NYT EDITORIAL: THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE: "AN ANGRY SHOUT OF REPUDIATION"

[DeepModem Mom]

The Democratic House
Published: November 8, 2006

There was only one explanation for the crazy-quilt combination of victories around the country that gave the Democrats control of the House of Representatives last night: an angry shout of repudiation of the Bush White House and the abysmal way the Republican majority has run Congress.

It was a satisfying expression of the basic democratic principle of accountability. A government that performs badly is supposed to be punished by the electorate. And this government has performed badly on so many counts.

The Republicans created their defeat by focusing obsessively on the right-wing “base,” ostracizing not only the Democrats but their own party’s more moderate legislators. The conflict between the extremist House and the conservative Senate created a phony center, far to the right of the general public’s idea of where the middle ought to be. Yesterday, moderate Republicans in heavily Democratic states were done in by their party’s excesses. In Rhode Island, more than 60 percent of the voters told pollsters that they liked their Republican senator, Lincoln Chafee. But he was soundly defeated anyway....

For years now, the Democrats have been not only the minority party, but a particularly powerless minority, elbowed out of virtually any role other than that of critic. The House Democrats will have to shift from the role of tactical opposition to shadow government. They will have to pass bills — bills that might not make it into law, but that would provide a clear idea of what their party would do if it were really in control....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/opinion/08wed5.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[steve2470]

1. k&r nt

[WinkyDink]

2. I am TIRED of reading about "angry". It's not about ANGER. It's about

JUSTICE and DEMOCRACY and PRINCIPLES.

[Bluebear]

4. Oh I think the country is pretty damn mad at Bush.

[Brundle_Fly]

5. agreed....

but the anger is pointed to Bush...not us. We're not the angry ones.

[Phredicles]

8. In fairness, I for one have been pretty damn pissed off

A little less so tonight, but still.:P

[WinkyDink]

9. Let me clarify: For decades Americans have been told that "Anger is BAD".

"Soccer Moms don't LIKE anger". "Anger is lack of control".

It's an attempt to make Democrats appear irrational, hot-headed, out of control. Same thing the MSM did with Howard Dean's "scream".

I, for one, am quite coldly rational in wanting to rid the country of this evil.

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. ..and outrage and anger. White-hot anger.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

11. Speak for yourself - I've been pissed for a long time about BushCo, etc

I'm happy this morning to have won, but I'm pissed at the exit poll differences in the VA senate race. It stinks of an attempted Diebolding of the election - which apparently failed.

We need to investigate every place this happened and maybe we'll find some evidence of fraud, evidence that can put the RNC perps in jail.

[ShotInTheDark]

12. Darn right!

The people have spoken.

[newyawker99]

13. Hi ShotInTheDark!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[opihimoimoi]

3. K&R'd

:kick:

:toast:

[Cameron27]

6. k&r

[Cha]

7. Yeah, the repukes were running

things like they thought there was a permanent fix in on the voting machines or something.

[IWantAChange]

14. If the Senate comes our way many Repug sphincters gonna tighten

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[ms liberty]

15. I'm enjoying the press today, even when they state the obvious...

Like this, which I've been saying for six damn years!

"The conflict between the extremist House and the conservative Senate created a phony center, far to the right of the general public’s idea of where the middle ought to be."

They moved the center to the right - and expected everyone else to move with them.