Just how tough is Pelosi?

great points (4.00 / 1)

Democrats picked up two more D votes in the house yesterday, but lost two Governor's races we could have kept with better candidates/campaigns and better conditions.

If we want more liberal/progressive victories in 2010, the road is clear: Deliver the Goods. As Mike Lux says:

Republicans, conservative Democrats, and corporate lobbyists are all eagerly lining up to spin the losses in the two Governors' races as evidence that Democrats should become more cautious, go slower with change, pull back on their ambitions. That is the worst possible thing Democrats could do right now. It's a little like conservatives saying that the problem in NY-23 was that Republicans just weren't conservative enough, which you know they will be somehow trying to spin.

Let me try to explain this to the caution captains in my party. There are two reasons we lost those Governors' races yesterday, and they are closely related: voters are in a foul mood, and base Democrats- young folks, unmarried women, minorities- didn't come out.

[snip]

In the face of a weak economy, angry voters, and a discouraged Democratic base, Democrats have exactly one chance at surviving the elections a year from now: deliver the goods. You ran on change in 2008, and voters don't feel like things have changed enough. You ran on taking on the powerful special interests and they still have too much power. You can't afford to get even more cautious, to change things even less, to take on the powerful not so much. We need health care reform that checks the power of the big insurers, and banking policy that ends the overwhelming power of the big banks. We need to produce good jobs now, and not wait for the trickle down policy of waiting for the banks to someday lend to business which will someday hire workers.

Here's looking at you, Reps. Rahall and Mollohan and Sens. Byrd and Rockefeller. Don't do anything stupid at the final hour--make sure that meaningful health care reform is passed with a strong public option.

Also, get busy with driving unemployment down--that includes starting to deliver on jobs tied to renewable energy so voters can see real change is happening. Anything less and you'll find yourself with fewer voters in 2010 and less company on your side of the aisle in January, 2011.

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by: Clem Guttata @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 16:08:28 PM UTC

So where does Capito stand in relation to the needs of her district? (4.00 / 1)

The record is clear regarding her campaign financing.

She's on record as having been the Vice-Chairwoman of the House Prescription Drug Taskforce back when Republicans had full control of Congress. And although West Virginia lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation to nationally lead the way to attempt the fair pricing of prescription drugs in our coal-rich/ dirt poor state, West Virginia's entire media somehow "forgot" to report that Capito was totally silent despite her vaunted position on the Republican-run Medicare drug benefits panel.

In an age where prescription drug companies are spending far more on lobbying and advertising than on developing cures or even simply testing the safety and efficacy of their drugs, one might have thought that WV's local media might have found Capito's lack of leadership on prescription drug pricing in one of the poorest districts of the entire Congress newsworthy. But spreading around  BigPharma's cash in huge amounts to advertise locally apparently magically inoculates her political positions from perennial scrutiny in the state's most popular media.

So if you weren't a political junkie, you wouldn't realize that Shelley Capito directly contradicted the will of the West Virginia legislature by never mentioning that her home state had legislated to seek methods of negotiating lower prescription drug prices for all West Virginians.

Its not like she would have been going out on a limb by proposing it in her own drug task force panel. The WV state legislature revealed that the VA had already long ago proved beyond any doubt that it could be done, after having for years successfully negotiated veteran's lower prescription prices. Yet during the 110th Congress, Capito voted in lockstep with Bush's rubber stamping Republicans to defeat HR 4 to keep prices unnaturally high for the GOP's beloved Big Pharma lobbyists.

And WV's mainstream media kept it a secret.

go figure.

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by: One Citizen @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:31:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yeah (0.00 / 0)

"Also, get busy with driving unemployment down"...start by passing an unnecessary health care bill and cap and trade...those will create jobs by increasing taxes! and by increasing taxes, well, companies will be flush with capital to invest to create jobs...great idea!...geez, what a bunch of fools...

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by: stevewvu @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 19:27:49 PM UTC

Blue Smoke Cheese Ball from WCHS (0.00 / 0)

Blue Smoke Cheese Balls from WCHS

Ingredients

# 2-8oz. pkg. cream cheese
# 8oz. (1/2 jar) Blue Smoke Salsa (any heat)
# 1-8oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together and form into a ball. If desired, roll in pecans (crushed or whole). Wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Serve with crackers.

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by: Clem Guttata @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 19:41:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Stevewvu, we're still waiting for you to repudiate Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. (0.00 / 0)

Not too long ago you unequivocally stated that you'd rather declare bankruptcy than depend on the government for health care, but you failed to respond when I called for you to repudiate Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

It's no wonder that you don't allow any online access for your employees during regular business hours. Otherwise they could see what a stupid lying hypocrite you are, pal.

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by: One Citizen @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:50:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

stevewvu (0.00 / 0)

Since the Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide is a pollutant and can be regulated by the EPA, without legislation some industries under current law will be fined out of existence. Enormous fines. Current law is a path for protection of the commons and the general welfare passed in 1970.

The legislation from EPW changes this to motivate this type of polluter. This is our system of government. The same Supreme Court that overruled the Florida State Supreme Court in 2000.

Can you honestly tell me why you post here? They are almost always childish taunts, on-liner sharp sticks, like a bully hits and runs.  

NFTT: Support My Team or I Will Dance

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by: CA Berkeley WV @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 19:07:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

at least i got (0.00 / 0)

you to do a little reasearch on golden alge...but i gotta go, the ozone is gone and i am burning up...oh no, that didnt happen as predicted either....

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by: stevewvu @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 20:24:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

All science is theory, other we would call it religion (0.00 / 0)

I have heard of research projects on algae. Algae may be valuable in other areas. I don't like it in my ice cream, or fishing creeks. I don't think creating an environmental disaster to do it in the wild is the best trade-off. I think the diary you mentioned had at least a little tongue-in-cheek aspect to it. Don't be so smug.

NFTT: Support My Team or I Will Dance

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by: CA Berkeley WV @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 22:22:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]