No more 'business as usual.'

[Mythsaje]

It's very apparent that several, if not a majority, of our Democratic representatives are complicit in what's going on. Carrying on the fiction of 'business as usual' while one of the most corrupt administrations in the history of the United States is doing everything it can do destroy basic American values while, at the same time, announcing to the world that they are REPRESENTING American values sends the wrong message to the rest of the world AND the average American.

Voting for such debacles as CAFTA, Bankruptcy "reform," and that hideous excuse for a Energy Bill IS NOT acting in the interest of the American voter.

You think if a large portion of the minority in Congress staged a walkout, perhaps even on the day the major protests are scheduled for D.C., the MSM wouldn't be FORCED to pay attention?

What's the average voter supposed to think at this point? That the corruption is rampant and pervasive on both sides of the aisle?

It sure looks that way.

This is no time to be acting as though everything's working as it should. It's not. The bully tactics of this administration and its supporters have taken us into a whole new realm where 'business as usual' isn't going to do any good.

It's time to take a stand.

I'd sooner vote for Daffy Duck or Marvin the Martian than vote for either Patty Murray or Maria Cantwell in my state. I'd sooner vote Libertarian, frankly, even though I'm still pissed at them for joining with the Republicans and Democrats to petition the courts to change our open primaries.

Not to mention I hate their pro-corporate, anti-safety-net platform, though I applaud their opposition to the War On <some> Drugs and the fact that they also opposed this war from the outset. Far more stridently than most Dems, when you get right down to it.

But...If you don't stand with the American people, Mr. and Ms. "Representative," you stand alone, naked but for your corporate-sponsor-logo festooned underwear, because we sure as hell aren't going to stand with you.

[wli]

1. Wellstoning? anthraxing? How scared are they? n/t

[Mythsaje]

2. It's a good question...

but it doesn't absolve them of responsibility, even if they are afraid. If they stood up and shouted loud enough, the administration wouldn't dare touch them. Especially if they did it en masse.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Quite actually, I had the honor to hear this

from a US Senator actually, whose name shall remain wiht me... suffice it to say, gave me chills

[Poiuyt]

3. The Republican PR machine is much better than the Democrats

Especially since they own the media.

Anytime the Democrats try to stand up to the Republicans, they get labeled as obstructionists, unpatriotic, or worse. The Dems need to be much better at marketing their message (and not be afraid to say what it is). Paul Hackett from Ohio showed that it does indeed resonate with the people.

[Mythsaje]

6. Agreed...

Of course, I think they should be more VOCAL obstructionists.

They shouldn't shrink from the label. They should embrace it. "Wow, obstructing an corrupt administration and its legislative cronies. How awful is THAT?"

<eg>

And REFUSE TO APOLOGIZE. Just like they do.

If pressed by the press, just respond... "Those vile, corrupt, evil bastards can just go Cheney themselves. I'd sooner lick the deck of an Alaskan fishing boat than apologize for telling the truth."

[Sgent]

4. That would be smart....

Then they would pass the anti-gay marrige ammendment, the flag burning ammendment, and the everyone must attend church ammendment while the dems were at the protest.

I don't really like them, but giving the rethugs unlimited control of the congress even for a day scares me. Quorum is only 50% in the house, and in both houses they can have the members arrested and brought to the capitol building.

[Mythsaje]

7. If the rules don't work

stop playing by them.

If protestors can get arrested for their cause, so can "Representatives."

They're not exactly stopping a lot of this crap from going through while they're in the building anyway. Why not make it obvious they're no longer going to play the game as usual?