The Progressive Electorate - Recent Comments

there's nothing wrong with holding firm

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:56:28 GMT

on principles but to be an effective lawmaker you need to be somewhat flexible and deferring. Kucinich never shows the ability to compromise.

But

rossl — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:20:40 GMT

there are many people who actually rank below Kucinich. Not to mention, no matter how much he twists arms he's in the minority and at times will go against the Democratic leadership. So I think he's doing all right for himself (if not great or even that good), and it's not a coincidence that this idea of Kucinich being ineffective came up after a lot on the left starting hating on him.

Remember Sonny Bono's widow took over his House seat?

CA Berkeley WV — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:20:31 GMT

Kucinich was sworn in in Jan 1997. Mary Bono Mack R-CA-45 took office in April 1998.

Mary Bono Mack has sponsored 63 bills since Jan 7, 1997 of which 44 haven't made it out of committee and 7 were successfully enacted. Bono Mack has co-sponsored 1,099 bills during the same time period. (The count of enacted bills considers only bills actually sponsored by Bono Mack and companion bills identified by CRS that were themselves enacted, but not if they were incorporated into other bills, as that information is not readily available.)

Yes, she was in the majority for most of that time, so maybe not a fair comparison. Her two biggies were after the Nov 2006 election while Hastert was a lame duck Speaker.

H.R. 1953: To authorize leases for terms not to exceed 99 years on land held in trust for the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and the Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians of the Guidiville Indian Rancheria. Enacted Jun 21, 2000

H.R. 3676: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000 Enacted Oct 24, 2000

H.R. 3657: To provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of public domain land in the San Bernardino National Forest in the State of California, and for other purposes. Enacted Nov 6, 2000

H.R. 6143: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 Enacted Dec 19, 2006

H.R. 6429: Fallen Firefighters Assistance Tax Clarification Act of 2006 Enacted Dec 21, 2006

H.R. 4841: Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Settlement Act Enacted Jul 31, 2008

H.R. 6085: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 42222 Rancho Las Palmas Drive in Rancho Mirage, California, as the "Gerald R. Ford Post Office Building". Enacted Aug 12, 2008

How does that compare

rossl — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:52 GMT

to the rest of Congress? I don't think he's particularly ineffective, although he's certainly no Ted Kennedy.

I don't like term limts

CA Berkeley WV — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:38:21 GMT

Look what they have done for the Calif. legislature and the inability to run the state government, that and ballot initiatives.

Low information voters. I am sure his district has no clue. It's like my rep, Capito, explanation that she did not have to actually do anything while Hastert was Speaker because she was on the Rules Committee. Now she is on the list of stimulus hypocrites. She is in her fifth term.

is he capable of another approach?

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:29:27 GMT

not sure he is. Dennis K could be a poster boy for the term limits argument

His record is 3 for 97

CA Berkeley WV — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:14:50 GMT

in getting bills passed.

Dennis Kucinich has sponsored 97 bills since Jan 7, 1997 of which 93 haven't made it out of committee and 3 were successfully enacted. Kucinich has co-sponsored 2,924 bills during the same time period. (The count of enacted bills considers only bills actually sponsored by Kucinich and companion bills identified by CRS that were themselves enacted, but not if they were incorporated into other bills, as that information is not readily available.)

Ineffective at the minimum.

The three that were enacted are, in chronological order from first to last: A bill "to make available to the Ukranian Museum and Archives the USIA television program 'Window on America,'" a bill "to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14500 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio as the 'John P. Gallagher Post Office Building" and a bill "proclaiming Casimir Pulaski to be an honorary citizen of the United States posthumously."

Maybe he needs a different approach.

Kucinich isn't the deciding factor

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:59:38 GMT

although just because he's for single payer and compromised on public option doesn't mean he shouldn't vote for this.

the members of his district are the ones that will have to decide if they want to keep him.

Dennis is no doubt a smart guy. I've just never truly understood whether he is that principled or if he's an attention seeker

Tips for Truth and Justice

MinistryOfTruth — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:26:25 GMT

Give me accountability or give me my fucking chains now

Great idea

pistolSO — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:11:04 GMT

Let's shed some light on these jokers so that swing voters are turned off by them.

gohmert called the white house a circus

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:30:41 GMT

it was a typical GOP rant.

Not a bad idea for a project

MinistryOfTruth — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:28:42 GMT

Didn't Louis Gomert out on Texas go birther today, and Paul Broun the week before.

Are these idiots really going to run on the hopes that enough BIRTHERS are going to vote for them? They do know that you win elections by getting a MAJORITY to vote for you, right?

Then again, Gomert is in TX, and not to bask TX, but 19% of the GOP promary voters for Governor voted for Debbie Medina, not just a teabagger, but a TRUTHER too.

Houston, we have a WTF!

birther diary

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:13:44 GMT

good call - we should keep a roll call list of the birthers in Congress so we can do a diary.

Portman is a fucking idiot, he just set his own trap

MinistryOfTruth — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:10:37 GMT

by leaving himself open to being called a birther he is pandering to the racist, paranoid CT driven GOP base and waiving goodbye to the African American vote, which is essential in Ohio, especially high voter concentration area like Clevland, Akron and Cincy.

Great find, great research, and you gave me an idea for a youtube/TV ad. How many GOP Sen Candidates are birther/racists?

Because why else would someone think this President isn't American? I have two answers, his skin color, and his name doesn't sound like John Smith. Both = racism

And a WATB

Casual Wednesday — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:54:05 GMT

The rare GOP trifecta.