Friday we took a look at why voters are increasingly turning off to the two Establishment political parties. We looked particularly at why turnout among Democratic base voters is so low.
Senate votes are a tricky thing. They don't always mean what they look like they mean-- and, at times, they are meant to be deceptive for the casual viewer. The final vote on the CRomnibus-- which funds the government and regulates derivatives trading for the Wall Street banks and allows millionaires to take further control of the political parties (and, among other things, further reduces Pell Grants)-- shows it was agreed to 56-40.
Joe Crowley, the most corrupt Democrat in Congress, is the vice chair of the Party Caucus. Many members see his hand in the Wall Street deregulation dealSometimes the DCCC whines that their favorite right-wing incumbents and candidates have to "change up" messaging because their districts lean red. That "strategy" sure didn't help Republican-backing Blue Dogs like Nick Rahall (WV), John Barrow (GA) and Pete Gallego (TX) last month.
No, not a character from a Harry Turtledove alternative history novelThe go-along-to-get-along crowd-- the 2 transpartisan Beltway party establishments-- were happy enough how the Cromnibus vote went down Thursday night. But those with actual political-- rather than transactional or careerist-- agendas are frustrated.
Wednesday afternoon, the DCCC was asking people to sign petitions against "Boehner's" Wall Street giveaway in the omnibus appropriations bill. They carefully neglected to mention that the most vile provisions are being pushed by, among others, the Finance Chair of the DCCC, Wall Street shill Jim Himes (New Dem-CT) and by most of the Blue Dogs and New Dems left in Congress-- including the ones who were defeated and are just hanging around the lame duck looking for K Street jobs.
Yesterday, everyone-- or at least everyone who isn't already bored with the subject-- was buzzing about a Wall Street Journal piece by Peter Nicholas, Siobhan Hughes and Byron Tau, Democratic Rifts Surface in Wake of Midterm Election Defeat.
The most intellectually rigorous of the progressive messaging theorists, George Lakoff, has brought out a new-for-2014 version of his classic Don't Think of an Elephant!by KenI've plunked the new edition of George Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant! atop this post because my copy arrived in the mail today.
This post started yesterday and below is a continuation— although it stands on its own as well.
Starting today, Blue America has a new contributor, Gaius Publius. You may already be familiar with him from his work at AMERICAblog, Counterpunch, Naked Capitalism, Smirking Chimp, and Truthout. He tends to write a lot about the Climate crisis, strategies for progressives in a neoliberal-dominated world, Deep State and wealth capture of the political process. He's welcome to write about any topics he wants here at DWT.
Every time I see some clueless DIY pundit say something about the "Elizabeth Warren-Bill De Blasio wing of the Democratic Party," it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. Bill De Blasio? He has a record, which is why Blue America never endorsed him and why DWT never had any editorial comment on him beyond him being better than the even worse character that EMILY's List ran, Christine Quinn.
