What exactly makes a republican lite democrat....a democrat?

This has been rattling my brain for awhile, what exactly makes a republican lite democrat, a democrat? You know we a DU constanly bash democrats like Ben Nelson, Melissa Bean, Mary Landrieu and Charlie Melancon for being too conservative for the party and siding with the repukes on certain issues but it these Democrats are too conservative for the party, then why don't they switch parties? What exactly does the democratic party have to offer that makes these DLC clones stick with the party? What exactly makes them democrats besides the D next to there names when there on C-SPAN?

Discuss...

What would you call him... "A Democratic Lite"? ~~~

Personally, I think the term "DINO" is thrown around here too much.. but that's just me.

We hear it from a group of those who despise the DLC everytime it's brought up.

But guess what...

Once we select a nominee for '08... if that person happens to be a DLC'er, you won't see it mentioned on here no matter how hard you look!

Strange how that works.. Doesn't bother me though because I get tired of bickering..

he's not that much of a RINO, although he's better than McCain.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3716720#3716998

"According to the AFL-CIO, Lieberman has a lifetime voting record of 123-24 in favor of working class issues. Snowe is 30-63, Chaffee 24-27, and McCain is 29-141. Coleman is 0-13 and No-Talent is 0-13. You really think Talent and Coleman are no different than Mondale or Carnahan? Scurrilous nonsense!"

Sometimes it seems like a single wrong vote on a personal hot-button issue is enough to make many here declare "Senator X" is a total neo-con DINO sell-out a$$hat "spineless, gutless, wishy-washy pansy face." (quote from the Bob Newhart show).

Often they will vote with the Democrats when it matters - against cloture, or for Democratic versions. As Kerry explained the $93 billion - first he voted for it (the Democratic version which would pay for it by reducing the tax cut for millionaires and which would demand greater accountability), then he voted against it. Often a supposed DINO like Nelson of Nebraska will vote for the Democratic version, but then, when it is pretty obvious the Republican POS version is going to pass anyway, he votes for that too. It makes very little difference, except that Republican liars will call it bi-partisan legislation because 5 Democrats sided with 97% of Republicans (see it's bi-partisan, a Democrat voted for it). It is partly because Nelson, or Dennis Moore cannot face the next election with an opponent who is able to beat the "he did not support the troops" or "he voted against a tax cut" drums.

As a recent article linked on DU said - even Blue Dog Democrats vote with the party about 54% of the time. Whereas Republicans vote with their party about 98% of the time. So even the worst DINOs are very far from being Republicans. As far as Lieberman goes - it is his rhetoric, his support for Republicans on TV more than his Senate votes that really mean he has got to go. Although if he wins the primary, he still will be better for Connecticut and America and the world than his Republican opponent.

And the leadership makes all the difference.

There's this hideously stupid view by far left members of this board that Democrats who believe in free market economics, corporations having the right to exist, and a foreign policy which stems from Wilson and Truman are somehow not Democrats. It seems that the ultra-liberals seem to forget, the Democrats were never isolationist socialists, and people who think that their fringe leftism is what the true democratic party is about needs to get their head examined and be forced to read a lot of history books.

democrats like ben nelson are great when it comes to fair labor practices, mary landrieu has a solid pro-choice voting record, and nobody on this board has a fucking clu who melissa bean and charlie melancon are besides you and a few other people. The Republicans don't believe in fair labor practices, are anti-choice, and also don't have a fucking clue who the other two are.

it is DLC, and even they are not that bad. Democrats believe in regulated market economics, not free ones, and have for at least the last 100 years.

Melancthon? Wasn't he a theologian working with Martin Luther?

but that word is word-non-grata among the lunatic fringe on this site too (just see any of iconoclastnyc's moronic rantings on the dlc).

ask the op about these people, 99.99999% of america has no idea who the fuck he's talking about, and even more people don't give a shit.

Melissa Bean is a democratic congressman from the 8th district of Illinois, she is often critized on this board by being a DINO and siding with the republicans.

but am I going to go to the polls and re-electing him in November?

You bet.

Why?

Because he's going to help us gain a Democratic Majority. Oh yeah, and he's not a republican.

you should be voting for this guy!!!

www.lipinski.house.gov

He's also ranked dead last in terms of "power" in the congress, but I don't care. His two democratic primary challengers failed miserably.

You were going to say Lipinski, I don't know why but I did.

it's better than paris hilton's, but not as good as jenna lewis's.

If Lieberman hadn't voted against the Flag Burning Amendment it would have passed.

If Clinton hadn't voted against the Flag Burning Amendment it would have passed.

How about the Nelson, democrat of Florida's amendment stating that the Iraqi government should not grant amnesty to people who murder Americans?

Or the vote to investigate allegations of war profiteering and illegal activities which failed based purely on party lines?

Or the failure to repeal the Estate Tax which wouldn't have failed without overwhelming democratic NAY votes.

Take a look here if you want to see what makes so many of them democrats.

I think people should think a bit more seriously before they throw posts like this around so loosely.