Max Heated.
Why is Max Baucus again struggling with his temper on the floor of the Senate during the second round of filibuster palaver between the GOP and the 60-vote-armed Senate? Why is Max heated? What does the GOP have to do with getting the bill sent from the Senate to the conference in January? This is entirely a Democratic operation. They have the votes. There was one GOP vote in the House, from a newbie from Louisiana who had no part in the writing or passing of the bill (220th vote). All the pork, all the cash and promises in the bill, are for the Democrats. The $1 trillion package favors everything the Democrats have planned and organized these last decades of being in the minority. Also, there is room for plums for the troubled pols such as Chris Dodd of Connecticut. John Fund, WSJ, was speaking Tuesday 22 in re: the newly discovered $100 million in the bill that may be for Dodd - only for a medical school of his choice. Is Baucus exercised because the GOP is negative, or because the media coverage, run by bored and cranky youths still required to file on the Senate, has started running hostile pieces about the scale of the pork? Or is it because something unattractive and unexpected has happened in the House and the whole Dem operation is cranky on Christmas cookies and too little sleep?
What Obtains 2010?
It is strange that Baucus mentions the GOP tactics of non-interference in terms of the 2010 election. The polls hint at a wave sweeping aside the Democratic majorities. The news of the day in DC is the defection of Democratic House member Parker Griffith of Alabama to the GOP -- from a district that has been Democratic since Reconstruction. This translates into much fretful noise for Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer as they face a creative challenge in the January conference with Senate Dems on the healthcare sausages. It also means that, according to Charlie Cook's measure, the Democratic prospect for 2010 is down to 217. Mrs. Pelosi is now in doubt -- officially. Best case for Mrs. Pelosi? What happens if the House is a tie? Remind that the Speaker does not have to be a member of the House. Nominees? Jay Leno?
"History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man."
The way this health care bill is progressing through congress has produced outrage after outrage. Most significant of these is the fact that two-thirds of Americans don't want it. Yet, it is being rammed through by hook and by crook. What is it that these Democrats have in mind by demonstrating their total disregard for the people who sent them to Washington in the first place?
We do in effect have one-party rule in America today. The American people, in their infinite wisdom, have seen to it that the Democrats should have no opposition. And, indeed, the only opposition we see is within the Democrat party (itself) whose members can now be seen openly soliciting favors and outright bribes. Republicans are standing on the sidelines, licking their pompous chops, and saying, "The Dems are committing suicide. Why should we stop them?"
Meanwhile, talking media heads are keeping score. “It's not looking good for the Dems in the next election cycle”, they say. The poll numbers look atrocious for the Democrats, yet none of them, save perhaps a handful, seem concerned in the slightest. And therein lies a mystery. Could it be that the Dems know something we don't?
One pundit explained it in terms of the Dems - now solely ideologically driven - being quite willing to suffer future defeats if it means being able to ram their sacred agenda through. Another claimed that this now all but certain victory for Obama and the Democrats will be hailed as 'historic' and unbelievably wonderful in the mainstream press, the people will come to believe it after it's been repeated often enough. A third predicted that, by the time the next election rolls around, people will have forgotten.
There is certainly ample precedent for all of the above. The ‘9’12 March on Washington’ never happened, after all; and Rush Limbaugh is not the driving force behind the Republican Party. But I do believe this time it's different.
American Democrats are not suicide bombers; they mean to survive. People this time around will not fall for the MSM propaganda. And voters will not forget. For one thing, there will be no happy news to distract us as long as Barack Hussein Obama occupies the Oval Office. There will be nothing to tempt us to forgive and forget. Bottom line: Republicans can expect to win big in the next election(s). Unless...
I believe that the Dems are fully aware of the situation. Yet, by and large, they're confident, almost as if they're quite expecting to rule forever. The will of the people does not seem to enter into their calculations.
Democrats are running rings around Republicans who still harbor the treasured illusion that there will actually be a next time for them. They don't seem to realize that they’ve already been shut out of the legislative process. They might as well not exist. One party rule, by definition, is never accountable to the people. Therefore, as far as the government in Washington is concerned, neither Republicans nor the people exist. So where’s the problem for Democrats?
We are already a dictatorship in which the legislative politburo simply rubberstamps the leader's demands. The events of the past year have proved as much. To think otherwise is pure delusion.
http://peterkoelliker.blogspot.com/
JB quoting Blue Oyster Cult! Now I can die having heard it all.
Here's an old BOC tune for the Dems:
"I'm making a career of evil....."
I assume the USA is self-healing. The one-party rule will undermine itself; probably already has. Whatever mysterious force is holding the Dem's together will crumble (maybe explode) after healthcare is in the bag. two thirds don't want it; at least two thirds don't actually need it. taxes will take effect with nothing to show for four years. thousands of college educated kids are now living with mom and dad, not working, under employed, growing into the age of political awareness. the mass of deadwood at the bottom of urban society shot their wad riding ACORN buses to the polls for the first half-black guy. They will be too "busy" to show up again.
We will have a fiscal/currency/debt crisis sooner rather than later, Iran/Israel will explode in BHO's face, the dead will start arriving in larger numbers at Dover, DE, etc.
The Dem's are not coming to '10 elections with a "soft landing."
All this will depend on the sane portion of society ripping the throats out of incumbents at town halls, the polls, the op/ed pages; providing $ to the opposition, any opposition!; writing letters, civil disobedience (I know of a grassroots effort to stop paying employment taxes by small employers). The Dem's have provided such a large target I can't believe even the GOP can't mount an assault.
Bottom line: Dem's don't have a strangle hold, yet. And they will self-destruct.
That's my prophecy for the new year.
You misrepresent the fantastic, non-partisan Cook Political Report. They rate 40 of the 258 Democratic House seats as competitive. And now, with Griffith, that means that 40 of the 257 Democratic House seats are competitive. Never in the history of the country has one party run the table- Republicans simply will not win EVERY competitive House race. Charlie Cook and his crew have consistently said that in order for Republicans to take back control of the House, there will need to be more retirements from Democratic incumbents in tough districts.
The U.S. is self-healing. Everything is. The Dems will self destruct - but what then? Republicans elected overwhelmingly? One-Party rule once again? Jim, your prophecy is quite correct, but it doesn't break the cycle.