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kentuck

(111,092 posts) Mon Dec 15, 2014, 07:10 PM Dec 2014

'What Are You Willing to Fight For?': Democrats' Depressing New Reality

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/the-democrats-depressing-new-reality/383708/2/

<snip>
The three-hour caucus meeting Thursday evening became a venting session for Democrats who were still looking to make sense of their electoral drubbing a month ago. In an interview, Sarbanes argued that the party needed a moment to recapture the public's attention—a "soundcheck on the mic," he said—and this was as good as any. His side may have lost the vote, but he said the battle gave Democrats a chance "to clarify a message to a very disaffected public that we can build around."

For a while on Thursday, it looked like liberals would actually succeed in sinking the appropriations bill. Led by Pelosi and Warren, opponents had seized the momentum and forced Republicans to delay a vote for hours. Obama dispatched Denis McDonough, the White House chief of staff, to speak to Democrats, but he didn't change many minds. According to one person in the room, it was only when Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the minority whip and chief deputy (and occasional rival) to Pelosi, stood up at the end of the meeting to say he would support the bill that the tide turned. Opponents were stunned. "No, Steny, no," cried Maxine Waters, the veteran California liberal. A senior Democratic aide said the White House had been building support throughout the day, but Hoyer's backing gave additional cover to undecided Democrats, and ultimately 57 of them joined with Republicans to put the bill over the top shortly after 9:30 p.m.

Pelosi tried to put a positive spin on the episode, writing in a letter to her colleagues on Friday that Democrats had succeeded in maintaining leverage to the end and that the lengthy meeting had produced "a unity of purpose and a clarity of message." Yet for the leader and her allies, the defeat offered a hard lesson that is now familiar to Republicans: Before you can rally the country, you have to unite your party.

"The White House and House and Senate Democrats will have to be playing on the same field," Israel said. Heading into 2015 and the new Republican Congress, that might prove the biggest challenge of all.

8 replies

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'What Are You Willing to Fight For?': Democrats' Depressing New Reality (Original Post) kentuck Dec 2014 OP

IMO if they don't want to back Democratic principles then the heck with them Bandit Dec 2014 #1

I find it interesting that my fellow liberals Tommy2Tone Dec 2014 #2

I don't give a damn if it seems like a lost cause. I'm sure fighting for civil rights, women's liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #3

If giving pension funds to Citi.. sendero Dec 2014 #6

exactly. No more excuses. Represent the people who voted for you or don't expect to get votes liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #8

Boo Hoo Hoo BKH70041 Dec 2014 #4

um, in case you didn't read the bill, part of Obamacare does get defunded. liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #5

Thanks for making the best argument.. sendero Dec 2014 #7

Bandit

(21,475 posts)

1. IMO if they don't want to back Democratic principles then the heck with them

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 07:54 PM

Dec 2014

I am tired of supposed Democrats running from Democratic accomplishments. If they don't support our goals then why should we support them?

Tommy2Tone

(1,307 posts)

2. I find it interesting that my fellow liberals

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:08 PM

Dec 2014

pick a lost cause and then go nuclear when it fails.

Stopping the appropriations bill was not going to happen. The GOP would have simply kicked the can down the road to January when their numbers would grow and they will control what becomes legislation. The smart guys in the room knew this was the best that was bill was the best going to be. Did we lose heavily? Yes, but that was set in stone when we got our asses handed to us in November.

It is amazing how we rail against the GOP for denying Obama's election had consequences, while at the same time deny that the 2014 came with the same consequences. Obama, Reid and Hoyer get that. Sadly, all Pelosi and Warren's actions did was incite the base to hate on their own party.

Oh and get ready, it is going to get worse. The sad thing about my party is we will blame other democrats for not being able to do the impossible. That was made impossible when the country kicked our asses out of office. Now we have a president who has to tread water for the next two years.

Or we could have just shut down the government. How do you think that would have have played out in 2016?

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

3. I don't give a damn if it seems like a lost cause. I'm sure fighting for civil rights, women's

Reply to Tommy2Tone (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:12 PM

Dec 2014

rights, and labor rights in decades past probably seemed like a lost cause as well. That doesn't mean you throw the fight. If they had acted back then the way we are acting now we never would have won civil rights, women's rights, and labor rights. We will keep fighting, and eventually we will win.

sendero

(28,552 posts)

6. If giving pension funds to Citi..

Reply to Tommy2Tone (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:20 PM

Dec 2014

.... is inevitable, then let the REPUBLICANS do it, not Democrats. Democrats keep forgetting who they claim to serve and then getting the vapors of disbelief when they take a drubbing on election day.

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

8. exactly. No more excuses. Represent the people who voted for you or don't expect to get votes

Reply to sendero (Reply #6)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:25 PM

Dec 2014

on election day.

BKH70041

(961 posts)

4. Boo Hoo Hoo

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:16 PM

Dec 2014

And the Republicans are pissed because the bill funds Obamacare and amnesty.

So maybe we shouldn't fund obamacare and amnesty but Wall Street gets their way. No, that won't work.

Or maybe we fund Obamacare and amnesty but Wall Street gets hosed. No, that won't work either.

Here's one: Either we (A) don't fund Obamacare or amnesty and Wall Street gets nothing.. OR .. we (B) fund Obamacare and amnesty and Wall Street gets something.

So they choose B over A, and partisans on both sides are pissed for their own reasons.

Welcome to America!

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

5. um, in case you didn't read the bill, part of Obamacare does get defunded.

Reply to BKH70041 (Reply #4)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:19 PM

Dec 2014

This is a bad bill, and I will not support any Democratic politician who voted for it.

sendero

(28,552 posts)

7. Thanks for making the best argument..

Reply to BKH70041 (Reply #4)

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 08:21 PM

Dec 2014

.... against bothering to vote that I have heard today.

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