so what next?

[Kuciwalker]

"Today the American people voted for change and they voted for Democrats to take our country in a new direction, and that is exactly what we intend to do," she [Nancy Pelosi] said.

BS. The Democrats have no platform whatsoever. What are you going to actually do now that you have the House and maybe the Senate?

[Arrian]

We'll see. Try to clean up the mess, I suppose, not that I'm overly confident in that.

-Arrian

[Kuciwalker]

Iraq sucks, I know. "Stay the course" is stupid. But what are they going to do to fix it? I don't see any real options other than keep doing what we've been doing since any change will just **** things up even more.

[Arrian]

Oh I generally agree. The mistake was made, and we can't turn back time. Gotta try to make lemonade out of lemons and all that. But I'd rather the Dems take a shot at it than the Reps, who have (particularly in the admininstration, which unfortunately remains unchanged) appeared delusional at times.

Bush is still in office, so it's not like there could be a wholesale change in course anyway.

-Arrian

[Kuciwalker]

The Democrats (and those of us who supported them) have been terrified of asking this question, because if they had to take a stand on anything some people would stop voting for them. That has to change sometime.

Hopefully it's not a change that makes me stop voting for them

[Arrian]

Agreed. It's always interesting when a party wins an election primarily due to the electorate being pissed off with the other party. Now the Dems have to try and advance policy.

Though with a split (or thereabouts) Senate and Bush still in the Whitehouse, it's not exactly the same thing as the recent Republican control of everything.

-Arrian

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Arrian
Gotta try to make lemonade out of lemons and all that.

The trick isn't to squeeze some lemons to make lemonade, it's convincing the lemons to squeeze themselves in order to aspire to lemonadehood.

[Ramo]

See Pelosi's "100 Hour" plan:

As in the first 100 hours the House meets after Democrats — in her fondest wish — win control in the Nov. 7 midterm elections and Pelosi takes the gavel as the first Madam Speaker in history.

Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds — "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.

To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era. Details will have to be worked out, she emphasized.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/10/05/politics/p225822D71.DTL

[Arrian]

edit: in response to Lord Shiva...



Hearts 'n minds!

-Arrian

[Cort Haus]

so what next?

One line trolling I expect, same as usual.

[Arrian]

Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

Good luck with that, Nancy, to the extent you really want to succeed.

-Arrian

[Kuciwalker]

Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

I'll believe that when I see it.

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step.

Oh, so that's what I voted for? Great

Cut the interest rate on student loans in half.

Good.

Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

They can't/don't do this already?

[DinoDoc]

Oerdin will continue to ***** and moan apparently.

[Ramo]

No. One of the reasons why everyone hates Medicare Part D.

[Kuciwalker]

I hadn't realized our government was so woefully incompetent in yet another way. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.