Do Dems Have A Unified Message To Counter GOP Filibuster Of Fin Reform? Not Yet

Democrats probably didn't expect to find themselves in this position: On the cusp of moving a big Wall Street reform bill to the Senate floor, with Republicans, as if immune from political pressure, banding together to block them. But they knew it could happen. Some even would have preferred this, relishing the optics of allowing the GOP to side with big, unpopular financial institutions.

So surely Democrats and their allies in key pressure groups have rehearsed a bold, unified response, in the event that the GOP follows through on their threat to block debate. Ads are in the can, talking points are drafted, and everyone's been prepped to argue before the world that the Republicans have allied themselves with the firms that wrecked the economy. Right?

The answer to the question is: yes and no. Democrats and outside groups have some contingency plans in place, if the GOP carries out a filibuster. But those efforts aren't being tightly coordinated, and with a key test vote coming as early as Monday, there's precious little time left for Dems and their allies to get their ducks in a row. Given how politically explosive a GOP filibuster could be, the ad hoc nature of the Democrats' plans that suggests they won't take as full advantage of it as perhaps they could.

"When Republicans pulled their obstructionist tricks during healthcare, there was an immediate response from every pro-reform group," says a concerned source working in messaging at one of the largest Dem-aligned financial reform pressure groups in the country. "Now that the GOP is using the same stalling and backroom meetings for Wall Street, that response just doesn't exist."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/will-dems-be-ready-if-gop-filibusters-financial-reform.php?ref=fpa

I remember speaking to one particularly clueless "nice" Bushie (which is sort of like saying a clueless "nice" Nazi) way back in 2007, explaining to him what the Democratic Plan was for the War on Terra.

(not that it worked out like that, but it was the stated plan)

"We dial down the phony Iraq Invasion by 100K, send 50K of those troops to Afghanistan, where the actual War in Terra is being waged, and give the other 50K a rest."

A little oversimplified, but still articulating the basic strategy outlined by the Democrats.

"I never heard that," said Clueless.

"Because the Corporate Media doesn't allow you to hear it," I replied.

Clueless said nothing in reply. You think Clueless ever wondered WHY he never heard about the Democratic Plan as late as 2007, now that it has finally been told by Corporate M$M (only by virtue of Obama getting in office and it actuall HAPPENING)?

:rofl:

It could partially be that some of us on the left got burned by the results of healthcare reform when we got almost nothing that we wanted. (with bonus mandates

Of course in my opinion the fault lies in the fact that Obama has Goldman Sachs enshrined in his administration so there is the perception (right or wrong) that the reform is toothless.

"Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Just tell the, "Go ahead, make my day."