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And Bemoaning The Loss Of Post-Election Euphoria
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Democrats | Featured Stories — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Having been distracted from the message they wanted to convey in the wake of the midterm elections by Nancy Pelosi's bizarre decision to throw her weight behind John Murtha in his futile campaign against Steny Hoyer for the Majority Leader's position, House Democrats can be forgiven for being quite angry at Charlie Rangel for disrupting their message anew (read on):
A reinstatement of the military draft, being pushed by a senior Democrat, will not be slated for consideration in the House of Representatives, the chamber's newly elected top leaders said on Monday.
"We did not include that" in legislative plans for early next year, said Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who will be House majority leader when the new Congress convenes in January under Democratic control for the first time in 12 years.
New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, who is in line to chair the House Ways and Means Committee next year, has renewed his call for the draft, saying the war in Iraq is being fought by American soldiers who disproportionately are from low-income families and minorities.
Over the weekend, Rangel said he would seek passage next year of the universal draft legislation he has long sought. "If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," Rangel said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California told reporters on Monday that she does not support reinstating the draft, which was suspended in 1973 near the end of the Vietnam War and replaced by the all-volunteer army.
You have to feel somewhat for the Democrats. No sooner do they win the majority than they begin forming the circular firing squad and taking shots at one another. At this point, the Democratic caucus is likely looking to Pelosi to impose the discipline she and the Democrats became famous for exhibiting over the past two years.
But that discipline just doesn't seem to be there. Victory appears to have caused the House Democratic caucus to throw discipline out the window. And in the aftermath of her misjudgment in the Majority Leader's race, Pelosi may not have the credibility or power to demand that Democrats fall in line.
All of which serves to support the theory that the Republicans' three favorite words are as follows:
- Pass
- The
- Popcorn.
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Off-Message 8 Comments (0 topical, 8 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
This is more an appeal to black voters (we're pointing out that rich whites aren't fighting the war!) than an attempt to actually reinstate the draft, obviously.
One would hope that black voters would tire of being baited like this. But one would probably hope in vain.
mandate for their faction of the party. At this point the dems are playing to their goals, and party goals are out the window.
Party discipline is much easier, when you aren't setting the agenda, at least then your party can be united against the other side, but the dems are the ones in charge of the agenda, and the various factions will want their pet projects pushed to the forefront.
I do agree that Rangel's move is as much the opportunity to push his position, than that he actually believes it will pass, but I do think his bill is something he really wants, and I think he believes his own rhetoric on this issue.
I do think his bill is something he really wants, and I think he believes his own rhetoric on this issue.
Rangel is a True Believer in socialism -- for him, the service to the nation that 99% of the population already does during their lives (it's called "a job") simply doesn't count because the government didn't micro-manage it.
It's all a trick. Don't fall for it. They keep pushing these 'pet projects': Murtha, the Draft, soon impeachment, destroy the oil companies, Go-Kyoto, etc, to convince us they are as nutty and disconnected as we feared and to keep us off balance.
Meanwhile, in secret and serious backrooms filled with faired priced coffee fumes and organic bran muffins, they are carefully crafting legislation. This staggering plan to increase everyone's wealth, lower taxes, destroy Al Quaeda, bring democracy to the ME, reform the UN and place THREE originalist justices on the Court will be called 'DreamWorks' as a nod to one of their important financiers.
They will unleashed this monstrosity on the American People immediately after the 2008 election. It will look like a successful Rovian plan to replace the majorities in both houses with conservative Republicans and be reported as such by the unwitting MSM, but Pelosi and her ilk will smile inwardly as their secret plan to lead the nation proceeds like clockwork.
....and already they're providing a good show. Can't wait until they actullay meet in the House to see what happens.
"Be still and know that I am God"- God
... I could really enjoy the next couple of years watching the bone-jarring stupidity of the national Democrat Party on full, barking, BDS-fueled display in DC. I mean, the rank buffoonary, the serial idiocy, and the comically routine political prat-falls as they attempt - futilely, no doubt - to pander simultaneously to the various, and at times diametrically opposed, elements of their "coalition", will I think certainly rival the old time made-for-TV comedy shows of old for raw entertainment value.
But then I recall there's this little problem of a whole world of jihadists out there trying to kill us all - and I end up coming to the conclusion that this all becomes pretty un-funny rather quickly.
So with all due and appropriate respect, and at the risk of sounding like a nervous-Nellie, I think I'll be passing on the popcorn - thank you very much.
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"I don't know." -- Helen Thomas, when asked by White House spokesman Scott McClellan, "Are we at war, Helen?"
I'm a Democrat (albiet a centrist one). Before I start this post, I'd like to say that I love this blog and if the Republican Party followed it the world would be a much better place.
We know we've got no mandate. We barely scraped out a majority, and we know the Republicans are still there ready to pounce back. We are horrified of Kark Rove still. We're also not going to tolerate some nutcase putting a smear on the Democratic Party.
What you see as a sudden round of infighting is, I think, simply the start of plans made long ago. The moment we have a majority, we can afford to ditch idiots like Rangel and Murtha; we can even get rid of Dean, which many are ready for. We've already mostly ditched Kerry.
The Democrats are brushing the dandruff off of their black business suits now that they have some free hands.
I commented after the elections that the only bright side is that it is easier to play offense then defense. I could not have imagined how easy they would make it for us. So far the Loony Libs have delivered beyond my wildest expectations.