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News & ArtsTuesday, June 30, 2009
Politics Drudge Is Trying To Be a Douchebag...
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 6:41 PM
...but it made me laugh.
With Franken's election being official now—enjoy Norm Coleman's concession speech by clicking here—the Democrats now enjoy a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the U.S. Senate. I look forward to health care reform, the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor, clean energy, the repeal of DADT, chocolate air, and Franken debating family values with David "The Shitter" Vitter during the push to repeal the "Defense of Marriage Act."
3
"I look forward to "
If nothing else, Franken is outspoken about his beliefs. Hopefully that'll translate into action and not fizzle when it comes to practice.
If nothing else, Franken is outspoken about his beliefs. Hopefully that'll translate into action and not fizzle when it comes to practice.
4
I don't know about that 60 votes. I think there are some blue dogs who are going to be obstructionist on healthcare. It would be awful to see the dems blow this.
5
You guys are naive if you think one party rule under the Ds will be any different than one party rule under the Rs. These guys are all corrupt. The D's have only, in partnership with the Rs across the aisle, expanded the corporate welfare. Welfare isn't just for defense contractors and corporate factory farms anymore. The bankers, auto companies, insurance firms are now on the dole. Your tax dollars may go for a healthcare program that provides billions for the health insurers but accomplishes little. One party rule is no better in the US than it is in Venezuala. Good luck with that.
6
Notably absent from Dan's list: fixing the fucking economy and getting the troops home. More window dressing please!
7
Health care reform, Supreme Court justice confirmations, and energy policy (the first three things on Dan's list) are far from "window dressing". #1 and #3 are arguably part of "fixing the economy", #3 is part of "getting the troops home", and #2 is a major Constitutional duty of the Senate.
9
The dems will blow this. They will panic. They will think they are being bullies if they don't let the fucking republicans have their say.
Fuck that. The people of America voted the republicans out. They voted the democrats in. They knew what they were voting for. The fucking dems had better deliver, especially now, their only chance to deliver without the ball-and-chain republicans holding them back, they'd better deliver or I will call them fucking pussies too, just like the nutjob conservatives do right now.
The people voted you in dems, fucking deliver or go home... deliver or go home, and don't you ever come back asking for support again. Just. Fucking. Do. It.
Damn the republicans, full speed ahead!
Fuck that. The people of America voted the republicans out. They voted the democrats in. They knew what they were voting for. The fucking dems had better deliver, especially now, their only chance to deliver without the ball-and-chain republicans holding them back, they'd better deliver or I will call them fucking pussies too, just like the nutjob conservatives do right now.
The people voted you in dems, fucking deliver or go home... deliver or go home, and don't you ever come back asking for support again. Just. Fucking. Do. It.
Damn the republicans, full speed ahead!
11
Dan, you were great on Olbermann tonight! Very well said, very well spoken, no mistakes, no gaffs. Well played sir.
And Keith Olbermann's closing statement:
"The president is god-damned wrong on this"
!!!
I must say, I was shocked at that statement. god-damned. yes, Obama is... I just didn't think MSNBC would out and say it like that!
It would be nice if you told people in advance that you'd be on MSM instead of making us google it though.
And Keith Olbermann's closing statement:
"The president is god-damned wrong on this"
!!!
I must say, I was shocked at that statement. god-damned. yes, Obama is... I just didn't think MSNBC would out and say it like that!
It would be nice if you told people in advance that you'd be on MSM instead of making us google it though.
12
Urgutha Forka,
Check Savage's Facebook page, it was there. You can also listen to his interview on NPR there. Just go to his column and click on Facebook.
Check Savage's Facebook page, it was there. You can also listen to his interview on NPR there. Just go to his column and click on Facebook.
13
"You guys are naive if you think one party rule under the Ds will be any different than one party rule under the Rs. These guys are all corrupt. The D's have only, in partnership with the Rs across the aisle, expanded the corporate welfare"
There's a difference between liking Franken's character (as known right now) and expecting his fire to inspire any of the douchebag blue-dogs or other D capitulators. It's not magic, and he won't be used properly by the legislation, but we get minor happiness from minor victories.
And yes, Franken is objectively a better person than Coleman.
There's a difference between liking Franken's character (as known right now) and expecting his fire to inspire any of the douchebag blue-dogs or other D capitulators. It's not magic, and he won't be used properly by the legislation, but we get minor happiness from minor victories.
And yes, Franken is objectively a better person than Coleman.
15
@9:
It's not quite that simple. When we vote for senators, we don't vote for a national agenda, we vote for a President to drive his party in that respect. When it comes to specific issues, whether it is ending DADT, healthcare, or economic reforms, Dems from Alabama can have different views than Dems from New York. I wouldn't count on getting all 60 of them to agree on all of the hot button issues. We're still going to have to put up with the same shit, but yes, hopefully there will be some things that they agree on. I think Obama will play a large part in this and how much of a fierce advocate he can be for his agenda.
Besides, is Ted Kennedy still alive these days? How often is he making it to the Capitol to vote?
It's not quite that simple. When we vote for senators, we don't vote for a national agenda, we vote for a President to drive his party in that respect. When it comes to specific issues, whether it is ending DADT, healthcare, or economic reforms, Dems from Alabama can have different views than Dems from New York. I wouldn't count on getting all 60 of them to agree on all of the hot button issues. We're still going to have to put up with the same shit, but yes, hopefully there will be some things that they agree on. I think Obama will play a large part in this and how much of a fierce advocate he can be for his agenda.
Besides, is Ted Kennedy still alive these days? How often is he making it to the Capitol to vote?
17
Why do we have this idiocy of requiring 60 votes? This is not democracy. There's no other nation like ours with representative democracy that has such a stupid rule, and what's worse, the Democrats support it and do nothing to change it. It's not in the constitution or the US code. It's not law. It's a senate rule. When you have 60 votes on a good day when Kennedy struggles to make it to the floor, when Byrd isn't dead yet, when the 5-6 bluedogs don't torpedo the guts out of your bill, when Specter acts like a democrat, THEN you can pass something your party wants.
Wow, man, what a great system.
"Let's figure out a way to win 50 or 60 votes, a huge majority, and STILL be unable to govern" --Democratic Party Philosophy. "What's more, we will tell America this is normal, and just fine, and never make a stink about it. Even after we promised people there would be change and we'd pass all this stuff! [heh heh heh ---- they fall for it every time!]."
Wow, man, what a great system.
"Let's figure out a way to win 50 or 60 votes, a huge majority, and STILL be unable to govern" --Democratic Party Philosophy. "What's more, we will tell America this is normal, and just fine, and never make a stink about it. Even after we promised people there would be change and we'd pass all this stuff! [heh heh heh ---- they fall for it every time!]."
18
The Democrats will never, ever force the Republicans to filibuster, and thus the 40 control the Senate.
22
Can someone please explain the excitement over Judge Sotomayor. Despite many years on the bench, she has no record on gay issues. She was originally appointed to the federal bench by the first President Bush. A straight Catholic, Hispanic woman is not the traditional demographic for allies to the gay community.
She has expressly stated that her being a Catholic, Hispanic woman figures prominently in her decisions. Her one decision related to abortion was not very "liberal."
Just this week a soap opera actress of Hispanic heritage was fired because she refused to play a part where she was to be supportive of a relationship between two male gay characters. As a soap opera actress, she apparently had less of a problem with scripts about adultery, pre-marital sex and even murder.
This actress' priorities are not uncommon. For the many religious zealots that believe homosexuality is a sin, they believe it to be a sin of unique magnitude. All else can be forgiven, just not homosexuality.
This is more a problem with religious teachers than the religions themselves. And this problem is not limited to Republicans. It was Democrat Senator Sam Nunn that led the charge to prevent Clinton from lifting the ban on gays in the military altogether - which led to DADT.
Because Sotomayor may be considered pro unions or certain other traditional liberal causes, we have no basis for believing that she will be a friend to our quests for equality.
The support for her nomination from the gay community appears to be blind. If we are wrong about her, the damage will be irreparable for many decades.
She has expressly stated that her being a Catholic, Hispanic woman figures prominently in her decisions. Her one decision related to abortion was not very "liberal."
Just this week a soap opera actress of Hispanic heritage was fired because she refused to play a part where she was to be supportive of a relationship between two male gay characters. As a soap opera actress, she apparently had less of a problem with scripts about adultery, pre-marital sex and even murder.
This actress' priorities are not uncommon. For the many religious zealots that believe homosexuality is a sin, they believe it to be a sin of unique magnitude. All else can be forgiven, just not homosexuality.
This is more a problem with religious teachers than the religions themselves. And this problem is not limited to Republicans. It was Democrat Senator Sam Nunn that led the charge to prevent Clinton from lifting the ban on gays in the military altogether - which led to DADT.
Because Sotomayor may be considered pro unions or certain other traditional liberal causes, we have no basis for believing that she will be a friend to our quests for equality.
The support for her nomination from the gay community appears to be blind. If we are wrong about her, the damage will be irreparable for many decades.
23
"Why do we have this idiocy of requiring 60 votes? "
We don't. It's an excuse to get nothing done. Duh.
We don't. It's an excuse to get nothing done. Duh.
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