How the Dems Can Get Back on Track
The list of their recent screw-ups is long. Will they be corrected?
But there is also more at work here: the regrettable repetition of the Republicans’ folly, which occurred after they gained the majority in Congress in 1994. Like their counterparts did in 1994, the Democrats led by Nancy Pelosi pledged in 2006 to be the most ethical Congress ever; they wouldn’t fall prey to the excesses and overreach which took down their opponents. Not them.
But then it happened. No one wanted to kick out William Jefferson (he of “cash in the freezer” fame). No one now wants to give Charlie Rangel the boot, no matter how many ethics and tax slip-ups he has committed. No one in the Obama transition team thinks its time to freeze out Blago and read the riot act to their Illinois political brethren about holding a special election. Everyone is too busy constructing a majority, holding power, and congratulating one another for their mastery of the media. To paraphrase James Carville and Paul Begala, “It’s the hubris, stupid.”
So what can the Democrats do to get back on track? For starters, declare that all the open Senate seats (and that means the seat-warmed Delaware one too) should be filled by special election. If an heiress or an aide wants the seat, let ‘em win it at the ballot box. This would go a long way toward restoring the notion that the Democrats believe in democracy, not backroom deals.
Next, declare that no member of a committee with oversight authority will accept campaign money from a regulated entity or an individual who works for one. The regulated industries and their minions can lobby all they want. They can have all the meetings they wish with whichever legislator wants to talk to them. But the congressmen and senators in charge of restyling the entire structure of our nation’s financial system aren’t going to take money from those they police. That might get some attention — and some respect.
Then, just throw the bums out. Toss Rangel and Dodd from their posts until their ethics problems are eradicated. If the Republicans can give the boot to Rep. Don Young, the Democrats can set aside their poster children for corruption as well.
And, finally, over at the Obama transition team they would be wise to reconsider some remaining situations that may cause them problems. Should Eric Holder, who helped usher along Marc Rich’s pardon and then fudged about his involvement to Congress, really be the nation’s chief law enforcement officer? Should Tom Daschle recuse himself from any dealings with his former healthcare clients? Someone might want to think twice before providing more ammunition for the Republicans, who are now delighting in their opponents’ travails.
In two short years the Democrats have succeeded in frittering away their advantage on the “clean government” issue. But it’s not too late to reverse course and demonstrate that they are smart enough to avoid their opponents’ errors. If they don’t, they risk turning 2010 into another 2006 — a year to clean the stables and start anew.
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Jennifer Rubin is PJM's Washington, DC, editor. She also blogs at Commentary’s Contentions.
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34 Comments
1. David Thomson:“In two short years the Democrats have succeeded in frittering away their advantage on the “clean government” issue.”
The Democrats never should have had more than perhaps a slim advantage on the “clean government” issue. Have we ever heard of a guy named Harry Reid? It is simply another example how the leftist media provides cover for them. The central question therefore is this: can the Democratic Party screw up so badly that even its allies within the MSP (main street propagandists) will be unable to help these rascals? Whether we like it or not, left-wing journalists remain a force to be reckoned with. Republicans always enter such fights with one hand tied behind their backs.
Jan 6, 2009 - 1:18 am 2. Larry Poe:David Thomson’s comment is spot on. Conservatives and Republicans can never count on the media to fairly cover corruption by Dems. I recall reading, probably in Newsbusters or some similar blog, that the Today show last year went three days into coverage of the Spitzer flameout last year before considering it useful to mention that the governor of New York was a Democrat. We’ve seen many other examples of this “name that party” game, in which media reports of scandals involving Democrats bury any reference to the party of the miscreant deep in the article, if the party is mentioned at all. By contrast, news reports concerning Republicans invariably begin: “Republican Senator Larry Craig …” or “Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) …” in the lead paragraph, and then continue to remind the listener or reader of the party affiliation throughout the story.
Of course, part of this can be attributed to the fact that corrupt Democrats are “dog bites man” stories — not news. Corrupt Republicans, on the other hand, are news: “man bites dog.”
Jan 6, 2009 - 2:20 am 3. Another View:Jennifer
What high school paper do you write for? This is useless gossip commentary. All corruption is bad for the country. But it’s the decisions of the Republicans.That have had horrible consequences for the country. Clean your own house first.
The GOP has plenty of dirty laundry itself.
Even though you call him the “Messiah” or “The One” he’s just a better politician. And the approval ratings show 75% of Americans are happy.
Jan 6, 2009 - 3:35 am 4. Войска ПВО:“And the approval ratings show 75% of Americans are happy.”
..for the moment.
Jan 6, 2009 - 3:47 am 5. Ann:The only people the dims ever had a “clean government” advantage with were the same ones who this year voted for Obama–the dreamers who believe anything the salesman tells them because they really really want the shiny new whatsit.
The fix was in in 2006 the same as 2008, only the object of the fix was different. In 2006, it was the glittery excitement about having a woman Speaker of the House.
Mob excitement and personality parties.
Jan 6, 2009 - 4:07 am 6. Peg C.:I don’t want the Dems to get back on track – I want them destroyed. Seriously.
Jan 6, 2009 - 4:16 am 7. Another View:Mob excitement and personality parties.
Shall I dare say… No she puts her own foot in her mouth I need not mention her.
Peg just join the Taliban. There is no halfway. The people suffer not the politicians.
Jan 6, 2009 - 5:17 am 8. huxley:But it’s the decisions of the Republicans.That have had horrible consequences for the country.But it’s the decisions of the Republicans.That have had horrible consequences for the country.
AV – That’s simply your opinion, and if it’s as well-backed up as that of most Democrats I talk to, it is a uniformed, misinformed, and poorly thought-out opinion.
History will pass judgment on the Republicans and Bush. As you might recall, if you knew history, Harry Truman left office with poll ratings like George Bush’s. What Democrat today would throw Truman out of their heritage because of Truman’s low ratings then?
George Bush faced big challenges and met them steadfastly and with class in spite of the most mean-spirited Democratic opposition since Abraham Lincoln faced the Copperhead Democrats. (Look it up.)
Jan 6, 2009 - 5:32 am 9. BC:On MythBusters they one time tested to see if decomposing bodies in a car would destroy the car’s interior. A couple of dead pigs were sealed in the car for two months and indeed the interior rotted away and had vile stench that cleaning and disinfecting wouldn’t completely remove.
Now imagine the car being the US government and the pigs being Bush and Republicans, and that it was closer to 8 years rather than 2 months…..
Jan 6, 2009 - 5:50 am 10. huxley:Like I said, “the most mean-spirited Democratic opposition since Abraham Lincoln faced the Copperhead Democrats.”
Jan 6, 2009 - 6:04 am 11. Cybergeezer:The Dumocrats can start a circus training facility just like Ringling Brothers. They could but won’t. They’d be respected for doing something constructive, which is completely contrary to their philosophy and methodology. They will continue to undermine global respect for the United States.
Jan 6, 2009 - 6:16 am 12. Another View:Hux
Save your insults. Ken Lay-Enron, Brownie-Katrina, Falsely led into war-what reason are they on, 9/11-had warnings, 2 stolen elections,North Korea, resurgence of Russia,torture, Haliburton, tax cuts while spending billions on a war, TARP oversight. The list is endless, and not full of second and third hand associations that mean nothing…. Just wait for the indictments in February.
I know history and there is a big difference between unpopular decisions and harmful decisions. 8 years of Bush and 6 with a GOP congress we had harmful decisions.
Jan 6, 2009 - 6:19 am 13. HardHeadedWoman:I’ve always thought that articles written by Democrats telling Republicans what they should do were a pointless waist of time and I feel the same way about articles written by Republicans telling Democrats what they should do. Advice coming from the party that screwed up is hardly likely to be taken.
Jan 6, 2009 - 6:53 am 14. ThinkingPerson:Re #12 Another View…[...]9/11-had warnings, [...]. Nice you should point that out. There were warnings in the CLINTON ADMINISTRATION that were ignored. You show your ignorance with statements like that. Here’s your other gem [...]Even though you call him the “Messiah” or “The One” he’s just a better politician. And the approval ratings show 75% of Americans are happy. [...]. Love the approval ratings when in his own poetic words “There is only one President at a time!” always come out when asked about anything of importance to the world. It’s easy to have high approval ratings when we’re approving of?????? His vacation in Hawaii? His taking his girls to their first day of school? His picking of Richardson? Oh wait…bad analogy there. His picking of Panetta to head the CIA…oh wait, yet another bad analogy. You get the point. Give the Perfect One 6 months to sit on his throne, then we’ll buy your approval ratings argument if it still holds up (I’m guessing it’ll be Bush’s fault when Obama’s ratings start to fall too eh?).
Jan 6, 2009 - 6:54 am 15. Plumb Bob:The Dem talking points repeaters are out in force here, attempting to cover for the genuine embarrassment caused by Democrat corruption that’s so ubiquitous that it can’t be hidden, despite near-total control of the press. That’s why paid shills like “Another View” has to repeat long-discredited nonsense, like the lame attempt to tie Enron to the Bush administration when the crimes were actually committed during the Clinton administration, and the attempt to blame New Orleans’ mismanagement of rescue resources on a federal agency that’s nothing more than a coordination point. Oh, and he repeats the “lied us into war” nonsense as well, attempting to blame George W. Bush for 15 years of Iraqi intransigence and the resolve of three Presidents and 8 Congresses. Nothing new here, same old hog wallow.
Here’s the real story: the Republicans attempted to clean up Democrat corruption, and fell victim to some of their own, causing honest Republicans nationwide to rebel. Now that the Democrats are back, they’re simply doing the only things they know how to do — lie, cheat, steal, and hoard power.
Jan 6, 2009 - 7:00 am 16. Neo:Just saw a talking head on MSNBC saying that the Team Obama was caught off guard with Richardson because he was “already vetted by the press during the primary“.
LOL
Jan 6, 2009 - 8:13 am 17. mcleodlt:Obama’s 75% approval rating . . .
I saw that and dismissed it as insanely naive – what’s that for, getting his daughters a puppy? The man has done nothing to merit it and it is an empty number.
Jan 6, 2009 - 8:19 am 18. The Wizard:The Obamanation’s total lack of leadership and management skills are beginning to embarrass the Dems. As for “CHANGE”, we have the entire Clinton Administration back on government payroll. I view this a political Black Mail!!!!! What is evident is the Empty Suit is totally clueless about the office of president, its duties and function. Who is pulling the strings? The Clinton’s? Sure looks that way! Ernstwhile, Obama is “silent” on every major issue facing this country. Without a script and teleprompter, the man is speechless and without original thought. This is what America gets when you elect a man based on race rather than experience, creditials, character and leadership. God help us all!
Jan 6, 2009 - 9:01 am 19. paul_unalaska:Another View, I’m trying to understand your analogy of Ken Lay, FEMA’s Mike Brown? (Your other comments, ‘falsely led into war, 9/11 warnings, stolen elections, Haliburton, torture.. who are these alluding to? Oh wait, I know. Bush.. right?)
The last I knew, the late Ken Lay and Mike Brown are, what’s the word, oh yeah. Civilians! This article is pertaining to POLITICAL CORRUPTION, with a focus on the Democrats (BTW, Jennifer Rubin touched on it in this article. Who were the 2 biggest receivers of Fannie and Freddie campaign donations? I’ll give you a hint. It’s the ‘Hope’ n ‘Change’ guy. Voila – you have your own ‘Ken Lay’ scandal involving Obama!).
Mike Brown. Katrina and the logistics were horrible. Absolutely. Though the real blame for that debacle goes primarily to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. The guy acted like a lil’ ***** on the White House switchboard. Over exaggerating the body count, placating blame somewhere else. The guy’s the Mayor! He’s supposed to bring resolve, confidence, leadership, etc., Instead he attempted to placate blame elsewhere. His reward for bungling the whole turn of events, before during and after Katrina and so much more? He’d gotten re-elected. Then again, D.C.’s Marion Barry was welcomed back into politics after being on tape while smoking crack.
I’m glad you brought up the 75% approval rating. Do you know the approval rating for the Democratic-led Congress right now? It’s less than an 1/8 of the aforementioned percentage.
Your claim of knowing history. Do you know the saying, ‘Were destined to repeat the same mistakes when not accepting and learning from our past’?
For a history ‘novice’, think of the countless leaders through time who have duped the very same people who’d voted them into power. See if their model is any different than Barack Obama’s. The glaring difference may be actual experience in leading.
Your blind devotion to an idea (i.e. Barack Obama), a concept of rhetoric poignantly outs how little you know of history. Let alone a good judge of character. Am I saying McCain is better? The guy is much easier to relate, read than the guy taking the White House reins in 2 weeks..
Jan 6, 2009 - 11:33 am 20. seven:I had no contacts with the governor.
That statement was a lie by the PEBO
http://www.judicialwatch.org/documents/2009/BlagojevichFOIAresponse122408.pdf
Here is a picture of the PEBO acknowledging a meeting with gov Rod.
Low moral character is the Chicago way.
Jan 6, 2009 - 11:43 am 21. WR Jonas:When a liar speaks to you there is a very good chance that he is lying to you. When a deceiver is explaining something to you there is every likelihood that he is deceiving you. The lie and the deception are the stock in trade of the Democratic Party. The entire process is now apparently rational since an attempt to disprove the lie becomes ridiculed.
Jan 6, 2009 - 12:07 pm 22. Sandy Salt:Think about this ;two liars are having a conversation, does either one of them believe the other?
I once had an employee who was a pathological liar. He could not admit or allow any realization that was true. Even when faced with indisputable evidence and fact he would still lie. He was a union employee and I could not dismiss him. He was absolutely worthless. His union co workers did not trust him. I had never encountered any one like him. The company went bankrupt a couple of years later .
Our society tolerates many things now because the truth is meaningless.
This administration should flourish with a press literally in love with its skill at cunning and lying deception.
The beauty of knowledge is the comfort and feeling of grace one receives when the understanding finally reveals itself to you: the truth is not something, it is somebody.
Corruption is what you get with career politicians with lots of money floating around just waiting to buy their vote. You want to end corruption then get rid of career politicians and put them on term limits just like the President. We learned that power corrupts and too much of a good thing is too much. We need to put an end to the lobbyists and the sweetheart deals for congressmen. If you are under investigation then you should be removed from making the country’s laws. Sure you are innocent until proven guilty, but shouldn’t we hold the lawmakers to a higher standard?
I am also pleased to report that Pelosi will be removing the congressional reforms put in place in 1994 because they were evil and made corruption easier. This is your government and unless the people hold it accountable you will get the same crap just in a different wrapper.
As for a 75% approval rating, whoopee!!! The guy hasn’t taken office and has so far done nothing of note, so what is that insanity based on? The election is over and we have a new President and a new Congress, so either we force them be for the people or we toss them out in due time. Provide useful suggestions and stop the senseless finger pointing because it accomplishes nothing and only makes you look petty (not pretty).
Jan 6, 2009 - 12:42 pm 23. Aquariusstar:Think about it for a minute.
The Dems have will take over absolute power on the 20th and they already have scandals backing up like airplanes on a bad winter day in New York.
They haven’t even taken over complete reins on power yet and they already have a pileup of scandal to shovel out of.
That should give you some idea of just how smooth the next four years is going to be.
Obama may be cool right now (75% approval rating right now) but he’s going to have to do alot of skating on thin ice if his party continues in this vein.
It would be funny if my money (and yours) weren’t in their greedy grasping hands without any controls on their behavior. It can only get worse as they run roughshod over the Republicans in Congress and the American people.
Obama has already promised that deficits of trillions will be here for many years. Talk about a disclaimer for the campaign promises that can’t be met And he’s already acknowledging it before he even takes the oath.
Jan 6, 2009 - 2:03 pm 24. Mike:3. Another View:
Even though you call him the “Messiah” or “The One” he’s just a better politician. And the approval ratings show 75% of Americans are happy.
For now anyway but for how long???
Jan 6, 2009 - 3:09 pm 25. cedarford:—————————————-
You liberals need to pay lots of taxes cause someone needs to pay for all the free stuff Obama promised me!
Huxley – History will pass judgment on the Republicans and Bush. As you might recall, if you knew history, Harry Truman left office with poll ratings like George Bush’s. What Democrat today would throw Truman out of their heritage because of Truman’s low ratings then?
That Truman rose after 30 years of disgrace therefore means Bush will rise too – is a silly non sequiter.
Plenty of others despised by the public – Benedict Arnold, Andrew Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Hitler, OJ Simpson…never regained their popularity.
The only other Presidential exception is Nixon, who has slowly risen in historian minds from the sheer magnitude and durability of his accomplishments and his later work as a trusted world statesman and advisor to 4 subsequent US Presidents and key Congressional leaders of both parties.
Dubya is no Truman or Nixon.
********************
I would be very cautious about wishing that peripheral Democratic scandals will somehow redeem decades of bad Republican decisions and policies as well as make people forget Bush II’s abysmal leadership. We have seen America’s significant decline as an economic, diplomatic, technological, and financial world leader. Even our military is diminished in comparison what we had available in the 60s and 70s. Our JDAMs rely on foreign made components, and we have actually sweated getting Swiss and Japanese permissions to use their components in war.
Bush and the Republicans failed to leave almost any aspect of America and its sources of influence better off than where they found it, over the last 14 years.
Die hards can oooo and ahhh about little scandals, but the bottom line is Republicans failed, and failed in a squalid way…and the public has turned to Democrats to see if they can run America and the government better…and will give them years and years to have their fair shot..
Even Reagan and failed elements of Reaganomics (supply side, widening income gaps, failed “trickledown” and failed dereg of financial and corporate America) are now part of the legacy problem Republicans need to get past or seriously rethink along with the theocrats of the Religious Right…not just Bush…all the screwups of the Neocons, Bremer, Hastert, Frist, Phil Gramm, Enron…
Said as a Republican who wants a top to bottom cleaning and reconsideration of Republican objectives past small gov’t, fiscal responsibility, a strong military. Everything else, from favoring Wall Streeters to the “special friendship” with Israel, to abortion politics should be coldly rescrutinized.
Jan 6, 2009 - 3:12 pm 26. Jonas Blane:Are you out of your mind, Jenny?
Jan 6, 2009 - 4:37 pm 27. thegr8 1:How can the Democraps get back on track? Get the hell out of politics and let those who know what they are doing run things.
Jan 6, 2009 - 4:55 pm 28. Gary Thorington:As an ex democrat ,, back then they had ideas and solutions unlike now when they only can nag and gripe about situations. I still don’t know what Kerry’s plan for Iraq was and he never did explain what he was going to do. Sure, He griped alot about Bush on the subject but had no alternative. Its 2009 and there is still no solution by Kerry and his like minded friends. BO seems to have no ideas on this either but to submit to Islamofascist dictates. There will be more and more demands from them besides prayer rugs in schools and feet washings in airports. I wonder what demos will do when they want to replace the constitution with Shira law. Bush to me was a lite demo and who favored spending lots of money and wanting to keep the borders open. I can’t think of any democrat now how wants to secure the border. They are afraid of being branded racists. After all doesn’t Mexico and every other nation in the world enforce their border? Whats the solutions demos? Is it Bush’s fault of a militant Russia? Now thats stretching it.
Jan 6, 2009 - 8:30 pm 29. tomjelen:We need a strong third party to bust the Republicans and Democrat’s lock on this stupidity and do nothing power play that they have the country in. Maybe then the country can move forward and actually acomplish something instead of fighting among themselves.
Jan 7, 2009 - 6:23 am 30. Amphipolis:The objective of a political party is to win elections. The Democrats have been very good at that, in spite of all of the scandals and even the poor poll numbers. Just look at New Jersey. The only consequence I can point to is the defeat of William Jefferson in LA, which is a fluke.
You have not shown how the Democrats are not on track. I imagine that they would laugh at your premise, coming just before they take over the entire government.
Scandal has not affected them much and I see no reason why it will in the future.
Jan 7, 2009 - 9:07 am 31. Baculus:Oh lord. Do most of the Republicans on this forum have no memory at all for the scandals which have plagued their party for the last two decades?
When I first became politically aware, I was watching TV reports on the Iran-Contra scandal, which included a cocaine for arms program as weapons trades with Iran involving Republicans in high office. What happened next? The Savings and Loan Scandals (”S&L”) in ‘88, which even involved a member of the Bush family, Neil Bush (who should have served time in jail). (As a note, Democrats, such as former rep. St. Germain were not immune from this scandal either.)
Jeb Bush, another Bush family member in politics, may be involved with a money market scam in Florida that took place, and after the state, under Republican guiding hands, completely mismanaged billions of dollars in a state pension funds which involved shares in Enron stock. Like his brother, Neil, Bush guided hundreds of millions of public dollars into the hands of his friends and business associates, and, again, we’ve seen scandal as a result of that.
And this is a person that some have suggested as a future Presidential candidate? His family has direct ties with Enron, Jeb Bush uses his position in the state of Florida to purchase Enron stock, and when that company goes under, Floridians suffer as a result of that?
The fact that someone question WHY Enron was even mentioned earlier demonstrates that some Republican supporters aren’t even aware of ties between Enron, the Bush family (who were good friends with Ken Lay), and the Republican party.
And this isn’t even to bring up “Tricky Dick” Nixon, which is a name that most Republicans would rather avoid when discussing the subject of political corruption and scandals. But even his scandals are overshadowed by the level of corruption we have seen from Republicans.
These events have been seemingly FLUSHED DOWN THE MEMORY HOLE, which is why criminal Oliver North is a conservative, Republican hero. It’s the same reason why individuals such as Richard Armitage, who was busted for gambling and prostitutes (and connected with heroin smuggling) during the Reagan years, is a member of Bush administration. Richard has also been connected with the outing of Valerie Plame, which apparently wasn’t an issue with Republicans.
And the Republicans talk about Left-wing propaganda? Apparently their propaganda functions so well that their party members aren’t even aware of most of their scandals. Either they aren’t aware or they just don’t care: take your pick.
Since that time, we have seen Republicans involved in many scandals, both personal, financial, and legal. This list just goes on, and on, and on.
Let’s have a little reminder.
This page was created which shows the Republicans scandals from the first eight months of ONE YEAR:
http://senate2008guru.blogspot.com/2007/08/republican-culture-of-corruption-2007.html
And this is a list which demonstrates even more familiar names:
http://vaguelylogical.blogspot.com/2006/10/handy-dandy-list-of-republican.html
Oh., and sex scandals, from the party of morality?
http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Republican_Sex_Scandals
What about President Cheney and his connections to Halliburton, who won several no-bid contracts AND bilked and overcharged the US government for millions of dollars? This has been met with complete Republican silence, who apparently see little issues with Cheney’s connections, let alone the war profiteering that’s taken place in the Middle East.
Continuing with Cheney, who’s also connected with Ted Stevens, became personally involved in pushing for Alaskan pipelines which would benefit members of his Energy Task Force (which was a so super-secret that the US STILL does not know what took place behind closed doors). But nope, nothing improper about a former oil man pushing for action which would benefit his connections in that industry.
Suddenly, though, Republican supporters are worried about “honesty in government” and accusing the Democrats as being the party of “corruption”? It’s as amusing as watching the Republicans suddenly worry about “liberty,” in regard to the Fairness Doctrine, when “liberty” was the last issue on their mind over the last eight years and their support of domestic surveillance programs (or, as an side, the War on Drugs, which ensnares millions of Americans).
Liberty – yeah, right! That is a foreign concept that’s connected with the Republicans. Who do they think they are – the Libertarian party?
It’s as if the lot of you started to pay attention to politics just this last year. “Oh yes, we want honesty in government…as long as we’re in power!” The last thing we need are the crocked and corrupt Republicans to continue their hold on our government.
So, for all you Republicans who are agitating and making noise about Obama and the Democrats, you need to READ HISTORY, clean up your own party, and actually pay attention to what’s been happening under the leadership of your Republicans.
The Democrats have certainly not been the party of complete honesty and virtue, and they have been involved with “back door” politics which appear to plague the American system, but the Democrats level of corruption, for all their faults, no where NEAR reaches the level of Republican party corruption.
Republican party hurts Americans, in billions of dollars of their tax payer money, and in damaging our system of checks and balances, government oversight, and a transfer of money from us…to them and their friends.
THAT’s wealth redistribution, by both criminal and legal means.
And suggesting that the Democrats should be “destroyed” isn’t a fix for the problem. We don’t need more Republican one-party rule: We have see the results of that.
Now, the Democrats obviously have to resolve some of their own issues, but those problems pale in comparison to what I have observed over the last two decades.
Jan 7, 2009 - 2:39 pm 32. JackT:The Dems aren’t offtrack, that’s just stupid Republican wishful thinking. They own the White House, they own the Senate and House. Obama won with 365 votes, with a 73% approval rating. Every country in the world wanted him to win. Everywhere you turn people are making money off of his name and image. How do you call that being offtrack.
Jan 8, 2009 - 10:02 pm 33. bobby b:“And the approval ratings show 75% of Americans are happy.”
– - – -
Uh, no, dissent. The Dems, along with their publicists in the big papers and the newsies, have spent the past eight years telling Americans that the economy was in the toilet, that everything was about to crash, and that “everyone is fearful.”
It wasn’t – they were lying – but not surprisingly, the public did eventually become fearful, and stopped spending money, and, when one combines this intentional torpedoing of the economy for political gain with the final death throes of the Fergy May and Bernie Mack “we doan’ need no steenkin’ collateral” Democrat pocket-filling-fest, one ends up with a cowed, decieved populace who still haven’t figured out that the life preserver they think they just elected is actually filled with lead.
I pity those who don’t have a financial cushion right now for the next two years – but it’s those people who mostly drove this choice, so my pity is fairly shallow.
Jan 9, 2009 - 7:52 am 34. Brian:“And the approval ratings show 75% of Americans are happy.”
- – - –
And the Democrat controlled Congress has an approval rating in the high 20’s. Yeah, they are doing a bang-up job for the people! IF Obama takes his direction from his party, guess where is 75% is going to go. I am definately not an Obama fan, but I think the guy is smart enough to remain a centrist and not follow his party into the abyss.
Jan 17, 2009 - 4:59 am