It's time to restore bipartisanship to America

[Bowfinger]

(Revised.)

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
No he means the Democratic one in the Senate where 8 of the 10 richest members are Democrats (in 2004)

Kind of shoots down that canard about Democrats always trying to raise others' taxes, doesn't it? If they're voting to tax the wealthy, they're voting to tax themselves.

Except if you look harder, most rich people shelter their taxes, so the hipocrisy lays on the shoulders of the Democrats. Tax the rich, as long as I'm not one of the rich guys getting taxed, right?

So then if the Democrats are always trying to "tax the rich", but the rich shelter their income from taxes, then who exactly are the Democrats taxing? Seems like the hypocrisy is those who whine about how much the rich pay in taxes while simultaneously acknowledging that the rich don't pay so much due to tax shelters.

In any case, this is a diversion from the subject at hand, the win-win of a Democratic Congress and the BushCo fear-mongering propaganda.

Middle and upper middle class. Sell you a story of getting the rich while they slam down hard on the 100-300K earners in this country who are most likely small business owners.

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Middle and upper middle class. Sell you a story of getting the rich while they slam down hard on the 100-300K earners in this country who are most likely small business owners.

Are you being sarcastic? That is what the Republicans are doing.

 

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Of course bipartisanship isa waste of tie, too. What Americans should be fighting for is getting rid of the rigid two-party system that has failed so badly in the past two decades.

I agree. Get rid of the entire two party system. No more government, no more public 'office,' just individuals acting on their own volitions.

Awww... where have you been for so long!

In a computer lab mostly.

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Of course bipartisanship isa waste of tie, too. What Americans should be fighting for is getting rid of the rigid two-party system that has failed so badly in the past two decades.

I agree. Get rid of the entire two party system. No more government, no more public 'office,' just individuals acting on their own volitions.

Such a system would be immediately overtaken by warlords.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: tweaker2
you mean the bush/neocon version of democracy that's of the filthy rich, by the filthy rich and for the filthy rich?.... that one?

or the one our founding fathers put together awhile back and promptly got hacked to pieces by the people now in control of our government?

No he means the Democratic one in the Senate where 8 of the 10 richest members are Democrats (in 2004)

And if you look at ALL the Senators, almost exactly 40% of BOTH parties are millionaires. Clearly there is plenty of wealth to go around on BOTH sides. Stop trying to turn everything into some silly partisan issue, everyone.

 

[Polish3d]

I will not be disappointed if/when the dems retake the House and/or Senate personally

 

[glugglug]

We won't have a bi-partisan gov't for more than 6 months.

Once the new senators & congressman are Selected, assuming Diebold actually allows the Dems to take office, impeachment hearings will proceed. We will have new Democrat officials to replace Shrub, Cheney, and his cabinet in no time flat.

 

[Bowfinger]

(Revised)

 

[Theb]

This was the first year where I didn't even consider the Republican candidates, I'm not especially proud of that, but it's what happened. I do generally skew towards the Dems but I've also voted Libertarian, Republican, and Green during past elections.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: glugglug
We won't have a bi-partisan gov't for more than 6 months.

Once the new senators & congressman are Selected, assuming Diebold actually allows the Dems to take office, impeachment hearings will proceed. We will have new Democrat officials to replace Shrub, Cheney, and his cabinet in no time flat.

I'd like that, but you're wrong.

Not only will Bush not be impeached as much as he deserves to be for what he did, if he does something new and is impeached, the Senate republicans won't convict.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Of course bipartisanship isa waste of tie, too. What Americans should be fighting for is getting rid of the rigid two-party system that has failed so badly in the past two decades.

I agree. Get rid of the entire two party system. No more government, no more public 'office,' just individuals acting on their own volitions.

Such a system would be immediately overtaken by warlords.

Exacty right. People are naive about how power works.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: zephyrprime

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Of course bipartisanship isa waste of tie, too. What Americans should be fighting for is getting rid of the rigid two-party system that has failed so badly in the past two decades.

I agree. Get rid of the entire two party system. No more government, no more public 'office,' just individuals acting on their own volitions.

Such a system would be immediately overtaken by warlords.

Exacty right. People are naive about how power works.

Probably true, but I'd love to see a viable multi-party system like so many other countries have. Spread the power around and give people real choices instead of Tweedles Dumb and Dumber.

 

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Of course bipartisanship isa waste of tie, too. What Americans should be fighting for is getting rid of the rigid two-party system that has failed so badly in the past two decades.

I agree. Get rid of the entire two party system. No more government, no more public 'office,' just individuals acting on their own volitions.

Such a system would be immediately overtaken by warlords.

What warlords? Do you have warlords roaming your neighborhood? lmao.

 

[Craig234]

What warlords? Do you have warlords roaming your neighborhood? lmao.

Do you live in a society without any political parties?

Oh, then I guess you wouldn't expect his prediction *if things were different* to happen, either.

Probably true, but I'd love to see a viable multi-party system like so many other countries have. Spread the power around and give people real choices instead of Tweedles Dumb and Dumber.

Oh, I'd like the multi-party system too, but it seems virtually impossible to pass it.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Anyone who truly cares about America and American democracy must vote for their Democratic Congressional candidate on Tuesday. Yes, we've all seen the propaganda points about the evil things a Democratic Congress will do. They are transparently partisan FUD, so shrill and insubstantial that I'm frankly amazed so many of the Bush faithful have embraced them. It's not just that many of them are actually good things, nor that many others are pure Rovian inventions, but that virtually all of them are moot. Unless G.W. Bush suddenly turns into a liberal door mat, he can and will veto anything the Dems attempt that doesn't rigidly toe his dogmatic line. In other words, while the Dems can rein in Bush's extremist agenda, they will not be able to advance any agenda of their own.

Let me stress this critical point. Unless G.W. Bush suddenly turns into a liberal door mat, he can and will veto anything the Dems attempt that doesn't rigidly toe his dogmatic line.

The only exceptions will be those things that are sensible enough and moderate enough that Republicans will be willing to join with Democrats to override Bush's vetos. Americans gain both a centrist, bipartisan Congressional agenda to start solving our many problems, plus the adult supervision we desperately need to restore checks and balances. It's a win-win.

I'll concede it's possible the Repubs and Dems will take the low road and squander this opportunity, choosing instead to spend our time in petty partisan squabbles. That may even be the more likely scenario. While that would be unfortunate, we can live with gridlock for two years and fix it in 2008. It's no worse than today, and we still put a leash on Bush.

The other real plus of a solid Democratic victory is that it may force introspection by true conservatives and other Republicans. Maybe they'll finally realize just how far the party has strayed. Maybe they'll decide to eject the neo-cons and religious extremists who've hijacked the GOP, restoring it to its traditional values. Maybe Tuesday will be a big win for America.


Edit:
It's been suggested that I've glossed over one other aspect of the campaign to demonize Democrats, namely that the current Republican government has been the worst offender in many of the areas they attack the Democrats:

• Big spending? Check, the worst since Reagan's record spending (as a percentage of GDP).
  
• Big government? Check, the biggest expansion ever.
  
• Reckless fiscal policies? You got it, record deficits (in total dollars), almost doubling the federal debt in six years.
  
• Pork? Anyone want to buy a $200 million bridge to nowhere? Too bad, you are anyway.
  
• Welfare queens? How many billions in corporate welfare have we handed out lately (*cough* Exxon Mobil *cough*, not to mention the billions of profits Cheney's Halliburton is reaping from Bush's attack on Iraq, nor the multi-billion gift to big pharma when Bush & Co. prohibited the federal government from negotiating drug prices ... unlike every other insurance provider on the planet.
  
• Losing the "War on Terror"? No, that would be the Bush administration. The consensus of our intelligence experts is BushCo's action have increased our risk of terrorism. Iraq was a distraction, unrelated to terrorism (and has become a fiasco, of course). Bush's unilateral attack and occupation has inflamed hatred against the U.S. around the world, especially among Muslims. GWB is the new poster boy for al Qaida recruiting. Bush started strong in Afghanistan, but he's losing it, ceding it to the warlords. Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. Our ports are still wide open, our borders porous. People around the globe -- including our allies -- actually fear Bush more than they do loons like Kim Jong-il. The Bush administration has failed across the board in its responsibility to make America safer, and Congressional Republicans have been willing accomplices.

In short, putting Democrats back in control in Congress is the only rational path, no matter how much gloom and doom some Bush supporters fling. It is vital to getting back not only control of America, but also for traditional Republicans to get back control of their party.

Bump. Vote now, or forever hold your peace. (Well, for the next two years, at least.)

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Anyone who truly cares about America and American democracy must vote for their Democratic Congressional candidate on Tuesday. Yes, we've all seen the propaganda points about the evil things a Democratic Congress will do. They are transparently partisan FUD, so shrill and insubstantial that I'm frankly amazed so many of the Bush faithful have embraced them. It's not just that many of them are actually good things, nor that many others are pure Rovian inventions, but that virtually all of them are moot. Unless G.W. Bush suddenly turns into a liberal door mat, he can and will veto anything the Dems attempt that doesn't rigidly toe his dogmatic line. In other words, while the Dems can rein in Bush's extremist agenda, they will not be able to advance any agenda of their own.

Let me stress this critical point. Unless G.W. Bush suddenly turns into a liberal door mat, he can and will veto anything the Dems attempt that doesn't rigidly toe his dogmatic line.

The only exceptions will be those things that are sensible enough and moderate enough that Republicans will be willing to join with Democrats to override Bush's vetos. Americans gain both a centrist, bipartisan Congressional agenda to start solving our many problems, plus the adult supervision we desperately need to restore checks and balances. It's a win-win.

I'll concede it's possible the Repubs and Dems will take the low road and squander this opportunity, choosing instead to spend our time in petty partisan squabbles. That may even be the more likely scenario. While that would be unfortunate, we can live with gridlock for two years and fix it in 2008. It's no worse than today, and we still put a leash on Bush.

The other real plus of a solid Democratic victory is that it may force introspection by true conservatives and other Republicans. Maybe they'll finally realize just how far the party has strayed. Maybe they'll decide to eject the neo-cons and religious extremists who've hijacked the GOP, restoring it to its traditional values. Maybe Tuesday will be a big win for America.


Edit:
It's been suggested that I've glossed over one other aspect of the campaign to demonize Democrats, namely that the current Republican government has been the worst offender in many of the areas they attack the Democrats:

• Big spending? Check, the worst since Reagan's record spending (as a percentage of GDP).
  
• Big government? Check, the biggest expansion ever.
  
• Reckless fiscal policies? You got it, record deficits (in total dollars), almost doubling the federal debt in six years.
  
• Pork? Anyone want to buy a $200 million bridge to nowhere? Too bad, you are anyway.
  
• Welfare queens? How many billions in corporate welfare have we handed out lately (*cough* Exxon Mobil *cough*, not to mention the billions of profits Cheney's Halliburton is reaping from Bush's attack on Iraq, nor the multi-billion gift to big pharma when Bush & Co. prohibited the federal government from negotiating drug prices ... unlike every other insurance provider on the planet.
  
• Losing the "War on Terror"? No, that would be the Bush administration. The consensus of our intelligence experts is BushCo's action have increased our risk of terrorism. Iraq was a distraction, unrelated to terrorism (and has become a fiasco, of course). Bush's unilateral attack and occupation has inflamed hatred against the U.S. around the world, especially among Muslims. GWB is the new poster boy for al Qaida recruiting. Bush started strong in Afghanistan, but he's losing it, ceding it to the warlords. Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. Our ports are still wide open, our borders porous. People around the globe -- including our allies -- actually fear Bush more than they do loons like Kim Jong-il. The Bush administration has failed across the board in its responsibility to make America safer, and Congressional Republicans have been willing accomplices.

In short, putting Democrats back in control in Congress is the only rational path, no matter how much gloom and doom some Bush supporters fling. It is vital to getting back not only control of America, but also for traditional Republicans to get back control of their party.

Bump. Vote now, or forever hold your peace. (Well, for the next two years, at least.)

I am surprised no Bushies challenged this. Are they conceding?

 

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Do you live in a society without any political parties?

Yes, I do in fact. What you perceive to be 'political party' I perceive to be 'deluded band of thugs.' Or actually, a better way to put it would be a crazed wild beast on the loose, pouncing on whatever happens to tickle its fancy at the moment.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Ldir
I am surprised no Bushies challenged this. Are they conceding?

Apparently. Silence gives consent.

I'm delighted most Americans saw through the fear-mongering and gloom & doom, voting to put America back on a more healthy and productive course. The down side, of course, is the Democrats have a hell of a mess to clean up, and even though BushCo made the mess, the Dems will be blamed for it in 2008. Neutering Bush is a great accomplishment, in and of itself, but it is only a start. This is the Dems' opportunity to prove they can be better than the Republicans by rising above partisanship and special-interest politics. I frankly not optimistic, but we'll see.

It's also a great opportunity for the Republicans to repudiate the religious extremists and neo-cons who have taken over their party. I not optimistic there, either.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Probably true, but I'd love to see a viable multi-party system like so many other countries have. Spread the power around and give people real choices instead of Tweedles Dumb and Dumber.

Oh, I'd like the multi-party system too, but it seems virtually impossible to pass it.

I don't think there's anything that has to pass, per se. We simply need Americans to adopt different voting habits. I don't see that happening, unfortunately.