An honest evaluation of the democrats leadership.

[jackoroe]

I found this article about retiring Congressman Brian Baird of Washington State. It's a refreshingly honest assessment of the failure of leadership of Pelosi and of Obama over the last four years. He's fairly critical of republicans as well, which is to be expected. It's a pretty good read and lesson on how not to run the government.

My favorite quote on the leadership style of Pelosi and company.

"It's been an authoritarian, closed leadership. That style plus a general groupthink mentality didn't work when Tom DeLay called the shots," Mr. Baird says. "We've made some of the same damn mistakes, and we were supposed to be better. That's the heartbreak."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303284604575582320752384384.html

 

[justapixel]

given all the legislation she's passed, I have a hard time calling Nancy Pelosi a failure except maybe in PR.

She lost the majority in the House. The most important part of her job is to keep the majority.

She didnt. She is a failure.

 

[laikaNYC]

^ Not to mention she completely failed at her promise of maintaining "the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history."

 

[Kulindahr]

given all the legislation she's passed, I have a hard time calling Nancy Pelosi a failure except maybe in PR.

Harry Reid, on the other hand...

Definitely something to that.

I gathered from the article that this was not so much a failure in leadership in doing her job in the House, but in coordination with Obama and Reid to decide what should be done when. Not knowing more about that doesn't help, though I think she might have stood up and told the president "tough!" when he did the coward bit on a highway bill. In her shoes, if I's wanted that bill, I would have asked all the Democrats in Congress to collect complaints about the US highway system and dump copies of them on the floor, and then said, "This is one thing even my Republican colleagues agree is the government's job. So roll up your sleeves and let's get it done -- and Mister President, here it comes."

Sure, theatrical -- but if she had, it would have provided some great momentum.

 

[Stardreamer]

It took Democrats in the House of Representatives 40 years to become out-of-touch enough to get thrown out of office in 1994. It took 12 years for the Republicans who replaced them to abandon their principles and be repudiated in 2006. Now it appears that the current Democratic majority has lost voter confidence in only four years.

This seems to fit with a thread I started on a University study finding that the current crop of Congress Critters on both side of the aisle are to the far extremes of the right/left spectrum even when compared to the medians of their own parties. They are out of touch with mainstream Americans and the pendulum will continue to swing rapidly and wildly until the parties realize this.

Mr. Baird had developed his own health-care proposal that drew on his 23 years of experience as a licensed clinical psychologist treating patients with cancer and brain injuries. His plan would have provided universal health care but held down costs through vouchers for the poor, medical savings accounts for the middle class, and reform of malpractice insurance.

He admits to being frustrated that ideas like his never got a fair hearing in a Congress dominated by inertia and interest groups. "Our problems are now so grave we can't afford petty partisanship and closed thinking," he tells me.

This would have been something they could have found common ground with and its a shame it was not given fair hearing by the Democrat majority. The health care plan they managed to cobble together did address many of the major problems but the MAIN problem was ignored and that is how to slow and reduce the costs of health care.

 

[palemale]

She lost the majority in the House. The most important part of her job is to keep the majority.

She didnt. She is a failure.

This is exhibit A of what is wrong with the Republican Party. Their number one priority is attaining and keeping power.

The most important part of an elected official's job is to enact policies that they believe will benefit the country and the American people, even if it costs them an election. When Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, he commented that the Democrats would lose the South for a generation. Even though he recognized that the legislation would cost the Democrats enormously, he fought for and signed the legislation.

In this election, the Republicans won't even say what they intend to do, because winning elections are more important to them then governing effectively. Well, I'll take the Democrats with all their flaws because they did what they believed would benefit the country, even though they knew it would cost them politically.

I forget her name, but a commentator on Gwen Ifill's show on PBS last night commented that, according to pollsters she talked to, what most is driving independent voters to side with Republicans is their fear of the changes that Obama has tried to bring about and a desire to "put on the brakes." When the Democrats lose, it is because of their attempts to bring needed change. When Republicans lose, it is because of their incompetence and corruption. I'm proud that I'm a Democrat.

 

[Stardreamer]

^^^

At least I'm not in a position where I have to choose between my favored candidates and civil rights.

Ever try to ask a gay conservative why they do it? From what I can tell it's a rather easy decision for them which is really quite sad.

It is NOT an easy decision, it most often falls into the category of choosing the lesser of two evils and refusing to put one's own needs ahead of the country as a whole.

 

[Stardreamer]

Sacrificing themselves and the rights of their community for the country full of bigots? Sounds fantastically noble (and stupid), but I don't buy it for a second. It's actually a decision based on the illusion that they will get some kind of fancy tax cut, when in reality Republicans only care about cutting taxes for the rich.

You will never understand another unless you REALLY try to see things from their viewpoint instead of trying to put them in a viewpoint that you manufacture out of your own prejudices and stereotypes to easily pigeon hole and ridicule them. Both sides do this which is why partisanship is tearing apart our civil discourse while we claim that we don't understand the other side but we don't really try and just stereotype them so we can feel smug in our self delusional superiority.

 

[Kulindahr]

Pelosi worked her ass off to pass some of the greatest and momentous pieces of legislation in US History. She is an illustrious success story who will be praised by history.

She's still a lying bitch.

Most of them believe Reagan should be on Mt Rushmore

I'd rather see an earthquake that leveled Rushmore -- I don't think any presidents have been good enough to be there.

 

[Kulindahr]

[Quoted post: Removed by Moderator]

That's got to one of the rudest and most disgustingly ignorant posts I've ever seen on JUB.

You've claimed I've reported you before. Well, this time I actually am -- that was nothing but a very poorly veiled personal attack from someone with a serious maturity problem.

 

[Kulindahr]

I understand, though I don't think the conservatives/Republicans here actually hate themselves. They just don't think our rights are a priority, or at least important enough to not vote Republican.

Thank you -- I was trying to think of a polite way to say that. Hollering "self-loathing" is a cheap way to be both rude and intellectually lazy at the same time.

Having come from a space far more oppressive than most Republicans do, I know one other thing about that phrase, too: it is counter-productive. If someone is struggling to reconcile upbringing and peer community morals and self-identity, constantly chanting a phrase that says "You hate yourself" is not only not useful, it can constitute bullying.

Let's stop going there, please, people.

 

[Kulindahr]

Sacrificing themselves and the rights of their community for the country full of bigots? Sounds fantastically noble (and stupid), but I don't buy it for a second. It's actually a decision based on the illusion that they will get some kind of fancy tax cut, when in reality Republicans only care about cutting taxes for the rich.

That's an over-simplification, too. Looking at it that way makes caricatures instead of seeing people.

I can't speak for any of the Republicans here, but I will bet that in not one single case is the situation that simple.

 

[MisterMajestic]

I agree with a Few Cable Network Commentators when they say no President has a Perfect 1st term...They usually struggle during the 1st term and accomplish more during the 2nd term(if they win a 2nd term)..

In Obama's case his administration was expected to clean up all of Dubya's Shity-mess & Deliver everything he promised within the 1st 100 Days...

 

[Kulindahr]

I forget her name, but a commentator on Gwen Ifill's show on PBS last night commented that, according to pollsters she talked to, what most is driving independent voters to side with Republicans is their fear of the changes that Obama has tried to bring about and a desire to "put on the brakes."

The truly ironic thing is that Obama got so little done of what he hoped -- and thanks to the Republicans, didn't even try some things we badly needed.

 

[Kulindahr]

Jock , you know your history

I lived it. Meaning when it started to go to hell

USA's body politic was way more healthier when each party had a well meaning philosophical division inside of itself

when the dems started purging their DINOS likewise when the repubs did the same with their RINOS is when it really got ugly as hell

I see no peaceful resolution in sight

It stopped being about shared goals and methods, but about ideology. I'm not sure there's any return from there without revolution.

Maya Angelou once said,


"If someone shows you who they are, believe them."

Good thing you didn't bet a lot of money.

Referencing the quote above, I've actually seen it from the mouths of JUB conservatives. They, unlike you, speak for themselves. Thanks.

So you've had some seriously deep, wide-ranging conversations on a personal level with JUB Republicans, and some of them actually said, "Yeah, I'm self-loathing, that explains it all"?

You're not so shallow as to really think that the surface interactions which take place in CE & P and/or HT reveal enough about anyone for the Angelou quote to apply -- or I hope not.

 

[Lostlover]

No big deal... LL is just being LL

I think he is still smarting from the lashing a Mod gave him the other day

What are you talking about?

Kulindahr: and maturity? What about creating threads just to incite a response?

It's true what I said. He wants to talk about teleprompters as if Obama can't speak without one and Bush can. Well I called a spade a spade. I think putting a fork down is easier than getting people off the payroll of the government.

Where's that libertarian in you? You're quick to hit report at posts you don't like. How about ignoring them?

[Text: Removed by Moderator] I said nothing factually wrong nor anything about his character.

 

[Lostlover]

That's got to one of the rudest and most disgustingly ignorant posts I've ever seen on JUB.

You've claimed I've reported you before. Well, this time I actually am -- that was nothing but a very poorly veiled personal attack from someone with aserious maturity problem.

Also was that an attack at me. It was. But I don't report people.

I dont believe I'm immature so how could it affect me?

 

[opinterph]

[Text: Removed by Moderator] I said nothing factually wrong nor anything about his character.

You attempted to use the physical characteristics of an individual to demean him/her.

 

[Lostlover]

You attempted to use the physical characteristics of an individual to demean him/her.

It's true though. If you're consuming too many calories a day increasing your chances of an early death, how can you so easily turn around and blame a government for not knowing when to stop?

Like I said, it's easier to put a fork down than it is to tell peope they're not getting anymore unemployment.

His size is information he provided us. Just like my telling people I used to sub teach only for people to use that against me. Hey, I told them that and they used it in much more personal attacks.

 

[opinterph]

fork down

My point is bigger than your point.