Democrats See Agenda Slipping

The Hill:

There is a growing sense among Democrats that they will not be able to accomplish the entire agenda leaders set for 2009, pushing major policy debates into the midterm election year.

Concerns over the cost of overhauling the nation's healthcare system have served as a wake-up call to lawmakers.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[jdt67]

Democrats have only themselves to blame. They continue to beg Republicans for bipartisanship that will never happen and President Obama has been a lackluster leader of the party (at best) who seems to be living in 1993.

[westreal]

The Democrats are their own worst enemies. No one's talking about agenda's slipping except them lazy b@staards. The GOP are praying the Dems don't push anything through on a 60-40 vote. And the Dems are complaining about a non-existent problem.

[jmpurser]

You are assuming that the Democrats aren't getting EXACTLY what they want out of this situation. Just because they were elected with an agenda of expectation from the public doesn't mean that matches THEIR agenda. IMHO the agenda of the party is to maintain the status quo. If that's the case the Democratic party is far from being their "own worst enemy". They're just our enemy.

[homas]

Without campaign finance (bribery) reform all of the other reform is a joke.

[Gidster]

Co-sign!

[BabblingBrooks]

So far, experience indicates that every campaign finance reform tried has done no good or worsened the situation. The McCain-Feingold bill resulted in the elevation of George Soros to Emperor of America. Not good.

[Icantbelieveher]

When will someone actually pass a bill that helps the people -- not the rich people, but the average working person?

They can keep bailing out everyone, but if they don't put the money into the hands of the consumer, nothing will ever get better. Wages are going down, and unemployment keeps going up, and they big corporations, instead of paying their workers a decent living wage, spend millions to try to block any legislation that they feel might cut into their profit and bonuses for CEOs!

They suck out all of the $$$$$ from the country, then stand around and whine because no one is buying anything! We learn, as children, that if you are selfish and try to keep all the toys for yourself, people stop playing the game with you!

And fighting to keep the private insurance industry with their outrageous CEO salaries and stock options and bonuses, is not going to endear any senator to the people! Working for the people and protecting us against these thieves is what will help you be re-elected. It won't matter how much you receive in campaign contributions from these companies, if the people won't vote for you!

[Gidster]

As soon as average folks can spend $1.5 Billion in br!bes to get congress to vote for our best interests!

The top 13Congresspeople the Insurance industry owns:

John McCain (R-AZ)- $2,885,602
Ben Nelson (D-NE)- $1,210,299
Max Baucus (D-MT)- $1,182,613
Arlen Specter (D-R-PA)- $1,037,205
Joe Lieberman (D-CT)- $1,035,302
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)- $928,007
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)- $888,724
Kent Conrad (D-ND)- $825,337
Jim Bunning (R-KY)- $793,999
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)- $664,057
Kit Bond (R-MO)- $644,571
Dick Shelby (R--AL)- $637,748
Blanche Lincoln (D- AR) $462,383

It can never change if lobbyist gifts and corporate "Donations" are not stopped!

[BabblingBrooks]

Maybe the agenda is slipping because a reality tsunami is cresting off shore:

"Even as Democrats have promised that this cap-and-trade legislation won't pinch wallets, behind the scenes they've acknowledged the energy price tsunami that is coming. During the brief few days in which the bill was debated in the House Energy Committee, Republicans offered three amendments: one to suspend the program if gas hit $5 a gallon; one to suspend the program if electricity prices rose 10% over 2009; and one to suspend the program if unemployment rates hit 15%. Democrats defeated all of them.

The reality is that cost estimates for climate legislation are as unreliable as the models predicting climate change. What comes out of the computer is a function of what politicians type in. A better indicator might be what other countries are already experiencing. Britain's Taxpayer Alliance estimates the average family there is paying nearly $1,300 a year in green taxes for carbon-cutting programs in effect only a few years.

Americans should know that those Members who vote for this climate bill are voting for what is likely to be the biggest tax in American history. Even Democrats can't repeal that reality."
--WSJ.com

[jmpurser]

First, don't go to the WSJ for an opinion piece. It's like Fox only without the grasp of reality.

Second, all the climate projections are wrong because they consistenly UNDERESTIMATE the progress of "global warming" (or whatever term you want to use). While the financial costs of trying to prevent it are much more calculable.

[BabblingBrooks]

The WSJ is fact-based, logical, and the chances are that if you disagree with them, YOU are the erroneous party. They are pretty darn reliable for fallible human beings.

The climate models OVERESTIMATE because they posit a positive feedback circuit when it isn't clear whether it's positive, negative, or neutral regarding the CO2. Also, the CO2 effect DECREASES markedly with increased concentrations, and the current greenhouse effect from CO2 is nearly maximal. Adding more won't make much difference.

But thanks for trying. For someone 180 degrees from reality, you aren't as nasty-tempered as most.

[CarolW2]

I'm waiting for some Democrat, any Democrat, in Congress to grow a backbone. Say "Torture is wrong, period." "Health care is a right of everyone in this country". And then say it again and again, on TV, on the floor of Congress. Say it to the naysayers faces again and again and again. And then VOTE FOR these issues and keep pushing.

[jmpurser]

What the Democats are actually saying:

Torture is wrong. Period. But let's not hold anyone like, you know, accountable for it. Mistakes happen. Why should we waste our lovely minds on something like justice? Just walk on by and let some things be mysterious. Got to be forward looking!

Health care is a right and we're going to fine you if you don't go and buy your rights from one of these government approved insurance companies!

[freddiefreeloader]

Democrats did a great job as the do nothing congress in 2006-2008. All they should do is throw their bills out there and let them get voted down by the obstructionist Republicans and then in 2010 when 38 seats come up for election, see what happens. and try again after that and keep trying.

[jmpurser]

Some how they never QUITE have enough power to do something for the people who elected them but are aways "forced" to maintain the status quo and support the rich.

Danged odd coincidence that!

[freddiefreeloader]

I say that after 2010 Democrats will have a 70 seat majority in the senate.

[lvdragonlady]

If they would take the heads out and get some air it would help. They byt - - ched, moaned and groaned, when shrubie was in office and now, when things have changes, they have FORGOTTEN who they work for and why they were elected.
The constitution needs an amendment limiting congressional seat to no more then 8 years. This would limit the I am too important to lose, the I can do what I want, the I can take money from ??? and not one will know mind set and give the American people more control over who is in there working for us. Too many times, people vote for someone just because they are one party or the other and have NO clue what they are really about. WE need to change this kind of thinking.

[Suzanne525]

So true.

In Indiana, you can just vote straight party lines and NEVER even have to look at the names of who is on the ballot. I don't remember that option in California. There, you have to actually look the names of who you vote for.

[kimleehan]

The problem is when you don't have Republicans from left leaning states than no republican will cross the line and when you have Democrats from right leaning states than they cross the line everytime. The democrats are a victim of their own succees.

[jmpurser]

I won't be convinced of the Democratic Party's "victimhood" until I'm sure they're not being "forced" to maintain the status quo by their own inclinations.

They are not a progressive or liberal party and haven't been one for 30 years or more.

[just saying]

Are you sure 'success' is the right word here? Haven't seen all that much so far from them.

[WindySailor]

The Democrats in congress have two significant problems:

1. Harry Reid
2. Nancy Pelosi

[freddiefreeloader]

So who in the Democrat party could do a better job? Names please, They brought the Democrats from a minority to a majority, Of course they had a little help from Bush along the way.

[just saying]

First of all they didn't do squat! The nation wanted Bush out, no matter what. All people had to do was have a D next to their name. It was a 'let's vote for anyone but a republican election' rather than someone who can get liberal ideas done. Second, Kucinich for one could do a better job!

[WindySailor]

You asked for names. Here are my nominees:

Senate: Russ Feingold or Barbara Mikulski
House: I could list multiple names. Just give me a leader.

My complaint with the two incumbents is a lack of leadership ability. I don't think they have it.

[jmpurser]

I think you know the tree by its fruit and Reid and Pelosi are the fruit borne by the DLC/GOP Lite party known as the Democratic party.

[just saying]

Exactly! The Democratic party is SO FAR from what it used to be that Kennedy wouldn't even recognize it anymore! People don't even know what 'Jacksonian dems' or Southern Democrat means because the party has transformed so much in certain areas that it's NOT even Democratic anymore.

[warlover]

Windy, freddie asked a good question, were all still waiting for some names.

[OneLiberalLady]

What is going on with the Minnesota Supreme Court....? It seems they are trying to delay seating Al Franken until 2010.

[jmpurser]

I hope my enthusiasm for him isn't as sadly misplaced as my hopes for Obama have turned out to be. We DESPERATELY NEED another Paul Wellstone in Congress.

[just saying]

The dems don't want him seated. It scares the cr*p out of them because they have 60 votes and can't blame failure for passing legislation on the republicans anymore.

[Gidster]

They will delay until they can, by hook or crook, seat the Republican loser.

[Busterdawg]

Maybe if we didn't have hacks at House leadership something good would get done around here. Pelosi is in over her head and Hoyer is as incompetent as they come.

[Saxton]

Here's a question for every Democratic member of congress. Why, when Bush was president, the Republicans were able to ram every piece of legislation that Bush wanted through congress with hardly a note of resistance? I believe Bill Maher was correct when he said that the.."the blue-dog democrats are far right republicans and the moderate democrats are the new republicans." Regardless of whether one is Republican or Democrat both members are under the control of lobbyists, Wall Street, the banking, insurance, pharmaceutical and oil industries. When Americans vote, we are essentially electing the officials who will represent the interests of industry lobbyists. They're very few true progressive democrat or independent representatives in Congress.

[olmossy]

I ask a lot of them that question Yesterday via Email. I ask them why Bush (it hurts to say this) got things He wanted done. I ask them why they couldn't.

No answers back yet.

[CigarGod]

With those on the left side of the boat being the only ones rowing forward and the ones on the right rowing backwards, it is not a surprise the boat isn't moving well.

[jmpurser]

Nice analogy

[frappe]

All that the Democrats need to do to accelerate the process of constructive change is to ignore the Republicans. Most of America realizes now that the only thing that the Republican party is interested in is regaining political power. Their obstructionism is clear to all with two eyes, two ears, and a brain. The Democrats should just ignore the miserable pests who seem more willing to destroy the country that they took an oath to protect if it meant more money and political power for them. They are an annoying bunch of miserable, small-minded, egos who shouldn't be given a second thought. They are abusing the principle behind the filibuster for their own selfish purposes. Use the reconciliation process to circumnavigate around the toads. Use it a hundred times if you have to. Just get the job done -- or else.

[jmpurser]

The democratic party as a whole is opposed to the very idea of "constructive change". They have become the new conservatives working to maintain the status quo.