Democrats announce plans to hold off on agenda until after 2036 elections
November 5, 2009 by William K. Wolfrum
Following Tuesday’s nightmare elections that saw their party lose gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, many Democrats have sounded the alarm – the time to pass their agenda is not quite here yet.
Despite holding commanding advantages in both the House and Senate, many Democrats have said they are afraid to frighten off voters by being too aggressive in achieving their aims. With that in mind, several Red-State Democrats have come forward to announce their plans to wait until after the 2036 elections to further pursue the Democratic agenda.
“While we understand that we were voted in for specific reasons, we can’t allow our work in Washington to overshadow our need to remain in office,” said Blue Dog Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson. “We believe that after the 2036 elections, we’ll have the super hyper majority that we’ll need to accept that we have a mandate.”
Other Red State Democrats seemed even more skittish about working on issues like health care reform, finance reform, ending the NSA eavesdropping program, climate change reform and other issues many Democratic voters hold close to their heart.
“This off-year election was a real eye-opener,” said Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln. “There are now two – not one – but two Democrats that are no longer governors. By being so active in Congress, we risk more losses. I say wait until 2042.”
When asked what Democrats planned to do for 37 years while awaiting their super hyper majority, one Senator who would not go on record said the strategy will be simple.
“Fund raise and campaign,” said the Democrat. “You can never fund raise and campaign enough.”
Nelson, an important swing vote in the current health care reform battle, said he thought Obama’s agenda would eventually be pushed through, but that now was not the time.
“People need to be saying slow it down and don’t add more to the deficit,” said Nelson. “We will pass President Obama’s agenda. But when I say President Obama, I mean Sasha.”
–WKW
Well done!
Don’t worry, come 2036 they’ll offer new excuses, or more likely, recycle the old crap and just change the dates on the talking points. I’m really sick of the Blue Dogs being described by the MSM as “moderate” or “centrist” when in many ways, they’re more conservative than Reagan. That’s in addition to most of them being corrupt, and a high percentage of them being idiotic as well. I just wish more of them were pressed – if you’re really a deficit hawk, why do you give a blank check to military spending? And why do you oppose health care measures that would reduce costs?
The plan is this: win election, then spend 2 years posturing for the next election.
Don’t force your agenda, even though you have the votes to do so. Can’t run the risk of being labeled a liberal, although no matter what you do you will be labeled a liberal. Let’s not make the people we oppose the slightest bit uncomfortable with policy, because when they win in 2 years, and Lord knows they will, we want them to play nice. To play nice like they did a few years back when they had the House/Senate and Presidency.
Let’s make no distinction between being considerate of the minority Party and kowtowing and groveling to them.
Sometimes reaching across the aisle only produces results when you do so to slap the shit out of somebody.
@ Batocchio: You’re right (or correct) — they are anything but ‘moderate.’ The country has been dragged so far to the right by the past thirty years of corporate humbug and propaganda that they only appear centrist by comparison.
@ dgun: Instead of slapping the shit out of them, why not just give the Teabaggers, Birther cranks, Beck buffs and panting Palinites their own state? (Texas comes to mind — they’re halfway down the drain anyway.) Of course, we’d have to remove all military equipment from whatever state it is — can’t let these cream ymoonpies have a tank or nuclear-armed jet — and no more tax money from the rest of the US. Bye, bye, you’re on your own, drop us a postcard sometime. They can have a place with no taxes, no government, and live out in the open pooping in a bucket since they don’t want to pay for sewers, just what they want. (Or maybe they’ll get Rick Perry as their dictator, which would serve them right. “Sieg heil, Gov. Good Hair!”) But I think we’d have to build a wall around the place, just to keep ut the fleeing immigrants looking for work.