Monday Open Thread

21 thoughts on “Monday Open Thread”

1. The Democratic Party’s “Drive to 25” campaign has resulted in 41 strong congressional candidates being recruited to take on Republicans in 2012. It will put at least 60 Republican seats in play.

   Democrats need 24 seats to win the House.  More strong Democratic candidates are expectedd to announce.

   http://dccc.org/newsroom/entry…

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   1. Too many Dem voters will not bother to  play active roles in 2012 to make this happen. Many will conclude that if the GOP will always get its way whether in the majority, the minority or as part of a mixed bag and regardless of public opinion, what’s the point. Dems, from Obama on down, simply must not cave this time, no matter what. If Dems lose this latest game of chicken, game over for the duration.

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      1. I believe there are thousands, millions of us who either have already given up on Dems in power at the national level, or will give up if they cave this week.  To be clear, I’m not saying these folks won’t vote for Dem candidates — I’m saying they won’t get out and work hundreds of volunteer hours on behalf of the President and other candidates next year as they did in 2008.

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         1. And think about the difference the enthusiasm of new voters made in 2008.  Where will that be if Obama and Dems are seen as caving?  

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         2. I donated virtually nothing in the ’10 election because the Dems had rolled over on virtually everything and had given up on addressing unemployment. We suck less doesn’t open the checkbook.

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   2. 

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2. How to Turn Republicans and Democrats Into Americans

   1. Break the power of partisans to keep candidates off the general-election ballot.
   
   2. Turn over the process of redrawing congressional districts to independent, nonpartisan commissions.
   
   3. Allow members of any party to offer amendments to any House bill and-with rare exceptions-put those amendments to a vote.
   
   4. Change the leadership structure of congressional committees.
   
   5. Fill committee vacancies by lot.
   
   6. Choose committee staff solely on the basis of professional qualifications.

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   1. The first is a matter of structure, candidate preference, and the First Amendment.

      The second is good in theory, but I question just how non-partisan any such board really is.

      The third is a good idea, but requires a Constitutional Amendment or nicer House leadership to implement.  Same with the fourth.

      The fifth is IMHO just dumb.  I want people who know the subject matter or have an interest in it on the committees.  Also see #3 & #4.

      Can’t aegue with the last, but again that’s the Constitutional perogative of each chamber of Congress.

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      2. It is limited to people who have an interest – he suggests drawing by lot of those that apply. I’m all in favor of having people who know the subject matter but a lot of who is appointed is based on their political needs and willingness to toe the party line (like Lamborn on Armed Services). So drawing by lot could do better than how it presently works.

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3. On the Compromiser-in-Chief and Elizabeth Drew’s Article

   Obama has made Republicans “look bad,” Drew concludes, but he is not actually getting much for it.  I’d go even further. By fully caving on this stand-off, where the White House is backed by the general public and large swaths of the GOP (the financial community and the well-informed), Obama would not only fail to impress independent voters, he’d ensure a drubbing on a series of future fights, large and small, with his unreasonable opponents.

   Sometimes politics really is like parenting. You don’t reward tantrums.

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4. 
   
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

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   1. I can tell be looking at him he’s black. Well, 1/2 black.

      But I was relying and fair and balanced media to inform me that he was a spend thrift who hates America.

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5. and extended tax cuts for corporations “trickle down” and benefit consumers and the general public.

   Airlines raise fares as taxes lapse

   http://www.reuters.com/article…

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6. ..because, if you’ll remember, one Presidential candidate said that “veterans have it easy” while justifying her cuts to the VA.

   In the meantime, a brief public service announcement on unseen epidemic of Veteran Suicide:

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7. Rachel Madow has been following how bad a Majority Leader John Boehner really is.  Now, its seems that his own caucus of batsh-t crazies have rejected the proposal he drafted to deal with the debt limit.

   Tea Party Coalition Rejects Boehner’s Debt Proposal

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   1. Boehner keeps walking away from negotiations is because he’s now in the position of being unable to pass ANY plan through the House.  Instead of publicly admitting he’s completley lost control of his cat herd caucus to pass anything, he continues to double down on his bluff.  

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