Sherrod Brown just made a GREAT point regarding unemployment benefits.

[bullwinkle428]

He said that the longer that the Senate remained in session and the closer it got to Christmas, the more the pressure would start to get to the Pukes with the idea that they may be there through Christmas.

Enough of them would eventually cave (feeling the pressure from their individual states), and we would get the the extension without having given away the farm.

[polichick]

1. He was absolutely right - saying the prez should visit places like Maine...

...while Congress brought unemployment benefits up every day.

[Schema Thing]

2. So get a spine Congress, and do it.

You are an equal branch of government.

[Cant trust em]

5. For real. nt

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

3. He totally debunked Obama's "hostage" metaphor

Obama is an embarrassment!

[Angry Dragon]

4. +1000

[polichick]

7. Yes, he sure did! nt

[uponit7771]

19. When was the last time republicans were "pressured" into anything via public opinion?

You guys memory is the real embarrassment.

[TwilightGardener]

21. None of these Senators speaking out now were able to even convince fellow DEMOCRATS

to hold together on a vote. But now they're going to strongarm Republicans? It's laughable.

[uponit7771]

23. Right, people don't get it...republicans are TRULY willing to burn the village to save it

[PVnRT]

28. When was the last time anyone tried?

I certainly don't remember it.

[ProSense]

25. Republicans held out for two months this summer

Do you trust that they'll cave in three weeks when three days later they will control the House and have more seats in the Senate?

[BeyondGeography]

6. He said, "This was a deal between a Democratic President

and Republican leadership."

Change from the back-room up.

Brown was great; told us how the game should have been played.

[polichick]

10. Like healthcare. nt

[Rex]

8. Fucking royalty, they should have to work 335 days a week.

Congress is about as worthless to the working class as a $250k golden toilet (on a yacht mind you).

[sasha031]

9. repugs have plenty of unemployed in their district

I love how he put it in perspective.

[TwilightGardener]

11. That sounds great. Except that we had four Democrats that wouldn't even vote

for middle class tax cuts in the Senate. What did Sherrod say about that?

[sundancekid]

26. EXACTLY! we make up nirvana voting scenarios and punish the realists ...

for playing the ONLY CARDS available unless they walked away from the game table ... some day we will quit shooting off our progressive feet

[dkf]

12. You can force the senate to approve whatever by keeping them there?

Why doesn't that work with everything? I don't understand how that makes you vote for something you don't want to.

[uponit7771]

24. These OPs are embarrassing, it's like people don't even topically know how the US gov is ran

[WillyT]

13. That, And The Scrooge Factor...

:shrug:

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. Oh, this would *definitely* happen? Or is that his risky gamble

With the lives of 2 million people and their families.

It's fine if that's your strategy, but be honest enough to admit it's a bet that may not cash out.

[Toucano]

15. No, no, no, no, no!

We mustn't do anything that will make the Republicans uncomfortable.

We can't turn the heat of or allow them to suffer the public pressure for their own FUCKED UP ideas...

The Democrats have to alleviate that burden, and carry it instead.

:crazy:

[grilled onions]

16. Start Deducting Their Wages

When the rest of the population don't work they don't get paid. If you refused to do a certain job,refused to work on certain days your wages would get cut and possibly your job. They have the dream job where no one can punish them and they can give themselves raises without providing any reason why they should get one.

[glinda]

17. That is surely an idea. As long as the media covers the facts and not just blaming it on the Prez.

[Autumn]

18. Republicans have unemployed constituents too.

Of course they would have given in.

[WhiteTara]

20. They do have parties to attend

and kid's school plays. I hope they increase the work day schedule as well. 8am to 10pm 5 days.

[ProSense]

22. So they're going to spend the next three weeks fighting this?

What about all the other bills, are they going to have those votes before they lose the House?

[Supersedeas]

27. the hostage metapher revisited -- terrorism...the mere threat of terrorism works for Repukes

Following the President's metaphor, the Republicans are holding the American people hostage for the sake tax cuts for the superwealthy.

During the hostage crisis, principaled Democrats demanded that the Republican be forced to vote on single issues of unemployment benefits prior to Christmas break, to vote on the single issue of tax breaks for the middle class prior to the Christmas break, to vote on Start prior to the break, to vote on the repeal of DADT prior to the break.

Loud narrow-minded Republican responded by THREATENING to filibuster anything and everything that did not have a super-tax cut for the superwealthy.

What should a person in charge do when faced with this hostage scenario?

On the ground, at the hostage scene, a few Republicans are threating, threatening the unemployed, the middleclass, and foreign treaties, and everything with a filibuster. On the ground, at the hostage scene, principaled Democrats radio the President about the threat---a few Republicans are wearing trench coats and threatening to shoot the hostages.

What should the person in charge order the principal soldiers to do in response to a few Republicans in trench coats...negotiate, press forward, attack, risk the lives of those held hostage? The principal soldiers on the ground demand that we press forward and make the hostage takers show us whether they are even armed--will they really shoot the unemployed before Christmas...to they even have any weapons hidden in their trench coats.

What should a person in charge do when faced with this hostage scenario when a few trench coat draped terrorist are threatening innocent people with trench coats for the benefit of the super wealth?

Well, I think we should force the small band of trench coats to at least show us that they are armed.

But instead, the President cedes to the threat of a few trench coats, capitulates to the demands of the terrorist, who may not have been armed in the first place, then...and here is the kicker...THEN

turns the guns and the propoganda against those who had the NERVE to demand that the trench coats show us their arms. Instead of confronting the trench coats, the President and his fan boys are assaulting the principaled soldiers who were there at the hostage scene staring down the small band of terrorists.

And the fragging continues in the Corp Media, from the White House podium, and right in...in DU.

So much for principal.

[DirkGently]

29. Yes. The "It was this or a loss on UE benefits because the Reps said so" is a red herring.

[GOTV]

30. I believe Sherrod.