In the spirit of being constructive, I want to post in response to this comment from the Crack Den:
Without 60 votes in the Senate the Dems can’t do squat.
I really hate this meme. You never, ever hear it about Republicans, when they are in a weak majority. Let’s kill it, shall we?
The purpose of this post isn’t that I believe any of what we suggest will happen, it’s that I want to kill a meme that something cannot happen. There is a difference between can, will and should. Some folks seem to be forgetting that.
I’ll start. Democrats, wanting to accomplish their stated goals during the campaign cycle last year and at the time of their elevation to majority status this year, can:
-hold up war funding bills in committees, and use other procedural techniques to force Bush to bring home the troops or explain why he left them there with no bullets.
-enforce their Constitutionally mandated authority, to the point of using the Sgt-at-Arms to arrest and jail those who refuse to answer questions or produce documents for investigating committees in public oversight hearings.
-expend significant money on primary challengers, in races where “Bush Dog” DINOs are running, those who voted for FISA and other Republican bills.
That’s off the top of my head. What else could Democrats do? It’s worth repeating: the only excuse they have for not acting?
“Because we are afraid.”
That’s basically the essence of their current excuse for inaction and enabling..
Front page
More leverage on confirmations
They’re already having trouble getting decent people, and a lot of situations are vacant. Why not bring the process to a halt entirely, until other conditions are met?
Send Bush a list of acceptable court nominees and leak the list. Don’t let anyone through who’s not on the list. Do the same for any other position.
Hold hearings on war profiteering.
Figure out some way to do a meta-hearing that ties everything together and ends the committee stove-piping.
Set up a single press office through which both House and Senate material goes. Make sure there’s a story being driven every day. Fuck
, I didn’t even remember Congress was back in session, their media operation is so weak.
We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan
There is not a single nominee for any post
who would be acceptable to the Pukes who would also be acceptable to me, qua citizen.
Not one.
If a nominee’s remotely acceptable to the Fascisti, then they are AUTO-fucking-matically disqualified for service in a democracy.