Chez Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 ^^ "A Gathering of Pedants" would be a good name for an album. Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 ^^ I think Chez has brought us a new activity. "Are we not men? We are pedants!" Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 ^^ I think Chez has brought us a new activity. "Are we not men? We are pedants!" Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 a New person coming out of the woodwork was our president for the last 8 years.He sure was. There are plenty of young pols who could make some headway in the next four years (which is actually a long time). To pin our hopes on the same old same (really) olds is also a losing strategy. As we have discussed here many times, the leadership of the Democratic Party is pretty old. And its time to find the least jive person possible. It's time for the left to get real.This country is going to be in shock after even four years of Trump. No more bullshit, time for reality. No more goofy ass promises. We need a solid, realistic, set of proposals that can be accomplished and that create a real social safety net that we pay for and we support, not this half ass patchwork crap. Another campaign like the one we just lived through will do me in. LouieB Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 I think a start would be to find a dem leader who isn't equally in the industry pocket to the republican leaders. I'd love to find a person who's clean that way because of their ethics (Warren?), but I think we need to change the rules. Cory Booker recently broke my heart by pissing on a bill that would have brought sick people cheaper Canadian meds. Big pharma had lobby fingers all over the house. Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Since Trump wants to drain the swamp, I am sure he'll push for campaign finance and lobbying reform. Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 Since Trump wants to drain the swamp, I am sure he'll push for campaign finance and lobbying reform. Any day now. Link to post Share on other sites
twoshedsjackson Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Jeff will be part of this telethon, airing opposite the inauguration this Friday, to raise money for Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and Earth Justice. https://www.crowdrise.com/love-a-thon Thank you Jeff! Link to post Share on other sites
ditty Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Cory Booker recently broke my heart by pissing on a bill that would have brought sick people cheaper Canadian meds. Big pharma had lobby fingers all over the house. Here's his number. 202-224-3224 My boss and I both called him Friday. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Jeff will be part of this telethon, airing opposite the inauguration this Friday, to raise money for Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and Earth Justice. https://www.crowdrise.com/love-a-thon Thank you Jeff! Three of my favorite charities! Thank you, Jeff! Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Cory Booker recently broke my heart by pissing on a bill that would have brought sick people cheaper Canadian meds. Big pharma had lobby fingers all over the house. There goes one of the D candidates for 2020. His political career should be over if he thinks we're dumb enough to believe Canadian pharmaceuticals are less safe than those we can buy here. Link to post Share on other sites
ih8music Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Food for thought for those of you giving up on Booker already:http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2017/1/15/enemies-among-us-an-open-letter-to-those-attacking-senator-cory-booker Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Food for thought for those of you giving up on Booker already:http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2017/1/15/enemies-among-us-an-open-letter-to-those-attacking-senator-cory-booker I love it. Though I am not in anyway ready to crown Booker the next great hope for the Democratic party, but this strive for a perfect candidate by progressives is really stupid. I am glad someone is calling them out. This year should be a lesson, Trump is far from the perfect conservative, far from the perfect republican, even farther from a decent human being. But the GOP eventually came around and supported that m-fer and got him elected. Whereas the progressives couldn't (not saying that third party support was the only reason, but it sure didn't help). Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I'm not a progressive, and I think Booker's career in politics is threatened over this. The reason Booker is the only one who took heat for this, which the opinion piece above completely ignores, is that Booker has seen by many over the last several years as one of the bright young hopes for the D party, unlike the rest of the Ds who voted as he did. Link to post Share on other sites
ditty Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 so Mr Booker tells us his vote is because" Booker offered to explain his vote by stating his concern over a lack of consumer protections that he felt the amendment did not adequately address." But the reality based on Moderator - Featured Comments was "if the budget amendment passed, it would be attached to a budget set to repeal OBAMACARE. Meaning that someone voting against the budget would be voting against a repeal of OBAMACARE, but also against getting cheaper prescription drugs." Gotta love our sausage making politics Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I'm not a progressive, and I think Booker's career in politics is threatened over this. The reason Booker is the only one who took heat for this, which the opinion piece above completely ignores, is that Booker has seen by many over the last several years as one of the bright young hopes for the D party, unlike the rest of the Ds who voted as he did. You are correct in your assessment, but I think you missed the point of the opinion piece. Booker's career is threatened, but it shouldn't be. Progressives are looking for this perfect candidate to bring them, healthcare, education, social justice, etc. If a politician falters in the slightest bit on one of these, then they are obviously not worthy of support and in fact need to be summarily dismissed as an enemy of the progressive movement. Ditty points out that the vote was probably a lot more nuanced as well then just a vote against cheaper drugs etc. Should Progressives settle on their core principals, of course not. But there is no way progressives will get the perfect candidate. Desiring that will ultimately lead to the situation that we have now. Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Desiring that will ultimately lead to the situation that we have now. Desiring that led to the situation we have now. I don't like ideological purity. But I also don't like Booker's BS excuse for his vote. He should have explained the nuance, rather than making up some nonsense. Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Desiring that led to the situation we have now. I don't like ideological purity. But I also don't like Booker's BS excuse for his vote. He should have explained the nuance, rather than making up some nonsense. His excuse was not great and this very well might kill his career. But the over arching point is progressives seem to be looking at a perfect candidate, but undoubtedly that candidate will do something to piss off the far left, so that far left will either not support or not support that candidate. Again perfection is good's worst enemy. Link to post Share on other sites
brownie Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Cory Booker has rubbed me the wrong way since he was mayor of Newark. I voted against him in the primary for the special election that made him senator. There were more deserving candidates. Something about Cory Booker has never rung true for me. Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 You are correct in your assessment, but I think you missed the point of the opinion piece. Booker's career is threatened, but it shouldn't be. Progressives are looking for this perfect candidate to bring them, healthcare, education, social justice, etc. If a politician falters in the slightest bit on one of these, then they are obviously not worthy of support and in fact need to be summarily dismissed as an enemy of the progressive movement. Ditty points out that the vote was probably a lot more nuanced as well then just a vote against cheaper drugs etc. I can say that I reacted negatively before reading everything about it. I saw Bernie was for it, and it was cheap drugs so I downed on Booker after seeing a meme. This is the kind of thing many of us could do better on, but it's tiring. I guarantee most of the people I work with don't know anything about the story, yet I jumped to conclusions too rashly. Being informed is a pain in the ass. (Not that Booker is off the hook with me). Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I find this discussion of Cory Brewer interesting. Little things like the vote in question have some saying it could ruin his career. Meanwhile in Notth Dakota republicans are proposing a law making it legal to run over protestors obstructing the roadway. One lawmaker was quoted as saying that you don't want to hold someone liable for hitting the gas instead of the brake. A new stand your ground defense for vehicular homicide. Anyhow I find the contrast with what some of you are saying will ruin Bookers career with this horrible proposed law, as this law will probably do nothing but benefit the people proposing it and voting to pass it. Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I find this discussion of Cory Brewer interesting. Little things like the vote in question have some saying it could ruin his career. Meanwhile in Notth Dakota republicans are proposing a law making it legal to run over protestors obstructing the roadway. One lawmaker was quoted as saying that you don't want to hold someone liable for hitting the gas instead of the brake. A new stand your ground defense for vehicular homicide. Anyhow I find the contrast with what some of you are saying will ruin Bookers career with this horrible proposed law, as this law will probably do nothing but benefit the people proposing it and voting to pass it.Without looking it up, name me one legislator who supports this law, or hell name me the governor. The law is horrible and stupid, but none of these people are seen as vanguards of their party, nor are their votes seemingly against their party ideology. Really you are comparing apples to oranges here. Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 I find this discussion of Cory Brewer interesting. Little things like the vote in question have some saying it could ruin his career. Meanwhile in Notth Dakota republicans are proposing a law making it legal to run over protestors obstructing the roadway. One lawmaker was quoted as saying that you don't want to hold someone liable for hitting the gas instead of the brake. A new stand your ground defense for vehicular homicide. Anyhow I find the contrast with what some of you are saying will ruin Bookers career with this horrible proposed law, as this law will probably do nothing but benefit the people proposing it and voting to pass it. I totally see your point in the "pick your battles" and "let's stick together against the real crap" type of lens. I think there is a danger of progressives dividing themselves over issues we don't even have the luxury of moving the dial on right now. That said, I also see a need to cultivate a progressive political figure over the next 4 years who's far removed from corporate interests- a non-swamp figure to use the horrific parlance of our times. The fact that Booker is on record for receiving six figures in donations from big pharma and he voted this way is troubling. The swift retribution he's facing on the left will either motivate him to be better, or get him out of the way so a more authentic "rising star" can step up. In this way we just might be able to sort out a candidate who's the real deal. If the wheelings and dealings of the legislative branch is the petri dish we're supposed to grow this person in, then let the fittest survive. Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 The DeVos hearing today was a shitshow. God bless Tim Kaine, Al Franken, and Maggie Hassan (whom I am not at all familiar with besides this https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/821538909893099521). I have never been so worried about the future of my profession. We finally get rid of NCLB and now this. Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I was on my phone earlier and have trouble with links, anyhow... http://www.startribune.com/north-dakota-bill-aimed-at-standing-rock-protest/410860535/ Without looking it up, name me one legislator who supports this law, or hell name me the governor.The law is horrible and stupid, but none of these people are seen as vanguards of their party, nor are their votes seemingly against their party ideology.Really you are comparing apples to oranges here. Not being from North Dakota, I cant name any of their legislators. This is a state level law and they are pretty much going to get it passed, and they give instructions on how to avoid penalty...Officer I swear I went to hit the brake and hit the gas instead, when I realized what I was doing I swerved to miss the people and jumped the curb and hit those people... If the law happens and is not challenged similar bills will appear around the country. But I digress my point was that democrats are willing to throw their own out with the trash for a vote like Bookers and republicans have no fear trying to pass laws like this because voting for it enhances their careers. Link to post Share on other sites
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