February 13, 2007
The Democrats are Alienating the Right and the Left at Once (Dick Morris)
Its a neat trick, but the Democrats are alienating both the left and the right on Iraq at the same time. The right resents their resolution disapproving of the Bush troop surge, arguing that it undermines troop morale and encourages the enemy. The left is outraged because this phony, symbolic action is just a demonstration of the essential weakness of the Democratic Party they elected to control Congress.
The resentment of the right will just add to its list of GOP grievances. But the left's animosity is likely to grow and become the central dynamic in the Democratic primary contest. As in 1966-68, the Democrats are setting the stage for a contest between its resurgent left wing and its dominant centrist leadership. The fact that the current moderate leaders are all veterans of the anti-war left of the Vietnam era makes this controversy all the more ironic and delicious.
But the impotence of the Democratic Congress and its timidity in the face of the demands of its political base to cut off war funding will teach an enduring lesson to the left — don't trust the establishment.
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Here's another point for you — the hypocrisy of the Democrats is once again on stage for all the world to see.
They campaigned on complaints that they were excluded when Republicans brought up legislation for debate. So what do they do when they bring the Iraq resolution up for debate? They exclude Republicans. Same horse, different color.
Comment by Jim Thomas — February 14, 2007 @ 11:48 am
You talk of the impotence of the Democratic Congress, forgive me if I am wrong but have they only been that way for a few weeks?
Furthermore in that time they have:
•Make the government negotiate for lower Medicare prescription drug prices. It passed last Friday.
•Expand federally funded stem cell research. It passed Jan. 11.
•Raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over 26 months. It passed Jan. 10.
•Bolster terrorism-fighting efforts with more cargo inspections. It passed Jan. 9.
•Democrats also won approval of internal House rule changes dealing with ethics, lobbying and budgeting. They were passed on Jan. 4-5, the first two days of the new Congress.
•Lower interest rates on college loans.
• An energy bill with $15 billion in new fees, royalties and taxes for the oil industry.
Remind me please, what exactly did the previous GOP Congress do again? Oh I forgot they took most January's off. Nice work if you can get it.
Comment by RealityCheck — February 14, 2007 @ 11:56 am
Your laundry list of "accomplishment" leaves out two little tidbits (1)most, if not all of that was not passed by the Senate and (2) President Bush didn't sign any of it yet.
Comment by Jim Thomas — February 14, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
If Bush refuses to sign onto legislation such as cleaning up congress, not passing a pay raise for congress until there is a rise in the mininum wage that is hardly the Democrats fault. The Democrats have a job to do and unlike the Republicans have done it.
The fact is the Republicans when in power declined to work during January, this is hardly something working people such as myself can choose to do. We need to work to pay for our mortgage, food for our children etc.
Comment by RealityCheck — February 14, 2007 @ 3:07 pm
Do you work 5 days a week? Pelosi said that Congress would do that too. Unfortunately, they haven't done that a single time. The first week back they took a full day off to watch a nighttime football game! I guess a football game is more important than doing the people's work.
Comment by Jim Thomas — February 14, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
[...] I very rarely agree with Dick Morris. In this case, I clearly do. [...]
Pingback by kirkwalsh.com » Blog Archive » Welcome to the Club, Dick Morris — February 15, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Actually Jim, let's talk facts. Congress in effect took one day off, the 8th. The 15th was Martin Luther King Day a day when they are not allowed by law to be in session. You claim they have never been in session 5 days a week, name the days they had off?
The bottom line is this Congress will be in session a lot more than last year's which was known as the 'do nothing congress'. Which of course was a Republican congress.
Comment by RealityCheck — February 15, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
It is a nice change to have a congress that at least tries to portray itself as "helping" to the working people. I call that a huge improvement over the republican'ts
Comment by Gail Bristol — February 18, 2007 @ 6:51 pm