Bennet, Debt and Infrastructure

He's not gonna win

but he'd be better than Buck. This is a race I really don't care much for anymore.

Hey Obama and Democratic "leadership" GREAT JOB!! You've failed in sooo many ways. I can't give a sparkling endorsement to Dems anymore. Maybe one day I will, but not today.

Once again, excellent write up, WD

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by: Melissa @ Thu Sep 09, 2010 at 19:51:15 PM UTC

Don't think he will either

and that was the under current of my post - voters have an extremist right-winger to choose if they want; I really don't see what a Corporatist Democrat provides in the way of choice.  Most 2010 voters won't care about Buck's most extreme views, but they want the economy they experience to improve.

Keeping money out of the federal coffers and allowing corporations to keep it (business tax cuts) hasn't created jobs or allowed the economy to grow.  So if Sen. Bennet supports keeping even more money out of federal coffers because he thinks the debt crisis-mirage resonates with voters, I think he'll be in for an interesting Election Night.

Better Dems, please.

Thanks, Melissa!

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by: WeatherDem @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 00:03:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's very depressing that we could lose so much in such a short time

but it's a real testament to the Democrats inability to stiffen their spines and advocate for the real, difficult solutions and how it costs us majorities. Perpetual catering to the middle doesn't show results because there are no results to be had. Yes we fight a massive propaganda machine of corporate america but if people just stood up for what was right, I believe things would be different.  

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by: wDenverRepresent @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 01:49:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

People standing up for what is right

is what we need, I agree.

I would like to throw this possibility out to the community: some Democrats don't want their spines stiffened.  They're involved for different reasons than we are.  They are accomplishing a set of goals; those goals may or may not be our goals.

Too many Democrats made decisions based on their desire to retain power.  It's not so different from what a lot of Cons decided to do a few years ago.  The results will likely be different - some folks get thrown out, some new folks come in, but the system stays much the same.  And that's the problem.

Having said that, running for election using a talking point like "challenging Washington" takes a special kind of person, regardless of their party affiliation.

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by: WeatherDem @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 03:09:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What do you mean "special"?

It seems like everyone is saying that. Are you talking about how common it is?  

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by: Fong @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 06:53:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Special = hypocritical

Special = subversive
Special = unethical
Special = immoral
Special = jacka$$ery

It's become all too common, which I guess is why folks don't think twice about supporting pols who tell them one thing and then do the opposite.

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by: WeatherDem @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 16:09:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

"catering to the middle"?

I respectfully disagree. Bennet is not catering to the middle. He's catering to the right-wing knuckle-draggers and the corporate plutocrats.

The middle comprehends the prudence of Keynesian stimulus during a deep recession.  The middle wants a restoration of meaningful regulation on Wall Street.  The middle wanted a strong public option similar to Medicare.  The middle wants legitimate democracy and opposes corporatism.

CorpDems are not moderates. There's nothing moderate about selling out democracy to the highest bidder.

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"Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision that he makes and we should just support that." --- Britney Spears, September 2003

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by: Mucius Scaevola @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 14:56:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That and where did he come from?

I still find it strange he landed a Senate appointment. If he can't hold the seat, it will be a hug disappointment and a huge mark against Ritter, Obama, and anyone else who worked to get bennet in there.  

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by: Melissa @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 16:14:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yup -- he's back to conservadem

now that the primary is over.

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Thu Sep 09, 2010 at 23:19:11 PM UTC

Unfortunately so

Extremist Teabagger vs. CorporateDem.  Am I supposed to be impressed?

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by: WeatherDem @ Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 00:04:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

At a Recent Meeting He Was Asked About This

I was at a recent meeting in which Senator Bennet was asked about this matter.  He offered several items to note

1. An additional $50Billion won't pass the Congress this year, regardless of its worthiness
   
2. Is $50 Billion enough to make a difference and notes that Paul Krugman has indicated that it is not.
   
3. He supports in infrastructure bank which was another part of the Obama proposal.
   
4. He is extremely sensitive to the unemployment and notes that much of the stimulus for Colorado has not yet been spent
   
5. there was more, but those were the points which I immediately recall
   

We should all criticize him where we disagree, but let's also look at the alternative and make some effort to support him. If our voters stay home, we all lose, all the way down, including some very unpalatable initiatives.

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by: saindenver @ Sat Sep 11, 2010 at 03:55:02 AM UTC

Controlling the narrative

Based on these reported comments, I would argue that Sen. Bennet is having big problems with communication.  His noted items don't mesh with what his issued statement conveys very well.

Telling the world he will not support additional spending in a second stimulus is among the reasons why the stimulus won't pass Congress this year.  Telling the world he won't support the infrastructure spending but will support six times the tax cuts doesnt' begin to approach Krugman's well-founded arguments.  If Sen. Bennet doesn't think $50 Billion will make a difference, he should have issued a statement saying that, but he didn't.

I don't see how using right-wing tax talking points as a crutch is being extremely sensitive to the unemployment crisis.  The language he has used on this issue recently revolves around the imaginary debt problem.  Why not come out with more statements about the need for the first stimulus money to be finally spent?  It likely wouldn't do much to actually spend it, but at least his language would be directed correctly.

When Sen. Bennet, and other self-labeled Democrats, continue to use right-wing talking points, they don't establish themselves as alternatives to the cranks they're running against.  I can't convince the recalcitrant Dems I know to vote for Sen. Bennet when they see how he's voted on some issues and when he issues statements like this.  They think he's trying to play them for fools, and I can't say I fault them for having that view.

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by: WeatherDem @ Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 19:55:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]