Taking back our country: one issue per bill, one bill at a time...

[Seabiscuit]

Beginning this January, we can become the party of "issues" by introducing one piece of legislation at a time, each very brief, in very clear language, addressing one issue only, e.g. minimum wage. No riders, earmarks, or amendments allowed. Pass it in the House, pass it in the Senate, and send it to Bush to see what he does. Meanwhile, have other bills on their way - over the next two years, hundreds, if not thousands of them.

Bush isn't going to like any of the bills, and we don't have the votes necessary to override vetoes, but if he vetoes a bunch of bills and we raise holy hell about his going back on his promise to work with us in the spirit of bipartisanship each time he does so, Bush will take the Republicans down with him in 2008 the more he slides down that slippery slope. The more this happens, the more Republicans in the Senate may join us to override particularly onerous vetoes, because they will eventually learn that their political futures depend on it.

Of course, we should meanwhile let Conyers, Rangel, Waxman, etc. just do their job of holding the Bush administration and Republican members of Congress accountable: investigating the lies that led to the war, etc., etc., ad nauseum, across the entire spectrum, issuing subpoenas, holding public hearings. Create a nonstop made-for-TV Watergate style series of House and Senate investigations of all the corruption committed by these people for the past 6 years, and let it soak into the voters' minds by November, 2008.

Then, after we take back even more seats in Congress as well as take back the White House in 2008 we can begin the hard work of repairing all the damage done in these past dreadful 6 years. Plus, our House and Senate committees can feed reems of information to prosecutors across the country and prosecutors at the Internation Court of Criminal Justice at the Hague to hold the Bushies individually responsible for their crimes after they leave office.

I just hope that this is what Pelosi and Reid, et. al. have in mind, and that they don't broadcast this intent - just quietly go about getting it done.

I'll let others in this thread discuss the pros and cons of the impeachment issue (yeah, we all want impeachment, but, but, but...).

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Thats why I call for Impeachment ,for different reasons the last few day's

First as I have just posted ,it was for blood for my tomahawk ,revenge for the gloating gestapo mentality after Shrub slid in on Fear again.Then it was to apologize and communicate to the World that we were not a party to Shrub.Now I think it is the only way to halt the damage on all issues the economy ,corporate criminals ,animosity toward our country and most of all Iraq withdrawal.

[williesgirl]

2. Unique idea! Maybe then the votes'll be real since they can understand what the hell they're

voting on! No power-hungry aide in the pockets of lobbyists can slip something in unnoticed on these type bills. recommended

[Ice4Clark]

3. my husbands been saying this forever........

We talk to our repub relatives and they always bring up then why did so and so vote no on a bill etc, and we say because it's not just about that one issue, they put other crap in there, so they are damned if they do and damned if they don't vote for it.

It's nothing more than a form of blackmail to get some of this crap through. We say, as you, one issue, one bill, but then I figure the reps and sens would say they wouldn't be able to pass many in a session that way.........but we agree with you.

[Seabiscuit]

8. How could they say they can't pass many in a session?

Unlike current bills, long-winded, cumbersome, with all kinds of unrelated garbage attached to them, how could a simple one-short-paragraph on one issue only bill be difficult to read or pass?

They could pass a dozen of these for every long-winded cluttered bill that gets passed these days, bills they neither have the time or opportunity to read, the way the Republicans present them at the last second before a vote.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Not a new idea, but surely a worthy one! K&R

I hope someone in the party in DC is reading this.

Your analysis is spot on, too.

Real Clear who votes for what and gives them the opportunity to explain their votes **on the issue*.

[Seabiscuit]

7. Thanks. Nothing new here, and I'm sure people on DU have discussed

each of these items numerous times, but I just thought perhaps now is the time to get to work on all of it at once (after our glorious victory on Tuesday), and thought I'd kick it off with a discussion thread.

[EST]

5. There is one additional requirement, proposed at the end

of the 2005 congress by several progressive house members, namely that of posting all bills online for at least 72 hours before floor action as well as posting all members' finacials online.

[Seabiscuit]

6. I LIKE that idea! Hold them all to the fire of public opinion.

[lamp_shade]

9. What Seabiscuit just said

The first paragraph says it ALL for me.

[Mr Rabble]

10. Great idea SB.

I fear this is just a bit too much common sense for any politician to be able to absorb, however.

Even here I expect this thread to sink into oblivion rather quickly.

Damn shame.

[Seabiscuit]

12. You're right - since I last looked, this thread has sunk to oblivion.

So: shameless *kick*

[yellowdogintexas]

11. K & R. Excellent points. this is the basis for a great open letter

to the Democratic leadership.

[cyberpj]

13. Thank you! I have been one issue per bill for YEARS! Could we really do it?

We should defniitely TRY.

Bravo!

[Seabiscuit]

14. Now that we have control of all committees in both houses of Congress,

if we don't try one-issue-one bill, we will have squandered the political capital we just won, IMHO.

[Hawkowl]

15. Brilliant!

Sell each beer, er bill, individually!

[mtnsnake]

16. Beautiful!

How nice to read a thread where the OP actually has some great suggestions on helping our Party, as opposed to the barrage of threads intended only to divide us, such as all the rumor-filled rants against Carville and the Clintons for obvious self-serving reasons.

Thank you