Voters share blame for gridlock in Congress, Dem leader says (Hoyer)

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/186759-dem-leader-hoyer-voters-to-blame-for-dysfunctional-congress

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) suggested Tuesday that voters are to blame for the partisan bickering and standoffs that have defined Congress this year.

The Maryland Democrat said voters are "absolutely right" to think that "Congress isn't working very well." But that dysfunction, he said, is largely of their own making.

"The American people have every right to be angry and disappointed by the performance of the Congress," Hoyer told reporters in the Capitol. "Of course, the American people have also elected people with hard stances, so that to some degree the American people are realizing the results of their votes.

"If elections have consequences — which I think they do — some of those consequences are getting what you vote for," Hoyer added. "In this case, many people voted for people who thought compromise was not something that they ought to participate in."

[Lint Head]

1. Yep. If we get rid of the Blue Dogs and right wingers this would be a fantastic country.

[seabeyond]

2. i agree. but then do voters "share" or "are to blame". but he is absolutely correct. nt

[meow2u3]

15. The voters didn't show up in 2010

That's how they share the blame. If they got off their lazy behinds and turned out at the polls, the teabagger loonies would have never taken over Congress.

[leftstreet]

3. But people didn't realize how far to the right Obama was! Why blame them?

}(

[Kurmudgeon]

6. Don't blame Obama for Boehner, Cantor, McConnell and the rest.

I'll tell you all once again, if you want the President to sign liberal bills, give him a liberal congress.

[JDPriestly]

8. I send a progressive to Congress. I'd like to know how many DUers

are working right now to make sure that a progressive can be elected from their district in 2012. This is the time to start campaigning. You can't wait to select a candidate. You can't wait to start knocking on doors.

Just ask conservatives why, since they sent a conservative to Congress, there still are no jobs. Suggest that maybe they should try a progressive instead just to see whether Congress can finally pass legislation that really will create or reward businesses for creating jobs.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

26. Thank you so much. This is what it's all about. I'm lucky in that I have a fairly

progressive Representative (Van Hollen) and one fairly progressive Senator (Cardin). Senator Mikulski is a moderate-conservative Democrat. Governor O'Malley is fairly progressive and the head of the Democratic Governors Association. He's been great out there stomping on many of the political commentary shows.

[Kurmudgeon]

31. Well done! I live in WV, so you know it's an uphill battle. Could be worse though.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

25. Bullshit!!! n/t

[Avalux]

4. He's absolutely right. The American people elected the whacked out tea partiers and hardliners.

We all have to take part of the blame for the mess we're in; those of us who have been complacent as well, if not moreso.

[bemildred]

5. Right, we elected you, Steny, so we deserve it.nt

[valerief]

7. Fuckin Republicrat Hoyer. Fuck you, Hoyer. Give us paper ballots, you thieving asshole. nt

[mmonk]

9. Passing the buck.

Its not about passing legislation only but passing legislation that helps the American people instead of more corporate power.

[jwirr]

22. And the Tbaggers and Blue Dogs are not obstructing this? Facts

are facts - in 2010 the American people turned the House over to these obstructionists. And it does not matter if it was a rethug who voted for them or a Democrat who did not show up to vote - we gave the House away. What did they think was going to happen?

I respect Steny Hoyer for speaking the truth.

[mmonk]

24. Did I say that?

We had Democratic Party obstructionists before that. Nothing that could really take on the interests in question could get through because "we didn't have the votes".

[jwirr]

27. Of course. I am not sure that we are ever going to be able to get

the votes we need until what the occupiers are saying gets through to these idiots. I miss the good old days when everyone was trying to do what was right for the USA and no for themselves.

[mmonk]

28. Me too. The good part though is that people are finally starting the process

in the streets.

[jwirr]

34. Yes, I see what is happening as very positive. And having watched

what is going on I trust these young protesters to do the right thing. Even if they have to take it down in order to take it back. Just hoping it does not go that far.

[nykym]

10. Dear House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)

Yes while it is true that we are in some capacity responsible for the congress that is now sitting (on our necks). the ultimate blame is still shouldered by those elected to Congress to do the peoples business. You have fallen flat on your face in that respect. As a group you continually give yourselves pay raises (yes I know you all voted to suspend them, but when times are good I am sure you will make up the difference). and perks. exploratory committees, and so on. You exempt yourselves from the legislation you pass. You spend valuable time passing Sense of bills, naming Post Offices and Federal Buildings, and running for reelection on a daily basis.Of course we are fed up with the lot of you, wouldn't you be outraged if you were in our shoes?
Stop your whining and get behind the POTUS and whip that do nothing congress into a frenzy.

PS Remember Steny you CAN be replaced.

Thank you I just had to rant about something today.

[Amonester]

32. And don't forget the 'K-Street' "revolving" door...

Which is, in (too) many cases, the Root of all (theiR) evils...

[rhett o rick]

11. This doesnt sound even close to right. Does he mean all Congress-critters should be replaced?

I dont hear very many Democrats, that were elected to straighten this mess out, fighting very hard for the 99%.

Hoyer doesnt get it.

[WI_DEM]

12. If we have a 'throw the bums out election' next year

we would have a gop president, gop sentate, but a dem house.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

13. Steny hasn't said anything that we here on DU haven't already been screaming!

The bottom line is that people were very unrealistic. Randi Rhodes has this saying that one should never go anything in anger because we all end up making very irrational and even stupid choices when we're angry! And she is right.

Here you have a House under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi that was the most productive of any Congress in U.S. history, and what happened? While the House passed hundreds of progressive legislation (over 400 bills made it to the floor), the ones that got through the chamber successfully were cock-blocked by the Rethugs and their complicit corporatists in the Democratic Party.

So, what happened? People got angry at Congress and Obama--THE WRONG PEOPLE--because they expected all this "change" in less than two years!! As a result, 38 state legislatures are now in the hands of Republican zealots. The House is now controlled by Teabagging syncophants who don't know what they hell they are doing and are now synonymous of the Republican Party. And the Senate: because it takes ONE SENATOR to block or hold up legislation, that's exactly what's going on.

But, how do we progressives blame? We aren't blaming the Teabaggers, the Rethuglicans, or the Corporate Democrats. We blame President Obama and the progressives in the Democratic Party who did everything right!! (In other words, we lost Alan Grayson, Russ Feingold, etc., progressives that should not have lost!)

[Romulox]

14. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain (with the sacks of money!)"

:eyes:

[Kolesar]

16. Nervous American Voters Worried About Botching Another Election

Voters all across the country can feel themselves about to screw things up again.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nervous-american-voters-worried-about-botching-ano,26265/

[leftstreet]

17. lol

:rofl:

Thanks for posting that!

[Kolesar]

19. Midwestern humor at its best...eom

[qb]

18. What a jackass. Candidates who support the 99% will get the votes.

Voters stayed home because they were abandoned by the Democrats who bailed out the banks and did nothing for the working class when they had the chance.

[jwirr]

23. And they got what they asked for. Years ago we were taught that

if you do not vote your vote is NO. That still holds true.

[demosincebirth]

20. He is absolutely right. We are to blame for who we vote for.

[jwirr]

21. On this I agree completely. I voted in 2010 and I go beat by a bunch

of people who gave us Craavack instead of Jim Oberstar. Jim we could talk to - Craavack has not voted one time for what the people of NE MN want. And until 2012 I cannot do a damned thing about it. So you bet the voters cannot just point fingers.

[boston bean]

29. until 2010, we Dems held the Senate, House and Presidency.

Today they hold the Senate and the Presidency.

GWB got whatever the hell he wanted done and he didn't have a super majority.

The Dems didn't do what Repubs are doing during Bush's term, to stop the atrocities.

And when they held majorities they squandered 2 years down the drain. Unemployment did not go down, it went up.

I don't have much sympathy for him or the predicament he finds himself in.

As a matter of fact, I am finding it harder to believe that even if they had huge majorities that there would be much difference than the status quo we find today. Many Dems would manage to somehow be bought and paid for by corporations any how.

Go OWS!

[MFrohike]

30. True

Voters haven't paid attention to the partisan redistricting of Congress that makes it possible to elect wingnuts.

[JVS]

33. I disagree. Even when the overwhelming majority of voters approve of something (like single payer)

the politicians take it upon themselves to keep it from happening.

So obviously they are capable of acting against the direct wishes of their constituents when they deem it beneficial to themselves.