Congress is doing exactly what it was elected to do

/snip

The problem with our deficit crisis today is that the message the voters sent -- and that the winning candidates heard -- was "never compromise, never surrender." We may need such a mentality on the battlefield, but we cannot have such a mentality in politics. Politics, after all, is the art of compromise. /snip

Regrettably, pragmatic problem solving was not the choice voters made in the Republican primaries or the general election in 2010. And, now, we are all living with it. Elections, indeed, have consequences and we are now bearing the consequences of the decisions made by the electorate in district after district and state after state nine months ago. /snip

Regardless of why "no compromise, no surrender" was more popular nine months ago than it is today, you cannot blame this Washington mess on the members of Congress. They are doing exactly what they were elected to do. I suspect that if Sen. Bennett and Rep. Inglis were around, they would be sitting at the table forging compromise.

Regrettably, they lost to "never compromise and never back down" candidates, who, along with their ilk, are now holding the rest of us hostage.
Hopefully, we will learn from our mistakes.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/30/theriault.congress.election/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

I think CNN is fast rewriting history

cutting government and lowering taxes.

and they aren't coming back. They only ran on jobs, the never surrender that came up after the election is what is working for them, because the Dems will.

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."

"I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring in higher prices than any in the world."

Mark Twain

they ran on a jobs platform... which quickly morphed into abortion bills and this once they were sworn in... don't let CNN revise history and blame the voter.

they ran on Less Government/No Taxes/Cut Spending, too -- plenty!

Actually, they ran on Getting The Black Guy Out Of The White House.

JOBS

That's not ALL they were "promising".

they had a perfect snow job on the voters.

JOBS... oh wait, squirrel

I rarely see us take some of the blame for staying home and what the republican idiots are doing to the country. I think we must accept some of the blame and never let it happen again. Their side was energized and showed up at the polls in an off cycle election. I hope the "independents" are paying close attention. The republicans have clearly showed what their agenda is. If this is the America they really want they can just keep voting for the idiots. Same for the seniors. Do they want Medicare eliminated altogether as the republicans want to do or are will they live with the modifications that the democrats will end up making. Polls suggest this group still doesn't get it and still favor republicans over democrats. Go figure.

also the mid election losing seats is not uncommon.

So there is that as well.

Of course we are talking of ... on a good day... 45% of the eligible voters vote at any point, so this is about 20% of the electorate that has taken the country hostage.

First, I think Democrats do too much compromising. Take the Bush tax cut extensions (please) that was hailed as some kind of great compromise when the fact is that Republicans got 98% of what they wanted. A real compromise would be 50/50 not 98/2. The other part is "where is the starting point". Obama's position, reverse the Bush tax cuts for those making under $250,000 was ALREADY a huge compromise as far as I was concerned. I would have like to see them reversed for people making over $75,000 instead, and $250,000 would then be a compromise position that I could sorta live with.

The other thing is that, my 'representative' may feel that she was told to 'not compromise' but she should do well to remember that 34% of the voters voted against her, even though her opponent had no name and no money, and four years ago, this district was represented by a Democrat. So my bet is that there are large numbers, probably even a majority, of people in this district who would prefer a compromise to her rigid rightwing posturing.

And I agree that most of the citizenry wants a compromise, but I don't think many of these newbies care. It's become a game to them and they are in their "we're winning! we're beating their asses" bubble. IMO.

or shouldn't. They are not even close to a majority.

Isn't it amazing?

Constitution, and if their very actions violate that oath, then they are not doing their job

I sure as FUCK didn't vote in any of the fucking wackjobs about to default the fucking country! LOL@CNN, just another whore paid network pimping out ROCKHARD(tm) stem packs for 6 hours of nonstop fucking!