For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Is new Congress not as liberal as Obama?
A mandate for change for President-elect Barack Obama? Sweeping enactment next year of the long-delayed Democratic agenda? A tax hike on those earning more than $250,000 a year, as Obama indicated during the campaign? Not so fast, say some of the newly elected Democrats who gathered at the Capitol Monday for their orientation to the House of Representatives.
WaPo's Chris Cillizza agreed Sunday:
But look more closely, and you see a heavy influx of moderate to conservative members in the incoming freshman Democratic class, particularly in the House....The fact that roughly a third of the Democratic House majority sits in seats with Republican underpinnings (at least at the presidential level) is almost certain to keep a liberal dream agenda from moving through Congress.
Do you agree? Is Congress actually further to the right than Obama making it unlikely his socialist agenda will get passed, or is this wishful thinking?




















Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Can anyone stop Brock Lesnar?
November 18, 2008 - 11:11 ET by shawn228Youtube will most likely take this video down soon, but here is Brock Lesnar winning the UFC title.
The man is 280 pounds, huge and has the agility of a much smaller man.
He had my vote
This guy can!
November 18, 2008 - 18:22 ET by HillbillyKingLadies and Gentlemen, I give you the greatest fighter in the world;
Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor is so good, that in Japan they pit him against muuuccchh bigger opponent, like;
Hong Man Choi
Zulu
Lesnar would get submitted by Fedor in the first round. Give Lesnar a few years and then he might stand a chance against Fedor.
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
Don Marquis 1878-1937
We can only hope
November 18, 2008 - 11:12 ET by Dee BunkI think Obama himself will go back on many of his policies - especially concerning the GWOT. It's good if he becomes more moderate, but it doesn't excuse the fact that he and his supporters were willing to lose it to gain power. They also cost many soldiers their lives by emboldening the terrorists for so long - we could have won this war much sooner if not for their disgusting manipulations
How long?
November 18, 2008 - 11:12 ET by Mica the MagnificentIf the republicans believe leaning to the left will win elections, how long will it be before the moderate and conservative dems fall in line too?
Well, lib, here's another fine mess you've gotten us in to. - - - Oliver Hardy upon hearing Stanley voted for Obama
Not only that, Mica, but
November 18, 2008 - 12:06 ET by motherbeltNot only that, Mica, but when push comes to shove, the Democrats tend to revert to the pack and stick together, no matter what.
Good point, Motherbelt
November 18, 2008 - 12:14 ET by Mica the Magnificentespecially if you believe the dems will control the fed gov't for years to come.
Those juicy committee appointments will go to the most socialist, loyal and obamatized robots.
I am not a moderate democrat, but I played one to get elected - - Moderate democrats confession to their leaders
Lookie Lookie
November 18, 2008 - 14:20 ET by AJBLook what they did to Leiberman... one decent Democrat in the bunch and they try to force him out of office, try to strip his chairmanship. No, do not stand up for what's right... stand up for what they tell you! Soon, very soon, Comrade Glorious Supreme Leader Obama will be dancin' to Hillary's tune :-)
Obama isn't the new JFK or the new FDR. He's the new JJ.
November 18, 2008 - 11:23 ET by Ted ClarkeThere's a huge effort to portray Obama as the combined J.F.K. and F.D.R. of our time. This is laughable. If Obama is to be likened to any historical figure, it has to be J.J. (a.k.a. Jim Jones).
1) Jones was 47. Obama is 47.
2) Jones attempted to build a socialistic utopia through the sheer power of his messianic will. Obama is essentially promising to do the same thing.
3) Jones' followers called him "The Only". Obama's followers call him "The One".
4) Jones' main pawns were poor, black people and disenchanted war protesters, racked with white guilt. Obama's followers pretty much fit the same profile.
5) Jones was a product of Leftist "revolutionary struggle" and "agitation". Obama's background as a "community organizer" is the same thing with a different label.
6) Jones' mantra was "revolutionary struggle". Obama's is "Change" and "Fundamental transformation".
7) Jones wanted to build a post-racial society. Obama was the post-racial candidate.
8) Jones left the U.S. to escape media scrutiny. Obama came to the U.S. to escape media scrutiny.
9) Jones wanted his followers to learn Russian and reject English as the defining language of their culture. Obama wants America to embrace multi-culturalism and reject English as our official language.
10) Jones believed that babies deserved "peace" more than they deserved life. Obama's voting record demonstrates that he believes the same thing.
11) Jones funded his operation through "mail-order donations from the desperate". Obama's grassroots campaign and fishy internet credit card operation bares a close resemblance.
12) 909 People's Temple members at Jonestown died from the cyanide-laced Kool-aid. These nutcases on the Left who support Obama are often called "Kool-aid drinkers".
And then there's this: The sign hanging over Jones' dead body read:
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
A final point:
There's talk of having a National Holiday in honor of our first black president. I would be all for it if, in the name of fairness, they reinstated the National Holiday that once celebrated our first white president.
But if we did have National Obama Day, I know the perfect iconic symbol for it: an empty goat's horn. We can call it "The Horn of Nothing". In a sense, Obama's Day would be the polar opposite of Thanksgiving. When our Pilgrim Mothers and Fathers rejected socialism and embraced free market capitalism, they liberated the human spirit and unleashed the truly amazing force for prosperity, freedom and good will that we call The United States of America. The Cornucopia or "The Horn of Plenty" is the perfect symbol for that defining and formative moment in our country's history. It shows how rich and abundant our lives can be when we are free. But the whole vision that Obama has mapped out for us is a direct reversal of that distinctly American vision. In other words, Thanksgiving celebrates the moment when we Americans placed Freedom above Equality. Obama Day will celebrate the moment when we placed Equality over Freedom. In light of this, I think an empty cornucopia will perfectly symbolize what Obama has done to our once bountiful country.
Lord, Help Us! I'm
November 18, 2008 - 11:32 ET by kathleenirishLord, Help Us!
I'm sorry, I laughed when I saw the title of your post first and thought you were going to compare Obama to JJ Walker, "Kid Dy-no-MITE!"
I'd prefer JJ Walker any day.
J.J. Walker?
November 18, 2008 - 11:42 ET by Ted ClarkeHey Kathleen!
J.J. Walker? Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Dy-no-mite is right! I'm laughing. Thanks.
The Kool-Aid thing is not a
November 18, 2008 - 12:15 ET by motherbeltThe Kool-Aid thing is not a similarity.
A blind follower of any "cult-like" figure is referred to by the term, because of Jones's followers willingness to do anything for him.
Although the behavior of the followers can be characterized as similar, you're really reaching with some of them; namely 5,6, 8, and 9.
Saying two things, one following the other, does not make them equivalent.
You're right, Motherbelt
November 18, 2008 - 13:16 ET by Ted ClarkeMotherbelt,
Of course, you are right. I was not really making any serious point with these comparisons because there is one very significant difference that makes all similarities pointless: Jim Jones was nuttier than a fruitcake and Obama isn't. There might be a serious point buried in there, but mostly it's tongue firmly planted in cheek. Thanks for responding.
Hey!
November 18, 2008 - 14:21 ET by AJBWhere'd you get all that??? Its brilliant!
I think he's the Antichrist... all the same trappings...
Will Mark Cuban See the Folly of His Ways?
November 18, 2008 - 11:22 ET by CaringwhiteguyMark Cuban, "famous" owner of the Dallas Mavericks has been charged with insider trading by the SEC. He has issued a press release vigorously denying the charges and stating he will defend himself aggressively.
I'm just wondering if Cuban, who vocally and financially supported Obama and hired Dan Rather for his little "news" operation might start to see the downside to bigger and bigger government role in our lives espoused by Mr. Obama and Mr. Rather.
Delicious irony?
The Transistion
November 18, 2008 - 11:32 ET by billbI don't know..maybe it's just me, but does anyone else notice a difference between the Bush/Obama and the Clinton/Bush transistions?
Surprising revelation about doctors
November 18, 2008 - 11:41 ET by shawn228I always thought that the best profession nowadays would be a doctor because overall the pay is very good and medical related jobs are the only ones that I can think of are recession proof.
Turns out many doctors plan to quit or cut back, because they are sick of the red tape and rising malpractice insurance.
He had my vote
well well shawn
November 18, 2008 - 12:01 ET by candanceLooks like tort reform is better idea than the left allows.
I'm a typical white person.
yea cd TORT REFORM, how many times was that word mentioned
November 18, 2008 - 14:22 ET by upcountrywaterin this election cycle?
It's the dirtest word in the lawyer-politicians handbook.
First Mutt's Viet Nam 2
IranianUranium
Budweiser officially no longer American
November 18, 2008 - 11:48 ET by shawn228InBev completes 52 billion dollar acquisition.
He had my vote
Did you know beer makes you
November 19, 2008 - 01:18 ET by Carl KolchakDid you know beer makes you smarter?
Yeah, it made Bud wiser.
This Bud's for your my friend. Too bad they don't have Bud Bowl on the Superbowl anymore.
Don't know if beer make one smarter,
November 19, 2008 - 01:23 ET by RESTLESS 1But I do know that Jose Cuervo has left me less than intelligent on occasion. ;>)
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
that's it, I am never
November 19, 2008 - 01:24 ET by MightyMouth..going to order another Bud again!
haha! who would drink that swill anyhow?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
As a now former Bud drinker
November 19, 2008 - 01:29 ET by RESTLESS 1any good alternatives you would like to share? I like Landshark lager, and some ales, but I now need a new "old faithful".
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Coors light, crisp and cold doesnt get better!
November 19, 2008 - 01:32 ET by MightyMouth"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Good choice there MM
November 19, 2008 - 01:40 ET by RESTLESS 1but I am also mulling over sticking to my roots.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Well Restless, I am a yankee..
November 19, 2008 - 01:49 ET by MightyMouth...stuck in the "paradise" of Texas and still am a Bronco fan and a Coors fan or a Shiner fan. So there!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
For former Bud drinkers
November 19, 2008 - 10:22 ET by general companyany good alternatives you would like to share? I like Landshark lager, and some ales, but I now need a new "old faithful".
Abita, they are right down the road from me. They have several seasonal brews and a few staples. I like Landshark and some of the new Shiners as well.
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
personally, I am glad Bud is no-longer an American beer...
November 19, 2008 - 09:50 ET by R D Helm...as that utterly flavorless, watered-down brew was an embarrassment, anyway.
-Dave
Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?
congress as liberal as Obama?
November 18, 2008 - 11:49 ET by east tennessee johnProbably not. But I guarantee, whenever they need 218 votes, they'll have them. Pelosi will give some latitude on some issues, but when 218 is needed, she'll have them, no doubt about it.
Do you agree? Is Congress
November 18, 2008 - 11:55 ET by Dan The Man 2Do you agree? Is Congress actually further to the right than Obama making it unlikely his socialist agenda will get passed, or is this wishful thinking?
The congress is further left than its ever been and they keep wanting to emulate European values. The congress has been spending money like a drunken sailor on shore leave and I dont expect it to stop. In fact the lap dancer Obama just arrived and being drunk already teh spending will get more furious until we have sold the farm off.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
wishful thinking
November 18, 2008 - 11:59 ET by candanceThe bailout fiasco showed us plenty about Congress - they'll talk a big game about being responsible and the cave to Pelosi/Reid in the end.
I'm a typical white person.
Pod person heads Obama "transition" team
November 18, 2008 - 12:15 ET by Jack BauerSo ... what do the Obamabots REALLY think. Like we don't know beneath that nutty exterior beats a heart of loon.
Get this:
John Podesta, former Clintoon, anti-conservative free speech zealot, and now running the Obama "transition" team is an ANAL PROBING, ALIEN CONSPIRACY NUTJOB.
Aren't you reassured to know that the Nutty Podesta is a leading member of Team Obama?
Why apologize for telling
November 18, 2008 - 13:45 ET by Roger the ShrubberWhy apologize for telling the truth?
"In a Nov. 15 story about potential candidates for governor in the 2010 election, The Associated Press misstated Sen. Arlen Specter's political affiliation. Specter is a Republican."
It would almost have to
November 18, 2008 - 13:57 ET by Ruths husband BenIt would almost have to be more to the right than Obama, wouldn't it?
Surprise, surprise! Uninformed idiots put Obama in the W/H.
November 18, 2008 - 15:01 ET by R D HelmBut you already knew this, right?
-Dave
Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?
Hey, Dave...I'm guessing
November 18, 2008 - 15:17 ET by motherbeltHey, Dave...I'm guessing you're just getting here today.
This was linked to in a couple of threads this AM...P.J. did a posting on it too.
motherbelt,
November 18, 2008 - 15:22 ET by R D HelmLOL-I came down with the "creeping crud" yesterday and slept until 1:00 today.
Thinking about going back to bed, actually. :-)
-Dave
Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?
Matters not. Caveat emptor
November 18, 2008 - 15:24 ET by semolina_filcherMatters not. Caveat emptor definitely didn't come into play. Now we're stuck with Stupid......for four years.
mother says go rest up!
November 18, 2008 - 16:25 ET by motherbeltHope you feel better fast!
Would someone please ...
November 18, 2008 - 17:29 ET by Crash... bitch slap this idiot!
When stalwart bailout opponent GOP Rep. Jeb Hensarling pointed out that everyone under the sun was applying for TARP funds including a group of Hispanic plumbers and contractors, he asked Paulson if he could please provide a clearer definition of what qualifies as a “financial institution.”
Paulson’s [punchline]: “I can’t.” From: http://michellemalki...
What the heck is going on people? Stevens Lost?
November 18, 2008 - 22:11 ET by Dee BunkI've been out of it - I thought he had already won. What is going on? Drudge is showing he lost now.
Dems are trying to steal MN and GA won't that make 60? This is nuts. Even without 60 Reps won't filibuster with all the RINO's. We are done.
No So Super Tuesday Chat
November 19, 2008 - 00:01 ET by Free StinkerC-H-A-T
"Gov. Palin has been subjected to one of the most massive and dishonest pile-on smear attacks in the history of liberal media." -- Lowell Ponte
The Obama Citizenship Saga
November 19, 2008 - 01:48 ET by marvlCheck out this article: http://www.nbcaugust...
What do you folks think? One person posted the obvious, the certificate could not be an original, since there were no PCs or printers in 1961 that could generate that document. It all seems very fishy.