A good week ago in a comment somewhere or other I parodied Obama's signature campaign slogan because, sad to say, it expressed what the Democrats, including Obama himself, seem to think about doing anything proactive for the economy: No We Can't. On Labor Day Obama invoked "No We Can't" to make fun of the Republicans, but this post above shows that it applies just as well to the Democratic leadership.

That staffer quote is the problem in a nutshell. Majorities in both houses and they can only do what the Republicans "let" them? Pathetic.

Majority rule in the Senate. NOW, not when the Republicans (inevitably) do it.

Republicans are so good they win before the game even starts.

And of course, this is the problem with the Dems politically - unwillingness to introduce a bill that does not pass becasue it (take your pick) - "makes them look weak", "gives repubs an attack" - while seeming to forget all these things happen anyway and they do not get any credit for proposing good POLICY and making the republicans vote against good policy

This really pisses me off. The DEMS should FORCE the vote...that is the only way to show those middle class voters that THINK the GOP is their friend that in fact, they are lying aholes who will do EXACTLY what they did in the first 8 years of the decade. How's THAT working for you??? The reason that Obama and the Dems won in 2006/2008 was because they showed the people what was possible. The only thing the GOP has done was tune up their message machine.

I know people love to make fun of us O-bots, but Jesus fucking Christ, if his own party's leadership in Congress refuses to support his proposals two days after he announces them, what chance does he have to get anything at all done?

Yeah, Obama critics bring it on. This is the shit we keep talking about. You all keep telling him to propose this and go big on that and the ones based in reality keep telling you that congress must be dealt with. So here ya go! deal!

I thought the whole point was to propose something that everyone would agree had merit, then watch the Republicans bottle it up _and then call them on it_. "We proposed X and Republicans said no. We proposed Y and Republicans said no. We want to serve the American people. The Republicans say no."

And reading the actual quotations, it sounds like Hoyer and the staffer are actually saying that it's not going to pass, not that they're not going to _try_, but, still, a tone of irritation rather than resignation would be nice to see.

I half-expected this all week, but I still want to scream and tear my hair out.

Does the Democratic leadership even know how to actually legislate any more?

I guess it comes down to the meaning of "writing off." Are Democratic leaders "writing it off," i.e. sure it won't pass? Or are they "writing it off," i.e. seeing no point in trying?

"Does the Democratic leadership even know how to actually legislate any more?" joseph @11:04

It seems that way, HOWEVER, we are on the outside, peeking through a small and dirty window of the "Sausage Factory". What happens behind closed doors remains a mystery. Too bad the C-SPAN cameras are limited to the House and Senate chambers. . .

Why wasn't this the FIRST thing they did? I thought this was a no-brainer.
I'm actually amazed that this is being touted as something that is a new idea they just had... Shazam... let's rebuild the infrastructure!

I have come to the realization that many of the dems including some leadership are just not as serious about governing and fixing the bush disaster. At least thats how it looks from out here.
tweet

I am not exactly sure why we are still paying these people. They can't get anything done for the next two months because of the mid-terms and they can't get anything done after during the lame-duck session because republicans say so. Congress is going to have a 4 month vacation and we have to pick up the tab.

Those Democratic Congressmen are making a very good argument as to why they should not be in the majority. We can't govern! We're afraid!!
We need, at a minimum to replace 80 percent of the Democrats in Congress not necessarily with more liberal pols, but with pols with some kind of guts and willingness to fight.

One of the frustrating things about the stimulus "debate" is that we are talking about basic arithmetic: Y = C + I + E + G. This is literally Econ 101.

Somehow in the past 40 years we've gone from literally everyone, including Milton Friedman and Richard Nixon, agreeing on the basic principles of Keynesianism, to a situation where one party completely repudiates it and the other party only grudgingly embraces well-established economic principles.

Mnemosyne and Alli: One of the reasons that proponents of an initially larger stimulus suggested that Obama be more aggressive last year was precisely because we realized that it would be difficult to go back for more later. The time to ask for the most was when Obama's political capital was at its greatest. Sadly, this was a concept that even George W. Bush understood quite well.

Obama can't get another round of stimulus passed in the next two months, in the heat of midterm election races? Cry me a river.

let me get this straight: americans just spent the long weekend driving on roads that are crumbling, using airports that are old, and all the while they're thinking "why won't this Administration create jobs", AND there's a bill to address these issues WHILE cutting tax breaks for OIL & GAS COMPANIES and the democrats say "fuck it"

not to sound like the Big Lebowski but: "Ah yes, 'fuck it'. It's tattooed on your forehead. Condolences, the bums lost!"

the bum Dems are losing this one....seemingly on purpose.

if his own party's leadership in Congress refuses to support his proposals two days after he announces them, what chance does he have to get anything at all done?

This question suggests that a President has no power to sway public perception regarding public policy. On the contrary, an effective President and leader of the Democratic Party could be doing a much better job of selling the public on the concept of stimulus spending.

If you had told me 20 years ago that America would get to a point where politicians would actually run for election by opposing spending in a recession I never would have believed it. The current political climate is an aberration. Democrats should be absolutely HAMMERING Republicans on this. Instead we get half-assed, too-little, too-late proposals ($50B over six years is a joke), disheartening quotes about how there is "no appetite" for spending on the Hill, and self-defeating admissions that "government can't create jobs."

How can you possibly expect people to support your policies if you fail to sell them?

For once -- just once -- I'd like to see President Obama crack some heads in Congress, now that Van Hollen and Hoyer have spoken.

Hey Democrats: Why even show up to work, then? Why should I take time off work and vote for you?

At this point i have decided to regioster as an Independent. I don;t blame Obama for this one. What can he do, we have a democracy (allegedly) with three co-equal branches of government. he madea proposal but it is up to Congress to enact laws. I am so thoroughly disgusted by the pathtic nature of these Democratic leaders that they aren't even willing to try anything. Seriously they are pathetic and honestly deserve to lose. The Repiblicans have ridiculously wacky ideas, but at least they seem to stand for something and are willing to lie and do whatever it takes to force their ideas through. I now finally get the enthusiasm gap. I guess we as a country deserve whatever craziness comes to us.

Hoyer and this unnamed staffer are fishing for cover. They want to find out just how much the base wants it before they'll make an effort. It's a cowardly thing to do, but hey, they're Dems, what can you expect? They're not going to risk hurting the Republicans' feelings unless Dem voters flood them with calls and petitions and emails and banners and bumper stickers and late night talk show jokes saying "fight for this. NOW."

They seem to forget that we voted for them in the first place to get stuff like this done. And the so-called liberal media doesn't amplify our voices any. What's it going to take, a million man march every weekend outside their bedroom doors so they can see how pissed people are and how much they want to see their elected leaders earn their ridiculous salaries and obscenely generous pensions?

Not to worry...

The Obomination wants $50B for infrastructure and $100B for corporate tax cuts.

The rethugs and their pals, the corporately owned (blue dog) dumbocraps will still support cutting corporate taxes. So f*cking what if this will do next to nothing for increasing employment! Jobs for the working class is so damned unimportant, compared to increasing the wealth of the wealthy.

Remember the true rethugnican mottos:
- More is never enough!
- I've got mine, fuck you!

"House Democratic leaders are already writing off President Barack Obama's $50 billion infrastructure proposal, saying that GOP opposition will likely doom any major bills on tap before the November elections."

God, what a bunch of idiots. Passing bills is not the fucking point right now. It's putting stuff out there to contrast yourself against the opposition. It's taking a fucking stand for once in your life.

It's reading shit like this that makes me embarrased to be a Democrat. And they wonder why there is an enthusiasm gap. Jesus H. Fucking Christ.

Ideally, Democratic leaders would force the issue anyway. A pre-election vote would give the base something to rally behind, demonstrate that Dems are focused on spurring economic growth, and force Republicans to vote against an idea that most voters are likely to support.

But by all appearances, that's not going to happen.

That, in a nutshell, is pretty much why many of us are so pissed off at the Dems in Congress. They essentially passed on every opportunity to force Republicans to take a stand against popular issues and against policies that had the potential to really make a difference. For 19 months every win is immediately cast as a bad thing, Dems run away from it, and the only person standing up for the rest of us is the President, and no one is hearing him over the din of Birtherism, sochulism, and muslimism.

I agree with all above who say "force the vote." Take every opportunity to embarass those who refuse to do anything to reduce unemployment.

Unfortunately, in addition to every single Republican, we have Democrats who are in lock step with the conservative do-nothings.

The piece definitely conveys a tone of throwing in the towel before even trying, but the quotes from Hoyer and the staffer actually refer to the prospects of passage and _not_ the politics of proposing it. It sounds to me like the reporter asked, "Sounds great, but can you get it passed?" and Hoyer and the anonymous staffer said, "It probably ain't gonna happen." Which is true. So the reporter stopped there. But he didn't get quotes about whether they'd still make a show, _full aware_ that the chances of passage are minimal, in order to make Republicans look like ten pounds of dicks in a five pound bag. Hopefully they'll still try to make that case, even if it means pushing uphill all the while.

Gee, I'd think that, since their original package was way too small and they are now facing the problem of going into the election with the economy still bad, that they'd WANT to be seen as trying their hardest to get something done.

The fact that Republicans wouldn't let them pass it is really an advantage right now. How better to reinforce the message that you're trying hard but the GOP is saying no to everything than to be seen trying hard and having the GOP say NO?

Is this rocket science? Is the water in the Capitol being dosed with something? Now is the time to bring legislation BECAUSE it won't pass, not fold. Sheesh.

@ bcinaz: They essentially passed on every opportunity to force Republicans to take a stand against popular issues and against policies that had the potential to really make a difference

That's not actually true; they _have_ forced Republicans to take stands against popular ideas, but Republicans just do it anyway, and the media either goes on to the next story or tut-tuts Democrats' tone. Remember how Anthony Weiner pummeled Republican obstructionism, and then the story was, Tee-hee, he's yelling and it looks funny?

I mean, voting against small business incentives and sick 9/11 emergency workers... these could be huge, humiliating stories for the Republicans, but they just blow over. Not because the Democrats don't put them on the record opposing sympathetic causes, but because the media doesn't feel like telling that story.

@ biggerbox: How better to reinforce the message that you're trying hard but the GOP is saying no to everything than to be seen trying hard and having the GOP say NO?

To be fair, the quoted people didn't say they weren't going to try; they said that they weren't going to win. I don't have a good feeling about it either, but I guess I can always hope that they're savvier than they sound.

(If they really were gearing up for a fight you'd think they'd say something like, "I'm really looking forward to having this fight." But I wouldn't put it past political reporters to hear that and edit it out in order to focus on the "Won't pass" rather than the "Fighting obstruction" aspects of Democratic rhetoric.)

So, OK, that's what Hoyer (who yer?) has to say. Where's my Nancy? I'd rather listen to her.

Dems should put it and other good ideas to a vote asap if only to rally the base! At least they won't look, as they have for 18 mos, too weak to do anything liberal/progressive. Rather, let people see that they are fighting for the interest of the middle class and they need our votes to succeed. The public don't want to hear about procedural stuff. Give them a reason to vote! Duh.