How do you rate Congress?

[NickCole]

Ever see "Hoosiers" ? coach Dale insists that his players pass the ball "x" times before they take a shot - to share it - to get to know one another

Bush & Co and the Republican controlled Congress did exactly the opposite with Democrats. And they did it in an especially disrespectful way. Set a very bad tone and made things a lot worse in Washington.

The partisanship in Washington is at an alltime high - and Congress is at the top of the partisan food chain IMO

Not looking to eliminate Congress - just change it - a lot

No Congress hasn't been at the top of the food chain you describe, Rove Bush and Cheney have been. They've been stirring up trouble for years.

Partisanship is good, it's a proven way of coming up with good solutions. Bullying, lying, cheating and divisiveness is not good, and that's what Rove & Co have done that's resulted in what you're calling partisanship. That's not partisanship, it's resentment and anger on both sides.

 

[chance1]

Bush & Co and the Republican controlled Congress did exactly the opposite with Democrats. And they did it in an especially disrespectful way. Set a very bad tone and made things a lot worse in Washington.



No Congress hasn't been at the top of the food chain you describe, Rove Bush and Cheney have been. They've been stirring up trouble for years.

Partisanship is good, it's a proven way of coming up with good solutions. Bullying, lying, cheating and divisiveness is not good, and that's what Rove & Co have done that's resulted in what you're calling partisanship. That's not partisanship, it's resentment and anger on both sides.

The "Bush & Co" thing is so tired - seems to be a response to all debate - consider it

Let's say I agree with you on that - that the Bush controlled Congress exhibiited those qualities - what now?

My comment re: top of the food chain was not clear - what I meant is they are the masters right now at "lack of bipartisanship" - in that they practice (perfect really) every day

I agree that partisanship aka ideology is not a bad thing - it just can't be the only thing - there is a diff IMO between being passionate and resolute and being contrarian - and I think right now dems/repubs are just against each other - just for the sake of it

 

[RandomAccess]

The "Bush & Co" thing is so tired - seems to be a response to all debate - consider it

Let's say I agree with you on that - that the Bush controlled Congress exhibiited those qualities - what now?

My comment re: top of the food chain was not clear - what I meant is they are the masters right now at "lack of bipartisanship" - in that they practice (perfect really) every day

I agree that partisanship aka ideology is not a bad thing - it just can't be the only thing - there is a diff IMO between being passionate and resolute and being contrarian - and I think right now dems/repubs are just against each other - just for the sake of it

Please keep in mind that a single party (Democratic) is not wholly responsible for partisanship. It takes two parties to be partisan, and the Republicans are masters at finger pointing.

 

[chance1]

Look, the Republicans act like thugs and they have strong authoritarian tendencies that, like their peckers, they can't seem to keep in check.

The Republicans in the Gingrich and post-Gingrich era have used every occasion to attack the Democrats as abortion-loving terrorist appeasers. And the apex of that cynical, divisive, take-no-prisoners mentality was Karl Rove's speech to the Conservative Party in New York. He said, in part:



Now, that speech wasn't a mere love-tap at the Dems, it wasn't a little nuggie, it was the political equal of dropping an atomic bomb on every Democrat. So spare the forum your lamentations, your pleas for bipartisanship. Until freaks and social misfits like Bush, Cheney, Rove, and the others in your party are called out for being anti-democratic and extremist, I suspect there will be no political rapprochement in america.

as usual with u doggie - it's all or nuthin

no way to be

not IMO anyway

u gain nada

Rove's speech was a doozy - course he's not a member of Congress - what's ur point? And I've heard Howard Dean and Terry McAuliffe say things as bad or worse - but the point is we're NOT talking about congressmen

"Spare the forum ur lamentations ............." down boy down

I'll drop any dimes I please - my goal, apparently unlike urs, is for the govt. to work - as in together - since there r 2 parties or dintcha know??

cheer up dude - it's a wonderful weekend in NYC - and it's just starting

 

[CO Bob]

Thanks to all who have voted, and for the (as usual) lively debate. Sorry to see that some have strayed from the thread though. Hard to expect otherwise from Alfie and Random. They just like to hear themselves talk, I think.

With a week to go in the poll, it looks like those that view this forum have the same approval for congress as the general public. Just a few points higher, in congress's favor. Now, if only everyone that viewed this thread had voted. But, the random sampling here does back up the official poll.

 

[NW007]

I also voted NO as I think both Pelosi's and Reid's leadership started out with lots of hype and has been sinking ever since.

As for the Republicans , they have been kind of rudderless since the the last election.

Unfortunately, as always both sides of the aisle aren't realy serious amount coming together with real solutions on much of anything. It probably will only get worse as we get closer to the election.

 

[Kulindahr]

I voted NO because the Republicans appear to have wanted more of the same, more rubber stamps for Bush's policies, no oversight, no accountability, and once again we have a Congress that appears more interested in politics than in doing what's right by the American People.

Amen.

Neither party has shown any interest in doing anything but pander to their base. Both parties have their own approaches to butchering the Constitution, both parties like huge government, both parties want to butt into our private lives, both parties have been pushing us toward a police state.

My real answer wasn't on the poll, either -- approve of the job Congress is doing? I don't approve of Congress!

 

[CO Bob]

It looks like the JUB poll is not far off of the public, overall.

22% approval rating from JUB's respondents. Not much higher, given the fact that most here are probably very liberal in thought. At the very least, most of us here can be classified as "left of center".

So, I guess it safe to conclude that many American's, including those here, are not happy with Congress's performance.

Thanks to all who voted!

 

[kaleman77]

The reason for the 18%...Americans voted for change. They got nothing but the same old same old..only worse.And in the upcoming elections after 20 years of Clinton and Bush..we need a new face! No Hillarys please!

 

[lancelva]

I don't know. But it's one of those things that are just......curious. As I've said repeatedly, I'm not sure why these people are untouchable but they really seem to be. There must be a whole hell of a lot more going on here than we're aware of and I think when it finally comes out, it's going to shock and outrage everyone.

Sure we would all want to see Bush and Cheney impeached and removed from office, but the logistics of it make it impossible. In other words, impeachment proceedings would be futile because it has absolutely no chance of succeeding (of removing Bush and Cheney from office).

Articles of Impeachment require a simple majority vote of members present and voting in the House of Representatives. Democrats have a 31 seat majority in the House, so it's possible that the articles could pass if the Blue Dogs favor impeachment. The articles that made it through the House would then go to the Senate, where they would face even tougher odds. Conviction and removal from office by the Senate requires a 2/3 majority vote. That's 66 Senators. There are 50 Democrats (minus Joe Lieberman). If every Democrat voted to convict (which isn't guaranteed), we would still need 16 Republicans. Since we can't even get 60 votes to begin a troop withdrawal in Iraq, then there is no possible way that we can get 66 votes to impeach Bush.

Pelosi and Reid realize that they have more attainable goals for which to strive.