House Democrats aren't unified


Encouraging noises from freshman Democrats
I'm glad to see this.

Representative Joe Donnelly, a freshman Democrat from Indiana, has a blunt message for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Stick to a ``middle-of-the-road agenda'' or their party's control of Congress may last just two years.

If Pelosi ``goes too far one way or another, we're not coming back,'' Donnelly says. He sees his party's victory in the November elections as less an endorsement of its agenda than a rejection of Republican rule: ``People just got real tired of this bunch, and they fired them.''

Donnelly's view reflects those of many of the 30 House Democrats elected in districts previously held by Republicans. Their fragile hold on their seats means they'll be pushing their new speaker, who represents heavily Democratic San Francisco, to limit confrontations with President George W. Bush and the Republicans over taxes, the war in Iraq, stem-cell research and abortion.

``Pelosi needs to show she can govern,'' says James Thurber, a professor at American University in Washington who specializes on Congress and the presidency. To pass her agenda, Pelosi must build coalitions with lawmakers, ``especially those from moderate districts'' such as Donnelly's, he says.

Despite what the House leadership is doing, the last election wasn't about the adoption of an extreme liberal agenda. The leadership needs to be reined in, and I hope that Donnelly is able to do it without sacrificing his political career.

Personally I would be happy if Congress did absolutely nothing in the next two years. People might realize they are better off when the legislature is NOT in session.

But that is just me.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - January 9, 2007 at 07:21 AM  Tag


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