I'm So Disappointed with Schumer and Jeffries. They Don't Agree with Me 100%.

[MineralMan]

How dare they adjust their demands to make them possible to achieve? Who cares whether we have majorities in the House and Senate? I mean why can't we ram what we want through anyhow.

Why, I'm tempted not to vote at all if that's how it's going to be! That'll show them, dammit!

[Permanut]

1. Well played.

[FalloutShelter]

14. Absolutely!

[msongs]

2. abolish ICE is not gonna happen and it is a bad look. there are some things I would like to see happen

at minimum:

get rid of masks
get rid of GI Joe costumes and go back to old school uniforms
get rid of the military grade equipment

follow DUE PROCESS at all times.

Probably a few more items I forget at the moment.

Obama/Biden deported many people but they did not put on a public gestapo display.
Immigration reform is a related but different topic not included in this post.

[Escurumbele]

50. OK, did Shumer and Jeffries meet that minimum?

If they didn't then why is anyone defending them? They keep bending to the whims of republicans, no hiding from that.

[sboatcar]

71. Also stop the roving kidnap patrols

They're still going on daily here in Minneapolis

[sheshe2]

3. Well done.

Thank you 😊

[617Blue]

4. They're hiding under the couch hoping GOP unpopularity will propel them to majority. Won't work.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

5. People keep forgetting we have a MINORITY STATUS in Congress

And we have to fight for every little thing, so making large demands are simply not going to work.

[MineralMan]

7. You're right. If we don't understand that,

and we don't understand how our federal legislature works, how the hell are we going to ever get anything done?

I'm depressed about the level of misunderstanding I see right here. It's shocking to me.

[Gore1FL]

15. The solution is not to roll over hoping for a belly scratch.. NT

[Prairie Gates]

6. Abolish ICE

[MineralMan]

8. Great Idea. Now...How do you do that in reality?

Great Ideas are easy to come by. Effective ideas are somewhat more difficult.

We need to move in a direction. If we don't move at all, we move backwards.

If nothing gets done, nobody gets anything.

Reality. It sucks!

[Prairie Gates]

9. Abolish ICE

[MineralMan]

11. You already said that. It's a great idea.

How do you plan to accomplish that?

[Prairie Gates]

13. Abolish ICE

[beaglelover]

20. So you got nothing.

[Prairie Gates]

22. Abolish ICE

[MineralMan]

24. In two words.

That's the only thing we need, right? Just "Abolish ICE." How ridiculous, eh?

[Prairie Gates]

26. Abolish ICE

[tritsofme]

64. I want a pony.

[Prairie Gates]

66. Abolish ICE

[tritsofme]

84. I want TWO ponies!

[Prairie Gates]

94. Abolish ICE

[FoxNewsSucks]

41. Not really. Just "pull the plug" basically.

End funding. Fire them. Transfer the equipment to the military where it belongs. Let deportations go back to being handled by the border patrol.

That's what we should be demanding.

The points itemized in a post above (no masks, follow the law etc) are an adequate compromise, but they aren't even standing up to get that.

I'm sick of the store being given away right up front. Apparently they didn't learn anything from Obama's habit of opening with what we really want.

[JustAnotherGen]

29. My idea?

When we have a Trifecta we revoke the Homeland Security Act of 2002 or alter it to removed the function of Immigration Customs Enforcement Officers.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2023-11/03_0116_hr_5005_enr.pdf

Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection stay along with the Customs Modernization Act of 1993. I'm in trade compliance for a US Manufacturer. This ICE thing is slowing down refunds and drawback of all types.

It's not in the Constitution.

It's also why we need to position ICE as a Bureaucratic Paramilitary. It's easier to get rid of than a law enforcement agency.

It's pretty simple. This is a high level of what I've written to Senators Kim and Booker - and Rep Kean Jr asking for.

[Gore1FL]

19. Use the Senate rules to stop ICE funding.

The GOP doesn’t have 60 votes.

But as you admitted in post 7, some folks don’t know how our Federal legislature works. Welcome to that club.

[MineralMan]

23. Both of my Senators would vote that way.

How about yours?

I've addressed the issue with my Senators. How about yours?

I know exactly how it works. I've been involved with influencing legislators I've helped to get elected for decades.

[calguy]

90. No help from my Senators, unfortunately

One is Tom Cotton, and the other John Boosman, who we never see except for when running for re-election, and even then, all he does is hire an agency to run ads for himself. The man rarely makes a public appearance.

[leftstreet]

25. +1 GOP poll numbers make them vulnerable

That's what I'd be working on

Pleading, blackmail, whatever it takes. And it shouldn't take much

[JustAnotherGen]

30. I'm going beyond that

Tear it out of the Homeland Security Act when we have a trifecta. I don't care if a future Senate lifts the filibuster rules to end a deadly, murderous paramilitary that executes US Citizens.

[Prairie Gates]

38. That's the bottom line

Abolish ICE should be 100% the goal and starting position of any Democratic legislation or negotiation. This idea that somebody might disagree on getting a murderous, unaccountable agency off the streets, and that refusing to accept that disagreement is "purity policing" or "unrealistic" is grade A bullshit.

Get the fascist thugs off the damn street and abolish the auspices under which they are operating. There is no margin for disagreement on that, period, full fucking stop. How you get there, obviously, adults will disagree on, but pretending that we can disagree on Abolish ICE is a fucking deflection masquerading as seriousness and maturity. It is, in fact, the childish position. Abolish ICE. Antifascism is non-negotiable. Abolish ICE. I am not voting for anyone who is not starting from that basic position.

[W_HAMILTON]

33. ICE has already been funded, it will continue to operate during a shutdown, and...

... if we did manage to get Republicans to agree to go along with us and defund or abolish ICE -- we won't -- Trump will simply veto it and/or illegally divert funding from elsewhere like he already has.

If people wanted Democrats to save everyone and wield powers they do not have, they should have voted for them.

[FoxNewsSucks]

43. probably, but instead of rolling belly up, Dems should MAKE tRump do that.

WE do what's right, force them to cheat instead of just giving in all the time.

[JustAnotherGen]

56. We do it when we have a trifect

And we do it by repealing and replacing the HSA of 2002.

I look at it like this - I'm a Democratic Party member for one KEY pet issue only - Voting Rights.

If they (the Magapubs) could and did strip the VRA of its teeth -

We can do the same. We don't have to just go along to get along. We can do big things because we've lost our sense of liberty.

[Gore1FL]

100. So, They have money now and if we try to stop them from getting more...

The GOP will do and say mean things.

Quite an argument not to fight for our values.

[iemanja]

63. Vote against funding ICE for starters

Trump needs Democratic votes to fund his Gestapo. There are Republicans who vote against it. He cannot secure a majority to pass his bills without Democratic support. The House gave it to him. Seven Democrats voted with the Republican majority, while 24 Republicans voted against the bill. Those Democrats enabled that bill to pass.

The Senate has more power because of the filibuster. Presenting Democrats can't exercise that power is patently false, and willfully so.

[Cirsium]

77. It starts with advocay

Obviously.

Advocating only for what is possible is not advocacy at all.

[intheflow]

91. In reality, the next president can just issue

an Executive Order abolishing it. Say all ICE personnel to be transferred into Border Patrol. Any of the new hires with minimum training have to pass traditional BP training before they can be accepted into that org. If immigration enforcement needs to happen over 50 miles from the border, Feds can work with local law enforcement to apprehend actual bad guys.

[Gore1FL]

10. Missed the point, again, I see.

Don’t gaslight the issue, please.

[MineralMan]

18. No, I did not. I missed nothing.

I've missed nothing for a very long time. I'm old. I'm even more tired that I used to be about nonfunctional opposition to a Republican majority.

Something's missing, and has been for quite some time. It's called solidarity. A commitment to moving things forward.

If you don't see that happening, I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions for you.

[Gore1FL]

98. So the intention is to gaslight?

Interesting.

[murielm99]

79. He did not miss the point.

This is the DEMOCRATIC underground. Did you miss that point?

[beaglelover]

16. Well said!

[yaesu]

17. ICE hasn't been around that long, it was a fascist invention just like the debt ceiling, we can be the go along party or

A fighting party. We The People want a fighting party to fight fascism at every turn, not fighting will get a continues tRump cycle.

[MineralMan]

21. What sort of fighting are you talking about?

We're all fighting. But, there are turning points in US political reality. Every last one of those turning points happens on an election day.

If we miss our chances on those days, we're not fighting. We're giving up.

If we're confusing the points where we can make a different, we lose every time.

[FHRRK]

27. This point would have been arguable decades ago

Pre trumps first term maybe. For me it is laughable going back at least three decades. We had the clues back in the 90s, that is Repubs want complete control, they want to criminalize liberals.

After trumps first term, after Jan 6, after the last year, it is a straight up laughable point.

I’m retired, it would be great to kick back, ignore the shit show, let others deal with it. I don’t have grandkids, but I might, and either way, I’m not going to stop fighting to make this Country better. (More accurately, to stop this Country’s slide into fascism)

So with people being murdered by Feds, a private army for the fascists, there is not a simple solution, a few minor points that need to be incorporated.

Compromising and folding is not an option. I will be god damned if I will support short term bipartisan measures to fund a terrorist organization. Because then a quarter later, after the next foreseeable tragedy, the Repubs will be all over the media stating “we had bipartisan support for the funding.”

Point of reference, we are less than a qtr away from the same arguments being made to stop the shutdown. Trump got what he wanted, millions lost healthcare.

If you don’t want to fight, ok, some of us get it. But it is offensive to point fingers at, to condemn the fighters.

Edit to add after reading up thread request for solutions:

1. Furlough every ICE/DHS hired since Jan 1 2025.

We have mountains of video evidence that they are untrained, under misconception that they are the judge, jury, and executioner.

2. Thorough background checks of all remaining employees.

The actions over the last year lead to the logical observation that existing employees have been at best, incapable of mentoring.

[leftstreet]

78. +1

Great ideas

[Quiet Em]

28. It's very frustrating.

The con and Republicans are underwater on nearly everything. The only thing they could attempt to do to lesson the blow they are likely to face in the midterms is to try to create and then exploit a perceived division in the Democratic Party. And I have seen some social media influencers doing that exact bidding for them.

[betsuni]

36. Dividing the Democratic Party is key. Targeting customized anti-Democratic attacks to fit.

Worked before, will probably keep elections close in future.

[Cirsium]

31. Nonsense

Stop applying this purity test. Loyalty tests are not a good look for us. People can disagree with leadership and still be loyal Democrats.

Not having majorities in the House and Senate never seems to stop Republicans from advancing their agenda.

We should only advocate for that which is "possible to achieve?'

Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change. And I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the globe.

For the fortunate among us, there is the temptation to follow the easy and familiar paths of personal ambition and financial success so grandly spread before those who enjoy the privilege of education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us. Like it or not, we live in times of danger and uncertainty. But they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history. All of us will ultimately be judged, and as the years pass we will surely judge ourselves on the effort we have contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which our ideals and goals have shaped that event.

Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither fate nor nature nor the irresistible tides of history, but the work of our own hands, matched to reason and principle, that will determine our destiny. There is pride in that, even arrogance, but there is also experience and truth. In any event, it is the only way we can live.

Some men see things as they are and say why.
I dream things that never were and say why not.

Robert F. Kennedy

[W_HAMILTON]

34. "People can disagree with leadership and still be loyal Democrats."

That sure wasn't the case in 2016 or 2024.

[Cirsium]

40. I strongly question that

You shouldn't tar every progressive with the actions of the few.

In any case, beating up on those with whom you disagree with here is extremely unlikely to have any effect on those who failed to vote Democratic in the past. In addition to being morally repugnant - collective guilt accusations - it is also not effective at achieving your purported goal.

Argue policies and positions and philosophy with the people with whom you disagree. Smearing them, applying loyalty tests, and blaming them for past Democrat party failures is illogical and it is bad politics.

[W_HAMILTON]

44. As a progressive myself, i am cleaning up my own house here.

People can't claim to be progressive while not supporting/refusing to vote for the only people that would have prevented all this Republican terribleness from happening.

"Democrat party failures" -- your mask slipped.

[Cirsium]

76. Out of line

My mask slipped? That is a snide personal attack.

[MineralMan]

46. Why do you question that?

Lets hear your reasoning.

I'll tell you what I heard. I heard a half a dozen people who normally vote for Democrats tell me that they voted third party instead of for Hillary and Kamala. That doesn't sound like so many, but it's a significant number, given the number people I know.

So, that didn't have any impact on the outcome here in Minnesota, but that's irrelevant. Next door, in Wisconsin, it had an impact. In Pennsylvania, it had an impact. All you have to do is look at the number of votes for third party candidates. Truly. That was the difference.

You're fond of making broadish statements, but not so strong in supporting you conclusions. So, tell us why you "question that."

[Cirsium]

80. Of course

Yes, people not voting for Democrats hurts Democrats. Not exactly news. But blaming people here with whom you happen to disagree has nothing to do with that.

[MineralMan]

97. Democrat Party?

Own goal!

[crimycarny]

54. Agree--I'm so tired of being accused of not being a loyal Democrat if I disagree with leadership on occasion

Voicing concerns is not the same as demanding perfection. Accusing other Democrats who voice frustration at times of expecting 100% agreement is just as divisive.

[3825-87867]

93. Not having majorities in the House and Senate

never seems to stop Republicans from advancing their agenda.

But MANY centrist Democrats voted with Republicans and for their views over the objections of those on the left who DID voice concerns. And they did it because of lobbyists most of the time.
So what was the use of supporting (and voting for) centrist Democrats who sided with Republicans to cover themselves and the wishes of some over the ignorance and especially apathy of those who chose not to be informed.

[angrychair]

32. Come on

Literally yesterday, at a professional wrestling match, historically a very pro Republican audience, they chanted "fuck ice" so long they had to pause the match.

The sentiment is there for real change weather so e believe that or not (by change I don't mean the normal police level of accountability which is no accountability at all)
. Democrats need to hold the line and demand real change or refuse to vote in any package that does not.
What is the harm in that?

Is your answer really to just do nothing at all and let Republicans have their way in all things?

[MineralMan]

35. My answer has to do with only one thing - Elections.

That's the part you're missing here. The day to day legislative and administrative battle is irrelevant, if we allow those things to interfere with our elections.

Twice in recent history, we have lost the highest office in the land because of people who said things like, "Well, I just don't like her, so I'm voting for (name a third-party candidate). We failed to elect Hillary Clinton and we failed to elect Kamala Harris. Instead, we got Donald J. Trump.

How did that work out, do you think? And we're moving in that direction once again. What will we do in 2028? Hell, what will we do in 2026? Will we shun some candidates who are not sufficiently progressive and let yet another Republican win in some race or races? In actual fact, there is a likelihood that we will do exactly that.

We've done it before and we're likely to do it again.

Those next two elections will likely be my last elections. That sucks, but what sucks more is that there's a fair chance we'll lose again by insisting that candidates meet 100% of our demands. They never will. They never do. We vote for them to avoid a far worse situation. Or, we should, anyhow.

But, we haven't done that far too many times, and it has cost us dearly. I hope we don't do that again - ever again.

I'm not convinced, though, that we will not, once again, make the same lame mistake we made those last two times.

VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS! EVERY LAST F-ING TIME! NOTHING LESS WILL DO.

[we can do it]

39. Yes we need to vote D. We also need to inspire nonvoters to do so.

Aim for the stars, shoot for the moon.

[1WorldHope]

52. No one person will meet 100% of any persons requirements.

I still think cheating has had a lot more to do with us losing than a purity test. I'm going to stop at that because I know I will never win this argument with you MineralMan. I still think if Bernie had been allowed to run he would have won. If you talk to young people, (40 something) and this is their world now, neither D's or R's have taken on the real problems, like climate change, wealth inequality, healthcare ... I disagree with sitting out the vote and people staying home is absolutely wrong. That and cheating is how the plump bump won. I think we are seeing a sea change, kids don't trust the status quo. 🫣

[Seinan Sensei]

59. "Plump bump"

Love it!

[1WorldHope]

68. The full title is plump bump on my rump😎

[we can do it]

37. Abolish ICE

[Cha]

42. Yeah, that Got Us So Far in 2016 and 2024

Sarcasm too..

Mahalo, MineralMan

[dsp3000]

45. These 2 are not meeting the moment, end of story

[MineralMan]

47. I see. And I should be listening to you because...

Never mind...

[hay rick]

48. Not even 95%!

They are career legislators. Like most people in our society, they specialize in one thing- in their case, the legislative process. Expecting them to also be the people leading a parade of torches and pitchforks in the street is unrealistic.

Calling to break things (in this case, Democratic leadership) without a clear plan to replace those things is very much like the MAGA temper tantrums that are decimating our society. Without a clear plan on offer we have endless debate which gives the media a chance to report on "Democrats divided" instead of Trump rehearsing ways to destroy American democracy.

[MineralMan]

49. Just so.

[betsuni]

67. Exactly.

Getting people worked up about revolutions seems to have made them imagine legislators' real day jobs are national celebrity-activists for particular issues.

Replacing leadership will make the take over of the Democratic Party happen, they think.

[Renew Deal]

53. The only way to avoid disappointment is to lack principles.

[betsuni]

55. Politicians doing politics, governing. No! True saviors MAKE evil disappear with magic FIGHTING to MEET THE MOMENT.

Oh, the passion. It is easy. Schumer & Jeffries BEGONE to your softening cave!



This is making me nutty.

[BigDemVoter]

57. What I want to see. . . .

Whenever we do get a majority in Congress, I want to see Dems RAMMING through every and anything we want. I don't care what Repubs say; I don't care what they want; and I certainly don't care how they feel. They are irrelevant, and they have brought our country to the brink. It will take generations to recover from this if we ever do. The international damage they have done with our reputation may not ever, ever recover. I don't want to hear ANYTHING about "fair play" or "bipartisanship."

[MineralMan]

69. The Trick Is to Get That Majority in Congress.

That requires all of us to vote as one.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

58. THANK YOU!

I love you now.

[iemanja]

60. Most of us care about standing up to fascism

The execution of US citizens is not an issue to capitulate on. Our country is submitting to fascism. People who insist every capitulation is the right move contribute to the problem. Those men are paid to represent us. It is not our role to rubber stamp anything they do and don't do. Either one stands up to fascism or aligns themselves with it. There is no middle ground.

Your claim that Democrats have no power is mistaken. Some Republicans vote against Trump's legislation, and Trump depends on Democrats to fund his fascist regime. The House support for ICE only passed because seven Democrats voted with the Republicans. Meanwhile, 24 Republicans voted against the bill. Jefferies refused to whip that vote because those seven Democrats didn't want to appear "soft on crime." The more accommodating Democrats are, the weaker their brand. Democrats need to earn votes by taking on Trump.

The additional funding for ICE will not go through without Democratic votes. Democrats can and must exercise the filibuster. They must choose to exercise it until they get meaningful concessions. To fail to do so is to turn their back on the will of the citizens who elected them.

[Wiz Imp]

73. Um. If 24 Republicans voted against a bill that only 7 Democrats voted for, there is no way it passed.

[iemanja]

99. You're right

It turns out I was mistaken. Only 1 Republican voted against the bill, so it would have passed anyway. https://newrepublic.com/post/205604/seven-democrats-voted-keep-funding-ice

[CountMyVote4Reality]

61. Yeah. Don't vote. That'll show them.

That’s idiotic. That is how we got Trump 2.0.

[Clouds Passing]

62. Vote in the Democratic primaries and vote for Progressive Democratic candidates!

[aocommunalpunch]

65. Please point to ANYONE saying they won't vote

over this. Smells like hyperbolic shit stirring nonsense.

[MineralMan]

70. Anyone saying they won't vote is not here on DU.

So, nobody says such a thing here. However, I know people who have done exactly that, and for the same reasons I'm talking about. Those people have made an impact, and we have Donald Trump and MAGA as the reward.

So, I'm not asking who's voting for whom. Nope. I'm happy to say who I'm voting for, though. Every Freaking Democrat on my ballot, whether I like them or not. It is that simple.

[love_katz]

72. Insisting on political purity is what defeats Democratic candidates .

Remember? "Genocide Joe? Killer Kamala"?

Electing Republicans does Not move our causes forward, it does the opposite.
Unfortunately, we have a binary political system. Whichever party wins the most votes, wins the election. Ergo, voting for a Third Party candidate, or getting mad and choosing to not vote because your favorite candidate didn't win the Primary, allows the wrong-wing Repuke Party to win.
A further problem is that some parts of the country are more prone to conservative beliefs ( due to brainwashing from local churches and continuing bombardment of propaganda from Corporate owned McGreedia and hate radio).
We can't change the political agenda if we don't have the numbers needed to do that. This problem is what is blocking us now.
To be successful in making any headway in stopping Project 2025, let alone the Puke's totalitarian plans for the future, we need to focus on turning purple areas blue, and red areas purple. And, obviously, keep blue areas blue.
I would LOVE for us to vote every single Repuke out of office. Throw them ALL OUT! Do I think that will happen? No, tragically I don't think it will. The Repukes have a huge megaphone in the form of the lying McGreedia and the fundy fanatic churches. The so-called liberal media doesn't exist. All of the major media companies are owned by very wealthy people who love their tax cuts.
The one avenue we have to stopping the broligarch theocracy agenda is to take back Congress. Once we have enough Dems in office to actually be effective in passing legislation, then we can lean hard on them to get what we want.
Refusing to vote for Dems because you didn't get your perfect candidate is putting the cart in front of the horse. That doesn't work and gives us disasters like A$$ Crack Dingleberry and his very evil enablers.
In order for Dems to win nationwide, they may have to run candidates that are less than the optimal people that we would prefer. Mamdani did great in NYC, but would he have any chance in more conservative areas? Sadly, probably not.
We can vote with our hearts in the Primary, but we need to Vote Blue in the general. Kick the sycophant Pukes out of office and then lean hard on our reps for the needed changes. This is a cart with the horse in front.
For the record: I'm an old hippie liberal who grew up during the 1960's. I have wanted massive changes, throughout my entire life. Trust this: refusing to eat any pie because you didn't get the whole pie doesn't work. My generation did create significant social changes. The opposition has worked ever since those days to try and knock it all down. They played the long game, beginning with the Lewis Powell memo in 1968. Please don't let them win . VOTE BLUE!!

[H2O Man]

75. Recommended.

Conversations on this can be good. However, your post ignores the fact that a number of Democrats in the House -- I know it's not the Senate -- are expressing disappointment in Schumer and Jeffries. Thus, your post is weak, as you pretend the only ones expressing that are unrealistic and likely to not vote. I would expect better from you.

[cksmithy]

81. Agree completely.

Those voters who couldn't vote for a woman for president and voted 3rd party are the reason why we are here. I didn't vote for Ralph Nader or Bernie Sanders because we have a two party system and they would never have won. We do not have a parliamentary government. Enough said, vote democratic or stfu. We need democrats in office who are not beholding to the repub party. It's the only way. It appears, some people don't understand just how important it is to get a Democratic majority, so our government can actually work properly.
I am in your age bracket, there were civil rights demonstrations, bombings, marches against war in the late 1960s. Maybe the people who don't understand your point are not actually doing anything about but are just complaining. I put out my NO KINGS sing in front t of my house, homemade, the last demonstration and will continue to do so until we no longer have to.

[love_katz]

82. Elections have consequences.

We got the Evil Regime instead of the wonderful and highly qualified Black Woman, and her equally wonderful VP candidate.
When faced with a choice of the lesser of two evils, Chose Less Evil! The consequences of not doing that in 2024 are painfully and tragically obvious. (Not that I think that Harris/Walz are evil, but some people thought that a protest vote would "really show the Dems"

[Zelda_Orchid]

83. .

[mdbl]

85. I don't berate some for being upset, especially the current situation with ICE.

The Democrats HAVE the advantage here. Some of us just want them NOT to FUCK IT UP!

[QueerDuck]

95. We're the minority party. Where's the advantage?

The only DIS-advantage would be if the general public started to BELIEVE THE LIES that the Democratic party can "magically" do something to CURE EVERYTHING with the wave of a wand... yet... (according to some) the Democrats are just "too old" and "too lazy" and "too scared" to do anything. Ridiculous!

When those LIES are repeated loudly enough and often enough... then those who say such things are doing the work of the GOP for the GOP.

[Nanjeanne]

86. Everyone has reasons for supporting or not supporting the politicians that are elected to represent them.

It’s wonderful that you feel as you do. Others have, like myself, some big and little issues we base our disappointments on - and some big and little things we go to battle for or not. Being condescending and dismissive of fellow Democrats who don’t accept things as you do is really sad. Personally, for me, Schumer and to a lesser extent Jeffries have been a disappointment on the big issues that I feel are important to me. And since our government is supposed to work for us, those who feel disappointed or those who would like a change in leadership, have every right to express those feelings. To want more from our elected officials is healthy. To want better from our government is very much the essence of democracy. Pushing for better ideas, better plans, better advocacy isn’t being disloyal. It’s being engaged. Discussing in a message board reasons for being disappointed is not disloyal. It’s not voting Republican. It’s discussion and it’s healthy.

I don’t care if you are happy with the choices they are making for you. You are happy. That’s all that matters. It’s your right to be content. I wouldn’t presume to make fun of you for feeling as you do. And — You really don’t need to express your unhappiness ess for those that feel a different way. Those that are pushing for better just might also make things good for you too.

[quakerboy]

87. here's my deal

Before the dems caved on the first government shutdown, I, as an American citizen, was vulnerable to being kidnapped off the streets by a taxpayer funded paramilitary force for no legal reason, with no real recourse.


After the dems caved on the first government shutdown, I, as an American citizen, was vulnerable to being kidnapped off the streets by a taxpayer funded paramilitary force for no legal reason, with no real recourse.

Now, after the current deal, I, as an American citizen, am vulnerable to being kidnapped off the streets by a taxpayer funded paramilitary force for no legal reason, with no real recourse.

This is a problem.

[Rob H.]

88. It's more about people being tired of those who think performative resistance

and sternly-worded letters will actually have real-world effects, but okay.

[NNadir]

89. I am reminded of a line in Amiri Baraka's poem...

..."As a possible lover."

In bashing the self declared purists allegedly on the left who vote for the likes of Jill Stein, the William Pitt types, Pitt being someone who once wrote here about not voting for "less pure" (than himself apparently) Democrats, we are engaging in what Baraka called...

"... the single specious need to keep what you have never really had."

The DU rules here preclude such petulant expressions now and may have always done so. (I know Pitt was once denied posting privaleges.)

Baraka was talking about longing for a lover who would never share in love for or with him, but it might just as well apply to longing for political allies who have never actually been allies. Michael Moore, Jill Stein, Ralph Nader may as well have been Republicans. They were never ours and never will be and thus one may as well be appealing to a wall to move.

Walls don't move.

We cannot keep what we have never really had.

[QueerDuck]

92. Yes! You speak for me! They should just IGNORE that we're the MINORITY party...

... and do whatever the hell I want them to do. They should PERFORM for me and have temper tantrums, fist pounding, finger wagging and stomping. Rather than compromising and making some small progress... they should STICK TO THEIR GUNS and demand ALL OR NOTHING (and in the end, we should ALL be delighted with NOTHING, because... reasons! And pride. And vanity. And anger. And virtue signaling!

I want what I want and I want it now. So just DO WHAT I WANT, DAMMIT! Or I'll have to submit a sternly written letter to the editor demanding that they resign and encouraging newcomers to primary them. That'll fix everything!!

( too.)

[Iggo]

96. I think that may be the biggest straw man I've seen all week.

And you knocked it right to the ground.

Congratulations!

Now do ponies!