Gridlock by Strategic Neccessity

Via Avedon [how does she spot all this], Matthew at Scary Shit:

...We have to act now. Extreme pressure must be brought to bear against the Democratic leadership at the DNC. We need Howard Dean and the boys to understand that by counting their chickens now, and by not trying to rock the boat, and by not holding on to their bird in their hand (and any other fucking cliches I can think of), and not taking advantage of having both houses of congress, and not holding this criminal administration accountable RIGHT NOW, that Democrats will stay home in droves in 2008. That we will not donate, we will not volunteer, and we will not vote for Democrats in 2008 unless they step up to the plate and do their fucking jobs right now and start functioning as an opposition party.

I am sick and tired of the hostage game that the Dems are playing. I am already well fucking aware of the terrifying nature of the Republican party. However, I refuse to accept their lesser of two evils act any fucking more. Their bullshit rationale that they can't do anything, or they might not win any more elections is over. If they can't win any more elections, ever again, by standing up for the Constitution, freedom and democracy, then fuck it. For real. Fuck it sideways. I would rather see them make the other side explicitly endorse fascism, at least. I'm just done with the Kabuki. No more.

The big name bloggers are failing us. Every movement needs leaders, and Digby and Greenwald are two of the best on our side. They have the readers, they have the responsibility to put the pressure on the hapless Democrats, and force them to do what is right. God knows they won't do it on their own.

LudditeRobot knows the score:

A bridge fell down in my city recently. When I listen to all of the elected officials — our leaders, in this DFL-controlled legislature or even in the Republican Governor’s circle — all I can hear is noise and blatant, ham-fisted opportunism. And predictable nastiness from the predictably nasty. As in most catastrophes, the heroism and true leadership came from ordinary people, not elected officials. From, for instance, a 20 year old who rescued children from a bus — and, when asked whether he would like to meet with the President, had this to say: “Nope.”

I think we’re in a societal catastrophe more generally. It’s almost painfully obvious where we should look for the structures of fundamental change. And it ain’t the Democratic Party.

LudditeRobot is right, it is not the Democratic party, it is us.

Unfortunately, in my view, the Democratic party is all that we've got until the new congress and president take office in 2009. The VRWC's conduct in the immigration debate is the blueprint for action. It is much easier to stop bad legislation than to pass good legislation. The founders set up our country that way for a reason. As distasteful as it may be, we must use the Democrats in congress as a means to an end. That end is stopping literally everything until a new congress and president can be elected.

Stopping any more legislation, no matter what it is. No more surveillance legislation, no legislation to institute a draft, no more feel-good post office naming legislation, no more pork, no more nothing. I accept the premise made by many people out there (sorry don't feel like finding a link) that the Democrats are not a functioning party because of all of the blue-dogs and DLC members floating around out there, and that Pelosi's leadership is so fragile that a stiff breze could shatter it. So be it.

Harry Reid, so-called master parliamentarian, and Nancy Pelosi, so-called San Francisco liberal need a functioning caucus to pass legislation. Harry Reid only needs 40 senators to stop every single damn piece of legislation from now until January 2009.

Of course, Harry's list of donors wouldn't be very happy with that, would they?

His list of donors is reproduced here, because sooner or later that link will vaporize into the ether of cyberspace:

1 MGM Mirage $158,450
2 Mandalay Resort Group $130,100
3 Harrah's Entertainment $93,100
4 Lionel, Sawyer & Collins $73,516
5 Simmons Cooper LLC $73,400
6 Sierra Nevada Corp $59,300
7 Newmont Mining $55,808
8 Sierra Health Services $54,250
9 Station Casinos $52,250
10 Citigroup Inc $42,750
11 Park Place Entertainment $40,850
12 AT&T Inc $40,050
13 Boyd Gaming $39,549
14 Bass Brothers Enterprises $39,000
15 Baron & Budd $38,000
16 Outdoor Advertising Assn of America $36,738
17 Cassidy & Assoc/Interpublic Group $35,594
18 UNITE HERE $34,261
19 National Cable & Telecommunications Assn $34,001
20 Don King Productions $34,000