund, and ends the federal worker pay freeze.
Equity for Women and People of Color – enhances federal programs targeted at creating equity and improving outcomes for women, people of color, and their families.
Protecting Veterans and Workers through Retirement –adopts a cost-of-living adjustment that takes into account realistic retiree expenses and fully funds veterans programs in advance.
FAIR INDIVIDUAL TAXES
 Implements a new Hard Work Tax Credit for households earning less than $150,000.
 Returns to Clinton tax rates for households making over $250,000 and implements new brackets for those making over $1 million.
 Equalizes tax rates for investment income and income from a hard day’s work.
FAIR CORPORATE TAXES
 Eliminates the ability of U.S. corporations to defer taxes on offshore profits.
 Enacts a Financial Transaction tax on various financial market transactions.
 Implements Chairman Dave Camp’s financial institution excise tax.
HEALTH CARE
 Protects and strengthens Medicare and Medicaid without cutting benefits for seniors.
 Builds on Affordable Care Act savings and successes, including implementing a public option and expanding payment reforms.
 Allows states to transition to single-payer health care systems.
ENVIRONMENT
 Closes tax loopholes and ends subsidies provided to oil, gas and coal companies.
 Addresses the climate change crisis by enacting a price on carbon pollution while holding low-income families harmless.
 Invests in clean and renewable energy, which creates middle class jobs, boosts the economy, and cuts pollution.

That would be The Better Off Budget, from the Congressional Progressive Caucus.