YDA Vice-President Colmon Elridge Releases Statement on Sen. Bunning

01 Mar

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress, Republicans, YDA

Young Democrats of America Vice-President Colmon Elridge of Kentucky issued the following statement regarding the actions of Senator Jim Bunning:

It is unfortunate that Senator Jim Bunning has been away from Kentucky so long that he has forgotten the values that have shaped our Commonwealth and the spirit of commitment to the common good that is present in communities from Pikeville to Paducah and everywhere in between.

Because of the actions of the Junior Senator from Kentucky, one million Americans stand to lose their unemployment insurance. One million Americans, their families, and their communities will suffer because one person has put politics above people and partisanship above compassion for his fellow man.

The people of Kentucky deserve a Senator who shares our values. “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” are more than just words on our state flag. They are a reminder that how we survive as Kentuckians – and Americans – is to offer a helping hand to those in need and to work in a spirit of good-faith to shape America into that more perfect union.

Senator Bunning’s actions prove that a strong Democratic presence is needed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This incident stresses the importance of wining in November and returning a Kentuckian to Washington that shares our values and speaks to the common decency. Young Democrats are dedicated to shaping a Kentucky and an America that rise above these petty political maneuvers and put people first. My only wish is that, as so many Kentuckians who have served us in our nation’s capitol have done before, Senator Bunning would have retired a statesman and not a tyrant.

Colmon Elridge III
Vice-President
Young Democrats of America

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GOP Obstructionism and Progressive Change

23 Dec

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress, Democratic Party, Republicans

As Democrats approach the end of their first year of the 21st century in control of both Congress and the White House, we are reminded of a hard truth: progressive change is much more difficult than conservative retrenchment.

Throughout history change has always faced an uphill battle against the seductive forces of fear, hatred, dogma, and tradition. In fact, major progressive change is so difficult and occurs so infrequently that such victories are historical outliers. As Mike Lux points out, only four or five decades in the history of the United States have proved to be fertile ground for such change.

Some believed that the 21st century would be different, that the proliferation of technology and the internet would be a panacea. However, this view ignored those aspects of this century that make change more difficult. While it is true that the internet has enabled more public participation and government transparency and allowed people to compete with the media power of corporate television and radio, it also allowed people to self-select their news, information, and facts. No longer can a Walter Cronkite turn the tide of American public opinion against a war with a single statement. The internet is a value-neutral platform and it spreads conservative messages just as effectively as progressive ones. Life expectancy is dramatically longer than in the past, slowing generational change and keeping old prejudices and fears alive (this is where conservatives will convince themselves that I am arguing for death panels as a progressive conspiracy). Change today will be just as difficult as it has been in the past.

Also extinguished a year in is the naïve belief in bipartisanship, that we can convince Republicans to join with Democrats to do the right thing for the American people. Bipartisanship only exists when there is a Republican in the White House, and such bipartisanship has had devastating consequences (see Iraq War, Bush’s tax cuts to the wealthy, deregulation).

Republicans view government as a zero-sum game. Health care is not a service for the American people but a battle to be fought for political gain. Helping the uninsured and those who have had the American dream shattered by health care costs is nothing compared to the potential to recreate Waterloo. The conservative platform is dogma, with their evangelists castigating those who do not show proper devotion to the faith. To them, legislation is but a chessboard where black and white move their pieces through amendments and procedures to ultimately topple the opponent’s king.

Change takes time. The Presidency, control of the House, and a 20 member majority in the Senate is not a sufficient condition. Democrats need candidates that are not just electable but also effective, as well as the courage to believe that standing firm for our ideas can actually be a winning strategy. We need to enlarge the electorate by putting serious effort into engaging Millennials and minorities. Progressive victories have proved us to be on the right side of history–ending slavery, universal suffrage, the New Deal, and Medicare–and we need representatives that will make the right decision now and not worry about whether history will move fast enough to prove them right before the next election.

Change requires sacrifice and effort, new strategies, more profiles in courage, and a dream that will never die.

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Conservatives Court Youth Vote By Sabotaging Health Insurance Reform

17 Dec

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress, Issues, Republicans

One of the big conservative talking points attempting to lure the youth vote is that the current health care bill would include a mandate to purchase health insurance without increasing affordability.

What they fail to mention is that it has been the GOP and a few conservative Democrats that have stripped away those things that would have made insurance more affordable.

It’s like someone sold you a bicycle and John Boehner jumps out and smashes it with a hammer, only to say “can you believe that guy sold you a broken bicycle?”

And what are these conservatives who are apparently so concerned about the plight of young Americans doing for us? Shutting down the Senate for 12 hours.

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John Shadegg: The Fetus Whisperer

09 Nov

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress, Humor

Now that John Shadegg has proven that he can understand the innermost political desires of infants, it’s only a matter of time until his skills improve to the point where he can become:

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Democrats Voting for Stupak Amendement by PVI #HCR

08 Nov

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress

Some of the Democratic Stupak Amendment votes came from Representatives from very blue districts. Here are the Democrats that voted for the amendment sorted by Cook PVI. Bolded names also voted against HR 3962 itself.

3 Comments

Democrats Who Voted Yes on Stupak and No on #HCR

08 Nov

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress

The following Democrats voted both for the Stupak Amendement and then voted against final passage of HR 3962.

Bobby Bright (AL-2)
Parker Griffith (AL-5)
Artur Davis (AL-7)
Mike Ross (AR-4)
Jim Marshall (GA-8)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3)
Collin Peterson (MN-7)
Ike Skelton (MO-4)
Travis Childers (MS-1)
Gene Taylor (MS-4)
Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Harry Teague (NM-2)
John Boccieri (OH-16)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Jason Altmire (PA-4)
Tim Holden (PA-17)
Lincoln Davis (TN-4)
Bart Gordon (TN-6)
John Tanner (TN-8)
Jim Matheson (UT-2)

15 Comments

The Perils of Last Minute Activism

27 Jul

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Congress, Issues

The Republican Party may be in shambles, but conservative interest groups are still dominating progressives when it comes to issue advocacy. A big part of the problem is procrastination: most progressive organizations rely solely on last minute activism.

Conservatives have been so successful in their issue advocacy efforts because they begin the process way before there is a bill being considered or an important vote. They start persuasion programs far in advance; framing the debate, saturating the media, and activating local conservative networks.

Progressives have not been as successful because we tend to wait until a vote to begin organizing. Now, there are some exceptions; organized labor has been much better at getting a head of issues than the rest of the progressive movement, but for the most part our activism is last minute.

Many progressive organizations didn’t learn the lessons of the 1990s. They believed that passing progressive legislation would be a cakewalk with Democrats in control of the White House, a huge majority in the House and 60 votes in the Senate. The current struggle for health insurance reform shows how wrong they were.

A politician isn’t going to always do the right thing just because there is a (D) next to his or her name. Democrats often have to be pressured as much as the Republicans. In the future we must remember that as long as we rely solely on last minute activism, we are going to keep losing battles.

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ACT NOW on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

28 Jan

Posted by Kevin Bondelli as Action Alerts, Congress, YDA

Today, the House of Representatives will vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a bill designed to help put money in the hands of working Americans to get our economy back on track.

As promised, President Obama said restoring prosperity and faith in financial institutions was his top priority. Together with bi-partisan leaders in Congress, the President has created a plan designed to provide more than stimulus; rather, we will invest in short-term needs to further long-term goals.

This bill has huge implications for young people. From unemployment insurance to higher education tax credits to investing in renewable energy, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is designed to safeguard our economic future.

The cost of doing too little outweighs the extraordinary cost of getting us out of this economic crisis. Congress must act now to pass this important legislation and get our economy moving again. Urge your Member of Congress to ACT NOW to pass this critical legislation.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes key provisions around higher education, including the new American Opportunity Tax Credit, which offers a tax credit of up to $2,500 for the cost of tuition and related expenses, increases the Pell grant maximum by $500 to $4,860 for the 2009-2010 academic year, and increases federal work-study funding. It will also invest in critical infrastructure such as investments in shovel-ready roadways and bridges projects, science and IT, technology in the health care industry to lower costs, and modernizing schools. The bill also provides for extensive investment in energy efficiency to modernize our electric grid, create green jobs, and provide tax credits for families and companies that use alternative energy. In addition to other key provisions, the legislation also provides tax credits for the middle class — another campaign promise — to provide relief for working families, small businesses, the unemployed, and others hit hardest by the economic crisis.

The bill has unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency to bring “sunshine” to our legislative process and help restore confidence on our government and financial institutions.

You can learn more on Speaker Pelosi’s website. You can also read President Obama’s plan and remarks on ARRP.

As young Americans and Young Democrats we must ACT NOW to urge our Members of Congress to work for our best interest in restoring America’s prosperity. This important legislation cannot wait. And our economic future is too important to be yet another political football. We urge bi-partisan support for this crucial bill.

We look forward to keeping you updated on the progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as the legislation progresses through Congress. Please help us broaden our impact by forwarding this email to five friends today!

Democratically Yours,
David Hardt
President
Young Democrats of America