The Democratic Party has accomplished a proud record of achievements that should be enough to keep Republican gains down during the midterm election of 2010, but they have not been able to transmit these successes adequately to the American people!
It is now the job of President Obama and all Democratic officeholders and candidates to promote, hail, endorse, and defend a record unmatched by any Congress since the 1960s! 🙂
The only Congresses that could be seen as having accomplished MORE than the 111th Congress are the 73rd Congress under Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1934), and the 89th Congress under Lyndon B. Johnson (1965-1966)!
This Congress, under Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has enacted much pathbreaking legislation, but it will take years to feel the full impact of what they have done for the American people!
Among the accomplishments are the following (not an exhaustive list):
1. Passage of the largest stimulus package in history, which prevented a worst economic downturn, but may not have been enough to turn the economy around as quickly as many hoped for!
2. credit card consumer protection legislation.
3. landmark health care reform legislation.
4. Wall Street regulation.
5. tobacco regulation.
6. reform of contracting in the Pentagon, and the beginning of accountability on wasteful spending.
7. tax cuts for the middle class.
8. an anti age discrimination law.
9. approval by the Senate of two Supreme Court nominees.
10. extension of unemployment compensation after a battle in the Senate.
11. Much other legislation, including on climate change, in the House, but blocked in the Senate!
Many other initiatives were taken by President Obama outside of Congressional activity, and it should be made clear to the American people that the President and his party have worked VERY HARD to change the direction of the country, and deal with the total mess left by the Republicans and George W. Bush!
But to expect total success and a complete turnaround of years of damage in less than two years is unrealistic, so the Democrats must play hardball, and get the message out that a return to the Republican policies through an attempted repeal of the 111th Congress’s accomplishments would be counterproductive, as well as destructive, of the interests and the future of the American people! 🙁
I believe it can be agreed upon that this administration along with the 111th Congress has enacted a serious amount of legislation in the last two years. Many of the bills have dramatically shifted public policy (for better or worse will only be determined through time) in a different direction, i.e. health care reform and financial regulation. However, no matter how successful these programs are now or in the future it will not matter unless the economy turns around. History has shown that Americans vote with their pocket books. Unless the present administration can attack the deficit and encourage economic growth the voting public may grow weary of the liberal agenda at hand. People are not keen to abrupt and dramatic change. Though the President’s and Congress’ intentions may be good, many may see the legislation as overarching and heavy handed. Ultimately, this may plague the political success of the President. So yes, the President and the 111th Congress should discuss their successful initiatives, however, they should also understand the public’s uneasiness with the political agenda of the last two years. It is a delegate balancing act that few Presidents have accomplished. Will this President act pragmatically or ideologically in the face of growing dissent on both sides of the isle?
While the Democrats have achieved some legislative success with the 111th Congress, there is still much work to be done. Former President Clinton is working diligently to rally support among the Democratic base because many of the prominent faces in the Democratic party have failed to clearly communicate their successes and intentions for the country.
Time and again, when the Republicans make it easier for Democrats to seize the moment and attract moderates and independents, the Democrats act as their own worse enemy. Even many on the far left, like myself, are unhappy with Congress and Obama’s failure to end the war in Afghanistan, close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, deliver meaningful healthcare reform with a Public Option, increase education spending and reform, and provide the homosexual community equal rights in marriage and the military, since the appeal to reform “don’t ask and don’t tell” is blocking the policy change.
NO doubt I blame Republicans for creating controversy and distracting voters from real issues with the MOSQUE-GATE controversy, Birthers conspiracy, in addition to the numerous pundits on the right trying ti link Obama and Congress to a Socialist Revolution.
Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean are two of my favorite Democrats for the genuine, and straight forward approach in communicating their agenda and attacking the Republicans. I wish more Democrats acted as passionately as them.
I am happy for the changes this congress has enacted. This is the change we were looking for when we voted for this president. While I can see where Jon (comment above) is coming from, I have a bit more optimistic look that over time we will see that these changes will have a positive affect on American lives. But as Jon indicated, time will tell.
All the other issues distract American people from the real issues. It’s sad to know that Americans are easily distracted.
too often we are learning about the success of the 111th congress from outsiders and not from the democrats that passed the legislation or from the president that signed it. This is why the right wing and talk radio point at Obama and say he has failed and has done nothing.
Democrats have got to stop running away from their votes.
The mid-terms to some degree pointed this out. The progessive caucus ( those that voted with the president ) lost 4 out of 80. The blue dog dems (those that voted against) lost 22 out of 34 seats.
Vote as democrats not as republican light