The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

In E-Mail, Democracy for America Claims Credit for Bernie Sanders Filibuster

Posted on | December 11, 2010 | 9 Comments

If you were wondering Friday why Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont Socialist, now apparently owns C-SPAN2, the answer — at least according to Arshad Hasan, Executive Director of Democracy for America (DFA) — is that he was following orders. This morning, Hasan sent this e-mail to DFA’s list:

It’s weeks like this that I’m reminded why I love working at DFA.
This week started off with a punch in the gut. The President had caved to Republican demands and agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts — not just to the middle class — but specifically to the very rich.
It was pretty awful news, but DFA members didn’t admit defeat. You told us that you were ready to fight — and fight we did.
On Monday, DFA members made over 12,000 calls to Congress demanding “No deal!” and joining thousands more calls made by members of MoveOn, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, CREDO Action, True Majority, and SEIU in a nationwide day of action.
On Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders on our DFA Live conference call with 5,000 DFA members committed to “do whatever it takes, including filibuster, to stop this deal.” Then, together with Sen. Sanders, we gathered signatures of over 50,000 Americans demanding Democrats in Congress reject the so-called tax “compromise.”
You know what? It worked.
On Thursday, House Democrats voted to reject the deal and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wouldn’t even bring it up for a vote. On Friday, Senator Sanders took to the Senate floor and held his own unconventional filibuster for hour after hour after hour. These bold leaders are showing everyone in Washington what it looks like when progressive Democrats stand up and fight for the middle class.
There’s no denying DFA members stood up, took action and delivered this week. You told us that you expected more from our leaders and together we delivered that message to Congress. You made them listen.
We’re not out of the woods yet. Corporate special interests are putting tremendous pressure on Democrats in Congress to cave and we need to keep fighting to make sure they stand strong.
I couldn’t be more honored to work with you every day. We can’t do the work that we do without you. Democracy for America depends on small contributions from members across the country to get the job done, so please contribute today so we have the resources to finish this tax cuts fight before Congress goes home for the holidays.
Please contribute $10 now and fuel our aggressive campaign to win.
Working together, we’re going to have a lot more weeks like this one.
-Arshad
Arshad Hasan, Executive Director
Democracy for America

Here’s a couple of screen shots from the DFA Web site to show how they’re promoting this “no deal” message:


So Hasan and DFA are taking credit for the Berniethon, the result of which will be . . .?

We don’t know yet. It is entirely possible that Democrats — who just suffered their biggest mid-term debacle since 1938 — will force so many changes to this compromise that Senate Republicans will be justified in saying, “No deal.”

And then everybody will get a tax increase on January 1.

Happy New Year!

What will then happen — as soon as the incoming House GOP majority is sworn in as the 112th Congress — is that Speaker Boehner and friends will pass a straight-up bill renewing the Bush tax cuts and making the old rates retroactive to Jan. 1. The Senate will then be forced to choose between passing this straight-up bill (not a compromise, no union-approved porky “sweeteners” for Democrats) or allowing the continuation of the higher tax rates. And every day the Senate delays passing that bill, more tax money will be drained from American paychecks, helping to prevent economic recovery.

All of which is to say, “Way to go, DFA! Way to ‘stand strong’ for your own political suicide! We’ll call your bluff and see how you like it in the 112th Congress, when John Boehner is ramming the GOP agenda down your throats!”

Remember when Obama said middle-class tax cuts were being held hostage by Republicans? No, it’s Democrats who are doing that, and Arshad Hassan just sent the ransom note.

Some people are too stupid to understand either economics or politics. We call these people “Democrats.”

I repeat: Thank you, Vermont!

Category: Barack Obama, Congress, Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, Taxes, Vermont

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