:)
Posted on 11/04/2004 1:33:32 AM PST by kattracks
WASHINGTON - The day after getting their heads handed to them again in national elections, furious Democrats on Capitol Hill were pointing fingers at their own leaders and vowing war with Republicans.Several top Democratic aides blamed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and national party Chairman Terry McAuliffe for failing to win back the White House or either chamber of Congress.
Instead, they lost ground in both houses and their Senate leader, Tom Daschle, was knocked off.
Angry Democrats also dismissed any suggestion of a truce with GOP lawmakers.
"We'll be throwing a lot of grenades," said one senior Democratic aide in the Senate. "With only 45 members, there'll be times when we can't filibuster, and we'll have to shine the spotlight on their outrageousness."
Despite calls for unity following the bitter election results, Democrats were incensed yesterday over remarks by GOP leaders anxious to push President Bush's conservative programs in his second term.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said in a statement that Americans must heal differences, but added he'll work with Bush and Senate leaders "to enact our common sense agenda."
White House press secretary Scott McClellan made a point to mention that Bush called several freshman senators, and, speaking about his agenda, told one, "Now is the time to get it done."
"If Republicans ... try to enact a radical right-wing agenda, they'll be met with opposition every step of the way," warned a top Democratic operative in the Senate.
An explosive issue could be Senate confirmation hearings if Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist steps down from the high court because of his cancer, or if Attorney General John Ashcroft is replaced, as is widely expected.
A nomination fight with Bush and Senate Republicans is "likely to seriously poison any aura of good will up here," said the influential operative.
In the House, where Republicans improved their majority by two seats, a senior adviser to House Democrats - who described the caucus' mood as "suicidal" - criticized Pelosi for not taking a page from GOP ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich's playbook and playing hardball this year.
"Nancy looks bad," said the adviser. "The only way to win this place is to burn it down."
Several of the Democratic sources said party boss McAuliffe should resign immediately, despite his plan to leave next year.
"McAuliffe is out - not a question," said one senior House aide.
A top Democratic operative in the Senate said it was time for a change at party headquarters.
"I can't imagine he'd be allowed to stick around, much less to try and further the ambitions of Sen. Hillary Clinton," said the top operative. "Nobody's going to allow that to happen."
But other Democrats defended McAuliffe, who sources say has raised an eye-popping $400 million since 2003.
"By any reasonable measure, Chairman McAuliffe succeeded at his two tasks: raising money and getting out the vote," said DNC spokesman Jano Cabrera.
Originally published on November 4, 2004
I think Bayh will run for President in 2008. For the rest I don't know whether they are conservative or not. I could see Chaffee switching to independent or democrat from the republican side and I also think that if Specter does not get the chairman of the judiciary committee you might see him bolt too. Frist has his hands full with this group.
Careful. I remember the disaster of the pubs in 1976. Reagan was just 4 years later.
Celebrate? For sure. However, if Iraq goes further south OR if (God forbid) we get involved in another foreign military matter that divides the country like this one, they are likely to throw the whole team out.
Further, if we don't get a Congress who can grow some male appendages and CUT SOME SPENDING!!!!!!!! we won't have to worry about Republicans governing, as there won't be anything left to govern other than a pile of debt.
"Kerry is horrid" was ok during an election cycle. Now it is time to quit puking money like it gushes from the sky nightly.
We have Ken Salazar from Colorado. Look for him to be like Ben Nelson from Nebraska.
And the Prez is supposed to be reaching out to these monsters. Time for the Republicans to get serious. We gave them this chance. They've got lots in the House and Senate and the Presidency--hope we see some results.
Typical Democrat. Absolutely lawless. Come and get us.. burn baby burn. Except, the only thing that's burning is the Democrat's side of the house.
Go ahead, follow Dashle's example, and fight this popularly elected President tooth and nail during the middle of a major war. The GOP can use a couple of dozen more Dashle's.
Or maybe, just about 6 (minus Spector, who barely even a RINO, = 60 GOP Senators).
Yep.. do your worst Dems.. Just like the Dashle.
SFS
If his own party will have him. The Michael Moore nuts will never nominate a moderate or conservative Democrat. They're rather go down the drain than lose their iron grip on the party.
Has McAuliffe made any public statements yet?
I have a feeling his standard "It was a good night for Democrats" won't hold much water this time...
Bayh running for President will be about as successful in that party as Lieberman....unless the DNC goes through a complete transformation by '08.
I think if Bayh or any other fairly moderate Dem ran, the Green candidate would pull in 5-7% of the vote.
Pelosi does not have the skills necessary to play 'hardball.' Nor is she in any position to do so as the leader of a minority that has continued to shrink over the last two elections.
You're assuming Bayh could actually get the nomination.
Forget *reaching out*; stomp on these suibhuman filthies! Crush the bastards, mercilessly! They're The Enemy Within®, and deserve a political beating.
:)
Dittos.
It all depends on your definition of a "radical right wing agenda"
If it goes by the Democrat definition your 30 years might be too short.
If it goes by the Avergae American Definition, we'll lose both chambers and the White House in 2008.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.
If the Democrats want to rebuild their party and have a chance of competing in the "red" states, they need to quit being a coalition of minorities and start appealing directly to the lower middle income blue collar or white collar working family. They should begin by dropping the radical feminists, the blacks, the gays, the enviro-wackos, the hard core socialists, and the trial lawyers.
The more they act like this, the more they remind me of Palestinians. It is their outrageousness that got them tossed out on their ears, and the more they are outrageous, the more they will be tossed out. Can't wait for the next house and senate election, we may win the country back from the socialist's yet!
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