Comments on: Democrats Already Questioning Why They Blew ’06

By: Owen

Owen — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 15:38:49 +0000

I just really think that a lot of Democrats are trying to model their approach to opposition on a really watered-down version of the Newt Gingrich campaign against corruption, which is both ironic and stupid. These hearings really frustrate me because I find myself rooting for Specter, not any of the Democrats, and I’m frustrated that the people from my party are so insistent on finding things illegal, as though they need to change the way the presidency is working in one fell swoop if they don’t like it. What a waste of time. Specter’s legislation to submit the program to the FISA courts sounds like a good idea, and Democrats, thinking that as the “opposition” they need to be more vehement than the “support,” have to get all bellicose and blustery, but Specter has taken the logical course.

As much as I dislike Bush, I think it’s stupid to engage in some sort of childish revanchism that apparently is intended to result in an 8-year cycle of impeachments. Talk about a real danger to the political process and national security. I don’t like that Gonzales’ argument seems to suggest that in wartime, Congress takes on an advisory function only (repeatedly claiming that the administration would “listen to their ideas”), and I find it hard to view the attempt to stop that rendering as a “power grab,” but I definitely think a lot of cynical Republicans are handling this better than the Democrats. What a bunch of disappointing garbage.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 04:32:32 +0000

They will never understand that it just might be good to have some ideas of their own, instead of repeating over and over that Republicans suck. But they just…don’t…get it.

By: dmac

dmac — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:18:28 +0000

Look at what the infamous “yaaarggghhh!” guy said today on Good Morning America:

http://newsbusters.org/node/3964

This man is truly the gift that keeps on giving to the GOP. He’s the perfect example of how the opposing party will use this continuing idiocy as a pinata for ’06.

Money considerations be damned, the Dems need to jettison this lead weight pronto.

By: AcademicElephant

AcademicElephant — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 22:16:07 +0000

I found this too in the course of putting it together

http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8FLQ7PG5

By: AcademicElephant

AcademicElephant — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 19:01:09 +0000

I think that first sentence of the Times piece really says it all–it’s not that they’ve failed to come up with anything substantive to attract voters on their own–it’s that the Republicans haven’t handed it to them. Also of interest along these lines is the USA Today piece “Dems in Search of a Pithy Agenda”–I’m working on something connecting the two, but in the meantime:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-08-democrats-agenda_x.htm

I mean, you either have a pithy agenda or you don’t. It’s not something you can “find”.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 18:43:00 +0000

No, I’d love for the Democrats to make national security the main issue in 2006 again…I said it was a political loser, not that it would go away…never let it be said the Democrats won’t embrace a lost cause!…

By: Fargus

Fargus — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 18:38:43 +0000

I’m confused, Mark. Do you think that if you keep saying that the NSA thing is a non-issue, that it’ll just go away?

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 17:58:35 +0000

The Democrats are never going to win a election until they realize that no Monday morning quarterback ever won the superbowl.

By: dmac

dmac — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 17:49:05 +0000

Their current party identity problems would be mostly solved if they got behind a guy like Lieberman (who’s really quite liberal on most issues, but has always stood for a strong military and defense).

Of course, the so – far – left – they’re – going – to – fall – off – the – face – of – the – earth part of the Dems will never, ever, let that happen. More’s the pity.