Tuesday Open Thread [12.2.14]
E. J. Dionne, Jr.: “Now, it will be a Republican Congress vs. a Democratic president. Voters will have a much easier time seeing who stands for what…Obama and progressives should spend the next two years accomplishing as many useful things as they can, blocking regressive actions by Congress, and clarifying the choices facing the nation’s voters. And they’ll get much further by doing all three at once.”
Former Mayor of Denver Wellington Webb weighs in on where Dems went wrong in the midterm elections: “Unfortunately, we Democrats had little to no respect for, and therefore almost invisible identification with, the accomplishments of President Obama, who had accumulated a litany of successes. We, as Democrats, should have been proud of and owned up to our record of sterling accomplishments from 2008 to 2014: Gasoline prices are down, unemployment is down, health care accessibility is available to all, and, we even justifiably assassinated Osama Bin Laden. Not once, did we mention one Democratic success. This omission was the most shameful outcome of this 2014 election…We ran away from our successes – and Republicans fought against them, even though our efforts improved the lives of Americans. We should have been talking about everything from increasing the minimum wage across the nation, to fighting to protect Medicare and Social Security and providing a national security plan to protect America. But we didn’t. Shame on us Democrats for not amplifying our improvements to the country.”
I appreciate the way E.J. cuts Senator for Life, Tom Carper, out of the equation, but I still doubt Obama’s ability to act in his best interest. .
That’s because the Democrat Party is run by people like Senator for Life, Tom Carper, and beltway consultants who think the Nation is thirsty for more “centrism” and compromise.
The Democrat Party cannot and will not change because, in terms of what it is trying to accomplish, it is fully successful.
I gave up on Obama growing a pair during the ACA debate. All that compromise and trying to get Rs to come along. Absolutely. Clue. Less.
In other news, the Church Michael Brown belonged to was burned to the ground. The pastor of the church claims to have received 70+ racially charged death threats.
I hope the republicans cut social security and medicare. I wonder if even than if the hateful uneducated lower middle class rubes would still vote for the regeressive party
THRILLED to see Judge Jan Jurden named to head of Delaware Superior Court. Keen intellect, insight and moral compass–above the frey. Congratulations Judge Jurden!!
I hope the republicans cut social security and medicare.
You know they will, and you know it will be dressed up as the Saving Social Security Act or the Restoring Fairness and American Jobs Act. The question is will Dems launch an all-out attack on attempts to cut the safety net. We have Tom Carper’s answer, and there are plenty more like Carper. As I recall the original Bush tax cuts for the rich were passed with Dem control of the Senate, with Democratic votes.