President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Jeff Hurd
50%
50%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
70%↑
30%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
November 21, 2011 06:05 PM UTC
49 Comments
Look at him work around history without acknowledging it: Previous deficit reduction plans incorporated tax increases–oh, and those plans were Ronald Reagan’s. Sheesh.
or reason attached to this process.
The republicans are perfectly content to watch the US economy go down the toilet as long as the 1% is protected. If you have millions in a bank in Bermuda or the Cayman Islands, what do you care that 14,000,000 children go to bed hungry every night?
In ’08 we elected Obama, a strong majority in the House and in the Senate. And what did we get?
When the Republicans held a tiny majority in the Senate they used the threat of the nuclear option to get things passed. With Democrats holding 60 seats we constantly heard that the Senate rules were sacrosanct and used that as an excuse for inaction.
And when it came to legislation that was passed, from healthcare to financial reform, it was so watered down and the request of Wall St and the giant corporations, that the end result was pathetic.
Yes the Republicans are trying to drive the bus off the cliff. But we’ve got a lot of Democratic fellow travellers who have voted exactly as their corporate owners have told them to.
Both parties have sold their soul to Wall St and this is the result.
Sorry, David. That was then, this is now. We don’t have a House majority. We don’t have (nearly) 60 votes in the Senate. And unless legislation gets past the House, it doesn’t get passed at all. That is the reality here.
Democrats can only be to blame for today’s news in that they allowed it to happen at all rather than the alternative of watching the Republicans force a debt ceiling crisis.
Your concern trolling sucks as usual.
I’m a Democrat, and I think David has a legitimate point. You need to take a chill pill. Where did that angry comment come from?
I’ve been amazed at how poorly the Democratic leadership has been handling this whole mess. The Democrats should be saying: “There is only ONE way out of this nightmare: vote in more Democrats, ASAP. The Republicans have only one answer: keep cutting taxes. It will not solve the deficit problem or the jobs problem: it can’t! We need adult leadership. Give us a chance by giving us the supermajority we need to get the job done.”
Plus, it’s not trolling when you’re responding to the specific issues raised in the original post.
he was accusing David of concern trolling. That’s not fair because David believes what he writes, while concern trolls are liars engaging in deceit.
Actually, I think David has a point, too – strong leadership during the previous session would have headed this off, as well as remembering the principles and positions that are supposed to define the Democratic Party.
Not only addressed these specific problems, but given independents a reason to vote Democratic in ’10. We can blame Bush for tanking the economy. But we need to blame ourselves for being so ineffective with the majorityq we had that we pissed it away.
And people like GG shoot the messenger rather than address the fundamental problem in our own party.
ps – thank you
love that auto-correct on the iPad
Strong (read: abusive to the rules in ways we complained about Republicans threatening to do…) leadership last session would have made a more positive impression on voters – think of a stronger investment reform package – but the fact remains that the recession would still have been underway in 2010 when voters went to the polls.
We still would have likely lost the House, and the result would still have been the same. The only difference is that Dems wouldn’t have so far to climb out of the electoral hole, and we might not have lost a few key state races.
Whining about what Dems could have done, and I agree they could have done more, doesn’t change the simple fact that the people at fault for our legislative mess are the obstructionists on the right side of the political aisle. Democratic ineptitude and wimpiness was only an enabling vehicle.
That during the first year in office:
1. Obama had passed healthcare reform that also reduced the growing costs (single payer or other). That would have significantly reduced projected deficits.
2. Ended the Bush tax cuts for everyone at 250K and above.
3. Passed effective financial reform, closed down the worst banks (like Citigroup), prosecuted the executives that broke the law, and forced the banks and bondholders to bear a fair share of the cost.
And then toward the end of ’09, when it was clear the economy was not moving, stepped up with additional significant efforts to get things moving.
I think if that had happened we would have retained strong majorities in both houses. People weren’t demanding an instant fix, just a change so we are going in the right direction.
… we had 60 Democratic Senators willing to go along with all of that (we didn’t), I think things would be different, and I said as much above. But having to change the rules of the Senate to eliminate the stalling tactics of the Republicans would have opened up Democrats to the charge of stifling the will of a significant minority voting population (i.e. Republicans), and Democrats would have been bludgeoned with it. While we would have gained policy-wise from such a change, we would have lost or at best broken even in terms of the political price.
But if the economy was still tanked – and it would almost certainly have been so if we’d closed down the worst of the banks, etc. – then I believe Republicans would have been adroit enough to have blamed the continuing crisis on a lack of proper moves by Democrats who would have held all that extra power unchecked by Republicans.
In the end, we would still have lost our House majority – by not as large a margin, but still… – and we would still be short a couple of Senate seats from the 60 needed.
So, no, I don’t think it would have changed the overall 2011 political picture, even in the outside scenario of going full-on “nuclear” in changing the Senate rules.
This is, of course, speculation on both of our parts. I’ve given up on being overly optimistic when predicting what will happen in the face of outright Progressive victory – things don’t change that fast even in countries whose regimes have been overthrown. Your mileage may vary.
when you should be busy grinding out your chores isn’t necessary either but chronic whining and trying to manufacture phony equivalencies every single fucking time is also unnecessary.
The myth of the super majority has been debunked everywhere except in Davids mind. Lieberman wasn’t going to let anything get through that hurt his corporate masters. Obama had to make a legitimate and sincere effort at reconciliation. The Tea Party was at it’s zenith with the extremists were opening talking about armed rebellion. The economy was still tanking and people were scared. There wasn’t any golden “we could have done anything” moment that David falsely proclaims. Democrats took what they could and are fighting to hold onto it. This fantasy of his that Democrats squandered the best of times is total bullshit and he knows it.
Very very good job – congrats.
Oh, and it requires only 51 votes to change the rules of the Senate.
Your point?
The Republicans say the Democrats share blame for not capitulating. I say they share blame for not fighting.
A fighting Democrat against the current Republican crowd is good political theater, but he or she doesn’t keep the government running day to day.
Perhaps you still think Republican officials are still generally caring people, but this isn’t Newt Gingrich’s GOP. If a couple of weeks of government shutdown are what it takes to break the backs of Democrats and make them see things their way, then that’s fine with them. If a downgrade of our nation’s credit rating is needed in order to have things their way, they’ll go for it and damn the consequences to our nation as a whole.
Getting even a little something out of them by being uber-compromisers or even cavers in that light.
(Again just to be clear – I think Democrats could do more and be more vocal about what they’d actually like to see happening. They could start from those more liberal positions if they happen to support them, they could advocate for them before the People… But it wouldn’t gain them an inch from today’s Republican leaders. They’d get at best the same result legislatively.)
or don’t do, you’ll tell us they love their families (so they can’t be that bad!) and that in any case Democrats are just as bad.
You’re the one doing the rationalizing around here. Everyone else can see it, why can’t you?
…that the Democrats in D.C. have done an outstanding job. I’m afraid on that question we’re going to have to disagree.
Are you such a horrible debater that you cannot respond to a person without lying about what s/he says?
Why do you think everyone on the site thinks you’re full of shit all the time? Being completely unable to defend anything you say without lying all the time?
My original point is that the Democrats in Washington haven’t done much and have let the Republicans push them around. I took your comment as disagreeing with that specific point I was making.
So please tell me, agree or disagree with that point?
which was that Republicans and Democrats are equally to blame for the failure of the supercommittee.
If you meant to make a different point, we’ll be ready to accept your apology. My own feelings on Democrats are pretty clear.
And that the Dems deserve blame for very different reasons.
an outstanding job working with Republicans.
You can’t work with them and you can’t ignore and go around them.
Republicans have unanimously voted 100% of the time to obstruct any and every measure that comes before them from the White House. How much can you realistically expect to accomplish with that kind of a poisoned environment?
What a fucking dick like you refuses to acknowledge David is that the nation isn’t in a deeper hole thanks to the Obama Administration and no thanks to Quislings like you. Intelligent war has worked and our troops are coming home. Discrimination based on gender and sexual preference is receding. The Supreme Court is not 7-2 in favor of the corporations. Better regulations have been developed for offshore drilling and redundant regulations are being reviewed and removed.
I really believe your alter-ego was H-man and I’m not too sure if you two aren’t one and the same.
Your consistent mini-Sirota, “all Democratic politicians are bad and need to be replaced” bullshit is straight up Wormtongue mealy mouthed bullshit. Register as a Republican if you can’t support Democratic politicians. At least then your constant attacks on Democratic politicians will be consistent with your desire to get rid of them.
for the Republicans David is that with you the glass is always half empty. Republicans have blocked and filibustered everything and you dutifully complain how terrible Democratic politicians because things aren’t magically better. A real Democrat is enough of a realist to understand that the entire Republican strategy since 2009 has been to create an environment of discouragement and disappointment. They can see through the flim-flam of the super committee and hone in on the day by day improvements that continue to happen in spite of Republican obstruction.
The Super Committee isn’t the end of the world. In some regards it is a blessing. Only a Republican wannabe like you is crying about how terrible the Democrats were to not capitulate to Republican demands to destroy the poor to save the rich. What a dickish Republican attitude. Change parties if you really truly believe in Republican obstructionism as the future of our country.
I’ve just also said we suck less isn’t the best appraoch. I think the big difference between us is you think the Dems are doing the best they can and I expect a lot better.
Let me give you two specifics. First on the financial reform bill there was no effort by Obama to have it include significant reform. And many of our Democratic Senators (including Benet & Udall) voted against the various amendments that would have put real teeth in the legislation. This was not a case of Republican votes gutting the legislation, this was Democratic votes gutting the legislation.
Second, the job market has been horrible from before Obama took office. There was the initial stimulus bill but after that no serious effort to do more to address jobs (outside of the House). At a minimum the Democrats should have been proposing significant help and taking their proposal to the people – loudly and constantly. If the Republicans kept killing it, the people would see that the Democrats were trying to improve things and the vote would have been very different in ’10.
But you can fight rather than just say “there’s nothing more we can do.” I want Democratic politicians who will fight for us, not ones who always have excuses ready.
If you’re unhappy that the superwhatever failed to drive the bus off a cliff, then the people you should blame are the Democrats who DIDN’T do exactly what their corporate owners told them to. It’s basically Jim Clyburn’s fault.
I honestly don’t know what your complaint has to do with the posted news story; just sounds like more of David’s “I’m too good for all this” posturing which somehow finds a way to insert itself into any discussion.
http://thinkprogress.org/
David today, all full of fire and brimstone about Republican nefariousness: “the Republicans are trying to drive the bus off the cliff,” and (like many Dems) “have sold their soul to Wall St.”
David pre-2010 elections {bracketed italics added by me}:
Fact is, David, a year ago your whole persona was a high-minded, slightly pretentious plea to stop impugning Republicans because ALL those you encoutered were “thoughtful” and “sincerely” meant well for all Coloradans.
So it’s hard to buy your new “Fightin’ Dave!” persona blasting otehr Dems for going soft on Republicans with nefarious motives like “trying” to drive off the cliff and “selling their soul” to “Wall Street” masters.
In August, I had the opportunity to join a small group to have lunch with Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. His remarks were focused on the supercommittee. He believed they would succeed. He thought that Sen. Rob Portman, Republican from Ohio would be the GOP member that would break and support tax increases for the wealthy. I thought Nelson was nuts.
I told Nelson that I was surprised that he never mentioned “jobs” anytime during his remarks. He said that job creation was “implied” in his discussion. Hmmm.
Let’s not forget that the supercommittee’s mission of reducing the budget deficit had nothing to do with job creation. In fact, if they decided to make budget cuts for 2012 it would actually decrease employment.
Bottom line: The GOP only wants Obama to fail. They may succeed if we continue to let them distract us from focusing on economic growth with these fake attempts at deficit reduction.
Actually I am very Pleasantly suprised. I am of course not suprised that the Republicans refused to compromise on their no no tax pledge. I am grateful that for this one small moment at least the Democrats did not cave. Of course even the proposal that the Democrats apparently made and the Republicans refused would have outraged me.
The super-committee failed precisely because Democrats were interested in compromising only 80% of what they believed in, while Republicans were only interested in compromising 5% (and that reluctantly). There were some somewhat conservative Democrats on that panel – Republicans could have declared victory against Medicare and Social Security if they’d only been willing to allow the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire. As far as I’m concerned, this is a Republican Party platform failure.
Of course now they’re going to push to repeal the Defense spending cuts while leaving all the other cuts in place, and I’m sure they’ll also be looking to extend the Bush tax cuts once again. Moody’s has indicated a potential credit downgrade if the Defense spending cuts are repealed; this might not hurt in the short term (at present, where do investors think is more secure than US Treasury funds), but in the long term we may yet be thanking Republicans for further damaging the long-term stability of our country.
As Paul Krugman noted, the expected failure of the Supercommittee was neither a surprise, nor a bad thing:
So the bargaining will continue without the super committee. It will revolve around 3 critical issues that will expire at the end of the year — extending the longterm unemployment benefits, what to do about the payroll tax cut, and the grand bargaining chip — the Bush tax cuts.
We’re back to where we were last year, when we were debating whether the best thing to do was to just let them expire if the Democrats can’t extract sufficient value from retaining some or all of them.
The cure would have been worse than the disease.
Time to start rolling up the streets in Colorado Springs. No more massive government waste to squander on that local military industrial owned burg.
What’s another 300 point market hit to the people’s 401-Ks? The republicans have got to keep this recession rolling to keep Obama from being re-elected.
Dem. Max Baucus is still hoping for a Super-Congress solution, says a tweet from his office.
Just let it die, Max.
It almost seems sometimes as if the Republicans want Obama to assume dictatorial powers.
Everyone SHOULD know that the Democrats were willing to compromise, but the Republicans weren’t. They’ve all sold their souls to that Muslim terrorist sympathizer Grover Norquist (I’m not calling him that: some of his erstwhile allies at Red State have thrown out that latest wild-eyed accusation).
Now the Democrats need to make sure everyone DOES know what really went on.
The next step for the GOP will be to attempt to rewrite the rules on sequestration so that the military budget won’t get cut after all. Then, when the Dems refuse to go along, the GOP will attempt to label the Dems treasonously soft on defense AND against those great military-industrial-complex jobs.
I should say “if” the Dems refuse, because at this point it would not at all surprise me if their utterly inept leaders Reid and Pelosi cave on this point. And on the Bush tax cuts as well.
Our new supposedly Democratic Defense Secretary Leon Panetta seems to be giving all the cover Reid would need to at least call an upperdown vote in the Senate, where more than a few Dems would cave on this issue, triggering a threatened Moody’s credit downgrade. And it’s all for a measly $50 billion per year ($500b total), which would bring the military budget down to something approximating record highs, excepting the war spending.
It’s time for the Bush tax cuts to expire, though; they, the recession, and the unpaid-for wars are the sole causes of our deficit issues. With the wars winding down, we’ve got to make a target of something, and since Republicans aren’t willing to talk jobs, expiring tax cuts are next on the block.
I think Pelosi has done a great job. If Obama and Reid had followed her leadership we’d be in a much better place right now.
Two days til the deadline, everything breaks down and we think the sky is falling.
Day of the deadline, they’ll introduce the worst possible “solution” (in the technical sense of the term only) and because two days before they threw us all into a tizzy with no agreement, we’ll eat our leftover brussels sprouts and like it.
Congress is bad at many things, but showmanship in a “crisis” isn’t one of them.
Wednesday is the deadline for the committee to vote on a package, but today is the deadline to get a package to the CBO for scoring, which is a requirement to meet the legislative requirements that created the commission.
If it’s going to be done, it has to be done by late tonight or the committee is dead – and probably for the best.
History and all.
It’s not like the debt ceiling drama, where there was a compromise package offered a few days before the deadline that gave Republicans 98% of what they wanted, and then they had to play Hamlet until the last minute before accepting it.
Republicans offered a compromise that gives Democrats nothing, and Democrats have offered a compromise that gives Republicans about 90% of what they want, and that’s as close to “absolute intransigence of both sides” as we get in depressing modern politics. The supercommittee will “fail” to fuck things up even more than they wanted to.
Congress then has something like 30 days to vote to pass or pass the vote and then cuts are supposed to be mandatory.
Some friggin’ games is at play and rest assured they’ll leave for their holiday break with NOTHING resolved.
That any plan be released 48 hours before the deadline.
chatter about this issue and who is to blame really is tiresome.
I’m sorry Pols, but I disagree…they are equally guilty. Along with a handful of sold-out democratic senators.
Norquist is drunk with power for a reason. He knows that every republican on Capitol Hill and around the nation, live in fear of his willingness to primary ANY republican hopeful that won’t sign his pledge.
He will throw millions of dollars against anyone who opposes him. To republicans, keenly aware that the candidate with the most money wins 94% of the elections in this country, that is a hill they won’t climb.
Joe Scarborough jumped to Norquists’ defense this morning, claiming he has no “power” in Washington. What a hoot.
Norquist has massive amounts of money at his disposal and he will not hesitate to use it to bring down anyone who opposes him.
It is time for the American people to re-invest in our citizenship and empower the average citizen. Any candidate or incumbent that doesn’t support publicly funded elections should be rejected. Only a massive turnout of American voters will bring down the Wall Street/Military/corporate aristocracy.
The republican party is working as hard as they can to disenfranchise the poor, minorities, students, women, and anyone else that threatens their desire to create a world “freemarket” and a United States that abandons the words written at the feet of the Statue of Liberty.
This is still a democracy. It is our OBLIGATION as citizens to change the arc of history as it is now being written. I KNOW they can be beaten. WE, the people, have done it before…we can do it again.