June 25, 2006

A PARTY THAT CAN'T AFFORD A VOTING RECORD:

Democrats in tough primaries cross '08 contenders over pullout: Bills to withdraw from Iraq split candidates trying to energize the left from those playing to the center (Liz Sidoti, 6/25/06, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

When two Democrats looking toward 2008 pushed hard for a firm date on withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, they crashed headlong into Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's effort to retake the Senate this year.

Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin want to pull out all combat forces during the next year, a proposal that delights the left wing of the Democratic Party but that failed overwhelmingly in the Senate on Thursday.

That 86-13 vote forced Democrats in difficult midterm election campaigns, such as Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Maria Cantwell of Washington, to go on record on the question of ending the military mission in Iraq -- and risk the wrath of liberals in their states. [...]

In the end, the GOP-led Senate defeated the two Democratic plans for pulling out U.S. forces -- but only after two weeks of haggling that left the party fractured on Iraq and even caused divisions in the leadership ranks, pitting Reid against his top lieutenant, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.


What coiuld be more revealing of the state of the modern Democratic Party than their terror of voters finding out where they stand on the issues?

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 25, 2006 4:38 PM
Comments

The terror is the public finding out the true agenda of the Republican Party. Tax cuts for the wealthy while cutting health care and education. Gutting FEMA while leaving Americans to die. Rewriting the Environmental laws while gas prices are at an all time high. Privatizing our national forests while people can't afford their prescription drugs. Bogging us down in a war overseas while forgetting about who really attacked us on 9/11. Where's Osama anyway?

The Democrats do not have one front on the Iraq war, but through intelligent debate we can right this situation. With a Republican led Congress intelligent debate in this nation has been stifled and called the war on terror.

Posted by: noneed4thneed at June 25, 2006 9:03 PM

Osama's dead in Tora Bora and the public likes tax cuts, the Bush prescription plan and HSAs, NCLB, and would get rid of all environmental laws if it lowered gas prices.

That's why your guys are scared to say what the party truly stands for. It's not that you're being stopped from debating, but that the public opposes what you'd propose if you spoke up.

Posted by: oj at June 25, 2006 9:07 PM

Why are Americans entitled to low gas prices?

Posted by: Sandy P at June 25, 2006 9:25 PM

Just to clear up any confusion, noneed4thneed links to Iowa for Feingold <http://iowafeingold.blogspot.com/>.

Posted by: jd watson [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 25, 2006 9:52 PM

And both federal health and education spending have boomed under Bush, for better or worse. The Department of Education's budget is up something over 80% since 2001.

Posted by: David Cohen at June 25, 2006 11:06 PM

The public has voted for the true agenda of the GOP since 1980. Join the revolution.

Posted by: jim hamlen at June 25, 2006 11:45 PM

Wait..... "noneed" was serious? And here I was laughing at the spot-on lefty parody. Which was GREAT until the rest of you "debate stiflers" harshed my mellow.

Posted by: John Resnick at June 26, 2006 3:03 PM

Well to be fair, there are places that support he Democrat agenda... they're just not in the United States. And Osama is dead... 56 hours of continuous airstrikes will do that.

Posted by: lebeaux at June 26, 2006 8:47 PM
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