Dems Find Supermajority Hasn't Changed Balance Of Power

Washington Post:

Senate Democrats spent their first full day holding 60 votes just as they have spent the previous 2 1/2 years without such a supermajority: scrambling to find Republican support for their key initiatives in order to choke off potential filibusters.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[ljc]

What a disappointment. Franken has been there 2 days and everything isn't passed yet. What is taking so long??

[willt7311]

Franken won't make a difference.

[dave1111]

Still 100000000000000% better than Coleman.

[bygollymissmolly]

It won't change anything. At least it won't as long as the Democrats continue to be Democrats. They are not like the Republics, the party of "it's our way or the highway". Democrats elect people who think and make up their minds for themselves and the party leadership does not threaten to kick out people who don't go along with everything the leadership wants. I would rather have the messy, honest Democrats than the Borg Republics leading this country any day.

[DrHuffington]

Now that's LEADERSHIP

[Eidolas]

"Democrats elect people who think and make up their minds for themselves and the party leadership does not threaten to kick out people who don't go along with everything the leadership wants."

Senator Lieberman might have a different take on that opinion.


Jus' saying'

[WarrenPease]

Senator Lieberman created his own special situation when he did something to lose the trust of his colleagues.

Just a thought.

[motamanx]

Lieberman is the empty-suited exception that makes the rule.

[jneems]

"Democrats elect people who think and make up their minds for themselves, and the party leadership does not threaten to kick out people who don't go along with everything..."

You are kidding right??

Our fearless leaders on both sides of the aisle are now beholden only to special interests. There are no good guys vs bad guys here. They are ALL bought and paid for. They are all playing us for suckers.

[KDog76A]

nice regurgitation, too bad you are short on facts.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/111/senate/party-voters/

111th Congress/Senate Democrats voted along party lines 89.9% of the time Republicans 85% of the time

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/party-voters/

110th Congress/Senate Democrats voted along party lines 87.5% of the time Republicans 80.7%

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/109/senate/party-voters/

109th Congress/Senate Dems: 87.1% Reps:87.2% so I guess the Republicans were .1% more Borg.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/108/senate/party-voters/

108th Republicans voted along party line 91.8% of the time whereas Democrats only 84.9%... notice in the link though the biggest Borg, voting along party lines 98.4% of the time in 187 votes...
John Kerry D

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/107/senate/party-voters/

107th Dems: 88.4% Reps: 87.3% Mitch McConnell R = big borg

These are the facts... So maybe you should vote Republican because they are more likely to cross party's? give me a break

[druidlady42]

Seems to me that Dems wouldn't have so much trouble gaining Republican support HAD Obama and the centrist Democrats pursued ACCOUNTIBILITY from members of the Bush administration for their multiple crimes against our Constitution, Congressional and international laws!


What we are seeing now is an unapologetic, unchastened, ARROGANT Republican Minority STILL holding sway over Congress because NOBODY has held any of them accountable for their lockstep 8-year support of an administration which openly LIED to the American public and instituted policies which have decimated and destroyed the health of our economy!

If Dems had brought such ruin to our country in an 8-year period, you can bet your last dollar that Republicans would be clamoring to slam the blame against them and investigate/prosecute everyone they could find! YET, although the Democrats have the MAJORITY we gave them, and there are REAL CRIMES to pursue, Obama and the disjointed Democratic leadership don't have the stomach---nor respect for our laws--to hold Bush, Cheney and their circle of neocon criminals accountable for ANYTHING!

No wonder the Republicans are still in control!!!

[bygollymissmolly]

Are you delusional? There is no way the Democrats could have ever gotten Republican support and if they had pushed for accountability of the Bush Crime Family, the Republics would be even more vicious than they are now.

[dave1111]

100% accurate, IMO.

[Caribbeana]

That's too logical missmolly!
I mean really, the Repubs wouldn't have closed ranks tighter than a sardine tin!

[KDog76A]

blahblahblah, that went out the window when the Democrats realized Pelosi was briefed on waterboarding... there are plenty of Democrats just as guilty... thats why they dropped the witchhunt...

[wdw505]

laughing

[dave1111]

Agree 1000% and fanned!

[Eidolas]

"......although the Democrats have the MAJORITY we gave them, and there are REAL CRIMES to pursue, Obama and the disjointed Democratic leadership don't have the stomach---nor respect for our laws--to hold Bush, Cheney and their circle of neocon criminals accountable for ANYTHING!"

Or the Democrats stand to lose something themselves. This isn't an accident or oversight, after all - Its a calculated decision.

[bluessss82]

The Republican Party as a whole has become a version of the 'post turtle' story.

You drive down the road a see a turtle on top of a post. You gotta' wonder:

That thing really doesn't belong there! It's so effing out of place.
Funny that it is there? It's totally useless in its current position.
And finally, you have to wonder who the id!ot or id!.ots are that put it there.

[willt7311]

It seems your more concerned about a party that has no power than you are about the party that has all the power.

[DrHuffington]

They have to have a boogey-man to blame. They own Washington, can't get anything accomplished, and refuse to look in the mirror as to why.

[dave1111]

Replace the turtle with a dinosaur and the analogy becomes even more apt.

[KDog76A]

bwaaahaaahaaa, oh wait, its not funny or original...

too bad you can't make a post with substance just bad plays on bad jokes. Keep pointing fingers, it willl keep you distracted from the fact the Dems are going to drop the ball on their own issues during their own "supermajority." Of course when they blow it you'll blame it on Republicans right? Afterall its too hard to look in the mirror or actually take responsibility... its much better to sound idealistic than it is to act realistic about things...

[VanillaCreme]

I'm so happy the Dems have a super majority. Now when they blame Bush 2 or 3 years from now, when the economy is still in the tank and the tax rate has doubled, we know exactly who the bull in the china cabinet is.

From what I know, the economy was fine until 2006 when the Dems were the majority. I won't give Bush a free pass though; he had the veto pen and didn't use it.

[lornejl]

The tax rate will double ? You must be one of those baggers we hear so much about.

[DrOftrahDivad]

amen and cosign

[fabricnthreads]

Fine until 2006? Jobs have been leaving this economy by the millions since before Perot ran on the "sucking sound you hear is your job leaving."

The great abandonment of America began with Reagan. Your personal economy may have been fine until 2006, but the demise was set into motion long before. The house of cards started falling because the foundation had been washed away years earlier. An economy cannot endure the shuffling of money around without manufacturing and exports creating and bringing in new income. A service economy generates no new sources of cash flow. The only flow of money in a service economy is UP, from the people.

The wealthy hoard the cash, and shift it to the workers in stores and restaurants through low wages and no benefits. They invest in the stock market, not jobs. They want exponential profits quickly. They don't build factories or pay living wages because the turnover of their money is too slow. They avoid taxes any way they can. The wealthy have not invested in the ECONOMY for years. They have invested in a unregulated, unsupervised stock market.

[dave1111]

The factories are being built, they are in China, and India, where the workers are paid an average $5 a day, so we can rush to Wal-Mart for it's low, low prices.

[dave1111]

The factories are being built, they are in China, and India, where the workers are paid an average $5 a day, so we can r.u.s.h to Wal-Mart for it's low, low prices.

[Eidolas]

You blame Reagan even though the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress for most of his administration. Wake up. It took TWO parties to get America into this mess. It will take TWO parties to find a solution, but there's too much partisan squabbling to even focus on the real issues. Neither party has clean hands in this mess. You want change? Throw the incumbents of both parties out of Congress in the next election.

[bygollymissmolly]

"From what I know". Well, the problem is that you don't know nothing. And the Democrats were never in power. The Republics filibustered everything the Democrats tried to do for the last two years of the Bush rein of terror, so there's nothing you can blame them for.

It must really hurt to be a member of a party with only 21% of Americans supporting your party and of that 21% only 14% being strong Republics. I almost feel sorry for you.

From the recent WSJ Poll:

Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or something else? (IF "DEMOCRAT" OR "REPUBLICAN," ASK:) Would you call yourself a strong (Democrat/Republican) or not a very strong (Democrat/Republican)? (IF "INDEPENDENT," ASK:) Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican Party, closer to the Democratic Party, or do you think of yourself as strictly independent?

Strong Democrat............................21
Not very strong Democrat ............10
Independent/lean Democrat........10
Total Democrat or leans ..............41

Strictly independent ............18

Strong Republican ........................14
Not very strong Republican............7
Independent/lean Republican ......9
Total Republican or leans............30

So, this shows that only 21% of Americans call themselves Republicans today and of that only 14% call themselves strong Republicans. If you add that to the Gallup poll the other day that said that 34% of Republicans aren't happy with the way their party is going, I say that the Republican party is in deep trouble.

[ljc]

Reagan's stimulus in 1981 took over a year to finally kick in. The unemployment rates were over 10% still in 1982

[dave1111]

Tax cuts for the wealthy are not a stimulus, and the Reagan recession was engineered to combat inflation. Read some history, instead of just making things up.

[tokenconservative]

Reagan didn't promise people unemployment wouldn't hit 10% with the passage of the largest bill ever. Obama did. And now he wants round 2.

[lornejl]

Reid is wearing down the repubs with kindness.

They won't be able to hold out much longer.

[dave1111]

He// will be freezing over any minute now.

[abby4ever]

It was just 48 hours ago, lornejl, at least according to a different wsj article, that Reid was instructing Dems 'not to chase Republican votes'. Now, at least according to this latest article, he is 'huddled with Republicans' trying to get the votes he told Dems not to chase. If what was in the first article was true, hopefully what is in this latest one, is false.

If not, he will be the laughing stock of DC for years to come.

[abby4ever]

Of course, it;'s possible that, as with Biden and Rahm, Obama has had to sl@p Reid down and tell him he wants bipartisan support (as this article suggests). If so, Reid's 'stop chasing Repub votes' was out of turn, just as some of Rahm's and Biden's statements were out of turn....

[Amondale]

Clarification for those that need it regarding "US vs. THEM mentality."

When every single Democratic issue is opposed by some here, then that's clearly US vs. THEM. When there's a middle ground to be found, it's good that we highlight it and proceed within. All of this useless ranting that anything Dems do or Reps do is bad doesn't move any discussion forward in a positive manner.

As for being ridiculed by some here, that's a two-way street so spare me the feigned victim's role.

[DrHuffington]

You're correct, but we (meaning people that want to have a meaningful discussion) are in the middle of a mob. So discussions quickly deteriorate into name-calling (I am guilty as well).

[neesy08]

The Ramussen Report is Republican. Nuf said. They do not have 60. Byrd & Kennedy make them 2 short. Still, all they need is 51. Franken just arrived this week, so give 'em time.

[dave1111]

Lieberman and Sanders are independent. And they need 50, plus VP Biden's tie breaker.

[KoolAidAmerica]

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 30% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of –8. The President’s Approval Index rating has fallen six points since release of a disappointing jobs report last week (see trends).

[Chaimirija]

Yes, but still greater than 50% APPROVE

[chargerman]

In the Dem world 52% is called a Landslide.

[Greywolf Borealis]

In today's democratic party it's basically "every person for his/herself with not much loyalty for the party or for a man, who overwhelmingly was elected to the presidency. I hope someone in the White House is keeping score for when the time of 2010 primary season rolls around. I can see a president ACTIVELY campaigning AGAINST some members of his own party. I pray that comes to be. Several democratic senators and congresspeople are democrats in name only and need to be weeded out with the rest of the republican chaff.

[willt7311]

You lost me at the "overwhelmingly" part.

[ljc]

Clinton-D only got 43% of the vote, so I guess President Obama-D did receive an overwhelming amount.

[chargerman]

Your words, hoping someone in the White House is keeping score. Sounds like Obama is morphing into Nixon. Bring back the good old days.

[KoolAidAmerica]

overwhelming?

[dave1111]

They are like monkeys that are put in control of a banana company, they don't know what to do with what they have...monkeys in charge of a banana company, so sad.

[JimR]

LOL! That's perfect!

[chargerman]

Never will succeed as the monkeys eat all the bananas before they get to market. LOL

[foreffectivegovernment]

Is that like having the inmates in charge of the mental institution?

[chargerman]

Yes doing the same old socialist ideas over and over and looking for a different result. That's insanity and that institution is located in Dingy Harry's office.

[DrHuffington]

Amondale,
It’s about us, all of us. The vote in California is a perfect example of a mob mentality. If you asked people; “Would you like to have Affordable Health Care, Energy Independence, and a Clean Environment”, of course people would say yes (even the conservatives). But when it comes to paying for the services, NO ONE, not even the Democratic base in California want to pay for it. This is the essential divide between Republicans and Democrats (Roe v Wade aside).

[willt7311]

Everybody wants these things until they realize they have to pay for them.

[Amondale]

Agreed. That's why I didn't say the Republicans alone voted down the tax increases. In addition, I understand the way they constructed their constitution makes it very hard to get tax increases into law. Naturally their spoending could be trimmed, but they still need to bring in the revenue to pay for they're currently spending. I pity the IOU situation. Nothing good comes out of a state going bankrupt.

[BlackBuddha]

Why don't Christians listen to Jesus when it comes to taxes?

Jesus' take on paying taxes...

Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's,
Give unto God what is God's.

Sounds like Jesus woulda raised some taxes...

[DrHuffington]

Why did the libs in California vote down tax increases? Oh, I forgot, they're atheists.

[whodoyouvoodoo]

10%.....

[DrOftrahDivad]

leave Jesus out of this please
has nothing to do with that
thanks

[Anni-Frid]

What were the Roman tax rates?

[DrOftrahDivad]

arms
legs
internal organs

[dottedzebra]

4.5% at the end, 1% at the beginning.

[marley22]

Here's a Progressive issue that'll get you your 60 - Euthanasia

[Amondale]

Lets take care of the Youth in America first. Thanks.

[MarcusT]

Youth is wasted on the young.

[chargerman]

Give them all Shelby Cobra Fords.

[marley22]

I guess I was a little too subtle.

"Come on, Ted and Robert, take one for the team!"

[JimR]

I don't know... I get mad at the neocons, too, but that's a little harsh, isn't it?

[Amondale]

DrHuffington I'm a Fan of DrHuffington I'm a fan of this user permalink
(Californians) put a tax increase on the ballot and the libs voted it down. Where's their patriotism, as Biden once said?

Hey Doc, you seem to be an intelligent person. It's really too bad it's wasted on such negativity and a US vs. THEM mentality.

IMHO

[DrOftrahDivad]

hah
you take a look at liberals hate here?
they think GOP is more of enemy than AQ

[bubbuh]

Don't Roosh to judgment now.

[dave1111]

Not much of a difference, you are really splitting hairs there.

[willt7311]

A lib is calling somebody out about US vs Them? Come on.

[DrOftrahDivad]

exactly