Minority Report

Ironic how the GOP mandate allowed the Democrats to band together even more. Somewhere in New York, a so-called "political pundit" with an indifference toward facts (*cough* Ann Coulter *cough*) is crying out "the liberal media!". But think it through- it actually makes sense.

Washington Post outlines some of the successes of the Democrats in undermining the GOP "mandate".



1. The leaders

Democrats credit House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) with promoting solidarity through pep talks, lectures on loyalty and constant reassurances that Republicans are overplaying their hand.

2. Social Security

But the GOP has inadvertently helped ... by starting the year with a drive to rewrite Social Security, considered sacrosanct to the Democratic Party. Pelosi and Reid insisted that Bush's plan to create private investment accounts would diminish Social Security's long-term benefits, and even the most vulnerable Democrats from Republican-leaning states stood with them. "Rather than break Democrats apart, it brought them together," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a former Clinton White House strategist.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R- TX)

3. Ethics

From there, he said, emboldened Democrats hung together when House Republicans tried to change ethics rules to their advantage...

And when GOP leaders tried to insert Congress into the case of Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman -- a move polls found deeply unpopular with many Americans -- Democrats had greater confidence than ever in their leaders' strategies, Emanuel said.

4. Illogical nominations by Bush

From there, he said, emboldened Democrats hung together... when Senate Republicans threatened to change filibuster rules to confirm judges who Democrats oppose....

Republicans "were over-reaching," he said. "There was no mandate for what they were doing." Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker said Bolton's setback is the latest sign that Democrats have decided to stand firm, cut no separate deals with the majority and pick off Republican moderates whenever possible.

5. Fresh new perspective

"I think after an extended period of reconsideration and soul-searching [following the 2004 elections], the Democrats have decided they're going to fight back," Baker said. "The sense that they were cowed was very widespread" in January, he said, "but I think they just realized what they suffered was a defeat, not a humiliation."

The 109th Congress is still young, and Republicans have plenty of time to recover from their early setbacks. But for now, even some Republicans give the Democrats grudging credit for sticking together and staying on message.

Need more proof? Republicans use religion when they're desperate or in just some deep shit... Since that's how Bush won the election- by hijacking church doctrines- the Repuglicans try again (in vain)



Frist speaks at Evangelical Christian rally (according to CNN).

In a nationally televised rally sponsored by the Family Research Council on Sunday night, one called the congressional tactic of delaying debate, or blocking legislation, "judicial tyranny to people of faith" .......

Frist's participation in the event drew fire from Democrats and hundreds of religious leaders, who accused Christian conservatives of raising unsubstantiated allegations of religious persecution.

Four hundred thirty religious leaders from across the country signed a letter to protest Sunday's rally. And the FRC rally prompted opposition rallies, including one in Louisville.

"What we detect instead is the work of a political organization using Christian language to exploit Americans' desire to preserve religious values by framing their political strategy in terms of religious liberty," wrote the Rev. Joe Phelps of Highland Baptist Church in
Louisville, which held the opposition rally. "This is deceptive, manipulative, and
false." ......

The prospect of eliminating filibusters n judicial nominations has been dubbed the "nuclear option." Republicans have taken to calling it the "constitutional option," arguing that the
Constitution requires that nominees receive an up-or-down vote.

Vice President Dick Cheney said Friday that he would cast a tie-breaking vote on the issue if needed, and Democrats say they would use procedural tactics to slow Senate business to a crawl if Republicans bring the matter to a head.

Didn't they learn some lessons in Vietnam? The WW2 in the Pacific? If the enemy is determined enough... they will fight till death. And in this case, they've got the traditionalists behind them, who will not want to see the GOP totalinarianating (this probably isn't an actual word, but you get my point) Congress.

I love this. I love the newly revived, aggressive Democratic Party. Maybe it's Harry Reid silently working in the background, surrounded by Senate giants like John F. Kerry, Barrack Obama, Joseph Biden, and Barbara Boxer. And maybe it's the "San Francisco Liberal" (and I mean that as a compliment) Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. Perhaps it's Howard Dean's aggressive nature rubbing off.



Whatever it is... Grand Old Party? Meet your match... and get your elephantine trunks kicked by the Ass.