Oh, those Dems!

Oh, those Dems in Congress! When will they learn?

The botched election in Massachusetts has their aggregate panties in a wad, and they are behaving as if they aren’t still in the majority! If you listened to the MSM, you’d think the Republics had just won the majority. If you listened to the Republics, you’d think the Republics had just won the majority. If you listened to the Dems, you’d think the Republics had just won the majority. But far be it from me to cast some common sense or reality into this collective delusion, but this is simply ridiculous.

Apparently, they are so afraid of the filibuster that it has legislatively neutered them. Big mistake. They have many options that they are currently choosing not to use. Here are some suggestions:

1. Go ahead and let the Republics filibuster! Give them the rope and let them go. Let the American people see them for what they are — The Grand Obstructionist Party. Let them live with that. Force them to read pages from the phone book. Bring out the cots and make them stay in the well of the Senate. And while they are making fools of themselves on CSPAN, hold press conferences telling the American people exactly what they are trying to block. Let them chase their tails until they tire of their silly game, and then… get on with the legislative business at hand.

2. Remind them about the “nuclear option” that the Republic Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist threatened to use in 2005 when the Dems were filibustering Bush’s judicial appointments. It could be done again, and it would put an end to the filibuster for the remainder of THIS legislative session, and it could be done with a simple majority in the Senate. That would put an end to the temper tantrums being thrown daily by those sore losers on the right. But, once done, it could result in a Pandora’s Box situation when the Republics take control of the Senate again. But it’s an option that could work.

3. Focus on the Populist message that would be a welcome change to what we’ve seen so far from the Dems in Washington. There are many issues that need to be addressed immediately, and the Dems would be foolish to relinquish the position to the Republics, who are running on a faux populist agenda right now, hijacking the Tea Baggers and co-opting their recent popularity among independent voters. It’s an opportunity that Obama has seen, and seems to be acting upon. But talk without action is meaningless. And since it’s up to Congress to DO things, they would be wise to follow that path and enact meaningful legislation that will help everyday people in this country in a real way.

I hold out little hope that things will move in this direction, but it would be a start. If they don’t get their collective shit together, they will continue to splinter and lose support and will be eviscerated in the 2010 election in November. And if that happens… Gawd help us all.