WP: Democrats Skeptical of Bush Offer

Weakened Party Mulls Stance in Second Term

Saturday, November 6, 2004; Page A01

Democrats reacted with overwhelming skepticism yesterday to President Bush's pledge this week to work constructively with them on a second-term agenda, as the party begins an intense debate about whether to seek any common ground with Bush or to be implacable in opposition.

Many Democrats said the experience of the first term -- in which they perceive that Bush promised cooperation but governed in a highly partisan fashion -- has left them reluctant to cooperate with Bush unless he takes the first step by moderating his course on such issues as Social Security, judicial appointments and limiting lawsuits.

Other legislators and strategists, however, cautioned that being perceived as obstructionists is a perilous course. They pointed to Tuesday's defeat of Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) as an example of the cost to be paid in more conservative regions if Democrats become defined largely as anti-Bush in the president's second term.

"They make a profound mistake if they think we're demoralized," said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.), a moderate Democrat whose reaction echoed the unyielding tone that generally prevailed among Democrats of all ideological stripes yesterday. "We're not going to roll over and play dead. . . . We had a setback, but we're as determined as ever to push our own agenda."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29205-2004Nov5.html

HA! we should pick at least one issue as a party that will fight like hell to protect. never compromise on this one issue. i say, if we have to pick one, we choose either social security or judicial appointments.

then he'll have to resort to that old stand-by conciliatory move of sending the Democrats another batch of Anthrax telegrams. :^P

All GOP propaganda, all the time, where Bob Whoreward tells you, nothing here, get over it...

Part of the reason people feel okay about voting for the Repukes is that they don't see how we are better.

Like they did last time. We all need to let our Reps and Senators that they'd better not roll over. Do they even listen to their constituents?

Roll over, Democrats, at your own fucking peril!

Why don't we make Hillary minority leader?

I can hear the RW heads exploding already!
:evilgrin:

In all seriousness though, the Dems should make it clear that the SCOTUS will NOT be allowed to fall into the hands of the Neocon cabal and that it's better to have a few empty seats than any more Nino clones.



--MAB

Hillary would be great, as would Chris Dodd (CT) who is a real fighter for social issues. What do you think of Kerry for minority leader? What scares me is the talk of Reid (NV) because it would be another mild-mannered moderate from a red state constantly looking over his shoulder the way Daschle did.

Nevadans split their votes to vote FOR Reid, and AGAINST Kerry.

to fend off any further harm from this administration

Declare open war. There's no working with him; he lies, rams through his agenda without comsulting anyone time and time again. Why even consider his "pledge." The Dems should be proud of "obstructing" his plans to privatize Social Security, for example, and to call themselves Defenders of Social Security as a right of all American workers. Turn his BS against him.

They aren't even allowed to submit bills or go to Conference in the House. I think they should obstruct and filibuster as much as possible when something important is at stake. They would have to be completely insane to trust Bush after what he has done. Most are from blue states. They won't get bounced for having balls. The seats we lost were all from red states (if you include Florida). They weren't really a big surprise.

citizens. But be proud of it and come out swinging. ANd when some damn repuke calls a Dem an obstructionist like it is some dirty word, the Dem says indignantly I am fighting for my constituents and I will continue to fight for the right of the American people and I am proud to be an obstructionist against the rotten to the core policies of this administration. Say it LOUDLY. Use GOP's own tactics against them. Let the American people see that the Dems are the party that will protect them, that the Dems are the party of the people. That the repukes are the party of the rich and corporations. The Dems won't get bounced, the people will love it and maybe some repukes who voted for Bush just on the terror issue will open their eyes. The Dems have to stop apologizing and giving the shrubster the upper hand.

Many Americans in this country are outraged at Bush's possible theft of office and Robertson and Falwell endorsement of his theocratic wants. He personally isolates himself from any other than those who endorse him, but we need to start protesting more.

his crap that hurts the American people. The Dems have to defend the American people! GET INDIGNANT. They have the votes but we can in fact make an issue of every nay vote by saying we are voting a nay as a protest against the just plain wrong legislation. Hey they sure never worried about obstructing Clinton.

I don't mean that we should compromise with them, but that they should support us. If they don't then they will soon be destroyed or assimilated by the beast.

I have gotten jack crap from any Democrat since Tuesday. I'm on all the email lists, but I have heard zero, zip, nada...... Damn it to hell...why can't our leaders communicate? I work with a republican that gets daily emails from the RNC- not always asking for money. They distribute a daily talking points memo via email, and have a daily write and distribute list where you can fill in personal information on "topic of the day" boilerplate letters to fax, snail mail or email to media outlets in your area. They let them know what legislation is coming up for a vote soon. They have their congressional leadership send emails to their members that let them know what a "great job" they are doing. (Yeah, I know it's probably fake, but at least they are getting something) We get a big, silent void........

Yeah, we're pretty much by ourselves and doing damn good. All things considring. The Republicans just keep on droning.

and I just hope that someone in leadership takes notice. I did see the thread that Elizabeth Edwards chimed in on, and I appreciate her taking the time to at least let us know that we're not totally out in the wilderness.

was follow me, or be left behind. Just another way
of saying "If you aren't with us, you're against us."

Skeptcal...that's an understatement when it comes to my opinion.

we will continue to protect the rights of the American people in every way we can against this administration. If our elected Dems can say this, they will get the American people behind them and we will win seats in 2006. The Dem legislators should not be apologetic when they say this; the American people will start respecting Dems again if they stand for something equal to the "moral values" crap. The values of the Dems should be protecting the people; be real clear about it just like Karl Rove.

Integrity.

Don't give it up, and win in the long run.

grow a pair.

fuck bush and his neo fascist agenda.

Daschle's defeat is an example of the cost of going along and getting along.

Only our dem congresscritters would be daft enough to even have a dialogue on reconciliation. The only viable option is TOTAL OPPOSITION.

way the 87 Billion Iraq thing got thrown back in Kerry's face every time he turned around. You go along with the repukes, they tell the world you "supported" their legislation AND USE IT AGAINST YOU. I say obstruct and be damned proud of it.

we redefine ourselves as pro-American and Bush as anti-American and keep saying it loudly every day

"Democrats reacted with overwhelming skepticism yesterday to President Bush's pledge this week to work constructively with them on a second-term agenda, as the party begins an intense debate about whether to seek any common ground with Bush or to be implacable in opposition."

Good grief. The fact that this is news, well, it isn't. He should have governed as a moderate after 2000 and didn't. What's he gonna do now? Gee, I wonder. As if.

they just want to use us for the next year or two..just to insure that they get their people in these coming up congressional seats. I say if we go along with this we are playing right in to there hands. This is a no brainer. Using people for their own means is exactly what this administration is all about. Last nights AP piece he said he WOULD see his plans move forward, and on SS hinderance from the Dems, he said he would reform SS with or without the Democrats. Plan and simple.

Things are just going to have to get bad, before it gets good.

every single piece of money needed for that disgusting murderous mess he made in the Mideast. THe Dems should say: We want our soldiers home, safe away from the Bush war and we won't vote for money to keep them there. We can turn all of this around on the shrubster.

people fedup with him than just us.

Bush speaks = Bush lies.

Hello? We, at least, have been paying attention for the past four years.

Here's what I think of your offer to work together you miserable, lying, cheating, murdering, hypocritical coward. Shove it up your ass.

Can we get the south to secede again?

Can the north secede?

I have nothing to talk to you assholes about, so save it.

I agree, the dems should vote against anything the repukes want. If they can't prevent it from passing, then filibuster it. After it fails to pass tell Cheney to go fuck himself.

so nothing to lose, and maybe a lot to gain, by throwing the hardball back to the bastards in full measure as they have dished it out for years. It's certainly not the party I want to represent me if they roll over and spread their legs.

Read Grover Norquist's plan: The Democratic Party is Toast

after all, he is a NRA nut.

He may be an NRA nut, but that doesn't minimize the damage his leadership has done and will continue to do to Democratic strength.
Who besides golden boy Rove do you think has been the brains behind this fascist takeover?

by then?

because you don't like them.

You underestimate his influence at your own peril. He is the standard bearer for the anti-tax movement, and he's been kicking our collective ass for the last 10 years. Maybe you're thinking of someone else?

know how to filibuster.

Nobody in congress should be under any illusions of 'bipartisanship' this term.

"How many times do you have to get hit in the head, until you realize who's hitting you?" If we are to have any dignity left, the democrats should take a page from the republicans book, and make bush's last term a nightmare for him. And if they dont, and if they are dumb enough to buy this "unity" bushit? Kiss 2008 goodbye. They'll have lived up to Arnie's "Girlie Men" & "Losers" remarks.

Doesn't sound bi partisan to me.

finally grow a pair of balls...i want anger and bloodshed this congressional term(and hopefully this time it will be the repubs and not the dems doing all the bellding, lol)

and grover needs a shotgun sandwich for lunch

If ANY Democrat cooperates with the Bush admin on any level, vote them out! Compromising with Bush is not an option at this point. We need to fight them tooth and nail at every turn, about EVERYTHING!!!

We're at war - it's a Cold one right now, but it's war, nonetheless!

Plus, Republicans in some West Coast states, like Gordon Smith, and in the the North East, like Collins, Chafee, and Snowe, may now form a swing force of their own. Even so, I'm sure that guys like Bayh and Nelson are putting on their kiss-up makeup right now and picking out their best party dress.

They've finally been bitch slapped awake.

You know, when I was a kid, I remember a time when the Democrats were in the minority -- don't know if it was the House or the Senate -- but man they never took anything laying down. They came out and called the Republicans for the crooks they were.

I had a great deal of respect for them back then.

isn't that Bush the great uniter?