DO NOT BLINK (Updated)

Since the House and Senate changed hands back in January, there has been some mounting tension between the legislative and executive branches of government. The Democratic “majority” has called people in to testify, passed rules that restrict Abramoffist lobbying tactics and probably some other things that I just can’t remember now.

One of the most satisfying things has to be the Gonzo hearings. Seriously, aside from the fact that the guy looks like a muppet, I have never seen more entertaining television that watching that little guy squirm in his pee stained pants and “not recall” anything.

Yeah, a lot about the past 4 months has been very satisfying. I wouldn’t trade it for anything but perhaps a Senate minus both Lieberman and McConnell, my most favorite douchebag Senators. But something’s happening. We’ve pushed, and pushed and now they’re pushing back. What will we do?

I liken this whole thing to training a dog to walk on a leash. Before you even put the dog on the leash you gotta make sure he understands who’s in charge. Who’s walking who, as it were. Sometimes that requires treats and such to reinforce good behavior, sometimes, it means a firm hand to scold the dog for disobedience. In any case, it requires the intestinal fortitude to do something that may not be in character, but that needs to happen.

The dog (our president) has been roaming free in the backyard for 6 years now pooping where he sees fit, demanding more food and water, damn the consequences. Now that dog is fat. That dog is spoiled. That dog feels entitled to all that he has amassed, and is going to fight damn hard to make sure he keeps as much of it as possible.

The dog is acting like he’s gonna bite. He may try to bite. He may feel that he’s won by biting, but the dog only wins when we relent. Once you’ve given a dog that power to lash out, with few or no consequences, the dog has learned something that takes a very long time to unlearn. The dog has learned that it has ultimate supremacy over you, not the other way around, and that while you have some of the cards, the dog can do what it wants to as long as it has this ace in the hole.

This is what’s happening on the Hill today. If we relent, if we let up, even for a second, we will have “trained THIS dog” that we don’t have the balls to stand up for what we believe. We will have shown our tails in deference to THIS dog, and will forever be relegated as THIS dog’s bitch, until a new dog comes to town. In everything we try to do, from Congressional subpoenas, to legislation, we will be cast in a subordinate light to THIS dog, if we relent.

This is why we have to stand strongly together. This is why we have to jerk the slack out of the leash and make the dog walk NEXT TO US instead of dragging us down the street. This is why we CANNOT BLINK right now.

Already, in the media, there are reports that the Democratic Majority is going to cave. I’m sure they are talking about it, because that’s one of our favorite topics of conversation…caving (not spelunking). Still, we need to make our voices heard, before we throw out the baby with the bath water. On Saturday, I put out a list of people to call/email asking them to stand firm. I have no way of knowing if anyone did that, but I’m going to ask again. If you care about the long term efficacy of the Democratic Majority in the Congress, you will encourage these leaders, as well as your representative to stand firm for what they believe in.

Thanks again.

UPDATE: They blinked, and in doing so, the Democratic Majority has handed the MINORITY a stunning victory on one of the very platforms that we won on in November. It’s hard for me to understand, and harder for me to swallow, but unlike some of the “Kos kidz” I will not call for public humiliation or holding back of campaign contributions. Instead, let’s see how it plays out. I’m very disappointed, but the only thing getting thrown out from me, right now, is the bath water.

Representative Steve Cohen
202-225-3265


Speaker Nancy Pelosi

PH. 202-225-4965

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
You can email him if you’re from Maryland 5th…here’s a zip code – 20770
202-225-4131

Majority Whip James Clyburn

202-225-3315

Deputy Whip John Lewis

202-225-3801

Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid

202-224-3542

Majority Whip Richard Durbin

202-224-2152

Senator Charles Schumer

202-224-6542

2 Replies to “DO NOT BLINK (Updated)”

  1. The Democrats in Congress have been Dubya’s bitch for the last seven years. While I am disappointed, I am hardly surprised.

  2. Good post, but a little one-sided. I’m gonna link it and comment because I human dogness is one of my favorite digressions.

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