Pelosi and Reid must NOT repeat Daschle's mistakes from 2001-2002

[Ignacio Upton]

When we had a bare Senate majority for a year and half, it was a majority in name only. 9/11 happened, and out of post-9/11 political etiquette, Bush got the majority of what he asked for. All we were able to do was block a few of his judges that would be cofirmed by 2003 when the Republicans took back the Senate. Unfortunately, Senators like Mary Landrieu, Jean Carnahan, and Max Cleland believed that if they voted with the GOP and trumpeted their friendship with President Bush, that they would be safe. Ultimately Carnahan and Cleland lost, and Landrieu narrowly won re-election (she is also one of our most vulnerable Senators in 2008.)

Granted it's not a good idea to give off the appearance of being shrill and overtly partisan (just look at how the Republicans got knocked on their asses for impeachment, Social Security and Schiavo!) but I expect us to be much more aggressive in handling Bush than we were in 2001-2002. Nice guys finish last, and really aggressive people are jerks, so, to quote an old episode of Spongebob Squarepants (I haven't watched that show in years, but this episode still sticks out in my mind), we should be "aggressively nice guys."

[Lexingtonian]

1. not to argue with your points

but it seems like every other DU thread these days is people trying to be back seat drivers to those two.

[mymomwasright]

2. Landrieu, supporter of torture...

I'll not forget that!

[Ignacio Upton]

3. She voted for that this year

I'm talking about 2001-2002. But yes, she does pander too much to the right. Unfortunately, she has little choice because NOLA is no longer the city it was pre-Katrina, which means that her power base is diminished.

[patrice]

4. Nancy Boyda, Ks. Dem. will help. E. Cleaver, Mo. Dem., Dennis Moore.

All very rational and competent Representatives.

Nothing shrill at all about most Democrats. Nice people.

Professionals.

[ixion]

5. Yep, Daschle and Gephardt both lost their jobs because they were

* appeasers, IMO.

I really hope the dems realize why they were elected to a majority, but that remains to be seen, and thus far all this talk of finding 'common ground' is a bad start, IMO.

[Skidmore]

7. Did you know that Daschle fancies that he may run for president

in 08? He's exploring it, or at least he kinda hinted about a run on a cable program before the election.

[ixion]

10. lol.. yeah, in his dreams

good luck with that, Tom. :eyes: :rofl:

[KingFlorez]

6. Daschle wasn't all that good at his job

Pelosi and Reid know what they are doing, they led their respective caucuses well while Democrats were in the minority.

[senseandsensibility]

8. I agree

Our side rolled over that debacle in 2000, when they should have been angry. It's scary to think they haven't learned anything. And their capitulation was long before 9-11, so what was their excuse?

[childslibrarian]

9. Ignacio Upton

I just copied your words and saved them to my computer for future reference. "Aggressively nice guys." I love it. Would that everyone (everywhere) would take that advice....

[Greeby]

11. Umm, not to be picky

But Daschle caved because the BFEE sent him anthrax. Rather convenient that the anthrax letters were mailed the same day as the AUMF passed, for which Daschle says he had refused to give Shrub WAR POWERS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Terrorists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_anthrax_attack