NEWS: Weak

POLITICS: Weak

The Democrats are fucking weak. There is no other word in the English language that can describe them any better. Bush is so unpopular and out of control that it is shocking, yet the Democrats have done nothing to check the president’s belligerent power grab.

They certainly have talked a big game. Last year, in the run up to the elections, the future Speaker of the House let the country know what Democrats would do once they had control of Congress.

Fuck yeah! Subpoenas! How’s that going?

Well, back in early July, the House Judiciary Committee was investigating the US Attorney scandal. Bush’s ex-White House legal advisor, Harriet Miers, blew off a Congressional subpoena. She didn’t come and take the fifth. She didn’t come and claim she had executive privilege. She just decided not to show up because the president, her former employer, did not want her to. So, Harriet Miers BLEW IT OFF.

Chief of staff Josh Bolten refused to hand over White House documents to the House Judiciary Committee. He claimed executive privilege and told the Democrats to shove their oversight up their assholes.

The House Judiciary Committee gave both a couple of days, and then took action.

Take that, you motherfuckers! The Democrats just recommended that something happen. You so in trouble!

Following the recommendation, the entire House would have to vote on whether or not to hold Miers and Bolton in contempt. If the House voted in favor of the recommendation, the case would then be sent to the US Attorney in DC. But, the Democrats did not take any action before the summer recess. Now they are back and…well, they are Democrats.

This should have been sent to the entire House for a vote in July. The President is setting a dangerous precedent for the future. If this goes unchecked, the balance of power in our government will forever be unequal. But, take your time Democrats. If you keep delaying, hopefully this can drag on until the President leaves office. And then you won’t have to actually stand up and fight for anything. Hell, maybe Bush can give you his spine as he vacates the White House.

One thing is for sure, if the case was reversed, the Republicans would have already sent the offending Democrats to the guillotine.

I really, really, really want to like the Democrats - and in some respects, I do - but shit like this just drives me nuts. At some point you have to actually act or you end up making your opponents look better strictly through your own inaction.

It seems to be working. They do nothing, and people still vote for them because they're the only "alternative" to the republican party.

I'd really like to see some third party candidates start taking seats that aren't being used effectively. But third parties are a joke, of course. Obviously only the big two parties could possibly govern this well

Well, it's not like the Democrats can do whatever they want because popular understanding is that they're "in control" now. They still need ten or eleven Republicans to agree with them to get anything at all on the President's desk.

Yeah, let's be clear, there are no bullet proof majorities in either house, and because of that, the Dems are vulnerable to the complaint that they are wasting time on impossible things for political gain.

You want action? Make sure you give the Dems bulletproof majorities in both houses in 2008.

ok... here's an idea! lets ban all registered Democrats AND republicans... (and any other political party for that matter) from american politics for 10 years! Only independents can run... only independents can vote! (and you GOT to be a citizen, too... of course)

you say you want a revolution....


its a pipe dream... but hey... its something to think about!

They don't seem to be making the most of their majorities at all though. They may not be bulletproof but they're majorities nevertheless. Put up some votes in a way that's framed to make them incredibly uncomfortable to vote against (taking a page from the Republicans' playbook) - like sponsoring a bill called the "Honesty in Government Law" that would ensure that executive appointees like Miers are still subject to congressional subpoena power. If you were a politician, would you want to be on record as voting against" Honesty in Government"?

They need to at least try and flex some muscle before complaining that it's too hard to do.

"One thing is for sure, if the case was reversed, the Republicans would have already sent the offending Democrats to the guillotine."

No shit. When Clinton got a BJ and then lied about it, they tore him to shreds. Compare that "infraction" with the crimes of Dubya, and then compare the punishments...or the lack thereof.

+1

No shit. The Democrats show up to the game and then they complain that the other team is actually playing against them.
Like... honestly? No one saw that coming?

There is a limit to what they can do with slim majorities, in terms of legislation, passing it or blocking it. I think they have failed us in the oversight role, though - as the article describes. They chair every committee.

My one hope for this two year congressional period was that the Dems could capitalize on the electoral momentum and bring the neo-con movement down, in flames, never to emerge again. Chances appear to grow thinner.

Barack Obama's plan for troop withdrawal from Iraq

Declaring Miers and Bolten to be in contempt of Congress doesn't require the same veto-proof majority that overriding a Presidential veto does. While there might be some "blue dog" Democrats that would vote against contempt charges, there are certainly an equal if not greater number of Republicans in Congress who will put Congressional oversight (and their own power) over loyalty to the imperial Presidency of Bush/Cheney.

Even if there was only one Republican left in Congress, the GOP would complain that the Democrats were wasting time and doing things for political gain, and "Hey, remember all that stuff we didn't do the last time you voted for us? Vote for more of us and we'll not do even more!" isn't really a catchy campaign slogan.

While I'm enough of a partisan douchebag to agree that the Democrats in Congress should pick their fights, this is one fight they really, really need to pick.

I've heard this theory: inaction on part of the Democrats may be part of strategy to raise hell by talking up these issues; wiretapping, torture, occupation, etc.., and simply letting it burn. After all, it's horrible press for the Republicans, and there's a Presidential campaign going on.

That's not to say I agree with that premise.

Leaving the hawks unchecked with a loyalist Republican following is a bad idea. Especially with Cheney hunting for Iranian blood.

Thats the problem with our two party system. Nothing gets accomplished unless someone has a bulletproof majority. Apparently compromising with the "other side" is too much a political risk.

Oh Jesus fucking Christ. Here's a tip:

1. You don't just file criminal charges against senior White House staff like you were ordering a happy meal.
2. Congress has been in fucking recess. There have been exactly eleven working days since the Committee sent their recommendation to the house.

It seems to me that something is being ignored: The truth. Would it be possible, say, for people to not be afraid of big, bad, Bush and actually protect those that elected them?

Damn, I feel bad for being so greedy.

I'd vote for you.

Wait... So what comes after outrage?

...Because they know that they will get to wield it once Bush and the republicans are voted out of office

Really, they've been in recess since July 12th? Good to know.

Apathy I believe.

The wonderful thing about the Supremes is that you just never can tell.

I mean Alito has been a big advocate of the unitary executive approach, and Scalia and Thomas get a kick out of making shit up and calling it "strict constuctionism." But Kennedy is definately a wildcard on this kind of issue.

"They" won't. As they are not the executive branch. And the tension between congress and the executive has by no means been a strictly partisan issue.

I think that you are right about the Pres candidates though. So far only Edwards has come out strongly in favor of limiting executive power. And I will be honest the idea of Clinton or ANY of the Repuglies coming to office with what Bush is leaving behind scares the fuck out of me.

the republicans and democrats have shared power since the civil war. neither party is worth a fuck. they both work to keep the status quo. they are one and the same. the lesser of two evils is still evil. most americans don't care.......as long as domino's delivers then life is good. this is a nation of lemmings.