The Democrats are, we all know, a feckless bunch. The only reason they ever win any elections is if they are perceived as an alternative to something even worse. To look like heroes they need a villain. And we all know that Democrats are awful at vilifying, being so sensitive and all.
Fortunately the people who are great at creating villains are doing it to themselves. One of their favorite demons, Al Franken, recently sponsored an amendment that would "prohibit the Department of Defense from contracting with companies that require employees to resolve workplace complaints — including complaints of sexual assault — through private arbitration rather than the courts. " As it happened, Tell us more, Politico!
Franken says the amendment was inspired by the story of Jamie Leigh Jones, who worked for defense contractor KBR and alleges she was gang raped at the age of 19 when stationed in Iraq — only to find that her contract required that her dispute go through the arbitration process. (My note - gang raped and then imprisoned for several days in an empty tank, denied food and water, and so on.)My guess is the roll call was an attempt to satisfy that rabid base, who are for anything that Franken is against. Unfortunately beyond that, most people see this as a pro-rape/anti-rapeissue. Or if not, siding with corrupt defense contractors doesn't look swell either. See, this is what happens when you feel like you can't moderate! Pro-business is okay as a position, unless the business is Enron or Haliburton.
...Thirty Senate Republicans voted against the amendment, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, liberal commentators and state Democratic Party chairs have been merciless.
Angry letters denouncing Republican senators have appeared in newspapers from Tennessee to Idaho. Unflattering videos of senators trying to explain their votes have gone viral on the Internet, including one of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) swatting away a hand-held video camera held by a liberal blogger questioning his vote against the amendment.
And Democratic strategists are salivating at the prospects of using the vote against the eight GOP senators who voted against the amendment and are up for reelection in 2010.
“I think anyone who voted against that has some tough explaining to do,” New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told POLITICO. “And I think particularly some incumbents already in a challenged position — it can be very detrimental to them because women voters are going to look at that and wonder, ‘Does this senator stand on my side?’”
...Privately, GOP sources acknowledge that they failed to anticipate the political consequences of a “no” vote on the amendment. And several aides said that Republicans are engaged in an internal blame game about why they agreed to a roll-call vote on the measure, rather than a simple voice vote that would have allowed the opposing senators to duck criticism. "
7 comments:
Just wondering: what is the position of the Obama Defense Department?
Does it mirror Franken's position, or that of the Republicans who voted against it?
Gee probably the Defense Department is doing the same kind of business it always has with these kinds of contractors, which is why some in Congress feel compelled to spell out this restriction.
It's very generous of you to offer to spread the hate around though.
Doesn't the Commander-in-Chief wield any power over the Military, without needing Congressional help. You know, policy stuff like "Don't ask, don't tell"?
But thanks for continuing with the double standard.
I realize how hard it must be to have your Party be in control of every body of political power, and not be able to get anything done with your weak leadership.
It must be frustrating to finally get your people in place, and then watch them govern in an even worse manner than the previous occupant. I get it.
So keep projecting about how eeeeeeevvvviiiiiillllllll the Republicans are, while Obama, Pelosi, and Reid fail to live up to their promises.
If there is anything the American People hate, it's someone who can't stop making excuses. So keep dwelling on things like this that expose your double standards, keep telling us that high unemployment and record deficits are no big deal, keep your fingers crossed that somehow everything will turn out ok in Afghanistan, ignore how Geithner and Obama gave away hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to the Unions and their banking buddies.
I'm sure that come the midterm elections, the thing that will be most clear in voters heads will be this vote by Republicans. That took the same position as Obama.
This post isn't about conservatives being eeeeevil, it's about them being tone-deaf. Honest I don't see you guys as evil. You want to make the country better and we just disagree on how to do it.
It's becoming increasingly clear that the strategy with Obama is to make us (probably me - what other liberals read you regularly?) as frustrated with our hero president after one year as you were with yours after seven. This is tone-deaf too; you're rushing it.
It's not about making the Democrats frustrated, they will vote "D" no matter what (unless of course Hillary! runs against him in the primary for 2012).
You guys are losing Independents in droves (check out the latest polling). If the DSSC thinks that using this vote (of which, the Administration holds the same position as those Republicans) is going to be the swing issue that makes people forget about unemployment, staggering deficits, a rudderless strategy in the Middle East, and a "not my fault" President, more power to you.
You guys stick to your guns on this one. Make it the focus. I'm sure the average voter is with you 100%.
Perhaps you're right sir. It remains to be seen how soon the pendulum swings.
It's already swinging.
Ask the new Republican Governors.
Ask the Independent voters.
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