Senator Durbin on White House nominees: "Send us more moderate people, or don't waste your time."

NYT: Democrats Weigh New Power as Leaders
By CARL HULSE
Published: November 10, 2006

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 — When Democrats take control of the Senate in January, they will immediately assume far more power to influence President Bush’s agenda, particularly his choice of executive and judicial nominations that must pass through the chamber....“It means send us more moderate people or don’t waste your time,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the second-in-command and a member of the Judiciary Committee, which considers judicial nominees....

***

Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat and a leading party voice on military issues, has led the Armed Services Committee and has a good working relationship with senior Republicans on the panel. He will now play a major role in determining the approach on Iraq.

But there are pronounced ideological differences between the incoming leaders and those they will be replacing, as well as other lingering issues. On the Intelligence Committee, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, the top Democrat, has feuded with Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, the Republican chairman, over Mr. Roberts’ reluctance to challenge the administration’s handling of intelligence preceding the Iraq war.

In what could be the biggest policy divide on the panels, Senator Barbara Boxer, the liberal California Democrat and environmental advocate, is in line to take control of the Environment and Public Works Committee from Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, who has disputed the existence of global warming.

“He thinks global warming is a hoax and I think it is the challenge of our generation,” said Ms. Boxer, who said she has a cordial working relationship with Mr. Inhofe. “We have to move on it.”...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/us/politics/10cong.html

:woohoo:

My first realization of what Tuesday meant, except victory, was a little story about Hastert not running for House Minority Leader. Things began to sink in then.

after reading new Committee appointments, I realized the Supreme Court has been immunized against conservatives. What a sweet victory!

If Justice Stevens were to retire, at least we wouldn't be in danger of having another wingnut on the high court!

nominate a Democrat or Independent? We are going to get stuck with an ultra conservative Extreme Court for the next three decades....and there is not a thing we can do about it. The American people made it so..

to the Supreme Court with a Republican led senate....Now, no way any far-right loon can get thru...I hope Stevens stays on for a while, that court can't afford to go anymore to the right...I just hope if given the chance, that Ben Nelson, Bob Casey, & perhaps 1-2 others will support liberal to moderate judges and/or justices....It's one thing when an Alito gets confirmed on a Republican led Senate, but it would be a tradegy if a far-right person got appointed to ANY judicial post under a Democratic led senate...

Shifting gears, did anyone see what that ass John McCain said..What a dope...

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27269196.shtml

McCain has been given a free ride for far too long. I think he's slimey....and I didn't think that until he romanced bush in the '04 election.

I was thrilled when Kerry called him out on his demand for Kerry to apologize. I hope dems take their kid gloves off and deal with him as an equal, rather than a god. Otherwise, we are just handing him the '08 presidency.

He's gonna be the Republican White Hope. And if I see even one DUer leaning to that torture-okaying pig, I will be cruel.

Get the extremists out of there and we may be able to tackle global warming.

"Send us more moderate people, or don't waste your time." :thumbsup:

About bloody time, I say. :)

Thanks for posting this DMM.

Hekate

Seriously!

You know, I may even start watching the news again!

I haven't been able to watch the news since 1998.

I think most people know that Global Warming is real, you only have to look at the facts. For instance look how long it took winter to come this year up north, and the record highs we had all year in the summer time. Crop damage was also really bad. What about el-nino, that was really bad this year to, with seals washing up on the beaches and dead dolphins. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

discussion is not whether or not global warming is occurring, but whether it is being caused by man's actions on the earth. I think the issue has been decided, though. We are responsible for screwing Mother Earth.

The most delusional: "Global Warming doesn't exist!"
The defensive: "Global warming is part of a natural cycle and has nothing to do with humans."
The couldn't-care-less: "Whatever caused global warming, there's nothing we can do about it now, and even trying to fix it will be bad for the economy."

They're all nuts.

because it pretends to be thoughtful. Having said that, my father is the old-fashioned type of republican who somehow believed the Pretzel's "compassionate conservatism" bullshit. Sigh. I don't ask him about it any more.

and Jesus will be back before we have to worry about any of this shit"

I think I remember, a long, long time ago something of this sensation -->

Senators Durbin and Boxer:

:woohoo: :bounce: :kick: :patriot: :yourock: :party: :toast:

:woohoo: :bounce: :kick: :patriot: :yourock: :party: :toast:

:woohoo: :bounce: :kick: :patriot: :yourock: :party: :toast:

:woohoo: :bounce: :kick: :patriot: :yourock: :party: :toast:

And damn, it feels good to be back in the GOOD ole USA.

There's no place like home.

Newsprism

...serious discussion and critical thinking are going to replace bombastic emotionalism. I'm confident that this is the beginning of a more enlightened period of American history.

Once the nation removes the last remnant of the cancer currently residing in the White House then the return to normalcy will be complete.

they'll keep on pushing the envelope sending them wackos and accuse the Democrats of obstruction. I don't see any evidence at all of changing the course. What I would dearly love to see is both houses working 12-14 hour days hauling every single Bush Administration official from every single agency before them to explain themselves. I hope they have a very large team of lawyers doing nothing but working on subpoenas for these assholes. Root every single one of these rats out of their holes, and show the American people exactly what they've been up to for the last six years.

There is an election in 2008. The people just sent a very STRONG message to Congress. There are many seats coming up then and the Republicans that were left standing in this blue wave will most likely play nicely so that perhaps they can retain their seat.
We have to get the Fairness Doctrine and we have to get campaign reform.
We have to get the lips of the lobbyists removed from the collective ass of Congress.

I was referring to the Bush Administration, I don't think they will willingly change the way they do business, they will try to bulldoze over the new Congress, just like they did the old. Hopefully they will get a very early wake up call.

can't wait to see how other important issues unfold now!

:kick:

DemEx

Dare we hope?

I have a feeling that he's going to continue to back stab progressives- and keep enabling the far right:

"The new majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, promised Thursday to have a more collegial relationship with the minority Republicans than he said was shown to the Democrats over the past four years of partisanship and procedural gamesmanship.

“They’ve set a bad example in not working with us,” Mr. Reid told cheering supporters who gathered across from the Capitol to celebrate the Democrat victory. “We’re not following that example.”

People who're hoping that Reid will be anything different than he has been are likely to be disappointed.

the most we can expect is that the checks and balances that were laid out by the Founding Fathers will be restored. This, in my opinion, is a very crucial thing, merely for the survival of our government. By getting the oversight and investigation powers back to the Congress, this will lay the groundwork for a gradual shift back to the center, and then maybe back towards the left. We'll just have to see what happens.

As far as being able to push a progressive or "liberal" agenda, that is several years down the road, provided we get a good Presidential candidate, but I suspect that whoever the next President is, Republican or Democrat,they will be a moderate.

The country is not ready for a progressive yet. I am, but unfortunately I'm not in the majority at this point.

Of course, that involves a shift to the left, especially from these neoconmen.
Actually the country is ready for a progressive. It depends on how "progress" is sold.

Just take one issue. Health care. If you told small business, (about 70% of the companies in the US) workers, self employeds and unemployeds, that:
"Here is a health care plan for every single person in this country. This much co-pay, catastrophic caps, that much allowance for prevention, and this kind of requirements."

Then, we ban ALL MEDICAL ADVERTISING. ALL OF IT. Do I really want to know how long Bob is, after he takes a pill that doesn't work? (that's not from personal knowledge, but from a consent decree in the works about false advertising. Besides, size is - never mind)
Why should companies spend BILLIONS in pain pills that work worse than the ones they want to replace? And be protected from medical device litigation?

Progressive? sure. Could we sell it? YOU BET.

That's like changing from Darth Vader to Princess Leia.

One of the first emails I received after the election was from Barbara Boxer talking about her new position! This is awesome!! :headbang:

They ARE going to act. This is exactly what I needed to read to start my day out on a perfect note! Thanks!

Durbin merely recited it. Hopefully the administration will "get it".

I just love that guy. This is the first time in my life that I have had two great senators. Or even two good ones.

Don't it make ya feel so GOOOOOOOOOD!

Repukes promote ideological purity.
Democrats GOVERN!!!

these last 6 years must have been a nightmare for you. thank you for your service. it is safe for you to retire.

Justices Kennedy and Stevens. A new nominee may be more moderate but will still be a bunnypants pick and a conservative.

The repukes treat them like DIRT and now the Dems are going to reward them for their behavior, so NEXT TIME the repukes steal power again, they will again treat the Dems like DIRT.

I am NOT happy.

This is a bad sign. A very bad sign...

The repukes are laughing at us...

I agree -- these Republicans view us as the enemy. They will consider our bipartisanship as a sign of weakness to be used against us.

They thought they didn't need to work with us anymore because their goal was (and still is) a PERMANENT Republican majority. Well, Americans got a small taste of what a permanent Republican majority would be like, and here's what they did with it:
:puke:

a honeymoon for nothing. There are some things that need to get done at this time. Voter reform for one. Raising the minimum wage. Reforming the tax code. Overseeing the fiduciary integrity of our government. MEDIA REFORM. Restoring the middle class. Restoring Habeas Corpus and Posse Comitatus. Basically trimming Bush's wings.

Do not think for one minute this kissy face routine is for real. Remember how the DEM's had their ass handed to them when Bush last extended his hand. We wound up with the NO Child Left Alive bill. Ted Kennedy never recovered from that. We have a window and we need to make it count. I remember his record in Texas and I think the DEM'S need to hold his lame ass accountable. Look for him to use his veto pen.

As much as I hate to admit it, I think the Dems MUST make a good faith effort to work with and compromise with the remaining Repukes. I believe that working with them is a win/win situation for the Dems. If the Repukes agree to work with us, we may not get everything we hoped for right away, but we will finally get some real progress in America. As a result, a greater number of Americans will be happy and the Dems will stay in power much longer ("if it ain't broke, don't fix it"). If we make an effort to work with them and we are rejected by the Repukes, I believe it will reflect badly on them, make them look childish and like sore losers and the Dems will stay in power much longer.

On the other hand, if the Dems resort to the bullying tatics and childish behavior that the Repukes resorted to in the past 6-12 years, I think the Dems will lose support very quickly. I really believe that a HUGE part of the reason the Repukes got their asses handed to them on Tuesday had to do with the fact that they refused to work with anyone outside of the radical right. I think that Americans got sick of that attitude more than anything.

One last thing - I believe that voting reform should be at the VERY top of the list of priorties for the Dems.

Stick it to them, Dick Durbin! More power to you, Nancy Pelosi!

Like night and day, isn't it?

He's one of the best we have.

I adore him.:loveya:

With Boxer working on our environment, something may FINALLY get done!

No matter what your father Barabra Bush says. Got that Chimpy?

That's the funniest thing ever.

See Dick smile. See George cry. Cry, George, cry! Smile, Dick, smile!

Durbin for majority leader!

Yep. that's my senator.