Nobody who knows what's going on calls it "insane".
We call it what it is: Treason.
Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 07/05/2010 3:56:31 PM PDT by Askwhy5times
President Obama embarked on a what seemed to be an insane strategy last year. Shortly after passing the Stimulus, he had his minions on the Hill, Reid and Pelosi, launch full throttle into two of the most controversial legislative issues ever to face Congress. The House passed Cap-and-Trade climate change legislation in June of 2009. The Senate failed to take up the bill because of lack of support among many Midwest Democratic Senators. Undeterred, President Obama had Pelosi start the process of ramming Health Care Reform through the House. After much twisting of 'Blue Dog' Democrats arms, the House passed HCR in early November. A lot of haggling and some thinly veiled bribing ensued and the Senate passed Health Care Reform under reconciliation in March and the House quickly affirmed the bill.
This strategy appears to have been wildly successful. Why would anyone call it insane? The only reason President Obama and the Democratic leadership were able to accomplish this was their almost 80 vote majority in the House and filibuster-proof 60 vote(including 2 Independents) majority in the Senate. Since these bills had virtually no Republican support, moderate Democrats from districts or states that voted for McCain in 2008 or have a large number of Republican or Conservative voters were needed. These are the so called 'Blue Dog' Democrats. The 'Blue Dogs' were forced to repeatedly throw themselves on their swords to pass legislation that was often very unpopular in their districts or states. Consequently, many of them won't be returning to Washington next year. President Obama will lose his large majorities in both the Senate and House. He may even lose control of one or both of those bodies. President Obama threw 'Blue Dog' democrats and his future majorities under the bus to pass Cap-and-Trade and Health Care Reform.
The pain Blue Dogs suffered due to Cap-and-Trade seems to have been wasted because it is still stalled in the Senate. Health Care Reform passed, but if President Obama had been willing to work with Republicans, he could have passed a Health Care Reform bill without destroying the careers of many moderate Democrats. The general concept of HCR was very popular last summer. A version of Obamacare light could have easily passed with some Republican support.
As President Obama pressed ahead with his liberal agenda, the economy continued to head south. Team Obama told us unemployment would not go over 8% if the Stimulus wasn't passed. Unemployment actually approached 10% even with the Stimulus. Voters demanded Congress focus more on jobs. President Obama ignored this demand and pressed his controversial initiatives. Why did President Obama waste the careers of so many Democrats for a stalled climate change bill and Health Care Reform that could have been passed in a different version? President Obama has shown a lack of willingness to compromise his liberal ideology, but few think he is politically insane.
Obama's strategy only makes sense if his plan all along was to cost many of the 'Blue Dogs' their jobs. The stage has been set for Cap-and-Trade and President Obama is now setting the stage for Immigration Reform. How can so many moderate Democrats losing their seats help pass these controversial bills? There will be a large block of lame-duck 'Blue Dogs' in Congress after November 2, 2010. Getting their votes for these unpopular bills would be almost impossible if they knew they would have to face reelection again soon. Without that constrain, the Democratic leadership can appeal to their party loyalty and, with luck, get enough moderate Democrats in the House and Senate to pass Cap-and-Trade and Immigration Reform in a lame-duck session after the November election. Scott Brown's capture of the Kennedy Senate seat complicated the plan, but that could not have been foreseen last summer. After throwing 'Blue Dogs' under the bus the first time, President Obama now plans to back it up over their corpses.
There are no Blue dog democrats.
I don’t think what happened to Eric Massa was thinly veiled.
“The general concept of HCR was very popular last summer. A version of Obamacare light could have easily passed with some Republican support. “
What?
Even if there are, there won’t be any next session.
Allen Boyd (Rat - FL 2nd) will be one of them.
What use does a fascist dictator have for “representatives” anyway?
Still, if I’d been thrown under the bus once, I might be less eager to dive under the wheels a second time. I believe that Obama and Pelosi fully intend to use the lame duck period to foist outrage after outrage upon us (amnesty and carbon tax/cap’n trade). However, if my cushy career had been wrecked, I might not be affected by party discipline. Maybe these a$$hats will balk at being used again.
I guess they can bribe the “blue dogs” during the lame duck session.
so will Joe Donnelly (IN-2)
His Republican opponent, Jackie Walorski is a real firecracker.
http://www.standwithjackie.com/
He won’t have the chance because many of us plan to take care of the bluedogs ourselves in November!
“There are no Blue dog democrats.”
Correct, but there are many yellow ones!
And so will Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-23)
Nobody who knows what's going on calls it "insane".
We call it what it is: Treason.
Obama's strategy only makes sense if his plan all along was to cost many of the 'Blue Dogs' their jobs. The stage has been set for Cap-and-Trade and President Obama is now setting the stage for Immigration Reform. How can so many moderate Democrats losing their seats help pass these controversial bills? There will be a large block of lame-duck 'Blue Dogs' in Congress after November 2, 2010. Getting their votes for these unpopular bills would be almost impossible if they knew they would have to face reelection again soon.
that’s Eric mAssa. Describes him to a “T”.
Bono Mack (CA) 202-225-5330
Castle (DE) 202-225-4165
Kirk (IL) 202-225-4835
Lance (NJ) 202-225-5361
Lobiondo (NJ) 202-225-6572
McHugh (NY) 202-225-4611
Reichart (WA) 202-225-7761
Chris Smith (NJ) 202-225-3765
If you get a chance vote them out in the primaries. If you cannot this year...keep them in power for two more years then dump their sorry a$$es in 2012.
Massa was the Dems’ Mark Foley. They knew all this stuff about him for years, according to a local columnist who also knew for years.
They never outed him until he bucked them on Obamacare.
Bob Lonsberry knew much about this stuff with mAssa. I’m pretty disgusted that he kept his mouth shut except for the fear of the Homos shouting him down.
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