Dec. 23, 2007
Did The "Do-Something" Congress Deliver?
Some Successes Achieved, But Not Where It Counts The Most
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Play CBS Video Video Did The Dem. Congress Deliver? As 2007 comes to a close, the first Democratic-controlled Congress in a dozen years is tallying up a number of legislative victories, but not where it counts most. Joie Chen reports.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)
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Interactive 110th Congress The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
Leading the way for the new kids on the block, Democratic house speaker Nancy Pelosi opened her first term in charge with a promise to turn away from old-fashioned political bluster. "Democrats pledge civility and bipartisanship in the conduct of the work here," she vowed in November 2006.
Democrats pledged work would be the priority, even vowing longer workdays. But on issues key to activists, the "do-something" Congress didn't deliver.
"The war is front and center, immigration is front and center and nothing changed on those debates. In fact, the Dems had to bail on the immigration bill," explains Martin Kady from Politico.com.
They promised to stop fully funding the war until the president set a timetable for bringing home the troops, but had to cave when they couldn't persuade enough Republicans to join them.
Democrats did claim early victories in their "Six for 06" agenda, passing and getting the president to sign off on a minimum wage increase, upgrades in homeland security, cuts in college costs, and a new energy bill.
Congress also pushed through a major overhaul of ethics and lobbying rules this year, and got more money for veterans.
But as they headed home for holiday break, many Democrats expressed frustration over how much they had to comprise in 2007. Party leaders admitted they were outgunned.
"The first year of this session has made it painfully clear that congress is divided between democrats who want change and bush republicans, who are satisfied with more of the same, with the status quo," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said last Wednesday.
Martin Kady thinks the Democrats "misread the political will of the Republican opposition."
There's no misreading opinion polls, which are nearly unanimous in finding voters aren't happy with the Democratic majority. The president underscored that with an end-of-the-year dig at the opposition. "When Congress wastes so much time and leaves its work to the final days before Christmas, it is not a responsible way to run this government," he said last week.
But the president may find Democrats even less willing to compromise as the election draws near. So while party leaders on both sides may be talking more goodwill this holiday season, the public may have to just live with more of the same.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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- Oh Please....
You Neocons all know the facts.
Quit trying to blame two terms of W''s/repub. failure on the Dems.
That''s just ignorant and shameful!
Fact is the neocons are the ones who are making excuses daily.
I can''t blame them (the GOP).
Think about it people when your party has been caught red handed in as many crimes as the Repubs. have, you better try and blame somebody else.
Torture, pedophilia, treason...
That''s the GOP.
Wake up America, they have us talking about the Dems failing to correct mistakes that they made in the first place.
Ha! - Reply to this comment
- DemWatcher
I would like to thank you for confirming the fact that you are an emotional ''****. - Reply to this comment
- DemWatcher
I would like to thank you for confirming the fact that you are an emotional ***. - Reply to this comment
- "Learn the simple math people, the Repubs.are responsible for the ongoing and massive failure in Govt.
The GOP has got the numbers to prevent most of the common sense changes that America voted for last year.
Until the Dems. have the numbers to prevent a filibuster the Repubs. have got their (the Dems.) hands tied.
By the way the "surge" has its own "time table", and it''''s dictated by the ability of our military to maintain those troop numbers. Bottom line we''''re stretched to thin.
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Posted by david1737 at 08:31 PM : Dec 25, 2007"
Oooh! It ain''t our fault! We can''t be responsible for our own failures! We has got to blame it on those pesky Republicans!
You Liberals are stOOpid fuggers if you think the American people will buy that load of crapola.
Pelosi herself told President Bush (that sounds nice and I''ll say it again, PRESIDENT BUSH) to sit down because ''there''s a new sheriff in town".
The little lady got SPANKED!
The Democrap Congress got SPANKED!
Spanked by the, in your words, "the dumbest man in America".
Lousy, whining, dumbarse Liberal Fuggers. - Reply to this comment
- "And WHO presented the Iraq and Saddam has WMDs information ?"
That would be British intelligence.
But, that is only a sub-factor of why we needed to deploy.
We SHOULD have went to Bagdhad in March of ''91. - Reply to this comment
- Democraps have raised stupidity, ignorance and failure to an artform! And the POLLS SHOW IT! LOWEST IN FUGGIN HISTORY!
Say buhbye to those Liberal fuggers in 2008! - Reply to this comment
- there was a move by the DNC recently, that the GOP wanted to move forward with the impeachment process..THE DNC BACKPEDALLED on the issue..ever wonder why??because it would expose the DNC and the liberal masses as nothing more than just champions of the criminals and terrorists.
Posted by libsluvsuvs at 09:35 PM : Dec 25, 2007
Actually the DNC doesn''t want to look like the GOP of the 90''s. How much money did Ken Starr''s though ?
70 percent of Americans want us out of Iraq and you are still pushing this BS line ! - Reply to this comment
- Unfortunately, as long as people (democrats) think the media (TV, talk radio, internet...) and colleges have all the answers, it''ll remain the same. Passive institutions that are out of touch with the reality of society. You know? A knowledge proven through interaction with the community and application of acquired knowledge. Oh sure, the colleges and media do bring us some useful information, but how much of it is manipulated and how many actually have the skills to put this knowledge to use? Less than 5%?
Posted by Hwy71So at 08:59 AM : Dec 26, 2007
And WHO presented the Iraq and Saddam has WMDs information ?
and then Saddam was connected to 911 !
And what is it this week as an excuse for having ************ !
yada yada yada ! - Reply to this comment
- Well, I for one feel the Dems lived up to the expectations I had for them. A LOT of nothing accomplished and even more whining.
Unfortunately, as long as people (democrats) think the media (TV, talk radio, internet...) and colleges have all the answers, it''ll remain the same. Passive institutions that are out of touch with the reality of society. You know? A knowledge proven through interaction with the community and application of acquired knowledge. Oh sure, the colleges and media do bring us some useful information, but how much of it is manipulated and how many actually have the skills to put this knowledge to use? Less than 5%?
Unfortunately, more people would rather see that piece of scrap paper on the wall ($$$$), than a callous on one''s hand ($).
In closing, I''d like to quote Brad Paisley:
"I''m SO much cooler online..." - Reply to this comment
- Bush is so dumb .... what a dummy ... he is just so stupid.
Yet ... The only legislative victories that the Dems got were the ones he let them get. He owned them in 2007.
This quote "Democrats did claim early victories in their "Six for 06" agenda, passing and getting the president to sign off on a minimum wage increase, upgrades in homeland security, cuts in college costs, and a new energy bill. "
Is spin.
GW was for the minimum wage increase ... and the Dems got little in the way of MPG standards (energy bill). There are so many caveats in that bill that Detroit can practically ignore it.
A new oxymoron .... Democratic leadership - Reply to this comment
- Yer like a dipshyyt ******* bucktoothed mechanic who has my car and I''m stranded until ya fix it. And ya keep say''n: "Parts on order! Parts on order!" Wit dat stupid ******* smile on yer face.
I''m gonna burn yer ******* garage down. - Reply to this comment
- Democrats have made an art out of excuse.
- Reply to this comment
- Posted by veteran71 at 08:58 PM : Dec 25, 2007
+ report abuse
*************
it is NOT THE MATTE OF NOT HAVING THE WILL..it is more on the SUBSTANCE TO MOVE FORWARD..most ''problems'' that the liberal masses and the DNC were harping during the election season DOES NOT HAVE ANY FOUNDATION TO STAND..
there was a move by the DNC recently, that the GOP wanted to move forward with the impeachment process..THE DNC BACKPEDALLED on the issue..ever wonder why??because it would expose the DNC and the liberal masses as nothing more than just champions of the criminals and terrorists. - Reply to this comment
- Learn the simple math people, the Repubs.are responsible for the ongoing and massive failure in Govt.
The GOP has got the numbers to prevent most of the common sense changes that America voted for last year.
Until the Dems. have the numbers to prevent a filibuster the Repubs. have got their (the Dems.) hands tied.
By the way the "surge" has its own "time table", and it''s dictated by the ability of our military to maintain those troop numbers. Bottom line we''re stretched to thin. - Reply to this comment
- I long to see the billion dollar candidate who''ll get up on his stage and say: "Elect me. I''ll fix your pothole."
- Reply to this comment
- the74blaster, bush led nothing, the shrubmonkey ordered others to do its dirty work for it. bush is the chip in dip, the dill in doe, the head in job, the head pivot boy for that circle jerk of congress & corporate america, sacrificing others for personal gain is the ONLY thing that matters in it''''s singularly unified pea brain.
Posted by knyghtwolf
Good point. Its certainly possible when you consider how congress has trashed the Iraq mandate from the 2006 elections. - Reply to this comment
- i think his point was..''''YOU JUST GOT SUCKERED''''
Posted by libsluvsuvs,
Perhaps. I mean all you have to do is look at the Democrats mandate to do something about Iraq. The democrats failed because they were not willing to face criticism for forcing Bushs hand. However, is that any different than the GOPs contract with America? It appears to me we were all suckered.
However, the question still stands. How is the current congress responsible for deaths in Afganistan and Iraq?
The fact is there is no connection. Its just another Rush wannabee throwing charges at the democrats without any supporting evidence. - Reply to this comment
Right now all three areas are in need of work. The gullibility and lack of intelligence of many people in this country are frightening--Americans accept information without much involvement of their critical thinking, put more stock in "charisma" than the more objective variables of a candidate''s fitness. We have elected leaders who don''t have high school-level proficiency in science and math, don''t understand evolution and global warming. And what happened to ethics in the conduct of public officials, avoiding blatant appearance of conflicts of interest? The executive branch of our government is the most secretive and dishonest in our history, it has perpetrated the most egregious assaults on our Constitution and our fiscal soundness yet it continues to command support among conservative Americans. We have an ideology hostile to our Constitution capturing control of the three branches of government thereby throwing out of whack the principle of checks and balances. Finally, some of the media outlets spout nothing but propaganda and somehow it exerts an impact on public opinion. Can these symptoms be addressed by the mere action of taking part in an election?- Reply to this comment
- Today I ask every American registered with the Republican or Democratic parties to immediately abandon those failed institutions and register as a non-partisan voter. Today I ask that from this day forward, we, as a united people, vote only for those candidates who pledge to immediately restore our Constitutional Republic.
These are the keys to the kingdom my friends, which we have always held.
Posted by SearingTruth at 02:36 AM : Dec 24, 2007
Nice prose. I am not a misty-eyed idealist. I understand that a political system is never intended to be a perfect system. It will be attacked from within and without and that at times these attempts will strain it to its limits.
Without a clear analysis of what has led to the present state of affairs, it''s hard to begin to do anything with even the promise of not only effecting a correction but also ensuring that any recovery is stable.
A democratic society is based on well-informed citizenry, an open government and public debates to shape public opinion.
(cont.) - Reply to this comment
- the74blaster, bush led nothing, the shrubmonkey ordered others to do its dirty work for it. bush is the chip in dip, the dill in doe, the head in job, the head pivot boy for that circle jerk of congress & corporate america, sacrificing others for personal gain is the ONLY thing that matters in it''s singularly unified pea brain.
- Reply to this comment
