Democrats Forced to Work on Margins

Many Democrats figured they had hit bottom last year when Republicans captured control of the Senate, completing their federal government takeover. Then the bottom dropped out, too.

By the end of this year's congressional session, Republicans had tightened their already firm grip on the House and moved to marginalize Democrats' influence in both chambers by shutting them out of negotiations on the final version of major bills.

They excluded Democrats from endgame bargaining over legislation to spur energy production. They allowed only Democrats of their choosing to participate in negotiations over restructuring Medicare -- Democrats who, it turned out, were willing to support the GOP-drafted version. And, after a bipartisan start, they barred Democrats from final decisions on the $328 billion spending bill for nonmilitary activities of government.

On several of the issues, Democrats were divided, and some concede their responses were limp and late. As a result, they had little impact on most of the major legislation that dominated Congress's agenda at year's end, although they blocked passage of the energy and spending bills, at least until Congress reconvenes Jan. 20.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A20172-2003Dec21?language=printer

I've seen this before, that the GOP will not "allow" Democrats to participate. How can they get away with that? Wouldn't it be considered unconstitutional and illegal?

:shrug:

Anyone?

need to emulate Texas and get up AND LEAVE UNTIL PARLIMENTARY
PROCEDURE IS BACK!

What the HELL is the matter with them!?!?!?!

As I recall, one gutless wonder - Gephardt - used to brag on his webpage about his great record of bipartisanship.

But look, Dick: where are your bipartisan pals now? In post-coup America, they don't seem very concerned about the other side's views, do they?

debate the Repugs and win. One is to stop acting like a minority party and complaining about being left out. Another is to pick our strongest battles, not the Repug defined agenda, but our strengths. Yet another is to take the potilical battle to them. Instead of how can this happen, or I'm shocked!, put forth the alternative, consistently and clearly. Enough voters will respond to fashion a Democratic victory in '04. We've been the majority vote getter last three presidential elections, don't count that out!

Carville has always been a gritty SOB, but he's right.

As I see it if Democrats don't stop tearing their Party and each other apart they can look forward to going into permanent opposition in 2004. Historically, a new party emerges when that happens. The old one doesn't come back. That's pretty much what happened to the Whigs in the mid-19th century.

morph into something else, or splinter in NY factions...

not the average dem that i can tell.
the post must be trying to tell the ''establishment''.
otherwise -- this isn't news to me.